The absurdity of Donald Trump’s trade war

[cyrano@lemmy.dbzer0.com]

Orange

Mangoes 🥭🥭🥭

Bananas

::: spoiler Tap for spoiler
Orange man goes bananas
:::

[diplomjodler3@lemmy.world]

These sanctions are designed to weaken the US. Voting an obvious foreign intelligence asset into power is really the greatest self own in history.

[takeheart@lemmy.world]

[a_a@lemmy.world]

Better title :
The absurdity of Donald Trump ’s trade war

[substance_p@lemmy.world]

It's clear at this point that Trump and Musk's strategies are beyond shortsighted. Now it's in our face—it will harm America's long-term stability, both militarily and economically. Trump's directives to undermine economic growth with his tariffs, dismantling trade ties with Canada and threatening our neighbors with more pain unless it becomes a fifty-first state, cozying up to our adversaries and idolizing dictators, abandoning science, health, and services while worsening food shortages and increasing food costs—America is going to be far from 'great.' Their focus on redirecting resources, like California's water, shows a lack of care for environmental and social issues; drilling for liquid gold isn't going to bring affordable food to the table. And this isn't the half of it.

Appointing people with controversial backgrounds to key positions will weaken and suffocate important institutions. Elon Musk and his army of sycophants have now reportedly taken over the inner workings of multiple government agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management, the Treasury Department, and the General Services Administration. Trillions of dollars in the hands of an unelected billionaire—the ripples of these moronic decisions will ripple around the world, something has to give.

[tomatolung@sopuli.xyz]

https://mastodon.social/@Some_Emo_Chick/113931350598923736

[olap@lemmy.world]

When goods don’t cross borders, soldiers will
- Frederic Bastiat

[jabjoe@feddit.uk]

It certainly feels like that, but "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

[diplomjodler3@lemmy.world]

It can absolutely not be adequately explained by stupidity and all these people have demonstrated their maliciousness time and time again.

[myopinion@lemm.ee]

MAGA and the Orange Turd are brainless fools. That is what we are dealing with.

[barsoap@lemm.ee]

I don't know, they might just be high on Atlas Shrugged. You know, never attribute to conspiracy that which can be explained by stupidity.

[dead_or_alive@lemmy.world]

No doubt they are intended to cleave the U.S.A.’s greatest asset from it. Our allies and the rules based global order. Russia and China can not defeat it.

But they can defeat a weakened isolated USA. Or better yet they can establish their own regional hegemony when the USA that has no further interest in foreign intervention.

[mapleengineer@lemmy.world]

Here are some numbers to consider.

The US sold $441 billion worth of goods and services to Canada in 2024.

Canada sold $482 billion worth of goods and services to the US in 2024.

The US has a populating of 334.9 million people.

Canada has a population of 40.1 million people.

Per capita, every American man, woman, and child spent $1,316.81 on Canadian goods and services.

Candians spent $12,019. 95 on American good and services.

Who isn't pulling their weight in this trading relationship?

This isn't about illegal immigration and it isn't about the 20 lbs of fentanyl that tried to cross the border from Canada.

This is about the billionaire class raising taxes on the poor and raising prices for Americans.

[chillpill@lemmy.world]

He needed to find a way to bolster government revenue so that he could give his billionaire buddies that bought him the election a nice tax break. As they say: don't let a good crisis go to waste.

[rooskie91@discuss.online]

The Shock Doctrine should be at the absolute front of everyone's reading list, follower shortly by that field manual about sabotaging fascism. The goal of these tarrifs is to cause a panic.

It's time to buckle the fuck up. Yah best start believing in fascist dystopias, because YOU'RE IN ONE.

[samus12345@lemm.ee]

[youcancallmedragon@lemmy.world]

Honestly why bother with the wall of text at this point? It took them less than a month to set up the first concentration camp. They are speed running fascist tyranny and we are cooked.

[substance_p@lemmy.world]

Yeah you have a point, I think I just needed to write it all out in an attempt to purge some frustration.

[nutsack@lemmy.world]

thank you David that is very insightful

[skiluros@sh.itjust.works]

It's hilarious to see reputable right-leaning media publications such as FT and The Economist trying to rationalize Donald Trump's behaviour.

The legal pretext for Trump’s move is questionable, too. He made use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, an executive authority that enables him to respond to extraordinary economic or security threats. Yet that law has not previously been used to enact tariffs. The courts and Congress ought to block them.

Fascinating that FT seems to believe that the US judicial system is going to come to the rescue. I disagree, but what do I know? I am not American (although I have previously lived in North America for a decade).