Venting Our tax dollars at work
- Thread starter LumberJack
- Start date
I’m confused, isn’t that exactly what this administration is trying to do?
Or is it just made up of a bunch of idiots and crazy people, controlled by the ultra-wealthy, who know nothing and have no convictions other than enriching themselves and their overlords at the cost of the average person?
That would explain the all-consuming sense of despair I’ve been feeling.
Or is it just made up of a bunch of idiots and crazy people, controlled by the ultra-wealthy, who know nothing and have no convictions other than enriching themselves and their overlords at the cost of the average person?
That would explain the all-consuming sense of despair I’ve been feeling.
I think it’s a combination of both. During confirmation hearings, every single cabinet nominee demonstrated inability to understand fundamental aspects of the job RFK Jr didn’t know the difference between medicare and medicaid, and has no credentials to be running, well, anything. Instead of science, policy decisions are based on whatever crank theory he gets in his head that day, not unlike his boss.
That’s the incompetence part. The malicious part is that the ultra wealthy are orchestrating this nonsense from behind the scenes. I’m of the opinion that the strategy is to get a useful idiot in charge who will make disastrous decisions that will unleash chaos across every functioning part of the federal government.
Then, point back to the institutions that they disabled and convince the plebs that all these functions need to be privatized because government is dysfunctional. This is already happening with USPS and NOAA. By privatization they will be able to control basic services and make us pay for them, but they will have no accountability to the people, and no oversight.
That’s the incompetence part. The malicious part is that the ultra wealthy are orchestrating this nonsense from behind the scenes. I’m of the opinion that the strategy is to get a useful idiot in charge who will make disastrous decisions that will unleash chaos across every functioning part of the federal government.
Then, point back to the institutions that they disabled and convince the plebs that all these functions need to be privatized because government is dysfunctional. This is already happening with USPS and NOAA. By privatization they will be able to control basic services and make us pay for them, but they will have no accountability to the people, and no oversight.
That’s what I was referencing, along with Frump’s campaign promise that we would be winning so much we’d get tired of winning. Because if this is winning, then you’re goddam right I am tired of this. I guess I am officially old too.
The Manchurian orange Putin Puppet was obviously only talking about Zuck, Leon, and Bezos.
The Manchurian orange Putin Puppet was obviously only talking about Zuck, Leon, and Bezos.
Part of me for some delusional reason expects some degree of a proverbial "pulling the rabbit out of the hat" but really my hopes dwindle by the day. I completely agreed with the right wing talking about about America needing to re industrialize but it seems more and more like that he was actually legit convinced that all we needed to do that was tariffs.
Im becoming a ostrich more by the day.
Im becoming a ostrich more by the day.
Tariffs actually inhibit the building of factories domestically. The people making capital investment decisions are fine with risk, but paralyzed by uncertainty. The difference being that with risk we know the probability of each possible outcome, how much it will cost vs benefit. Uncertainty is when at least one moving part throws unknowns into the equation.
A factory is a long term investment. Why would a decision maker commit to a gargantuan fixed cost for 20 years without even knowing what the tariff picture will look like tomorrow? Given that Frump is changing tariff policies seemingly based on how much gas is in his bowels from that McD’s breakfast, and btw the next administration will likely turn the tariffs off in 4 years anyway, there is no empirical way to predict even a ballpark expectation for 3 months from now.
The only bigwigs talking about moving a plant to the USA have been planning to do so since Obama was in office, and/or trying to get tax breaks without any solid plans to do anything.
Further the theory that tariffs are based on is invalid because, well, it’s not the goddam 19th century anymore! Global supply chains are just that-global. So no product is exactly made in a single country.
Even worse, the financial incentive that tariffs would provide for corporations moving assembly to the US are a mirage. They pass the cost on to the buyer so they hardly need to care. I’m over simplifying this but I don’t think anyone would read this far.
And even if all the above is wrong, the idea that manufacturing will bring back working class jobs is so absurd that we should really be talking about that more than anything. Assembly is done by robots, ffs! There will probably be a few hundred programmers and maintenance staff to run the system, but the GM factory that employed thousands of workers yesteryear is obsolete.
I’m not just spouting my uninformed opinion. I have studied this in grad school, spent most of my career preparing numbers for investment decisions, and I read what experts say. I don’t think anyone in charge is even considering this since dear leader just shoots from the hip all day, presumably because he thinks that makes him look “tough.” God I’m pissed.
A factory is a long term investment. Why would a decision maker commit to a gargantuan fixed cost for 20 years without even knowing what the tariff picture will look like tomorrow? Given that Frump is changing tariff policies seemingly based on how much gas is in his bowels from that McD’s breakfast, and btw the next administration will likely turn the tariffs off in 4 years anyway, there is no empirical way to predict even a ballpark expectation for 3 months from now.
The only bigwigs talking about moving a plant to the USA have been planning to do so since Obama was in office, and/or trying to get tax breaks without any solid plans to do anything.
Further the theory that tariffs are based on is invalid because, well, it’s not the goddam 19th century anymore! Global supply chains are just that-global. So no product is exactly made in a single country.
Even worse, the financial incentive that tariffs would provide for corporations moving assembly to the US are a mirage. They pass the cost on to the buyer so they hardly need to care. I’m over simplifying this but I don’t think anyone would read this far.
And even if all the above is wrong, the idea that manufacturing will bring back working class jobs is so absurd that we should really be talking about that more than anything. Assembly is done by robots, ffs! There will probably be a few hundred programmers and maintenance staff to run the system, but the GM factory that employed thousands of workers yesteryear is obsolete.
I’m not just spouting my uninformed opinion. I have studied this in grad school, spent most of my career preparing numbers for investment decisions, and I read what experts say. I don’t think anyone in charge is even considering this since dear leader just shoots from the hip all day, presumably because he thinks that makes him look “tough.” God I’m pissed.
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There is a bit of a joke among guitar players regarding buying fender brand guitars. For context the american plant and the Mexican plant are driving distance from each other and the joke is are you going to by guitars made by Mexicans in America or Mexicans in Mexico.
The lack of foresight is why I didn't vote for the mango man. Any time you have a supposed ten step plan on anything in us federal politics you should expect failure.
I'm not as knowledgeable as you on this subject but I will say as someone who does work in a factory the "good old days" are dead. I'm happily and gainfully employed but the amount of problem solving skills needed for my job as a warm body would be out of the league for most of the people that a return to the "good old days" would even help. I struggle with things still after almost a year and I had made a pretty decent career for myself in the warehousing and logistics space.
Also as you alluded to....it's econ 101 that tarrifs are a indirect tax hike. As much as I'm not a fan of people like Thomas sowell if he is criticising this stuff you know it's a cold day in hell.
The lack of foresight is why I didn't vote for the mango man. Any time you have a supposed ten step plan on anything in us federal politics you should expect failure.
I'm not as knowledgeable as you on this subject but I will say as someone who does work in a factory the "good old days" are dead. I'm happily and gainfully employed but the amount of problem solving skills needed for my job as a warm body would be out of the league for most of the people that a return to the "good old days" would even help. I struggle with things still after almost a year and I had made a pretty decent career for myself in the warehousing and logistics space.
Also as you alluded to....it's econ 101 that tarrifs are a indirect tax hike. As much as I'm not a fan of people like Thomas sowell if he is criticising this stuff you know it's a cold day in hell.
No, I am not criticizing the food McD’s. Rather I am taking a cheap shot at how much junk food our dear leader eats. I would like it if they served fries before 10:30. They have a good reason, so I get it, but we should get an employee to set up a clandestine deep fryer in the back and bootleg some delicious potato stuff.