mfryd

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mfryd
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  • How Apple stockpiled iPhones to avoid tariffs and keep prices low for a while

    gwydion said:
    jfabula1 said:
    Very simple in concept: return production to the U.S., although hasn't been done for years. Remember the Fremont plant…
    It’s funny, anti-tariffs are all complaining and crying about high prices, dude open your brains, America had been ripped off for a long long time and we keep borrowing..we’re sinking fast. If Apple has to raise prices so be it. Will still gonna buy them.
    And exactly how America has been ripped off?
    We are being ripped off in the same way your local grocery store is ripping you off.     You spend a lot of money at your grocery store buying products from them, yet they never buy products from your.  In other words you send them more money than they send you.   

    If you ignore the fact that the grocery store is selling you products that you want and need, it is clearly a ripoff.

    Tariffs try to alter your behavior by taxing you when you buy from that store.  By making it more expensive to buy groceries from that store, you may buy less food from that store, and therefore the store gets less money from you (as long as you can get by eating less food)


    muthuk_vanalingamgwydionddawson100watto_cobra
  • A flood of panic-buying has started in anticipation of major iPhone price increases

    entropys said:
    That’s right Mfryd, it is easy to forget that these policies are what Trump voters voted for. That they are likely to not work doesn’t matter as Trump promised to do them. Ironic that a politician actually moving to honour their election commitments might be just as harmful if not more so than the usual lying liar variety.

    From the perspective voter in West Virginia, no doubt  they figure they have nothing to lose, and if it doesn’t work, it will bring down the progressives, mega rich and political class in Dc benefitting from the current/old system. The forgotten people will settle for destruction of that system, as it doesn’t work for them.

    why it came to this is a question we all should be asking ourselves.
    Unfortunately, it will hurt the poor and middle class far more than the rich.  The tariffs are essentially a sales tax.   They will raise the price of consumer goods.  These purchases represent a larger percentage of income for the poor and middle class.  Higher retail prices will also lower consumer demand.  This results in more people out of work.  Again, this affects the poor and middle class more than the rich.

    Rich people tend to have diversified portfolios.  They have savings to last them until the stock market comes back.  In the interim, they still receive stock dividends (albeit at a lower level than normal).

    Fortunately for the wealthy, Trump has permanently lowered the tax rate on the upper class.  Unfortunately, the tax cuts he enacted for the rest of us, are about to expire.

    The goo news about a depression, is that rich people can sell off a few stocks at a loss.  That loss can offset other gains.  If they play their cards right, they end up with no taxable income.

    As to why it came to this, that's easy.  Trump is brilliant at marketing.  The Democrats think voters care about policy.  Trump understands that voters don't want to know details.  They vote for the guy that talks like they talk.  Trump promised to make things better.  Voters generally don't have the context to judge whether a plan is sound.  They just want to be told not to worry, and everything will be OK.  

    For instance, we are in a situation where Trump is telling his base that his policies will make the economy stronger, and bring manufacturing back to the USA.  Most economists, business people, and history, tell us otherwise.

    A cynical person might think that the real issue with the Department of Education is that it raised the level of education in the US.  If you were elected because voters were not equipped to evaluate your policies, you have a strong incentive to keep voters from being better educated.

    watto_cobra
  • A flood of panic-buying has started in anticipation of major iPhone price increases

    So apple benefits from the panic buy now. Then when September hits and things have cooled a bit, apple benefits again from upgraders? Highly possible. Be interesting to revisit in 5 months. 
    That is some delusional spin.  

    Since the election stock indexes have lost 20% in wealth. Well over 10 trillion dollars in wealth has gone poof! There are people that are retired and on fixed incomes that just saw their savings take a 20% cut. But we aren't done yet, the 20% reduction in wealth was just the first step. Now, in addition to a massive loss in wealth we will all get to pay more for basic things. None of this needed to happen, there is no external force that caused this. It was all due to the decision making of a single person. But the cult members like @9secondkox2 are living in a fantasy world where this is all really great, Dear Leader can do no wrong!  They spent two years complaining about inflation but cheerlead 10 trillion dollars of wealth evaporating from the economy.  



    This is what the country asked for.  Trump made it clear that this was his intention.

    The people wanted a change, and that's what we got.

    If you think Trump is right, then America will quickly come out of this better than before.  If you put more weight into what history and the vast majority of economists tell us, then we are in for a depression.   Time will tell who is right.

    Frankly, until the economy stabilizes, and recovers, I would be surprised if any company was willing to make an investment in increasing US based manufacturing.


    tiredskillsentropyswatto_cobra
  • A flood of panic-buying has started in anticipation of major iPhone price increases

    9secondkox2 said: Then when September hits and things have cooled a bit 
    Things are definitely going to "cool off" when the obviously unconstitutional use of the IEEPA is ruled unconstitutional. 
    It's going to be interesting.  The Supreme Court has already demonstrated that they are willing to give Trump a lot of latitude.   They have already granted him immunity from criminal prosecution. Furthermore, the Trump administration has already shown that they are willing to defy court orders.   It turns out that the courts can't enforce their orders, that's up to the Department of Justice.  Our current Attorney General has already demonstrated that she is happy to disregard previously held positions on what is legal, and to simply follow Trump's wishes.  Court orders that Trump doesn't like are effectively unenforceable, and he can ignore them.

    The only real oversight to Trump is Congress.  At the moment, they are afraid to go up against Trump.  Trump has demonstrated that he takes revenge against those not loyal to him.  All Trump needs to do is to say the word, and none of his followers will vote for anyone who isn't loyal.  This keeps Congress in line, as anyone who goes against Trump won't get reelected. 

    At the moment, we are operating without a working system of checks and balances.  Many people are not worried, as they trust Trump to make good decisions, and therefore they like that he isn't being hampered by our Constitution and our traditional checks and balances.  On the other hand, some people think Trump is making bad decisions, and wish we had a working system of checks and balances to make sure the rule of law was being followed.

    Of course, there have always been people on both sides who are happy to disregard laws they disagree with.  For instance, many think that we should not be deporting undocumented workers.  Many who hold this position think we should stop enforcing many immigration laws.   Others think we should change the immigration laws so that those who we want to stay, can stay legally.

    Immigration isn't the only issue.  Under Federal law, marijuana is illegal everywhere in the USA.  While some states allow it, you can still be charged federally for it.  Currently the Feds are ignoring the Federal marijuana laws in states that approve of it.  Some people think that we should change the law, rather than ignoring it.

    The bottom line is that I would not hold my breath waiting for the courts to put a stop to Trumps actions (again, some people think this is good, others think it is bad).

    darbus69watto_cobra
  • A flood of panic-buying has started in anticipation of major iPhone price increases

    Apple can do what the country of Qatar did during the first Trump presidency: Pay an above market rent for a lot of expensive office space from Trump.   They didn't need the office space, and it remained empty.   But once they rented it Trump removed Qatar from the list of states that support terrorism.

    Apple can certainly afford to throw enough money at Trump's businesses to get a tariff exemption.  It really does make sense for Apple from a business perspective.
    watto_cobra