This is probably what Trump thinks, too.

100%. If he isn't reading it from a script that someone else wrote, he knows nothing about the topics he's talking about.

He even boasts about "knowing more than anyone about XYZ", yet, it can't expand on the subject, can't answer questions about it, is vague, and reminds me of how really bad LLMs answer questions.

When it's returned to the feds it's just destroyed. Federal return is just the return of debt, it's not more money.

I have been told many times to feel bad for those farmers, that they aren't idiots, etc.

I thought I ran of fucks for them but a few more just flew out like butterflies from a dusty chest.

I hope ever single one that put up those massive Trump signs loses their family farms to big corporations.

I'm sure the corporate farmers were happy to buy up that land and cut the trump admin a nice check for the convenience.

I mean, he got it and it's actually a good one. Uncertain finances tend to cut into bonuses of all types.

It's also dumb to just assume that foreign companies can just flip a switch and start building/assembling whatever they sell in America. You need facilities, you need to hire employees, you need to train employees. You can't just pick up your factory, drop it in Kansas, and just slot people into the building to work it right away.

Obviously I don't know the business in question, but it's quite possible that the company has a bunch of longer running contracts that would become a loss if the inputs become much more expensive.

Of course, businesses will use the opportunity to charge more, but sudden price hikes are a very real problem.

Large and small manufacturing companies have contracts for orders for months to years out with set prices, some of which might have wiggle room for costs but not to this extent. Plus manufacturing already tries to balance out costs across projects due to fluctuating prices for materials. If their materials double (or more) in price they will be screwed by the contracts and guaranteed to lose money on all of them.

Buying at the current prices means they will have to pay to have the materials stored in a warehouse, which will cut into their planned profits for those existing contracts. Hell, they might be buying at a higher cost than they normally would when fulfilling the contracts.

The company is getting screwed, not trying to fleece customers or their employees.

Without having more detail I can't speak with certainty, but, general principles of inventory management and cash flow discourage having a surplus of stock, as that ties up a significant amount of working capital in the costs of storing and handling it all - you risk not being able to pay your liabilities because you've sunk all your funds into inventory that hasn't yet sold and generated more revenue.

Companies often have longer term contracts with specific prices agreed that can't always be easily changed. Those contacts could quite easily become unprofitable if there are sudden increases to the direct costs of fulfilling them. So, rather than trying to fuck customers, this company is likely trying to stock-up at current market prices to ride-out the first year of tariffs, but in doing so, needs a large injection of working capital to cover the expenditure (hence cancelling bonuses), and also puts itself in a very vulnerable position where cash flow is concerned by tying up that capital in inventory - any further sudden and unexpected costs could lead to the business folding.

That's the thing though, most customers don't expect the price increase because they're fucking idiots who believes tariffs are good for the economy.

Studies generally show the economy does better under Democrats than Republicans, in measurements of CPI, GDP, job growth, and unemployment. Republicans however have a massive propaganda machine that has gaslit the country in believing the opposite. Frequently this is backed by short term plays that make things "feel" better but cause significant long term problems. Like a CEO firing the QA team, line goes up this quarter and by the time the consequences arrive they're gone and blame the next guy.

They're operating under a lot of propaganda, and no understanding of economics. They're ignorant of the fact that Trump inherited the economy that Obama fixed, which is why at the time under Trump things were better. They're ignorant of the fact that Trump fucked everything up with his handling of the pandemic, previous tarrifs, and in turn fucked the economy up on the way out. They're ignorant that Biden was trying to clean up Trump's mess, and instead assign blame to Biden.

And every after all that, there is still the added fact that the president doesn't directly control the economy, and has limited options. But that doesn't matter to them. They've been sold a simple solution to a complicated problem.

Hey, exactly! The fact that we are even allowing this nonsense is a true testimony to how extremely important education is! If you remain ignorant, you are more easily persuaded to believe anything because you aren't taught what "bullshit" is, and have no real ability to think for yourself.

Education is freedom from ignorance.

Don't forget the propaganda.

I'm about to print off about a million of those "I did that!!" stickers that the magats loved to stick on gas pumps. You better believe those things are going everywhere.

"you won't have to vote anymore" --the diaper, july 2024

It will.

Unfortunately, it will also hurt those who wanted nothing to do with Trump's lies.

Everyone, except the rich, will suffer. Thanks for voting! /s