'Trade wars are good, and easy to win,' Trump tweets

[robkelk]

Here's another CBC analysis piece: What do Trump's tariffs and Ferris Bueller have in common? Anyone? Anyone?

I was not aware that Ben Stein improvised that scene. I'm not surprised, though. I'm also not surprised that the history he presented is accurate.

And, nine decades after the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, I'm not surprised that Trump has not learned from history. Are we sure he's capitalist-friendly?

[hazard]

Here's another CBC analysis piece: What do Trump's tariffs and Ferris Bueller have in common? Anyone? Anyone?

I was not aware that Ben Stein improvised that scene. I'm not surprised, though. I'm also not surprised that the history he presented is accurate.

And, nine decades after the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, I'm not surprised that Trump has not learned from history. Are we sure he's capitalist-friendly?

You are mistaking 'wants to help capitalists' for 'is capable of helping capitalists.' I mean, look at the man's track record. It's quite possible those of his business ventures that don't fail do so because they're excellent ways for criminals to launder money through, which keeps them propped up.

[Matrix Dragon]

Are we sure he's capitalist-friendly?

He's Trump friendly. This is a con man with a decades long track record of screwing over everyone and everything, running off with what's left of the money, managing to burn through it at a shocking rate, then repeating the process. His entire gimmick is built about screwing over everyone except him, while proclaiming to the world he's a genius.

[robkelk]

So, the next round of NAFTA talks have started. Bloomberg article

Canada wants a resolution quickly because this drawn-out process is costing everybody money, and sent Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland. (The Foreign Affairs Minister is the Canadian equivalent to the US Secretary of State.)

Mexico wants a resolution quickly because elections, and sent Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo.

The USA wants a resolution quickly because elections, and sent ... Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Not a Secretary, but somebody at a lower rung on the ladder.

C'mon, USA, how seriously are you taking this process?

[robkelk]

Well, Canada thought we had a NAFTA deal in time for the USA's deadline... but the USA says no.

It's your deadline -- and it's your fault it wasn't met.

[robkelk]

Trump passes up chance to sign a renegotiated NAFTA deal, imposing tariffs on steel and aluminium instead

Canada announces dollar-for-dollar tariffs on steel and aluminium from the USA

[Labster]

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada is hitting back with duties of up to $16.6 billion on some steel and aluminum products and other goods from the U.S. — including beer kegs, whisky, toilet paper and "hair lacquers."

Good job hitting Trump directly.  I assume that he's been using lacquer on his hair.

[hazard]

You know, given how Trump's businesses are almost inextricably linked to his presidency, I think you can hit him even harder than with a general tariff. Rather, hit the Trump brand, along with the brands of his close family with tariffs.

[robkelk]

I don't know whether it's tradition or law, but we don't single out specific companies for tariffs. Equal treatment under the law, after all.

[hazard]

It's probably a matter of law and sheer practicality.

Rebranding isn't cheap (you take a hit in recognition), but it'd be fairly trivial to avoid.

[DHBirr]

I don't know whether it's tradition or law, but we don't single out specific companies for tariffs. Equal treatment under the law, after all.

I believe I'm preaching to the choir, here, but ... do you even dream President Windrip would respect "the law"?

*****
"Oh, my people had many gods. There was Conformity, and Authority, and Expense Account, and Opinion. And there was Status, whose symbols were many, and who rode in the great chariot Cadillac, which was almost a god itself. And there was Atombomb, the dread destroyer, who would some day come to end the world." — Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen, H. Beam Piper

[robkelk]

I don't know whether it's tradition or law, but we don't single out specific companies for tariffs. Equal treatment under the law, after all.

I believe I'm preaching to the choir, here, but ... do you even dream President Windrip would respect "the law"?

I'm talking about Canadian law. How some foreigner treats his country's laws is his country's problem.

[robkelk]

CBC Analysis: A trade war is a political act of economic destruction

Whether in a real war or in a trade war, waving the flag is politically popular in a way that is hard to understand to those who live through the ultimate consequences.

If I quote all of the cogent text, I'll quote the entire article... so I'll limit myself to one passage:

It all may be part the president's political campaign to convince supporters he's making America great, says Canadian economist Matilde Bombardini, currently working at California's Stanford University. But it's not economics.

"It's madness, from the economic point of view," says Bombardini.

Bombardini, on sabbatical from her job teaching economics at the University of British Columbia, has been watching the U.S. up close. And she says the U.S. trade deficit has nothing to do with bad trade deals or unfair tariffs.

"It's purely the result of their fiscal policy," she says, as the U.S. sells bonds to countries like China to make up Washington's soaring budget deficit. "They sell T-bills and they buy goods."

Basically, if the USA wants a better balance of trade, then start selling stuff. Don't just lend money to people in other countries.

[SilverFang01]

But how else are they going to cover the cost of their tax cuts for rich people and corporations which are the biggest welfare queens? </sarcasm>

And in related to this: Scott Gilmore, writing in Maclean’s recommends that American allies use, in effect,  targeted sanctions against the President of the United States.

[robkelk]

Sanctions against the POTUS, or the "blue" "red" states?

I've already decided to spend the extra money and buy Philippine pineapple juice instead of Florida orange juice for my breakfast drink while the tariffs are in effect. (I like having some pulp in the juice, which we just don't get in apple juice any more.) Similarly, Nova Scotia rum is replacing Kentucky bourbon in my drinks cabinet.

(EDITed because I got the colour wrong. The USA does this thing in reverse as far as Canada is concerned.)

[DHBirr]

Sanctions against the POTUS, or the "blue" states?

I've already decided to spend the extra money and buy Philippine pineapple juice instead of Florida orange juice for my breakfast drink while the tariffs are in effect. (I like having some pulp in the juice, which we just don't get in apple juice any more.) Similarly, Nova Scotia rum is replacing Kentucky bourbon in my drinks cabinet.

If you're not going to target Windrip himself, go after the red states, not blue.  It's the Reds who're his voters.  Of course, since my state shamed me by going red — I live in one of its few blue counties — I'll still have to suffer along with the Reds....

[robkelk]

Oh, right - I keep forgetting you folks don't do "Tory Blue", the way the Commonwealth does.

My bad.

[Labster]

Yeah, the U.S. is weird, we didn't standardize on colors until quite recently, and we did it backwards:

The choice of colors reverses a long-standing convention of political colors whereby red symbols (such as the Red Flag or Red Star) are associated with left-wing politics, and right-wing movements often choose blue as a contrasting color.[5] Indeed, until the 1980s, Democrats were often represented by red and Republicans by blue. The current terminology of "red states" and "blue states" came into use in the United States presidential election of 2000 on an episode of the Today show on October 30, 2000. According to The Washington Post, the terms were coined by journalist Tim Russert, during his televised coverage of the 2000 presidential election.[6] That was not the first election during which the news media used colored maps to depict voter preferences in the various states, but it was the first time a standard color scheme took hold; the colors were often reversed or different colors used before the 2000 election.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states...lue_states

In related news, I'm going to Scotland this summer, and I'm sure it will be fun to drive on the left side of the road.

[robkelk]

Trump wants separate, 1-on-1 NAFTA talks with Canada, Mexico. Somebody should tell him that they've already been happening for months, in the context of the trilateral talks.

[Norgarth]

Trump wants separate, 1-on-1 NAFTA talks with Canada, Mexico. Somebody should tell him that they've already been happening for months, in the context of the trilateral talks.

why does my mind throw out the idea of Trump offering (mutually incompatible) deals to Canada and Mexico, then getting pissed off when they talk to each other and point out that he can fulfill the US's side without screwing over one (or both) of them?

[robkelk]

Trump wants separate, 1-on-1 NAFTA talks with Canada, Mexico. Somebody should tell him that they've already been happening for months, in the context of the trilateral talks.

why does my mind throw out the idea of Trump offering (mutually incompatible) deals to Canada and Mexico, then getting pissed off when they talk to each other and point out that he can fulfill the US's side without screwing over one (or both) of them?

Possibly because that's what we're all expecting will happen.

Consider what Trump told voters during his election campaign - promises to any two groups rarely matched. It would be foolish to expect he'd change tactics now, since those tactics got him elected... and he hasn't yet learned that those tactics prevent him from getting what he wants on the world stage.

[DHBirr]

Among reader responses to a 6 June 2018 article about Windrip’s reluctance to meet world leaders at an economic summit: 

notimpressedeither commented: When the 6 leaders and Trump (because he doesn't qualify as a leader) are in the meetings they should all constantly bring up Obama's name and make positive remarks about Obama's past successes.

rjpmagnificent replied:  Donny’s head might explode. Great idea praise OBAMA in his presence until his bigoted bean goes boom.

We can hope....

[robkelk]

Meh - let him stay distracted with his upcoming chat in Singapore, and let everybody else get down to work. Then when he discovers at the end of the meeting what everybody else agreed to, well...

[Matrix Dragon]

Meh - let him stay distracted with his upcoming chat in Singapore, and let everybody else get down to work. Then when he discovers at the end of the meeting what everybody else agreed to, well...

 He'll do what he usually does, ignore the deal, and screw over everyone that isn't him. Course, he'll do that if he's there, so at least this way the adults don't have to put up with him.

[Matrix Dragon]

And the G6+1 summit turned into a right mess, with Trump insulting, mocking and threatening allies, then running off to praise Russia and North Korea. Good Grief, America is burning through goodwill and trust at a shocking rate.