(11-01-2024, 10:09 AM)Jaguarmeister Wrote:

(11-01-2024, 07:08 AM)mikesez Wrote: Of course I've negotiated things.  
Have you ever seen Blazing Saddles? How the new sheriff gets away from the mob?
Usually threatening to harm yourself isn't part of negotiation.

That's a gross oversimplification of what happens when tariffs are applied and generally the definition used by those who don't understand or have another agenda.  There are more parties involved than just the end consumer and if there are adequate substitute goods at the same or similar prices, the end consumer and the overall economy isn't harmed at all.  Your "harm yourself" comment might apply in a scenario where there is only one country providing a particular good which happens to be a staple with demand being inelastic and a tariff is applied to that good.  A tariff should probably never be applied in that situation.  In pretty much every other scenario, the tariff applies pressure that can be relieved in many other ways that are positive for the country applying the tariff.  This is before factoring in the value of the U.S. Market versus the rest of the world.  It is a commodity and should be treated as such when necessary when negotiating.

Were you successful at these negotiations? 

Oversimplification is a very good word.  The cost of a 40 foot container from say Hong Kong to Columbus Ohio is about $8500 to $9500. That is quite a cost those goods must carry in their price. The trip takes time, which adds an inventory cost to this as well. There are more offsets, which are conveniently overlooked. That is what the Wharton professor was saying. He also suggested the neutral parties pushing this were not really neutral. LOL Now, let's look at the environmental cost fuel to move it, adds a bunch of carbon to the atmosphere. Guess that doesn't matter.

Bottom line Trump is most likely going to be as he was the last time. During his 4 year term inflation was about 4% over his 4 years. The current regime has been 20% over their 4 years. During that time the wages for people making less than the 50th percentile were basically flat. However those above the 90th percentile saw huge gains. The current people (as we do not actually know who that candidate reports to) are just saying anything on a high level to confuse.  Their record is the opposite of the rhetoric. Just recently the even the FED said they do not use the current administrations labor numbers as they are not correct.  They had to revise down over 800,000 jobs they reported as they were false.

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