The Lefties Thread

[mightyrooster]

Tarrifs are bad but I will not bore everyone with the economics as to why.

[ism22]

If anyone is interested in tariffs and has 15 minutes to watch the following video, which explains in very simple terms how they work, id be interested in your feedback to the question at the end "do the pros outweigh the cons"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD3FX_wxqUI

If you dont have 15 minutes, or you're simply not interested, that's ok just move on and continue ripping each other new arseholes in the Trump thread

IMO the odd thing about tariffs is that they're not even an inherently 'conservative' thing to use. In the case of the US their big purpose is so that everybody buys US-made cars and their manufacturing industry gets propped up. Combine this with hundreds of billions being thrown at the EV industry, it's literally just propping up US made EVs (mostly Tesla... hence Elon's love for all things Trump).

TBH it's far-left economic policy if anything as the state's restricting the free market in order to prop up its own ventures. Like China (whose economic policies I oppose on similar grounds). Europe's also playing similar games with their EVs...

Teslas are expensive and notoriously unreliable. Personally I'm glad that we can get affordable Korean, Japanese and Chinese EVs, which I'm starting to see a lot of on the road these days. IMO with Trump as president, we may well see a world where Dutton loses and Australia (plus Europe) become closer to China, leaving Trump's 'great again' 'Murrica looking like a bit of a basket case on the international scene with its severe protectionism, support for Russia (since Vlad bailed out Trump's inherited property empire) and Trump threatening to overturn central bank decisions if interest rates don't go the way he wants leading to the US being less friendly.

We're but a small ally, but I think a lot of the people who have stood up for protectionism will begin to realise that doing so has an inflationary effect.

[mightyrooster]

IMO the odd thing about tariffs is that they're not even an inherently 'conservative' thing to use. In the case of the US their big purpose is so that everybody buys US-made cars and their manufacturing industry gets propped up. Combine this with hundreds of billions being thrown at the EV industry, it's literally just propping up US made EVs (mostly Tesla... hence Elon's love for all things Trump).

TBH it's far-left economic policy if anything as the state's restricting the free market in order to prop up its own ventures. Like China (whose economic policies I oppose on similar grounds). Europe's also playing similar games with their EVs...

Teslas are expensive and notoriously unreliable. Personally I'm glad that we can get affordable Korean, Japanese and Chinese EVs, which I'm starting to see a lot of on the road these days. IMO with Trump as president, we may well see a world where Dutton loses and Australi (plus Europe) become closer to China, leaving Trump's 'great again' 'Murrica looking like a bit of a basket case on the international scene with its severe protectionism, support for Russia (since Vlad bailed out Trump's inherited property empire) and Trump threatening to overturn central bank decisions if interest rates don't go the way he wants leading to the US being less friendly.

We're but a small ally, but I think a lot of the people who have stood up for protectionism will begin to realise that doing so has an inflationary effect.

Tariffs don't work to prop up local manufactures if it still costs more for local manufacturers to produce those goods, due to higher wages and capital. Consumers will continue to buy imports if they are still cheaper even with the added tariff. In this case all it does is add to inflation and resource inefficiency.

[Random Rooster]

Well it seems MR and Jizz have a great understanding on how tariffs work and who eventually coughs up paying them. The Mango Mussolini at every rally would boast how tariffs are a beautiful thing and how he collected billions from China....and the crowd would go beserk every single time.....yet they are the ones who will be paying the tariffs!!!

So either the Mango Mussolini doesn't understand how tariffs work, or he knows he is talking to a bunch of fools. Take your pick

[ism22]

So either the Mango Mussolini doesn't understand how tariffs work, or he knows he is talking to a bunch of fools. Take your pick

I suspect the latter as I think he has enough advisors around him to have been briefed on what tariffs are.

The good news is that he's only got 4 years and then he's gone. I suspect other countries already have plans for dealing with his style.

As an Australian, I'm more concerned about our interests than Trump's direct actions. IMO if we're smart then when (like last time) Trump starts banning/taxing our imports (while China does the same in retaliation to us siding with the US on strategic matters), we will be able to continue business without being bullied too much.

[Random Rooster]

I suspect the latter as I think he has enough advisors around him to have been briefed on what tariffs are.

The good news is that he's only got 4 years and then he's gone. I suspect other countries already have plans for dealing with his style.

As an Australian, I'm more concerned about our interests than Trump's direct actions. IMO if we're smart then when (like last time) Trump starts banning/taxing our imports (while China does the same in retaliation to us siding with the US on strategic matters), we will be able to continue business without being bullied too much.

The thing is, Jizzy, we did get bullied. Back then, the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, pressured Scott Morrison to back a U.S. demand for China to allow an inquiry into the origins of COVID. The problem was, the U.S. had no real international support for this move because most countries saw it as a politically motivated attempt to deflect criticism from the Trump administration’s mishandling of the pandemic.

Naturally, China was furious at Australia for acting like a yappy U.S. lapdog and they slapped $20 billion worth of trade embargoes on our exports—beef, wine, barley, timber, lobster and coal all took a major hit. To make matters worse, the Chinese showed how quickly the U.S. would sell out their allies. While our farmers were reeling from the barley ban, the Americans stepped in and sold their barley to China instead.

I remember at the time all these old Aussies ringing 2GB carrying on about having to be "tough on China". Yeah well none of them were Australian farmers. For some reason they still have the idea that China is a big military threat to Australia and fear they may invade. They are by far our biggest trade partners and have played a big part in making Australia a wealthy country. When covid travel restrictions were lifted getting the paying international Chinese students back in our universities was on top of the governments list. Can't have it both ways and bite the hand that feeds you.

It should be noted that by the end of 2023 all of the embargoes had been lifted

[Jacks Fur Coat]

Lefties of the world...untie!

[Dr. Voodoo Man]

Sleepy Joe and cackling Kamala have the world on the brink of nuclear destruction.

[Random Rooster]

Lefties of the world...untie!

Gday again Jack! How you doing? Feeling better? A cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down was a good remedy from your era.

Exactly do you want us Lefties to "untie"?

[mightyrooster]

Gday again Jack! How you doing? Feeling better? A cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down was a good remedy from your era.

Exactly do you want us Lefties to "untie"?

I hate the term looney left, but after some goings on here of late the Chookpen is not immune.

[mightyrooster]

Well it seems MR and Jizz have a great understanding on how tariffs work and who eventually coughs up paying them. The Mango Mussolini at every rally would boast how tariffs are a beautiful thing and how he collected billions from China....and the crowd would go beserk every single time.....yet they are the ones who will be paying the tariffs!!!

So either the Mango Mussolini doesn't understand how tariffs work, or he knows he is talking to a bunch of fools. Take your pick

I think he knows how tariffs work but he also knows that the average American probably doesn’t. The economic theory of comparative advantage will show you that protectionism works against the benefits of free trade and that includes the country employing the protectionist policy.

[ism22]

Gday again Jack! How you doing? Feeling better? A cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down was a good remedy from your era.

Exactly do you want us Lefties to "untie"?

[Insert picture with me sitting at a desk like a boss with my shoe laces untied and massive Dannemann cigar]

Apparently lefties have a hard time accepting election results, so need to storm the capitol, pressure officials to not register their state's vote tally (which is a mere formality rather than a decision for them to make) and attempt to challenge the result of the election through farcical court claims. My experience is that it's the right wingers who seem to struggle more with losing, and be louder about it too (including on a niche footy forum).

I ran 30km this morning in some pretty insane heat and have had a tipple of fine wine so might be hallucinating, but this is my observation. TBH my focus has been on my running, homebrew and family (currently having dinner with the in-laws at their house around the corner from the Lodge with my much loved wife & son). Labelling my homebrew and continuing the development of a retro game for my Mac SE/30 take priority over 'Murrican politics (which is pretty low down on my list of priorities).

Ironically the Daaaanld is proof of why democracy works. If the people want to elect an eccentric clown then they can. He can then try his best to stack the systems with a bunch of controversial/comical characters. However he's only got 4 years, there's always mid-terms (which historically punish wannabe dictators) and the courts remain independent (even when stacked with cronies, appointed to do things like 'review' decisions on topical issues such as abortion). The alternative is far worse and I'm glad that Australia (and our Allies, of which the USA will remain one of the closest) are democracies.

[Andrew Walker]

[Insert picture with me sitting at a desk like a boss with my shoe laces untied and massive Dannemann cigar]

Apparently lefties have a hard time accepting election results, so need to storm the capitol, pressure officials to not register their state's vote tally (which is a mere formality rather than a decision for them to make) and attempt to challenge the result of the election through farcical court claims. My experience is that it's the right wingers who seem to struggle more with losing, and be louder about it too (including on a niche footy forum).

I ran 30km this morning in some pretty insane heat and have had a tipple of fine wine so might be hallucinating, but this is my observation. TBH my focus has been on my running, homebrew and family (currently having dinner with the in-laws at their house around the corner from the Lodge with my much loved wife & son). Labelling my homebrew and continuing the development of a retro game for my Mac SE/30 take priority over 'Murrican politics (which is pretty low down on my list of priorities).

Ironically the Daaaanld is proof of why democracy works. If the people want to elect an eccentric clown then they can. He can then try his best to stack the systems with a bunch of controversial/comical characters. However he's only got 4 years, there's always mid-terms (which historically punish wannabe dictators) and the courts remain independent (even when stacked with cronies, appointed to do things like 'review' decisions on topical issues such as abortion). The alternative is far worse and I'm glad that Australia (and our Allies, of which the USA will remain one of the closest) are democracies.

Only you can make this about yourself

[Andrew Walker]

I hate the term looney left, but after some goings on here of late the Chookpen is not immune.

There is certainly one poster here with left ideology that personifies the term looney left very well In fact the cap truly fits

[Rooster1908]

Only you can make this about yourself

Only you would feel the need to tell him that. What harm is he doing