Are Americans ready to pay more for their products?

[Julie4]

[WhiteSteve]

These people are so goddamn stupid. I heard someone say “the right wing response to most things is just like having an immediate visceral reaction, and then just not thinking any further than that”, like how things got to be a certain way, what could we do better to remedy it, etc. It’s just like “I’m mad!😡 “ and you just mindlessly smash the thing that’s frustrating you, with no thought of long-term repercussions or reasons for the problem that lie BENEATH the surface level.

”That guy broke the law! Beat him to death in the street!”🤦‍♂️

Nothing is well-thought-out, in short. They don’t want to have to do any thinking, to fix things in society or economics or government that would tackle root causes of issues. They just want to point at things, say “I don’t like that!”, and just deal with it using the caveman part of their brains.

So this is no different. Another hare-brained scheme from hare-brained people, which might even be unfair to hares.

My buddy is President of a fairly significant food brand. He shared this text with me, between he and another brand’s prez/CEO…

What I think a lot of people don’t get is that A) we can’t just turn around overnight and instantly have our own manufacturing supply chains, that’s gonna take like a decade, B) modern day Americans aren’t largely willing to do manufacturing jobs, and if they do, they’ll cost way more as employees, which will be passed on to the customer…. its not ethical, but our prices are cheap BECAUSE we outsource manufacturing to less developed nations with a population willing to do the jobs we aren’t, for money we won’t do it for; and C) even if we did just flip the switch and become a manufacturing nation again, we don’t have the infrastructure to handle all the shipping. Our highways are already jammed up with trucks of already-made goods, we can’t handle even more that are carrying raw materials or manufactured parks. These people are just incapable of seeing the big picture.

Doing this will require a lifestyle-expectations change. Cheap manufacturing jobs are able to exist within their own weak economies. It’s about the strength of our dollar compared to their currency. It’s also about that there’s about a 0% chance any more than a small portion of Americans would take those jobs in the first place, and certainly not for cents per hour.

The world trade order of the last 70-80 years, for all its flaws, was working. And it doesn’t make you a globalist to look at the big picture, since we don’t and in some cases CAN’T produce certain goods. Trump is a wannabe mobster who thinks he can bully the rest of the world into forced American prosperity, and he’s gravely incorrect. Wait til they tell Americans that there’s a coffee shortage, see how that goes😂 Hawaii can’t produce enough for all the caffeine addicts we have here. Canadian timber from up north grows slower, which makes for harder wood, and a better product to build with, so that’s why we buy lumber from Canada. But these shortsighted idiots don’t get it, and they’re just like “what? We have plenty of trees to chop down!” Just monumentally stupid people, it’s truly atrocious.

And the biggest problem is the voters: you can’t tell them shit or they get mad. If you call them out for bigotry, you’re self-righteous and sanctimonious. If you try to explain that all of these economic things Trump has been suggesting don’t even work on paper, let alone in reality, we’re “condescending liberal elitists”, and they trash you for going to college.

They’re kind of like rabid sports fans. Most of them don’t fully understand and are just there for the party and the camaraderie, they just want a hat and a t-shirt and a bumper sticker, and say they’re “owning the libs”, because the one shared thing they have with the ACTUAL elites who are right there in our faces running the Republican Party, is bigotry. It might be racial, it may be religious, might be about sexual orientation…. but that’s how they get the poor people to vote for the rich people’s best interests, thinking that these are the folks who will make it ok for them to say slurs publicly again without any fear of repercussions.

Anyway…middle and working class people are about to get SMOKED at the register. I guess I’m fortunate and will be fine, but these dummies don’t get that I and others were trying to protect THEM more than myself by voting against him. But these people, I’m sorry to be mean, are too dumb to know when to come in from the rain. Hope it was worth getting those…**checks notes**…TEN trans women out of NCAA athletics!

[MrOracle]

Read the news. Today's Financial Times has a nice article talking about all the countries that are letting Washington know that they are willing to lower tariffs, buy US goods, and freeze out China in return for lowering the tariffs. Which was largely the plan all along, and everyone in the media knows that full well - it just goes against their narrative.

The US doesn't want every last job back and that was never the goal - the goal was to level the playing field of global trade AND to reshore certain, SPECIFIC higher-end manufacturering (cars, high-end computer chips, etc.) and other items of strategic importance. The idea is to make America much more self sufficient in vital areas AND to open/reopen markets that other countries have closed to us with their own tariffs (tariffs that most complainers don't even realize exist).

People talk about this stuff like it's a game of checkers, but it's really more like 3D chess - where there are many layers being affected, many that the average person aren't even aware of.

Most of these tariffs won't survive long, because other countries are going to give the US what it wants (and tariffs are NOT the end goal). Trump is simply using them as leverage, and it's already working. Will there be some temporary pain? Absolutely, but this is about long-term prosperity, not stock prices for THIS WEEK ONLY.

Don't let the media manipulate you with surface level arguments. This is much more nuanced, and they are treating you like an 8 year old so they can steer your thinking. You should be insulted. Do some reading on your own, and find out what's really going on.
Q

[Julie4]

The Trump administration have literally confused tariffs with trade deficits, and they've decided to tax a country that's inhabited by penguins, it doesn't look serious at all.

[RedInnocent69]

@MrOracle right… let’s check in a month from now and see where we’re at

[Screenwriter]

We have been paying very little for clothing made in Vietnam and China and India despite having to pay shipping. And most of the small products such as kitchen do-dads such as spatulas, potato peelers, thermos bottles, are all made in China. Computers are made in China. Shoes.

That 10% to 40% more will add up. Though the change from $10 to $12 on a shirt is small, it's going to be the cumulative effects that will hurt. The $35 thermos will cost $49 with a 40% price hike. That $20 nightgown will be $25. The furniture imported from India, at the store where I work, which was already expensive, won't move with a 20 percent price hike. A $1200 piece will be $1440.

The bigger the item's cost, the harder it'll be to sell. Cars and major appliances will be the hardest to afford. And food imported to the US will take a hit... That's loads of foods from Mexico.

I'm not looking forward to it.

[exitseven]

If you buy American made goods you can avoid tariffs and you get better merchandise. The Americans get jobs and pay taxes. Then they buy homes and cars and go on vacations and have kids

[WhiteBoyChill]

@exitseven We need to start a nationwide “buy American” movement like they did in Canada

[exitseven]

@WhiteBoyChill I already made up the slogan. "Be American, Buy American" I made this up 20 years ago.

[Screenwriter]

@exitseven I read the labels on the products I buy. It is nearly impossible to buy American clothing. You tell me where they sell it. I used to buy at a Los Angeles firm called All American something or other. I bought lots of clothing from it a decade ago and still have the clothing. Well made. Good stuff. But for some reason it closed.

More than likely because larger retailers could sell similar products for half the cost. I KNEW I was supporting an American business and I could afford to pay more for those long-lasting products. But Old Navy and Walmart put that manufacturer out of business.

Americans want the lowest prices and, let's face it, some families could not afford the prices I paid at that store. A henley shirt was $35 in 2008. Their jeans, which I didn't buy, were $55.

I, personally, waited for sales and shopped their markdown racks.

[Screenwriter]

People with several children on tight budgets couldn't afford what I did. I had one son. I shopped for him at Land's End. He, at 29, still fits clothes from there that I bought for him when he was 13.

I always buy American when I can. But am I going to drive to three stores and waste time and gas to find an American product? That is debatable.

And this is part of the puzzle. We have a relationship with china since we buy from China. The same is true with all of our allies.

It IS unfortunate that our manufacturing base and all those good jobs have left our country. But tariffs are known to be reactionary and unproductive.

What IS productive is trade agreements that support the countries we buy from and ourselves.

I've always bought as many American products as I can find. It is very difficult to FIND American made products today. And I don't think all those corporations will reinvest billions to put NEW manufacturing plants BACK in America and to pay American wages, pensions, and health benefits, the REAL cost of having companies return to the U. S.

The costs in 2nd world countries for none of those benefits means their products cost far less, OR the costs for those benefits are very small.

I get the goal of the tariffs in Trump's mind. But I doubt our country can return to our manufacturing days. What I would like to see is it SECURING what manufacturing we are doing NOW.

The real tariffs should be against COMPANIES that have abandoned manufacturing in the United States. They are the ones who pulled out for cheap labor, and to avoid paying living wages and benefits. .

[exitseven]

Yes. I buy clothes from Carhartt and LL Bean.. Most of the clothing was made in America. Mostly the jeans and jackets. It really is hard to find jeans made in USA. I but Boots from Red Wing and shoes from San Antonio Shoes. My running shoes are New Balance. All made in USA.

[Screenwriter]

@exitseven AH exit. The shoes that fit my feet are Nikes: best for a flat footer like myself. Made in China or Vietnam. You DO see the dilemma. I also buy clothes made in Vietnam in light of the destruction of that country during that war. I think we owe them. AND India-made clothes. Those people make such beautiful textiles. I sew: best tropical weight wools are made in England and Italy. Best linens in Ireland.

Why cut off these people? This is part of diplomacy and international support/trade. Even I won't be able to pay 25% cost hikes for such fabrics. They're already $30 a yard. Luckily I am a fabric hoarder and have loads of material to run through.

This will cost Americans and slow the economy. Luckily, I have nothing big to buy. But my car repairs will skyrocket.

[DeeDeeDeVour]

Maybe more companies will follow Ford Motors' example by offering their employee discounts to every buyer in the country to keep the car shopping encouragement going.

If that catches wind and spreads across the nation's industries, Americans wouldn't mind it so much anymore later on.

[lightbulb27]

Of course not. What I really want is to do away with this disposal society, it's disgusting. I also want to see our horrific obesity and disease rates decline... and more expensive food and better quality may help that. Trouble is, we make so much garbage and rely on Europe/China/Canada to produce quality food... so we could be in trouble.

Prices don't have to go up, but they likely will...

Nothing is going to make me consume American made cheese over Italian/Irish. I do hope a deal is made with them and others... that's what it's all about... doing deals.

There is a really good explanation as to what is going on on X if you desire...

https://x.com/tanvi_ratna/status/1907880105369845865

PS regarding French wines, I don't indulge at all. But Americans will pay $100 or $200 for good wine. They are stupid, rich, addicts and you know that... So play it for all it's worth... AND UP YOUR PRICES, not just tariffs. they will never know.

you gotta play the game... that's all it is.

[WhiteBoyChill]

I agree. I think our consumerist culture and frivolously buying cheap shit constantly “just because we can” is kinda disgusting tbh.

[lightbulb27]

@WhiteBoyChill glad we agree. our society went way too far in a direction and it shows. It's not healthy nor good. Hopefully in all the swirl, we can get back to better disicplines. There's a lot we could do to reduce waste, if we chose to.

[exitseven]

We paid a lot more for everything when Biden was president and nobody said a word about it. I bought my truck brand new in Nov 2019. The sticker was $42,000 just for laughs I went on the Ford website and prices a 2025 F-150 that was equipped just like the one that I bought. Thr sticker price was $56,000. An additional $16,000 in 5 years.

The inflation that Biden causes is much worse than any short term price rise that will happen with tariffs. With tariffs, the exporter pays most of it and the treasury gets billions of dollars in new revenue and foreign countries invest billions building new plants and hire Americans to run them.. With Bidenflation Americans just get screwed.

[Julie4]

If Trump really wants a trade war, it won't be inflation in the short term but in the long term that there will be, not to mention the consequences on jobs, the stock market etc. Trump would make an excellent 19th century president, the problem is that we're in the 21st century.

[exitseven]

Countries like China can compete on price only. If they try to pass the tariff on to the consumer it raises the price so nobody will buy it.

[Julie4]

The Chinese have just reacted, and are going to impose a 34% tax on American products. The Chinese have the greatest purchasing power in the world.

[douride2]

I think your dreaming. The purchaser pays those import duties. In the end that would be you the consumer.

[exitseven]

@douride2 Ford has announced that they will be offering a discount on their vehicles thereby absorbing the tariffs that they will pay on parts made in foreign countries. This will likely stay in effect until they can make them here.

[Cormac995]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/watchlist?id=a6qja2&noti=Price&ocid=winp2fptaskbar&cvid=f00d552b04dd44c1905a746e9e901a92&ei=6

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1165088742118277281/1357474745892737144/0069EABA-7502-47E0-ACF2-A39813C65BCB.mov?ex=67f05660&is=67ef04e0&hm=d4e7b4bf84d22c10f0c71d697cf98b4ac4cc8abd6b3d2259c42e323693d0ed12&

[Cormac995]

one is the current Dow Jones the other is a funny meme. Together they illustrate the facts and thus my great distress.

[Julie4]

Good luck getting Trump's most fervent supporters to understand that his political actions will have consequences for the American economy, not just for Europe and other countries.

[Cormac995]

Alas you are correct madam.

[Cormac995]

in fact as of now it's still plummeting.

[Zack-Bann]

Greed sits at the heart of this situation


Americans have overpriced their local a products for ages forcing retailers to look for cheaper alternatives abroad


So instead of working on cheaper internal production methods Trump made it so the imported stuff is just as expensive


It solves nothing


This idea that an approach of isolation from the world trade is even conceivable in today’s market is crazy


He’s sensing his own country back to the stone age


Because while it is true that the neighbors he so despises do rely heavily on the stuff they sell to the US most of them have options and alternatives
They’ll make it


But he’s boxing himself in


And the hope that local industry can catch up requires at the very least 10 to 20 years
He won’t be in office that long


If the next lib president undoes these tariffs then everyone will have suffered for absolutely nothing

[WindAtMyBack]

Of course people don't want to pay more for products. Which is exactly why it gives incentive for foreign made products to move operations to the US.

Companies are very very price conscious. With high volume products they will go to great lengths to reduce the cost by pennies. They will go to even greater lengths to reduce it by dollars. Moving operations to the US could make a pretty substantial difference. It's a major decision for companies and will take time. A lot of them might just ride it out and see what happens on down the road. Others that were already considering a move to the US might totally jump on this.

[Arwen06]

Since 80% of Americans didn't vote for trump and I'd say maybe 50% of trump supporters don't know what a tariff is and actually want lower prices then I suppose most people aren't ready for this new tax on goods to fund his billionaire friend's tax cuts.

[CalmUntilAbused]

Those who understand the bigger picture are. Though I suppose an actual alliance with China instead of a trade war with them would benefit the two currently conservative powers much more in the face of only-formally-not-communist European Union. However, the tariffs and the USAID (S) cancellations are supposed to send a message to all those who leech on the USA, and it is definitely a necessary move.

[ProbablyClueless]

Yes they are. They were already paying more without any improvements in their quality of life. They know exactly what they voted for. They've decided that all the other BS they were putting up with was more painful than the short term price hikes they'll experience from the tariffs.

[MC1100]

You're right that the cumulative effects could be significant, especially in the short term. But, to me, having a job matters more than worrying about higher prices. I’d rather pay a bit more for things if it means I have the security of a steady income and a roof over my head. In the end, being employed is what keeps me afloat, even if prices go up. 🤔

[MC1100]

However, it's also worth considering that tariffs can sometimes lead to economic shifts or trade deals that may mitigate the negative effects.

[MisterWack]

No.

Aluminum, Nuts, Cheese, Alcohol, Chocolate, Coffee, Spices, Tea, etc. is going to piss off the American public. Americans are known for their food intake, you’re telling me we are ready for this? Hell no.

[combative]

Since when do American markets pay more for products? Either you fly right or you get replaced by the competion. France seems to think they can out tariff Trump which is laughable, so enjoy your recession.

[combative]

Your voters will upend your government to get on America's good side again.

[combative]

Countries that cave first to American demands gets first mover advantage. The French don't sound all too smart right now.

[Pohjolan]

Outtariff Trump? EU hardly would need to place more than a 20% average actual repricoral tariffs on US goods so there is a 60 billion leeway to increase tariffs without "outtariffing" Trump.
Obviously some goods will get taxed more than others like Jack Daniels and Netflix are not essential.

[Julie4]

Sanctions will be EU-wide. If you think that only EU countries will suffer, then this is simply illiterate thinking.

[combative]

Your arrogance is hilarious. Have fun losing big. Real business people make deals. If their county is inept like France, then their companies will leave for foreign shores where they can turn a buck. It really doesn't matter how hard you fight, you couldn't punch your way out of a wet paper bag. America has the market (large consumerist population) and the energy. There is no way for you to win. You just have to choose how badly you want to lose.

[Pohjolan]

@combative
Win? Trade markets will just adjust to the new environment.
There will be some companies relocating some production to the US BUT this is for the US market only thanks to Trump rising tariffs to 180 countries which will put up repricoral tariffs.
Meanwhile some factory in say Mexico is not affected by said tariffs exporting globally apart from USA.
This will reduce not just US imports but exports as well. If you want to call that winning then sure you win.
Free traders will likely weather this storm better than more closed markets.
Then again Trump already walked back some of his tariffs so we'll see.

[combative]

@Pohjolan Mexico's declining crude production will force them to import energy in the next several years. If not, then their GDP declines. So to pretend Mexico is unaffected is a bluff.

[WhiteBoyChill]

@julie4 considering EU countries were already in worse shape than the US economy to begin with, you guys are really just not making the best decision

[Pohjolan]

@combative
I never said that. I just pointed out why a company might rather build a factory in Mexico than USA.
Of course it could be in also say India.
Tariffs would also still increase the price of raw materials and parts required in the factory as well construction costs.
While its uncertain if these tariffs are still in effect next week.

[Julie4]

What I like about MAGA is their ability to ignore how the world works. If the rates are maintained, I suggest we talk again in a few months, here. And we'll see what the results are.

[combative]

What you want another "egg moment" where you're proven wrong? Do you realize what the annual expenditures of an average American looks like? I'll give you a brief overview.

Housing 32.9%
Transportation 17%
Food 12.9%
Personal insurance & pensions 12.4%
Healthcare: 8%
Entertainment 4.7%
Cash contributions 3.1%
Apparel and services 2.6%
Education 2.1%
Other 4.3%

Do you really think your french whore perfume and champagne matter in the grand scheme of things? You know what happens when markets tumble? Investors flock to treasury bills to reduce risk which forces the fed to slash interest rates thus allowing for national and personal debt refinancing. For the average American it reduces the cost of housing and transportation. You know what reduced international demand for American oil does? It reduced American's transportation cost and clobbers foreign GDP. You know what reduced international demand for American farm products does? It reduces the cost of food for Americans and starves foreign nations. You getting the idea yet? The average America is going to win big at your expense.

[Julie4]

You're a clown and you're proud of it, fascinating.

Since the end of the Second World War, the USA has been a major beneficiary of globalization. It is the world's second largest exporter of goods and the world's largest exporter of services.

You tax even a country inhabited by penguins 🤣🤡

What's more, today, unlike in the past, there are serious alternatives to the USA, notably Asia, which is the continent with the largest PPA in the world.

If there is an answer, it will be on the scale of the European Union, China and other European and Asian countries. Not good for the US economy. Don't think that inflation, job losses and recession will be reserved only for other countries.

Come to think of it, if you think that relocation will be enough, then you're living in an illusion.

But as I said, all our talk is for nothing, let's look forward to the results of Trump's economic policy if no agreement is reached, and we'll write to each other here in a few months, okay?

[combative]

French GDP already declined in Q4 of 2024 and growth in Q1 of 2025 is expected to be weaker than average... Your country was on a downward trend before tariffs. Now a significant chunk of your trade/GDP is at risk and you seem to think you're flying high. It's pretty funny really.

[Julie4]

You have reading comprehension difficulties.

[combative]

Enjoy your recession commie.

[Julie4]

This will indeed be the case for the American economy.

[combative]

It's amazing how you consistently get everything wrong and you never learn from it.

[Julie4]

Please, go learn to understand a message, and then you can answer me.

It'll be months or even years before your reading comprehension improves.

[combative]

Meanwhile smart nations like Agentina are already getting a first mover advantage on American markets while the French sink into recession... The French never were too smart.

x.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1908212617036128400

[combative]

It looks like French wine just got replaced by Argentine wine. First mover advantage in action.

[Julie4]

. The more you talk the more you confirm that you have no reading comprehension. Fascinating.

[combative]

Who knows what problems France might face next...

www.thegatewaypundit.com/.../

[Julie4]

And you go on, tell me you like making a fool of yourself in public, is that a fetish?

[combative]

You trying to image cheapen me with weak communist tactics doesn't actually weaken my position. The problem for you is that you can't attack the information because your position is wrong so you try to attack the person. France is in trouble, America is doing fine and replacing French wine with free trade agreements with Argentina. Enjoy the fall.

[Julie4]

You just didn't understand the comments I wrote. You have reading comprehension difficulties, it's not serious you can improve by going to see specialists

[combative]

Enjoy losing. It's entertaining watching an arrogant pissant like you squirm under the light.

[Julie4]

It's funny to see an idiot convince himself that he's an elite in geopolitical and economic understanding, but who can't even understand a simple 3-line comment.

We'll talk about it again here in a few months

[combative]

Nope, you'll run away from accountability like every single other time and refuse to admit your stupidity.

[Julie4]

I know that you describe yourself and Trump supporters by writing like this. It's good enough to recognize that you have the IQ of an oyster.

[combative]

My IQ is 158. You have an IQ of about 85.

[combative]

If you're speaking to Americans, the idiom is dumb as a box of rocks or dumb as a bag of hammers. We don't hate oysters like the French.

[Julie4]

You took your art of lying, listening to Mr. Trump?

Oh thank you for the information sir

[combative]

Take it up with John C. Raven. It's his test, I just took it blind one morning at university while half asleep with half effort as part of a professors research project dealing with human and computer artificial intelligence. If I tried for real I might of scored better.

[Julie4]

Thank you so much for this laugh, it's been a long time since I've laughed like this.

[Pohjolan]

@julie4
@combative
You two need to touch grass. This whole debate is pointless in the sense that time will tell the consequences of Trumps economic policies without any doubt.

[OneViewpoint]

I couldn't give a flying fuck if the White Trash of America starve, go bankrupt, lose their farms, and die without healthcare because of their vote for fascism. Consequences are the only way these people are capable of learning.

[NathanDavis]

I live in the border, so... this has been happening every single year since NAFTA... lol

[Douglas1180]

I assume you're talking about imported products. I can live without French wine, thanks. Nearly all European vineyards user American rootstocks anyway.

[Avicenna]

It didn't happen during the last Trump administration despite tariffs being applied then, so it may not happen now.

Interesting that you aren't worried about Europeans paying more...

[alice55]

I think most don’t understand it, they don’t get that they re going to may more they think only european Asian are going to pay more / give them money

[goaded]

Dumb as rocks

[jamesgoldman]

LLM?

[goaded]

@jamesgoldman Large Language Model - the technical term for at least one approach to AI (Artificial Intelligence).

There's an old Take on here about it:
The Artificial Intelligence Large Language Model Phenomenon of Hallucination ↗

[jamesgoldman]

Ah, all I was getting were the consonants for llama

[goaded]

@jamesgoldman Lay off the Scrabble, man! C:

[Shiprex]

Come on Scrabble is the only thing Trump might be useful at.

[seeyounexttuesday]

Hate to break it to you, but these countries need the US to buy their products more than the US needs to buy the products. When they remove tariffs on US goods, then our reciprocal tariffs will go away.

[Julie4]

This is simply not true. The US needs world markets. All you have to do is read this report

And if you think the US can maintain its exorbitant " dollar " privileges by offending its allies, you're seriously mistaken.

https://transatlantic.amchameu.eu/

[seeyounexttuesday]

The US buys more than the next 7 highest countries combined.

[alice55]

Dépend on the country in France we don’t need it because we mainly import so it’s not gonna affect us

[seeyounexttuesday]

@alice55 France adds a 20% VAT on imported goods in addition to tariffs. Weird y’all are silent on that.

[alice55]

European union and we French genrally don’t import anything as is it too expensive. In all my Life I imported things only one time from outside the EU
Ways tell expensive to do it also long shipment and French product are of higher quality

[alice55]

Importation within the EU have no tax though

[Syntosi]

Even if this was true, which it is not, that discounts the part where the rest of the world gets to have a say on the matter. Even if you think that the rest of the world needs US goods more, they could simply grit their teeth and take the hit for 4 years just to discredit Trumps policies and make him look like a madman and there would be great profit for them to do so.

If the world is so united against USA as you claim, I find it hilarious that you think it is so easy to just strong-arm them into complying with petty demands like this when they have such an easy out that would instead just punish USA and Trump in particular.

[alice55]

@Syntosi Everyone hate American but they have nuclear power and promised to help some countries in France we don't care as we have our own nuclear power.

[NordicInScandinavia]

You're right, you can go without the clean water, the oil and lumber you get from your neighbour. You're definitely not asking the world, for eggs because something as simple as eggs is not something you have. 😂

Did you know that roughly 70% of the trade in-between the US and EU is FREE. Yes you read that right. But now that is changing.

[Julie4]

Trade isn't just a question of imports, and if the US imports so much it means that it needs products that it no longer manufactures and that would cost American consumers too much anyway if it manufactured them itself.

What's more, the USA is the world's second biggest exporter of goods, and the world's biggest exporter of services. Trump always talks only about goods, but forgets to tell his audience that they are outrageously profitable in the service sector.

And once again, if you think that the US can threaten its allies without the US losing its dollar privileges etc. in the long term, that's simply ridiculous.

[seeyounexttuesday]

@alice55 Ah, so it's a benefit for france to support french industry. Funny how everyone gets pissy when the US wants to do the same.

[alice55]

The only things funny is that we need it as we're poor American don't need it as theyre the richest country of the wolrds with the biggest military... You're stealing poor country money

[seeyounexttuesday]

@alice55 you’re poor because you keep voting for socialist politicians.

[alice55]

Joke on you i don’t vote

[alice55]

Also why are you saying that out lf nowhere 😹

[seeyounexttuesday]

@alice55 so you went full retard.

[alice55]

You re going to get reported 😹😹
You have no argument so you insult people what an intelligent person 🤪

[seeyounexttuesday]

@alice55 dummy. I don’t give a flying fuck.

[NordicInScandinavia]

@seeyounexttuesday

What is it with you republicans and going kindergarten? Why can't you talk to people without attempting to insult them? At least your president is right about one thing, your education system is in shambles and needs fixing, you people are such a perfect example of it.

[seeyounexttuesday]

@NordicInScandinavia I love people with no clue about economics jumping into a conversation.

[Amy10223]

I'm not buying most of my groceries at supermarkets. Buying at local Asian and Mexican stores which were always cheaper than the rest.

[NoDecision]

I thought gas prices would go down. But lately they have risen by 50 cents a gallon. We don't import gas, so why are the prices up?

[douride2]

You guys import a lot of oil from Canada. The refineries make gas from imported oil.

[NoDecision]

@douride2 So much for Trump and his "drill baby drill!" baloney.

[Anonymous]

Yes of course


Until other nations drop their tariffs on the USA.
We can last longer than all other countries easily. Shortly you should start hearing about other countries negotiating with Trump to lower the tariffs at a reciprocal rate that both countries can agree on.

[KostasKouvalis]

Probably not. No one likes higher prices and people are already complaining about our current prices. But surely there's a way to slap on new tariffs without having prices go up

[Jey__]

They voted for this lunatic, so they can own it.

[Jackblue]

No, but it is likely that they won't blame the tariffs they will blame something else, because protectionism is popular. Obama was a protectionist too.

[slatyb]

Most are not. We still have plenty of Trump worshipers who have no clue what is about to happen.

[NicholasRedone]

@julie4 it's what the majority voted for so it must be rough to be American lol 😂😆

[ImalwaysrightOK]

We already paid more than the rest of the world. It's time to share the suffering.

[alice55]

Which suffering? America is the richest country in the World? Go to Burkina faso if you want to see suffering

[ImalwaysrightOK]

@alice55 I'm watching something right now that explains the situation perfectly. 40 years ago, a man could raise a family on 1 income of the equivalent of $40,000 today, in a suburb of NYC. Today, a man can't do that with 3 times that. He can't have children or a wife that won't cheat on him anymore because now he's competing with men in other countries that earn a tenth of that, communist countries and socialist countries being propped up by the USA. The United States is 100% responsible for the entire redevelopment of Western Europe and Japan. What did those countries do to thank us or pay us back, take our jobs and standard of living, not to mention actively working against the US to institute socialism and communism and in the process destroy the nuclear family. It's time for the US to think about the US only, for the American people to be selfish and think about OUR PEOPLE FIRST.

[alice55]

Well Trump is doing the reverse of it the whole tax is gonna get into Trump pockets and you American people are just gonna have to pay more for it, it's not gonna help you at all especially since we're gonna raise ours tax against America In responses to it.
Also you're the richest countries of the worlds you have nothing to complain about, in France we can easily live in single pay with a low wage for a family my sister do it, she don't work her boyfriend work and they raise his baby ( which he had with another woman before her). It's possible.
Also communism is ways better than capitalism, it's capitalism that destroyed nuclear family not communism. Communism give work to everyone not capitalism. You could go anywhere and ask for a job and you'll be given one.

[ImalwaysrightOK]

@alice55 I guess that's why Europe has turned into an Arab cesspool in the last 25 years. The entire world's poor uneducated, including rapists and murderers are welcomed into Europe until the people wise up, then it's too late. I'm French ancestry and French citizen (born American dual citizenship) and I'm ashamed of France. It's always been left socialist, but nowadays it's no longer French, unrecognizable.

[alice55]

You're not French except if you grew up here. Especially if you insult France like that. Also we had immigrant since 60s since then it was shit it's not just a 20 years stuff.
Voting Lepen is stupid she's a capitalist she don't give a shit about us, she's only going to do worse just look at Meloni she's just Trump little lapdog.
All politics are bad and none will act or do anything, banning veil is not gonna help in anyway shape or forms.
Police don't even care for drugs dealer, my neighbor who have three children seen drugs in broad daylight nobody give a shit. And theyre White French. It's not Arab the problem but the fact that they love to glamorize ghetto and mafia and this since ways before the whole vague d'immigration.
French culture love mafia / ghetto it's considered cool to be bad guy / girl and bad things if you're a model person. Nothing to do with Arab just culture.
You don't have to be ashamed of France you're an American noting to do with you.

Wise up? What do you propose nazi deportation? Because not to burst your bubble but more than 30 % of the French population is of foreign decent or foreigner without including the foreign European descent... Ther's no ways to get rid of the problem.

[ImalwaysrightOK]

@alice55 France used to be 85 percent Catholic. Now it's probably 50/50 Muslim. It's a disgrace. So is the EU. When France was France, whether it was Mitterand or Chirac or Sarkozy, France was autonomous and still looked like France, then around the late 90s, they decided to turn over their country to European overlords in Brussels and ever since has been a disaster with no national autonomy. The globalists have done the same thing to Marine Le Pen that they did and failed with Trump, they throw everything at him and still the people could see what they were doing and this time he won the popular vote too. I guarantee if France were a democracy instead of run by the European politburo, the people might actually vote for Le Pen and that's why they are doing everything to keep that from happening. Leftists and globalists don't like democracy and hate the people, they only are useful tools for their goals of one world without borders or independent identity.

[alice55]

Completely false, majority of muslim aren't even believer, they say theyre muslim but does not act like one at all, theyre just muslim in name same with catholic, it was mostly catholic in name. If you want to know the percentage of religious count the amount of people going every Sunday at the church and everyday Friday at the mosque you'll quickly see nobody is actually really religious and young girls muslim do it to get attention as is it well know they fuck around while wearing their hijab.

Sarkozy was shit, he put us back into Otan, we should just leave it, this is shit stuff we don't need as we have nuclear power.

Lepen is shit, she literally is a traitor to her father, she's a capitalist only caring about her and the big company too she's just aswell a puppet of Brussel than any other politics out there she's no better.
Give me a politic that care for the poor not the rich neither the company and care only for Ethnic French then I would vote for him but I won't go around voting for a woman that prefer big company to poor people.
Democracy don't work though democracy is why we got surrounded by muslim and immigrant in general also why we let movie and song who glorify ghetto and mafia, democracy is not a good things often, being harsher would be better that would have also avoid all the shit with trans people and gay.
LePen literally had a gay man in her party you think I'm gonna vote for a party that had gay? Or even immigrant into it?
Lefist, globalist, capitalism and democracy are all bad anyway.

[ImalwaysrightOK]

@alice55 i like a lot of what you said but unfortunately nowadays it's hard to find someone on the left socialist who agrees with nationalist principles like sovereignty and independent identity. Most people on the left are everything you described that you don't agree with like being pro trans, pro open borders and pro international trade where they offshore the jobs to China and import the world's problems. I am definitely conservative, but I could vote for a socialist who cares about national autonomy and the workers over the globalists who are open borders, unrestricted trade and crazy left wing policies like transgenderism and Marxist feminazism telling young people it's empowered to have sex with dozens of people, do hookup and become pornstars from their bedroom on Onlyfans.

[alice55]

It's the left have sadly changed a lot over the years before it was giving right and good condition of work to the worker, giving work to everyone as is it our right to have a good job but now they're all about immigrant, trans, gay, feminism (well what they call feminism...) and extremely lazy too it's literally about everything except working while the right side is all about work yes but only for the CEO not the regular people, they just want to take immigrant instead of native because it's cheaper. As a poor worker both option are just bad nothing is actually gonna help me.

Well the right side are actually globalist while traditional the left was all about giving work to the native, it just changed over the years but even the right side don't care about us they only give work to immigrant cause immigrant accept to be paid half of what a French person accept and also work 6 day a week or even 7.
Traditionally communism was what was best for the worker, it was about giving work to the native of the country and that's it. Right side are globalist they want to lower wage possible in the poorest country to make the most money but nowadays there's no good left party and the responses is not the right wing party.
Believe it or not but we got harsher rules for the whole free healthcare, weirdly the only one getting badckalck because of it are the native, they literally asked me to justify that I was French and residing in France? Like hello I'm pure blood native French and they do this shit... and this is a right wing laws (making it harder to get the health free).

I'm left wing for the work ethic (any poor person should be left for work anyway as theyre on the side of the worker) but right wing on others things (nationalism, pro life, catholic, etc...) so to me there's no good party. Le Pen is not even conservative when it come to religion or abortion or anything else (when you take immigrant and gay in your own party it's very telling...)

[alice55]

unrestricted trade it's centrist and right wing though not left.
The whole libertarian stuff is right wing not left.
People who vote for Trump are for a lot libertarian who don't want the states in their affairs.
It's not a left things.

Well there's no conservative in France for no sex stuff everyone is into crazy sex with everyone except some religious the others are obsessed with it and when you say you wait for wedding to have sex people think you're crazy (tell you even the most conservative people are pro sex before wedding...)
Trans and feminism is not so much left wing but more crazy things, left wasn't like this before, it was not about trans it's pretty recent and the right wing in 20 years are going to take in trans in their party just like they took gay and immigrant... Literally the most right wing party of France have an immigrant as his chief how illogical is this?
Right wing are not conservative anymore at least not in France, like I said if you're truly traditional you'll look crazy to them. Imagine than in Eastern Europe where people aer ways more right wing than France they're having sex at 12 years old... I had Hungarian, Russian and Polish friends and they all told me the same things people have ways more sex and younger in those countries supposed more traditional / conservative than us... So right wing or left theyre all the same in the end.

[alice55]

And feminism is shit who destroyed everything for sure but there's no party that's gonna defend the traditional family as in France even the most extreme right wing have women in their party how is that supposed to convince me they're conservative?

[ImalwaysrightOK]

@alice55 true I don't know if it could ever come back. Hopefully people around the world realize the importance of family and that work and careers are just something we have to do to sustain a family, nowadays people seem to not care about getting married and raising a family, but only in developing a career, where an employer after working and giving up friends and family, the employer after 30 years tells them to f off and fires them for someone new. People have to realize that any job doesn't care about them, that they are easily replaced.

[alice55]

Men don't want to get married here they prefer weed and video games or Netflix, women are just used as free sex (with tinder) or the least attractive men get into relationship to be able to have sex everyday if not they struggle too much to attract a woman but they don't want to get married to there, men in the usa want to ban abortion while here they literally force women to get abortion because they refuse to be a father, they immature baby even in their 30 (not everyone but sadly a lot too much).
I want to get married and have a baby since Im 17 but finding someone here is harder than anything and even conservative aren't conservative they want women to work if not theyre goldigger (they consider stay at home mom as lazy and golddiger here), 30 years ago men dreamed of having traditional woman now theyre insulting them, traditional men who vote Lepen have random sex with everyone want women to dress sexy and have ons (because theyre against muslim and anything traditional is considered as muslim and degenerate so ours right wing is not conservative at all but crazy, I don't even get their idea of what they consider as right wing).
There's no conservative here except the muslim / catholic. (but there's nearly no real catholic anyway some say theyre catholic but are not pratiquant).
Well nobody is a career man or woman here it's very rare theyre just lazy bum who love to smoke weed and play video games Netflix or go t concert and basically have low wage job and live like teenager, we do not have a problem with people loving their job as people hate their jobs and does not care about their jobs at all, theyre just lazy bum.

[alice55]

I get along more with Eastern European and Muslim than with French or any Western people. Muslim are traditional so as a traditional girl I get along better with them but well they're not French neither White. Finding a traditional person in France is impossible except if the person is 60s or a Muslim (but a true believer not a racaille) or immigrant from Eastern Europe all the others are not traditional and are just degenerate leftist (even the right winger are shit and not conservative).

[ImalwaysrightOK]

@alice55 i agree it would be nice to find someone who values family and more traditional values. It's sad what you describe that the world has become.

[alice55]

well it's possible but extremely hard especially in some countries like France it's harder than anything. Men in America complain there's no traditional women but in France you have quite a fews men that refuse to enter a relationship if he can't "test" the woman before (like if she don't put out then he won't give her a serious relationship cause he want to test if she's good at sex or not, theyre crazy).
Having been raised very traditionally all of this is crazy to me.
Yes, this is very sad and horrible, I long for the day I would be able to find a traditional man.
Anyway I was right in thinking you're not really French though you're ways more American in thinking than French.
Are you full ethnic French? Do you speak French?

[ImalwaysrightOK]

@alice55 Ma mere est francaise. Oui, je parle francais, ma mere est nee en banlieu de Paris, Montrueil, mais je suis Americain, nee en Californie. J'ai etudie francais 4 ans mais je ne practique pas le francais pour plus de 10 ans.
I am out of practice. I am dual citizen by birth registry at the French consulate, but I have never lived in France, just visited twice when I was a boy. I am American, but I remember France was a very different place 20 years ago than it is today.

[alice55]

Well you have good French, it's good base.
My father is born in Paris too.
I can feel it when talking to you, you do are very American.
It's a very sad things what happened to France sadly now it''s too late we can't do anything the true is without immigrant there's not enough worker neither children (people even promote abortion as is it's not murder, letting people be free of aborting without showing them the reality of it, that theyre killing a baby and the most crazy things is that only less than 30 % of young people use condom / birth control most use nothing 75 % use nothing as they know there's free abortion).

Now it's a shithole, even in my village it's full of drugs dealer, they're everywhere, they promote freedom but what did freedom do except making people hate family, hate baby and hate tradition? Anything that is asking some works is hated and anything that is easy is loved.
20 years ago I always heard of people wanting traditional family, wanting baby, wanting men to be real men and women to be feminine and good now it's do whatever you want which is why I do not think democracy actually work it give too much freedom to people to do shit and promote all shit behavior.

[alice55]

All the rap, ghetto and mafia glorification should be forbidden just as well as people saying abortion is a good things, we should have harsher laws for it.
For the immigrant stuff we have too much of them and sadly we actually do need them to make the country work, with the whole abortion and letting people be free fo being without family then nobody is making children so obviously we need to import foreign worker.

Also most immigrant are actually not crazy lunatic they're worker, I would prefer for France to be full French but well it's. not gonna happen if Ethnic French don't move their ass and become traditional instead of lazy bum who prefer having free sex with everyone without commitment. Literally 70 of children are born out of wedlock and 25 percent of couple split up less than one years after their first born is born.

[ImalwaysrightOK]

@alice55 it's sad because what happens in France is what happened in most of Europe. It's an old continent, not just in history, but in age. France and other countries need workers to prop up the socialized system of healthcare and welfare, so they need to import workers because ethnic French doesn't have children or if they do it's 1 child much like the middle class and affluent United States. It's the poor and immigrant population that are having children, but the US doesn't have as much of a socialized society as Europe, still we are having the same problem, the poor and immigrants who depend heavily on welfare programs don't create enough taxes to pay for them so we run up huge deficits every year, loans from China. A few years ago we had a couple of trillion dollars of debt, now it's close to 8 trillion. We're bankrupt and we cannot sustain it. It's one of the reasons why people elected Trump, to stop this, but the globalists and leftists won't stop and continue their quest to radically change the US. Our country is founded on independence, on individuals providing for themselves, but leftists want to transform into another social state and that's the clash of ideas. Abortion is another thing you mentioned, people in America are split 50/50 with half believing it's "healthcare" and the rest of us know it's murder of the unborn. I don't know how we will come out from this division without revolution. It's 2 entirely different ideas, now even younger men are realizing that leftists don't include them in their plans, as males are way behind women in education and career opportunities as well as being alone. In the US, something like 60 percent of men under 30 are single, but only 30 percent of women under 30. It's a clash between men and women.

[alice55]

Well French a a little less than 2 children (last time I checked though) se we're not that bad but we need more worker. As even in the 60s when they were more children we did not have enough worker anyway so we imported them from Algeria and we kept doing it, now we just import them illegally because company don't want to pay, it's horrible yes to lose our culture but we have the French youth to blame more than the immigrant theyre the one not keeping up with the culture they prefer netlfix and eating mcdo rather than their own culture or buying shit from temu or shein or aliexpress, blaming immigrant is easy but French themselves and European does not even defined their own culture. They live the American ways which his why we have mass shooting or mass stabbing like American (there's more and more white doing those stuff in Europe while before it was only muslim doing it).
People blame religion for those attack but they can't use religion for the European doing those stuff so I think those attack is not so much religion but more Americanization of ours European culture.
America is very half half on most stuff people are very extreme in their view it's crazy how long the country can hold on like this
Even in France men are behind in education, theyre not made for school the ways school is made, they get yelled so much for no reasons, I worked in school with children and the worker that boy like shit just because theyre louder, theyre creating wimp that nobody would want or find attractive later on, it's no wonder theyre alone and can't find nobody after.
System is fucked.
I can understand why people voted for Trump Left in America hate men and White people even they hate White women.
Well this happen only in the us in France 50 of people are single men and women it's very equal.
We do not have such clash in France, as most people men and women are not traditional at all, only traditional people struggle in France.

[ImalwaysrightOK]

@alice55 I agree with everything you said. France as you describe it sounds just like the US, now now now and me me me. Young people are on their phone texting or online 24/7 and can't maintain a conversation longer than 30 seconds. It's sad, I don't know if the next generation will be better or not but I can't imagine it being worse. I think most immigrants are extremely hard working and honorable people, but their children become the ones that turn to gangs and crime. Most of the crime in the US is poor black and Hispanic gang members and wannabes. It's mainly the culture of the past 25 years, the "gangsta thug" culture being glamorized in pop culture and then the girls follow the "ho culture" Kardashians and Sex and the City where we have 12 year old girls acting like pornstars. I hope something changes in society but honestly although I'm not really religious, I think morals and values went out the window when people stopped believing in God and going to church. People need some societal structure for morals and values and since the family has been degraded, religion used to provide that structure, now there's nothing but Instagram and Onlyfans.

[alice55]

Yes they can’t forms relationship at all as they re all on TikTok or tinder but they do not forms real relationship they just pass time with random people
We re really getting américanisée it’s horrible as France is such a rich country with a good history but people just throw it away 🥲

Thats totally that the first gen are good working hard the second is the worse and they not Even believe most of the time they say they re but act the reverse
I prefer not Even thinking of the next génération to what I have seen they r Even worse

That s totally that youth follow and Watch stupid stuff that promote rhe most fucked stuff and the country let it happen we should ban those shit and make more appropriant content i can understand liberty but it’s going to far when we let Young people getting lobotomised by those shit programme

Only fan is not a big things in France I think it’s mainly anglo saxon
Well Even before morals did not exist much as a lot of people were not very religious in France it was mainly women that were fervent catholic not so much the men Even in early mid 20 the

In France the government refused to give women right of vote for a long time because the women were too religious
Men have never really been religious but at least they had honor and the want to have a family and protect it now the men whine for everything
We should promote family again as we need more baby anyway

[Anonymous]

the users here saying no are the equivalent of morbidly obese people saying no to physical exercise because it hurts too much at the start

[DrPepper12]

No. Thanks MAGA!! Fucking twatwaffle douchenozzles.

[RyanEC]

I don’t really support the terrifs.
I think this is a mistake.

[Anonymous]

Trump is the worst president. He ruined the economy in his first term and has already ruined the economy in only two months of his second. I hope his poor and uneducated supporters got what they wanted. LOL

[Anonymous]

Everyone is know is working, makes paying easier.

[jjj101010]

Am I missing something, if a product made outside the US used to cost $10 and now there’s going to be a 20% tariff on it, surely it will just cost the end user $12 now?

[alice55]

It’s gonna cost more as european are going to increase their Price to in réponses to trump

[jjj101010]

@alice55 yeah that’s what I figured, the tariff will be passed on to the end user

[alice55]

Like always, it's always the end user that's gonna pay so Trump is gonna get the money but it's gonna cost more money to average American which is not a good things

[jjj101010]

@alice55 probably, fortunately I’m not American so shouldn’t impact on me as much

[alice55]

It's good then, you're lucky I'm not American either so it's not gonna affect me especially since my country mostly import and not export so our exportation to America is not gonna get affected much especially since we mainly export luxury goods so even if it gets more expensive it's not gonna be a big deal cause rich people buy it just for the brands name

[Syntosi]

To put it bluntly, the actual cost becomes much higher than 20% and the real world result of this will be that products becomes uneconomical and businesses goes under.

This kind of hits the cost of prices from all angles. With fewer imports the supply is lower. With higher cost raw resources domestic alternatives is more expensive and if I am going to be honest with you, judging from how corporations grifted during the covid19 inflation, they are going to use this as an excuse to jack up their prices regardless too so yeah. It won't be 12 dollars. Maybe more like 20 but that is just a wild guess.

[alice55]

@Syntosi Yes, this is crazy, Trump does not sound like American friend at all like this, I do not understand his economics logics, why is he so bad this time around he was not so bad the first time this is crazy. Company are definitely gonna be happy

[Syntosi]

@alice55 Trump was bad the first time around as well. It is just that people does not remember this because covid19 came in halfway and covered up the economic damage that Trump had wrought before the damage could be observed.

The biggest difference between Trump back then and Trump now is that the first Trump presidency he had a booming economy inherited from Obama. I dont like Obama but he did hand off an economy that you basically could not fail at to Trump. For his 2nd term however Trump got handed an economy that Biden had JUST managed to MAGICALLY stabilize after Covid19 had its fun with it. It is a fragile thing that does not react well to any messing around with.

[alice55]

@Syntosi Well he was bad but he's so bad this time around that it made him look good XD
I pity American theyre gonna get in a lot of shit especially if election midterms are won by maga again I hope they don't win

[Hellraiser1984]

Nope. I hope Trump chokes on a greasy five guys burger.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

Short term they gonna have to deal with it til we start making our own products made in America.

[WhiteBoyChill]

🇺🇸💪

[Staximus]

I have bigger fish to fry at this present juncture my little Frenchie

[Pterodon]

I am. We can endure it far better and longer than our competitors

[msc545]

No, and more than anything else this will end him politically.

[fish5505_87]

It might make stop spending so frivolously? Lemon into lemonade!

[RedInnocent69]

On the plus side, maybe the MAGA hats will become unaffordable

[RedInnocent69]

And the global economic collapse will bring down the price of some commodities 😂

[Anonymous]

They may not be ready, but they will have no choice.

[QuietRunner]

I'm going to love this European Style life, where I pay more just like Europe does.

[noohair]

I am ready to keep American wealth in America.

[Lilly1979]

I’m glad I left 9 years ago I saw this coming.

[IAmTheLight]

Left-wingers who love to consume left-wing media propaganda garbage don't understand why globalism is overall a bad thing. I guess they just love to live in poverty. JD Vance recently explained why the globalism BS just doesn't work in the long run.

[WhiteBoyChill]

Yes I am. I support the national interest

[Abbycado]

Nope.

[EmmiL]

I doubt it

[eagle1951]

if we half to