Are We Feeling Liberated Yet? - Trump thread #141

[Spandauer]

King Donald has bigly new tariffs, First Lady Elmo turns out to be ballot box poison and 'Pick Me Girl' Vance is a meanie to the EU.

(But at least the penguins on the Heard and McDonald Islands are wearing suits)

Previous thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5297058-trumpmusk-the-doge-and-pony-show-continues-trump-thread-140

The EU are absolute bastards regarding trade negotiations so that's the one to watch. Also China, who really need US trade.

China will not accept US tariffs at detrimental cost, so I'm watching their response closely as an authoritarian state has more pushback against Trump when its citizens are controlled. I'm not convinced that Trump will win against China and meanwhile the US is burning through its soft power reserves in the rest of the world.

It's inevitable I occasionally see clips of rebel colonists in the UK reflecting on cultural differences.

Sometimes the little things can signal so much. I am amused this gentleman feels the UK is "way ahead" when it comes to recycling when I think it would be nice if we did it. ("What does Mr. Gandhi think of British Culture ?". "I think it would be a good idea.").

As to street-drinking ... while it's nice to know we could do it, I think I'd be a lot more relaxed if we chose not to.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XGaxMfP_rDY

https://bsky.app/profile/joing.bsky.social/post/3lm2fhlcyx22q

The logical step for the US is to then become more like China. And the MAGA faithful would lap it up. Look how quickly some in the UK are queuing up to give away their own human rights as long as (they believe) a foreigner* gets bashed into the bargain.

*wasn't really sure if I should have said "foreigner". And also the words they would use are much less forum friendly.

I remain mildly amused at the complicity of the worlds media with Trump in using the words "tariff" rather than "import duties" ? Obviously linguistic economy plays a part. Whilst curious, it's nowhere near as interesting as the organised and concerted media effort (which I would characterise as Herculean) into avoiding any mention of how the level of tariffs has been shown to be directly proportional to the level of smuggling a country experiences.

Also - and this is more a US observation - the total lack of interest in where all this extra tax take the US government is going to get is intended for.

Two questions literally [a] nobody is asking.😎

Also - and this is more a US observation - the total lack of interest in where all this extra tax take the US government is going to get is intended for.

Interestingly, this precise thing was discussed on Deadline Whitehouse yesterday. Mike Linden, a think tank tax/economics guy said there's (unsurprisingly) no apparent plan for putting it back into this magical manufacturing economy (my words, not his) that they're touting, and are planning to plow it into funding his tax breaks for billionaires and corporations.

He also pointed out that Trump's 2017 tax instituted lower tax rates for profits made overseas than profits made in the US.

They still loves him

'Sometimes you have to walk through fire': Tariffs get backing in Trump heartland https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr4nr3230e7o

It's going to take a while for the shocks to rattle through the supply chain to consumers. I've got my 🍿 ready for when the realisation hits that Trump has caused stagflation.

At what point will he say they can give up their guns if they trust him and the coup is complete ?

Remember the first act of a despot is to disarm the population. Like George III did.

After all, they've already renounced free speech. I presumed they were just going down the list. Fair trials and illegal searches will be there somewhere. Then cruel and unusual punishments (if it ever existed, I've never really seen that one evidenced). We know he's going after the 14th and 22nd (12th notwithstanding).

I can't see the 2nd surviving.

Farage is celebrating as well, he thinks it gives 'us' a chance to realise the dream of brexit 🦄

Honestly I don't think there will be a penny drop moment.

There hasn't been for Brexit backers.

I'll post this text here, from an investment company's email to it's clients, about the broader economic outlook for the US:

"The reason the U.S. runs a trade deficit is because American consumers spend more than they save, a situation made possible by the Federal government spending more than it collects in tax revenue. Interestingly, while the tariffs are substantial, they probably aren’t enough for exports from most emerging economies to become uncompetitive relative to U.S. manufacturing.

U.S. productive capacity is insufficient to meet its domestic demand, and that situation will only worsen due to immigration curbs. Without immigration, America’s working age population is projected to start declining. Therefore, it seems unlikely that these policies will spark the manufacturing revolution President Trump is trying to achieve."

The ageing population without the migration also helps explain the fretting of Vance and the right about birth rates

.

I recently read that the United States' debt to GDP ratio is something like 120%. That's insanely high - the UK's is 95% and that's up from 70%. So the US treasury could certainly use the money but as per my previous posts I don't think that's the aim of these tariffs at all.

The tariffs also neglect to take into account that there plenty of items that the US has no choice but to import - coffee being a prime example. Can’t see the rank and file being too happy when their cup of Joe goes up 30%.

That's a thought about smuggling. Maybe we are missing the point and the real, hidden objective is to beat the drug problem by displacing drug smuggling with Temu tat smuggling 🤣

Random thought from a poet (me). Anyone who can think, let alone say, that 'tariff' is the most beautiful word in the dictionary has no soul.

America already has more people in prison than any other 'democratic' nation, and a lot of those prisons produce stuff. All the current administration needs to do is lock up a few more people and get them working for Chinese-level wages and they'll be booming.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_labor_in_the_United_States

I hope I'm making a not-very-funny satiric remark, but . . . .

Anecdotally, I know people of a certain age (Boomer generation but don't mean that disparagingly) and a couple of extended family from the old steel mining heartlands that did vote for Brexit and now would not- unfortunately, this was a major discussion and slightly difficult atmosphere at my wedding which was on the Saturday following the Brexit vote. I am not convinced that the penny hasn't dropped. The spin doctor(s) exploited the delusions, whims, and narcissistic impulses of the voting public but there has been an exposé of that cynical exploitation in recent years and the current manifestation of that is being played out in the U.S. I personally am hopeful that the penny will drop. Look at the polls in Canada, there has been a surge in support for the Liberals in recent weeks and people are rejecting this populist BS!

Yes, absolutely!

That said, sincerity politics has to return to the U.S. informed citizenship, giving a shit about public administration and policy, dropping the cynicism on the left.

Tarriff is very nearly the reverse of ferret.

It's a long mustelid that has no turning.

mustelid - Well, if nothing else, I've learnt a new word! 😁

Invade Colombia. That should sort the coffee problem.

The ageing population without the migration also helps explain the fretting of Vance and the right about birth rates

If I was younger and lived in the US, I'd be dating BOB Battery Operated Boyfriend

They tend to stink...not normally of fake tan, burgers and sharpie.
🍊

David Ricardo has entered the chat

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_advantage