cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/19241243

Waving a big chart as a prop in the White House Rose Garden, Donald Trump suggested his new tariff plan was simple: “Reciprocal – that means they do it to us, and we do it to them. Very simple. Can’t get simpler than that.”

Perhaps a bit too simple. The method used to calculate the most important numbers in international trade, politics and economics has left some of the world’s leading experts shocked.

For each country, the White House looked up its trade in goods deficit for 2024, then divided that by the total value of imports. Trump, to be “kind”, said he would, however, offer a discount, so halved that figure. The calculation was even distilled into a formula.

  • @[email protected]
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    49 days ago

    And you made him president again not mentioning how he was even able to rise so high in power.

    United Stupids of America

  • @[email protected]
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    3510 days ago

    The trump regime was designed to TANK the US economy so that stocks, businesses, and industries can be bought by billionaires at rock bottom prices.

    All is going according to plan.

    • Drusas
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      59 days ago

      They are also designed to give Trump leverage over companies and countries.

      • @[email protected]
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        19 days ago

        Kind of like punching your neighbor in the face, shooting yourself in the foot, then begging your neighbor for help.

    • SeaJ
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      1010 days ago

      It is kind of seeming like this. Anyone who has a ton of cash on hand can get amazing deals on assets. Trump has said as much.

    • @[email protected]
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      9 days ago

      This is nonsense that gets spread way too often. The wealthy benefited from Covid, but they did not benefit from the Great Depression. Billionaires are shortsighted hoarders who can’t help but screw themselves over in their race to the top end. They really are so fucking stupid and greedy that they will crash the economy by accident, AGAIN.

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    1010 days ago

    “[It is] quite an extraordinary calculation after months of work behind the scenes,” said Jim Reid, the global head of macro research at Deutsche Bank. “[It] didn’t add much confidence on there being an in-depth strategic implementation plan.”

    lol. First of all Deutsche Bank, how are you still operating, and secondly it’s your fucking fault the demented rapist is even here (thanks to Justice Kennedy’s son). Thirdly, anyone who thinks a trump administration effort is going to have an “in-depth strategic plan” is smoking crack. (Those of you arguing ‘project 2025’ remember that came from outside the administration)

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    1010 days ago

    ‘Willing sycophants’ came up with simplistic formula that has thrown global economy into disarray

    Way to shoot us in the crotch republiQans and eligible non-voters! You suck!

    • @[email protected]
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      39 days ago

      B-but muh egg prices! Also, something something okay with the economy crashing if it owns the libs.

  • @[email protected]
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    159 days ago

    Whoever did those calculations (and it wasn’t Trump, since he’s innumerate as well as illiterate) based these crude calculations on the assumption that the US economy should have a pairwise zero current-account balance with every country in the world. That’s beyond imbecilic.

  • @[email protected]
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    99 days ago

    He absolutely believes he’s a genius who has thought of this solution to our economic problems that NOBODY else has ever considered, because nobody is as smart as he is. All this talk of how wrong it is only proves to him how much smarter he is. His tariffs are so innovative, even the most intelligent economists don’t get it.

    But he does, because he’s the most intelligent human to ever exist, and he is thinking way above them.

  • @[email protected]
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    99 days ago

    The reason the numbers are idiotic is because they don’t need to make sense. There is no point to these tariffs other than to crash the US economy so that fat cat rich scum can buy everything and create corporate feudalism.

    • Optional
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      310 days ago

      Uh excuse me, where is your ridiculously oversized truck and bedsheet-sized flags?

  • @[email protected]
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    310 days ago

    “Make America Wealthy Again”

    Tariffs don’t charge the foreign entity

    American companies pay the tariffs

    The “America” being made wealthy must mean the government

    The same government that isn’t paying out to USAID, researchers, or anything else DOGE plugged

    Less money out, more money in.

    This will be remembered as the largest migration of money between classes in US history.

    • @[email protected]
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      19 days ago

      American companies pay the tariffs

      American companies pass throught he tariffs. American people pay them.

  • @[email protected]
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    2010 days ago

    Republicans have been confidently and fully wrong about economics for like a hundred years now dude, a republican making up economic bullshit that will hurt the American people should not be a surprise.