The Dumbest Trade War in History

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Trump will impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico for no good reason.

President Trump will fire his first tariff salvo on Saturday against those notorious American adversaries . . . Mexico and Canada. They’ll get hit with a 25% border tax, while China, a real adversary, will endure 10%. This reminds us of the old Bernard Lewis joke that it’s risky to be America’s enemy but it can be fatal to be its friend.

Leaving China aside, Mr. Trump’s justification for this economic assault on the neighbors makes no sense. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says they’ve “enabled illegal drugs to pour into America.” But drugs have flowed into the U.S. for decades, and will continue to do so as long as Americans keep using them. Neither country can stop it.

Drugs may be an excuse since Mr. Trump has made clear he likes tariffs for their own sake. “We don’t need the products that they have,” Mr. Trump said on Thursday. “We have all the oil you need. We have all the trees you need, meaning the lumber.”

Mr. Trump sometimes sounds as if the U.S. shouldn’t import anything at all, that America can be a perfectly closed economy making everything at home. This is called autarky, and it isn’t the world we live in, or one that we should want to live in, as Mr. Trump may soon find out.

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/donald-trum ... waLqqYtf9U

[GFB]

He has very good reasons.

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He has very good reasons.

I am sure he does. Now, if you just knew what they were?

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He has very good reasons.

I am sure he does. Now, if you just knew what they were?

I do.

These countries need to behave better.

Specifically..get control of their borders, and of the fentanyl flow.

[planosteve]

He has very good reasons.

I am sure he does. Now, if you just knew what they were?

I do.

These countries need to behave better.

Specifically..get control of their borders, and of the fentanyl flow.

The only way they can sell it is if we want to buy it.

[GFB]

There is no trade war.

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There is no trade war.

Yeah right. Tell that to the Wall Street Journal.

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Governments are responsible for what comes into their country, not what goes out.

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There is no trade war.

There is now!
Ontario announced that it would be removing all U.S. alcohols from shelves amid Donald Trump's 25% tariffs against most Canadian goods
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/on ... explodes/a

[GFB]

Mexico has already folded.

They are sending 10,000 troops to the border.

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Mexico has already folded.

They are sending 10,000 troops to the border.

President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to send 10,000 National Guard troops to Mexico’s northern border to help stop the smuggling of deadly fentanyl to the U.S. in exchange for the U.S. 's delaying 25% tariffs on Mexico. Most fentanyl crosses into the U.S. at ports of entry, hidden in compartments in the tens of thousands of cars and trucks that cross the border on a daily basis. Most of the drugs are smuggled by U.S. citizens, according to U.S. authorities.

[planosteve]

Most fentanyl crosses into the U.S. at ports of entry, hidden in compartments in the tens of thousands of cars and trucks that cross the border on a daily basis. Most of the drugs are smuggled by U.S. citizens, according to U.S. authorities.

[GFB]

Trudeau surrendered as well.

Canada will spend 1.3 billion spent on helicopters, personnel and technology to strengthen the northern border.

[planosteve]

Trudeau surrendered as well.

Canada will spend 1.3 billion spent on helicopters, personnel and technology to strengthen the northern border.

Great idea! The last thing we need is a bunch more of those damn moose and elk running around down here!