All we have heard since President Trump took back over the White House was that tariffs would be the end of us, and that tariffs would cause a huge recession. Well, here we sit, about to begin the month of November, as still have yet to see many effects in our day-to-day life. Sure, some imported things like lumber have gone up, but that is not something that impacts the daily life of an American.
Most of the fear narrative was centered around saying things like shoes, clothing and other necessities would skyrocket and spend people into the poor house. None of which can be further from the truth as it stands. Americans have seen through the charade of the media and are now planning to spend 'briskly' this holiday season.
According to a new Gallup poll, Americans plan to spend about $1,000 on gifts this year, which is basically identical to last year. But that shows the agenda push is not working, and people are planning to spend regardless.
Industry analyst Kenneth Rapoza says while things like rent and insurance have gone up, as they usually do, prices at the stores have not.
"All you see are signs that say 40-percent off or 60-percent off...despite the fact all these big companies are importers and have been faced with historically high tariffs," he says.
In that poll, 56-percent of Americans said they plan to spend about the same as last year, with another 19-percent saying they plan to spend more than last year. Again, this is after the mainstream media was saturated entirely with doom and gloom for months. People saw it. They just are not buying the snake oil anymore.
The narrative was driven by politics, pure and simple. The Left despises President Trump and will do anything to spin what he does into a negative light. Not understanding tariffs are not only profitable for the country, they also are a long-term effort at settling the tremendous national debt.
But they do not want to hear that. Both because they do not comprehend how economics work and because they do not want to educate themselves on how it works.
"When they say things like tariffs lead to high prices...they do not really understand," says Rapoza. "Tariffs are based on not the retail price...when you go buy a $150 pair of sneakers, and the tariffs are 20-percent on that product...that does not mean the sneakers cost 20-percent more than the $150."
But as we have come to learn with the Left, they do not care about logic, data or facts. They simply care about their agenda, however wrong and ill-informed they might be.
No, it does not mean we are waiting for the hammer to drop, either.
"It is a competitive market...tariffs do not always increase the price of a good as high as people think for the consumer," Rapoza says.
He adds that things like food have gone up a bit, but not strictly due to tariffs.
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