America - The Official Thread
- Thread starter ///M-Spec
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McLaren
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- Texas
Some of my buddies in the dealer industry have shared concerns as well.
New car pricing is sure to go up in some way or another & even under a luxury brand, there are always customers conscious of value for money: there are clients who will spend $60,000 on a Lexus without a second thought & clients who need a lot of reassuring and salesmanship to convince them $60,000 is worth it for the same vehicle. Their Pre-Owned department is already trying to get inventory in as they predict that's where consumers will try to look for better deals, but they're on the clock as they know clients with the cars they want to buy will soon recognize they have leverage in negotiating.
The service department has some uneasiness as well since parts are said to be affected. ES & TX are built in Kentucky & Indiana, but the RX is the brand's big carrier & they come from Ontario. The LS, IS, NX, & GX are still out of Japan; LS service is already generally high for its owner base, but IS & NX customers are the brand's entry clientele, and raising service fees b/c of part costs won't sit well for many.
Naturally, the ultimate fear is lay offs, esp. if the service department sees any significant disruption b/c that's the life blood of a dealership. The other store I worked for is privately owned, and will be interesting to see how they navigate since they kept everyone at their usual wages whilst putting everyone onto reduced schedules during Covid. They're also still opening a bunch of dealerships.
And this is really before we see how the manufacturers respond as there were definitely rumors the auto industry would scale back production or a couple reports indictaing a shut down. Which is really unfortunate b/c I've been in talks to return to the auto industry once again after a year away.
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- 24,679
- Anoka, MN
Working in said industry I can confirm that it's very much not fun right now. Thankfully a good portion of my company's work is restoration (fire & water damage) which isn't as susceptible to downturns in the economy (although it still impacts us quite a bit since insurance companies will fight to cover less) but I'd hate to be anywhere that relies on new construction and remodels right now.
I guess one way to solve the labor shortage the trades have been facing is to just kill the demand for said trade work.
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- 30,275
- a baby, candy, it's like taking.
- TexRex72
So I looked into him and he's a Rust Belt Teamster Democrat, which means his position is likely sincerely held and it likely works in his area, but he's last of a dying breed and his position absolutely does not need to be the national party's position.
The party probably thinks they can use him to pick off moderate Rs that are receptive to Trump's tariff absolutism but there's no such thing. Rs certainly lean into protectionism (they vehemently opposed Clinton's push for NAFTA) but the only reason any Republicans back Trump's position is that it's Trump's position. Tariff absolutism itself is a total non-starter in this country because it's bad for this country and everybody who isn't broken beyond repair knows it.
I figure the only reason tariff absolutism is Trump's position is because the bitch can benefit personally from it. That's the bitch's only interest, and that it's to the detriment of the country is no concern whatsoever. Indeed that's why the bitch is a Republican. Conservatives like to point out that Trump was a Democrat until he "walked away," but the only reason the rat bitch did is because it didn't think it could manipulate Ds as easily.
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- 3,181
- Massachusetts
- GBO-Possum
"Liberated", as in "I got let go".
That poor bastard was trapped there for over 20 years, now he/she is as free as a bird. It's the beginning of a golden age!
- 30,275
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- TexRex72
Tariffs, rightly, are absolutely toxic right now. Fox News isn't talking about them if they can help it. They're talking about the jobs report and Biden's decline. They took the Dow ticker off of their broadcast. Ted Cruz and Ron Johnson were on and they were talking about them because what they're hearing is bad, bad, bad.
What Democrats should do, and obviously they won't for that reason alone, is first and foremost distance themselves as much as possible from tariffs. There's a D wing that supports tariffs--Bernie supports tariffs--so they can't distance themselves completely from them, but they have a strong record of opposing protectionism and supporting globalism even if they're not free trade hawks broadly and they should make that the message. They should also absolutely stick the tariffs to Trump. Call them the Trump Tax. The cost of having Trump in the White House.
It would be incredibly politic (and again of course they wouldn't do this because of that fact) to align themselves with the likes of Cruz and Johnson on tariffs, in opposition, which would make them look like they want to cooperate in governance but may also hasten MAGA's souring on the two of them and maybe present an opportunity to challenge them in future Senate races. They could also stick the tariffs to Rs that have backed Trump but haven't come out against tariffs. That certainly wouldn't hurt.
What Democrats should do, and obviously they won't for that reason alone, is first and foremost distance themselves as much as possible from tariffs. There's a D wing that supports tariffs--Bernie supports tariffs--so they can't distance themselves completely from them, but they have a strong record of opposing protectionism and supporting globalism even if they're not free trade hawks broadly and they should make that the message. They should also absolutely stick the tariffs to Trump. Call them the Trump Tax. The cost of having Trump in the White House.
It would be incredibly politic (and again of course they wouldn't do this because of that fact) to align themselves with the likes of Cruz and Johnson on tariffs, in opposition, which would make them look like they want to cooperate in governance but may also hasten MAGA's souring on the two of them and maybe present an opportunity to challenge them in future Senate races. They could also stick the tariffs to Rs that have backed Trump but haven't come out against tariffs. That certainly wouldn't hurt.
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- 2,412
- Michigan
- FuriousDemon
Yeah, Democrats need to get their messaging on point and start running ads everywhere with some simple terms that even the 1st grader can understand. Like those idiotic signs “Trump Low Prices/Kamala high prices” or w/e bs it was during election.
I think calling it Trump Tax is also not enough, probably has to be Republican Tax. People still have this image that Republicans are better for the economy. Now is the time to realign the party’s image with economic instability, inflation, and chaos. Trump don’t care what happens, in theory he won’t be around after 2028, but these rats need to be exterminated for good.
One “smart” thing Trump is doing is tanking the economy now, so the rock bottom will be in 2026 probably. By the time 4 years are up the economy could be recovering from the **** he artificially created, so he’ll start claiming that he “fixed” the economy and his policies are working and the idiots that have an intelligence of amoeba will think that he’s right.
I think calling it Trump Tax is also not enough, probably has to be Republican Tax. People still have this image that Republicans are better for the economy. Now is the time to realign the party’s image with economic instability, inflation, and chaos. Trump don’t care what happens, in theory he won’t be around after 2028, but these rats need to be exterminated for good.
One “smart” thing Trump is doing is tanking the economy now, so the rock bottom will be in 2026 probably. By the time 4 years are up the economy could be recovering from the **** he artificially created, so he’ll start claiming that he “fixed” the economy and his policies are working and the idiots that have an intelligence of amoeba will think that he’s right.
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- 21,281
- NJ/USA
- Blitzbay
He can use that when he tries to run again in 2028 and the Republicans do everything in their power to ignore the constitution.
- 2,412
- Michigan
- FuriousDemon
MAGA:
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- Mortal_Resonance
But the protests don't matter to Trump and Co. as they've already been accounted for. Trump knew a trade war would be detrimental to Americans, he knew people will be upset and protest, so he's reassuring America that they'll need to ride it out and suck it up, because the end result will be a new world trade order where America is King again!
Don't Americans understand that? Don't Americans feel reassured and positive?!
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- mr_wurst
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- United Kingdom
The thing is, it's only effective to the point that if you want access to the American market, you have to create some kind additional value to the market... which I don't necessarily disagree with, but when you do it in such a moronic, blunt, badly thought out, clumsy and combative way, the thing that happens before foreign investment, is barriers to US trade overseas. It limits the ability of American companies to grow beyond their own borders... the king of World Trade will be the one with the least friction, not the most.
- 21,281
- NJ/USA
- Blitzbay
Somehow Trump made Musk annoyed with this move as well. Tesla will have to increase prices in the US and will probably gain a bigger black eye globally. If only Musk realized Trump uses everyone just to get what he wants, and he was just used.
- 524
- Canada
- Mortal_Resonance
I wouldn't even say Trump wants "some kind of value", he wants equal value. Trump wants $100million dollars spent on produce from one country to equal $100million dollars spent by that country on American products.
The Beeb have an interesting article on it, highlighting that that's not how the world trade works due to 'Comparative Advantage' aka some countries are better at producing certain things, so if China exports $100billion worth of chips that it specializes in producing, to the US, but all the US is good for producing is bags of potato chips, you know the trade is going to lean heavily in China's favor. Trump thinks that is "cheating" and wants a "fair" and "equal" trade.
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- 52,339
- Australia
- SpacedustDaddy
Those are probably questions for those USAers that only watch Fox News.
As for the protests:
The protests don’t matter to Dumold. The damage is done. It’s more about readying people for 2028. I mean, please, please understand where I’m coming from as a North American, as a what I’d be classed as an African-American and born in 1971 and raised in The Bronx, New York, growing up with family and friends from diverse backgrounds. I won’t make this long. Just skip to the last sentence.
How bad was it from Nixon to Obama? From my eyes, it was always how blacks were being mistreated in the USA. It was only until moment to moment video recordings were shared across the globe of wrong doings by those that took an oath to protect and serve, did people start believing how pad cops treated black people. Before then, other than Rodney King and of course civil rights movement videos, that mainly all the public outside the black community saw. The tv show COPS only painted a picture of getting the bad guys, but not showing what the bad guys in uniform were doing.
It used to be, from my work experience fifteen years in the phone company, a republican gets in, that means big business get what they want and we’re going on strike. Democrats get in, that means my blue collar wages go up without much fuss.
This is where I see things from my going on 54 years of life. From a place where I was fortunate to have been born to a family that is full of love. Always told first and foremost to respect my elders. Treated everyone with respect. First to offer my peace and love to my fellow man, even before I chose to follow Christ.
Let’s fast forward to post Obama. Trumpfs first term, when he first showed he absolutely didn’t even care about working class america, people said hold on. Biden comes in for intermission and Trump paints himself as saviour to be given the seat at the big desk, again. In less than months, Trumpf has made it even worse for everyone in the USA. He manage to make white america not even feel safe(from DEI to 401ks). White Americans and white american families are being affected to the point this can’t keep going on, they’re not falling for the banana in the tailpipe a third time.
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- FuriousDemon
UKMikey
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- Grea'er Laandan
- UKMikeyA
- UKMikeyA
Keef
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- GTP_KeefRacer
- GTP Keef
There are a lot of jokes and memes about but I'm still not convinced that this backlash is any more widespread than the voter demographics of last election. It's just that the internet at large leans very liberal. Trump's desciples are so enculted (new word, trademark pending) that they simply don't see the absurdity in any of this. They're all either power moves which they support or they prove that Trump is a regular person with a sense of humor just like them. I mean, if they were in office they would absolutely use official letterhead to tarriff penguins, it would be hilarious. It would also be hilariously unprofessional, but these people aren't exactly professionals so that doesn't matter.
- 3,181
- Massachusetts
- GBO-Possum
I'm feeling SO much safer now that this bakery in Texas has been forced to close by ICE. /s
apnews.com
Texas county that swung to Trump grapples with immigration crackdown after bakery is targeted
A recent immigration enforcement action that resulted in the arrests of employees and owners at a Texas bakery has shocked residents of the town of Los Fresnos.
apnews.com
- 5,919
- Alabamistan
Trump supporters before the election: "He's not going to go after those working immigrants, he's going to go after the criminals." Little did they know apparently the crimes committed could be not putting enough chocolate icing on the donuts.I'm feeling SO much safer now that this bakery in Texas has been forced to close by ICE. /s
Texas county that swung to Trump grapples with immigration crackdown after bakery is targeted
A recent immigration enforcement action that resulted in the arrests of employees and owners at a Texas bakery has shocked residents of the town of Los Fresnos.
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