Donald I, emperor of the world.

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KingstonGraham

New Member
To me one concerning aspect of Trump's recent actions beyong tariffs is that he seems unable to see risks to what he intends to do or is unable to mitigate those risks or to carry things out in a manner that reduces those risks.

And that he and his team can't identify those risks is concerning when he's also marching into several ongoing wars, etc.

I suspect he could have got to where we are now without the crashes and market grief had he gone about things with a clear aim and in a different way.That might have meant no Prime Time TV spectacular but what's he want. If it's attention grabbing can any of them justify the damage to so many people just for Trump's brief centre of attention time?

Even now the end goal seems to be frequently changing eg if it's to bring manufacturing back into domestic US then negotiating free trade deals won't achieve that. If it's about trade barriers then pushing companies to return manufacturing to US won't achieve that. Seems so much of what is happening doesn't have and clearly defined goal.

Ian

It's to bring money in so he can reduce income tax. No negotiation will get rid of the 10% tariffs. If they go, it won't be because of any efforts from other countries.

I wish he'd get asked about how much he is expecting to raise from this - he has said that he wants to get rid of income tax, that the USA was better before income tax etc. It might make it seem a more stable position if he stuck to this as the rationale for the tariffs.
 
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Dorset Boy

Member
It's to bring money in so he can reduce income tax. No negotiation will get rid of the 10% tariffs. If they go, it won't be because of any efforts from other countries.

I wish he'd get asked about how much he is expecting to raise from this - he has said that he wants to get rid of income tax, that the USA was better before income tax etc. It might make it seem a more stable position if he stuck to this as the rationale for the tariffs.

He expects billions each day from tariffs, and claims that every beautfiul day that passes since Liberation Day has brought in more beautiful billions.
 
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First Aspect

Regular
Canadian business man on CNN said USA should raise tariffs to 400%. China steal intellectual property, copy and flood markets with cheap price products.
China can only "steal" IP where it's not protected. And it isn't "China" in the sense of some malign entity systematically ripping off inventors. Instead it is a vast sub continent with a nascent IP culture that is rapidly improving, to support the domestic economy amongst other things. But there's a lot of companies in a lot of places to enforce against.

The situation there is better than it was and much better than. For example, most of Africa, most of the Middle East and moat of South and Central America.

The big difference is China is both high tech, highly innovative and a big manufacturer. But if you block them out rather than continue to play "whackamole" with copycats, this doesn't solve the problem and instead disuades western counties from protecting their IP there and availing themselves of the expertise and labour available. Tarrifs make this worse, by generating completely independent economies.

Take Boeing for example, one of Trump's faves, although his last attempts to help them hilariously backfired in Airbus's favour. If he tarrifs them out of the Chinese market and vice versa, all this will do is open the door for Comac to become the supplier of choice for flights around China, Russia and India. That's the majority of the world's population.

May take 10-15 years for damage of this nature to become evident, but this will be Trumps legacy if he isn't careful.
 

First Aspect

Regular
It's to bring money in so he can reduce income tax. No negotiation will get rid of the 10% tariffs. If they go, it won't be because of any efforts from other countries.

I wish he'd get asked about how much he is expecting to raise from this - he has said that he wants to get rid of income tax, that the USA was better before income tax etc. It might make it seem a more stable position if he stuck to this as the rationale for the tariffs.
If tarrifs replace income tax, it isn't a tax cut.
 
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KingstonGraham

New Member
He expects billions each day from tariffs, and claims that every beautfiul day that passes since Liberation Day has brought in more beautiful billions.

Combine that with the savings from dismantling the government, and we're on the way there. There's also the removal of the FDIC insurance on the way so there won't be any need to bail out banks when bank runs come - more money saved.
 
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First Aspect

Regular
Combine that with the savings from dismantling the government, and we're on the way there. There's also the removal of the FDIC insurance on the way so there won't be any need to bail out banks when bank runs come - more money saved.

What they need is a slogan on the side of a bus. Or the side of Air Force One.
 
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First Aspect

Regular
It is for the very rich.

Yup, which means on balance it's a tax rise for everyone else. Just hidden in inflation and/or wage suppression.

Of course there will be some beautiful jobs for US workers, only there won't unless the tarrifs are much higher than 10%. And even if there are new jobs, those will provide a combination of wage erosion to be remotely competitive, and inflation.

10% seems pretty fair to me and the US can go fark itself.

The figures so e economists and bandying around even at 10% are still that it will knock 2% of the US's previously expected GDP.
 
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Psamathe

Well-Known Member
...While China has long said it wants to talk, Trump’s rapid escalation instead appears to have confirmed for Beijing that the US doesn’t. And in Xi’s calculation, observers say, China is prepared not just to fight back, but to use Trump’s trade turmoil to strengthen its own position...
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/10/...china-escalation-analysis-intl-hnk/index.html
Trump goes on about his opinion of himself being an amazing "deal maker" but personally I don't think he is (too much zero-sum game). So his "negotiation" seems to kick them in the groin, knee them in the head as they bend forward then dictate terms they must agree to. And he expects it to work and doesn't cope well when it doesn't.

eg he's still after Ukraine's power and critical minerals yet he seems to have lost interest in any ceasefire or peace process maybe because Putin didn't just bend over and agree to Trump's wishes. No "negotiation", just agree to this and when they don't he's a bit lost as to where to go next.

Ian
 

Pblakeney

Regular
Trump goes on about his opinion of himself being an amazing "deal maker" but personally I don't think he is (too much zero-sum game). So his "negotiation" seems to kick them in the groin, knee them in the head as they bend forward then dictate terms they must agree to. And he expects it to work and doesn't cope well when it doesn't.

eg he's still after Ukraine's power and critical minerals yet he seems to have lost interest in any ceasefire or peace process maybe because Putin didn't just bend over and agree to Trump's wishes. No "negotiation", just agree to this and when they don't he's a bit lost as to where to go next.

Ian

Agreed. He is so used to getting his own way that he can't cope with anyone standing up to him.
Typical bully.
 

CXRAndy

Veteran
China can only "steal" IP where it's not protected
Did you not hear, he can't sue the Chinese companies in china, They don't abide by WTO, though being a member for a long time.

China has the a massive production capacity with very cheap labour rates. They have some of the best designs, by acquiring knowledge from western companies by doing joint venture partnerships
 
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