o do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41 10

Tariffs on Washing Machines Coming Up: Let’s Tax the Sun and the Rain Too

From Mish's blog:

Whirpool bitched to the Trump administration and the International Trade Commission about unfair pricing on Samsung and LG-brand washing machines.

The ITC panel ruled U.S. washing machine makers hurt by South Korean imports, so your price is guaranteed to go up.

The U.S. International Trade Commission on Thursday found that imports of large residential washing machines were harming domestic producers, in a major step the imposition of duties or quotas on foreign-made Samsung- and LG-brand washers.

The case, brought by U.S. appliance giant Whirlpool Corp, asked the ITC to recommend to President Donald Trump “global safeguard” restrictions on imported washing machines to stop South Korean rivals Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and LG Electronics Inc from flooding the U.S. market with cheap washers.

The commission, which voted 4-0 in finding that large residential washers were being imported in such quantities to create injury to domestic producers, will recommend remedies by Dec. 4 to Trump, who is expected to make a final decision by early next year. 

Crony Capitalism

The ITC ruling will not save a single US job. But it will drive up costs on US consumers.

When corporations cannot compete, they bitch. They also pad the pockets of politicians so the politicians see things their way...

Bastiat’s petition explains the folly of tariffs. Samsung is no more stealing jobs than is the sun.

Speaking of which, the US has massive sugar tariffs to protect the sugar lobby from “unfair competition” from countries that happen to have better-growing conditions for sugar cane because they get more sunlight and water.

Hmm. It seems we need to tax water for falling into Lake Superior and Lake Michigan instead of the desert where’s it’s badly needed.

Why should Illinois farmers get more rain than Arizona farmers? By tariff logic, we need to level out the playing field so that all corn farmers in Arizona and Greenland are not disadvantaged compared to Illinois.

https://mishtalk.com/2017/10/05/tariffs-and-import-restrictions-on-washing-machines-coming-up-lets-tax-the-sun-and-the-rain/

Trump Hints At War With North Korea: "Sorry, But Only One Thing Will Work"

From Zero Hedge:

"Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years, agreements made and massive amounts of money paid hasn't worked, agreements violated before the ink was dry, makings fools of U.S. negotiators. Sorry, but only one thing will work."

…then again, Trump is fond of bluffing. Meanwhile, Steve Bannon’s surprising admission that there is “no attractive military solutions” for dealing with North Korea that wouldn't result in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in Seoul within 30 minutes due to conventional weapons fire continue to haunt the administration...

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-07/trump-hints-war-north-korea-after-25-years-failed-diplomacy-only-one-thing-will-work

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-07/trump-hints-war-north-korea-after-25-years-failed-diplomacy-only-one-thing-will-work