We will all be casualties of this idiocy

Let the big businesses swoop in and buy the small business on the cheap?
Or just wipe them out period?

It’s not sustainable though as our size and diverse economic landscape operates and thrives because of small businesses.

They HATE the working class and poor and will do everything to destroy us!

if you don't employ people, who can afford to buy the fucking product!

It I remember correctly, Jobs said it cost millions and sometimes over a year to properly design and program the robots to assemble the parts, whereas China can just put 10,000 workers on the job in a month.

This naturally was decades ago. The car manufacturers have managed to do a lot, but at some point either Apple will need to stop reinventing the wheel every year or .....

Whip us into a subservient worker class that will do anything that is asked, for little return and a lot of debasement.

For several decades, as the price of healthcare soared, workers were unable to quit jobs with large companies. We were essentially indentured servants.

Obamacare made it possible for people to quit jobs and become entrepreneurs. Small businesses thrived.

I suspect those corporations want their workers back. This is one way to do it.

Big business was furious.

Coverage less, cost more. Every year, every Union contract. Death by 1,000 cuts. American Corporate policy in a nutshell.

Total scam.

Americans have been indentured servants for a long time.

Divorce a spouse and put one on Medicaid as a financial strategy. American christianity at its root/core/base.

Automation is the goal. Elimination of the human element is the goal. Machines, robots, Kiosk don’t take breaks, don’t eat and aside from regular maintenance don’t have any real cost after acquisition, aside from electricity.

People are increasingly obsolete. The big corporations just have to figure a way to generate increased wealth without the need of people. Maybe, they are also in the process of redefining what is “wealth”.

The only thing that they do need is one portion of the population to kill the other portions of the population to maintain their “wealth”.

I think there are probably companies that are still mad that they lost workforce due to entrepreneurship.

Let's say we're both right. Somewhere US companies totally lost any sense of decency.

I think that it was when Reagan reduced the Marginal Tax Rate. Prior to that when the MTR was high, companies reinvested their profits back into the company. When they reduced the MTR the owners took the profits out of the companies and reinvested or stored away the money. When they reinvested the money back into the companies, they also reinvested in their workers because they perceived the workers to be an asset rather than a liability.

IMO.

He was a puppet.

Universal Basic Income (UBI) might be a solution. Automation is probably coming one way or another. Unfortunately. Andrew Yang ran for President and UBI was one of his innovative (unusual?) policy positions.

I remember during lockdown that weed shops were considered essential but except for corporatations like Mall-Wart, they had to shut their doors. 😑

yup

that make some damn sense.

Remember TSF works for Putin, not us.

should be sending this information to Congress and asking them to work on impeachment because Hair Fuehrer isn't going to be any help.

Snag Tights, which is UK-based, but manufactures in Italy. They're still debating what to do, since they have a lot of US customers.

If this madness continues it’s going to snowball into an avalanche very quickly.

I'm a crafter. I make jewelry and sell it at shows and on Etsy. I'm glad that a friend gave me a bunch of her beads from downsizing. Plus, I stocked up on the Delicas that come from Japan. Right now, I'm not planning on raising my prices on Etsy. For now.

Maybe if he can scrape together several million dollars and write the Mango Mob Boss a personal check he could get a crave out. I'm absolutely positive all this is a shakedown for money and just to be a bully.
Have a relative that owns a small business, with several components from Taiwan and Vietnam. They didn't get much sleep last night.

Call me a cynic, but that has been my observation for most of my time on earth. Spending the last 25 plus years as a small business owner. Just like the gas surcharge that was added by one of our contractors during the pandemic. It’s still there.

It's a tax, right?

What's up with the 75% increase? Sound like bullshit. Trump imposed a 25% tariff.

It mentions and excise tax, but that is one heck of an excise tax.
25% tariff & a 40% excise tax? You'd think the 40% would be bigger news than the tariff.

My friend is pretty shook up today and I don’t think he’s called the guy back yet to get a breakdown on the increase, hopefully soon. Maybe it was a typo, I don’t know, but even the minimum 25% tariff, regardless of the the excise tax or “markup” these importers apply will be a significant enough burden on the profit margins for many small businesses that many won’t be able to survive.

I found this:

Big guys will ride it out, but not before putting millions out of work.

Cool, I have a 5 string Jazz too, but it’s not my primary. I have three that get regular stage rotation. A 50’s P, a 60’s Jazz, both made in Mexico. And I have a pretty rare 2018 Parallel Universe 51’ Telecaster that’s a USA model. Amplification is either a Rumble 800 combo, or an Aguilar Tone Hammer 700 on top of a GK Neo 212.

But, I've got 14 guitars, 4 amps, 6 keyboards, an acoustic piano & a mandolin.
So, my bass isn't lonely!

I’m beginning to thin the heard, just sold my stadium rig, a Fender Super Bassman 300 watt all tube head with a 410 and a 15. Just too heavy and big to haul around for club dates any more, and to be honest the Class Ds sound damn near as good! I’ve got ten other basses that’ll I’ll probably most of. The three I mentioned are my go to for performance.

So the habit is broken.
I spent 75 or 80% of my gig money on gear. When I quit performing, I quit buying.
At least with the acoustics, I play all of them. I only play 2 or 3 of my electric guitars, regularly.
And, I play piano every day, as well.
I don't miss getting new stuff, though.

Is he talking about increasing prices 75% over what he was already planning to increase them?

thinking products will go up 75%. Can you be more specific with the product your friend is getting?

and more will be added to the exemption list. My advice would be to shop around while delaying any purchase which can be delayed. Trump has 6 days to reverse -- something he has done both times before. The first rule of manufacturing is "Have at least two sources for everything that is critical to your business."

>Some goods will not be subject to the Reciprocal Tariff. These include: (1) articles subject to 50 USC 1702(b); (2) steel/aluminum articles and autos/auto parts already subject to Section 232 tariffs; (3) copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and lumber articles; (4) all articles that may become subject to future Section 232 tariffs; (5) bullion; and (6) energy and other certain minerals that are not available in the United States.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-declares-national-emergency-to-increase-our-competitive-edge-protect-our-sovereignty-and-strengthen-our-national-and-economic-security/

shape. They were on sale from $199 to $158. I bought two pair so I’ll have a spare when one gets beat up.

Everything is European sourced and they are manufactured in Portugal.

https://sansmatin.com/pages/sustainability

Sometimes on restaurant tabs you'll see a cost line for 'employee benefits' or 'staff living wages'. Since tariffs are partly for tax cuts for the wealthiest, a line item on every imported car, car part, tool, off-season melon, chair, 2 x 4, kilowatt of electricity, spliff from Mexico, lawnmower from China, viagra pill from Sweden, carpet from Turkey, etc would make it clear and immediate who should be blamed.