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I haz permatext!

Damn right, Moishe.

Moishe, I'm in congress and have come around to your side. I voted No on lowering the import tax on Moving Tickets and Grain to 1% and will likely vote for increasing the import tax for any non-Iron matrial that comes up to a vote soon.

If our "allies" continue to say "screw us" I say "screw them!" We have the max citizens. Everyone wants to trade with the eUSA. They can - on our schedule - not theirs!

We need to also kick up the import tax on weapons. Americans buying mainly US made weapons would compliment our war games nicely and fuel the economy.

This is a crusade I can stand behind. I like Moishe when he's not on scrab's bone

AGREED! Fair Trade not eNAFTA.

Nice explanation that even an idiot could understand. Unilateral dropping of import duties is a STUPID and POINTLESS tactic.

I may be confused but hasn't Spain been dropping it's import taxes???

Agreed.
Voted.

agreed, America first!

I think the big point here, John, is that of our group of allies we're the largest. Everyone wants to put their products on our markets and we're letting them do it for practically nothing. That hurts American businesses and it needs to be fixed.

@ Teucer, yes we all the largest, but Spain beginning to lower taxes is a first step in an "open" eworld. If we stop this now, we will lose the momentum that we have already gained. I agree that if over time we see other nations will not follow suite, then we too must raise import taxes, however we are finally beginning to see a glimmer of hope and we are proposing to turn back now.

I'm all for working with our allies, but dropping all our import taxes and crossing our fingers that they'll get the idea isn't a great plan.

If we want that, we need to contact our allies and make sure they will drop their taxes, otherwise we just get screwed.

Were you agitated when you wrote this? Your math is a little off. You included the initial 20 gold, and the 50 gold for Q3 twice each.

Q1 is 20. Q2(+20) is 40. Q3(+50) is 90. Q4(+100) is 190.
So, the initial investment in a Q4 company is 9500 USD, not 13k.

This doesn't weaken your point. 9500 is still a rather large investment, but I feel it's important to use accurate numbers.

I disagree with the viewpoints expressed in this article and believe its an attempt to undermine the trade talks ongoing right now. Not voted. Spain and the US are the model of what I would like to see

I guess it all comes dovn to vhat's more important. Do Senators care more about protecting the investments made by American businessmen, or alloving foreign competition to come in and lovball those investments? Vhich is more important, American prosperity, or the general concept of capitalism as it's played at eRepublik?

@wmiller
That's what you would like to see but do you really think Romania or Sweden are going to change their taxes. At this point they have basically told us to screw off when we asked them to change their taxes. So we are just allowing them to flood our markets and make our companies less profitable. I could understand your point if our allies were actually going to lower their taxes but at this point they are not so are we just going to ruin our economy and hope they change their policies. Because if we are thats extremely stupid.

Moshe, I completely agree. I think the free trade mania is on the wane though, and not a moment too soon. I thank you for your continuing voice of sanity on this issue. I think you're beginning to have an effect.

I think I've stated before that I have no problem with Free Trade but we have to insist on it being a level playing field. If we give up all of our Import Tax then we give up all leverage to convince other nations to follow suit.

I am convinced that a brief period of 99% Import Taxes and then a resumption of discussions would go a long way in convincing our trade partners of our intent to have things equal - either on their footing with high import tax or our plan to eliminate same.

@Moishe- 99% taxes on what? We must remember that allowing other countries to sell goods on our markets also drives down the price of goods in your country. These lower prices on goods then draw consumers from around the world who must change there gold into USD in order to buy. This then increases the value of the USD. We must keep in mind that in economics (as well as physics), for every action there is a reaction, even if you don't see it right away.

Has anyone been actually collecting data? It's really strange how disconnected from the numbers people are. Wages in the resource gathering professions are all on the rise (dramatically so) compared to past weeks. Has Congress been noticing an uptick in income tax receipts? It'd be better to argue over actual data than hazy ideology, imo.

but what is best for the consumer? that is the American people?

You know Im with you Moishe. Im running for Congress this month on a platform to protect and strengthen the eUS economy. We need change in Congress. Vote mindflay in Washington.

This is unnecessarily inflammatory. There are a handful of senators that voted no on every single one of the free trade initiatives, but you make it sound like ALL of congress voted yes. You are obviously extremely biased vs. congress; your readers would do well to keep this in mind.

@ Argent the numbers you are talking about are being inflaunced by the government right now and the various military actions going on. It has nothing at all to do with the tarrifs. Once the military actions die down and the government is no longer spending large amounts of money on weapons food and tickets you will see very differant economy in the eUS becase of these tarrifs.

@John your idea sounds great except for the very same government is currently regulating the value of the USD so that this very type of munipulation can be controlled and the value of the dollar will remain stable.

thank you!!! those jerks in congress are killing all of my investments. this is as bad as real life nafta. maybe worse. some things we need from outside. many we dont. the blanket tax drop is dumb.

Who elected these "free-market" whack-jobs to Congress? Let's protect the American worker!

Coming from the viewpoint of a worker, this has been great. My wages have risen quite a bit since the import tax was lowered.

@Kazeal: Did you not see where I asked if their Senator voted Yes or No? Have you followed any of my posts in the Congressional forum? I understand this is not a Congress wide phenomenon. If you thought my few lines re this topic was "unnecessarily inflammatory" you should read what others have said. All I am doing is encouraging voters to find out how their Congressional representative did vote.

Also I have no way been anti-Free Trade. As I have stated many times I favor an even playing field. But I do oppose unilateral removal of Import Taxes.

Thanks for clarifying Teucer. I'm having some trouble catching on to the whole tax thing. When you put it that way, I agree with this article. I can understand wanting to set an example, but if no one's following then we need to consider the nation first before setting good examples and concerning ourselves with what other folks think. I vote for upping taxes!

Voted!

Moishe- "Also I have no way been anti-Free Trade. As I have stated many times I favor an even playing field. But I do oppose unilateral removal of Import Taxes."

Here, Here. Why do we think the rw America has pushed for capitalism around the world? Because it only works when everyone is playing the same game. We agree with the same final outcome (low import taxes) it is just we have two different views on how we should get there.

JD, I currently support the efforts One Eye is putting forth and hope (sincerely) that he is successful. I think this will get interesting. I recall as a youth such vehicles as Toyotas and Kumatsus were anathema. Today they are as American as Fords (perhaps even more so.)

I own three food companies. Two are Q4 (the Kosher Food companies) and the other is Q3 (a Treif Food company? 😁 When I buy raw materials I go for American companies. I'll even pay several more cents per unit to avoid buying foreign resources in those cases - since those foreign importers are from nations which have high tariffs on imports. That might change in the future.

Moishe- that is very forward of you to only by domestic raw goods. I also see what you are saying in that eUSA needs a bargaining chip to level import taxes.

BTW- when you had a grandfather that worked at GM for years Toyota will never be seen as more American 😉.

BTW2- I am a subscriber to your paper and am consistently impressed.

Struggling domestic businesses approve this message. No more 'experimenting' with the tax rates at the expense of eUS citizens. Experiment over, reality commence.

This is an extremely valid point, and I agree. I will certainly have this in mind once the voting for congress begins, if something has not been done.

I'm fully in support of this. Voted.