> This needs to be repeated. Tariffs are a tax on ordinary citizens. Unlike regular taxes, tariffs are not progressive and therefore benefit the wealthy.

No, people need to stop repeating it, because it's an extremely stupid anti-tax argument. Tariffs are meant to onshore production and raise wages. Telling half the story is simply lying. You might as well complain about buying food because it costs money. You might as well complain about all consumption because consumption is regressive.

The problem isn't tariffs, you can send that money to poor people. The problem is that nobody cares about poor people, including Trump. A lack of tariffs isn't going to make America moral.

One of the only things Trump is doing unbelievably well on is trade. Tariffs haven't been damaging at all. They should be more damaging, but the US is so dependent on foreign poverty that we have to leave any tariff scheme as filled with holes as swiss cheese. The fact is our manufacturing is so based in the exploitation of low-rights and low paid workers from other countries that entire industries would immediately start failing if we ended up in a real trade war with e.g. China.

> To make the rich, richer. And then turn around and complain that rich are getting richer and they are getting poorer.

These are Koch brothers policies you're advocating as if they're social justice. The reason why every capitalist you know is complaining about tariffs isn't because they make the rich richer (by some method yet to be explained.)

Details matter. Tariffs CAN promote domestic manufacturing and raise wages. But a few things need to be true for that to happen:

1. Targeted specific tariffs aimed at industries we want to protect. Not a flat across the board tariffs on all / most things coming in. The latter IS just a tax on the consumer.

2. Other policies aimed at promoting the said industries. e.g. CHIPS act.

3. Consistency, predictability and stability of policies. No one is going to move manufacturing to the US if they aren't sure if tariffs are going up or down or will get removed entirely on short notice at a whim.

We have none of the above.

I’d hold judgement on that. The American empire is built on global trade. We tax the world with the dollar, and we’re killing the golden goose.

> reason why every capitalist you know is complaining about tariffs isn't because they make the rich richer

…which capitalist is complaining? These tariffs are a regressive tax that rewards political proximity and power. They are also a massive subsidy to our services sector, which is dominated in compensation by finance, insurance, real estate and tech.

> Tariffs are meant to onshore production and raise wages.

Both of which would still lead to higher prices on the consumer.

> One of the only things Trump is doing unbelievably well on is trade. Tariffs haven't been damaging at all.

I don't know whether to laugh at the absurdity of this statement or to cry because someone could actually say it with a straight face.

Using tariffs is A common way to protect local industry. However it is a dangerous weapon, which has downsides. In history tariffs have show to lead to high prices on the domestic market and products which are subpar to globally standards. Domestic companies don't have pressure to innovate, while global market has more competition.

Consequence of that is protection by product group for key products one wants to have locally and not per origin on all kinds of goods.

This can lead to short term wins, but backfire after a while.

Tariffs based on worker and environmental rights would be great, but Trump's are based on entirely irrelevant things.