Trump's Second Term

[Oniya]

I think the tariffs may have lost out to the whole Signal thing.  The EU is now concerned about whether the intelligence they share with the US is truly classified any more.

[Ollumhammersong]

I suppose that depends on location. The signal leaks are not being talked about much in Canada. The main news focus is still on tariffs. We're laughing at the leak sort of, it's not our biggest concerns compared to the potential collapse of the auto industry.

But I can see how Europeans night have moved on from tariffs over the signal thing

[Samael]

I know for Germany we only export like 10% of our cars to the US, so while this is annoying, it is endurable, but we are having an extremely aggressive Russia just next door, massively messing with our democracies. Therefore security is a bit higher in priority, especially if we don't know if Trump just forwards everything to Putin.

[Ollumhammersong]

93% of Canadian manufactured cars go to the US. Not to mention the small firearms industry most people don't realize that we do have also has a 90-ish percent export rate and a bunch of other similar industries.

So these tariffs if they do go through are basically going to fuck us and put close to 750,000 jobs at immediate risk with double that or so on the chopping block in the following 6 months.

So it's got everyone worried out right now

[imalux]

Tariffs being something to 'stimulate internal growth' without the necessary infrastructure in-place to begin manufacturing all of these, now, expensive goods is just plain stupid. It's meant to tank the economy, turn everything into a quick cash grab, then when the stock market recovers they can sell everything they bought to double, triple their respective wealth.

Whether or not they ever go into place, the intended consequences are already being felt by Americans and American companies.

It's just a game of chicken, only all of our well-being is on the line while billionares play pretend.

This shit is deeply embarrassing; they can't even stand toe to toe with their own and have zero personal accountability rather than just.. accepting they are making mistakes. Ugh. 

[Oniya]

Cory Booker has broken Strom Thurmond's record with a 25 hour filibuster speech protesting Trump and Musk.

'Once the speech began, he did not sit down. He did not eat. On his desk, two glasses of water had been refilled at various points. On occasion, he leaned on the lectern, wiped his face with a handkerchief. But by the time the record was broken, Booker, who was wearing a black suit, had still not loosened his tie.'

This man.  This man right here.

[Caela]

Cory Booker has broken Strom Thurmond's record with a 25 hour filibuster speech protesting Trump and Musk.

'Once the speech began, he did not sit down. He did not eat. On his desk, two glasses of water had been refilled at various points. On occasion, he leaned on the lectern, wiped his face with a handkerchief. But by the time the record was broken, Booker, who was wearing a black suit, had still not loosened his tie.'

This man.  This man right here.

Totally amazing...he spoke with Rachel Maddow when he was done and was remarkably coherent still! I would've sounded like a drunk idiot at that point. 

[Oniya]

Totally amazing...he spoke with Rachel Maddow when he was done and was remarkably coherent still! I would've sounded like a drunk idiot at that point.

I would have sounded like the lady bailiff on Night Court.  I hope his caucus-mates took him out for dinner and a milkshake (or other celebratory throat remedy.)

[Oniya]

Ah-hah-hah-hah-hah!

*gasps*

Welp, it seems that I am now part of a supply chain for Venezuelan gangs.  Chicago Bulls jerseys, shoes and 'Jumpman' logos/tattoos are named as 'gang identifiers'.

I folded at least twenty Jordan t-shirts and unboxed several dozen pairs of 'Jumpman' logoed shorts - including kids' sizes!

[Beorning]

Ah-hah-hah-hah-hah!

*gasps*

Welp, it seems that I am now part of a supply chain for Venezuelan gangs.  Chicago Bulls jerseys, shoes and 'Jumpman' logos/tattoos are named as 'gang identifiers'.

I folded at least twenty Jordan t-shirts and unboxed several dozen pairs of 'Jumpman' logoed shorts - including kids' sizes!

... wut

BTW. I had the, uhm, dubious pleasure of listening to the whole of Trump's tariffs speech two hours ago. This was unbelievable... a whole hour of rambling on how other countries were "robbing" the States, how "queens and ambassadors" are going to be making calls to Trump now, how this was the most important day in modern US history...

And will somebody explain to Trump at some point that constant comments on "sleepy Joe" are really getting old?

[Ollumhammersong]

Well i'm surprised on two fronts now. I genuinely didn't think Trump would lover the global tariff from 25% to Ten given that he's spent so much time waving that 25% number around. 

A ten 10% tariff.... a lot of countries are probably not going to bother responding to that, but then again that may be the point, it's not as bad as many thought so they might just eat it and hope for the midterms to turn things around. 

And Canada somehow got out of harms way almost entirely aside from the global auto tariff thing, so that's a shock. Our federal election has been almost entirely focused around tariff retaliation so it will be interesting to see what the party heads are saying tomorrow. 

[Aiden]

Whatever they ate that morning as they are just shoving their heads up their asses. 

[Samael]

In Europe a call to boycott the US is growing stronger, making it to main stream news outlets, who actually put some sensible segments about it out.

At the same time several European countries have put out statements to warn citizens from visiting the US, especially those who are minorities or LGBTQ+.

The EU has been preparing micro targetting its own retaliatory tariffs, but tat the same time they are preparing to bring out the big guns aiming at tech-barons and their companies, i.e. Facebook, Amazon, various streaming services. Contracts with US weapons manufacturers are getting partially cancelled, where it is possible, and countries start to look towards European producers, especially in the light of the 'kill switch' controversy.

At the same time China is making overtures to try and slide into the gap left behind by USA going isolationist and hostile, although I think European countries are rather wary of that, except for Hungary with Orban, who, funnily, also courts Trump and Russia, of course.



The calls for 'taking' Greenland have not been taken well, neither the demands of the Trump administration to various European companies to drop their "DEI" practices.

Right now the state of the world is genuinely fucked up.
I worry about further developments.

[Oniya]

The trade war has spread to include penguins.

I should note that the human race has only entered into warfare against the Avian Kingdom twice in recorded history:  The Great Emu War in 1932, in Australia, and the Four Pests Campaign (which included sparrows) in China in 1958.

Spoiler alert, the birds won.

In my opinion, Trump has most likely heard about Rico and is determined to beat this threat to his freedum with the only weapon he knows how to use.

[Samael]

The trade war has spread to include penguins.

I should note that the human race has only entered into warfare against the Avian Kingdom twice in recorded history:  The Great Emu War in 1932, in Australia, and the Four Pests Campaign (which included sparrows) in China in 1958.

Spoiler alert, the birds won.

In my opinion, Trump has most likely heard about Rico and is determined to beat this threat to his freedum with the only weapon he knows how to use.

Spread to penguins, but somehow excluded Russia

[Ollumhammersong]

So Ottawa is slapping the US back with a 25% auto tariff of our own. But only on fully assembled cars, not parts. Mexican made cars will also be exempt from this so it's only models made in the continental US. Carney, at least outwardly seems serious about distancing Canada from the US in terms of trade(though I do have my personal doubts about his sincerity on that as that's a clear conflict on interest as he moved the headquarters of his personal investment company 'Brookfield' to New York and owns a 9billion dollar stake in a US oil transport company) and military reliance. Still, if he's serious and we can actually get started on energy East and Energy West, that might seriously get the White house's attention

[Blythe]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj9end2ze9lo

...Senate voted to try to slap down the Canada tariffs (narrow margin, four Republicans went against their party on it, so it's passed the Senate, at least). But it's not likely to pass the House, and even if it does? I mean, c'mon, Trump'll veto it, and there's not going to be enough votes to override that veto.

God, Congress is an embarrassment.

[Ollumhammersong]

How does overturning a presidential veto in the states work? 2/3? 3/4? 

Do you need a concensus in both chambers or just one? 

In Canada you need a 2/3 majority in both the commons and senate to overturn a 'reservation of royal assent'. Is it the same in the US?

[Blythe]

How does overturning a presidential veto in the states work? 2/3? 3/4?

Do you need a concensus in both chambers or just one?

In Canada you need a 2/3 majority in both the commons and senate to overturn a 'reservation of royal assent'. Is it the same in the US?

If I remember right, 2/3 vote in the House and Senate is required--there's not enough Republicans willing to flip to achieve a 2/3 majority though. :/

[Beorning]

The trade war has spread to include penguins.

I should note that the human race has only entered into warfare against the Avian Kingdom twice in recorded history:  The Great Emu War in 1932, in Australia, and the Four Pests Campaign (which included sparrows) in China in 1958.

Spoiler alert, the birds won.

In my opinion, Trump has most likely heard about Rico and is determined to beat this threat to his freedum with the only weapon he knows how to use.

This post is beautiful   Can I share it with some friends outside of E?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj9end2ze9lo

...Senate voted to try to slap down the Canada tariffs (narrow margin, four Republicans went against their party on it, so it's passed the Senate, at least). But it's not likely to pass the House, and even if it does? I mean, c'mon, Trump'll veto it, and there's not going to be enough votes to override that veto.

God, Congress is an embarrassment.

Any reaction from Trump about it yet?

[Oniya]

This post is beautiful   Can I share it with some friends outside of E?

Go right ahead!  (Among other things, this board is in the public area.)  If they aren't familiar with the American legal system, 'Rico' refers not only to the barfing penguin from Madagascar, but also the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970 (which Trump has probably heard about from his casino buddies.)

[Laughing Hyena]

Found this gem on YouTube of someone explaining the tariff situation and Trumps strategy to their child. This explanation seems it would work on adults as well.

Imagine you and your friends have been together for years, helping each other out and trading stuff. You're the biggest and strongest, but you try not to take advantage too often (but you still do get more than your share a lot of the time).

Then, all of a sudden, you start screaming in your best friends face that he owes you money for every lunch you offered to buy for the last fifty years. When the rest of your group of friends say "dude what the hell?", you round on them and threaten to beat them up and take all their stuff if they don't give you more.

And now we're at the stage where we look around confused when the friend group leaves us. Turns out our old high school bully has been whispering in our ear to sabotage us for a long time, and we finally snapped.

[IR Halcyone]

This is what happens when an insane, ignorant and arrogant US presidents's policy gets on the wrong side of the body with the most trade & legal nerds:

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-tariffs-trade-war-donald-trump-republican-states/



"The list features run-of-the-mill agricultural and industrial commodities such as soybeans, meat, tobacco, iron, steel and aluminum — to hit the American sectors that rely most on transatlantic exports.

Overall, EU duties are set to hit up to $13.5 billion worth of exports from red states, according to POLITICO's analysis of 2024 trade data."

[Callie Del Noire]

This is what happens when an insane, ignorant and arrogant US presidents's policy gets on the wrong side of the body with the most trade & legal nerds:

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-tariffs-trade-war-donald-trump-republican-states/



"The list features run-of-the-mill agricultural and industrial commodities such as soybeans, meat, tobacco, iron, steel and aluminum — to hit the American sectors that rely most on transatlantic exports.

Overall, EU duties are set to hit up to $13.5 billion worth of exports from red states, according to POLITICO's analysis of 2024 trade data."

Yeah folks I went to middle school with are complain8ng about how their subsidies on tobacco and corn are drying up and such.

[Ollumhammersong]

Canada and Japan have agreed to work closer together and support each other through the tariff chaos. How that is going to play out is up in the air but I imagine it's going to include a steep increase in auto imports/exports as both our auto industries are getting the shaft here.

This is a good start. I was hoping to hear something similar from Korea by now but I'll take this.