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My takeaway from what I've read and heard in the last few weeks is that his only actual motivation is to 'win'. He bragged yesterday that other countries are ki
by nineplay 2y ago
My takeaway from what I've read and heard in the last few weeks is that his only actual motivation is to 'win'. He bragged yesterday that other countries are kissing his ass to negotiate deals on the tariffs. I think that was all he wanted, I think he now thinks that this whole tariff thing was a success and he's going to move on to the next crazy idea.
The rest of us suffer for it, except for the sad portion of the republican party who's only motivation is to own the libs and who now are congratulating themselves on how thoroughly the libs have been owned.
- plaidfuji 2y agoCorrect take. Any attempt to find a rational objective behind the tariffs is foolish.
- TheBlight 2y ago[flagged]
- shadowgovt 2y agoPre-orders in a lot of businesses have been paused because with the tariffs volatile, stores can't guarantee they won't lose their shirts if they promise product to customers that is later unaffordable to sell (or cannot be sold at that agreed-upon pricepoint). China is also likely to continue selling off US treasuries; even if that wasn't an immediate way to disrupt the American economy by itself, it's a sound idea if their trust in the stability of the US as a sovereign nation has gone down. China is also, historically, the second-largest buyer and holder of US T-bills; if that changes, it will have consequences in terms of America's deficit.
- rqtwteye 2y agoPeople who are retired and don’t have multi million portfolios are certainly suffering. I bet this will kill off a lot of small businesses
- nineplay 2y agoPermanent damage has been done to our relationships with countries that have always been our allies. Permanent damage has to our economic markets, since everyone now knows that everything can change on the whim of a single man. Permanent damage has been done to any reputation we've had as a supporter of democracy worldwide now that we've abandoned our support of Ukraine. Permanent damage has been done to our own faith in our country. Any pride I had in our values and democracy has slipped away, now I know that they were all illusions.
- mulmen 2y ago> Permanent damage has been done to our own faith in our country. Any pride I had in our values and democracy has slipped away, now that I know that they were illusions. I understand this feeling but this quote has been helpful to me. “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it" - Mark Twain This is a dark time for America. But we shouldn’t turn our backs. The next few years will be painful. As patriots we need to work toward making it better. Take care of your neighbors. Work toward seeing the change you want in the midterms. Demand accountability from your representatives.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- everybodyknows 2y ago> other countries are kissing his ass Notable exception: Xi Jinping. So it's a contest of wills. Trump vs. the man who enforced a "zero-Covid" lockdown on 1.4 billion people.
- nineplay 2y agoI like to believe that no other countries are kissing his ass and all the calls were from the few true patriots that are hiding out in his administration. "Hello President Trump, I am the leader of Bigorgia. I know you are a big strong manly man and I will beg you to stop the tariffs please." But I agree, Xi Jinping is a real strongman, not a sad old man with delusions of grandeur.
- hydrogen7800 2y agoFrom an article written in 1979: >He once told me: “I won’t make a deal just to make a profit. It has to have flair.” Another Manhattan developer said it differently: “Trump won’t do a deal unless there’s something extra — a kind of moral larceny — in it. He’s not satisfied with a profit. He has to take something more. Otherwise, there’s no thrill.” [0] [0]https://www.villagevoice.com/how-a-young-donald-trump-forced-his-way-from-avenue-z-to-manhattan/ https://www.villagevoice.com/how-a-young-donald-trump-forced...
- croes 2y agoHe also bragged that the tariffs bring 2 billions a day and the crowd cheered. They do realize who pays that 2 billions?
- Hojojo 2y agoOr that none of them will ever see any of that money and none of it will ever go towards helping them in any way?
- chrisco255 2y agoThe answer to that is far more complex than you realize. Tariffs generally force export-driven countries to devalue their currencies.
- croes 2y agoThat’s not how it works. Exhibit 1: The US Dollar devalues against the Euro. Some claim that is Trump‘s plan to make easier to pay the US debt.
- chrisco255 2y agoThis is about the yuan not the euro. Devaluation doesn't make it easier to pay debt. It helps foreign countries to pay down dollar denominated debt more easily. Meanwhile, the DXY is structurally way higher than average right now. The USD remains very strong compared to historical exchange rates despite its recent drop.
- muzani 2y agoIt's literally in his book. He does a crazy thing. Big. Massive. Then gets the other party to negotiate it down to what he really intended. 10% is a lot, but now it looks smaller. He's also fighting back very hard on a few fronts, as per the book.
- consp 2y agoAnd it is entirely predictable which is why most countries did not kneejerk into action.
- muzani 2y agoExactly. I would be surprised if most kings and prime ministers haven't hired a Trump expert by now. If there's one skill democratic leaders are good at, it's figuring out what the other party wants. It probably just plays out like a game of checkers.
- trgn 2y agoaestheticism is a feature of fascism. the late night phone call, the strong words in the oval office, boarding air force one with retinue in tow, hurry hurry... it's less about what is being achieved, and more about the pageantry that something is being achieved. change, action, disruption, violence (metaphorical or not) are good in and of itself, pomp is the reification of these impulses. i disliked succession precisely for this reason, the idolization of these processes (whether it was under the guise of irony is irrelevant). these fetishes can start to supplant material reality, real banana republic stuff. we should give the wasps and neoliberals credit to always have been somewhat immune to and disdainful of these practices.