Trump tariffs transform into bigger threats for Mexico, Canada than China President-elect Donald Trump's tariff threats have been formalized with a pair of social media statements that, while not nearly as steep as promised on the campaign trail, still threaten to complicate relations with the US's three largest trade partners. In a pair of statements yesterday on his Truth Social site, Trump …
It could be greatly entertaining indeed if some serious US tabloid would set up a Trump Policy Lettuce livestream, possibly with some Texan H.E. Butt lettuce (formerly C.C. Butt, owned by the Butt family since 1905), perfect for tossed salads!
The buttload of retaliate-first Trump tariffs, justified by hordes of pet cat-and-dog eating Haitian zombie criminalists ceaselessly crossing the border from Canada, Mexico, and China, via underground tunnels, deserves nothing less than a shrine of this totally sane sort IMHO! </LSD>
The first batch of iPads were all made in the US, in Ohio, in the 70's. Way ahead of their time. Still available on EBay, and still working after all these years (natch!).
>They do when Americans stop buying their products cos they can't afford them.
The unsaid bid is that with the exception of things like Baidu the Chinese don't sell directly to US consumers. They sell to US businesses who either repackage the product for retail sale or make products from those imports. Individual consumers will be inconvenienced, that's true, but a lot of US business will be unable to function profitably until alternative sources can be found -- if they can be found, that is.
One thing that's worth bearing in mind is that although the US export market is large its not so big that China can't exist without it, its actually a relatively small part of Chinese sales.
"with the exception of things like Baidu the Chinese don't sell directly to US consumers"
There are lots of websites that are just marketplaces giving buyers access to sellers. You know the big names. One of them has big, dark blue trucks that drive around my neighborhood every day. I buy merchandise that ships directly to me from Chinese companies often, and have done so for years. I would rather purchase from a seller with a shipping point inside the US, but I don't always get that option for specific items I want to buy.
Look around a bit, then come back and tell me that Baidu is the only one.
Isn't Baidu a search engine?
AliExpress, otoh, presents Chinese-made and Chinese-shipped items at a price point remarkably below either eBay, Walmart marketplace, or the clear-cut former-forest company's marketplace. It's really nifty -- check out aliexpress sometime. (I guess shoppee? Tenmu? never tried those, though.)
I would rather purchase from a seller with a shipping point inside the US, but I don't always get that option for specific items I want to buy.
If it's not time sensitive, I have been fine purchasing from China via Temu. They have unfortunately screwed up with their Local shipping. You have to spend at least $35 from a single location to get free shipping. And they appear to be like Rock Auto. Everything seems to be spread out in different local warehouses, and you spend more on shipping than on products. That's a big reason I stopped buying from Rock Auto, and I have dumped so many shopping carts on Temu for the same reason. And don't get me started on Amazon's Haul. I don't use Temu's app, I'm not going to use Amazon's either.
"I have been fine purchasing from China via Temu. They have unfortunately screwed up with their Local shipping. "
When I order stuff stated to ship from China, I know it will take some time and I need to look very closely at that shipping time. From some strange reason, a small package can take a week to the US with free (or minimal shipping) and another package that's the same size and weight might take 2 months. When I order some Chinese thing from the US, I'm often in a hurry for it so I'll select the closest seller and about half the time if that seller is registered in China, the thing ships from an entirely different point using a different shipper and can as long or longer than something coming airmail from China. So much for paying a premium. I recently bought a repair part on eBay that should have been two days for shipping. It wound up coming from 2,200 miles away on an ox cart rather than 100 miles away on modern transportation. Just waiting out the cooling off period eBay enforces before I can leave negative feedback. If you are in the US and see "Hebron, KY" as the location for an eBay listing, I think that entire town is fulfillment warehouses with a cargo airport attached. Just be aware that you aren't dealing with a quality domestic vendor.
Temu tells you when to expect your package to arrive and gives a discount it if is late (more than 14 days). I think I have only had one shipment that was late when it came from China. I don't find their local shippers to be much faster. I have seen direct from China Temu shipments that were faster than shipments from eBay sellers with 'US inventory'.
And yes, Hebron Ky is a fulfillment center for Chinese merchants. It could be stuff that is bulk shipped there, or they could be handling a shipment from China to forward to you. There are similar facilities in Texas, New Jersey, and California. (And probably many more)
From some strange reason, a small package can take a week to the US with free (or minimal shipping) and another package that's the same size and weight might take 2 months.
That'll be due to things which can go in the bellies of commercial passenger flights (things without batteries or hazardous parts) vs things which can't and have to go via ship. Or the senders wanted to save a few pennies on shipment and send everything via sea freight anyway regardless of item.
Most of that is imported from Mexico. The US output of produce have been falling for years, because the farm bills are heavily slanted toward large scale producers of the big five crops (corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton and rice) that can be mechanically cultivated, and the smaller (relatively speaking) farmers producing fruits and vegetables must be picked by hand have been slowly going out of business.
If you throw in a mass deportation those produce farmers will have no one to pick their crops so it'll be a double whammy.
I suppose given the recent news that now 75% of Americans are overweight or obese all the people who complained so much about egg prices (as if presidents can control bird flu) won't care too much if the price of apples, tomatoes and green beans skyrocket because the fat ones obviously aren't eating them.
Who could forget "Inject yourself with bleach!".
You, apparently.
But not the 1m+ american citizens who are now dead from it. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/
What the snopes article says is that he did suggest the task force look at injecting disinfectants. In general stuff which is used as a disinfectant is too toxic to be used a a medicine so it doesn't contradict there having been a general lack of understanding.
He never said 'inject bleach'.
"disinfectant is too toxic to be used a a medicine"
You are fake news, please report to a reeducation camp.
Hydrogen peroxide, a disinfectant, can be used internally and research has been done into its potential to aid in cancer treatment.
Sodium hypochlorite, another disinfectant (used in milton fluid), is commonly used during root canal treatments to flush out the root of the tooth.
Actually around COVID time, dentists that I went to started requiring rinsing the mouth with diluted Hydrogen peroxide, and spitting it out. But of course a little bit is unavoidably swallowed. No observable toxic effects - gums actually felt better. But on principle, I wouldn't do it unless I had to. From earlier this year, my dentist stopped requiring it.
That's the active ingredient in the liquid chlorinator for my pool. You know, the stuff used to kill germs and algae and help break down other biologic junk (pollen, leaves, grass clippings, skin, sunscreen). It's quite harmful when not properly diluted, and even then you don't drink the pool water!
(At least, not my pool water that's properly treated -- I don't want to be liable for your idiocy. Of course, right now it's half-drained and covered for winter, so if you try to drink some I'll press charges and/or sue you for trespassing, vandalism, and property damage. All monies recovered will be used for repairs, including next summer's pallet of chlorinator -- it ain't cheap!)
It isn't going to break down pollen. Other things which won't break down pollen include boiling in a mixture of conc supluric acid and acetic anhydride (explodes in contact with water), 10% sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid. It's tough stuff.
The stuff most people call 'bleach' that you buy in the shop and put down the bog or scrub the floor with usually contains other things such as sodium hydroxide and/or surfacants.
You can get pharma grade sodium hypochlorite which is used in dentistry as it destroys all the organic material left in the root. Either way, the claim "disinfectant is too toxic to be used a a medicine" is still false as there are disinfectants used for medicinal purposes.
"Sodium hypochlorite, another disinfectant (used in milton fluid), is commonly used during root canal treatments to flush out the root of the tooth."
That's being used as a disinfectant. The dentist should be removing it by suction. And, yes, sulphites are used in wine making - at very low concentrations.
Now try drinking one of the original disinfectants: phenol.
Have you never watched A Christmas Story?? Ralphie got his mouth washed out with coal-tar soap. Phenol is why that soap smells so darn good!
And let us not forget that carbolic acid was used as an early disinfectant for surgical procedures and was sprayed into open wounds. It wasn't very good for you but it stopped you dying from horrific infections caused by the doctors not washing.
The ridiculous "inject bleach" hoax
Debunked LONG ago... (DO try and keep up!)
According to the Public Policy Institute of California "Agricultural Land Use in California"
Irrigated farmland is concentrated in several regions, and the crop mix has been shifting ... Although total acreage has remained similar in recent decades, the crop mix has shifted dramatically. Perennial orchards and vineyards now cover about half of all acreage—double their share in the mid-1980s. Cotton, alfalfa, and other annual crop acreage has fallen.
CA provides 3/4 of the US' fruit and nuts, and 1/3 of it's vegetables. (No link cause its easy to find). So those CA acreage statistic dominate US statistics.
Re the crop pickers, during Trump's last term, the predicted crop picker shortage never happened. Partly because crop pickers were not targeted - not surprising since agricultural producers largely supported Trump. So it won't happen this time either. But if undocumented workers were not available, then farm wages for legal residents (largely immigrants themselves), would rise, right? Is that a bad thing because it makes food more expensive? This news is worth digesting - "Why did a blue Texas border county vote red for the first time in 100 years?"
Lastly, about shaming fat people for being fat because they don't eat enough produce - that's just gratuitously nasty and a bad idea. That's how thin apple eaters lose elections.
"the predicted crop picker shortage never happened."
Fscking excuse me????
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=migrant+worker+shortage&t=fpas&ia=web
Try searching for the real term used, not "crop picker". In the Northeast fisheries they were in a complete panic from lack of lower-cost immigrant workers to clean the fish - Americans didn't want the dirty job
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=fisheries+labor+shortage&t=fpas&ia=web
Please reconsider the spinning of reality to people who will believe it. Considering this is a UK site, these people have already tasted the delusional lies of Brexit and are a little more educated than the 'simple folk' that voted in the U.S. this year.
"- Americans didn't want the dirty job"
When that gets trotted out, it usually means the wages on offer aren't very good. Somebody with absolutely no skills that needs to work "under the table" for cash and can't speak the local language will take the job and happily hot-bunk since that might be far better than the situation they had where they came from.
It's a bummer it pays so poorly. Many years ago picking crops was a way to spend a summer traveling around the US on summer break.
and the smaller (relatively speaking) farmers producing fruits and vegetables must be picked by hand have been slowly going out of business.
There's a subsidy for growing a crop that can be turned into ethanol that's mandated for petrol. Just another example of government doing more damage than good. There has been a lot of progress in creating purpose built robots that can select and pick fruits and veg while leaving unripe produce to continue growing. As time goes on it has become less financially viable to pick a field multiple times by hand, but with the robots, it can be. If enterprises can be set up to run greenhouses in the off season that are kept warm from a waste heat source, that might be viable too. I'll take an open field tomato over a hot house one, but in winter, it's either that or an import. Less frequently these days as I will buy at the peak of the season cheap and do a lot of canning. I'm thinking of some cast iron pizza tonight with homemade sauce I put up over the summer. A wee bit of crushed dry fennel seed really made the sauce unique and tasty.
It is also 100% certain that any country we impose tariffs on will impose tariffs on us in exchange. We put a 10% tariff on all imports, pretty much every country will be a 10% tariff on imports of US products.
So all the companies that are successful not just in US markets but all over the world will take a big hit as their products become more expensive. US automakers already having problems will see their sales take a dive as they get 10% more expensive relative to everything else. They are already going to find it more and more difficult to compete in any country that allows import of Chinese EVs, tariffs will only hasten their eventual exit from those countries. Heck even the EU might decide "well if the US is going to do a bunch of tariffs so will we" and slap big tariffs on US automakers, to help protect their own automakers who are also suffering for the same reasons as US ones.
If Trump actually carries through with this stuff he's going to get inflation back as high or higher than it was in the wake of covid. He'll try to blame it on Biden of course, but voters who vote their pocketbook don't listen to stuff like that. They vote for "change" like they did a few weeks ago, and the only change they'll be able to vote for in 2026 will be to kick republicans out of office in congress and the governors in the states.
And a substantial proportion of his voters will believe it.
Doesn't matter. At most 45% of the electorate hard core Trumpers / republicans who will believe his lies / what Fox News tells them to believe. The reason Harris lost wasn't because they believed Trump when he blamed Biden/Harris for the price of eggs, it was because prices were higher than the last time they voted and they voted to "kick out the bums in charge". This has been happening all over the world over the past couple years, because inflation has been happening all over the world post covid, and whether they voted liberals or conservatives out of office only depended on who was in office to vote out. They were voting against incumbents.
The 45% of the electorate who are hardcore democrats or anti-Trumpers will vote against republicans no matter what, but it is the 10% or so in the middle who can potentially be swayed who will make the difference. If inflation is not completely solved, or worse yet picks back up, those people will vote against whoever is in charge which is republicans and won't matter what lies Trump tells or what Fox News or Elon Musk's slanted Twitter say.
The problem with inflation is that people are used to things they buy regularly costing a certain price. They can tolerate small moves but they will notice when big moves happen and it takes them a while to become "used to" the new price. Inflation may be down below 3% since the spring but prices are still up by nearly 20% since before covid, with certain things like eggs or cars or fast food having risen more. A bunch of new tariffs will cause a bunch of stuff to rise in price, and even if eggs come down in price (if bird flu becomes less of an issue) and fast food comes down (because they way overplayed their hand raising prices using inflation as an excuse and are now cutting prices to try to win back customers) there will be plenty of other categories like produce, clothing and appliances that will see huge increases with the tariffs Trump claims he will impose on China and Mexico. People will be pissed, and since they can't vote him out they'll vote against republicans who enable him.
>It is also 100% certain that any country we impose tariffs on will impose tariffs on us in exchange.
Mostly they won't - that's too obvious
Instead all Chinese state farms will simultaneously decide they aren't buying American soybeans anymore
The Eu will decide that Tesla is temporarily suspended because of safety concerns and twitter is fined $Baziilion for 'reasons'
Nothing to do with tariffs or retaliation
Unless you make most of your product in the US of course.
Like Tesla.
Suddenly there seems to be a good reason why the "World's Richest Man" is acting like the FOCF is the Daddy he never had*
*Musk's father seems to have been much more involved in his kids parenting than Musk has ever been. Right up until the point he started sleeping with the boys step-sister, which is legal in SA apparently (he has two kids by her now), but viewed as incest in the UK, which might explain Errol's view of the UK as "Fascist," because it won't let him sleep with his step-daughter if they visit.
"Unless you make most of your product in the US of course.
Like Tesla."
Considering Trumps rhetoric vis a vis EVs and "drill baby drill" speeches, it does make one wonder what's REALLY going on behind the scenes when the worlds richest man who's fortune is tied so closely to an EV manufacturer is supported said public anti-EV stance. To me, that implies either serious lies on Trumps part, or this some back room dealing to make sure Musk makes LOTS of money elsewhere and he doesn't care if Tesla tanks.
I don't really see Musk falling into a cult. He's already got his own, nay Musk IS a cult[*]. So he's gone in eyes wide open.
* read that how you will. Either way you are right :-)
"Unless you make most of your product in the US of course.
Like Tesla."
Many components that Tesla uses in their cars are not made in the US. They have no choice but to source them outside the country. A Model Y made in Germany will have BYD blade cells rather than Panasonic cylindrical cells made in Nevada.
"It is also 100% certain that any country we impose tariffs on will impose tariffs on us in exchange"
If it's a tariff on garlic from China being imported to the US, that might not be a big deal as right now there is a lot of garlic/onions/shallots grown in the US. If there's a bunch of selling below costs, the farmers of those crops AND the machinery required for it will go away and that means always having to buy from China. Magnets aren't made in the US (commercial quantities/grades) no LCD displays, etc. I don't think the garden variety 1/4W carbon film resistor is made in the US anymore and hasn't been for some time. If you are building small batches of a product, that might not be an issue, but if you have a voracious production line, not having a local supply chain is dangerous and scary so you set up that factory where all the parts are made...... China. In the mean time, China is poking holes in more supply chains in a way to encourage more industry to relocate.
Not replaceable because the facilities for making them have been outsourced overseas - therefore your argument is circular.
The standard argument is that outsourcing overseas in search of cheaper prices leads to more efficiency - that resources freed up by outsourcing can be used by US companies or smart US investors to reinvest in a virtuous circle.
For example, an stalwart US ball bearing company (c.f. Rexnord) can move its old equipment for making middle quality ball bearings to Mexico where wages are cheaper. Then they could afford to invest in equipment and engineers and training to make high quality ball bearings that could compete with high quality German ball bearings, which sell for a high price.
But in fact the second part too rarely seems to happen. Well, no problem, because the money becomes liquid investment capital which flows like water ... blah blah blah.
Flash news - "The global cryptocurrency market cap today is $3.46 Trillion, a -1.93% change in the last 24 hours." (at time of typing this)
Yet Intel can't get 8 billion from investors to make a long term 5 to 10 year serious fab effort. Makes sense, because big capital has the "American know how" to surf the market waves at moments notice and that requires liquid capital.
That's why I'm not 100% against tariffs - when used judiciously.
I question the 25% tariffs against our closest neighbors and allies, although it may be more about driving a bargain than a final decision. I'm lousy at bargaining for a good deal, and I recognize that.
Which suggests you think the FOCF isn't?
As for questioning the 25% tariff once he won the vote (watch how little the MAGA crowd will b**ch about that despite it not being a "landslide" or anywhere near) anyone else's opinion (to him) became irrelevant.
"As The Register and many other publications have pointed out, tariffs don't penalize the country doing the exporting."
IIRC, one of the biggest trending searches just after the election was "what are tariffs".
So, were some voters really voting based on rhetoric they didn't understand? Seems like quite a few voted and only THEN checked what they were voting for.
Unintended consequences?
Canada is the biggest export market for 39 states. Yes US sells $400B to Canada so around the total sales of Walmart in the US. Walmart employees 1.6 M.
We'll put tariffs on Tesla, Boeing, Corn, Dairy, Caterpillar, John Deere, GE etc.
We'll diversify our supply chain to friendly and stable trading nations of Korea, Japan and EU and transfer a million jobs out of the US.
"strategy" -- I don't think the president-to-be has any concept of the actual effects of the things that he says.
I'm sure he's flattered that you're attributing such grand analyses to him, however.
Another case of, "Why, If _I_ were president, why I'd .... and ... and ....."
"Written on the back of a McDonalds napkin in black sharpie?"
I get my best ideas at the strangest times.... so a napkin with a sharpie could actually be a CROWNING MOMENT of BRILLIANCE!
(don't knock the napkin).
One day when I'm working in an office the supervisor, the manager, and the marketing guy were discussing ways of solving a basic mechanical problem, right behind me, while I was working on firmware. Existing solutions were less than adequate. I got a brilliant inspiration from nature and sketched it out on a notepad with "here ya go". They adopted it. Worked pretty well, cheap plastic sheet stamped into the right size and shape, less than 10 cents each, helped to sell the $$$$.$$ solution (several thousand of them). The system itself even has a patent [I had to put that hat on too, the original writeup for the lawyers and a half dozen review/edits], though I think the plastic sheet design just has a copyright. Yeah the fun things!
"I get my best ideas at the strangest times.... so a napkin with a sharpie could actually be a CROWNING MOMENT of BRILLIANCE!"
As much as possible, I try to have my notepad and a pencil with me. I can get ideas out of my head on into my notebook with a pencil much faster than any digital device.
"Oh look. Whataboutism from a trumpster..."
Like 76’861’090 Americans, I would now consider that to be a compliment.
It's a bit like being called Right Wing, it's not a slur, as I simply err towards mild conservatism and truth. Considering that the Left Wing option appears to veer towards imaginary and fantasy, no thanks, it won't get anyone anywhere in the long run.
Posting anonymously because I've always wanted to be an informer to the secret police. Thank you for saving us from those terrible neoliberals, but are you sure you have time to argue about this? There are a number of very real, very serious Truths that demand your attention. I'm pretty sure I saw an immigrant barbecuing dogs and cats in the beam of The Great Space Laser.
It sounds like you're saying that less-than one-quarter of Americans voted for the president-to-be.
And even, why so few?
Really, this presidential candidate, the flaccid sock puppet, his sudden replacement -- it's just bleh. They're evil. (Remember they nomitated Killary? "She's against *Trump*! She _CAN"T LOSE_!!" People were SOOOOOO "wtf do I do...?!?" that it was 50/50!)
Sorry. I digress. The candidates that the major political party (don't pretend they're different..) suggest are so downright evil, and *THE SAME* (remember how the democrats were all about how bad what Trump was doing? and then Bidchen got into office and KEPT DOING THE SAME THINGS?) -- err, they're _so evil_ that no one can even decide which to vote for any more?
Lets put it this way.
- The last few elections have had basically a draw
- The last few elections have had an essentially 50/50 result
- the last few elections have had *high* voter turn-out, with *equal* voters this-side or that-side
I wouldn't expect this. Lets consider the possible explanations,
- Each candidate *actually appeals* to the _majority_ of the voter base that they possibly can, short of becoming the other party
- Each party is well-founded, well thought-out, and attracts voters so strongly that the voter can't decide which candidate is *better*
- Each party offers up such a *terribly* candidate that voters, on average, can't decide which candidate is a lesser evil
Which of the three would you take? I certainly don't think that the current candidates appeal to voters. Even for what you said, I don't think you *want* Trump to be president. How about a random guy off the street? I think you, personally, would prefer just some random person who wouldn't play the political game and would just do things that they honestly believe might fix problems.
Long-winded-rant around, what I'm saying is: if you're voting for a candidate from the major political party, you're voting for evil, and you're knowingly voting for not fixing problems with the United States government. A vote for the major political party is a wasted vote -- it doesn't even matter which side you vote for.
Vote third-party -- ANY third party candidate -- until they get enough to actually be put against the major party in the presidential debates. Once another voice can be heard, people can start considering how things might be different. Until then, you get what you vote for. Evil crap.
"Long-winded-rant around, what I'm saying is: if you're voting for a candidate from the major political party, you're voting for evil, and you're knowingly voting for not fixing problems with the United States government. A vote for the major political party is a wasted vote -- it doesn't even matter which side you vote for."
Personally I agree. I wouldn't use the word evil but probably something more like "Corporist Scum "
"Vote third-party -- ANY third party candidate -- until they get enough to actually be put against the major party in the presidential debates. Once another voice can be heard, people can start considering how things might be different. Until then, you get what you vote for. Evil crap."
This will not change what's happening behind the scenes with Corporate interference. The extremely large corporations have so much wealth and power that they can pay for any party to do as they request. What are lobbyist's other than blackmailers and scoundrels...
In the words of Robert Burns "Oh the giftie, to see ourselves as others see us"
I don't see you as a "Mild conservative," and I'm pretty sure (but I won't say absolutely certain) no one else reading your posts, who knows what an actual conservative view is, would either.
Hint. The FOCF is not in any way , shape or form a "conservative." He is in fact what he likes to accuse others of being, a RHINO.
As usual "accusation is confession"
It is curious how tariffs have suddenly become fashionable in the US. It seems that nobody remembers the great job they did making the Great Depression great.
Nowadays, there are supply chains that have evolved over the years that are going to be disrupted and cannot be easily or quickly rebuilt. The inevitable result is that there will be a disruption of business activity as costs and prices get recalculated upwards.
I am reminded that the US pressured Japan to "voluntarily" restrict auto exports to the US during the 1980s. The result was higher costs for consumers and bonuses for auto industry executives and shareholders. The protected companies failed to take advantage of their good fortune to improve their products - as the unhappy owner of several North American cars in this period, I found that by the time I had gone 80,000 miles, the incessant repair costs made them completely uneconomic to operate.
As i remember it:
The Japanese car manufacturers reacted to the limport limits by exporting high end cars to the US with all of the associated options.
It wasn't the just the import limits that caused the price increase, it was a certain amount of cleverness on the part of the Japanese car manufacturers.
This is just Trump looking for an excuse to try to use tariffs threats as a negotiating lever again. The previous time around he declared Canada and Mexico to be "threats to US national security" and slapped massive tariffs on imports from the two.
However both responded with tariffs of their own, carefully targeted against the districts and states of politicians whom Trump needed the support of, and Trump was force to cave and and back away with his tail between his legs. I suspect it will go the same way this time but only after extensive damage to all three economies.
Important Republican party members are already saying that they're not going to let Trump do whatever he wants on this. The biggest trade item for all three countries is autos and auto parts. The industry is so closely integrated in all three countries that the US auto industry would collapse if Trump were allowed to go ahead with it. The Chinese would be falling off their chairs laughing at the US self destructing on this.
You would think that Trump would have learned from his previous mistakes, but he's evidently learned nothing and forgot nothing.
And in case anyone imagines that Biden was somehow a paragon, he was just as protectionist as Trump, he was just a lot less stupid and self destructive in going about it.
This is the direction the US are going in regardless of who is in power, and it's why both Canada and Mexico have ongoing efforts to diversify trade away from the US. The US are not the future so far as Canada and Mexico are concerned, and it's things like this which is why.
Ford, GM, Stellantis (Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, Jeep) all have large/cheap operations in Mexico - global capitalism in action. It’s not all dirty furriners.
Even Tesla were going to build a factory there - current plans on hold since Space Karen became a MAGA evangelist.
There is a direct relationship on cost of goods and services v’s employee’s location providing. You fundamentally. An’t build an iPad Gen 10 Entey Level for $349 retail in a IS factory.
"build pipelines from Alaska to Texas."
I wonder what the land rents and transit fees would be for the part that passes through Canada? You know, the country the US just put all those tariffs on to encourage Alaskan drilling?
I think Canada also has a special customs-free agreement with the US for trucks transiting up to Alaska in sealed trucks. It'd be shame if all those goods attracted import duties on the way in and then export duties on the way out.
Isn't that what they used to say about Kings and Royal families?
With his absolute presidential immunity granted by SCOTUS he is well on the way to being King Don 1, no doubt with his son thinking about the prospect of being King Don 2.
So many Americans love the British Royal Family now they can have one of their own. I'm sure many of them will be simply thrilled at the prospect.
Although I think they'll find it'll be more in the style of Edward VI than Liz, Phil and Charles.
Canada should just impose export duties to match their import duties. Should have done it a long time ago with their softwood lumber shenanigans. Americans want to pay more for things? Double it. If Americans are charging themselves 25% extra, charge them another 25% on top of that. See how long that lasts.
No keystone pipeline from Canada to usa, but the trans mountain pipeline expansion for bitumen to the port of vancouver has just come online. Canada has less need for American refineries. Also the coastal gaslink pipeline for lng to kitimat a port even closer to asia. The writing is on the wall.
The integration of the auto industry in the east, the disruption will be cataclysmic what did he call it "a blood bath". Chinese made cars will be cheaper anyway even with a 100% tarriff. The writing is on the wall.
Let alone agriculture. Seeds and fertiliser and equipment. Let's tariff war? Food isn't already expensive enough?
There are already Asian majority suburbs in Vancouver. If Trump thinks Canada will beg to stay dependant on the usa instead of continuing to diversify he may be surprised.
"There are already Asian majority suburbs in Vancouver. "
Um, if you're suggesting these folks will be the vanguard of a wave of Canadian trade with China, reflect on the fact that there was an enormous exodus of Hong Kong residents to Commonwealth nations after the British 99-year lease expired, and Canada was a very popular destination. The folks that fled Hong Kong rather than find out what the Chinese government was planning for them now know they were right to leave when they did. I don't think they are going to want to have close connections to that government or its companies.
It's definitely not just the Hong Kong Chinese from decades ago. Maybe they aren't hung go about dealing with China, but they are supremely capable of it and they are very available in Vancouver. Vancouver also has the largest Sikh diaspora population outside of the Punjab region. Out of a population of 2.6m, 1.1m are Asian of all sorts according to wikipedia:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Vancouver_Regional_District
There is also a fairly large container port up in Prince Rupert which is quite a bit closer to asia.
Canada produces about 3.5 million barrels per day of bitumen from the oil sands, and this number is prior to the new export pipeline to Pacific markets which started up this past spring. Prior to that production was limited by pipeline capacity. Canada also produces conventional crude from the prairies and off shore on the east coast, but two thirds of overall oil production (about 5.4 million barrels per day of all types) is bitumen from the oil sands of northern Alberta.
The bitumen is diluted with lighter oil (diluent) to help it flow through the pipeline. Smaller pipelines flow in the opposite direction to return the diluent from the ends of the pipelines back to the start so it can be reused.
There are also some plants which convert the heavy bitumen into lighter synthetic crude oil, but it's generally just cheaper to modify the receiving oil refineries to be able to use the bitumen as is.
Major US oil refineries on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico were designed to use very heavy oil from Venezuela. At about the same time as the latter's oil industry started circling the drain several decades ago oil sands production technology has progressed in Canada to the point where large scale production was profitable. As Venezuelan production fell, Canadian production replaced it in US markets. These refineries are designed around this particular type of oil and there aren't many alternative sources, so US tariffs against Canada will feed directly into higher prices to consumers in the US.
The new pipeline to the Pacific was built by the federal government specifically to try to diversify oil exports away from the US to reduce the economic and strategic risks of being too dependent on trade with the US. Due to the earth being a sphere, Japan, Korea, and China are reasonably close to BC in terms of shipping across the north Pacific. The first shipment of oil from the new pipeline went to a refinery in China, so the market is there.
"Essentially no fentanyl crosses the Canadian border to the US"
Hey there, I'm gonna have to go ahead and make a correction, yah crazy hoser.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/fentanyl-canada-export-1.7030758
"Sadly, Canada is a producing country of fentanyl and synthetic opioids. Not only are we a producing country, we're an exporting country,"
Though from the article it’s Organised Crime, not Big Pharma. Gauthier Blanc if you will. I’d recommend sending the CIA in if it hadn’t been for the Nicaraguan Contra scandal… they’d end up funding Parti Québécois.
‘Organized crime groups in Canada are using precursor chemicals to produce the deadly drug for both the domestic market and for sales abroad, Mathieu Bertrand said in an interview with CBC's The House airing Saturday.’
From the article you link, "Bertrand cited Australia and New Zealand as known destinations for Canada-made fentanyl." No mention of the US as a destination anywhere in the article. There's some mention of fentanyl and its precursors being exported from the US to Canada in that article - it seems your country has a competitive advantage in illegal fentanyl production...
Articles on the source of and seizures of fentanyl entering the USA universally mention Mexico, never Canada.
Canada and the US have a long standing treaty which allows either country to send illegal immigrants back to the other. There was a loophole which allowed people to claim refugee status at official border crossings, but this was closed a couple of years ago with an new treaty. Now refugee claimants can get tossed back for the original party to deal with.
The new treaty was signed when Biden was going to visit Canada and was told that the number one issue the Canadian press were going to ask him about was the flood of illegal immigrants from the US crossing into Canada (it's mainly from the US to Canada) through the refugee loophole. Suddenly, a treaty which the US (including Trump) had for many years insisted was not possible for the US to sign was suddenly possible and got signed and approved in short order in time for the visit by Biden.
Prior to that the biggest issue that Canada had with the US was illegal immigrants coming from the US to Canada, while the Americans (including Trump) claimed they could do nothing about it. Canadian opposition politicians were demanding that Canada build a wall to stop it, although nobody was suggesting that the Americans pay for this one.
Most of the border is actually not that easy to cross illegally. Most if it is either in very remote areas, or lakes and rivers and mountains. Both are monitored closely. The border is where it is because it was a defensible line dating from a series of UK-French, and later US-Canada wars. Canada faced a long running invasion, insurgency, and terrorism threat from the US through most of the 19th century.
There is still a smuggling problem, with most of it being drugs and guns from the US being smuggled into Canada in shipments of goods. The US import drugs from places such as South America and Asia, and organized crime gangs arrange for them, as well as US made illegal guns (mainly pistols), to be smuggled into Canada.
The biggest single problem is probably an Indian Reservation which straddles the border south of Montreal. It's technically two separate reservations, but the residents have special treatment from both countries which allows them to travel freely between them without passing through customs and immigration. Native organized crime gangs have heavily infiltrated local governance and police (they have their own police forces) on both sides of the border, and smuggling of everything from cigarettes, to drugs, to illegal immigrants is a major industry. Their proximity to Montreal and New York means they have very good transportation links to distribute their goods everywhere. Doing something about it means making coordinated changes to treaty arrangements by both countries with both reservations, but that is a hugely sensitive historic political issue so nobody has done much about it. Trump completely ignored it the last time around, so I doubt he'll do anything this time either.
This post has been deleted by its author
"America's neighbors now face 25% because of fentanyl and immigration, China just 10% on top of existing duties"
That's completely wrong semantics. It's not Mexico or China that "face" the tariffs, and will have to pay them, but the American companies and ultimately consumers that import and buy goods from said countries.
It's the exact lie that got Trump elected, but will completely backfire on Americans when actually implemented.
It's the exact lie that got Trump elected, but will completely backfire on Americans when actually implemented
Sssh.
Just let them fuck things up, and republicans will lose the house & senate in 2026 and much of Trump's power will be neutralized. I think we're really at the point where the people who voted Trump in need to "fuck around find out" and the rest of us should stand back and let him do his worst to insure they do find out.
Just let them fuck things up, and republicans will lose the house & senate in 2026Just let them fuck things up, and republicans will lose the house & senate in 2026
I think you brutally overestimate the intelligence of the average US voter. Here is a hint: they chose Trump and Republicans. Again. A multiple times indicted criminal wil be running the country.
All you need over there are some plausible lies like blaming the other party and they'll vote again Republican. I have come across sheep with more brains.
"I think you brutally overestimate the intelligence of the average US voter"
They were smart enough not to vote for the cackling idiot who can't string a sentence together on their own. Watching the democrat party implode as they desperately try and find a reason for their loss that isn't 'we had an awful candidate' is just hilarious.
At Timmy Walz said, 'we can't have 4 more years of this', and the voters agreed.
Voting for "change" is very different from a ringing endorsement of the other side – see also the UK General Election. Electorates are fickler and vindictive. Sure, Trump even managed to win the popular vote this time, but he's going to have to deliver improvements in the standard of living quickly, not to lose the mid-terms like he did in 2018.
And your point is? The House has frequently been lost in the mid-terms, at least this millenium. It's on a knife-edge at the moment and I don't think anyone would be surprised to see it swing in 2026, which might make Johnson's task of herding cats, even harder. Okay, that git Gaetz has gone, but MTG and her friends are still there, along with a few from the suburbs who are probably already looking over their shoulder.
My point is that you're making a claim as if there is something special about Trump being the president. (which there is of course, the establishment hate him and that is just brilliant!) The current house is really no more or less on a knife edge than in 2020. If you want a big swing in the house look at 2008 to 2010. The Obama administration lost bigly in 2010 with the house flipping from a nice Dem majority to an almost equally nice GOP majority.
Bush the younger is the only prez in the last 30+ years to win the house at first election and not lose the house in his first midterms. Clinton, Obama, Trump and Biden all lost the house in their first midterm.
Gaetz will be back!
Obama lost "bigly" in 2010 (hilarious to see Trumpbots repeating the made up morons the mental midget spews) as much because of the 2008 crash that Bush & co were largely responsible for (if you want to blame it on Clinton era policies Bush had 8 years to reverse those policies and did not, because the housing bubble benefited the economy and Wall Street until it suddenly didn't)
The after effects of the housing crash caused unemployment to reach 10% couldn't be solved overnight so Obama got the blame in 2010, but he got things under control well under in 2012 to win handily a second time. It was like the shellacking Reagan took in 1982, because the Fed was fighting inflation and raised interest rates to 11% or whatever it was at its peak to "slay the dragon" and Reagan got blamed for it but it was in the rear view mirror by 1984 so he won in a landslide.
Last time Trump had adults in the room to stop him from his worst impulses, this time he's surrounded by yes men who will do whatever stupid thing he wants, and it sounds like the two things he wants the most are deporting millions of people who do all the shit jobs at low wages like meatpacking or picking vegetables, and imposing tariffs on pretty much everyone. That's going to light a fire under inflation, and if it is back to 10% in two years he can lie all he wants about it being Biden's fault or whoever, democrats will take the house and more importantly the senate - meaning no more unqualified lapdog judges like Aileen Cannon. Democrats will do what McConnell did in Obama's last couple years and refuse to confirm anyone.
"2012 to win handily a second time"
He didn't win the house in 2012 and the GOP fielded one of the worst candidates they could find.
The dems will continue their denial of why they lost and will hopefully implode.
"meaning no more unqualified lapdog judges"
Only Democrat party supporting unqualified lapdogs then :) Didn't Ketanji Brown upset the lefties when she joined the majority about the over charging of Jan 6th protesters?
I never claimed there was anything special about the election. That could have been claimed in 2016 when he quite heavily lost the popular vote, but seeing as the it's the electoral college that does the electing, that's merely an observation.
And in your second paragraph you're agreeing with me: the House tends to flip in the mid-terms.
"quite heavily lost the popular vote"
Cope harder.
His popular vote loss in 2016 is within 10% of his win in 2024 and all the crying lefties are blubbing about how he 'barely won' and 'doesn't have a mandate' as he 'didn't get 50% of the eligible voter base'.
Hillary didn't even get 50% of the popular vote in 2016!
Just accept that the dems shot themselves in the foot with the late coup against Sleepy Joe and Harris was an awful candidate who ran a fake, scripted campaign pandering to a list of perceived issues and in reality had zero real policies.
Back to paying teenagers for sex, maybe. Of course he could save some cash if you asked his pal Hegseth where to get hold of some roofies*
But since he resigned his seat they'll have to have another election.
Maybe the first time the US voters get a chance to express their feelings now that the FOCF has won.
*Not that I'm suggesting he knows where to do so of course....
IDK. It kinda of sounds like the same moron to me.
I will note 3 things about Harris's campaign.
1) She knew, as did Biden, that every previous attempt by an incumbent to change candidates mid-election failed. On that basis Harris's failure was the odds-on outcome.
2) Harris ran (by US standards) a ridiculously short campaign starting from most voters asking "Kamala who?" To being 6 seats behind in the House and 6 behind in the Senate.
3) She was fighting the nostalgia for lower food and fuel prices. Not the reality (fuel prices down due to lockdown for example) the nostalgia for the "good old days" of 2016-2020, regardless of how many excess deaths were caused by the FOCF inability to admit how serious the pandemic was.
Let's see what happens to those egg, apple and fuel prices over the next four years.
@John Smith 19
"2) Harris ran (by US standards) a ridiculously short campaign starting from most voters asking "Kamala who?" To being 6 seats behind in the House and 6 behind in the Senate."
I would be surprised if it was Kamala who. She was wildly unpopular in her presidential run against Biden. Biden made sure everyone knew she was a DEI hire as VP, and as VP she had nothing to boast about. Her short campaign was an advert for how bad the Biden government had been (but she couldnt think of anything she would do different), about face her positions to copy Trump, extremely friendly media appearances that still made her look bad and calling Trump Hitler. She couldnt answer simple questions such as when she knew Biden wasnt capable?
"3) She was fighting the nostalgia for lower food and fuel prices."
And the stunning economy Trump had pre-covid. The one that Obama claimed wouldnt be (his new normal) and then started taking credit for it! Even now he tries to take credit for Trumps successful economy.
There was only one candidate running for president this time. Harris wasnt a candidate she was a DEI hire who was then anointed so they could access Bidens campaign money. Biden trying to tank the Harris campaign was fun, he looked so happy in meeting Trump
Brexit true believers are still in denial about it, thinking any issues were it was just not hard enough. Trump supporters will be no different.
They - inc amplifier Musk - will revert to blaming Biden, the Deep State, furriners, China, LGBT people, voter fraud and everybody but themselves.
El Reg» It's likely the entire thing is another set of empty threats. Even if the President-elect doesn't understand how tariffs work, people in his orbit probably do, and they'd know the effects on the American economy.
I'm not so sure.
Trump has his heart set on tariffs and they won't affect him personally. He has surrounded himself with yes-men (yes-people?) and ideologues who would rather burn the house down than give in. What does Donald Trump prize most highly? Loyalty. And he has surrounded himself with loyal people.
It will be especially hard for the Republicans in Congresss. Who wants to display their disloyalty by suggesting that maybe, just maybe, his policies will hurt their constituents, only then to lose their seat in 2 years' time?
I expect to see what Trump promises. There is no-one there to stop him unless NPR can get to Barron first and explain the basics of economics to him.
Musk has generously offered to spend what it takes to unseat/primary whoever votes against his puppet-prez. He also has plans to defund the leftie woke DEi-riddled NPR.
(And /s, just in case you didn't notice)
They'll be a lot of people voluntarily and involuntarily getting their coats before he's finished ---->
We also have a thriving export trade in guns to Mexico. Mexican gun ownership is seriously controlled so the only way that the cartels can arm themselves with effective weaponry is to smuggle it in from El Norte (usually TX and AZ).
I'd suggest that our export of guns to Mexico does a lot more harm than any drugs smuggled north. After all, we created the opioid crisis by fist allowing a US pharma company to mass prescribe opioids under the canard that the formulation was non-addictive and then when it was clear that this was a lie we reacted by abruptly turning off the tap. Anyone who's had any contact with junkies knows that this isn't going to work -- they'll literally move mountains to get more. We can fix the opioid crisis in the US but we can't because of our stupid moralizing mindset makes it difficult to employ pragmatic solutions.
So we do what we always do -- point the finger elsewhere and make a lot of noise.
They did, but with the US health 'service' most Americans could only afford the initial dose of Perdue's wares and so were then left to go off-brand once their insurance ran out.
If we removed the petty buerocracy of the FDA and allowed Sackler and Walter White equal access to the free market.
He threatens to do something (Muslim ban, build a wall) legacy media go apeshit, claim he's insane. Then he either doesn't do the thing (muslim ban) or half arses a little bit of it (50 miles of new wall on the border). He takes credit from his base for doing something he didn't, while not actually doing very much.
These tariffs will be implemented the same way.
The important thing from his perspective is that we're all talking about him. That's what he needs and why he behaves like this.
And we simps just suck it up.....
No you hoped he wasn't going to go through with them.
Or some of you thought it's a buffet "He'll do some things and leave the rest that were "obviously" insane and only used to wind up the Dems."
Wrong.
The idea "He was joking" implies a person with a sense of humour. An ability to construct a comment that normal people would regard as a "Joke"
I have never seen him make a joke in the conventional sense.
IOW He's serious about all of it.
Of course I could be wrong. But the whole world is going to find out who's right over the next four (or more) years.
I can't speak for Mexico, but I have met quite a few Canadians over the years. The last any of them would consider is to immigrate into the US, illegally or otherwise. So "Illegal Aliens" from Canada don't seem to be America's main problem. And according to the DEA Canada isn't a major source of Fentanyl, either. The bulk of it comes straight into the US and the bulk of what Canada imports is for the Canadian market. Only "some Fentanyl products ... on a smaller scale" reach the US via Canada.
Which means that what really will get hit are things like lumber, metals for use in EV batteries and pretty much all electronic and mechanical products oil and other Canadian imports that will hit the technology market harder than anything else.
Not sure what hallucinogen Trump is currently on, but it's gotta be really good stuff. Too bad it won't have come from Canada.
So "Illegal Aliens" from Canada don't seem to be America's main problem.
As enforcement gets more attention on the southern border, some (India, Asia) have switched to flying to Canada and coming in across the northern border. Most coming across the southern border aren't Mexican, so your point that Canadians don't want to move south is irrelevant.
Bright side, if lumber goes up I'll get more $$$ out of my house when i sell it next year. Just have to get it on the market before the recession.
>Bright side, if lumber goes up I'll get more $$$ out of my house when i sell it next year. Just have to get it on the market before the recession.
Haven't you heard? All houses are now to be made out of straw, following the appointment of a Mr Wolf as infrastructure czar
I think with Trump & Co we're well past 'under the table' - that would imply a the presence of a conscience and concern about legal consequences.
Both have been notably absent over the last few years, the former because it's not in their DNA and the latter due to an absence of balls in the AG. Expect grift on an absolutely epic scale.
Personally I am against tariffs but Trump was elected on the platform of fixing the immigration problem and related problems.
In other news-
Jack Smith files to dismiss his case against Trump, and apparently looking to quit and run before Trump can boot him out.
The UK and France are discussing sending troops to Ukraine.
' . . . Trump was elected on the platform of fixing the immigration problem and related problems.' Which he won't fix. His wall is unbuilt and Mexico hasn't paid for what little that got poorly built.
Jack Smith asked for the cases to be dismissed without prejudice - meaning they could be restarted once Trump is out of office. Will Trump last that long anyway?
Jack Smith is smart. The higher up you're on Trump's list of targets to persecute you'd better do something to protect yourself. Jack could go back to the Hague for a while and come back and toast Trump's ass in a few years time.
@dangerous race
"Which he won't fix. His wall is unbuilt and Mexico hasn't paid for what little that got poorly built."
Of course Mexico isnt paying for it (whatever Trump says). He did get some built against serious opposition, which made Kamila's wall side video all the more amusing. Hopefully he can get more built but we will see. Wasnt it something like 500 miles including replacing old border defences? Both primary and secondary barriers.
"Jack Smith asked for the cases to be dismissed without prejudice - meaning they could be restarted once Trump is out of office."
He possibly could but since the cases didnt have much going for them and can be dismissed so easily (remember Trump was a national threat) they would probably need new material. Not that it would be worth going after Trump again once his term is over, he cant run for President again.
@AC
"Oh, it would still be worth it. Even just a week in a cell wearing a jumpsuit matching his face paint without any attention from anyone would be worth it."
Isnt that a little vindictive? Why? Surely the end goal isnt to just put people in prison for entertainment, surely the legal system is for prosecuting crimes and jail may or not be appropriate depending on the crime?
@AC
At least someone answered. From what I see (skim read) the one item is the misdemeanour that was tried after the statute of limitations. They can only do that if it is in relation to a crime but Trump has not been charged with a crime to relate it to. Aside from misbehaviour from the judge during the case this would be lucky to survive an appeal.
And nowhere close to what he wishes on his political opponents and which he expects both his pick for DoJ head (a known 2020 election denier) and Kash* Patel as head of the FBI
Found this recently and I think it's most appropriate
@John Smith 19
"And nowhere close to what he wishes on his political opponents and which he expects both his pick for DoJ head (a known 2020 election denier) and Kash* Patel as head of the FBI"
That the DOJ and FBI are bricking it and I hear talking to lawyers to try to prepare for the grilling they will get it seems Trump is on the right track. After the very public FBI scandals and lawfare against Trump the organisations need a good clearing out and possibly a few arrests for their behaviour. Their protecting of the Bidens such as the laptop and plea deal as well as accusations of allowing him to get away with tax evasion may also need a further clearing out.
For organisations that shouldnt be political they have been a weapon used against Trump for almost a decade.
> Surely the end goal isnt to just put people in prison for entertainment, surely the legal system is for prosecuting crimes and jail may or not be appropriate depending on the crime?
Have you met the United States?
An eye for an eye, do the crime do the time, "Justice", debt to society
The United States is all about throwing people in jail. Many corporations that run the prison system make lots of profit running the jails, providing food to them, the extortionate telephone rates, and etc. Jail is big business in the US! Gotta keep the business running. Imagine how many people would lose jobs if you closed prisons all over!
I've been told that the prison guard's union in California was so large, that it had such a strong voting force over local politicians, that mandatory minimum jail sentences kept going up and up, requiring more and more prison guards. It's a fact that the United States has the highest number of incarcerated citezens. Higher than China (despite 5x population), with China second, Brazil third (less than half, with 2/3 the US population). The US is number six in incarceration rate over population (with 1-5 mostly being very small countries).
"Not that it would be worth going after Trump again once his term is over"
I've long been convinced that when a new head of government takes over a special prosecutor should be appointed to collect evidence of misdoings as they happen. Either it keeps the HoG on the straight and narrow or the prosecution is ready as soon as they leave office.
There's a Tariff Exclusion Process.
Where companies can "petition" the USG to not have tariffs on their goods coming from China for various reasons.
It was set up by the FOCF the last time he tried this.
An analysis found that some companies were 2x as likely to get an exclusion as others.
The feature they shared?
They were Republican donors.
This is what a kleptocracy looks like. Businesses pay the FOCF, charge the US consumer and a sizeable chunk of the voting public are dumb enough not to put the two together.
You begin to see the possibilities. The researches who did the study said the process lacked "Transparency."
The voters get ff**ed but can't figure out how they are getting fu**ed.
Welcome to life under the "New Management"*
*Formerly the "New World Order."
During the early years of the US the government raised revenue using tariffs so I reckon that this is a way of levying taxes without actually appearing to levy taxes. Its really an end user tax like VAT, a kind of tax that seems to have settled around the same level. (Its a tax that I know we'd love to use in the US but can't because the population owns too many pitchforks and torches.)
This is likely to be most painful to businesses, especially SMEs. Consumers -- end users -- are already seriously squeezed so squeezing them some more won't achieve significant results. People will just put off buying things unless they have to; business, OTOH, has to keep trade moving, it can't just wait this out.
Don't be.
The Federal Society, the hard line Catholic group that Leonard Leo runs which has been busily packing the SCOTUS and other courts with pro-life SEL Judges for the last 20 (Cannon was one of their "recommendations") years and the billionaire backers (the ones with real $Bn in the bank) all think life was better (for them) back in the "Good old days."
And they want to take the US back to the '50s. The 1850s.
And in the words of the great-and-glorius-leader they will do this "Wheather you like it or not."
Do you understand a bit better what's happening now?
Do you think that would make it any clearer to the numpties that voted for it?
I guess that would depend if that's part of a child's vocabulary between 3-5th Grade? That's what the FOCF uses.
On a general point I think people who've had the benefit of a broad (or at least expensive) education (like lawyers for example) want to show it's been worth it. One of the ways to do that is to use the expanded vocabulary they've acquired.
Now that's probably not going to count against them in say a courtroom, where the real audience is about 18 (in the US 12 on the jury, 6 alternates).
But when you're audience is in the millions that's a more dubious plan. Especially given what we now know about the education level of the US electorate. Basic English? 1500 words total.
Perhaps more US politicians should consider Benjamin Franklin's line about "If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter*" ?
*Originated by Blaise Pascal and attributed to Mark Twain, who does not appear to have used it.
"Especially given what we now know about the education level of the US electorate. Basic English? 1500 words total."
So you blame poor education for Trump winning? The biggest teachers union is headed by someone as blue as can be. Randi Weingarten was literally begging people to vote blue. Some of the worst schools are the ones in the deep blue cities run by entirely blue boards funded by blue state and city governments. There are schools in the US turning out functionally illiterate and innumerate kids who will likely spend the rest of their life on govt handouts just like their parents. These are not Trump voters.
Wrong again.
Comprehension not your strong suite?
What I mean (and my reference to Pascal would have made clear) was that one of the reasons Harris lost was a failure to recognise the size of her audience to keep her views comprehensible to the largest number of them. I'd thought Obama's success had taught the Dems the vital value of social media (or the way it helped win Brexit for the quitters, very much a dry run for the US elections).
Apparently not. :-(. Harris's team saw the FOCF rambling on at his rallies and failed to see the 10s of millions of viewers for various podcasts. Unregulated and unfiltered. Instead her campaign rather condescendingly called it "Talking to the bros." Her campaign failed to realise this. Their explanation that she was in Houston the same day the FOCF was recording his Joe Rogan slot was pi**poor.
And BTW the whole blue cities --> schools turn out functional illiterates --> govt handout is a classic claim of SEL's on the right.
So putting the head of World Wrestling Entertainment in charge of the Education is going to fix this? Are you f**king kidding me?
I'll just recall the time Large Marge talked about how the Red states should leave the union as all those Blue states were full of gubmint wellfare and how it was pointed out to her that IRL it's the Red states which most voted for the FOCF that have the most people on welfare, the lowest average living standards. Not that some in those states (like Large Marge herself) do rather well. IIRC the last Klan rally in her county was in the late 80's. The 1980's.
"Comprehension not your strong suite?"
Certainly isn't really yours or anyone else in the Democrat bubble!
"What I mean"
Oh, so not what you said originally.... ok. So you're now NOT claiming Trump's supporters are thickies? I know Elongated Muskrat loves to get all snobby about how all the clever people vote left and the thicks vote right.
"keep her views comprehensible"
Yes, you're still calling them thickies.
"Harris's team saw the FOCF rambling on at his rallies and failed to see the 10s of millions of viewers for various podcasts"
Actually what they did was attack Trump's rallies claiming they were small and that people were leaving early as they were bored. When you're utterly full of yourself you can convince yourself that a falsehood is the truth and completely dismiss it from your mind.
Not to mention all the crap being spouted about his 'rambling being signs of obvious mental decline'. The utter joke was the claim about Trump being a bit rude with the mic yet they had people twerking, grinding and actually doing rude things with mics at the Harris rallies.
https://www.newsweek.com/kamala-harris-laughs-compares-her-crowd-size-doland-trump-1978400
There was no need to "keep her views comprehensible". The other side understood her views perfectly. This is why they voted for Trump. She ran on populist identity politics, abortion, false claims about wanting to make the rich 'pay their fair share' (something the dems have spouted for decades but have never followed through) all while the super rich endorse her (showing what we all know, its just a show).
"Her campaign failed to realise this." "her campaign rather condescendingly"
This is what happens when your campaign is run by people with a bad case of TDS and/or ZERO life experience outside of their own little bubble. What I left out of my previous post was a comment on how even those with 'good' education in the US, especially those who go to ivy league unis, are FAR from being actually educated. These are usually the 'activist' types. They've grown up in the participation trophy era with helicopter parents and have never been told 'NO'. This really came to the surface 7-8 years ago now with Evergreen and Mizzou. The students taking the staff hostage until the staff gave in to their demands. Grievance culture, being offended on behalf of someone else, virtue signalling etc.
Those were the types running the disastrous Harris campaign. They can't see past identity politics, have zero reasoning skills and have had a belief installed in them that they are the best and smartest. When combined with a smug but false sense of intellectual and moral superiority over 'the thickies' you have a recipe for such a disaster.
"Talking to the bros."
Its not just the bros. I think the only demographic that didn't swing away from the dems was college educated white women. See earlier paragraph for the reason.
"Red states which most voted for the FOCF that have the most people on welfare, the lowest average living standards"
Ah the blue collar states which the coastal elites ignore and DC destroys. They'd much rather not be on welfare and are voting for someone who might give them an opportunity at having a job. Remember the utter snobbery of the 'learn to code' thing when a load of coal miners lost their jobs? And how when the journalists lost their jobs they got all bent out of shape when they where told 'learn to code' by the very people they'd previously looked down their noses at?
The left won't learn.
I especially love the "China hasn't killed enough drug manufacturers" part. I'm pretty sure making drugs is not an automatic death penalty case. If it were, wouldn't the Sacklers have already been executed, being they are currently negotiating the terms for the payout related to the entire opioid crisis?
Especially given what we now know about the education level of the US electorate. Basic English? 1500 words total.
Citation Needed™. A typical 5-year-old has an expressive vocabulary of 2,100-2,200 words, and can recognize at least 10,000.
Or are you simply saying that the majority of US electors have something other than English as their first language, and are living in the US without bothering to learn it?
Another AC who's as ignorant of history as language. Never read any Heinlein either it would appear.
Not basic English "Basic English"
The fact that the FOCF doesn't even use that size of vocabulary should be a very worrying mark of the intelligence of the voters. Like the types who googled "What's a tariff?"
"The majority of US electors have something other than English as their first language,"
Isn't that the "Great replacement theory" that assorted Qanon SEL types espouse? If that were the case how could Harris possibly have lost? Critical reasoning not really a big thing with you conspiracy theory types is it?
I can see why you're posting AC. Don't worry. You're safe in Mommy's basement.
Let's see what happens to the price of eggs (and apples, but only those in the cooler cabinet) once the FOCF gets his tiny, sticky fingers on the levers of power.
It's time to call a spade a spade here.
The "tariffs" are in no way designed to move manufacturing, to punish recalcitrant countries for so-called "bad" behavior, or any of that bullshit you might hear the Orange-utan or any of his minions bleat about. It is a tax increase, pure and simple. One whose job it is to offset the second round of fat-ass tax cuts tRump will give to his new cadre of Oligarchs-in-waiting.
tRump couldn't possibly ram through a tax increase especially one on the lower and middle class folks he desperately wants to move wealth from. Instead, by calling the wealth transfer "tariffs", he can fool his "low-intelligence voters" into believing he is "helping them" (and also into believing his absolutely warped idea that "ferrin gubmits are paying the terruffs"). The goods are taxed (yes, taxed, it's a real word, you MAGAts) at the border, and the increase in prices passed onto the consumer. These will affect the lower income folks. They will also affect upper income folks too; their yachts and Bentleys will cost a bit more, too. But it will affect the lower- and middle-income people even more. And the increases the fatasses encounter will be more than offset by the tRump fatass tax cuts, version 2.0...which will be financed* by the tithes that are paid by importers at the border.
It's a devilishly simple plan, and ticks off all the boxes for your typical brown-shirted oligarch-in-waiting. I'm just surprised that it hasn't been exposed by the "librul mdjia"... Maybe (since the owners of the "librul mejia" are themselves fatasses) they're in on it?
* "Financed" is a funny word when used in terms of American ... well, probably any government's .. budgeting. "Offset" might be a better term, if immediately followed by the qualifier, "to some degree or another".
>their yachts and Bentleys will cost a bit more, too.
Their yachts are owned by a Bermudan corporation, no tarrifs or US sales tax.
That's the nice thing about tarrifs, they don't tax services, so as long as you spend more of your income on holidays, restaurants and shows rather than on basic necessities you don't see the tax rises.
Just wondering ... does anyone actually believe Trump will stop the war in one day and tell Vlad to fuck off ?
Me - no.
We can see with Vlads recent extra efforts he is not scared at all...and is sacrificing everyone else ... because he is dying and bitter and wnats to take everyone else with him.
"Just wondering ... does anyone actually believe Trump will stop the war in one day and tell Vlad to fuck off ?"
I dont think day one, but I do think Trump would make the honest effort of ending the war and probably succeed. Russias 'special operation' has turned into a long slog nobody wants and Ukraine is only at war as long as the US supplies it. Trump isnt even president yet and Zelensky has already changed from no diplomacy to it now being an option. Ending Russias embarrassment in a face saving way and only supplying Ukraine to continue the war if Putin wont accept peace would probably put a quick end to the war.
What is very concerning is the NATO escalation where UK and US missiles to strike Russia are now ok and the UK and France are talking about sending troops into Ukraine. Options we wouldnt consider as they would escalate the war and have a strong possibility of dragging NATO into the war are now at this last moment acceptable.
Hahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahah
"Honest" and "probably succeed" suggest you are both gullible and delusional.
Putin could end his war tomorrow if he declared his "Special military operation" a total success (because he is the great-and-glorious-leader-and-he-says-how-it-is-and-it-is) and withdraw back to the original Ukraine borders, before his earlier 2013 invasion.
Time will tell how it actually plays out.
@John Smith 19
"Putin could end his war tomorrow if he declared his "Special military operation" a total success (because he is the great-and-glorious-leader-and-he-says-how-it-is-and-it-is) and withdraw back to the original Ukraine borders, before his earlier 2013 invasion."
And then have his strong man image completely torched. It isnt really an option for him, he needs to either win or have a face saving way out of the war. The idea he will retreat back to the original borders just doesnt sound realistic to me, he might go back to Crimea which he took under Obama but to withdraw completely would be a surprise. I wouldnt be shocked if a peace deal includes him keeping Crimea and Ukraine not joining NATO.
"Time will tell how it actually plays out."
Of course.
True.
And neither did the EU.
In retrospect this could be said to be his biggest failure. The Affordable Care Act possibly being his biggest triumph
Now the West has the biggest invasion since WWII on Europe's doorstep because a failed state elected a kleptocrat psychopath who wants to rebuild the country he was in when his career in the KGB ended.
It can be said that "Democracy is everybody's business" The question is of course is where do you draw the line? At elections (roughly 1/3 of the eligible US voters couldn't be bothered to vote)? Unprovoked invasion (like Ukraine)? Ongoing guerrilla war (like Vietnam)?
As the US begins rule under a weak, greedy and easily manipulable person ("There eating the dogs," except they weren't) who makes Tricky Dicky's character look like Eisenhower I hope a lot more people will be thinking about that question.
We can reach back and denounce GWB's adventurism in Iraq or we can go back and argue ol' Dick Nixon is responsible for all this as he tried to open up China as a front against the Soviet Union if we wanna discuss foreign policy failure honestly.
Why weren't those mentioned, I wonder.
I dislike the technocratic while also incompetent democratic party but there's no clean hands here.
True.
The question is, given that this is the situation now what will people do about it.
I hope Biden and the Democrats, the EU and NATO will use the time remaining wisely both in helping Ukraine and Gaza and in putting in protections to maintain lawful government.
Time will tell how well they succeed.
I think the shocking thing that this has shown is how much of the US system of law and government was solely dependent on the personal honour of elected and appointed officials.
No mandatory enforceable ethics rules in the SCOTUS (or anywhere else in the Federal Courts system AFAIK). Cannon's issuing the Special Master requirement to force the case to come to her court (where she bent over backward to support the FOCF while Jack Smith failed to do anything)
SCOTUS judges "Forgetting" to disclose $250 000 RV's paid for by billionaire litigants with cases in front of them with no automatic investigation, and likewise nothing from the IRS.
A US AG in Merrick Garland who wasted months trying to not look partial instead of following the law, and the evidence.
IHMO Chutkyin comes out best. Basically "I run my Court on my schedule. You chose to run for office and allegedly commit these crimes but you need to fit your schedule to the Court, not the other way around"
"putting in protections to maintain lawful government."
LOL!
The CIA installed government in Ukraine and the terrorist organisation running Gaza.
Right now Biden, or at least his deep state handlers, along with NATO and the EU are doing their level best to get Moscow to nuke someone.
And Merrick Garland is a party hack who is still sore he didn't get a SCOTUS seat. He doesn't follow the law, he makes it up.
THe reason Vlad wont stop the war has nothing to do with personal image.
You fail to comprehend and ask the q what is advantageous for Vlad, Vlad not Russia, but Vlad and only Vlad.
His only goal is to keep power, everything else is expendable. We can see that with how he spends the blood and destruction of Russian soldiers etc. He doesnt care.
THe war is his way of creating a fence arounD Russia so he holds power. Stopping trade of the Ruble for a few months again is an adv for him. The R is already fucked by Western sanctions, he cant change that, but he can now trap all Russians inside because they cant get their money out. Im not saying its perfect but its the easiest action he can take to trap everyone in Russia under his thumb.
@CowHorseFrog
"His only goal is to keep power, everything else is expendable. We can see that with how he spends the blood and destruction of Russian soldiers etc. He doesnt care."
I dont disagree and I could be wrong, but I expect he would prefer his very short 'special military operation', which has turned into a long slog and any weakness could get him assassinated, would be better if it was over. Contrast that against his positive view towards Trumps administration which wants to end the war and the current administration desperately trying to commit NATO to a war with Russia and I do think he would accept a diplomatic end if he didnt look weak from it.
"THe war is his way of creating a fence arounD Russia so he holds power."
The fence around Russia was a barrier between them and NATO. By pushing into Ukraine the west removed that fence and then Crimea happened. There was a break while Trump was president and then back to it with Biden. Of course Finland is now in NATO so that fence has gone.
code: I dont disagree and I could be wrong, but I expect he would prefer his very short 'special military operation', which has turned into a long slog and any weakness could get him assassinated, would be better if it was over.
cow: Of course VP would have preferred that the UKR gave up from day one. Im of the belief that he bluffed and expected UKR to fold without actually firing a bullet back in anger, basically a replay of Crimera 2014.
The SPO is just an event, its much lower priority than Vlads primary goal of keeping power.
~
cow: "THe war is his way of creating a fence arounD Russia so he holds power."
code: The fence around Russia was a barrier between them and NATO. By pushing into Ukraine the west removed that fence and then Crimea happened. There was a break while Trump was president and then back to it with Biden. Of course Finland is now in NATO so that fence has gone.
cow: Sorry , you misunderstood my statement. What i meant to say, is Putin wants a fence around Russia to keep the Russians INSIDE, think of Berlin Wall 2024. In one move, he has destroyed any ability for all the millions of Russians thinking of leaving, now they will have to leave with basically no money which means far more will remain in Russia and hope they survive.
Another 4 years of daily bloviation via Twatter/Xitter/Whatever by Ancient Orange. I'm already bored of it and he isn't even Prez yet. Any chance that El Reg can resist echoing His Greatness's pronouncements so we can have just one news source that isn't plastered in bluster, meaningless drivel, and utter bullshit?
I would, at the next G-whatever-these-days or equivalent bun fight, invite the outstanding world leading arsehole to a select cocktail party serving Piña Colada au Polonium or Nikolashka au Novichok both naturally à la russe.
Although I also understand that more than a few Canadian wouldn't be too unhappy if he poured one for himself. :)
A charming thought but with some regrettable consequences.
The assassination of a head of state by a state-level actor is usually viewed as an act of war, unless he leaves a note stating he acted alone and that no one else was aware of his plans.
That would leave JD "Shady" Vance in charge. That little invertebrate has decades of life left in him.
Of course I would never dream of advocating the assassination of any head of state, although I can understand how people could think several of them would look good as the guest of honour at a funeral.
My coat is the one with "Eagle Eye" in the side pocket. Tata.
US pillars of wealth undermined:
The rule of law: convicted criminal Trump as president. Uncertainty and the cost of doing business will go up.
Migration: plans to deport millions. Shave off a few points from GDP.
International trade: tariffs on its major trading partners. Own goal for the US, products will be more expensive there; major blow for Mexico in particular but then it has even bigger problems, with the country in the hands of drug cartels because of a coluded failed State.
Rule number one to survive populists: look trough their bluster to find their inanity; by wanting to appear strong Trump continues to debase the US.
Can Canada begin to charge an annual monster sized fine for all gun manufacturers in the grand old US of A for all the illegal guns crossing the border?
I’m thinking an annual fee of a few billion. Or maybr withholding electricity and fuel distribution. But we won’t call it a tariff.
Please , when posting any declarations from Trump , fact check them.
0.1% of the fentanyl entering the USA transited through Caanada.
LaPresse fact checked this and Trump is , again , lying through his teeth.
1/65 " illegals " transited through Canada . Not Canadians , transited through.
He is lying through his teeth as usual to inflame his base.
Publishing anything Trump without a serious fact check discredits your publication.
"As The Register and many other publications have pointed out, tariffs don't penalize the country doing the exporting."
So if we follow this to the obvious conclusion, countries are better off by not penalizing themselves with import tariffs. This was one of the arguments for brexit and I have brought it up many times, especially how import tariffs on things we dont make or produce is stupid and then I get downvotes and people arguing for protectionism.
I do wonder where these people are who should be defending Trump and demanding tariffs to bring the work back to the US. I dont agree with protectionism but it is strange hearing my unpopular opinion being a reason to attack Trump.
In other news-
President Biden promised he wouldnt pardon his son. And has pardoned him for any crimes he has committed between 2014 and 2024. Of course he was going to and even if further investigation leads to the Big Man nobody will prosecute Joe because of his mental state (as with the illegal handling of classified documents).
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
