Trump+Musk; the DOGE and Pony show continues -Trump thread #140

[Spandauer]

Trump, as out of control as a faulty Tesla, takes an ICE pick to the Constitution.

Thanks to @AcrossthePond55 and @Jaichangecentfoisdenom for the thread title and sub-title 😊

Photocollage: Cold War Steve
Map illustration: Barry Blitt

Previous thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5286872-the-orange-man-and-the-state-of-his-union-trump-thread-139

I genuinely have no comprehension of how tariffs work, though I do understand that if I were a consumer in the US, my cost of living would be higher because of Trump imposed tariffs and not because of other countries’ tariffs. Nonetheless, this calculation as shown in the NYT doesn’t look correct to me. Or am I a MAGA?

What doesn't look correct about it?

Should I be buying shares in stuff? I'm finally in a place in my life that I can!

The US buys more from China than it sells.

If it wants production to move more to the US than China, then surely the cost of those US made goods will increase because it will cost more to make things in the USA?

So it's a case of buy cheap things from abroad but pay a high tariff or buy the same thing that's made in the USA but it will cost more because it costs more to make things in the USA?

I begin to ponder whether it would be much more effective to ask MN these questions, someone will know the answer. Maybe that's why the AI companies are trying to scrape it.

@Lalgarh In theory, I do not have anything against people winging it, but there has to be the right situation and context for it. Something that doesn't affect anyone else if you get it wrong and which is not that important in the grand scheme of things - you can use less effort and try to make it. However, something relevant and which has to adhere to laws and could impact others, like tax offices, hospitals etc - no improvisation on the fly.
I would say AI is more like interns who just don't care and take everything literally - yes, they did the task, but with the lowest level of understanding and care about the results.

When it is pattern recognition for useful applications, which do exist, too, I think this should not be called AI, but just an improved program compared to before. Then it is clear these are machine-learning results and they always need oversight.

The 67% calculation looks nuts to me, but I am neither an economist nor a mathematician.
"The Economist” is quite forthright in its analysis:
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/04/03/president-trumps-mindless-tariffs-will-cause-economic-havoc
(I am happy to copy and paste for those who are interested, if there is a pay-barrier.)

Layoffs in the US car parts industry already happening - less than 24hrs later.

New thread here:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5307874-are-we-feeling-liberated-yet-trump-thread-141

Oh, someone woke Grandpa Grassley up. Too late, my friend.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, a top Republican from farm-heavy Iowa, is spearheading a bill that would limit the president's power to impose tariffs amid Trump's trade war escalation.
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/04/03/congress/top-republican-leads-bill-to-reassert-congress-tariff-power-amid-trump-trade-war-00268710

Watching Bloomberg TV is better than any thriller atm😳Several newspapers have now mentioned James Surowiecki who was the first to identify how the tariffs were calculated and posted it online. How on earth Trump and everyone in his administration could possibly believe that an imbalance of trade is inherently unfair is mind blowing. Yes there are some instances of dumping, but Demand and Supply, people!

I'm in NZ rather than the US.

It's very bad news for us - our economy is already in a bad state, exports are a much larger than average part of it, and trade to the US (mostly food and drink) is big and has been increasing. We also need to reduce our trade dependence on China, who are rapidly increasing their presence in the Pacific. I don't see any genuine foreign policy strategy in these tariffs at all.

The attitude here, though, is that the US is far from the worst when it comes to trade protectionism. That would be the EU.

.

The optics of Trump demolishing the economy and then peacing out for some R&R at a Saudi-funded golf tournament held at a private club he still owns and profits from aren’t great

I don't know about the UK, but I just spoke to my Financial Advisor and her advice to me was 'sit tight'. She said that 'the markets' are going to be volatile until the dust settles, whenever that may be. She said there's money to be made, but it's very risky at this time.

I'm invested very conservatively, due to my age I don't have time to 'make up' for losses.

YMMV, consult your financial planner.

Yes, very widely. But of course it all depends on which media outlets you listen to. It runs the gamut from "This is fucking nuts!" to "He's a genius!!".

I leave it to your imagination as to which outlet is saying what.

The sharp but small recovery after that precipitous fall is referred to as a "dead cat bounce"

Breaking now: Ministry of Economics reporting the tariffs have not caused significant changes to our trading volumes

https://bsky.app/profile/heardislandgov.bsky.social/post/3llwk3l53222e

American easter eggs are now so expensive that Trumpistanis are now painting potatoes as a substitute

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/dining/easter-eggs-potatoes.html

I'm interested in trying to understand the mindset of those who are doubling down on their support of Trump. For balance, a comment in the DM on how one person views the effects of the tariff announcement. A 401(k) is a pension plan.

Push ahead Trump. You are doing the right course of action. The whiners should shut up. Most of them have seen their 401s go up from 19,000 to 41,000 and they are now worried. Greedy scum.

The MN Trump supporters have gone very quiet, only a few still around.

"The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand."

~ All the President’s Men

(image from Guardian)

New Thread

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5307874-are-we-feeling-liberated-yet-trump-thread-141

I think it's right that we close this thread with:

and this:

and this: