re: US ranchers orgs oppose plan U.S. government’s plan to import more Argentine beef

I just think the message is constantly shifting and no matter what the outcome, Trump supporters say that is what was intended all along. We go hard on China, then we back off. Are we really trying to break them or just "get a better deal" (whatever that is)?

Lutnick has been a goof from what I've seen.

The tariff message is incoherent to me, which is probably some of my ignorance, but also some of this administration's inconsistency. Bessent is one of the only people/things that keeps me from thinking it's a total clown show.

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Its not going to put rachers out of business.

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Cattle operations have been dropping off like flies around me. The old men who ran them have kids who don't want anything to do with amount of squeeze for the juice it provides.

This recent price bump was a reprieve that might make those kids reconsider giving up the cattle business.

Fyi, the price of a lb of ground was about $5 in 1950 and 1970.(adjusted of course). Maybe the price of beef is just actually starting to cost what it should.

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Cattle operations have been dropping off like flies around me.

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Probably due to rising costs.

I feel for farmers and ranchers, my moms family were all ag and educators. They are dealing with the same retarded inflation and trade wars we all are.

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Because of govt policies and regulations that ran a bunch of ranchers out of business and caused pastures to be taken out to put corn/soybeans

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I wouldn't argue against that but droughts took away a lot of grasslands resulting in herd liquidation. Imports are short term relief options

I get it. You’ve been black pilled and are in the “frick it, let it burn stage”. I got young kids Rog, I can’t do that.

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pursuit of the goal

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Can you succinctly articulate the goal(s)?

I assume the singular goal was a blanket, and given your point about nuance, there are multiple goals that vary by country and sector. As a result if it makes it easier to be more clear use two very different countries (China and Switzerland) and/or two different sectors (watches and household vacuums).

I would like to know what you see as the goals.

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Ranchers aren't the problem. 4 distributors, JBS, Tyson Foods, Cargill and National Beef, control 80% of the market. B/c there is basically no real competition the ranchers get fricked on the price they get paid for their beef and consumers get fricked on the price we pay at the store.


Which is why Ranchers should form coops and start their own processing/distrubution.

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I know several local big farmers that started their own co-op about a decade ago. They even bought an old grain elevated that had been closed for years. It worked great for them for a few years but then egos got in the way and they split it up after two of the farmers got in a fist fight at a meeting. If ranchers are anything like the farmers I know then they are too stubborn and opinionated to be able to work together in a co-op for long.

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And so far there is little sign that consumers are substituting chicken or other proteins for beef on their shopping lists

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I have been. Steak prices are way too high. So ive been eating a lot more chicken.


The lady with her $12 grocery list didn't buy beef, she bought beans.


So just gave you two examples.

I thought I already did.

We are using our considerable leverage as a consumer and market making nation to force better trade agreements on an individual nation basis. Strategic targeting of imbalanced industries, nations who are capturing certain production and labor markets, and certain adversarial nations are all getting varying degress of carrot and stick. I think the end goal varies by specific market, with variables like our domestic capabilities, supply and demand dynamics, and industries directly correlated to our national security all getting slightly different treatment. Ultimately, I don't believe tariffs are the end goal in all these cases. A fair and balanced global econony based specifically on the best interests of the golden market (i.e. us) is the goal. Whether through tariffs, bilateral agreements, or aggressive bullying of certain asshoe nations.

Eta
Sorry didn't see your bit about the Swiss. I haven't landed on a specifc goal there that I am comfortable standing behind, but Europe is being treated a certain way because of the Russian/Ukraine conflict, as well as larger issues like NATO funding. The EU is still of interest to me on terms of finding the line on that one, but I think I'm in the ballpark.