tmay

9secondkox2 said:

AppleZulu said:

Now China is halting exports of certain rare earth metals and magnets. They have a monopoly on them, and the US needs them. I'm sure @9secondkox2 ; will tell us how this was all part of Trump's brilliant master plan as well. He has our best interests at heart, and has thought all this stuff through, you know. Don't you fret. Everything's fine.

Pretty sure the current admin is prepared for chin to pull every last one of their cards. The Chinese government is a lethal combination of petulant, proud, and evil. You don’t stir that up unless you’re prepared to do some serious stuff. China is not a free country and is not run by benevolent people. China has a public plan to reshape the world in its image. They need standing up to now more than ever. Tarriffs are small potatoes. 

In fairness to you, I am very much against China for its human rights violations, authoritarian government, mercantilist trade policy, and threatening military. 

Regrettably, I see the very same issues with the current Trump Administration, though worse, since the Trump Administration has knowingly destroyed America's soft power, and worse, has deprecated many of those scientific and educational assets that has given America a tremendous economic advantage since the end of WWII.

Destroying the U.S. economy is something that I never expected, but, here we are.

WRT rare earths, there is no great shortage of them even in the U.S., though it would require an investment in processing those same rare earths, something that our previous allies, especially Austraia, were interested in as well.

But of course, we have no allies anymore.

Still time for Apple to curry Trump's favor; TikTok just now given a 75 day extension to find a buyer....