The majority of Americans have not been exposed to VAT. Most people see a thing that has value and don’t want to think of each step in manufacturing, and try to reconcile that. To even educated Americans, it takes some thinking to understand both what VAT is and why it’s beneficial over us based sales tax.

The mistake I think Vance made was assuming that Europe doesn’t tax its own vehicles 30%. If he wants to “reciprocate” by impose higher taxes on BMWs, Mercedes, and Audis so I don’t have to deal with their drivers egos every time i go on the highway, let him. This is not a product class that is adding much value to our society in my opinion. I would hope they aren’t so difficult on Honda/Toyota since both brands provide good reliable cars while US manufacturers try to get their shit together

> Have Americans become really that dumb?

It’s not a question of being dumb or not, but rather that VAT doesn’t exist in the US so most people don’t understand how it works, if they have even heard of it at all.

Instead of VAT, most states have sales tax, which is similar in spirit but doesn’t work the same way.

I think it's more a case of intellectual dishonesty.