July 24, 2025
A short seminar with professional economist Dave Hebert, who specializes in tariffs.
When Dave Hebert went to work at the American Institute for Economic Research, his supervisor instructed him to focus on trade and tariffs.
Hebert wasn’t excited. You see, economists debate many issues. But professional economists agree about one thing: Trade is good, the more the better. Things that get in the way are bad. It’s pretty basic. Dave felt like an English major being asked to teach the alphabet.
Then, Donald Trump became the 47th President. Now, Dr. Hebert is quite busy and his work is in high demand. And you have access to him!
Tariffs don’t do much, if any, net good. Dave Hebert’s presentation of the case isn’t merely rhetorical. It’s very likely that you and most of our subscribers are already familiar with the classical arguments.
Instead, he gets quite modern. Hebert demythologizes pro-tariff propaganda using Obama’s Chinese tire tariff and the Trump (45) steel and aluminum tariffs.
OR…
Our Gracearchy conversation with Dave Hebert is divided into three parts.
One, we cover the economic impacts of tariffs. Who benefits? How much? Who is hurt? What is the net impact?
Two, we seriously consider (even steelman) the “strategic benefits” of tariffs. This includes government revenue generation, economic independence (decoupling), rebalancing supply lines to avoid dependency, negotiating for better export deals, and…
Whether tariffs increase national security.
Three, is the “Art of the Deal” President using a sound negotiating strategy? Dr. Hebert shows us two ways to test that question. He also presents up-to-date data on which nations do NOT have to play along when pressured by the President.
If you’ve ever played the board game Risk, you’ll instantly grasp and appreciate these two tests.
As you can see, we cover a wide range of topics. You’ll leave the episode with useful facts and talking points.
You can listen while you work or drive on these podcasting platforms: Spotify * Pandora * iHeart * Apple, and several other platforms.
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ZAP The State and have a nice day,
Jim Babka
Host, Gracearchy with Jim Babka
Co-creator, Zero Aggression Project
Jim Babka is the co-creator of the Zero Aggression Project. However, the views expressed in the show do not necessarily reflect those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project (Downsize DC Foundation). Sometimes, ChatGPT or AI may be used to help with blogging elements.