Politics Thread

Juice · 03-02-2018, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by muskienick

We should ALL be unhappy with them since we'll be the ultimate ones paying for them as the end-use consumer. What will prevent the countries paying these tariffs to impose similar (or higher) ones on U.S. mining companies?

Europe has announced new tariffs on Harley's, Bourbon, and jeans (not kidding).

**X-man** · 03-03-2018, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by Juice

Europe has announced new tariffs on Harley's, Bourbon, and jeans (not kidding).

Great for all us bourbon drinkers. Now we need Asia to also impose tariffs on bourbon, and the domestic price will drop dramatically!

Caf · 03-05-2018, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by muskienick

We should ALL be unhappy with them since we'll be the ultimate ones paying for them as the end-use consumer. What will prevent the countries paying these tariffs to impose similar (or higher) ones on U.S. mining companies?

It seems likely that retaliation will be against U.S. agriculture. I honestly don't hate the tariffs. In the short term a trade war would be a disaster, but the Chinese dumping has to be confronted at some point. There will never be a good time or way to do that. I think Trump's thinking that other nations will join in making global tariffs and that will hit China more than if we just placed quotas on them alone.

**boozehound** · 03-05-2018, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by Caf

It seems likely that retaliation will be against U.S. agriculture. I honestly don't hate the tariffs. In the short term a trade war would be a disaster, but the Chinese dumping has to be confronted at some point. There will never be a good time or way to do that. I think Trump's thinking that other nations will join in making global tariffs and that will hit China more than if we just placed quotas on them alone.

I'm kind of in this camp as well. What concerns me a little bit (OK, a lot) is that I don't think this administration will put in the necessary rigor and planning to ensure that this is well thought out. It seems like just another off-the-cuff policy adjustment vs. a measured and strategic approach.

**GoMuskies** · 03-05-2018, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by boozehound

I'm kind of in this camp as well. What concerns me a little bit (OK, a lot) is that I don't think this administration will put in the necessary rigor and planning to ensure that this is well thought out. It seems like just another off-the-cuff policy adjustment vs. a measured and strategic approach.

I think the economic team is strong. As long as Trump is letting those guys make the actual decisions, and his role is just to send the incendiary Tweets about the policy, I think it will be fine.

**paulxu** · 03-05-2018, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by GoMuskies

I think the economic team is strong. As long as Trump is letting those guys make the actual decisions, and his role is just to send the incendiary Tweets about the policy, I think it will be fine.

That's exactly why we might be concerned.

According to two officials, Trump's decision to launch a potential trade war was born out of anger at other simmering issues and the result of a broken internal process that has failed to deliver him consensus views that represent the best advice of his team.

On Wednesday evening, the president became "unglued," in the words of one official familiar with the president's state of mind.

A trifecta of events had set him off in a way that two officials said they had not seen before: Hope Hicks' testimony to lawmakers investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 election, conduct by his embattled attorney general and the treatment of his son-in-law by his chief of staff.

Trump, the two officials said, was angry and gunning for a fight, and he chose a trade war, spurred on by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Peter Navarro, the White House director for trade — and against longstanding advice from his economic chair Gary Cohn and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.

**GoMuskies** · 03-05-2018, 09:26 AM

Hmm, whom to trust on economic/trade matters, Wilbur Ross, Peter Navarro, Gary Cohn and Steve Mnuchin...or Donald Trump? Really tough question here.

That ain't ideal.

**boozehound** · 03-05-2018, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by GoMuskies

I think the economic team is strong. As long as Trump is letting those guys make the actual decisions, and his role is just to send the incendiary Tweets about the policy, I think it will be fine.

I don't know how strong anything can really be in this administration. I'd love the think that behind the scenes everything his happening for a reason and that well thought out and properly vetted decisions are being made by qualified individuals, however it looks unlikely to me.