Trump announces 20% tariff on all Mexican imports to pay for wall

[KingSweden]

So, In Trumps defense(Oh god), Spicer was referring to a border adjustment tax that congressional republicans have already gotten behind. It's not actually a 20% import tax.

I was gonna say this. Still not a great idea but it's not punitive against just one country.

[KingSweden]

I'm open to seeing how this border adjustment thing works. It's smarter than a straight tariff and the way our corp tax structure works now does legitimately encourage outsourcing.

This flap, though, is case in point why Trump's... "stylistic" choices are self defeating. He's endorsing a pretty uncontroversial move (border adjustment) but has to do it in the most petulant, vindictive and imprecise way. This is a terrible governing idea and policy communicating idea.

[KingSweden]

Great, now we end up paying more for imported products just to finance a dumb wall that will do nothing. On top of this, we're risking a trade war, which would inflate prices further and hurt the economy.

Meanwhile, the Tweedledees are thinking that they're "punishing" Mexico, while actual Americans are having their money and financial stability siphoned for said dumb wall.

10/10

This is what always happens, without fail, whenever people turn to nationalism. Again and again and again. Yet, as we see, many people never ever learn anything.

Have you ever tried pointing this out to anyone on Facebook or social media? They just basically call you a brainwashed commie. Like this sh**t is legit frightening.

I've been one of those people. I was part of the alt-right back in its earlier days. I know what these people are and how they think; I also know how sick they actually are. They need a good education (which they call "indoctrination") and interacting with people from cultures outside their little bubble (and no, claiming "I live in a multicultural area" isn't truly interacting with people from other cultures).

Same. I grew up as a Republican, and was until literally the primary season eliminated Kasich from contention. This isn't the party I knew.

Are you the Missourian from RRH?

[KingSweden]

I was listening to an interesting discussion that Bill Kristol had with this Harvard professor, that went on for about 90 minutes. One thing the professor said, is that when it came to jobs in the US, NAFTA was about a wash. What really hurt US manufacturing, was China joining the WTO.

So congratulations Donald. Beyond the human suffering that you will be causing, both in Mexico (jobs lost), and in the US (also jobs lost as companies that rely on Mexican imports for some of the input of their products to remain competitive are hurt, but also yes, higher prices for US consumers on some items), you have made a major first step in hurting the US economy. I think it might be time to cut back the percentage of my retirement money that is in stocks.

Man, this guy is such a dangerous demagogue. And erratic, and undisciplined.

I guess the silver lining, is that I assume that Congress will not agree to this insanity. But perhaps assuming sanity is itself rather reckless these days. It may be that making Mexico the whipping boy for stagnation/decline of the standard of living of those who used to earn way above the minimum wage, and now earn the minimum wage, or not much above it, or are not in the workforce at all, all of which Mexico has next to nothing to do with, is irresistible.

There's a convincing argument to be made that inviting China into the WTO is what soured so many Rust Belt voters on Clinton rather than NAFTA, it's just that nAFTA is an easier whipping horse