3 ms·

Unfortunately in our hyper partisan, sound bite, climate you can’t discuss the trade offs of tax policies anymore you either support the party line or you’re th

Unfortunately in our hyper partisan, sound bite, climate you can’t discuss the trade offs of tax policies anymore you either support the party line or you’re the enemy.

apexalpha 1mo ago
I am European... Tariffs are completely normal here we protect our workers all the time. It seems I've 'stung the wasps nest' on HN by not denouncing them outright it seems.
- MattCruikshank 1mo ago
  How many 100% tariffs do you have on every good from an entire country? A scalpel is one thing. Dynamite is something else.
  - apexalpha 1mo ago
    I was not aware this comic was a reation to new developments for US-CAN. I thought it was just a generic take on tarrifs and responded accordingly. I agree the current US strategy behind tariffs is pretty retarded. Good example of fools trying to use a powerful tool.
    - MattCruikshank 1mo ago
      Yeah, I think you've got it. Agreeing with you and continuing my thought: If I had to guess at the comic author's intention... It's commentary that the logic is flawed. If this is why you're doing tariffs, you're not using them correctly. Not that tariffs should never be used.
  - edgyquant 1mo ago
    Context is important. 100% tariffs on Canada is stupid, 100% tariffs on China because we don’t want any industry dependent on a major military adversary is something worth discussing even if the answer is to not do that in the end
MattCruikshank 1mo ago
It would certainly help if people wouldn't believe flat-out lies. Like, "other countries pay the tariffs." No. They don't. How can we have nuanced conversation about the trade-offs, if the leader of one political party blatantly lies about a fundamental detail of how tariffs work? 600% reduction in the price of drugs? We can't even start a discussion with people who believe this. At all. They reject any information, even their own knowledge of how numbers work.
- phaedryx 1mo ago
  I wish we would call them "taxes on imports" instead to reflect what is actually happening.
  - MattCruikshank 1mo ago
    Merriam-Webster: "The meaning of TARIFF is a schedule of duties imposed by a government on imported or in some countries exported goods." Apparently the dictionary is "woke." Wikipedia: "A tariff, or import tax, is a duty imposed by a national government, customs territory, or supranational union on imports of goods and is paid by the importer." Oxford Economics: "Tariffs are taxes imposed by a government on goods and services imported from other countries."
    - phaedryx 1mo ago
      I know what tariff means, I just think many people don't realize it means "taxing US citizens" and not "sticking it to some country we don't like"
      - MattCruikshank 1mo ago
        Sorry, I didn't mean to imply you didn't know. I meant, "Yes, you're so damned right! It's even in the dictionary! I wish people would educate themselves and not believe lies!"
  - edgyquant 1mo ago

Unfortunately in our hyper partisan, sound bite, climate you can’t discuss the trade offs of tax policies anymore you either support the party line or you’re the enemy.

apexalpha 1mo ago

I am European... Tariffs are completely normal here we protect our workers all the time. It seems I've 'stung the wasps nest' on HN by not denouncing them outright it seems.

MattCruikshank 1mo ago
How many 100% tariffs do you have on every good from an entire country? A scalpel is one thing. Dynamite is something else.
- apexalpha 1mo ago
  I was not aware this comic was a reation to new developments for US-CAN. I thought it was just a generic take on tarrifs and responded accordingly. I agree the current US strategy behind tariffs is pretty retarded. Good example of fools trying to use a powerful tool.
  - MattCruikshank 1mo ago
    Yeah, I think you've got it. Agreeing with you and continuing my thought: If I had to guess at the comic author's intention... It's commentary that the logic is flawed. If this is why you're doing tariffs, you're not using them correctly. Not that tariffs should never be used.
- edgyquant 1mo ago
  Context is important. 100% tariffs on Canada is stupid, 100% tariffs on China because we don’t want any industry dependent on a major military adversary is something worth discussing even if the answer is to not do that in the end

MattCruikshank 1mo ago

It would certainly help if people wouldn't believe flat-out lies. Like, "other countries pay the tariffs." No. They don't. How can we have nuanced conversation about the trade-offs, if the leader of one political party blatantly lies about a fundamental detail of how tariffs work? 600% reduction in the price of drugs? We can't even start a discussion with people who believe this. At all. They reject any information, even their own knowledge of how numbers work.

phaedryx 1mo ago
I wish we would call them "taxes on imports" instead to reflect what is actually happening.
- MattCruikshank 1mo ago
  Merriam-Webster: "The meaning of TARIFF is a schedule of duties imposed by a government on imported or in some countries exported goods." Apparently the dictionary is "woke." Wikipedia: "A tariff, or import tax, is a duty imposed by a national government, customs territory, or supranational union on imports of goods and is paid by the importer." Oxford Economics: "Tariffs are taxes imposed by a government on goods and services imported from other countries."
  - phaedryx 1mo ago
    I know what tariff means, I just think many people don't realize it means "taxing US citizens" and not "sticking it to some country we don't like"
    - MattCruikshank 1mo ago
      Sorry, I didn't mean to imply you didn't know. I meant, "Yes, you're so damned right! It's even in the dictionary! I wish people would educate themselves and not believe lies!"
- edgyquant 1mo ago