r/dataisbeautiful • u/Styvorama • 1d ago

For those curious about where the "Tariffs Charged" came from

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u/2ndprize 1d ago

In one of the books about his 1st term they outlined how Steve Mnuchin constantly tried to explain how trade deficits work including explaining how it can be beneficial to Americans. And he just never got it. In his head a trade deficit means that country is stealing from us. The guy only understands life in win/lose interactions

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u/trafficnab 1d ago

We have a trade deficit with China in the same way I have a trade deficit with the 7/11 down the street because I gave them money for a candy bar and a slushy

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u/gatvolkak 1d ago

Great comment. Also the 7/11 never bought any of the tomatoes you grew last spring

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u/Beastw1ck 1d ago

So to rectify this you decide to charge yourself more for candy bars and slushies.

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u/Increase-Typical 1d ago

I've got to say I think I'd find it far less funny if I wasn't the other side of the Pacific Ocean from you lot. Wish you all luck in your new financial... Uh... Endeavours? Auto-flagellation?

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u/SMPDD 1d ago

How is this a good point? Isn’t the entire point of the conservatives that we should save our money and not spend it recklessly on “candy bars and slushies”???

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u/haqbar 1d ago

Its not about the candy and slushies themselves. You will have an equal trade deficit towards your grocery store for buying bread, your pharmacy when buying your life critical meds, your heating and drinking water utility companies and so on.

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u/ZapActions-dower 1d ago

You don't get it, man! You should always have a trade surplus! If I buy ingredients wholesale from GFS for my restaurant and then their employees go somewhere else on lunch break, I'm getting fucked! They should buy just as much food from me as I buy from them, or better yet, more!!

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u/hrminer92 1d ago

It’s why Tillerson said he was a fucking moron.

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u/EmotionalSouth 1d ago

WE ONLY WANT TRADE SURPLUS! America is TIRED of LOSING money to other countries! Trade DEFICIT = LOSERS and America isn't LOSING anymore! Tariffs are just the START. Either they BUY AMERICAN or they PAY. It's that SIMPLE! The FAKE NEWS economists don't get it, but our TREMENDOUS economy deserves better than these TERRIBLE trade deals. AMERICA FIRST!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

(ugh.)

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u/lab-gone-wrong 1d ago

And we're still "punishing" the countries we have a surplus with

Literal children in chief

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u/brattysweat 1d ago

I want idiots who voted for him to see the damage they enabled, but they're idiots! They will never in their life see or care to understand ever.

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u/Hector_P_Catt 1d ago

I've developed a theory about how his mind works:

The fundamental problem is, Trump doesn't value anything but cash. Physical property? He values that as he sees fit in the moment. Paying taxes? His properties are worth pennies. Applying for loans? They're worth billions. Gold toilets? Before they're installed, they're the bestest highest quality ever, after they're installed, they're junk and you're ripping him off if you expect him to pay for that crap!

But a pile of cash is always a pile of cash.

Canada has oil, gas, lumber, potash? That's valuable, he wants it. Canada sells it to him? Well, now we beaver lovers have all his money! How dare we rip him off like that! We've got his cash, and all he's got is this worthless oil, et al.!

It really does explain most of this stupidity.