Question 1: Which is better for this nation, high or low import tariffs?

Discussion in 'Free Thoughts' started by Beryl, Jan 31, 2007.

  1. Beryl WWAD What Would Athelwulf Do? Registered Senior Member

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    An important note to read.
    I have this book of stuff from the late 1800s. One of the articles in there is "150 themes for debate", so I thought I'd present the questions here on Sciforums at fairly random intervals (I'm thinking one every few days). Many of the questions probably seem a little odd, although some are applicable. Feel free to reply in any manner you wish; you can answer the question as it applies to modern times, or you can try to answer as if you're speaking from the 1800s. Some will probably be a lot better for discussions than others. They will be on a variety of subjects; I realize that some might better belong somewhere other than Free Thoughts, but since the series is kind of a set I thought it best to just put them all here.

    The first question: Which is better for this nation, high or low import tariffs?

    Enjoy.
     
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  3. Mosheh Thezion Registered Senior Member

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    low... or no tariffs... is what we have today.

    no tariff... has destroye the american manufacturing base...

    but it also reduces inflation.



    a high tariff.. would be ideal for american manufactures...

    but it would come with massive inflation, since we have already let down the tariff shield and allowed everyone to get used to cheap foreign goods.

    if they put up tariffs now... people would scream for blood.


    if a poor nation, put up tariffs... it could save them from alot of poverty.

    -MT
     
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  5. Lord Hillyer Banned Banned

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    Low import tariffs. Unless one desires for one's nation something other than an utterly witless and nihilistic domestic service economy based on concomitant delusions of grandeur, predatory materialism, systematic global oppression, and the mainstreaming of type-two psychopathy, in which case I recommend an admixture of low, medium, and high import tariffs - and a big army.
     
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  7. Mosheh Thezion Registered Senior Member

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    the way i see it... reagon did it to us... he made it all happen with reagonomics.... it was already happening... reagonomics made it cool.

    globilization... if the usa... put up tariffs today, the price of everything would shoot up to their real values.... and everyone would cry...

    cry.. cry... cry... all of you.. everyone in the usa..

    would cry... shame.. shame... when a car stereo ends up costing 1000 dollars... and books, cant be printed for any less than 5 dollars a copy.. for tiny paper backs...


    and those nations.. across the world... would cry... shame shame...

    for it would crush some nations economies...



    no....

    the powers that be... allowed the hooks of globilization to set in while nobody was watching.... and if we pulled them out now, it would hurt like hell...... and nobody is gunna like it.

    and if nobody likes it... heads will roll....


    nobody wants to be the one to loose their head over globilization.

    the question then... is how to fix it.

    -MT
     
  8. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    It really depends upon the countries that America is trading with. Lets say China was putting a high tarriff on Americas goods shipped to them, which they are by the way, then why can't America turn around and impose the same type of tarriffs that they do? Like I say, it all depends on the countries doing the trading to negotiate a fair trade practice so that they both can enjoy equall trade rewards.
     
  9. Billy T Use Sugar Cane Alcohol car Fuel Valued Senior Member

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    This was first shown to be false in 1773 by Adam Smith (Wealth of Naions) EVEN when one of the traders maintains high tariffs against the other. This fact is now accepted by almost all economist, but NOT by most politicians. Because a low or zero tariff policy's benefits do not appear as quickly as the pain of the necessary adjustments (job loses in the short term, etc.).

    Basically in the longer run it is NEVER to your advantage to pay more for any goods or services than your need to, even if you must import them to get the lower cost.

    A great example of this short-sighted political policy is playing out now in the US. Instead of importing tropical alcohol at half the cost, high tariffs keep the cheaper alcohol out of the US. Also billions of tax payer dollars are being transfer to a wealthy few in the form of subsidies on corn and the out right gift of $0.54/ gallon to the producers of alcohol.

    This not only makes the average American pay more to drive than need be (and thus reduces the income he has to spend on products that would make more, and higher paying, jobs that farming corn etc.) but also has already driven the price of corn above $4.10/ bushel.

    Thirteen percent of US farm land has been converted to production of corn for alcohol which is only 3% of the fuel in US cars. This is actually INCREASING oil imports as more oil is used to make fertilizer etc. to quickly grow corn in short season Iowa etc. (The oil used for alcohol production has more energy than the alcohol produced. - Why oil men, like GWB, strongly are behind domestic production of alcohol) - There are several university studies that conclude the energy gain from US corn based alcohol is negative (and several supported by the industry that claim it is slightly positive.) Much of the industry is being built in the Sate of Indiana, and their university is the only one (that I know of) which argues that the gain is positive.

    SUMMARY: You will pay more to drive, to eat, lose many higher paying jobs in the long run, and pay higher taxes, so a few rich can get even richer. You think you are saving jobs, keeping the US strong, etc. only because you do not understand what has been known since 1773!.
     
  10. Roman Banned Banned

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    11,560
    Overall, low tariffs are the best, since trade isn't a zero sum game (especially since we're no longer anchored to land for production). If every nation were to focus in producing what it produced best, then traded the surplus for what it needed, everyone would be able to purchase more for less. Trade's win/win, in the long run.

    In the short run, inefficient businesses will get outcompeted by more efficient ones, which often leads to "outsourcing", since the goods can be better produced overseas. Though some lose their jobs (boohoo, too bad they weren't competent enough to compete), everyone gets to buy cheaper goods.
     
  11. IceAgeCivilizations Banned Banned

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    The U.S. Constitution provides that tariffs should be the sole source of Federal Government income.
     
  12. BenTheMan Dr. of Physics, Prof. of Love Valued Senior Member

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    Well, that and unions.
     
  13. BenTheMan Dr. of Physics, Prof. of Love Valued Senior Member

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    Can you blame him? What would the eco-nuts do if Bush told them---"well, the carbon's going to get into the atmosphere anyway."
     
  14. Roman Banned Banned

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    Can I blame him for being greedy and selling out the enviornment and the consumer so a few can get even more filthy rich?

    Yes.
     
  15. Athelwulf Rest in peace Kurt... Registered Senior Member

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    Which nation is this? The US, I assume?
     
  16. Oniw17 ascetic, sage, diogenes, bum? Valued Senior Member

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    High tariffs are the best. Internalisation 4tw.
     
  17. Beryl WWAD What Would Athelwulf Do? Registered Senior Member

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    Oh, indeed. Good question. The book is American, so I would assume as much.
     
  18. Roman Banned Banned

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    It doesn't matter on the nation– all nations will benefit from low tariffs.
     
  19. Mosheh Thezion Registered Senior Member

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    tariffs... allow for fair trade...

    no tariffs.. allow for free trade..... WHICH IS IN NO WAY FAIR.

    -MT
     
  20. Athelwulf Rest in peace Kurt... Registered Senior Member

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    The question is "Which is better for this nation", and I don't believe very many things are good for everyone when it comes to economics. There might be a certain set of conditions which dictate that a nation will benefit from higher tariffs.

    I can't say this for sure, but I'm not considering it an impossibility either.
     

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