America - The Official Thread

[Scaff]

And this is what happens when you elect someone with zero concept of how the free market works:

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2018/05/trump-wants-a-total-ban-on-german-luxury-car-imports/

Yep, here we go, trade war time

http://thehill.com/policy/finance/390049-the-eu-says-it-will-retaliate-for-us-steel-aluminum-tariffs

 

[TexRex]

 

[Dennisch]

And this is what happens when you elect someone with zero concept of how the free market works:

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2018/05/trump-wants-a-total-ban-on-german-luxury-car-imports/

Perhaps he can seek advice about it by one of the Kardashians?

 

[TenEightyOne]

Yep, here we go, trade war time

http://thehill.com/policy/finance/390049-the-eu-says-it-will-retaliate-for-us-steel-aluminum-tariffs

Fortunately Britain hasn't backed itself into a corner where "we can still trade with US!".

Oh...

 

[Biggles]

And this is what happens when you elect someone with zero concept of how the free market works:

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2018/05/trump-wants-a-total-ban-on-german-luxury-car-imports/

Ok, but I'm not sure he really has no idea how free trade works. I think his whole life he has just operated on the "what's in it for me" concept. He's now trying to expand this concept, which has worked spectacularly well for him in his business career, to a national & international level. The complexity of the factors involved are on a wholly different level - I think that's the part that he doesn't get.

The alternative would have been to have voted for HRC - a technocrat who would have presided over a steadily improving economy without rocking the boat. The solution is to put more democrats in Congress in the midterms to balance the authoritarian & erratic tendencies of Trump ... & vote him out in 2020.

 

[SestoScudo]

Out of all the concrete things Trump has done, I think the car import ban/tariff could do some pretty significant long term damage, all around. If they put tariffs on Japanese cars, it would likely kill Mazda's entire NA operation unless they can get that facility built with Toyota STAT. A 25% tariff on an imported car would likely render it totally uncompetitive. Are there any other companies in a similar situation as Mazda, that import all of their vehicles?

That means jobs will be gone. But Trump says im helping the working class. Trumps policies will only hurt the working class.

 

[Tornado]

In response to the news, Cadillac's sales plunged another ten percent.

 

[Scaff]

Ok, but I'm not sure he really has no idea how free trade works. I think his whole life he has just operated on the "what's in it for me" concept. He's now trying to expand this concept, which has worked spectacularly well for him in his business career, to a national & international level. The complexity of the factors involved are on a wholly different level - I think that's the part that he doesn't get.
.

His business career hasn't worked spectacularly well.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...us-elections-republican-politics-7173666.html

 

[Biggles]

His business career hasn't worked spectacularly well.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...us-elections-republican-politics-7173666.html

It has ... in the sense that he has been able to carry on regardless of what carnage he leaves behind him. And he's now President of the United States & will leave more carnage behind him when he's eventually forced out.

 

[DDastardly00]

Can someone point out a reputable news source on this? The Hill's unamed sources are sketchy at best.

 

[Rallywagon]

Arstechnica wasnt good enough?

 

[Scaff]

It has ... in the sense that he has been able to carry on regardless of what carnage he leaves behind him. And he's now President of the United States & will leave more carnage behind him when he's eventually forced out.

That's more to do with his dad being a very successful (and racist) business man than Trumps business skill.

Trump can sell a brand to some and that's what he's done, but business skill? Not by any normal measure, and let's be honest if some sources are correct winning the presidency wasn't in the plan, if that's correct even that went wrong.

 

[Rallywagon]

It seems that Trump uses "national security" to justify his idiocy... can we impeach him on the same grounds?

 

[DDastardly00]

Arstechnica wasnt good enough?

Though I do like Arstechnica for video game news (they've had some great articles on Elite Dangerous), I found the sources lacking and would like to see something that can be attributed to an actual source. It wouldn't surprise me if it does turn out to be real but if it is, then I would point to how the supposed China/US tariff's worked out, Trump barked, China barked back, then they resolved it without starting an actual trade war. It's probably much ado about nothing honestly.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

Arstechnica wasnt good enough?

Ars points back to the same German website that The Hill (and now, our own) article does. That's why I've tried to make it very clear that they're anonymous sources, and thus unverifiable at this time.

I mean, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if Trump is actually considering this, but still, it's hardly a cast-iron thing at this point.

 

[Famine]

it's hardly a cast-iron thing at this point.

If it were it'd avoid the 35% import duty on steel and aluminium...

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Come on deep state, work harder, I believe in you!

 

[Dotini]

It seems that Trump uses "national security" to justify his idiocy... can we impeach him on the same grounds?

You can impeach a ham sandwich. But to convict, you need a majority of the Senate.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

You can impeach a ham sandwich. But to convict, you need a majority of the Senate.

Hey now, that's cruel and unnecessary name-calling.

Don't drag ham sandwich's name through the mud.

 

[Touring Mars]

Perhaps he can seek advice about it by one of the Kardashians?

I hope they at least discuss how to deal with Kim's massive arsenal...

 

[Dennisch]

I hope they at least discuss how to deal with Kim's massive arsenal...

All joking aside, the so called leader of the free world had a discussion about prison reform and sentencing with someone who has a high school diploma. And made name with a amateur porn movie.

Applause for the idiocracy. Now all you need is that the Secretary of State will claim that plants need electrolytes.

 

[Touring Mars]

All joking aside, the so called leader of the free world had a discussion about prison reform and sentencing with someone who has a high school diploma. And made name with a amateur porn movie.

Just wait until she's the FLOTUS

 

[Dennisch]

Just wait until she's the FLOTUS

If that happens, I propose that the world will set aside all their differences and invade the USA to protect them against themselves.



Good lord, I just realised something terrible, Kanye will be the one talking to the other world leaders.

 

[DDastardly00]

Just wait until she's the FLOTUS

Just no, please, no. We have it bad enough already.

 

[TenEightyOne]

I hope they at least discuss how to deal with Kim's massive arsenal...

It's entirely possible that he thinks he's met the right Kim. Imagine his shock when that North Korean lad turns up.

 

[Milouse]

It's entirely possible that he thinks he's met the right Kim. Imagine his shock when that North Korean lad turns up.

You say that because of the glasses?

 

[Biggles]

That's more to do with his dad being a very successful (and racist) business man than Trumps business skill.

Trump can sell a brand to some and that's what he's done, but business skill? Not by any normal measure, and let's be honest if some sources are correct winning the presidency wasn't in the plan, if that's correct even that went wrong.

Well, I never said anything about business "skill". However, it's hard to ignore the reality that, relative to his own ambitions, he has had a spectacularly successful career. He's made a lot of money (exactly how much we don't know), he's famous, he's ****ed a lot of good-looking women, & now he's President of the United States. The process by which he has arrived at this is rather besides the point.

I don't really buy the idea that all that has to do with his dad being "a very successful business man". He was certainly the recipient of "affirmative action" due to his relatively privileged upbringing, but the whole Trump brand has really been his own creation. This is part of the problem: in spite of being an asshole, messing things up several times in his career & screwing over many people in the process, he's always managed to come out on top. He sees that as proof of his brilliance.

 

[Imari]

It has ... in the sense that he has been able to carry on regardless of what carnage he leaves behind him. And he's now President of the United States & will leave more carnage behind him when he's eventually forced out.

I think there's a bit of a difference between his businesses being successful because of Trump and them being successful despite Trump. Remember that any major business has a huge number of smart people working to make it successful, not just the big orange face on the front. Trump happened to have the money behind some successes and his name on the frontage, but that doesn't mean that he was a force for success.

However, it's hard to ignore the reality that, relative to his own ambitions, he has had a spectacularly successful career. He's made a lot of money (exactly how much we don't know), he's famous, he's ****ed a lot of good-looking women, & now he's President of the United States. The process by which he has arrived at this is rather besides the point.

I think the process is kind of the entire point. It's not enough as President to be successful. It's entirely about how it gets done. If you just wanted the US to "win", nuke the rest of the world and be done with it.

While we're here, are we really counting fame and sex with women as "success" now? You realise that those two "achievements" are basically unrelated to any ability to lead a country, right? They're basically unrelated to any ability to not shoot yourself in the foot and destroy your own career, as there are many examples of.

He was certainly the recipient of "affirmative action" due to his relatively privileged upbringing, but the whole Trump brand has really been his own creation. This is part of the problem: in spite of being an asshole, messing things up several times in his career & screwing over many people in the process, he's always managed to come out on top. He sees that as proof of his brilliance.

He sees that as proof of his brilliance. You don't have to believe him.

Besides, Fred Trump was already a massive deal before The Donald came along. To say that Fred had no part in creating that brand is pretty disrespectful and really oversells the position that Donald started from. He was building apartment complexes, houses and supermarkets for decades before Donald got involved. The fact that Donald ended up in real estate is purely thanks to his father.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Well, I never said anything about business "skill". However, it's hard to ignore the reality that, relative to his own ambitions, he has had a spectacularly successful career. He's made a lot of money (exactly how much we don't know), he's famous, he's ****ed a lot of good-looking women, & now he's President of the United States. The process by which he has arrived at this is rather besides the point.

I don't really buy the idea that all that has to do with his dad being "a very successful business man". He was certainly the recipient of "affirmative action" due to his relatively privileged upbringing, but the whole Trump brand has really been his own creation. This is part of the problem: in spite of being an asshole, messing things up several times in his career & screwing over many people in the process, he's always managed to come out on top. He sees that as proof of his brilliance.

I would argue a far smarter and more sinister man created Trump, rather than Trump 'creating' himself. Trump would still be playing monopoly with cheap apartment complexes in the grungier parts of NYC if it weren't for Roy Cohn.

 

[Johnnypenso]

I think there's a bit of a difference between his businesses being successful because of Trump and them being successful despite Trump. Remember that any major business has a huge number of smart people working to make it successful, not just the big orange face on the front. Trump happened to have the money behind some successes and his name on the frontage, but that doesn't mean that he was a force for success.

Success in business is measured in numbers. Trump owns some of the best hotels, best golf courses and best real estate around. You can attribute that success to whatever you want in a post-modernist world but he's the man at the helm and made billions of dollars doing so. That kind of thing doesn't happen by accident.

I think the process is kind of the entire point. It's not enough as President to be successful. It's entirely about how it gets done. If you just wanted the US to "win", nuke the rest of the world and be done with it.

Billionaire. Check
Huuuge TV personality and success. Check
Married and 🤬 numerous hot babes. Check
Apparently happy and successful children. Check.
POTUS in spite of himself. Check.
Don't really know how that could not be considered success.

While we're here, are we really counting fame and sex with women as "success" now? You realise that those two "achievements" are basically unrelated to any ability to lead a country, right? They're basically unrelated to any ability to not shoot yourself in the foot and destroy your own career, as there are many examples of.

Yup.

Besides, Fred Trump was already a massive deal before The Donald came along. To say that Fred had no part in creating that brand is pretty disrespectful and really oversells the position that Donald started from. He was building apartment complexes, houses and supermarkets for decades before Donald got involved. The fact that Donald ended up in real estate is purely thanks to his father

And if Trump was incompetent he could just as easily ran it all into the ground, overextended himself or ran over any number of landmines. He wouldn't be the first kid that ran his father's legacy and fortune into the tiolet and wouldn't have been the last. He's had ups and downs but was savvy enough to manipulate the system and always came out on top. If everyone could do it, they would. They can't, he can.

I don't have to like the guy to give credit where credit is due. Belittling his success really makes no sense.