Trump - 4 more years of this at least...

[sugilite:Me]

this is interesting, if true, this administration is far too incompetent to get this intricate plan through.......

[husaberg]

[husaberg]

[pritch]

This is fifteen minutes long but it details the origin of Trump's tariff plan. It's almost unbelievable except that Kushner and Navarro both have form. Navarro recently did jail time related to his service in Trump's first presidency.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8DbwGM4cig

[sugilite:Me]

Here is what a real leader looks like. Gives a pragmatic speech to his countries population regarding the serious changes coming. Can you imagine luxon ever doing that? We would be very lucky to see him make a shitty tiktok about it.

[nerrrd]

Here is what a real leader looks like. Gives a pragmatic speech to his countries population regarding the serious changes coming. Can you imagine luxon ever doing that? We would be very lucky to see him make a shitty tiktok about it.

Yes watched that over the weekend, some NZ politicians have been using Singapore as the yardstick for economic success we should be aspiring to for decades and that seems to demonstrate why.

Meanwhile President Trump could declare "my beautiful trade war is over and we won so big" tomorrow and everything goes back to normal. Or not, and after a couple of months China invades Taiwan using the economic stress created by the trade war as an excuse. I wouldn't rule out anything at all at this point, which does make it difficult for our average politicians to judge their responses.

[sugilite:Me]

Meanwhile President Trump could declare "my beautiful trade war is over and we won so big" tomorrow and everything goes back to normal. Or not, and after a couple of months China invades Taiwan using the economic stress created by the trade war as an excuse. I wouldn't rule out anything at all at this point, which does make it difficult for our average politicians to judge their responses.

Great points, and I will add luxon never misses an opportunity do do nothing and does appear easily confused.

[sugilite:Me]

I've not had much time of late to post on trumps maga universe. But have a little time to revisit this one. He was criticized heavily for hiring unqualified cabinet picks and none more than tulsi traitor gabbard has proven the naysayers right.

The so called "director of Intelligence" cannot remember what she said the day before, nor two weeks previous and could not even remember the contents of an illegal chat group call regarding military intelligence
Any of the cabinet clowns on that ill advised group chat would have been fired on the spot had they actually been in the armed forces and done what they did, but lucky for them their boss is a thin skinned narcissistic wanker who can never accept any sort of responsibility when things go badly wrong, in this case hiring incompetent idiots - so their jobs are safe.
It surprises me not that gabbard is essentially a traitor to her country with her promoting russian propaganda journalists on her personal social media pages, as she has a history of being a traitor.

gabbards incompetence on full display in the video below.

[TheDemonLord]

So, this video has been doing the rounds - and I am going to post it here for a number of reasons.



This is Nancy Pelosi, in 1996 talking about China-US Trade.

Firstly I want you to do a little bit of a thought experiment - close your eyes - and pretend it is Donald Trump's voice - does the messaging sound any different?

I have been saying for years that MAGA is essentially disenfranchised 90's era Democrats - and here we have the Arch-Democrat herself, from the 90s - saying what Trump is saying now.

Next, I want to re-iterate another of my favourite talking points - Every president of both flavors, with the exception of Trump has allowed this problem to get worse and worse over the last 30+ years.

Finally - linked to the above point - is I want to outline just how far the Democrats have shifted Left. The above speech would be considered today as 'Far Right extremism' and 'Fascist Nationalism' and other such buzzwords that I am loathed to use. Back then, it was a reasonable left-wing position.

[nerrrd]

Couldn't agree with her more. I think I heard Novarro ran (unsuccessfully) for office a few times as a Democrat?

But this isn't China's fault (or before them Japan's or Germany's, or more recently Vietnam's), however. Blaming them is pure misdirection. It's 100% the fault of the US government AND US corporations embracing globalisation as their preferred economic (and political) strategy, and as you say, it's taken 30+ years to get where we are today.

President Trump seems intent on blowing the whole system up overnight. And in the process, goad China into...what, exactly? Authoritarian regimes are not known for backing down when challenged internationally.

[TheDemonLord]

Couldn't agree with her more. I think I heard Novarro ran (unsuccessfully) for office a few times as a Democrat?

But this isn't China's fault (or before them Japan's or Germany's, or more recently Vietnam's), however. Blaming them is pure misdirection. It's 100% the fault of the US government AND US corporations embracing globalisation as their preferred economic (and political) strategy, and as you say, it's taken 30+ years to get where we are today.

President Trump seems intent on blowing the whole system up overnight. And in the process, goad China into...what, exactly? Authoritarian regimes are not known for backing down when challenged internationally.

Yep - in the 90s he tried to run as a Democrat (anyone starting to notice a pattern here?)

Blame and fault are too harsh a word IMO.

From the Chinese side - their disregard for Copyright is definitely a key factor and more generally the theory that Economic prosperity would turn a Communist country into a liberal western democracy abjectly failed.

The US Government are more culpable than most as it was their trade policy that allowed this to happen. I don't think you can judge the US Corporations for what they did. Afterall, if you can reduce your costs by a significant percentage - why wouldn't you?

One group not mentioned is Us, that is the Consumer - we constantly demand more for less and we, too, have our part to play. How many of us would spend more for an item that does the same thing, based purely on where it was made?

As for the final part - Well, this is where it gets interesting. If we look at Russia and how well they are or are not doing in the Ukraine, We see a numerically superior force being held at bay mostly by better equipment. Quick Aside - the defenders always have an advantage of sorts and the Ukrainians are putting up one hell of a fight.

One very clear conclusion to be drawn is that the West's military equipment is simply better than anything that the old Communist Bloc has. China has not been battle-tested, they do not have a blue water navy that can hold a candle to the US.

They are, quite simply, not in the position yet to throw weight around. Give them another 10-20 years if nothing changes - and I would agree that they would spoil for a fight.

Hence why I believe that it is critical that something be done now.

[Laava]

Wonder if this regime can last another 3 years, 9months?

[pritch]

In that clip J D Vance expresses concern for the people. He is so concerned about farmers that he has set up a company to assist overseas buyers purchase farms which have been foreclosed on by the banks due to Trump's tariff insanity.

I'd like to think US farmers were aware of this but they probably aren't. A lot of them voted for Trump so they are actually getting what they voted for.

[pete376403]

In that clip J D Vance expresses concern for the people. He is so concerned about farmers that he has set up a company to assist overseas buyers purchase farms which have been foreclosed on by the banks due to Trump's tariff insanity.

I'd like to think US farmers were aware of this but they probably aren't. A lot of them voted for Trump so they are actually getting what they voted for.

It has been mentioned before - Chinas tariff on soyabeans in retaliation for trumps tariff on steel from China = american farmers lost out while brazilian farmers found a new market. American government bailed out the farmers last time (thought - isn't that what socialist governments do?) but that's not likely to happen again, thanks to doge. And still the farmers will vote republican https://www.npr.org/2025/02/08/nx-s1...mps-first-term

[1/32 man]

Trumpf won his latest golf tournament.....just incase you didnt know that he won. Did you know he won? He won!