Tariffs Made America Great

The American Conservative ^ | July 27, 2018 | PATRICK J. BUCHANAN

[central_va]

The US govt. exploded AFTER the tariff was ditched in favor of the income tax. Learn some history before posting.

[Sopater]

The US govt. exploded AFTER the tariff was ditched in favor of the income tax. Learn some history before posting.

I never said that it didn't.

[Sopater]

The US govt. exploded AFTER the tariff was ditched in favor of the income tax. Learn some history before posting.

Someone had said to me that America grew like a weed on steroids because of tariffs, I was mainly trying to point out that government growth did not equate to national growth and I merely used his own words to make my point. I wasn't trying to say that either tariffs or income taxes were responsible for more government growth, because ultimately, both are taxes on the American people. One on the producer and the other on the consumer of imported goods.

[central_va]

America grew = industry and the economy - not government. LOL.

[JohnBrowdie]

using 21st century concepts and terminology to describe 18th century political alignments was (simply) your first mistake.

your next three mistakes involved not understanding that the founding didn’t end with the creation (or even the ratification) of the constitution.

[Sopater]

using 21st century concepts and terminology to describe 18th century political alignments was (simply) your first mistake.

Perhaps...

your next three mistakes involved not understanding that the founding didn’t end with the creation (or even the ratification) of the constitution.

I don't believe that the founding ended with the creation (or even the ratification) of the constitution, so your comment doesn't really make much sense to me.

[enumerated]

“Would you be willing to replace the income tax with payroll tax(to cover SS and MC), tariffs and a national sales tax? Because that would do it.”

Sure, I’d love be to see the income tax go away, and the combination of tariffs and national sales tax would be just fine with me.

I do have to quibble with the word “replace” if by that you mean the change from income tax to tariffs and a national sales tax would be revenue neutral.

For me to get on board, the income tax should be repealed and NOT replaced - at least not entirely. It should be partially replaced only to the extent of funding a federal government which is limitted in size and scope per the constitution.

Politicians can and will debate what that means, but I’m sure you will agree that as it now stands, the government is vastly over-sized, and any method of taxation that enables that excess is - as Frederick Bastiat called it - “legal plunder”.

[xzins]

It boils down to a hidden sales tax that hits those who don’t pay taxes anyplace else.

[faithhopecharity]

actually, tariffs are taxes.. taxes that the consumers ultimately wind up having to pay

YES some selective (and usually temporary) tariffs may be necessary to secure fair trading agreements, or to protect industries needed for national defense

but tariffs as an ongoing thing, tax and tax forever.. no way.

I believe, think PDJT understands this .. and is only applying tariffs as he sees necessary to secure better trade deals. This, if carefully pursued, could benefit USA.
If carefully pursued.

[Sam Gamgee]

LOL. OK. Let’s agree to disagree. Protection from competition did, over the 70s and 80s, make companies inefficient and boring.