Jimmy Higgins
Contributor
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2001
- Messages
- 50,568
- Basic Beliefs
- Calvinistic Atheist
So, back in '09 the right-wing was messing their pants over the Detroit bailout by Congress. It ultimately cost taxpayers $10 billion (~$12 billion 2018 bucks).
At the turn of the millennium... goodness I'm getting old... Congress approved $15 billion (~$21 billion 2018 buck) to bailout the airlines. About $5 billion (~$7 billion 2018 bucks)went directly to the airlines.
President Trump has authorized $12 billion (2018) and $16 billion (2019) for farmers harmed by his trade war with China. That'd be $28 billion total.
Now, one thing to take notice in the three short paragraphs is that in the first two, Congress approved funding. The last one, Trump has approved it. Now some might wonder when did the Executive Branch get the power of the purse. There were no Constitutional Amendments, but lets be honest. His tariffs are illegal as well and no one stopped him there, so... what the heck, right?
So we have dubious spending authorization to help farmers that have been harmed by the President's dubious tariff war with China.
Now with a "very large... comprehensive" (Trump's words) Phase One trade deal in hand (one must wonder how big a "phase one" trade deal could be, because otherwise it'd be called a "Trade Deal" if it was comprehensive) The deal says China will purchase $200 billion in US goods over the next two years. Under Obama, exports to China rose by about 200% before plateauing around $120 billion... which would be around $240 billion over two years. So one must wonder, what in the heck the US has gained from this agreement. Certainly China wouldn't be ones to give in much if tariffs weren't released.
At the turn of the millennium... goodness I'm getting old... Congress approved $15 billion (~$21 billion 2018 buck) to bailout the airlines. About $5 billion (~$7 billion 2018 bucks)went directly to the airlines.
President Trump has authorized $12 billion (2018) and $16 billion (2019) for farmers harmed by his trade war with China. That'd be $28 billion total.
Now, one thing to take notice in the three short paragraphs is that in the first two, Congress approved funding. The last one, Trump has approved it. Now some might wonder when did the Executive Branch get the power of the purse. There were no Constitutional Amendments, but lets be honest. His tariffs are illegal as well and no one stopped him there, so... what the heck, right?
So we have dubious spending authorization to help farmers that have been harmed by the President's dubious tariff war with China.
Now with a "very large... comprehensive" (Trump's words) Phase One trade deal in hand (one must wonder how big a "phase one" trade deal could be, because otherwise it'd be called a "Trade Deal" if it was comprehensive) The deal says China will purchase $200 billion in US goods over the next two years. Under Obama, exports to China rose by about 200% before plateauing around $120 billion... which would be around $240 billion over two years. So one must wonder, what in the heck the US has gained from this agreement. Certainly China wouldn't be ones to give in much if tariffs weren't released.
