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“Liberation Day” Tariffs Explained
The April 2 announcement contained two distinct tariff actions.
First, a universal 10 percent tariff will apply to virtually all U.S. imports starting April 5.
Second, beginning April 9, the administration will impose country-specific “reciprocal” tariffs—targeted at 57 named countries, with rates reaching as high as 50 percent. These nations were identified as chronic trade offenders, based on their bilateral trade surpluses with the United States, perceived tariff asymmetries, and other barriers to U.S. exports.
This is dumb, but honestly just passed by a lot of bars and were shocked at how packed they are with people dropping so much cash.
I know the repercussions haven't really hit yet but I assumed more people would be just a little worried. Maybe they just don't understand what's going on or even know about it. I'm going to be saving my soon-to-be-worthless scraps of USD for a while at least.
How the imperial core handled COVID totally eroded the last bit of prudence and forward-thinking from the populace.
The sheer wall of future problems seems so immense that saving money and practicing any level of self-denial feels pointless to a lot of liberals right now.
I've been buying a little more because I expect prices to skyrocket soon. Things I was planning to get anyways eventually but was in no rush to buy. Then I'll be in ascetic mode if this goes on for a long time.
Same! I've been buying electronics, appliances, clothes, and things that I thought would be too expensive for me if tariffs did happen (which they did) or if I lost my job (hopefully doesn't happen). My family thought I was going a bit wild impatiently buying at the time, but I think they'll see I was right. Ended up spending a lot of cash since around November but ideally it'll help me coast through a disaster more comfortably. Now I'm just in hibernation mode.
Hope we both made the right move.
talked to a car salesman recently and he said his dealership had done more business in the last two weeks than in the previous six months because of the push to buy in advance of tariffs
Yes exactly. One item that I use that wears down every few years is $35 with a coupon on AliExpress right now. It's $120 on Amazon. With tariffs and the removal of de minimis, it would become $100 on AliExpress and probably $170 on Amazon. I can justify $35 every few years but $100+ is not my kind of spending habit.
I wonder how bad things will have to be for average right-wing American Joe Chud to give a shit. I imagine the first step will be him getting a phone call from his parents who are in a panic telling them that they don't have money for food or for rent. Or maybe both. Mr. Chud knew their finances were tight but how could things get this bad so fast??? And Social Security checks will be delayed? For how long? What the fuck!
He'll will realize with a shock that at least for the short term meemaw and geegaw are gonna have to move in with him - however unwanted that is. Home life is gonna suck. And then a couple weeks later he learns his company is downsizing in what is euphemistically described as "due to the current situation." Then he'll realize he is fucked too. Mr. Chud will be insane with rage. But I don't think he's going to blame Trump. Instead he'll blame "the democrats" or "DEI" or "foreigners" or whoever right-wing media is says are literal demons trying to destroy America.
Good times.
As you said, I think they'll just be in denial at best and blame the situation on trans people and immigrants. That Rightist mom that had her unvaccinated child die of measles just to go on news to say that the disease wasn't that bad and she would still not vaccinate her dead child if she had a second chance was really brutal.
They're just so deeply in denial. I don't know what will get nearly half of the un(der)educated, cultified population to see reality. I just expect them to become worse fascists, perhaps Trump does too.
she views her children as property and that kid's death was just a short-term hit to her portfolio
Household costs are down!