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John,

The most popular polling democrat amongst democrats is AOC. The repubs are already sending her campaign donations and planning crossover voting in the 2027 primaries. They are ecstatic. They want OMAR for VP.

When POLLED, the dems think that there is not a problem with their message, but their leadership , messaging and messengers.
That's not reality. The insanity of it, that is lost on them, is what they want the majority of people to accept.

SNOW WHITE is another bell cow indicating how not-reality that assumption is.


Truly, you are smart guy. You should examine where your beliefs line up with these people, and correct your thinking.

Let's start your cult de-programming right here with one question?

A human body has 30 trillion cells, give or take.
Cells carry the genetic instructions that determine the ultimate configuration of the human.
You said that your daughter is a doc so I assume that you know the basics of chromosomes.
If a person's body contains 30 trillion Y chromosomes and that person adamantly states that they are a female...

Are they right or wrong?

Yes.

42 The Sequal

I guess, for some people, it's all "relative"

If they DOGE the the Post Office, THEY'LL HAVE TO REPLACE IT WITH FREE INTERNET!!

Not another version of Snow White again from Hollywood. I think we got the message in 1937

While Trump is trying to make America great again by imposing tariffs on products from other countries, the MEGA (Make Europe Great Again) movement in Europe seems to be acting somewhat more wisely. Instead of tariffs that make everything more expensive, Europeans mark domestic goods with a star on the price tag. Consumers immediately recognize which goods are locally produced and which are imported. The consumer can then freely decide whether to support MEGA or not, by choosing the domestic product. Interestingly, European goods are purchased in 75% of all cases. Trump can't really punish their country with further tariffs because the consumer made the decision, not the foreign government. Whiskey from the U.S. has become a shelf warmer without needing to impose tariffs. I think that is a pretty clever approach and it doesn't ruin the economy.

Rob,

It's early stages in all this tariff stuff.
What people do in the first couple of weeks of something like this is not indicative of what will happen as ramifications and unintended consequences roll out.
That is true for all parties.

As far as the EU putting markers on local goods or American goods or anything else...I think that's fine.
If the tariff structure is fair as it stands, they have a right to do what they need to protect their interests.
If there are EU tariffs that are much higher on certain goods produced in America, than the EU...then we have a right to protect our interests.

Fair is fair.

I've no idea where it goes, but am interested to see.

Marty

Checkers vs Chess, Rob...

I have no idea why you are congratulating me. I'm just describing how some countries deal with the new US tariffs, without making Trump mad.


I agree!!! The USMCA agreement was mutual and fair. That's what Trump said. So now he hammers Canada with a 25% tariff. If you call that fair and mutual, well, then I don't know what to say. There is a reason why the US buys certain goods in other countries. We've had that conversation before. There are precious minerals that the US just doesn't have. I don't support the US taking over other countries with military force just because they have an abundance of these minerals.


If sovereignty takes precedence over global economy then I hate to think what will happen to the big global-player US companies (Coca Cola, McDonalds, Microsoft, etc.). You can't have it both ways. Getting rid of the trade deficit will not solve any debt problems. If I'm in debt, I either have to spend less or increase my income. You don't expect me to understand and I admit, I don't understand your logic. But I'm happy that you do.

LOL...
If you want McDonald's and Coca Cola, then invite them over...
If not, whatever...

What's so difficult to understand? Besides, I thought you Europeans hated American fast-food...

Why should everybody everywhere be entitled to everything the world has to offer?

I'm just as proud of my American cultural identity as anyone else is of theirs...
Common Sense?

Tony, you said "you Europeans". Who did you mean by that? I was born and raised in the USA. Sorry, but I can't follow your logic.

You may have been born here but you obviously don't "pledge allegiance" lol...

If you like Germany so much, STAY THERE!

Tony,
I find it really hard to discuss anything with you. For your information, I was born in Florida and I live in Florida. I'm a proud American and I actually do pledge allegiance to the flag, but that doesn’t mean I have to accept the felon that some of my fellow Americans elected.

This week I saw Peter Navarro on TV doing an interview on tariffs. Peter is the guy who convinced Trump that tariffs are so great. Navarro also advocated hydroxychloroquine as a treatment of Covid. Oh boy! Peter couldn’t explain how the American people will profit from them. Well, the host didn’t understand him and I couldn’t either. Navarro actually said Toyota and Honda were more American companies than the big 3 US auto manufactures. What? Tony, get used to the new American cultural identity. Peter’s best statement came at the end of the interview: “if the tariffs don’t work, we’ll blame Biden and Harris”. How low can you go? Even the CEO of GM said the tariffs on Canada will make all of GM’s vehicles at least 8,000$ more expensive. Who do you believe? A convicted politician or the guy who runs one of the auto companies?

Lol... just wait until Trump goes after the unions

Nobody.
The tariffs may be very unfair. If they are, it's worth taking a look.
What Trump may have said about some treaty years ago is not binding.
Between nations, nothing is actually binding.
All international treaties are agreements of convenience. And yeah, I know about "International Law."

If the treaties are unfair, I want them to take a look at the tariffs that are in place anyway.
If all is good, that'll be the end of it.
If not, it won't.
btw...It's not.

If you are a proud American with sole allegiance to this country...then why do you NOT want to see how the current tariffs are actually structured to be certain that they are fair?
Why are you talking about the European side of the argument non-stop?

Marty,
we don't have to go over this again and again. It's a waste of time for both of us. If nothing is binding, well Marty, then our lives will be determined by chaos because our president swore an oath and if that's not binding ... In other countries it is. What makes you so certain the planned tariffs are fair? Can you prove that? I surely can't and I'll never be able to. I'll have to trust Mr. Trump and I trusted him when he said USMCA was fair.
Why am I talking about the European side of the argument? Everything has at least 2 sides. I listened to both sides and all I said was that I thought the other side was doing something clever. What's wrong with that? You know I'm not a fan of higher taxes. If you ask me, I'm already paying to many taxes. What's he going to do with the trillions of dollars they will make off these taxes? Reduce the debt? Didn't he want to use it to lower taxes for the rich? I don't know. You know that you and I are paying these tariffs he's putting in place, not Canada, Europe, China, ... or do you actually believe Navarro that other countries will be paying the price?

In the end, the USA voted and will have to accept what happens as a consequence, both domestically and internationally.

Rob and I see things differently than you Marty....my take is your appreciation of the "border solution" is so great that you turn a blind eye to the rest.

All will come at us all soon enough as the time unfolds.

Rob

You have talked exclusively about the European side of things and what they are doing and thinking. There is no chaos. That is chicken-little stuff. There is a re-examination of the US govt going on. As a result, an entrenched bureaucracy along with the TDS afflicted are going out of their minds over it.
But others, such as me, welcome the scrutiny to a govt that everyone knows is corrupt and bloated.
The deficit has reached 1 trillion dollars ALREADY THIS YEAR.
Reports are that 3/4 of govt expenditures are fixed entitlements.
Either those numbers get re-established on a more stable footing OR they will ultimately seek their own equilibrium.
That will be "CHAOS."
It is likely too late to fix it, but I am happy that someone such as Musk is willing to publicly acknowledge the problem and try to fix it.


John
I definitely celebrate the thousands of people who will not be raped, robbed , murdered and tortured as a result of the expulsion of monsters that would only have happened with the installation of the Trump presidency. I am grateful when I contemplate the continued criminal "CHAOS" that would have been the Harris presidency.

But blind eye? No blind eye.
Here's how many of us see it. We have our eyes open.

For years the attitude of nations smaller than the US seems to have been that the US is big and rich,
so an appropriate trade relationship should rightfully give Canada or Britain, or Slovenia certain advantages on paper in order to handicap their size.
US politicians (and the bureaucracy) went along with that because, they got to ride in limousines and were privy to advantages such as setting up international foundations and insider trading and harvesting money in places like the Ukraine. The status quo paid them well. They had no desire to upset the global apple cart.

Now there is a US President saying...

if our cars can't be sold in your country, then your cars can't be sold in ours.

Predictably, there is a lot of thrashing and squealing and calls for doomsday going on..."at the trough."
As Musk has stated, "that indicates that I must be over the target."
The tell-tale is that those that are the most apoplectic over this scrutiny don't even want the situation(s) looked at, at all. ??

Yall have a good Sunday.
Marty

John,

You got me thinking...

I asked AI what the total trade between the US and Canada was in 2024?
The answer I got was 762 billion dollars.

I asked AI what the trade deficit was between the two countries and the answer was 63.5 billion, which is almost 10 percent.

I asked AI what percentage of Canada's exports go to the United States. The answer that I got was 77%.

The conclusion is that Canada turns 77% of it's products into wealth by sending them into US markets.
Yet, the US comes up short on the trade exchange by 63.5 billion.

I'm interested in a Canadian's answer to the following question:

Do you mind if we take a look at those numbers?

Yes, please do...they look pretty accurate to me

Steve

Is this what Trump is saying? Really? This proves just how stupid he is. Did you or he ever drive a car in Europe? The roads in Europe are much narrower and the parking lots are much smaller than here in the States. Some of the lanes on the German autobahn are 2.1m wide. Try driving a pickup truck there. It won't work. Most US cars are too big. I once imported a Dodge Caravan from Canada. That was a big mistake. The car was not designed to drive long distances at high speeds. It broke down after a few thousand miles. There is no speed limit on many of the German highways. The environmental laws are also much stricter. Many US cars don't fulfill them. For many years I drove a VW Polo. Use Google to see what that car looks like. VW doesn't sell them here in the US because they are too small. The VW Atlas is only available in the US, not in Europe. It's too big. In addition, gas costs 2-3 times as much in Europe. This is a no-brainer. There is no market for those big US cars.

Rob,

Rachel Maddow styled obstructionism where the object is to find every anecdotal instance possible and throw it at the wall...has worn itself out.

I don't know what your Dodge Caravan experience was all about. Honestly, don't care.
I know that the roads are generally narrower in Europe, but I also know that American mfgs make some narrower cars AND...my wife drives a Mercedes SUV. It aint the size of a Mini-Cooper.

Do they not drive Mercedes SUVs in Europe? It seems like I saw some in Paris and Rome.

BUT...am not going into spin cycle with you over such anecdotal claims.

If there is merit in your concerns, they need to be looked at along with the trade imbalances.
IF-IF-IF ...American cars are too big for your European roads and environmental laws cannot be achieved, then maybe we can offset EU cars coming to the US with some other concession to the US from Europe on another item category.

How does that sound?

This caught me off guard Steve. I am not used to concise reasoned responses coming back at me here.
Thank you and I hope that you are having a pleasant Sunday.

Marty

C'mon Marty, I thought Canadians were suppose to be the polite ones....LOLOL
Steve

You are not listening to what I write. Therefore, it really makes no sense to waste our time together. I wrote that VW has special models that they don't sell in Europe because they are to big. The same applies to BMW, Audi and Mercedes. The Mercedes GLE has a width of 85 inches. Some autobahn lanes are only 82 inches wide. Germany doesn't have to put tariffs on those cars because nobody will buy them anyway.
Those German companies manufacture cars in the US. It will be interesting to see if they get taxed too, just because they have their HQs somewhere else. If that happens, a lot of Americans will lose their jobs.


Yeah, that sounds like tariffs. And, to me that sounds pretty dumb unless you are so rich that you don't mind paying 25% more for a German car. Buying a German car doesn't make America great again and your wife is contributing to the trade deficit. Marty, you are saying things here and in real life you're acting totally differently. Isn't that a bit contradictory?

Lucky I bought a new car before election , I don't see the economy so well in Calif. I pretty much go on how's Ben doing . not their circus

Yeah, Elvis ... I just bought a new car too. I'm with you. Fix, what needs to be fixed. Don't break everything and try to rebuild it.

Damn Ford had a recall on the engine , they replaced it for free
But I had to buy a chevy while the worked on it , I guess living in the boondocks , its good to have 2 cars if one breaks , And they do. Thats 2 engines they put in this car for free . 2020 Ford Eco sport , Don't buy one of them . This Chevy Malibu is fast though lol.

Rob,

You are not hearing my point.
You want me to get all lost in the trees, debating this car and that car and the other car and German roads and which German roads and on and on.
No thanks.

You dont want to actually step back and view the forest but you should, because all of this will make more sense to you.

I ask AI what the US trade deficit was with the EU in 2024.
It came back 235 billion dollars and noted an increase of 30 billion over 2023.

How much does the US export to the EU? 370 billion.
How much does the EU export to the US? 531 billion.

You can talk about cars and parakeets and whatever, but that is the issue, because that is a lot of money.

In my opinion, there are two places to start the talks...

#1-All tariffs on both sides are eliminated and then the talks start. IMO...best option, but no takers.
#2-Reciprocal tariffs are put in place and then the talks start.

Looks like they went much closer to #2

QUESTION FOR YOU ROB:

Is it reasonable for the citizens of the US to want their govt to look at and renegotiate a 235 billion dollar trade deficit?

Ben,

Covid era cars are problematic.
I'm in the market for a new truck, but even Toyota Tundras are having recall issues.
I'm looking at GMs and they have a truck motor that is problematic.

If you bought a car in the last couple of years, your troubles may not be over.
If you are thinking of buying a car, choose carefully.

It's still tax refund season so prices are up some, but I think that this summer may be a good time to catch a deal.

Marty

Lol... Pay twice as much for half the product... That socialist European math is a b!tch. No wonder they're so confused.

America voted "NO" on shrinkflation!

DEAL WITH IT

Marty,
it looks like you have a one-track mind: tariffs, tariffs, tariffs.

One place to start is with the American consumer. Canadians are now boycotting US products and buying Canadian. Why can't Americans just buy American products. That would immediately solve the problem. Your wife bought a German car. Why not American? You tell me. I don't know. Toyota sold the most cars in the US in 2024. Toyota is not American. Why do Americans buy Toyota. It's not because Japan has imposed tariffs against the US. There are two sides when trade takes place. You blame the EU for exporting too much. The real question is why are Americans buying so many EU products.

Marty no problem having a look at fair trade. I expect our respective governments will have a go at it.
As far as your deficit number, our projected (now under review btw) Lockheed Martin F35 fighterjet program comes in at 10 billion more
I understand we are now going to be looking at Sweden's Jas 39 Gripen

Here we have to have an election first before those decisions can officially be made but it has been announced by Mark Carney. Our Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre, was good to go over Trudeau until Mark Carney re invigorated the Liberals. Our New Democrats are our "progressive left" and led by Jagmeet Singh, but are not expected to gain seats and will likely lose some to the Liberals. Bernie Sanders would feel at home with them. Poilievre harnessed the swing away from the governing party after becoming "stale" under Trudeau and vulnerable under repeated failures...perceived and real. Liberal infighting did not help and Poilievre had begun staking out his political position on local Canadian issues but he leaves a bitter taste in my mouth insofar as he will say anything to get attention and get elected because he is a career politician who has no real life experience outside or beyond politics.

If it goes as I expect, Mark Carney will be our next Prime Minister and he has the academic chops and experience to effectively represent Canada and he will have a good team with him, including Christina Freeland who by the way was key to the last "Greatest Ever" USMCA .

Why do you keep blaming America!?
America is only 250yrs old. 250yrs ago Europe was the center of world trade... and slaves were their most profitable export.

It's amazing to me how many patrons here love talking politics .

I think if you could hide the music section, onlookers here would think it's a political forum.

I guess it's nothing to get mad at, I always said politics was a form if entertainment, I suppose more enjoyable than music is here.

That's the crux if the issue, its not about people stepping over the line, it's more about people being more interested in politics.

I guess the topics could be never ending too, but music topics could be never ending...

I think the basic truth is people are more into politics here.

But the question remains why here? Why not engage with dozens or hundreds? On Facebook...

Is it that here people feel more important?

I think people have a sense that they matter more here...

Just observation..continue on

No, Dom... We're all just here for YOU

Rob,

I have a one track mind?
From my view, you are like arguing with a teenager. You wont stay on point and you keep wanting to change the arguments to any side issue you can find.

My one track mind is not just tariffs.
It is trade deficits, then your German & EU tariffs, and then US tariffs which are being bumped up to make you Euros crap your panties and come to the bargaining table.

Why do Americans buy European cars?
Are Europeans allowed to consider American cars?

Good questions to look at during the negotiations.


You did not answer my question: (because we both know that there is only one correct answer, and your argument stops when you give it.)

Is it reasonable for the citizens of the US to want their govt to look at and renegotiate a 235 billion dollar trade deficit?

I'm willing to bet you get no attention on Facebook...I'm on it, but I get no attention on it.

I'm not interested in taking a picture of a meal I'm having and sharing it assuming people actually give a [naughty word removed].

Facebook baffles me, how it makes so many feel like celebrities . None of which is real.

But how is it any better here? more focused? people engage with you, and you can be a dick here, cause nobody knows the difference .

I bet you get told to shut up or you get ignored on Facebook often...

John,

That is nice to hear. Americans like Canadians and want to have a good relation.

As far as looking at a Swedish Fighter jet versus an F35, tell them to think long and hard on that one.

As far a your negotiating team,
Most Canadians live a short distance to the border.
Canada apparently ships 77% of its exports across that short distance to the US markets.
That is one sweet set-up to have.

And you Canadians also get to lecture the US on who we should elect for president. Such a deal that you have.

Replacing that set-up with Germany, France, Malaysia and whoever, the associated shipping costs across oceans, etc., is going to be bad arithmetic.

FWIW I suggest that your negotiators come to the table with a practical attitude and a desire for fairness.

Marty

Dom,
It doesn't matter.

Marty,
you are not answering my questions either. Repeating my question is no response... Why did your wife buy a German car instead of an American car?


Of course! Ford is the 8th biggest manufacturer in Germany. Lexus sales were up 75% in 2024! But I think Lexus is not American.


In the age of free trade I find negotiating trade deficits a bit crazy. I mean, American consumers paid money and got the EU products they wanted in return. They weren't ripped off. What do you want to negotiate? Your wife bought a Mercedes. Germans prefer to drive German cars as well. I mean, they are built locally and don't have to be sent half way around the world. Germans buy American whiskey and eat American fast food (McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, etc.). They use iPhones and products from Microsoft. The problem is that Americans buy 74 billion dollars more from Germany than vice versa. Keep in mind that the US population is also 4.5 times larger. The US is a much larger market. Canada has approximately just a 9th of the population of the US. Trump is putting the tariffs in place to force Americans to buy American products. The thing is, he's not telling you that. Instead he says he's retaliating and making the others pay. That's not true. He doesn't want your wife to buy another foreign car, so he puts taxes on foreign products.

I'm trying to keep score.. so it doesn't matter again?

I thought I read a post where you blasted Tony for ruining the site, now it doesn't matter.

Least I'm consistent.

This was yesterday.... In another thread, this is today in this thread.

https://www.jpfolks.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1203365/re-the-tony-awards.html#Post1203365

Somebody please pay attention to DomDom so he'll quit being a dick...

Ben,

Covid era cars are problematic.
I'm in the market for a new truck, but even Toyota Tundras are having recall issues.
I'm looking at GMs and they have a truck motor that is problematic.

If you bought a car in the last couple of years, your troubles may not be over.
If you are thinking of buying a car, choose carefully.

It's still tax refund season so prices are up some, but I think that this summer may be a good time to catch a deal.

Marty[/quote


Maybe... but it's the 3 cylinder engines with belt tensioner problems.
Thats the 2nd engine they put in for free. they stopped making Eco Sports in 2021 Marty . Yup they all have recall issues , Ford, Chevy , whatever.

Because she wanted to. I have a Ford F150 because that is what I wanted.
But what she bought is not at issue. One-sided trade tariffs are at issue.




BINGO ROB!

This is NOT actually "THE AGE OF FREE TRADE."
If there is a one-sided arrangement in the trading relationships between 2 countries, characterized by one country having all sorts of tariffs on goods that the other doesn't, THERE IS NOT FREE TRADE.

In defense of that, the country without the tariffs calls it out. If nothing happens to even things out, then, that country installs RECIPROCAL TARIFFS as defensive measure, and then the trade war starts.

If you truly believe in FREE TRADE, then talk to your Euro-German allegiances about those tariffs coming off.
Maybe you can save Trump the trouble.

If there are no uneven tariffs and Trump is just making noise, we'll find out.
But I doubt that.

Marty

I suppose I did blast Tony, but the site is done as a song site.
There are a handful of people here who debate politics, but little else.

I enjoy debating politics. This is the only site where I do that, at all. I don't put political stuff on my FB page even.
I don't interact anywhere else. I post songs here and there. Compliment others some and respond to compliments when they occur. Nothing more.

I come here and debate politics because I see the site as a lost cause for anything else, and the owner created a political thread and allows religious conversation, even though it is destroying interest and traffic to his site.

So, my attitude is...what does it matter?

I've been reading that they downsized from some reasonably reliable engines, to smaller engines with turbo-chargers. And that those engines have various issues.
I dont know engines and I dont know how a turbo-charger works...that's just what I read here and there.

Marty

Well it's been like this probably for a decade now, and tbh, there were always rants and off topic stuff, but there were also more people interested in music. Here they are no more interested than an average person

That's the problem, alot of yappers on multi subjects, not much in music.

In fact, music topics are largely ignored here.

But I don't think it's a startling revelation that the site is gone.

You slammed my music so much to hear you say it doesn't matter...well.

Your right though this isn't a music site

Dom,

You give it, then you get it.
Don't pretend to be the damsel-in-distress when your boomerang comes back.