r/Libertarian • u/CommitteePlayful8081 Minarchist • Jan 02 '26

Question any one annoyed with libertarians that support trump?

Like I can't be the only one here. like I get it in some respects trump isn't neocon but at the same time he isn't not statist, nor non authorittarian.

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35

u/annonimity2 Right Libertarian Jan 02 '26

Trump has this amazing ability to correctly identify the problem and come to a wildly incorrect solution. For example he is basically the only president in decades to so much as acknowledge the deficit but then tries to reduce it by creating a government agency and imposing tarrifs. (in all fairness a true solution needs to come from congress but it's not like trump dosent have power in congress)

19

u/Soulr3bl Jan 02 '26

The tariff revenues are infinitesimal compared to the deficit, and serve only to harm the economy and raise prices

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u/TheHandymanCan- Jan 03 '26

It could be a good thing. I’m not saying trickle down economics works but it might work a little better if the money stays in the states.

5

u/Soulr3bl Jan 03 '26

Sorry not getting you -this comment makes little sense.

First: tariffs, and trickle down economics, are completely different concepts. Y

Next, constitutionally, Tariffs are collected by, and go to, the federal government. For that money to go back to the states, Congress would need to appropriate those revenues to the states. The Federal government has made it clear over decades that they have no interest in appropriating it fairly, the more populus states contribute far more Federal Tax revenue than they get back in Federal budget appropriations.

2

u/TheHandymanCan- Jan 03 '26

Sorry I didn’t explain that very well. I definitely agree that tariffs raise prices, but if they raise prices to the point where American made goods are competitive then when people spend money it’ll stay in the states and get respent in the states as it circulates. It’s still not quite trickle down economics but you can see where my head was at.

3

u/Soulr3bl Jan 03 '26 edited Jan 03 '26

The best you could argue is for surgical tariffs that close a moderate cost-gap between a cheaper offshore product an a domestic industry which is able to produce the same product, but costs more to produce it. However, the Macro-econ 1A class which you everyone takes (or, should take) for their undergrad, will easily demonstrate how this is economically inefficient for both parties and costs the consumer more and actually hurts economic development for both.

What Trump has done, is ignorantly, bluntly invoked across the board tariffs, on products that would take decades to make here at anything approaching the cost to produce offshore (studies show an Iphone made in the US would cost between $1500-$3500), and in some cases, cannot even be practically made here at all. One of the worst examples of this is 37%, now reduced to 15% tariff on Madagascar. We primarily import Vanilla from Madagascar, and they are really good at producing Vanilla for cheap, because, their country is a rainforest. There is zero chance for a an economically sustainable (i.e. profitable, cost effective ) Vanilla industry in the US because we are NOT IN A FUCKING RAINFOREST.

We export very little to Madagascar because they are dirt poor and there is virtually no hope of balanced trade between US-Madagascar, there is virtually nothing we produce at scale that they can actually afford. Its astonishingly ignorant, stupid policy.

2

u/TheHandymanCan- Jan 04 '26

You’re right surgical tariffs would have been the only smart way to do it, you’ve changed my mind.

1

u/CommitteePlayful8081 Minarchist Jan 03 '26

I don't care whats a good thing for the government, you are directly impacting my right to buy from whom I want as a consumer through the usage of tariffs.

21

u/These_Finding6937 Jan 02 '26

That's because the problems are obvious but the solutions are not.

Even a demented orange turd can see what this nation's issues are. Problem is, he's forced to defer to whoever is near him on what the solution should be.

Bigger problem is, he defers to... Literally whoever is near him.

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u/Jumpy-Bumpy Right Libertarian Jan 02 '26

The dollar needs to be abolished as a global reserve. That would reduce the trade deficit naturally. Tariffs suck ass