43 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

He doesn't want to subsidize Canada! He is not into Poutine! Makes perfect sense. Very coherent.

Exactly how is the USA subsidizing Canada?

1 minute ago, candide said:

It's incoherent to claim the U.S. doesn't really need to export because it's only 12% of GDP when your master is angry about a trade deficit which weights peanuts.

 

Again, you wilfully distort, manipulate and annihilate the true meaning. As I explained already of course every nation should export. I was just pointing out that your little boycott would be of limited importance even if it succeeded perfectly. That's all.

1 minute ago, placeholder said:

Exactly how is the USA subsidizing Canada?

 

You sell me 160 million worth of oil, I sell you 100 million worth of poutine. It means I am subsdising you with 60 million.

 

That is Canada, a cheap parasite.

6 hours ago, Woke to Sounds said:

 

Bullship.

 

Ford started it all. He invented Detroit.

 

Henry said 'Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right."

 

Then he went on to make sure all his employees could buy a Ford.

 

Mustang buddy. Absolute classic. Never mind the Lincoln. 💪

Detroit was 100 years ago. It's an empty shell for drug dealers now.

 

Muscle cars, corner like a cow on roller skates.

 

My son's Hyundai Kona N would pee all over your gas-guzzling behemoths.

 

Drive a Kia Stinger if you want to know about modern cars.

17 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

You sell me 160 million worth of oil, I sell you 100 million worth of poutine. It means I am subsdising you with 60 million.

 

That is Canada, a cheap parasite.

What a foolish example. It was Trump who pushed for the Keystone 2 pipeline and sharply criticized Biden when he dropped it. And so did MAGA supporters her on aseannow.com

 

36 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

You sell me 160 million worth of oil, I sell you 100 million worth of poutine. It means I am subsdising you with 60 million.

 

That is Canada, a cheap parasite.

"Trade balances don’t indicate which economies are succeeding and which are failing. The United States ran a trade deficit for most of the 19th century while rising as an industrial power. Nor is it true that trade surpluses can keep a country from losing manufacturing jobs. Every developed country — including Germany, which has a trade surplus — has seen the same downward trend."

https://archive.ph/IV5qa

32 minutes ago, placeholder said:

"Trade balances don’t indicate which economies are succeeding and which are failing. The United States ran a trade deficit for most of the 19th century while rising as an industrial power. Nor is it true that trade surpluses can keep a country from losing manufacturing jobs. Every developed country — including Germany, which has a trade surplus — has seen the same downward trend."

https://archive.ph/IV5qa

 

The question you are not asking, alas, is how many jobs would Germany have lost if it had not been massively subsidised by its export markets, such as the USA.

Trump has managed to single-handedly destroy American exceptionalism and goodwill towards America. Anyone thinking things will quickly get back to normal once things settle down is living in la-la land. 
 

Canada is not going to forget the disrespect it has been shown anytime soon.

 

Europe has been completely traumatized by the suddenness of the withdrawal of support for Ukraine and NATO. The abrupt surge in defense spending this has necessitated is going to put further social strains on Western European economies.

 

In giving Israel a carte blanche to commit genocide in the Gaza, Trump has engendered hatred for the US and support for terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East which will last for generations to come.

The abrupt cancellation of third world humanitarian and health initiatives has done untold damage to America’s humanitarian image throughout the world.

 

Did you know that Greenland has a more than an 80% indigenous population? What does Donald Trump’s attitude about annexing Greenland say about his respect for indigenous people around the world?

 

And what about racial minorities and other minorities in the US? Trump and his right-wing judiciary and enablers in Congress have destroyed all sense of America being a land of opportunity or of being a melting pot where different cultures competed against one another in a dynamic environment. What is the common thread which will bind all of us together? The damage done to the American social fabric is enormous which will have a devastating  affect on US productivity, not to mention the damage to social cohesion were we to ever face a common enemy, or the degradation to the social environment, (think no-go zones) that reduced social mobility will bring.

 

No more D.E.I., no more affirmative action, no more equal opportunity in the workplace or in housing? No more investigations of right-wing militias, white nationalism in the military or police brutality? A DOJ and FBI only interested in protecting Trump and prosecuting his enemies? 

The harassment of non-compliant members of the judiciary, educational institutions, free speech, and the media ( just to name a few) has put a chill on America’s image as the land of liberty. It would not surprise me were Trump to tell France to come get their Statue of Liberty cause he didn’t want it any more anyway.

The fallout from Trump’s second term is only beginning to be felt, the damage will be long-lasting, and in the end only incurable fools will be without terrible regrets.

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Canada is not going to forget the disrespect it has been shown anytime soon.

 

Oh no! I am filled with dread and foreboding!

 

Will the Raptors fans boo the US national anthem even louder? Because if they do it would be like, totally devastating.

 

No more DEI, that is right! Only meriotocracy now. You may even have to show up for work. Shocking, I know.

 

3 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

I was wondering; the Canadian shops taking U.S. booze from the shelves right after Trump announced tariffs... Whatever happened to those goods?

My guess it is in their storerooms.  When this spat blows over, and it will, they will restock using the same inventory but pricing might be different.

 

19 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

The question you are not asking, alas, is how many jobs would Germany have lost if it had not been massively subsidised by its export markets, such as the USA.

What do you mean by subsidized? Your criterion seems to be that if a country runs a positive trade balance with the US then that is somehow evidence of subsidization.  But that isn't how trade works. The issue isn't  country to country. It's seller to buyer. So it isn't America that buys German goods. It's Americans.  Or Swedes or Brazilians. Whoever. If German companies produce goods that Americans prefer, then it will sell them goods. Just like it sells goods to people from other countries.( As a side note,  I should point out that German companies do not typically sell goods that underprice those manufactured in American. Quite the contrary)

Anyway, the way Americans can solve this problem is to voluntarily lower their standard of living. By that I mean that they can purchase less and save more. If tariffs are instituted, that will be another way to lower their standard of living. Their dollars will purchase less. As Scott Bessent said, "Access to cheap goods is not the essence of the American Dream." Which is another way of saying a higher standard of living is not the essence of the American dream. I do wonder what sacrifices this gentleman worth over half a billion dollars is making.

 

Edit: The exceptions to this being such activity as military purchases by governments.

9 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Canada is not going to forget the disrespect it has been shown anytime soon.

 

The latest Laura Ingraham Fox News interview with trump... Canadians are going to just love the last five minutes... even Ingraham is starting to see the insanity that is trump.

6 minutes ago, VR333 said:

 

The latest Laura Ingraham Fox News interview with trump... Canadians are going to just love the last five minutes... even Ingraham is starting to see the insanity that is trump.

What date was that? And do you have a link? I only see tiny excerpts offered on the foxnews site. At least offered for free.

13 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Trump has managed to single-handedly destroy American exceptionalism and goodwill towards America. Anyone thinking things will quickly get back to normal once things settle down is living in la-la land. 
 

 

As an American all I want from the rest of the world is respect and a working relationship in all our best interests.  Which I believe is all foreign nations owe us in return.  And I don't want back to normal.  Back to normal is the last 30 years of USA subsidizing solution s to much of the worlds problems.  And providing most of the worlds military support as a counter to aggression fro the likes of Russia, China, Iran and N Korea. 

 

Problem is - USA can no longer afford an unequal level of trading to favor the rest of the world allowing access to our markets while protecting their own via tariffs.  We are broke.  Or darn near.  Yeah, feeling will be hurt.  Some will suffer, both abroad and at home.  But better the let down is slow and controlled than a massive collapse. 

 

I am not an economist but this is what I think is happening and hope it works where nations that have enjoyed an unfair advantage against US companies in the past now play on an even playing field.  Especially China.  They do everyting in their power to prevent equal trading.

 

And I'm sure someone will mention the failure of the US to counter aggression from Russia and try to tie it to Trump.  Yet both invasions of Ukraine occurred with presidents Obama and Biden.  Is Trump ceding victory to Russia?  Looks like they got it unless we really want to go to war.  Leaving us now with two paths.  All out war to destroy Russia's military (which will take full Nato effort and cost a lot in attrition - wonder how many people here belittling Trump want their 18 year old sons on those front line), or concede what they have now.  Since Russia is also a nuclear power sympathies to the Ukrainians but I pass on all out war.

 

Personally I would have been all for immediate joint effort by Nato to stop Russia in the first few weeks of invasion.  Instead the effort simply gave Ukraine the minimum amount of weapons to fight a slower losing battle.  Whatever.  I am no geopolitical expert either.

 

 

 

 

 

Except for food, I didn't 'Buy USA' when I lived there  

 

I buy the best product for the vest price, and it rarely was 'Made in USA'.   My allegiance is to 'my' wallet, and me & mine, and best way to provide for us 

6 minutes ago, placeholder said:

do you have a link?

 

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6370211707112

 

The next G7 Summit will be held in a few months time, in Canada. 

8 hours ago, Lacessit said:

You're kidding, right? Fords are among the biggest piles of automotive crap ever assembled.

 

Why do you think people say the name stands for Fix Or Repair Daily?

Yes, Fords are piles of crap. 

19 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

It's just plain WRONG to hurt defenseless grad students.

 

Why is the onus on the administration?

 

So taxpayers should continue funding institutions that refuse to obey the terms set to receive the funds because it will have a negative effect on a few grad students at elite universities? 

 

They are not “defenseless”, they have undergrad degrees and they can go to work like the taxpayers do. 

 

Or, it the studies have actual value, the universities can dig into their multi-billion dollar tax-free endowments and fund them. 

 

Let the universities guarantee their own loans as well. Too many kids with too much debt and largely worthless degrees anyway. 

 

24 minutes ago, mogandave said:

Why is the onus on the administration?

 

So taxpayers should continue funding institutions that refuse to obey the terms set to receive the funds because it will have a negative effect on a few grad students at elite universities? 

 

They are not “defenseless”, they have undergrad degrees and they can go to work like the taxpayers do. 

 

Or, it the studies have actual value, the universities can dig into their multi-billion dollar tax-free endowments and fund them. 

 

Let the universities guarantee their own loans as well. Too many kids with too much debt and largely worthless degrees anyway. 

 

You are clearly clueless about the huge importance of research done at universities is to to the most advanced sectors of the U.S. economy.

53 minutes ago, VR333 said:

 

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6370211707112

 

The next G7 Summit will be held in a few months time, in Canada. 

You were right. Even Laura Ingraham clearly wasn't buying what Trump was selling.

1 hour ago, jimmybcool said:

My guess it is in their storerooms.  When this spat blows over, and it will, they will restock using the same inventory but pricing might be different.

 

It's just a spat is it?

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Detroit was 100 years ago. It's an empty shell for drug dealers now.

 

Muscle cars, corner like a cow on roller skates.

 

My son's Hyundai Kona N would pee all over your gas-guzzling behemoths.

 

Drive a Kia Stinger if you want to know about modern cars.

 

I would also be beaming with pride and humble bragging if my son owned a Hyundai. 

5 minutes ago, placeholder said:

You are clearly clueless about the huge importance of research done at universities is to to the most advanced sectors of the U.S. economy.

If that’s still the case, then let the “most advanced sectors of the economy” fund the studies at universities that want to allow students to be harassed and threatened by other students, and or that want to continue mandating men be allowed to shower with women. 

 

The universities have the choice of receiving the funds or not. 

 

 

11 minutes ago, mogandave said:

If that’s still the case, then let the “most advanced sectors of the economy” fund the studies at universities that want to allow students to be harassed and threatened by other students, and or that want to continue mandating men be allowed to shower with women. 

 

The universities have the choice of receiving the funds or not. 

 

 

I'll be charitable and say that these characterizations apply to a few universities. But this research is spread not just or even mostly at elite private institutions but at state universities as well. Of course, what probably will happen if Trumps keep this up, is that other developed nations will be glad to offer a safe haven to these researchers and reap the gains that once went to the USA.

1 hour ago, placeholder said:

It's just a spat is it?

Yup.  2026 and it will be a memory.  Too long too close ties to cause a real rift.

On 3/18/2025 at 4:39 PM, simple1 said:

Good. trump and Co obviously believe might is great and brooks no disagreement. Unfortunately it seems many Americans think aggressive nationalism is the solution to their issues which will bite them in the arse. IMO the sooner they change their tune the better for the US and the world in general.

 

Many do not seem to be aware the current Administration is guided by Paleo Conservatism whom the likes of Stephen Miller espouse.  It's probable Trump isn't aware enough to know he's actually being led down a pre existing ideological path and it's history. As a reminder...

 

Paleoconservatism is a political philosophy and a paternalistic strain of conservatism in the United States stressing American nationalism, Christian ethics, regionalism, traditionalist conservatism, and non-interventionism. Paleoconservatism's concerns overlap with those of the Old Right that opposed the New Deal in the 1930s and 1940s^[1] as well as with paleolibertarianism.^[2][3] By the start of the 21st century, the movement had begun to focus more on issues of race.^[4][5]

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleoconservatism#:~:text=Paleoconservatives support restrictions on immigration,sexuality%2C culture%2C and society.

 

'Unfortunately it seems many Americans think aggressive nationalism is the solution to their issues which will bite them in the arse'

 

Why as an AUSTRALIAN NON AMREICAN do you think you speak for actual Americans? You speak for nobody but yourself.

Stop the projection ., you are obessed by the Orange man who is NOT your President 

Canada is rolling out the Trump Sandwich

 

In business, Trump stiffed contractors, went bankrupt multiple times. He thinks that business model will work in international trade as well.

 

His tariffs are not a barrier to assist American industry. Who pays the tariff? Not the country exporting to the US. It's the American consumer.

 

Tariffs are a tax. They hit the poor and middle class hardest. MAGA's simply don't understand how they are being screwed.

3 hours ago, mogandave said:

They are not “defenseless”, they have undergrad degrees and they can go to work like the taxpayers do. 

 

PhDs payback to society, to America, FAR more than we invest in them.

If you do not understand how this works...then....

No further meaningful discussion can be possible.

 

Of course, I prefer the Natural Sciences.

And, even grad-research in medicine.

 

If a grad student wants to be funded for pursing a PhD in lip-reading, then OK, I would not fund them.

 

However, funding super-smart students towards helping them to pursue degrees which are so obviously beneficial to society as a whole....

One would be CRAZY to oppose such a concept.

 

I know you are NOT crazy....

Correct?

 

 

3 hours ago, Real Name Hidden said:

Canada is rolling out the Trump Sandwich

 

 

Trump does not need Canada.

 

However, even the Canadians know, Canada needs Trump.