Trump's tariff wars...long post.

[TimR]

Closest to anyone speaking sense (from a English perspective) is Bernie Sanders. 

 

He's 83 and speaks more coherently than Biden or Trump.

 

My dad is 85, he plays tennis, sails and goes hill walking. He dispairs at these youngsters. 😉

[Geddys nose]

 

[Agent 00Soul]

  On 15/03/2025 at 17:17, Russ said:

 

The other side of the equation is that the Dems desperately need to get their s**t together. They're flailing around like headless chickens right now, with nobody in charge, a disunited front to what's going on, and nothing to unite around.  

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I’ve never known what the Dems stand for except that they are pro-choice and they aren’t Republicans.  After that I’m scratching my head. They seem a disparate bunch of specific groups -  LGBTQ, ethnicity, environmental, atheists, middle class city dwellers, etc - that don't really have much in common except they have no home in the GOP.  For example, the African-American groups that are descended from the Civil Rights era and often centred around the church tend to be very homophobic and also resent the AOCs of the party. The white working class base has long since moved on; their personal values tend to be much closer to the Republican brand of social conservatism.  There’s no answer to this, it’s just how the Dem party is made up and its origins, but it does make it hard for Joe Average to put them in focus. Everyone always knows what the GOP in all its eras stands for, their members fall in line much faster, which is an attractive thing to many people. Republicans vote for their party because they genuinely believe in the cause while Dems vote their party, not because they like it or agree with most of the agenda, but first and foremost to keep the Republican out.  It’s not any way to base a political movement on. 
 

Edited March 17 by Agent 00Soul

[SteveXFR]

Trump was rambling in a press conference yesterday about how all other countries are being horrible to America now. No s**t Donny, you can't start a trade war with the entire world (except Rusdia) and expect them to just roll over and take it. He's the sort of person who'd kick a dog and think he's the victim when it bites him back.

[prowla]

  On 16/03/2025 at 10:45, SteveXFR said:

Trump was rambling in a press conference yesterday about how all other countries are being horrible to America now. No s**t Donny, you can't start a trade war with the entire world (except Rusdia) and expect them to just roll over and take it. He's the sort of person who'd kick a dog and think he's the victim when it bites him back.

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The bully plays the victim.

[TimR]

  On 16/03/2025 at 10:51, prowla said:

The bully plays the victim.

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Typical narcist behaviour. Get caught, blame someone else.

[tegs07]

Trump silences Voice of America as staff put on leave https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvge4l109r3o

 

Disinformation works both ways President Clownshoe. 

 

[Buddster]

  On 16/03/2025 at 10:45, SteveXFR said:

He's the sort of person who'd kick a dog and think he's the victim when it bites him back.

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Or grab someone by the pu**y and throw a tantrum when they sue

[Count Bassy]

It's all gone very quiet in here.

[tegs07]

Everyone’s favourite dictator is busy dividing up the spoils of war at the moment. I hear Putin is involved as well.

[PaulWarning]

well it does get a bit boring when everybody is saying more or less the same thing, of course if they weren't the thread would have been locked long ago

[chris_b]

Trump's making the first moves against journalists and the media. Apparently it's illegal to criticise him!!!!

 

He's also going after the legal system and is refusing to abide by court decisions.

 

The down hill slide to dictatorship is getting steeper very quickly.

[tegs07]

Chin up all. Generally the approval rating and re-election prospects of any politician or party hang upon its economic performance. Team Trump are targeting Debt/Deficit/GDP and trade balance. They are trying to slash deficit, reverse their balance of trade and boost GDP by radically shrinking the size of government, using punitive tariffs and plan to raise GDP (eventually) by becoming a manufacturing superpower.

Good luck with all that. All I can see is the deficit getting bigger due to tax breaks and job losses, inflation rising, people and businesses losing confidence. The economy contracting and stocks slumping.

 

Maybe they are economic gurus but I doubt it. In the short term life for the average american will likely get tougher. It takes years even in countries with high levels of corruption and weak democratic institutions to go full dictatorship. 

 

Let’s wait and see.

[Steve Browning]

There'll always be the income from the rebuilt Gaza paradise to boost the coffers as well.

[Agent 00Soul]

I wonder if Trump will stop by the McLaren garage again the next time he attends the Miami Grand Prix.

[TimR]

Let's see how he replies to questions as to why he has ignored court orders regarding the Alien Enemies Act. 

[chris_b]

  On 18/03/2025 at 16:04, TimR said:

Let's see how he replies to questions as to why he has ignored court orders regarding the Alien Enemies Act. 

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Haven't you noticed? No one asks probing questions since the AP was excluded from the White House for doing just that. Trump doesn't answer questions anyway. He just mumbles nonsense. Journalists in the White House were told to shut up or get out if they didn't accept the irrelevant and nonsensical answers given by Caroline Levitt, Trump's press secretary.

 

Independent journalism in the US is being marginalised, prior to being shut down altogether.

[tegs07]

  On 18/03/2025 at 16:41, chris_b said:

 

Haven't you noticed? No one asks probing questions since the AP was excluded from the White House for doing just that. Trump doesn't answer questions anyway. He just mumbles nonsense. Journalists in the White House were told to shut up or get out if they didn't accept the irrelevant and nonsensical answers given by Caroline Levitt, Trump's press secretary.

 

Independent journalism in the US is being marginalised, prior to being shut down altogether.

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And thanks to voice of america being effectively shut down outside of america too. disinformation and propaganda are being given free reign in trumpland. 

 

people must be totally divorced from reality to vote for this.

Edited March 18 by tegs07

[Agent 00Soul]

  On 18/03/2025 at 16:56, tegs07 said:

people must be totally divorced from reality to vote for this.

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It's going to be hard to rebuild all those institutions later.  The US population is so disunited and polarised that agreements will be difficult to forge.  And there won't be money.  Some countries are going to have to come in with something like a Marshall Plan to assist.

[tegs07]

  On 18/03/2025 at 17:51, Agent 00Soul said:

 

It's going to be hard to rebuild all those institutions later.  The US population is so disunited and polarised that agreements will be difficult to forge.  And there won't be money.  Some countries are going to have to come in with something like a Marshall Plan to assist.

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There doesn’t seem to be a lot of in-depth coverage about the changes taking place, possible long term implications nor what is happening in terms of due process. Maybe it’s being covered in greater depth in the US.

[Buddster]

Well, it seems he's been busy playing golf (again). 

Congratulations to 79 year old Mr D Trump from Florida on winning the Golf Club Championship at Florida's Palm Springs Golf Course. Although this was the sixth weekend he has flown to Florida since starting a new job 2 months ago, Mr Trump obviously is still not too busy to play. 

 

The owner of the course, a Mr D Trump, said the event was very successful, and in no way rigged. 

 

Secret Service employees there to look after the old godger, said they also enjoyed the weekend, staying at expensive local hotels, own by a Mr D Trump. 

 

https://eu.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/2025/03/16/donald-trump-golf-club-championship-trump-international/82475942007/

Edited March 18 by Buddster

[Obrienp]

  On 18/03/2025 at 17:51, Agent 00Soul said:

 

It's going to be hard to rebuild all those institutions later.  The US population is so disunited and polarised that agreements will be difficult to forge.  And there won't be money.  Some countries are going to have to come in with something like a Marshall Plan to assist.

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I can’t imagine that there will be many countries rushing to give money to the biggest economy in the world, or are you implying that it will have dropped down the rankings dramatically? The trouble is most of the other major economies are not in great shape as it is and if the USA fails, it will drag down most of the developed world with it. You might be looking to the BRICS nations and they don’t have a lot of love for the USA, except of course the Russian Federation but their economy isn’t is doing too well either at the moment.

Edited March 18 by Obrienp

[ezbass]

  On 18/03/2025 at 18:43, Buddster said:

Mr D Trump from Florida on winning the Golf Club Championship at Florida's Palm Springs Golf Course

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Number of entrants = 1

 

A well known cheat and purveyor of flannel in golf circles.

[chris_b]

  On 18/03/2025 at 18:23, tegs07 said:

There doesn’t seem to be a lot of in-depth coverage about the changes taking place, possible long term implications nor what is happening in terms of due process. Maybe it’s being covered in greater depth in the US.

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Nope.

[Buddster]

  On 18/03/2025 at 18:46, ezbass said:

Number of entrants = 1

 

A well known cheat and purveyor of flannel in golf circles.

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Very true. And in fact, he is the current holder of the Club Championship at all 18 of his golf courses. 

Quite the player