Trump imposes tariffs on the EU, Mexico and Canada

[SLD]

Can you imagine if Obama did what Trump does? The right would be apoplectic. He’s making friends with communist dictators and alienating our allies. It would be proof of all they said about him: that he hated America and was a communist. Why he’s obviously an enemy of capitalism for opposing the right wing sacred cow of free trade. Yet now they’re cheering cheato on. They want to say how god has anointed him to be President. Folks, we are witnessing the destruction of our nation by this fucktard.

SLD

 

[ideologyhunter]

If any Democrat President had done 1/20th of the things DJT has done, the drumbeat for impeachment would be all you would hear on Fox and Limbaugh. It would be deafening. Can you imagine what they'd bellow over the equivalent of Nunes' show-and-tell sleepover at the White House? Consider how Obama was called liar (even in the middle of a speech to Congress!!) for misstating Obamacare's assignment of MDs -- and for not following the GOP-mandated terminology on Benghazi. Then consider DJT's unending string of lies, both trivial and monumental. There needs to be a new and intensified word for hypocrisy -- maybe Republican?

 

[Opoponax]

Can you imagine if Obama did what Trump does? The right would be apoplectic. He’s making friends with communist dictators and alienating our allies. It would be proof of all they said about him: that he hated America and was a communist. Why he’s obviously an enemy of capitalism for opposing the right wing sacred cow of free trade. Yet now they’re cheering cheato on. They want to say how god has anointed him to be President. Folks, we are witnessing the destruction of our nation by this fucktard.

SLD

To "understand" it, the way they think of it is that the world has been pushing us around since forever, and now Trump is pushing back. The entire notion is absurd to anyone with the slightest knowledge of post WW2 history, but there you have it.

Remember the "Obama Apology Tour" that conservatives were apoplectic about, but that never really happened? This is Trump's "Fuck You" tour. Where Obama sought to strengthen ties and re-forge ones that had been strained or broken when Dubbya and Cheney were in office, Trump is busy straining and breaking ties once more because 'Murica, fuck yeah. So by telling the world fuck you and damaging our relationships with our strongest, longest standing allies, it's showing that Trump is strong, and by extension, so is the nation.

It's a level of thinking commensurate with a 14 year-old bully who's still unable to get out of 7th grade, but that's where we're at.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

W tarnished our image and fucked up Iraq.

Trump does appear to be tarnishing our image and fucking up the US.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

W tarnished our image and fucked up Iraq.

Trump does appear to be tarnishing our image and fucking up the US.

That's what the Republicans specialize in: Fucking up.

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

Billionaire Koch brothers take on Trump over tariffs

This will upset Trump supporters, as it proves once again how monolithic the right is.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Billionaire Koch brothers take on Trump over tariffs

This will upset Trump supporters, as it proves once again how monolithic the right is.

Interesting. As we notice that almost all of the GOP has been relatively silent regarding tariffs... a concept they absolutely hate.

 

[Underseer]

Blame Canada!



Count on Trump to start a tariff trade war with the one nation we have a trade surplus with. Are you tired of all this winning yet? Trump is so smart!

 

[Underseer]

Can you imagine if Obama did what Trump does? The right would be apoplectic. He’s making friends with communist dictators and alienating our allies. It would be proof of all they said about him: that he hated America and was a communist. Why he’s obviously an enemy of capitalism for opposing the right wing sacred cow of free trade. Yet now they’re cheering cheato on. They want to say how god has anointed him to be President. Folks, we are witnessing the destruction of our nation by this fucktard.

SLD

Yeah, well the right and the mainstream media have a double standard.

Remember: Obama was subjected to a major controversy over his choice of mustard, but Trump can start trade wars with allies, including the only nation we have a trade surplus is, and it'll all be forgotten by tomorrow.

 

[ZiprHead]

I just want for once to have some other world leader stand up in front of Bone Spurs and tell him what an idiot he is while calling him every name in the book, in public on international tv.

The only one I could see doing that would be Joe Biden.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

Remember: Obama was subjected to a major controversy over his choice of mustard, but Trump can start trade wars with allies, including the only nation we have a trade surplus is, and it'll all be forgotten by tomorrow.

Only by the USA, that's the real problem you are facing. There is still a ton of resentment and distrust around the globe from Shrub Bush's regime. Trump will take decades for the world to forgive you for. We are already creating new and better ties to alternative countries for trade, and that won't switch back once you get a new President in there. Those new ties will be strong and we wont' want to give them up. And also keep in mind that while you Americans generalize other nations, we generalize you too, so its not easy to get over with a simple regime change.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Remember: Obama was subjected to a major controversy over his choice of mustard, but Trump can start trade wars with allies, including the only nation we have a trade surplus is, and it'll all be forgotten by tomorrow.

Only by the USA, that's the real problem you are facing. There is still a ton of resentment and distrust around the globe from Shrub Bush's regime.

Actually, Obama did a remarkable job of ridding the US of that problem, and relatively quickly.

Trump will take decades for the world to forgive you for. We are already creating new and better ties to alternative countries for trade, and that won't switch back once you get a new President in there. Those new ties will be strong and we wont' want to give them up. And also keep in mind that while you Americans generalize other nations, we generalize you too, so its not easy to get over with a simple regime change.

The US is still uncertain if we can unTrump the US, seeing that fucker still has a 40+ approval rating. There is a non-negligible minority of people that think what Trump is doing is good for our nation.

 

[funinspace]

I am kind of trying to watch 2 things regarding US allies. Short of engaging a real trade war, they could stop buying US weapons like the F-35, though honoring existing contracts. Countries could also start withdrawing their modest number of soldiers from Afghanistan as a form of protest.

 

[untermensche]

If it works it is called sound economics.

 

[Playball40]

So where the fuck are the democrats calling for his head? Why are they so silent?? Fuck taking the high road........they should be shouting impeachment from the streets!

If any Democrat President had done 1/20th of the things DJT has done, the drumbeat for impeachment would be all you would hear on Fox and Limbaugh. It would be deafening. Can you imagine what they'd bellow over the equivalent of Nunes' show-and-tell sleepover at the White House? Consider how Obama was called liar (even in the middle of a speech to Congress!!) for misstating Obamacare's assignment of MDs -- and for not following the GOP-mandated terminology on Benghazi. Then consider DJT's unending string of lies, both trivial and monumental. There needs to be a new and intensified word for hypocrisy -- maybe Republican?

 

[Keith&Co.]

So where the fuck are the democrats calling for his head? Why are they so silent?? Fuck taking the high road........they should be shouting impeachment from the streets

Sure.
Except they can't even get discussion of a bill to protect Mueller.
I don't think it's 'the high road' as much as 'picking your battles.'

Any call for impeachment now plays into the Repub rhetoric in the midterms.

 

[Copernicus]

I am kind of trying to watch 2 things regarding US allies. Short of engaging a real trade war, they could stop buying US weapons like the F-35, though honoring existing contracts. Countries could also start withdrawing their modest number of soldiers from Afghanistan as a form of protest.

It is very difficult to take actions like this. For one thing, there are existing contracts in place that project years into the future. Mechanics and pilots have to be trained. Replacements have to make sense from a military perspective.

What Trump is trying to do here is shake our allies down in the same way that shady real estate developers engage in under-the-table deals. It involves a lot of push-and-pull theatrics. You make a lot of empty threats and pretend to be intransigent while looking for some kind of advantage. He has no idea of the complexities involved and probably doesn't care. This is the style of behavior he is comfortable with. When things get seriously broken, we probably won't know it until it is too late to repair the damage easily. Trump is not only weakening America. He is weakening the entire Western alliance.

 

[Elixir]

Trump is not only weakening America. He is weakening the entire Western alliance.

...just as Putin asked.

 

[Harry Bosch]

I am kind of trying to watch 2 things regarding US allies. Short of engaging a real trade war, they could stop buying US weapons like the F-35, though honoring existing contracts. Countries could also start withdrawing their modest number of soldiers from Afghanistan as a form of protest.

It is very difficult to take actions like this. For one thing, there are existing contracts in place that project years into the future. Mechanics and pilots have to be trained. Replacements have to make sense from a military perspective.

What Trump is trying to do here is shake our allies down in the same way that shady real estate developers engage in under-the-table deals. It involves a lot of push-and-pull theatrics. You make a lot of empty threats and pretend to be intransigent while looking for some kind of advantage. He has no idea of the complexities involved and probably doesn't care. This is the style of behavior he is comfortable with. When things get seriously broken, we probably won't know it until it is too late to repair the damage easily. Trump is not only weakening America. He is weakening the entire Western alliance.

Agreed. During the election, I heard so many people praising Trump's prowess as a business person! Well, in every enterprise that required active managing a going concern, he failed. Sure he's a good developer. But he's a terrible manager. Terrible motivator. Terrible at making going concern decisions. He's good at real estate. Real estate requires ruthless negotiation skills. Using leverage. Over promising. Under delivering. And etc. I was a commercial banker for 20 years. And real estate developers were my least favorite people to deal with...

 

[Horatio Parker]

I am kind of trying to watch 2 things regarding US allies. Short of engaging a real trade war, they could stop buying US weapons like the F-35, though honoring existing contracts. Countries could also start withdrawing their modest number of soldiers from Afghanistan as a form of protest.

It is very difficult to take actions like this. For one thing, there are existing contracts in place that project years into the future. Mechanics and pilots have to be trained. Replacements have to make sense from a military perspective.

What Trump is trying to do here is shake our allies down in the same way that shady real estate developers engage in under-the-table deals. It involves a lot of push-and-pull theatrics. You make a lot of empty threats and pretend to be intransigent while looking for some kind of advantage. He has no idea of the complexities involved and probably doesn't care. This is the style of behavior he is comfortable with. When things get seriously broken, we probably won't know it until it is too late to repair the damage easily. Trump is not only weakening America. He is weakening the entire Western alliance.

Agreed. During the election, I heard so many people praising Trump's prowess as a business person! Well, in every enterprise that required active managing a going concern, he failed. Sure he's a good developer. But he's a terrible manager. Terrible motivator. Terrible at making going concern decisions. He's good at real estate. Real estate requires ruthless negotiation skills. Using leverage. Over promising. Under delivering. And etc. I was a commercial banker for 20 years. And real estate developers were my least favorite people to deal with...

I'm reading "The Lost Tycoon" (free online at archive.org btw). According to that, he's not even a good developer, can't even read a blueprint. But he's a good salesman, and utterly ruthless at getting his way.

Plus a coupla important variables...his father we know had money, $100M or so I think, but just as important he had political connections. Fred Trump was hand in glove with the Brooklyn Democratic clubs, which produced, among others, Abe Beame. So during the Penn Central bankruptcy, DJT was able to exploit first rate connections enabling the Commodore and the West Side rail yard deals.

Also, the banks were trying to repair their image from lending to the developing world. They were looking to make domestic loans, and they weren't looking too closely. Trump was able to get several mortgages above what he needed, pocketing the difference.