9secondkox2

anonymouse said:

jfabula1 said:

charlesn said:

Marvin said:

This is what the government spending cuts and tariffs are about. If there's a better way to fix the debt issue other than cutting spending and trying to make up trade deficits, they'd probably like to hear some ideas. These moves suggest they don't have any better ones.

In mid-October last year, the widely respected financial journal, The Economist, ran with this headline and cover story: "The American Economy: The Envy of the World." And the sub-head was: "The American economy has left other rich countries in the dust." Not bad for the country that Trump has would have the brain-dead believe is in an "economic emergency" and the trading partner punching bag of the world. If so many countries are taking advantage of us, it would seem they're doing a pretty bad job of it! 

The last time we tried tariffs this insane (Trump's are actually worse than Smoot-Hawley), they helped usher in the Great Depression. So there's your "proof of concept" and the reason high tariffs have been discredited by economists left, right and center ever since. It also goes without saying that triggering a recession and stagflation with this stupidity will cut growth and revenue, thereby driving up deficits even higher. And spare me the BS that Trump, the self-styled King of Debt, has ANY interest in solving the debt problem. In his first term, his unpaid for tax breaks to the richest blew up the national debt by more than all 44 previous presidents COMBINED. 

As for spending cuts: the Pentagon budget is nearly $850 billion dollars and for decades has been spending more each year than the next 8-10 largest militaries in the world COMBINED. So how is it that we're always falling behind our adversaries? Why are so many weapons systems wildly overbudget, hugely behind schedule and never work as advertised? Seems like a place that's rife with waste, fraud and abuse. Musk, himself, has excoriated "idiots who are still building the F-35" and has pleaded, "...in the name of all this is holy, let us stop the worst military value for the money in history, which is the F-35 program." Did DOGE stop it? Nope. Where are the mass DOGE firings at the Pentagon? Why hasn't DOGE taking over the Pentagon computers? Why hasn't DOGE limited Pentagon credit cards to $1? Instead, DOGE is devastating health care and services for the veterans who risked their bodies and lives in defense of this country. Nice! DOGE isn't looking for waste, fraud and abuse--it is indiscriminately taking a chainsaw to the government to free up more money for tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires. 

Big BS about veterans, I am DV and not lost a single cents, in fact my health care is far to none. Stop your big BS about veterans please

So, you're saying that right-wing media aren't reporting the massive cuts and layoffs DOGE is making at the VA? Do you have any clue what is going on around you? That last question was rhetorical, I know you don't.

A tariff is a sales tax levied on goods as they enter the country. The buyer pays the tax, not the seller. On finished products, that tax will be passed on directly to the consumer. On parts, that tax will be incorporated into the price and passed on to the consumer. The talking point that Apple or “China” or anyone on the supply side will pay the tax for any length of time is ridiculous. Also remember that sales taxes are regressive. The more of your income that goes directly to buying things, the greater percentage of your income goes directly to paying the tax. 

This is going to be a disaster. 

foregoneconclusion said:

9secondkox2 said:

foregoneconclusion said:

Voters in the U.S. aren't going to care what Apple's fine turns out to be in the EU. They thought Trump might produce a better economy with lower prices and more job opportunities but that's not turning out to be the case. It's just the usual "austerity for thee but not for me" nonsense of the billionaire class. 

Lol. It's been two whole months. this stuff takes a while and is on the right track. But it looks like the abusive governments are forced to take a breather from attacking successful American companies. that's only a good thing. 

That's the point though: voters are already disgruntled about the direction of the economy in a very short period of time. Trump had to pull his nominee for the UN because of concerns about losing that seat in the House of Representatives. Trump didn't campaign on the "no pain, no gain" stuff that the GOP is trying to sell now. People have enough financial/economic pain already. 

jdiamond said:

Kinda ironic, given that when I need to type, I use a keyboard cover with my iPads. . Maybe they could find a way to integrate a keyboard cover, then the entire foldable thing would just be about a more compact way to carry it around.