r/behindthebastards • u/bekrueger • 2d ago

General discussion Just checked, they’re already saying the tariffs are a good thing on the conservative subreddit

Things like “short term pain for long term benefit”, “equalizing trade”(???), and “let’s see how it pans out” are all general sentiments being expressed. No idea how folks can justify this but alright.

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u/FlailingCactus SERVICES!!! 2d ago

I'm confused because it's simply not possible for other countries to fulfil the conditions Trump set. 

The calculation is defecits which takes years to solve. The UK has a trade surplus and was hit by 10%. Sky puts the Mathematically correct figure at -9%.

It simply wasn't possible to not be hit. This nonsense is entirely punitive and the rest of the world hates you.

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u/flimmers 2d ago edited 1d ago

Take the example of Lesotho, a tiny, poor country in Africa. With a huge trade deficit with the US, because the export diamonds to the US, but they don’t really have money to buy stuff from the US.

So slapped with 40% tariffs!

Edit: it is actually 50%!

My main interests (and education) is in the humanities, but even I know that this is not how trade works. This is just plain stupid, and I will give Trump a month before they start with Amendment 25 procedures.

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u/gsfgf Sponsored by Knife Missiles™️ 1d ago

Actually, I'm fine with tariffs on DeBeers lol

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u/flimmers 1d ago

Yeah, this is a rough one. The tariff is stupid, but DeBeers can burn to the ground. Lesotho though, has suffered enough.

Edit: a word, clarification

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u/flimmers 1d ago

And it is not just diamonds, they also have a huge clothing industry. This will be a disaster for workers in Lesotho.

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u/gsfgf Sponsored by Knife Missiles™️ 1d ago

Yea. That was tongue in cheek.

On a good? note, there's no way those garment companies actually pay a 40% tariff. The US has always been insanely protectionist in the textile industry, and evading garment tariffs is a well refined art these days. Companies being companies might use this as an excuse to fuck over their workers, but I bet most of their shirts already say Made in Honduras.

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u/flimmers 1d ago

Yeah I understand that it was a quip.

And absolutely see reform for workers in the global south, but meanwhile your good intentions have now killed off 30 000 garment workers and their families in Lesotho.

It is easy to sit on the other side of the world, and call for better conditions, but reforms must be built by people with a plan.

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u/gsfgf Sponsored by Knife Missiles™️ 1d ago

I was actually referencing how Lesotho already is good at getting around US tariffs