https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-reveals-how-joe-bi...
And the timeline on their Chinese influence peddling.
https://oversight.house.gov/the-bidens-influence-peddling-ti...
Similar situation with the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) - it was opposed not on its merits, but because it was from the opposing side.
Fake manufactured baggage. Even if you think the ACA was a terrible idea and bad policy the fact is Republicans opposed it entirely out of spite and worked to repeal parts of it for the same reason. It had nothing to do with a rational approach to public policy.
The modern conservative movement has only two policies: no regulation (You Can't Tell Me What to Do Dad) and no taxes (Screw You, I Got Mine). Solving problems often requires regulation and money. Hence Republicans are incapable of solving most kinds of problems. A third leg, if one exists, is spitefully destroying anything that might demonstrate the government can do anything good or of value.
Anti-free market policies? Excellent because it reduces regulation. Hurt American competitiveness? Who cares, as long as I don't have to pay taxes.
I would agree that all long-term political baggage is ‘fake’ and ‘manufactured’ in that it’s human-created.
That is not accurate:
> Not only were Republican senators deeply involved in the process up until its conclusion, but it's a cinch that the ACA might have become law months earlier if the Democrats, hoping for a bipartisan bill, hadn't spent enormous time and effort wooing GOP senators — only to find themselves gulled by false promises of cooperation. And unlike Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's semi-secret proceedings that involved only a handful of trusted colleagues, Obamacare, until the very end of the process, was open to public scrutiny.
* https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/08/01/set-health...
As in, "we have a majority so we drive the political clown-car. "
> We feel a tap on our shoulder and we look back, and who is it? It's the Republicans. And they say "Huh, excuse me, we'd like the keys back." And we have to tell them "I'm sorry, you can't have the keys back if you don't know how to drive". If you want you can ride with us but you have to ride in the back seat.
Further context: Oct. 22, 2010, in Las Vegas on behalf of Sen. Harry Reid's re-election campaign.
As a sibling comment notes: the Democrats had the majority at the time and were in charge of setting the agenda ("had the keys").
Further, Obama was willing to give the GOP a (figurative) ride if they wanted and were heading in the same direction.
The counter-argument (FWIW):
> Tariffs are paid by the importer and not the exporter. The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) claims that tariffs would not cause fabs to be built in the US, due to the cost of the factories, which can run from $18bn to $27bn.
> "No tariff amount will equal the costs of ripping apart these investments and efficient supply chains that have enabled current US industry leadership," SIA said.
> It added: "Moreover, chip tariffs will drive away manufacturing in advanced sectors that rely on semiconductor technology, such as aerospace, AI, robotics, next-generation networks, and autonomous vehicles. If the cost of key inputs like semiconductors is too high, tech manufacturers will relocate out of the US, costing jobs and further eroding US manufacturing and technological competitiveness."
* https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/trump-bashes-chip...
Foreign chipmakers would not pay the tariff (contrary to what Trump thinks) but their US customers, and what incentive to the foreign chipmakers to make changes? They're getting the same money and it's not costing them a dime. And where else are US businesses going to go for the product?
But customers don't buy chips, they buy stuff, and chips are in everything. There's the obvious (phones, tablets etc), but also everything else, like cars, washing machines, tvs, air fryers, plus more.
Clearly tarrifs drive (domestic) prices up, which will cause some level of inflation, but it will be across the board (not on "chips"). And clearly that will weaken demand.
But given global demand that will likely not be all that noticeable. Indeed it'll likely just result in US manufacturing being less competitive. Certainly it'll make US manufactured products more expensive on the world market.
Which likely leads to more American plants moving offshore, not onshore.
So the higher cost of cars—because they have chips in them that cost more and that is passed onto drivers—will stop people from buying cars?
The higher cost of microwaves will stop people from buying microwaves? And stop buying stoves? And refrigerators?
People will buy fewer smartphones? Businesses will buy fewer laptops and servers?
If the hike is bad enough we might see a return to kitchen electrics that don't use microcontrollers at all. Unironically good news if you want physical buttons again.
I'm arguing there are items that are less elastic when it comes to prices:
* https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/priceelasticity.asp
Someone lives in the US, which is addicted to sprawling, car-centric suburbs. Car prices go up. What are they going to do? Walk? Bike? Take public transit? (Which is one of the arguments for (so-called) 15 minutes cities: it gives people more freedom to choose their mode of transportation instead of forcing one particular mode.)
Are you not going to buy a refrigerator when yours break down and food starts going bad?
While they can stretch out the depreciation/lifespan schedule, are business going to stop buying laptops and servers? If their (capex) costs go up, are the businesses going to eat that cost or pass it on to their customers?
You can't be using the trade association's comment at face-value. Tariffs have absolutely caused factories to be build elsewhere (see car manufacturing) although where a chip site appears in the US or Mexico/Canada (NAFTA) is very arguable.
They just waste some energy on suboptimal chips and business decisions.
He doesn't want to actually improve america, he just wants fox news to pay attention to him 24 hours a day
https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/why-on-earth-does-trump-want-t...