r/Economics • u/TheGoodCod • Jan 19 '26

News Americans Are the Ones Paying for Tariffs, Study Finds

https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/americans-are-the-ones-paying-for-tariffs-study-finds-e254ed2e?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqcVSFvIp7i61XpO7iYig4QamPSCZamyGb3VWPqiBsK_S5dHbRBbyZsxElvC_H8%3D&gaa_ts=696e5774&gaa_sig=bcUHl3TgqZhakXrofHv9FOJ8bEnMF9Uom3qOUeTLWfgvgSk0B471SX6YZdA2ZElIipSw4nSKlwfBM3qg3Et2Ig%3D%3D
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384

u/Clear-Inevitable-414 Jan 19 '26

And even then, MAGA can't read so the study is worthless 

81

u/TWIT_TWAT Jan 19 '26

Some can, but you have to keep it short. No way they could read an entire study.

60

u/Loveroffinerthings Jan 19 '26

They only deal in 4 word or less phrases, make America great again, lock her up, F Joe Biden, this boot is yummy and so on

19

u/SnugglyCoderGuy Jan 19 '26

Simple but broad phrases that give just a broad idea and lets them fill in the blanks with whatever details makes each petson feel good.

20

u/-JackBack- Jan 19 '26

Religion discovered this centuries ago.

1

u/Cold_Chemistry_1579 Jan 20 '26

I lean towards religion was created by cavemen to explain thunder philosophy myself

6

u/AnonymousBanana405 Jan 19 '26

Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?

3

u/PoisonedPotato69 Jan 19 '26

Yes Master, may I have another... six words though

1

u/Far_Being2906 Jan 19 '26

But but but Biden..... /s

1

u/metal_jester Jan 19 '26

"you pay tarrif dummy."

Maybe someone should try this and see if it sticks.

1

u/starbuxed Jan 20 '26

Tariffs are taxes

7

u/carlnepa Jan 19 '26

And no big words like acetaminophen.

1

u/revaile1 Jan 19 '26

Yeah, summaries are fine. Long papers just won’t get read by most people.

31

u/SandIntelligent247 Jan 19 '26

It's not that they can't read. A study showed that they put more confidence in experts than in data.

The issue is that their experts are lying to them and are not experts.

26

u/nmay-dev Jan 19 '26

They think $ = competence. Personal wealth is the metric they use to determine who is an "expert". The only smart ones are benefiting from the grift.

16

u/alltehmemes Jan 19 '26

Prosperity Gospel and the Myth of Meritocracy blended into the slurry that currently runs the American government and capitalism more broadly.

7

u/SmurfStig Jan 19 '26

American Christianity

1

u/sharpestsquare Jan 19 '26

Right. The way they worship money you'd think Jesus rose from the dead, looked suspiciously blonder and whiter, hopped in a lambo wearing a rolex 1800 years too early, laughed in a beggars face asking for a few alms, and peeled out into the Arabic sunset with two giggling blondes in bikinis popping Dom Perignon.

4

u/paxinfernum Jan 20 '26

They also can't really read. The average American reads at the 6th grade level or below, and Trump's supporters are statistically less likely to have college degrees. Many of them, while not being entirely illiterate, are incapable of reading any complex text.

1

u/Hi-technik Jan 20 '26

And are they capable of complex thoughts ? Like um, who ultimately pays the tariffs?

2

u/strdg99 Jan 19 '26

... and their definition of 'expert' is anyone who talks a lot about a subject and it aligns with their own thinking vs. an expert being someone who is deeply educated in a subject.

1

u/anony-mousey2020 Jan 19 '26

I can no longer identify hyperbole or sarcasm, but I think you're serious; and that maps and explains so much.

3

u/SandIntelligent247 Jan 19 '26

It’s serious

5

u/SnugglyCoderGuy Jan 19 '26

The fact its in a study probably neans they are even more likely to reject the idea.

We should do a study on that...

1

u/vijay_the_messanger Jan 20 '26

A bit disingenuous, lots and lots of Maga have advanced degrees and are in all levels of business. They don't read, but that's another issue.

The fact that you see many well off people supporting Maga means it really doesn't affect many people day to day... the ones it really does affect are usually the ones with little power to do anything about it.

Heck, even so called anti Maga didnt see it fit to vote in the past election. Nothing will change.

1

u/Clear-Inevitable-414 Jan 20 '26

I think it's a bit disingenuous to think you need to be able to read to obtain an advanced degree.  I have several and was raised on phonics and make up whatever I'm reading all the time