Hey you 'muricans ... get those Swiss watches pronto [tariffs and international trade]

Posts
28,077
Likes
71,722
pdxleaf one is the dismantling of scientific research
The outflow we're already seeing of scientific minds should be incredibly alarming to everyone stateside and it greatly alarms me.
We are taking some of them, along with doctors and others. The one upside for Canada in all this - a reverse brain drain...
 
Posts
3,396
Likes
22,666
Not me! In protest over tariffs and in support of global peace, yesterday I purchased a 3594.50 with box and papers. I intend to mod it with my Gemini dial and bezel when it gets sent out for service.

It's a small sacrifice, so no need to thank me. No, really, you're too kind, just doing my part.
Thank you for keeping the wheels of the global economy moving.

My 3594 says hi!

 
Posts
4,730
Likes
11,957
Imagine if you have kids and if you have to spend $15 for every pair of socks for them when normally $15 will get you a pack of 5 from Walmart. It's just not smart to manufacture everything in the US.

I buy Wigwam socks which are made in the USA by union workers and they cost $20 for 3 pairs. That is a little over double the cost of Walmart socks, but I believe they last more than twice as long. I don't agree with the current policy or how poorly it is being implemented, but the USA could be manufacturing a lot more than it does.


My American made watch has lasted over 100 years:


I would love to buy new American made watch, but they cost about 1000 times a Chinese made one, so you have a point there. 😉
 
Posts
3,204
Likes
6,444
I don't agree with the current policy or how poorly it is being implemented, but the USA could be manufacturing a lot more than it does.

Fair game question- Where do you propose the jobs shift from to increase manufacture? US unemployement is currently probably close to the median number and over the last 50 years (per the FRED data) or so it hasn't really managed to get much below 2.5 %.

This is the serious issue we're going to run into: Even if we can get 2% more of the US employed, it is inarguably not enough to make america a center for production of base goods that can be obtained elsewhere much cheaper. So, in order to become a manufacturing capital of stuff we don't need to manufacture at all, we have to cut into other parts of the workforce. Like, for example- scientific research that the USA exports (I say that with heavy, heavy irony). OR, even better, we could cut into the healthcare sector- which I'm sure the currently large and aging generation is going to need (again, I say this with irony) to increase in size, not decrease. Or (with even more irony) we could further erode what's left of the American Family value system that we are supposedly trying to preserve by further making the very few stay at home parents (that can somehow manage to do that on one income, and of course with increasing irony) go to work producing socks or farming potatoes.

So treating your statement seriously for a moment, how do we increase American production in Goods that we don't need to produce? And at what cost? Because being the world's leader in scientific research and exports was, by definition, pretty great.

EDIT gosh, perhaps it's that simple (if a bit imperialistic). being great is exporting what you're exceptional at, and importing what you can get for cheap.
Edited:
 
Posts
5,386
Likes
18,753
Thank you for keeping the wheels of the global economy moving.

My 3594 says hi!


What do you think? Should I keep the broad arrow hands or use the baton? I'm undecided

 
Posts
3,204
Likes
6,444
What do you think? Should I keep the broad arrow hands or use the baton? I'm undecided

KEEP THE BROAD ARROW. ZOMGWTFBBQ I think I'm in love.
 
Posts
5,301
Likes
24,512
What do you think? Should I keep the broad arrow hands or use the baton? I'm undecided

I feel BA hands looks better with straight lugs, YMMV.
 
Posts
248
Likes
816
That’s a lot easier said than done. Even if a law is passed by both houses of Congress, the President can still veto.

Congress will not have the supermajority needed to override regardless of how bad it gets.
gatorcpa
No, it is as simple as Congress setting tariff rates, or ending the emergency that gives the President the power to set tariffs. The President only gets to do this when they declare an emergency, and Congress can end it with a resolution. The Constitution gives the power to levy tariffs to Congress, so they do not need additional legislation.
 
Posts
3,204
Likes
6,444
No, it is as simple as Congress setting tariff rates, or ending the emergency that gives the President the power to set tariffs. The President only gets to do this when they declare an emergency, and Congress can end it with a resolution. The Constitution gives the power to levy tariffs to Congress, so they do not need additional legislation.

This is true, but it requires congress to pass that resolution.
 
Posts
1,443
Likes
7,917
Should I keep the broad arrow hands or use the baton?

Broad Arrow!!!!! So much better than baton.

 
Posts
248
Likes
816
This is true, but it requires congress to pass that resolution.
The Senate already has, specific to Canada. They are saying they get to review proposed tariffs for 60 days. If Trump does not take up the Canadian offer to just completely drop all tariffs on each other, Congress will likely do it themselves. Just in the lumber sector alone, it is a huge win for the US.

Edit: given that a post about Project 2025 is still up... I'm not sure where the line is here, but I'm trying to only discuss tariffs being likely or unlikely, without the political theatre, but of course it is inherently political. Hope to stay out of the theatre part of this.

Also it bears saying that despite tariffs on Canada being announced a month ago, tariffs have yet to take effect. None that affect things like watches.
 
Posts
5,386
Likes
18,753
Broad Arrow!!!!! So much better than baton.

Ohh, that's not a fair comparison. Carrera's are gorgeous.
 
Posts
4,730
Likes
11,957
Fair game question- Where do you propose the jobs shift from to increase manufacture?
Now we are fully getting into politics, but to answer your question we should lean into our national identity. We are and always have been a nation of immigrants. Rather than mass deportations, we should be fixing a broken immigration system. We should grant residence status and a path to citizenship to the vast vast majority of undocumented workers that are good honest hard working people. We should be opening our doors to refugees from Latin America and around the world, and greeting them with a fair and reasonable immigration process. We should reinvigorate the H1B visa program so that industry can attract the brightest minds from around the world, etc.
 
Posts
3,396
Likes
22,666
What do you think? Should I keep the broad arrow hands or use the baton? I'm undecided

Oh, that's a fun project! I vote for broad arrow hands. Otherwise, it looks too much like other blue dial speedies.
 
Posts
3,396
Likes
22,666
Broad arrows rule,
batons drool

A great watch and an even greater book. Some of the passages in that book are incredibly prophetic to the times we are living in.
 
Posts
3,204
Likes
6,444
Now we are fully getting into politics, but to answer your question we should lean into our national identity. We are and always have been a nation of immigrants. Rather than mass deportations, we should be fixing a broken immigration system. We should grant residence status and a path to citizenship to the vast vast majority of undocumented workers that are good honest hard working people. We should be opening our doors to refugees from Latin America and around the world, and greeting them with a fair and reasonable immigration process. We should reinvigorate the H1B visa program so that industry can attract the brightest minds from around the world, etc.

Thank you for the response. If I could give it more than one heart reaction, I would.
 
Posts
2,062
Likes
36,277
Oh, that's a fun project! I vote for broad arrow hands. Otherwise, it looks too much like other blue dial speedies.
Agreed, for this fun watch project I also vote for the broad arrow hands 💙
 
Posts
2,500
Likes
2,742
The Senate already has, specific to Canada. They are saying they get to review proposed tariffs for 60 days. If Trump does not take up the Canadian offer to just completely drop all tariffs on each other, Congress will likely do it themselves. Just in the lumber sector alone, it is a huge win for the US.

Edit: given that a post about Project 2025 is still up... I'm not sure where the line is here, but I'm trying to only discuss tariffs being likely or unlikely, without the political theatre, but of course it is inherently political. Hope to stay out of the theatre part of this.

Also it bears saying that despite tariffs on Canada being announced a month ago, tariffs have yet to take effect. None that affect things like watches.
I honestly don't see Congress doing that. There are enough Trumpers in Congress to block anything that goes against what he wants.