kEiThZ
Superstar
Please don't waste time with the Trump bro who just wants to act like this place is Reddit.
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- Thread starter Jonny5
- Start date
Please don't waste time with the Trump bro who just wants to act like this place is Reddit.
kEiThZ
Superstar
Honestly, let's enjoy it. The one great thing about the GOP sweeping across the board, with the Presidency, Senate, House and Governorships is that there will be no Democrats to slow them down. We're going to watch the GOP fever dream unleashed. And it will be spectacular.
kEiThZ
Superstar
I am genuinely curious what's going to happen when a society that buys everything from Amazon, Walmart, etc realizes what a 60% tariff on Chinese goods looks like.
Admiral Beez
Superstar
The House is still up for grabs, but yep. I wouldn't want to be a DACA or other illegal, trans-male athletic seeking an abortion in Trump's USA.
It will be a shocker for many. Myself, I find that I buy very little of anything now. I'm going to China and Taiwan in February, it will be interesting to see their take on Trump's first few weeks.
I think I'm done with doom scrolling the news and media. I've just deleted all my news and public affairs podcasts and added some feel good ones. I'm turning ostrich, I think.
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evandyk
Senior Member
In 2016 after a couple of years of non-stop Rob Ford and Donald Trump, I had to dial back my news consumption and online arguing quite a bit. It was just too intense for too long.
afransen
Senior Member
I'm not ready to check out, but I have heard some left leaning content creators saying they've seen a notable drop in subscribers (including paid subscribers) due to people checking out after the election. Not a good thing.
Admiral Beez
Superstar
I’ve today ditched the NYT’s Opinions, The Daily, Matter of Opinion, Lately, The Decibel, The Indicator, All Things Considered, Economist and the British Time’s Ukraine the Latest. None of these are left leaning imo, just telling it like it is. But I don’t want to know. Also unrelated, but ditched Crime Junkie.
In their place I’ve subscribed to the Good Life Project, NPR’s Hidden Brain and Life Kit, Planet Money, Stuff You Should Know, BBC History Extra, Under the Influence, and Wiser Than Me. That last one is of Julia Louis-Dreyfus interviewing senior women - I just finished the Jane Fonda one. Very interesting and enjoyable.
I think this one time post-graduate of international relations is getting off the bus.
afransen
Senior Member
I think your average Trump voter would consider those mostly to be left-leaning.
christiesplits
Senior Member
The tariffs could take a huge bite out of Canada's tech darling Shopify, which dominates the drop shipping industry.
Northern Light
Superstar
As am I.
I do, however, want to point out that the last round of Trump Tariffs largely remained in tact under Biden-Harris, and indeed, some actually increased.
So the impacts will be quite variable depending on the items in question.
As example, the tariff on washing machines from China currently sits at 50%
Likewise the tariff (increased by Biden just this year) on Solar Panels sits at 50% * (change won't actually show up in market til probably Q2 '25)
The tariff on Lithium-Ion Batteries is already 25%
While the one on electric cars from China is 100%
Semiconductors are also now 50%
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Now most of the above examples are not the typical Amazon/Walmart purchase. I simply wanted to offer, that many tariffs coming into this year, or just recently adopted aren't far off the Trump promise.
Others, of course, are much further off.
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The non-partisan Peterson Institute has modeled the impact of the Trump Tariffs as proposed.
That can be found here: https://www.piie.com/sites/default/files/2024-05/pb24-1.pdf
From the above:
The above is their key conclusion and looks at the impact of the changes, adjusting for any proposed tax cuts in Trump's plans, and breaks the impact down based on household income level.
Looked at in dollar terms, the estimated impact on a middle-income household is pegged at $1,700 per year.
Not an inconsequential sum.
However, if you think of those costs in weekly terms its just over $30.
Very little of the impact will be seen in the grocery sector, at the fuel pump or in housing costs, so it will be interesting to see how its 'read' by the American public.
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picard102
Senior Member
We can only hope. It's increasingly an example of when tech companies live long enough to become the villain.
jje1000
Senior Member
Exactly, I think that the exact tariff structure and extent will change as the administrative transition occurs and policy starts to be worked on, but selective tariffs to preserve industry and hedge against dumping and flooding are a matter of national security, especially in the drone age.
Otherwise, things like this can happen:
Chinese sanctions hit US drone maker supplying Ukraine
Beijing’s move leaves California company rushing to find new battery providers
www.ft.com
MisterF
Senior Member
I've seen a lot of people saying stuff like this...
So they go and vote for someone who's going to make things even more expensive. Leopards, faces, etc. The question is how many people will actually reflect on their choices or will they double down on their beliefs and continue to blame Democrats and outsiders?
The reality is that Trump didn't win because of anything Harris did or because of the economy. He won because he tapped into the misogyny (including among women) and xenophobia (including among immigrants - lots of drawbridge mentality happening) that is so prevalent in American society. He stoked fear and hatred of the other and people ate it up.
Absolutely. And that is what I find so sad. People choosing hate and fear.
Northern Light
Superstar
I very much disagree.
US Bankruptcies hit a 13-year high last year, and were up massively from 2020 and 2021.
2020 was, of course an outlier year, so lets set that aside:
US bankruptcies hit 13-year peak in 2023; 50 new filings in December
Companies in the industrials, healthcare and consumer discretionary sectors filed for the most bankruptcies in 2023.
www.spglobal.com
You would be right to point out that the two lowest years were both under Biden; however, that was Covid Relief money, so they too are outliers.
The correct comparison then is to 2017-2019 under Trump.and certainly, the 2023 number jumps out.
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A look at the inflation rate shows a very clear issue as well: (Credit embedded)
Now, the U.S. also had high wage growth over much of this period, but overall, inflation eroded earnings.
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Poverty has also spiked.
Understanding the NY Post is not a great source, but they are not responsible for underlying data:
In Biden’s war on poverty, poverty — especially for kids — is winning
The president whose policy obsession from Day 1 has been not to grow the economy but to reduce income inequality has presided over a near-record surge in the percentage of Americans in poverty.
nypost.com
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To be clear, I don't think that justifies or excuses voting for Trump, I'm merely stating that there is legitimate reason to be concerned about one's pocket book in much of the U.S.
Now we agree here, that scapegoating, fear mongering, hate promoting, and finger-pointing were definitely all strategies employed in the Trump campaign, and we agree they're disgusting.
But he's mobilizing angry people.
Yes, he's directing that anger in a self-serving and deeply disturbing way, but the underlying phenomenon of how people perceive their welfare really isn't his. Its merely what he has ruthlessly exploited.
Turning fear into hate is on him. But the underlying fear/anger........while stoked by him, wasn't caused by him.