Germany Second

[NineBerry]

[NineBerry]

But I think the Swiss version is better

[Hermit]

[NineBerry]

That's actually an Italian cat. #fakememes

[Hermit]

Italian cat is passing on German lolcat's demand.

[pErvinalia]

[NineBerry]

There's actually a whole lot of these videos coming. Each European country with a late night show will produce one. They will all be listed on http://everysecondcounts.eu

[Scot Dutchy]

The Dutch were first.

[cronus]

Beta nations copying the worlds alpha nation. Soon you'll be looking for and electing Trumps of your own, for better or worse.

[NineBerry]

You know the software release cycle is:

Alpha, Beta, Release Candidate, Release

[Forty Two]

Germany says to Donald Trump that the US should just make better cars, instead of imposing import duties and Tariffs....

No mention from Germany about it's 48.7% import tax on bicycles imported from China. Make better bicycles, Germany!

And, on automobiles, a car or other motor vehicle imported to Germany from outside the EU is normally subject to a 10% import duty and a 19% import value added tax - total of 29% tax on imports.

Those xenophobic bastards!

How dare the US consider import taxes.... the US should compete against the world without import tariffs and taxes, and should not worry about its exports being subject to 29% taxes. A level playing field means that other countries can impose taxes that would be racist and xenophobic if imposed by the United States.

Oh, and 5 days after Trump was inaugurated, Germany did away with its practice of prosecuting people who insult foreign leaders. Coincidence? LOL

[NineBerry]

I am a great fan of import tariffs and not a great fan of free trade in a world with so different social systems and regulations of production processes. I don't think that most critics of Trump's policy with regard to imports base their criticism on opposition to racism or xenophobia but rather on economic beliefs.

It's not fair to count the VAT as part of an import tax, because the same tax applies to products produced inside the EU.

Oh, and the decision to scrap the law on insulting foreign heads of state had already been announced last year in April after the "Böhmermann affair". The affair resulting from a part of the same show that the video in the OP is from.

[Forty Two]

I am a great fan of import tariffs and not a great fan of free trade in a world with so different social systems and regulations of production processes. I don't think that most critics of Trump's policy with regard to imports base their criticism on opposition to racism or xenophobia but rather on economic beliefs.

I doubt that. Republicans oppose his tariffs because they are free traders who want open economic borders for trade. The Democrats that oppose him on this are in favor, generally, with import tariffs (when proposed by Democrats). The reason they oppose Trump is because they hate Trump.

It's not fair to count the VAT as part of an import tax, because the same tax applies to products produced inside the EU.

If so, then you still have a 19% import tax. Surely Germany wouldn't want to oppose a 19% import tax on their vehicles coming into the US. I mean, build better cars, indeed. That sort of snark when their own country imposes 19% tariffs is rather laughable.

Oh, and the decision to scrap the law on insulting foreign heads of state had already been announced last year in April after the "Böhmermann affair". The affair resulting from a part of the same show that the video in the OP is from.

If so, then fair enough.

[NineBerry]

It's not fair to count the VAT as part of an import tax, because the same tax applies to products produced inside the EU.

If so, then you still have a 19% import tax. Surely Germany wouldn't want to oppose a 19% import tax on their vehicles coming into the US. I mean, build better cars, indeed. That sort of snark when their own country imposes 19% tariffs is rather laughable.

It would be 10%. 19% is the VAT tax.

And as I said I don't have a problem with import taxes, generally.

As an evil lefty, I want things like a good social system, high income taxes, and a hell lot of regulations to protect worker rights, the environment, consumer rights, and so on. Free trade means that countries with all these nice lefty things are disadvantaged compared to countries who don't give a shit about such things. So I don't have a problem with countries having high standards with regard to social system and regulations to have import taxes.

The best thing surely would be to have a one-world-government that enforces all these nice lefty things everywhere equally...

[Scot Dutchy]

Nine you are talking to somebody that cant envisage anything that is socialist. It is about time the EU returned to its social democratic roots and the UK leaving will give once again an impetus to such a move which was finally realised in Malta. May made a complete fool of herself but it did trigger the other 27 to think about the future and their answer to Trump.