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> Right now there is 100 containers of socks stuck on a ship and in the way. This seems like a real easy problem to fix. Some simple import tariffs could get a

> Right now there is 100 containers of socks stuck on a ship and in the way. This seems like a real easy problem to fix. Some simple import tariffs could get a lot of the cruft out of the way in no time, and they could be eased back too.

gonesilent 6y ago
We still have Trump's tariffs to deal with, more will just be yet another burden on consumers.
- CameronNemo 6y ago
  These aren't perma-tariffs meant to punish consumers. These tariffs would just take enough goods off of the ships so that essential goods can pass through. In 4-6 months, they could start phasing out. Maybe even sooner.
- dkdk8283 6y ago
  Trumps tariffs are designed to bring back jobs to the USA. We shouldn’t be giving so much money to China.
  - lasagnaphil 6y ago
    The real problem is that because of the dollar’s (still) hegemonic status as the world reserve currency, dollars will never be cheap enough for manufacturing jobs in the US to come back. Trump’s tariffs really can’t do anything about it.
Retric 6y ago
High shipping costs are effectively a tariff on bulk goods. It’s not particularly effective as shortages drive up prices.
lifeisstillgood 6y ago
Sadly I don't think it works like that. Ignoring the usual long lead time on tariffs, and the difficulty in applying such rules (Socks now have 10x import duty. Ah but not medical support stockings. And socks on baby clothes are exempt, but if the socks are sold as a bundle ...) The real problem is that the cruft is already in the system. If we did something clever and said all non-urgent shipments get delayed and the urgent ones come through we would have 1. Some containers have both important and cruft in them. 2. The cruft containers are on the upper port side of the ship. If we don't unload those the ship will topple. If we unload but don't onward ship we have a ton of containers literally sitting on the dock. 3. If we sort that out, the cruft orders are part of the game now - the container of socks is going to come back loaded with medical computers. But now they don't have a container to come back in. No the solution to this is transparency. A global blockchain / ledger (not The blochchain), would let people see some of the worst problems ahead. But that tech exists, but not the usage of the tools or the trust.
- wikibob 6y ago
  How does a magical blockchain do anything that a database wouldn’t, in this scenario?
  - CameronNemo 6y ago
    A blockchain is basically a database that can't shard (yet).
  - lifeisstillgood 6y ago
    Shared access and update-ability A shared ledger allows anyone to read it and update it - how one accepts those updatres is up for debate but whatever - its waaay more scalable than an Oracle instance somewhere.

gonesilent 6y ago

We still have Trump's tariffs to deal with, more will just be yet another burden on consumers.

CameronNemo 6y ago
These aren't perma-tariffs meant to punish consumers. These tariffs would just take enough goods off of the ships so that essential goods can pass through. In 4-6 months, they could start phasing out. Maybe even sooner.
dkdk8283 6y ago
Trumps tariffs are designed to bring back jobs to the USA. We shouldn’t be giving so much money to China.
- lasagnaphil 6y ago
  The real problem is that because of the dollar’s (still) hegemonic status as the world reserve currency, dollars will never be cheap enough for manufacturing jobs in the US to come back. Trump’s tariffs really can’t do anything about it.

Retric 6y ago

High shipping costs are effectively a tariff on bulk goods. It’s not particularly effective as shortages drive up prices.

lifeisstillgood 6y ago

Sadly I don't think it works like that. Ignoring the usual long lead time on tariffs, and the difficulty in applying such rules (Socks now have 10x import duty. Ah but not medical support stockings. And socks on baby clothes are exempt, but if the socks are sold as a bundle ...) The real problem is that the cruft is already in the system. If we did something clever and said all non-urgent shipments get delayed and the urgent ones come through we would have 1. Some containers have both important and cruft in them. 2. The cruft containers are on the upper port side of the ship. If we don't unload those the ship will topple. If we unload but don't onward ship we have a ton of containers literally sitting on the dock. 3. If we sort that out, the cruft orders are part of the game now - the container of socks is going to come back loaded with medical computers. But now they don't have a container to come back in. No the solution to this is transparency. A global blockchain / ledger (not The blochchain), would let people see some of the worst problems ahead. But that tech exists, but not the usage of the tools or the trust.

wikibob 6y ago
How does a magical blockchain do anything that a database wouldn’t, in this scenario?
- CameronNemo 6y ago
  A blockchain is basically a database that can't shard (yet).
- lifeisstillgood 6y ago
  Shared access and update-ability A shared ledger allows anyone to read it and update it - how one accepts those updatres is up for debate but whatever - its waaay more scalable than an Oracle instance somewhere.