Want to understand what Trump is doing? Part 3

But isn’t it beneficial long term for America that China isn’t shipping their goods in? 🤷‍♀️ If garden tools for example are now more expensive from China (about time?) than home made in the USA then ‘buy America’ will be good for their own workers in manufacturing surely?

It's not the like of garden tools that is the concern. Sure, as long as consumers are prepared to pay a lot more for "home grown (are they?) I'm sure garden tool manufactures could be set up.

but

"The US relies heavily on China for various computer parts and electronic devices, including game consoles, PC monitors, smartphones, and laptops. In 2024, China was a major supplier of electrical equipment and electronics, including chips, laptops, and smartphones to the US. Smartphones were the top import from China, followed by laptops. According to The Observatory of Economic Complexity, in 2024, the US imported $36.2 billion worth of computers from China.

In that case China WILL come to the table. Money talks.

In some worlds "money talks" but not so much in China and other Asian cultures where "face" is a crucial concept representing a person's reputation, social standing, and dignity. The mistake Trump is making is that he thinks everyone thinks like him and they most certainly don't.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

But isn’t it beneficial long term for America that China isn’t shipping their goods in? 🤷‍♀️ If garden tools for example are now more expensive from China (about time?) than home made in the USA then ‘buy America’ will be good for their own workers in manufacturing surely?

It’s called protectionism. The thing that Brexit voters got so steamed up about, claiming that the EU. was an evil protectionist institution.

It’s quite amusing seeing how tunes are rapidly changing…

I’d also suggest that those GNetters who revere wealth and its acquisition have a second think.. [MaizieD]

I think one of the challenges is that many people aren't fully aware of where they stand on the "wealth" scale. When the topic of a wealth tax comes up, there's a tendency for individuals to try to see how it might apply to their own situation, which can muddy the discussion. I honestly don't believe there are any multi-billionaires participating on here. Often, our lack of clarity about these issues leads to misunderstandings and arguments that might be based on false or irrelevant assumptions.

Money certainly does talk and it’s currently shouting loud and clear in the US.

Data out today shows that, since Trump became president, the US economy has shrunk to its lowest level in 3 years. Many economists now fear a recession in the US. (Source: Sky News online)

But, not to worry! Trump has taken to Truth Social to declare that it’s got nothing to do with the tariffs… and he said it BIGLY LETTERS, so it must be true🙈🙈🙈

FriedGreenTomatoes2

In that case China WILL come to the table. Money talks.

Not so, FGT.

I really should have written more about the supply of electronic goods and parts of them.

Hundreds of thousands of low paid skilled workers are involved in China making both the finished products but also the even more essential tiny electronic parts that also require to a certain extent the use of rare minerals.

The USA cannot rapidly produce those hundred of thousands of low paid but very skilled workers and whole production systems, nor instantly access some of the necessary raw materials. Some of Trumps attempts to get rare mineral rights in other countries play a part in this.

Obviously China want to keep on selling their products but the USA cannot offer its citizens an alternative to Chinese made goods as it can for a garden fork or spade.

Telling US citizens - not to mention businesses and state and local medical and social systems well - pay a tariff of 145% on your phones and whole sets of computers - now how long is that going going go down well for?

President Trump used a rally in Michigan to mark what he claimed had been "the most successful first 100 days of any administration in the history of our country, according to many, many people".
From BBC news.
Of course, while it is not in the nature of we British to boast, this is just bonkers.

….he opens his mouth, he lies…

LizzieDrip

Money certainly does talk and it’s currently shouting loud and clear in the US.

Data out today shows that, since Trump became president, the US economy has shrunk to its lowest level in 3 years. Many economists now fear a recession in the US. (Source: Sky News online)

But, not to worry! Trump has taken to Truth Social to declare that it’s got nothing to do with the tariffs… and he said it BIGLY LETTERS, so it must be true🙈🙈🙈

I worry for the USA re recession but I worry more for the global economy.

When Trump was asked if there would be a recession he replied "I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition". The implication from this in the US was that he was intent on pushing on with the import tariffs, even if there was some economic pain in the short-term. The financial markets reacted immediately.

This was about a month ago. It's difficult to say what actual moves re tarrifs would do to the markets but if traders think stocks are overpriced, i.e., the businesses profits are being overestimated, the market will drop again. The question we should probably ask, "for how long".

Those influencing the markets had predicted softer moves from Trump than he had campaigned on. They got just the opposite and it looks like Trump intends to continue down that road.

I don't know. He's backed down on a number of things, as long as he has a way of saving face.

I mean, I don't think he will completely drop them, but whether after the "90 days" it will look like when he first introduced them in that chart in the Rose Garden is another matter. He had to bow to economic advisors and may do so again.

We Americans are living through a nightmare. But there is plenty of fighting back. There are daily demonstrations in all the streets of our towns and cities; we can't get rid of him that way, but at least we can express ourselves and raise public awareness. He won by a very narrow margin, and I think his cohorts will be out on their ear in next year's Congressional election. I still can't believe that anyone would be naive enough to vote for him.

But a little humor helps also. I think that Enola Gay misunderstanding is hilarious, and shows his intellectual level all too clearly. (Or maybe he knows what it was, but is appealing to his extremely stupid base not to know.)

He literally argued with a reporter when he was fact checked to his face during his interview.

No wonder his supporters have no clue what the truth is!

Welcome Golden Lady, good to hear of people speaking up. Had to look up the Enola Gay thing Trump at his most ignorant.

Look like US.amd Ukraine has a minerals deal. I pray this will be the start of the end of the war.

Well done Trump. Helps ensure safety for the Ukraine if America has interests there. Putin strikes at his own peril. Clever, tactically.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Well done Trump. Helps ensure safety for the Ukraine if America has interests there. Putin strikes at his own peril. Clever, tactically.

Blimey, this reminds me of painting by numbers somehow.

Well done Zelensky for getting a better deal for Ukraine.

This does not ensure better security for Ukraine. There are no specific security clauses according to a French Agency report.

It does split the resources from the minerals 50/50 but Ukraine retains full sovereignty over its earth etc.

I’m not clear whether this means in perpetuity? Or when the dept to the USA is deemed paid?

White House has approached China regarding a trade deal. China said it will be open to talks.

But I guess it has in Trumps parlance - all the cards.

What happened to the queue of people begging to speak to the president?

What a load of nonsense.

Apparently the turning point for the deal was the meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy at the Vatican.

It appears the US has a lot term investment in Ukraine which will surely help with security, being described as
“an indication of seriousness” by the US.

Time will tell of course but it doesn’t sound like the worst deal in the world to me.

There are no security guarantees in the deal because it is a business deal but a better one than before. Ukraine no longer needs to repay the money already given by America in support of the war. Trump now has an interest in a sovereign Ukraine so he has to drop his criticism of Zelensky and keep America involved in defeating Russia. Time will tell how this will pan out.

I agree, good for Zelinsky. He was finally able to negotiate a deal that works for Ukraine. I am glad he stood strong against Trump until the deal was more favorable to Ukraine. That man is a hero and deserves the standing ovation he got at the Pope's funeral.

China will be interesting to watch.

Early news, Waltz is out after Signalgate. Now we just put pressure on for RFK and Hegseth.

Well done Trump! Perhaps very late to the party but he seems to be getting there in the end! As Churchill once said, ‘ When Americans have exhausted all options, they will do the right thing’.
He was not far wrong.