Welcome to the Just Plain Folks forums! You are currently viewing our forums as a Guest which gives you limited access to most of our discussions and to other features.
By joining our free community you will have access to post and respond to topics, communicate privately with our users (PM), respond to polls, upload content, and access many other features. Registration is fast, simple, and absolutely free; so please join our community today!
Well seems Trump has done a car commercial for his biggest donor Musk who is in the dumps because people hate him enough personally that passions have arisen against him through all things Tesla. Thus unfortunately includes owners and others who do not deserve to be targeted
Seems it is against the law for him to have done that because he symbolically bought the Tesla on federal property, the White House ...no proven bill of sale\consideration exchange....huge car commercial.... Total reversal of his prior rails against electric in favour of american made conventional engine cars and oil and gas and drill baby drill.
John, I have no idea where the law falls out on this. But if it as egregious as you say, I'm sure that the speaker of the house will begin impeachment proceedings immediately.
SIDENOTE: A former VP named Biden took home classified dox and gave them to his personal biographer to feed his narcissism. As unlawful as that was, it was fully excused because he didn't know the day of the week when asked about it. Food for thought.
Originally Posted by John Voorpostel
Tariffs exist and I agree with Marty and others that the area of tariffs is worthy of looking at because we all want trade to be fair predictively stable and advantageous for Americans and Canadians (Marty pov) and Canadians and Americans (John pov)
And I thought that you were un-teachable. Seeing this makes me so happy!
Originally Posted by John Voorpostel
There are things about adherance to trade agreements and negotiation protocols and agreed to timings of negotiations that we disagree on which Marty gives excuses for, but we both want a fair and honest resolution that works for everyone.
They should. But there is a real world out there to deal with. And the tariffs should have always been fair.
Originally Posted by John Voorpostel
Making Canada the Fifty First makes no sense in that eliminating borders and tarrifs means nothing really changes and the status quo goes for the most part in terms of activities among us.
That 51st state thing is comedy. Nothing more. The US is factionalized by enough cultural disparities. We don't need to ramp that up. Trump just EO'd English as the country's official language. We don't wanna have to start arguing against it being changed to French. Don't like that poutine either.
You Liberals always go on about global freedom and equity... But, that will never be a reality as long as you keep manipulating the "common law" in order to screw each other over! Just like the Romans!
What part of "America First" is so hard to understand? Every other country on this planet obviously functions the same way. The only difference is that America doesn't need to perpetuate the "Trade Deficit and World Debt" scam.
When America engages in international trade it's more of a favor than a necessity... an opportunity for equitable partnership.
However, when "partners" turn into spoiled little entitled brats, it's time to cut the cord!
Marty Side Note gasp.....are you suggesting someone is dodderingly unfit to serve in capable hands? Main note I believe it is illegal to film advertising on federal property.
Is this a decision for the Supreme Court. Was Trump saying anything I do as President is legal as long as it benefits the US which it does (support tesla, its product, its workers, its Tesla owners, ordinary Tesla shareholders) but it was meant to benefit Musk in a big way.
Does MJ have the moxie and do the ReMagans have the political will in the House and Senate? Little to not a chance I think you'd have to agree.
And yes, 51st state is comedy and I had a lot of fun drafting my position. Ford and Carney met here at a local diner this morning to co ordinate and urge all matters be dealt with reasonably and that Canadian sovereignty be respected and all matters trade be decided under a re negotiated CUSMA.
Reasonable ask.
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
Can somebody here tell me why the US is imposing tariffs on Canada? I read that "on March 4, tariffs were issued on Canada under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to curb the flow of illegal border crossings and drugs into our country". What do drugs and border crossings have to do with the Emergency Economic Powers Act? Just 8 days later, everybody is talking about tariffs because of Canada's trade surplus, because of unbalanced trade. Now Marty says it's because of unbalanced tariffs. That has nothing to do with drugs or migrants. I'm lost! Why were tariffs against Canada put in place? Because of drugs? Because of border crossings or because of unbalanced trade or unbalanced tariffs? It looks like America is throwing things against the wall and looking what sticks. Can anybody here tell me why America is punishing Canada? Is it maybe just Trump, doing his thing?
Trump has been complaining that the US has been taken advantage of in trade for decades. He's on video record with that.
There are two reasons for the tariffs now that he is back in office.
1) The flow of drugs in from Canada is an issue. 2) The more important issue is the overall condition of the US economy which is debt burdened and also burdened by parasitic one-sided trade relationships with trading partners around the entire world. Great for them, not for the US...which is the prize market.
Almost all politicians are corporate styled scheemers. They beg donors for money, talk tough until elected and then play-the-game to advantage in office. They get in office with the main goal of sustaining power, prestige and limousine rides. The big players make big bucks giving speeches, book deals, setting up foundations and sending their relatives around the world to bag money. Imagine the frustration and resentment of a narcissist with an ego the size of Alaska having to beg some capricious overlord for money. The narcissist wants to be that overlord. e.g. Hillary Clinton et al.
They look away as a mfg plant in Ohio gets sold out to Chinese or other global interests, (or as the Chinese exercise outsized influence at the Panama Canal.) That has been standard for decades. All the while talking about "the great American worker" and "bringing jobs back to America." Trump is not one of those politicians.
You and John are so concerned with the integrity of treaties. How about the Panama Canal treaties? Only Trump would ever cry Bullsh+t on that....also.
Trump's intention from the jump has been to look at the totality of America's economic condition and overhaul it, bringing it more into alignment with the lives and benefit of Americans. His conclusions, return to tariffs and match everyone else's tariffs. Discourage the purchase of imports in favor of domestic made products. Build back industries. Reverse the globalism.
You can always say, "what about that or that or that?" It's going to be bumpy and rocky. But the alternative was Kamala Harris.
The alternative was not Kamala Harris. She has absolutely nothing to do with what is happening or not happening. She is history
The alternative was Trump not lying about why tariffs were imposed, not lying about the "fentanyl problem", not belittling our leadership, not belitttling our sovereignty....he insults us, disrespects us, threatens us....then acts capriciously when we stand up to him. Threats when Ford....as predicted....raised energy prices hugely escalated his response, he immediately threatned huge tariff increases, doubled down on insults, and doubled down in his wish to make us the 51st
He is a chronic liar and a bully and feels that bodes him well as a foreign policy tool and a positions him as tough leader and negotiator domestically and internationally
I mentioned he twisted US foreign policy from "Walk softly and carry a big stick." into "Approach loudly and brandish wildly." in an earlier post
The use of the fentanyl excuse was another twist. "If you want to beat a dog, you can always find a stick"
Marty, you mentioned he was saved by God from a bullet, is the biggest personality and largest cultural figure in your history and seem to say his ends justifies his means. you seem to agree his lies are OK ...that he can use them to break the laws of your country, ignore a trade agreement due to be re negotiated....one negotiated in his first term and praised. He had legal ways to get what he wants but chose to dictate his own way forward ignoring his own laws, our shared history of collaboration to solve problems, and diplomatic protocols regarding relationships between nations and leaders and long standing allies ....
That is dangerous thinking when that figure has been unleashed by your Supreme Court, a pliant party, the attempts to reign him in for his (let's be kind and call it) "transitional behaviour" when he lost the last election AND worst of all, that he was saved by God to run your country.
I am not "anti Trump" or "anti US" . He was duly elected, is a sitting president and does deserve a certain respect in office. Just occupy that office with integrity.
Directly to the trade deficit you see Trump railing against. That deficit is a measure of the "balance of payments" money flows that measure periodic activity.
1) how many foreigners own US debt? Interest flows out of your country as do dividends paid to foreign shareholders of US companies 2) how much money do US companies invest abroad....permanently in the form of operations and facilities and temporarily? ...good one that last one....lots of cash profit was stockpiled abroad for tax reasons...Trump gave those companies a window last term to bring it back to reinvest in jobs and growth he said. Instead it went to dividends and share buybacks for the most part. Look it up. Also, no bank keeps its exscess money in the US after banking hours. It goes to work abroad overnight and comes back the next morning in time for opening. But because it is gone overnight, ...and happens all the time...it is a measured outflow.
So to balance those financial transaction outflows, you now need a surplus in another area...well that is delivered to you in aircraft, Hollywood entertainment and such which both do some heavy lifting, and in other areas...but you have to get it somewhere.
What I am saying is that Trump's measure of being ripped off is far more complex than looking at your ailing industries, seeing others do well abroad, then blaming them for taking your market and jobs and importing what you used to make because they can do it better and cheaper or more innovatively.
Certainly politically expedient to call us out for all that and behave in his fashion....and the average US citizen may love it....but it is ....as the WSJ "politely" pointed out....dumb
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
The alternative was not Kamala Harris. She has absolutely nothing to do with what is happening or not happening. She is history
Her candidacy is history. But her manner of governing the border and everything else was still very present, as evidenced by her cohorts at the speech who sat there like a classroom full of pre-schoolers who were told that there would be no dessert today.
Originally Posted by John Voorpostel
The alternative was Trump not lying about why tariffs were imposed, not lying about the "fentanyl problem", not belittling our leadership, not belitttling our sovereignty....he insults us, disrespects us, threatens us....then acts capriciously when we stand up to him. Threats when Ford....as predicted....raised energy prices hugely escalated his response, he immediately threatned huge tariff increases, doubled down on insults, and doubled down in his wish to make us the 51st
He is a chronic liar and a bully and feels that bodes him well as a foreign policy tool and a positions him as tough leader and negotiator domestically and internationally
Your point is? We have all had a decade to look at Trump. He is the most highly scrutinized person in the world. I can't think of a close second. Notwithstading all of that, he was elected for a second time. He is what he is. My advice is to forget the stage act and concentrate on the details of the trade agreements. As far as your leaders being belittled...it may happen again.
There is a fentanyl problem, but the tariffs are mainly about reciprocity.
Originally Posted by John Voorpostel
Marty, you mentioned he was saved by God from a bullet, is the biggest personality and largest cultural figure in your history and seem to say his ends justifies his means. you seem to agree his lies are OK ...that he can use them to break the laws of your country, ignore a trade agreement due to be re negotiated....one negotiated in his first term and praised. He had legal ways to get what he wants but chose to dictate his own way forward ignoring his own laws, our shared history of collaboration to solve problems, and diplomatic protocols regarding relationships between nations and leaders and long standing allies ....
That is dangerous thinking when that figure has been unleashed by your Supreme Court, a pliant party, the attempts to reign him in for his (let's be kind and call it) "transitional behaviour" when he lost the last election AND worst of all, that he was saved by God to run your country.
Sorry John, After a month, the border is in order. Every day hundreds of alien criminals are being taken into custody. A bunch of us are very pleased and feel safer. The only way to get that was Trump. His antics came in the package. If your politicians dont like being demeaned, tell them Marty is sorry.
I like the Supreme Court. There are 5 political activists on it when it comes to hot headline cultural issues.
Thomas Alito Kagan Brown Sotomayor On the hot cultural stuff, their votes are cast before the facts are presented. They are political activists who assemble words to justify political opinions.
Roberts is hard to call.
Kavanaugh Gorsuch Barrett are conservative, presumably originalists, but wont abandon the obvious intent of the constitution. (as intended, not as you would interpret it). The right-wing knuckle draggers are calling in bomb threats to Barrett's sister, because Barrett wouldn't go along with allowing Donny to stop congressionally appropriated funds...even if they were going to sh+t places.
As for the rest of your post, I don't know the legal details. I'm fine to let Donny's people talk to your people and try to hammer something out. Tell your folks to be reasonable. If Donny calls me, I'll tell him the same.
As I've stated over and over, regardless of the noise, the likely actual result was how I voted. Philosophical "consequentialism"
I don't read the WALL STREET JOURNAL. I see articles here and there. The majority of my news watching is MSNBC.
Wow Marty...crazy to admit that your Supreme Court decides law based on the political sentiments of those who put them there but OK
Then to go further to say those who may not go along with it are having their family threatened?
Please tell me I am wrong in my conclusion
John, In case you didn't know, I did not create the universe. I just found myself within it, as a very small child. Activist judges are just one of the things that showed in the mix. They are what they are.
I read several times that RB Ginsburg said that the federal govt had no constitutional foundation for involving itself in abortions. But back in the 70's some activist SCOTUS passed RvW anyway and came up with a line of billsh+t to justify that. The current SCOTUS ruling aligned with RBG's personal opinion...because it was correct. Personally, I don't care who gets an abortion, but I hate seeing a line of Bullsh+t becoming a de facto constitutional amendment. Activist courts are not breaking news.
SIDENOTE: If you want to see why the words "convoluted" and "denial" are in the dictionary, try to read some Activist SCOTUS judge opinions. The only surprise that I can remember to come from them was the 9-0 against CO and ME on the ballot thing. All 3 dims was a surprise.
You have repeatedly said that you have these new sources that only deal in the truth. I do not believe in unicorns and I am very skeptical of that claim. Propaganda is an art form. Everyone on cable TV claims to tell the truth. The art is what they dont say. That is why I mostly watch MSNBC, because they will make a point of saying what FOX leaves out. And visa-versa.
I know nothing about Canadian politics at all. I recognize Trudeau's picture and now, Ford. But I would bet the ranch that you have activist judges at all levels.
The US has become a fragmented battleground of opposing cultures and disunity. You Canadians are sleep walking right into the same things. A warning from your pal Marty.
Ps...When Donny invades, conquers and occupies Canada, rumor has it that he is going to name it CHIMERICA. (chimerical)
And yes, the knuckle draggers are trying to terrorize Barrett's sister over her siding with Roberts and the dems. Articles are easy to find.
There are two reasons for the tariffs now that he is back in office.
1) The flow of drugs in from Canada is an issue. 2) The more important issue is the overall condition of the US economy which is debt burdened and also burdened by parasitic one-sided trade relationships with trading partners around the entire world.
Hi Marty, thanks for the explanation. Now I think I understand it a bit better. You say the tariffs have nothing to do with migrants. I still wonder why the press was initially taking about both drugs and migrants. You say the flow of drugs is an issue but I personally don’t think so because Trump just recently pardoned the biggest drug dealer in America. So apparently, it’s the one-sided USMCA deal that is the problem. But a few years ago, Trump told us that his deal with Canada and Mexico was the fairest, most historic deal ever done. If what you are saying is right, then Trump lied to us big time a couple of years ago. I mean, if he has to put a 25% tax on all goods from Canada, the USMCA deal must have been really rotten and totally unfair. But then you write Trump is a successful business man. I have a feeling there’s a contradiction here somewhere.
Originally Posted by Sunset Poet
Imagine the frustration and resentment of a narcissist with an ego the size of Alaska having to beg some capricious overlord for money. The narcissist wants to be that overlord.
Marty, that was very well said. It sounds like you are describing Trump. Everybody knows he’s a narcissist with a huge ego. He had to beg his overlord Musk for money to win the election. In return he gave Musk access to highly confidential federal data. Yes, the narcissist Trump wants to be that overlord but instead he owes Deutsche Bank billions of dollars he’ll never pay back.
Originally Posted by Sunset Poet
Discourage the purchase of imports in favor of domestic made products. Build back industries. Reverse the globalism.
In my opinion, this is wrong Marty. The communists in Eastern Germany tried that for decades. The solution is not to reverse globalism. Other countries will continue to trade globally and compete on a global basis. With tariffs you are removing America from global trade. The solution would be to improve competitiveness. Innovate! Tearing down the department of education is a step in the wrong direction. Without educated people you can't be competitive. We'll see how long Trump can compete against Musk, lol.
I didn't say that tariffs had nothing to do with migrants.
You say that he pardoned the biggest drug dealer in America. If true, that's strange. Yet, Holman is out picking up alien criminals by the thousands. Still a big net gain. 20,000 to 1. Again, 20,000 to 1. So far. I'll take it.
You say that Trump claimed the Canadian treaty was the biggest best ever. Trump exagerrates and sometimes lies. They all do. There's no proof anyone ate cats in Springfield. I don't care. (But ducks, maybe?) If the treaty is one-sided, I'm happy that Trump is renegotiating it.
SIDENOTE: "Senator Romney, the 1980s called and they want their foreign policy back." How does that statement look to you now? "Tell Vlad, he better just knock it off." "Tell Vlad, that after the midterms I can lie to the American people and there is nothing that they can do about it" (paraphrased) I hear that the "re-set buttons" are going into the Smithsonian, to be housed in the Dumb-as-phuque section.
Trump was wealthy before he ran. Politicians solicited his money. I had Hillary Clinton in mind. Then Obama. Then Biden. Then McConnell. All got rich IN OFFICE and after.
The communists in East Germany? You say tariffs didn't work in a communist system? The entire system collapsed. It's irellevant. Tariffs are a gamble. May not work. But watching our manufacturing base transport to China, Mexico etc. That is a disaster that has already happened.
I always thought that Milton Friedman was not the road to heaven. I watched Ross Perot's sucking sound metaphor come true in real time. I've watched the 3rd world to the south, illegaly transport to this country, and then send their money back to the third world.
Great for globalists and Wall Street. Sh+t for Main Street and assembly line workers.
Instead of just standing there watching the destruction, at least Trump has something to try. It may fail. The system is ultimately going to break down anyway if no one does anything.
"Consequentialism" They all lie. There is a mountain of noise. Ethics are gone since Eisenhower. End results matter now. Nothing is perfect.
I didn't say that tariffs had nothing to do with migrants.
Hi Marty, you said there were two reasons for tariffs. Migrants was not one of the two. But sometimes I misunderstand things. It’s ok. Sorry.
Originally Posted by Sunset Poet
You say that he pardoned the biggest drug dealer in America. If true, that's strange. Yet, Holman is out picking up alien criminals by the thousands. Still a big net gain. 20,000 to 1. Again, 20,000 to 1. So far. I'll take it.
Ross Ulbricht is the founder of Slik Road an illegal online black market and the first modern modern darknet market. Through that platform Ross made millions on drugs and child pornography worldwide. Thousands of drug dealers used his platform. He was sentenced to double life in prison. Now he's free! Yeah, Trump is really doing a lot against drugs. Sure. Take it. I'll have to take it because Americans voted for him.
Originally Posted by Sunset Poet
There's no proof anyone ate cats in Springfield. I don't care.
No, not in Springfield. The woman who ate her cat was from Canton, Ohio and she was an American, not from Haiti. You don’t care. I’m ok with that.
Originally Posted by Sunset Poet
If the treaty is one-sided, I'm happy that Trump is renegotiating it.
He's not. If it was one-sided, that's the problem!
Originally Posted by Sunset Poet
Trump was wealthy before he ran. Politicians solicited his money. I had Hillary Clinton in mind. Then Obama. Then Biden. Then McConnell. All got rich IN OFFICE and after.
Yes, Trump earned a lot of money as an actor. He had his own TV show. That was a huge success for him. But he wasn’t a successful businessman. He’s an actor. What’s wrong with getting rich after you are President? Trump is getting rich while he is President. He launched at least 168 new products online between election day and inauguration day for personal profit. Forget Clinton, Obama and Biden. Since Trump became President … he has his own Trump online store. None of the people you mentioned did that.
Originally Posted by Sunset Poet
The communists in East Germany?
Yes Marty. East Germany was a communist country until 1989. Do your homework. They didn’t use tariffs like Trump does but they decided not to do business (trade) with the Western world. Just like you said – reverse globalism. After just a few years their products could not be sold on world markets anymore because they weren’t competitive. Are Russian cars sold in the US? Why not? Give that some thought...
Originally Posted by Sunset Poet
But watching our manufacturing base transport to China, Mexico etc. That is a disaster that has already happened.
We need to be more competitive! Taxes will only punish the American people. I thought you watched MSNBC. They explain that over and over again. You should watch Rachel Maddow.
Originally Posted by Sunset Poet
The system is ultimately going to break down anyway if no one does anything.
Who says that? What is that statement based on? Come on Marty! Explain why. Now I'm interested. Trump inherited a very strong economy. He's ruining it. Please explain why the system is going to break down. I remember people saying that in the 80s. Please, please, tell me...
Rob, Rather than go on and on, let me re-state a couple of core points already made.
My vote was about the border. Trump achieved a level of success that I only hoped for after a year or two. He got there within a month. I would have voted for him for that alone.
I asked you exactly what you would do about Ukraine. You didn't have an answer. You just directed me to a diffusive group of politicians who havent had an answer for going on 4 years.
I see problems that Trump is trying to address on behalf of the American citizens that voted for him. All I see in your text is criticism with no alternate solutions. Left over talking points from Rachel Maddow shows during his first term. People have seen all of those for 8 years plus, along with two "impeachments" and given a choice between Rachel Maddow et al...elected Trump.
People such as me see no hope in "being more competitive." It's just a generic slogan. The devil has been in the details.
Trump appeared buried and gone. But through force of will and resources he hammered back. Rachel Maddow's talking points and farsical "undisclosed sources" forged Trump into Super-Trump. Rachel Maddow was very instrumental in creating and electing the Trump that is now president. Because she and her loyal are so oblivious to anything other than their own emotions and unintended consequences.
Trump prevailed. I don't know if his ideas will work. My biggest worry is the same as people much more informed than me that debt and unfunded liabilities will ultimately bring the economy to failure and Trump and no one can change that now.
You suggest that I feed off of Rachel Maddow. Tony suggests that I feed off of Fox News. Rachel Maddow is an increasingly diminishing audience of people who want to be fed a narrow narrative. I suggest you re-think her actual credibility. The presentation of Maddow and her crew in the immediate aftermath of the speech was repulsive. That and the entire Dim show at the speech looked like it had been scripted by Trump for his benefit.
As for the economy, you apparently dont follow anything but the money flows in and out of stocks. Houses are priced out and locking up. Same with cars. Repos are way up. Biden was propping up 4million FHA delinquent home loans by lowering the payments up to 25 percent, putting foreclosures on them in abeyance and even sending some owner's treasury money to pay their mortgage. (buy votes and obscuring the issues going into the election) RE: WSJ As those two industries lock up, refrigerators, furniture and many other things go with them.
The wealth effect is starting to fade. People, I suspect such as you, have stock gains that make them feel like all is roses. "The wealth effect." 7 out of 500 stocks held up Nasdaq. Buffett and his people started getting out back during Biden because they saw the signs of drunken exhuberance that occur right before a festival ends abruptly. I read last night that he sold off Berskhire Hathaway indicating that he likely perceives housing to be tanking also. Buffett and his people have access and know encyclopedias of info more than I do. Don't believe me, but I suggest you look at what they are doing.
Take a look at cash Rob. I bought some 1year Wells Fargo CDs yielding 4.2% yesterday. All things considered, an okay return and safe place to be. Be wary of gold and silver. I bought a little for the helluvit and am up 50%. But very wary of which direction it goes from here.
Ps, I am sorry but I dont plan to do any homework on East German communist history. I see no true relevance to the present.
US decries its reduction in output. It once produced a larger percentage of the world's output.
2 things you need. Bauxite as raw material, and am abundant source of cheap energy. If you have those you can make aluminum.
Well you can recycle it...and the US does that well from what I see....but the "new stuff" goes into planes and such that need high controlled quality inputs
Until you can physically move Quebec's cheap hydro power generation, you have no comparative advantage. You are better to import it and sell us back planes and all things fabricated with aluminum...where you have a comparative advantage
I expect the ONLY result will be that the prices of anything made of aluminum will go up. The US gov't will collect the tariff...and it is UNLIKELY you will increase domestic production by much. Lots of up front costs and such....and then you have to secure your sources of bauxite
BTW, Alcoa, a US company, and Rio Tinto, a British-Australian company own most of our smelter capacity.
How about some homework on Canadian defence by the US umbrella that Lutnick scoffed at yesterday?
In the same way the US guaranteed Ukrainian teritorial integrity in 1994, Canada had its own episode. In the late 1950's Canada was building the most advanced fighter jet in the world, superior to anything made in the USA or anywhere else for that matter. Google Avro Arrow In the end, we gave that up because the USA wanted to use its BOMARC missiles as a continental shield....and base some in Canada.... and did not want us building that plane. What is a really interesting consequence is that there was a brain drain to the USA that then helped put a man on the moon. I happen to the story as I know one of those engineers who moved there.
So....we gave you reasons to develop BOMARC, let your fighter jet industry prosper without our stiff competition, and helped you put a man on the moon. At the same time we began buying most of our defence capability from the US....with agreements to build components here as well. Now you are upset at this.
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
I don't doubt your basic facts because from what I know of you, I don't doubt your moral integrity. But I question the 2025 applicability of all this to trade negotiations.
Yet, I've no clue. You could tell me that Canada had produced ice that could be used as rocket fuel. I wouldn't know how to verify that.
I can only let whatever negotiations occur, and then sift through the biased 3rd hand media that is available to a random nobody such as myself. (that same media told me for 3+ years that Joe Biden was cogent...and then the debate)
Canada was building the world's most advanced fighter jet? Can I hold that in abeyance for now?
And yes, we will have to wait. Seems Trump's team is making excuses...telling us not to listen to Trump because he thinks emotionally...
Lastly...was it you who was saying Buffet sold shares of BH?? Not true. BH sold lots of shares they owned and is sitting on 325 BILLION in cash He called the current market overvalued "valued based on perfection" if I have it right.
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
Lastly...was it you who was saying Buffet sold shares of BH?? Not true. BH sold lots of shares they owned and is sitting on 325 BILLION in cash He called the current market overvalued "valued based on perfection" if I have it right.
John, I made a mistake. I was talking about Buffet getting out of real estate. I wrote Berkshire-Hathaway and I should have written;
"Berkshire business, Home Services of America, one of the largest real estate brokerage firms in the country."
This is not the article that I read earlier, but the same information.
Funny thing about the planned aluminum tariff is that it is trying to prop up an industry that simply has no comparative advantage.
The price of everything with aluminum will go up, making your aluminum products less attractive in international markets low cost producers can sell into. If you don't want to trade and absorb everything domestically, that is fine....now say aluminum foil and aluminum products goes up 40% Everyone who imports aluminum foil or products made with aluminum into the US automatically is able to charge more and profit more. You can then implement tariffs on those products and escalate....but it would be b etter if those companies simply jacked up prices and kept the tariff amount as profit Balance of payments improvement one way is offset elsewhere in a value added product Simple example...but
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
Biden dropped several thousand Haitian immigrants into Springfield Ohio. Trump wanted to bring attention and alarm to that.
That many immigrants dropped on one town that size is going to alarm a lot of people. It doesn't have to be exaggerated.
But Trump wanted to be certain that alarms went off, so he had them eating dogs and cats. Everybody is aghast and runs and clutches their cat. And for a period of days, the news is nothing but barbequed dogs and cats in Ohio.
The tariffs are early in the negotiations, and all sorts of things may get said about aluminum and other things. They'll have to go on for a while before real priorities come into focus.
And one of em may be aluminum.
Categories will get nuanced. The US GDP is several times bigger than Canada. A arbitrary reciprocal tariff may destroy a small Canadian Industry at no advantage to the US, so it gets carved out.
I dont know how much Bauxite or aluminum that the US has, but if they arent gonna ship whatever is here to Canada anyway, then that would seem a pointless tariff coming our way.
Donny starts the fire, and then the fire trucks follow. I think that it will be a while before info gets back to us.
(("The Earth's crust comprises about 95% igneous and metamorphic rocks, 4% shale, 0.75% sandstone, and 0.25% limestone. Oxygen, silicon, aluminum, and iron account for 88.1% of the mass of the Earth's crust, while another 90 elements make up the remaining 11.9%."))
Aluminum is the third most common element found on the surface of the Earth.... behind air and sand lol.
American trade relations with India sure look promising...
Tony.... Aluminum is smelted. It is NOT a naturally occurring substance. Yes, Bauxite definirely exists in and among the most common "sedimentary rock" structures, but not all sedimentary rock contains Bauxite. Australia, Guinea, and China have by far the most. Brazil is fourth, India 5th...then it drops off significantly
The US does not come close to having the kinds of reserves it needs nor does it have an abundance of cheap power required for smelting.
And yes, India is the world 5t largest source of Bauxite....so by all means, trade for it with them.
Then build the infrastructure you need to smelt it...hook it up to your power grid...and have at it. You will only succeed in propping up an economically inefficient industry.
We have no bauxite of our own. I comes primarily from Brazil. But Quebec has an abundance of cheap power.
So we will continue as low cost producers and sell elsewhere...let them take advantage of our lower prices to manufacture goods cheaper
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
Marty...latest approval poll for Trump....like 51% of your fellow Americans, you approve of the border action...
Americans rate Trump more positively on immigration than the economy or his performance overall. After that, on the other issues, more than 50% seem to think he is not doing a good job
Q: "Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling..." ApproveDisapprove
Immigration 51% 48%
Management of the federal government* 48% 51%
The federal budget* 48% 52%
His job as president 45% 54%
The economy 44% 56%
Health care policy 43% 56%
Foreign affairs* 42% 58%
Tariffs* 39% 61%
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
Today I found out that ICE scooped a Canadian at your southern border and hauled her away to (now) Arizona...in shackles. Not a criminal, accomplished entrepreneur...she was there to get her TN visa approved and had what she thought was all the necessary papers. Instead, it seems the USA decided to make an example of her. Normally, if you are ineligible for admision, you are return to the exit you entered from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/can...us-detention-centre-after-attempting-to/
You have to know this will just add to the tension between us. Where before we were protesting tariifs and not travelling south...now it is mistreatment of Canadian travellers. That will definitely put a chill on travel
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
I'm completely unconcerned with Trump's polls. The country is very divided. Santa Claus is going to be about 50-50. The Europeans are crapping their pants and slamming him, because he is tearing them off the titty.
SIDENOTE: Speaking of that, I saw a meme that was a picture of Zelensky. Under the pic, the caption read, "I miss the days when I could come to Washington and remind the president of everything that I have on him and his son and get whatever I wanted."
It is early in Trump's term. Strategically, I think politicians want to fight the ugly wars early.
Trump is dismantling the govt, and that is not going to be good for his polls. As Musk said, "there is so much fire coming at me, it tells me that I must be over the target."
And, A chill runs down my back when I think of Harris in the WH right now.
I like what Trump is doing and I like you. No one is going to persuade me not to in either case.
Marty
PS...Trudeau's poll #s had to look up to see whale turds.
Today I found out that ICE scooped a Canadian at your southern border and hauled her away to (now) Arizona...in shackles. Not a criminal, accomplished entrepreneur...she was there to get her TN visa approved and had what she thought was all the necessary papers. Instead, it seems the USA decided to make an example of her. Normally, if you are ineligible for admision, you are return to the exit you entered from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/can...us-detention-centre-after-attempting-to/
You have to know this will just add to the tension between us. Where before we were protesting tariifs and not travelling south...now it is mistreatment of Canadian travellers. That will definitely put a chill on travel
I know of about 150,000,000 armed American men who would volunteer to man the borders!
Today I found out that ICE scooped a Canadian at your southern border and hauled her away to (now) Arizona...in shackles. Not a criminal, accomplished entrepreneur...she was there to get her TN visa approved and had what she thought was all the necessary papers. Instead, it seems the USA decided to make an example of her. Normally, if you are ineligible for admision, you are return to the exit you entered from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/can...us-detention-centre-after-attempting-to/
You have to know this will just add to the tension between us. Where before we were protesting tariifs and not travelling south...now it is mistreatment of Canadian travellers. That will definitely put a chill on travel
John, During Obama and Biden, if someone went to a college campus and set up a podium and started bellowing out what I believe...they would be shouted down if not physically assaulted. Ye shall reap....
I read about the woman. We don't know how she presented herself to ICE. The article I read said that her dox were not as they should be. When you're putting millions of illegal entrants out of a country, there's going to be some mishaps. She may be one of those mishaps, or she may have mouthed-off and got a tour of the country.
Rob, I asked you exactly what you would do about Ukraine. You didn't have an answer.
Marty, I already responded to that. I told you that now there is no solution anymore. Trump blew it. Putin knows the US will not support Ukraine anymore. He won’t agree to any deal. He wins. He is not dumb. It's over.
Originally Posted by Sunset Poet
People such as me see no hope in "being more competitive."
If America’s products are not competitive, you won’t be able to sell your products. If you are not competitive, you can’t fix your trade deficit.
Originally Posted by Sunset Poet
As for the economy, you apparently dont follow anything but the money flows in and out of stocks.
Marty, believe me, I see the big picture. I couldn’t say it any better than Bachmann Turner Overdrive: You ain’t seen nothing yet!
Originally Posted by Sunset Poet
People, I suspect such as you, have stock gains that make them feel like all is roses. "The wealth effect."
Nope. I wish I did. My retirement plan is based on stocks, but not on stock price gains. It’s not easy to understand and I don’t want to get into details with you. I know what I’m doing and so far, it works to perfection. But Trump is capable of triggering a global recession (this time they call it a Trumpcession) because he has no idea what he is doing. I’m scared of that because it would not just ruin the stock market. That would ruin everything.
Originally Posted by Sunset Poet
Take a look at cash Rob. I bought some 1year Wells Fargo CDs yielding 4.2% yesterday. All things considered, an okay return and safe place to be. Be wary of gold and silver.
If I had cash, I would look at what you suggested. I'm retired. I have no income. Marty, don’t forget crypto! Buy those Trump and Melania cryptos. They will make you rich ... someday ... maybe. Well, they're making Trump and Melania rich. Think of it. It could be win-win situation. But on second thought ... Trumps name is on that. Maybe you shouldn't.
Originally Posted by Sunset Poet
I am sorry but I dont plan to do any homework on East German communist history. I see no true relevance to the present.
They say sometimes history repeats itself. Who knows.
Did you hear that America is asking Denmark for eggs? No kidding! His taxes on Canada make Canadian eggs too expensive so now he’s asking European countries for eggs. America’s neighbors have eggs but due to the tariffs he put in place he now needs to transport eggs from one side of the planet to the other. That’s expensive and pretty stupid, isn’t it? He wants to take Greenland away from Denmark with military force and now he’s begging Denmark to sell him eggs. I don’t know what to say. I heard that the Europeans don’t want to sell their eggs to America. I have no idea why not. I assume you think he should put more tariffs on those countries to force them to sell their eggs. I can't understand why Americans don't see what is going on here.
Marty, I see that we agree to disagree. I’m going to end my discussions here. Trump is going after the anti-Trump media and deporting people who dislike him. You can rant about Biden but if I rant about him, I could get into big trouble. I would love to continue our discussions but it's getting dangerous.
Marty, don't know if you saw Vance being booed at the Kennedy Centre,
They panned the crowd with the cameras, I I am thrilled to tell you diversity is not dead there.
There where white men with beards, white men with mustaches, bald and balding white men, white men with good heads of hair....real cross section of the right Americans Trump would like to see there.
Last night too Trump said that saying bad things about him should be illegal...is illegal....and that the news outlets that he decides are fake news should be stifled
In more news, turns out the student they picked up in Columbia had more rights than accorded him...but hey, he deserved it because ....well you don't need a reason anymore when civil rights can be ignored
You say relax...all noise...I say be careful about being the frog in boiling water
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
I don't know what the future holds. But I'm alright with letting Trump taking a look. So far, "being competitive" has meant losing manufacturing to the 3rd world, and financing a geopolitical competitor's (China) formidable armed forces. That's working towards a bad ending in my view.
You look at every issue casting Trump into the wrong column first off and then working an argument backwards from there. The fallacy in that is that Trump can't always be wrong. He is far from perfect, but not all, always wrong.
You tell me that I should subscribe to the views of Rachel Maddow. The only person on cable news further left of center than her was Joy Reid.
I watched Maddow follow up to Trump's congressional speech. She cast awarding the little kid from Houston honorary Secret Service membership, in the most villainous narrative that she could conjure up. I've seen that kid on local tv multiple times being made an honorary LEO in some jurisdiction. It is always a lovely and charming moment until Rachel Maddow and crew get ahold of it. Her depiction of that was sickening. She is a propaganda machine for a small diminishing niche audience.
I suggest that you try to relax a bit, and let events roll out. And try to be reasonably open to allowing things to be what they are, not to fit a pre-packaged narrative.
Marty, don't know if you saw Vance being booed at the Kennedy Centre,
They panned the crowd with the cameras, I I am thrilled to tell you diversity is not dead there.
There where white men with beards, white men with mustaches, bald and balding white men, white men with good heads of hair....real cross section of the right Americans Trump would like to see there.
Last night too Trump said that saying bad things about him should be illegal...is illegal....and that the news outlets that he decides are fake news should be stifled
In more news, turns out the student they picked up in Columbia had more rights than accorded him...but hey, he deserved it because ....well you don't need a reason anymore when civil rights can be ignored
You say relax...all noise...I say be careful about being the frog in boiling water
John These bearded white guys showing up to boo republicans at town halls may not be a "cross section" of Right-wing America. They are more likely a contingent of the crowd that hangs around NPR stations arguing with each other. Doing open-mics put me in view of that crowd. I saw the one dude screaming at some politician in a town hall. Whatever they are, CNN and MSNBC are amplifying their presence in an attempt to make it look like America is on fire.
It is not.
Marty''s words to live by, Excepting people under the age of 30---there is no group more collectively dumb and uninformed than people who call in to talk radio shows, stand on street corners with hand written signs, or go to town halls and scream at somebody. That is non-partisan statement.
Rob I had to check if the story about eggs is tgrue
Love it..US goes to Denmark. "Give us Denmark and as many eggs as you can because we need your imports to keep American prices in line"
Here the tariff dilemma comes in. Denmark, knowing egg prices in the USA, should price them marginally below current prices,because the American consumer seems to be buying at those prices. Ols fashioned capitalism at work
Oh read something this morning. You trade deficit with the world is actually as much or more due to your strong currency for the late 40 years than us bad Canadians and the rest rip off world
Makes your exports more expensinve and your imports cheaper and leads to yes...a structural trade deficit.
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
Marty, this is visual evidence...not some amplified CNN report. This is people going to the Kennedy Centre...not many people can afford it or are in proximity of it to be able to attend.
So what some bozo does at your open mike or town hall is not reflective of the "genteel" crowd that takes in culture.
Now I expect that the real issue is attrition and boycott. Who wants to see something that is programmed by Trump?
Oh and my "provocative" statement was meant as satire\humour....just like my conditions for Canada becoming your great 51st state.
To which I will now amend to include a term that makes you put an "O" in humour AND learn to say "eh"
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
This is the puffy, connected uni-party crowd of DC. I read that Trump just put himself in charge of the performance scheduling of their favorite and very exclusive venue. In their view, only the upper-upper crust attends.
Of course some of them booed. Vance would also get booed at most prison rodeos. How many booing voices would you estimate?
LOL....where did you get this? The footage I saw went to Vance first, then panned over the crowd at a much lower lever so you could see the audience, then went to the orchestra
So it is the puffy uni crowd here...the ones glad that Trump took over the Kennedy Center??? (genuinely curious...maybe I am missing something in the puffy uni modifiers???? ...that is in the audience?
OK...I'd rest my case except you made an excellent point that gave me pause...why did they boo?
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
I went on YouTube and searched "Vance gets booed at Kennedy." These popped up in the 1st batch of videos. I picked AP because it leans left and NYP leans hard right. The videos were similar.
I SUSPECT, GUESS, SPECULATE...
Most were democrat machine. Trump has upended their world and they hate it. A few may be Old Guard, Uni-party Republicans. "The senator's club." They hate what Trump has done to their influence. They can't get into places now that they became accustoming to "owning."
All have been part of the DC club for years and Trump is tearing it down using Blitzkrieg tactics. And the finger in their eye is that Trump has now appointed himself to oversee the presentations at the KC.
I was not pointing out the booing as much as the composition of the crowd....why I commented as I did.
I think the booing is reflective of what a cross section of Americans feel right now
I showed a probability based poll (everyone theoretically has an equal chance of being contacted\surveyed) his highest approval of 51% on your border issues, and it dropped under 50% for all other metrics...down to 39% approval for tariffs. Stands to reason an audience would be split...and with other reasons like taking over KC programming on the table, maybe skews it to the boo side
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
The US is factionalized and divided. Badly so. You lib Canadians are headed to the same destiny. There are very few positions that you can take on any issue that wont have 50% of people opposing you. (Men in women's sports is one) The perverse paradox is that, in a country so ideologically and stridently divided, the people who decide the elections are the jelly-brains who dont know who they are going to vote for, a week out from a presidential election. I get that in 1956, but not in 2025.
Trump is controversial and he is tearing down the bureaucratic hierarchy in real time. I've no doubt that his polls will sink further. A lot of people are easily affected and swayed by negative news, be it right or wrong. They see discord going on and they get a bad feeling and want to place the blame somewhere.
In my nobody opinion, Everything will blow over or calm down for Trump regarding tariffs and the govt bureaucracy. You're an intelligent guy. Do you really think that govt workers who havent been into the office for a year are getting anything done? The Russians are a wild card.
In my nobody opinion, Trump's only concerns are the way people feel buying gas and groceries. If he can get gas under $3 or under $2.50, that's a win. If he can also get groceries down significantly and keep them down, most people will just go home and watch Netflix.
If he does not, some socialist dim will get in next election and finish the economy off.
First off, hope all is well with you as we are seeing\hearing about deadly storms down south...might even affect Tony more than you...hope he is OK.
Marty that division is scary as ^*& and MAGA and REPs are actively demonizing the DEMs..and visa versa......setting one part off against the other means government can't work. One example....Recent committee meeting the REP chair called a transgender House member "Mr" and was asked to retract. Instead he adjourned the meeting and told everyone he does not have to indulge in "his" (The member's) fantasy.
And Trump is tearing down more than your bureaucracy and creating instability...the anathema of business. Political and\or economic Instability does not promote investment
Problem is, he has no working brain and runs on emotion...his handlers have told us as much as have you. Don't listen to what Trump says is your message to me..it will all work out. But he is surrounded by yes men and toadies and his recent address to your Justice Department is chilling. "Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest" comes to mind.
As for your question about bureaucrats who don't come to work and collect paycheques...well I could not agree with you more. If that was the cause of the federal employee slash and burn....then that would make sense. Funny that first mass firings were in Veterans Affairs, Education and Social Security but hey, guess you have to start somewhere. May just have been a "political blunder"??? ...bad news reporting to single out worst effect of the most vulnerable???
Finally Canada is not so badly split or splittable as you may think. Our Conservative Party was actually running a similar style campain as Trump...lying, polymic....and doing what he could to tear down Trudeau. He made his mission to topple Trudeau. Now there is no Trudeau but instead he is having to go after a highly accomplished former Central Bank governor of both Canada and England...steered that country through Brexit...highly respected internationally and our newest Prime Minister. All Poilievre can do is continue to lie and say he totally mismanaged Brexit. He knows Canadians know he did a good job for us...and AT THE TIME..he was recruited by the UK BECAUSE of that record... but hey London is far away so say what you want, lie as you will. Oh and his previous overt support and tadying up to Trump will hurt him
But our system simply cannot accomodate someone like Trump with his autocratic views. You thought that with that wonderful separation of powers you were immune. But with Citizens United ....allowed Musk to buy Trump for a measly 250 million before the elction and more for his inauguration.....Mitch McConnell stacking the your Supreme Court with politicized judges who say anything Trump does in his role as President is legal.......and a majority in both Congress and Senate which is now so incredibly dysfunctional and is not really needed by Trump and his executive order style of government.
Our tradition of democracy allows countervailing ideas to come to the forefront very quickly, and non confidence motions that allow Members of Parliament to take down a Prime Minister and their government...at any time.
It is not a coup, just a legal, practical way to as soon as possible get rid of someone who does things like suppress free speech and cultural expression and wants his toadies to go out and punish his political opponents and those who say bad things about him. His mental state would be questioned and a non confidence motion (we have a long history of those BTW) gets rid of the problem. There is simply no way out.
We have a Governor General...ceremonial post that represents the English Crown ....and closest I can say to the post of President in a Republic that is effectively run by a parliament and Prime Minister. She is our current Head of State. . We put forward a name to the English Crown who makes it official. Now they have no "real power" in the sense that they cannot enact or support or do anything NOT impartial, but they do "accept" the resignations and swear in new PMs. That alone gives (her, Currently Her Excellency Mary Simon ...Indigenous person BTW ) enormous ceremonial power and the force of moral suasion plus the force of tradition. So I think we are pretty safe.
In the end though, quis sais?
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
#1- Watch the Speech Trump gave to congress and look at the dims. They are demonizing themselves. He tosses turds at them, but that's just Trump noise until they make themselves disgusting.
#2 - The history of American presidents has some very unpretty moments. Not to mention a Civil War. You want to see what an actual hardazz mofo looks like, study up on Andrew Jackson. He chased his excellency's army out of NOLA...for starters. Then there is the Trail of Tears, and a knife fight, I believe, accusations of bigamy.. Polk would have made you have to check into a mental ward.
Trump is just a guy who rides in limos and tweets demeaning things.
You need to worry about keeping those French speakers in Quebec happy and not wanting to break off. We'll worry about Trump down here.
Have a good evening,
Marty
PS...That survey could be right, but people who do surveys often start with a desired result. If you wanna see bias, wait for Trump to have a good result with something, and see who carries the story on it and who ignores it. That's belies bias.
Here the tariff dilemma comes in. Denmark, knowing egg prices in the USA, should price them marginally below current prices,because the American consumer seems to be buying at those prices. Ols fashioned capitalism at work
Exactly John. You nailed it! He could get cheap eggs from Canada but that is bad for the trade balance. He therefore wants to buy the expensive eggs from Europe and fly them half around the world. I'm not sure that will bring down the price of eggs and what will that do to the trade balance with Europe? We'll see.
In the German news I just read that Trump is now doing what Marty doesn't want. America is attacking Jemen. Military strikes with American troops in a far-away land. Here we go again...
We would like to keep the membership in Just Plain Folks FREE! Your donation helps support the many programs we offer including Road Trips and the Music Awards.
