Donald......and the rest of the world.

[swissie]

On 2/12/2025 at 3:54 AM, soalbundy said:

High personal debt, lower living standards, increasing homelessness, rising unemployment, poverty on the rise, the collapsing American empire causing an egoic loss of being number one in the world (see 'make America great again') 

 

Trump promises to turn the clock back, this simplistic message was easy to understand and found favour with a large portion of the populace whose earlier high standard of living (the American dream) was fueled by having the world's reserve currency allowing their standard of living to be paid for by the rest of the world.

 

The rise of Europe, China, India, the formation of BRICS and the exporting of American production to S.E. Asia is a harbinger of Americas downfall, the continuation of rolling over its huge debt to the rest of the world is being called into question.

 

Nobody takes American bullying seriously anymore. A good example of how poorly thought out Trumps 'imperialist' tariffs are is China now banning exports of tungsten to the USA as an answer to Trumps tariffs on China, China produces 90% of the worlds tungsten, America produces none, tungsten is needed in a myriad of industries from metal to electronics. Canada sells vast amounts of LNG cheaply to the US which then gets sold on for a higher price to Europe and Japan, Canada now, due to America's bellicose statements (51st state) and sanctions, realizes it can sell directly to Europe and Japan for a higher price than to America but still cheaper than America can supply to the world. These are just two examples of how America is shooting it's feet off. USAID reduction now allows China to woo African and Asian countries into its sphere of influence. Trump is accelerating America's demise.

I was hoping for many replies. I got them! Above summary I find the most significant one by far. Remarkable. It shows the many reasons why Americans are unhappy with "the way the world turns" plus an entrenched Political/Economical system that condems the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer. Problems arise on many fronts simultainly.

 

But then: Every empire must fall. Folks are starting to realise that the US will not evade this faith. No surprise, that someone entered the stage wanting to "make America great again". If necessary with a crowbar. (Surely, in the final years of the Roman Empire, folks called out: "Romulus make Rome great again").

 

TARIFFS? Every country that imposes such import tariffs is signaling to the world that "we can not compete successfully in a globalised market".

 

[ElwoodP]

Post with large font removed.

[swissie]

Another issue might be (on both sides of the Atlantic): Voters getting the impression the western Parlaments have detoriated into mere "debating clubs". Much talk without adressing the problems that concern the electorate. The "Ruling class" mainly occupied with defending their privileges.

 

We had the same situation during the "Weimar Republic" in Germany with the result that on January 30 1933 the Germans voted for a guy that promessed "to make Germany great again".

 

The similarities are freightening.