“I can’t tell if you Trump’s plan will work and repair America’s economy and strategic industrial capacity.
But I do know that the current situation where we have a bad economy and declining strategic industrial capacity is entirely the result of the same establishment people who are crying about tariffs right now, people who have not been right about a single thing in three decades.
You’re free to point out their triumphs, whether of the economy, foreign policy, or culture, in the last 30 years. Or even just one triumph.
Their incompetence has been so complete and so sustained that the mere fact that they oppose Trump’s plans supports his plans.
Again, while I have questions about tariffs, why would I ever blindly believe that finally, after decades, they’ve gotten something right this time?”
“JUST IN: Former VP Mike Pence is this year’s recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for “putting his life and career on the line” in overseeing the 2020 presidential election results certification, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation announced.”
—-
“President Trump literally took a bullet, stopped and raised his fist, and said, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”. But Pence receives a “Profile in Courage” award for “…putting his life on the line” overseeing fraudulant election results. 😁😂”
“Surprise! – “They’ve been using their NGO’s to dump fake voter registration forms utilizing the fake SS#’s on key county registrar’s offices for the last 5-6 election cycles. Then using those fraudulent voter registrations to request ballots in the mail. Then they pay the NGO’s to have their staff fill out the ballots and mail them in.”
“I was researching exactly that this morning. So, let me make the devil’s advocate argument as I understand it, and why the NGO and DC elite class are fighting to hard to keep the current system.
One-way free trade functions economically in the same way open borders do. Yes, both hollow out the domestic working class: manufacturing jobs vanish just as illegal immigration erodes wages and job availability. But in return, cheap goods and services flood in, lowering consumer prices.
These lower prices become the mechanism by which a different kind of economy is built, one optimized for high-level abstraction. Think: professional services, finance, tech, and elite-tier automated manufacturing. The bet is that the U.S. can climb the value chain while letting lower-tier production happen elsewhere.
Tariffs imposed by other countries aren’t seen as a threat. In fact, they’re framed as “shooting themselves in their foot.” Because, these countries are anchoring themselves to low-margin industries, while the U.S. orients toward capital-intensive, post-industrial domains.
This is why globalists aggressively defend the current trade regime. We keep our markets open, even when others don’t, because that asymmetry accelerates the shift to a high-abstraction economy.
But the cost is real: it’s a structural wealth transfer from the poor and middle class to the rich, who benefit from global capital flows and the cheap labor and goods that make their post-industrial economy run. It also creates obvious security and defense threats (e.g., our dependency on Taiwan).”
Why should we subsidize the tariffs other countries impose on us when we’re running a 37 Trillion dollar deficit in order to do so? Serious question I would like Rand Paul, Ted Cruz , Chuck Grassley or anyone at the WSJ editorial board to seriously answer.
there’s no relationship or connection to the trade deficit and the federal deficit or debt. I’ve seen neo-cons/liberals try to relate the two in order to justify tariffs and its just weird. They are completely unrelated. A trade deficit is simple – a country buys more than they sell. The money in this exchange is handled by the corporations involved so in many cases the deficit will benefit American companies and American investors eg buy a made in China iPhone.
In addition, in the US case, since the currency used in the transaction is the American dollar, currency fluctuations and the strength of the dollar have as much to do with a trade deficit than the actual buying and selling.
Furthermore, the trade deficit figures used by governments traditionally only included goods bought and sold and not services. The US is a net exporter of services. For example, if you include streaming subscriptions, insurance and banking, the US deficit is lower but the figures used by the admin don’t include services.
The rebuttal to the absence of Russia, Belarus, Cuba etc would make sense and have actually been mentioned by most critics but for the inclusion of Heard and McDonald Islands. I’m quite sure the US doesn’t trade with penguins yet they were hit with a 10% tariff. The memes on this were outstanding.
This points to another problem; the sheer amateur hour involved here. The tariffs listed as imposed by foreign countries weren’t actually tariffs. The admin simply took the deficit and used a formula to determine how the other country managed a surplus and called it a tariff. There were various formulas proposed and Trump picked one — not sure if the rumour that it was created by Chat GP is true. Also not sure how the penguins imposed a 10% tariff though.
Oh missed this piece — in most of the tariffs applied there was a fossil fuel exemption. Some people are speculating that it is related to the 96$ million campaign donation the fossil fuel companies gave him. I’m sure that may have made him more susceptible to an exemption but the main thing has to be the realisation the US is not entirely energy independent. For the most part, the US produces enough oil for its own use and is independent but not in terms of power or electricity. For example, the north east is almost completely dependent on Quebec for electricity. To exempt fossil fuel is to keep power production lower.
This reminds me of another issue. I’m not opposed to tariffs. Although the neo-con/neoliberals don’t like it, they have been used to create domestic manufacturing. The best example is the rise of the Asian Tigers in the 1980s — South Korea, Taiwan, etc all hid behind tariffs until they had the economies of scale to take on the world. However, I don’t see a plan behind Trump’s tariffs. For example, a 25% tariff on steel and other metals is meant to recreate the heavy industries needed as a base for manufacturing yet there was no follow up. You need infrastructure — transportation, supply chains, and above all power. And you can’t rely on Quebec electricity over a 1000 miles away. You need the power plant next to the steel mill, I may be missing something but my impression is Trump thinks he will levy a tariff and the corporate world will take over while he plays golf. It doesn’t work that way — the gov’t needs to provide infrastructure and probably before they even apply tariffs.
And now that reminds me; Biden did just that – he spent money to build ie CHIPS and IRA bills. From 2000 to 2020, US manufacturing construction was about 40 to 80 billion. In four years it went from 80 to over 200 billion with Biden. Manufacturing was coming back — and Biden was providing the gov’t infrastructure spending.
Someone wondered a few days ago if tariffs would mean the end of Signal discussion (scandals should never use the word gate). Penguins protesting tariffs have definitely overtaking jokes about DUI hiring practises of the Trump admin in the memes I see. However, the Pentagon has decided to investigate the use of Signal by Waltz and Hesgeth. And in Canada, use of Signal during “Freedom Convoy” by Conservative candidates, protesters and American right wing online influencers is creating problems for the Conservative. A few days ago, Der Speigal, a German newspaper, used Signal intercepts and a few other tricks to obtain email, passwords, etc belonging to Gabbard, Hesgeth and others. Signal appears to have some legs still — but yeah the penguin memes are far better than Hesgeth DUI jokes.
Wandering Views 
A good read on tariffs, and the lingering debt bomb Biden left, a thread.
https://x.com/tanvi_ratna/status/1907880105369845865?t=R9i6jjwZwP9HsjPIRaL-jA&s=19
“Trump’s new tariffs aren’t a trade tweak—they’re the first move in a full-spectrum reset.
$9.2T in debt matures in 2025. Inflation lingers. Alliances are shifting.
One announcement just set a dozen wheels in motion.Here’s what’s really happening—and why it matters 🧵”
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Presenting both sides…..
https://x.com/RandPaul/status/1908107869926371482?t=biw6TEkmLoITxKz2MbucUw&s=19
“Liberty and peace require free markets and free trade. Tariffs are bad for all sides.”
https://x.com/RandPaul/status/1908177839477674364?t=cH3ExYOWlXrv4Qe-p_7eHg&s=19
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Truth.
https://x.com/KurtSchlichter/status/1908009864846012752?t=dZAnioEPotlZHvYCgRTqxA&s=19
“I can’t tell if you Trump’s plan will work and repair America’s economy and strategic industrial capacity.
But I do know that the current situation where we have a bad economy and declining strategic industrial capacity is entirely the result of the same establishment people who are crying about tariffs right now, people who have not been right about a single thing in three decades.
You’re free to point out their triumphs, whether of the economy, foreign policy, or culture, in the last 30 years. Or even just one triumph.
Their incompetence has been so complete and so sustained that the mere fact that they oppose Trump’s plans supports his plans.
Again, while I have questions about tariffs, why would I ever blindly believe that finally, after decades, they’ve gotten something right this time?”
LikeLiked by 2 people
This is amusing. 😆
https://x.com/ElectionWiz/status/1908111858109694364?t=M4ZnvccKa2dpFjH7S33xMA&s=19
“JUST IN: Former VP Mike Pence is this year’s recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for “putting his life and career on the line” in overseeing the 2020 presidential election results certification, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation announced.”
—-
“President Trump literally took a bullet, stopped and raised his fist, and said, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”. But Pence receives a “Profile in Courage” award for “…putting his life on the line” overseeing fraudulant election results. 😁😂”
https://x.com/ClarissaMi91106/status/1908135302578737278?t=jI8hyZatx7qQUxdPJgC_iQ&s=19
LikeLiked by 2 people
Look how shocked I am…. 🙁
https://x.com/Rasmussen_Poll/status/1907944048876302471?t=G7HhgtnBEqz9cLCQ10crow&s=19
“Surprise! – “They’ve been using their NGO’s to dump fake voter registration forms utilizing the fake SS#’s on key county registrar’s offices for the last 5-6 election cycles. Then using those fraudulent voter registrations to request ballots in the mail. Then they pay the NGO’s to have their staff fill out the ballots and mail them in.”
@drawandstrike
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Meanwhile…..
https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/1907450659101667366?t=8Idi-4MELn6LlgWcRU1yZg&s=19
“The DNC, Chuck Schumer, and Hakeem Jeffries are suing Trump over his EO to block non-citizens from voting.
This should tell you everything you need to know…”
LikeLiked by 1 person
“I was researching exactly that this morning. So, let me make the devil’s advocate argument as I understand it, and why the NGO and DC elite class are fighting to hard to keep the current system.
One-way free trade functions economically in the same way open borders do. Yes, both hollow out the domestic working class: manufacturing jobs vanish just as illegal immigration erodes wages and job availability. But in return, cheap goods and services flood in, lowering consumer prices.
These lower prices become the mechanism by which a different kind of economy is built, one optimized for high-level abstraction. Think: professional services, finance, tech, and elite-tier automated manufacturing. The bet is that the U.S. can climb the value chain while letting lower-tier production happen elsewhere.
Tariffs imposed by other countries aren’t seen as a threat. In fact, they’re framed as “shooting themselves in their foot.” Because, these countries are anchoring themselves to low-margin industries, while the U.S. orients toward capital-intensive, post-industrial domains.
This is why globalists aggressively defend the current trade regime. We keep our markets open, even when others don’t, because that asymmetry accelerates the shift to a high-abstraction economy.
But the cost is real: it’s a structural wealth transfer from the poor and middle class to the rich, who benefit from global capital flows and the cheap labor and goods that make their post-industrial economy run. It also creates obvious security and defense threats (e.g., our dependency on Taiwan).”
https://x.com/DataRepublican/status/1907908884464914483?t=a9p7RlaVF90TzwsO02TYmA&s=19
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Well Trump is Putin’s stooge, so no tariffs on Russia or NK”, they whine….
Meanwhile, over in reality….
https://x.com/BehizyTweets/status/1907878784319238274?t=O_G8H1Po_LGzFxs4qtNGIw&s=19
“To all the buffoons screaming that tariffs weren’t imposed against Russia, the answer is right in front of your faces.
“Because we have sanctions against Russia, North Korea, Belarus, and Cuba, and so we’re not supposed to be trading with them.””
LikeLiked by 2 people
This was a “surprise”?
~ President Trump is slamming China’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods matching his 34% rate announcement. ~
Sigh.
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Why should we subsidize the tariffs other countries impose on us when we’re running a 37 Trillion dollar deficit in order to do so? Serious question I would like Rand Paul, Ted Cruz , Chuck Grassley or anyone at the WSJ editorial board to seriously answer.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly!!! Nj
LikeLiked by 1 person
A little (twisted) humor …
Someone said this is them trying not to look at their retirement savings right now ….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHjZ1g027ME
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tariffs
there’s no relationship or connection to the trade deficit and the federal deficit or debt. I’ve seen neo-cons/liberals try to relate the two in order to justify tariffs and its just weird. They are completely unrelated. A trade deficit is simple – a country buys more than they sell. The money in this exchange is handled by the corporations involved so in many cases the deficit will benefit American companies and American investors eg buy a made in China iPhone.
In addition, in the US case, since the currency used in the transaction is the American dollar, currency fluctuations and the strength of the dollar have as much to do with a trade deficit than the actual buying and selling.
Furthermore, the trade deficit figures used by governments traditionally only included goods bought and sold and not services. The US is a net exporter of services. For example, if you include streaming subscriptions, insurance and banking, the US deficit is lower but the figures used by the admin don’t include services.
The rebuttal to the absence of Russia, Belarus, Cuba etc would make sense and have actually been mentioned by most critics but for the inclusion of Heard and McDonald Islands. I’m quite sure the US doesn’t trade with penguins yet they were hit with a 10% tariff. The memes on this were outstanding.
This points to another problem; the sheer amateur hour involved here. The tariffs listed as imposed by foreign countries weren’t actually tariffs. The admin simply took the deficit and used a formula to determine how the other country managed a surplus and called it a tariff. There were various formulas proposed and Trump picked one — not sure if the rumour that it was created by Chat GP is true. Also not sure how the penguins imposed a 10% tariff though.
hrw
LikeLike
Oh missed this piece — in most of the tariffs applied there was a fossil fuel exemption. Some people are speculating that it is related to the 96$ million campaign donation the fossil fuel companies gave him. I’m sure that may have made him more susceptible to an exemption but the main thing has to be the realisation the US is not entirely energy independent. For the most part, the US produces enough oil for its own use and is independent but not in terms of power or electricity. For example, the north east is almost completely dependent on Quebec for electricity. To exempt fossil fuel is to keep power production lower.
This reminds me of another issue. I’m not opposed to tariffs. Although the neo-con/neoliberals don’t like it, they have been used to create domestic manufacturing. The best example is the rise of the Asian Tigers in the 1980s — South Korea, Taiwan, etc all hid behind tariffs until they had the economies of scale to take on the world. However, I don’t see a plan behind Trump’s tariffs. For example, a 25% tariff on steel and other metals is meant to recreate the heavy industries needed as a base for manufacturing yet there was no follow up. You need infrastructure — transportation, supply chains, and above all power. And you can’t rely on Quebec electricity over a 1000 miles away. You need the power plant next to the steel mill, I may be missing something but my impression is Trump thinks he will levy a tariff and the corporate world will take over while he plays golf. It doesn’t work that way — the gov’t needs to provide infrastructure and probably before they even apply tariffs.
And now that reminds me; Biden did just that – he spent money to build ie CHIPS and IRA bills. From 2000 to 2020, US manufacturing construction was about 40 to 80 billion. In four years it went from 80 to over 200 billion with Biden. Manufacturing was coming back — and Biden was providing the gov’t infrastructure spending.
hrw
LikeLike
Someone wondered a few days ago if tariffs would mean the end of Signal discussion (scandals should never use the word gate). Penguins protesting tariffs have definitely overtaking jokes about DUI hiring practises of the Trump admin in the memes I see. However, the Pentagon has decided to investigate the use of Signal by Waltz and Hesgeth. And in Canada, use of Signal during “Freedom Convoy” by Conservative candidates, protesters and American right wing online influencers is creating problems for the Conservative. A few days ago, Der Speigal, a German newspaper, used Signal intercepts and a few other tricks to obtain email, passwords, etc belonging to Gabbard, Hesgeth and others. Signal appears to have some legs still — but yeah the penguin memes are far better than Hesgeth DUI jokes.
hrw
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oops here’s the link I was going to post
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/05/why-trump-administration-used-signal-hegseth-gabbard
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