trump -  strong at making businesses fail



Quote:

.......... Tourism in Las Vegas has fallen by about 11 per cent this year, with fewer visitors, lower convention attendance and reduced hotel occupancy putting a dent in the city’s lucrative profits. The city’s fortunes, buoyed by its large gambling market and appeal to travellers with disposable income, are often seen as a bellwether for the broader US economy. .............  The group estimates the industry will generate $169 billion in 2025, down from $181 billion in 2024 — a 22.5 per cent fall from its previous peak.  ............      ...........

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/las-vegas-tourism-figures-plummet-as-potential-us-downturn-looms/news-story/1a3f72933d35041549684453c0756cc2

Sprintcyclist wrote on Aug 14^th, 2025 at 4:16am:

trump -  strong at making businesses fail Quote: .......... Tourism in Las Vegas has fallen by about 11 per cent this year, with fewer visitors, lower convention attendance and reduced hotel occupancy putting a dent in the city’s lucrative profits. The city’s fortunes, buoyed by its large gambling market and appeal to travellers with disposable income, are often seen as a bellwether for the broader US economy. .............  The group estimates the industry will generate $169 billion in 2025, down from $181 billion in 2024 — a 22.5 per cent fall from its previous peak.  ............      ........... https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/las-vegas-tourism-figures-plummet-as-potential-us-downturn-looms/news-story/1a3f72933d35041549684453c0756cc2

Once people start seeing the effects of Trumps' tariff war with the rest of the world on pricing labels at their local Home Depot and Chevrolet dealership and other places, I think they'll start tightening their belts even more and start spending less, sending the US economy into a nose dive.

Trumps influence on Americans?

Very small.

The effects of AGI and large language models will be much more profound.

US exports have taken a $1.2 billion dollar dive since June. Countries are turning on US products. The Canadian boycott on US goods is a national cause.

Markets took another dive after DL placed his most ridiculous tariffs yet on Switzerland, India and Brazil. This is becoming a familiar pattern, and the figures are all down, never up.

The current economic decline is caused by one man only. This is why the founding fathers designed a government with checks and balances. Authoritarianism is not only nasty, it's bad for business.

This effectively puts the tech bros' argument to bed. A benign technocratic dictator will not save the world, and certainly not the planet. Just as the Bush Jnr tax cuts proved trickle-down economics to be a con, the Trump administration is showing that ruling through executive power alone creates economic devastation.

We're seeing this in most industries now, for varying reasons. For tourism, people are scared of being detained at US airports. Who wants that?

Jack Daniel's whiskey in Canada - who wants that? Canada is currently trying to work out how to decouple from a country it's in a free trade agreement and shares a border with.

In China, it's a little easier. The CCP can just ban US imports. India can impose similar measures. Loss of exports to these two countries alone could pose a serious threat to US agriculture. During his first term, Trump turned all the revenue from tariffs over to the big ag corporations in compensation.

Biden had a totally different approach. His microchip tariffs worked because he sourced funds to invest in microprocessor manufacturers, the Chips Act. He connected this to broadband rollout, the Jobs and Infrastructure Acts. He plugged this into a Silicon Valley boom in AI and a vision for America's future. With additional funding for renewable energy startups, he facilitated a transition to a cleaner, smarter economy.

Pity Biden wasn't able to get the message out. Karmala was right to want to govern no differently to Biden. Biden inherited an economy in recession. By the end of Biden's term, the US was back in 1.8% GDP growth with inflation down to 3.4%. Microchip plants were being built in red states like Texas and South Carolina, a condition of government grants.

Problem is, Karmala couldn't sell this either. As a result, Trump's in power, choking the US economy back into recession. He's firing statisticians for releasing job numbers and sueing news outlets for reporting on them. Without a doubt, these are dark days for America, and they're about to get far worse.

If the US goes into recession, it loses its AAA credit rating. Interest rates go up, foreclosures and bankruptcies follow, leading to a downward economic cycle that's difficult to get out of. The only people stopping this from happening right now are the board of the Reserve Banks.

Their Chair, Jerome Powell, appointed by Trump in a more sober moment, is currently keeping things afloat. If another Trump sycophant gets put in this role, America's decline is inevitable.

Not only is authoritarianism bad for business, it's bad for global security. The last 80 years have been the most peaceful and prosperous in human history. The US actively cooperated to create and maintain a global rules-based order. It did so precisely because this was in the US' financial and geopolitical interests, but also because Americans believed in something bigger and better than themselves.

For the first time in history, foreign empires didn't get to decide who a country, province or city belonged to. With the exception of the neighbours of Israel and Russia, both rogue states, we haven't had to fear being raided, pillaged, killed and taken into slavery, or in Ukraine's case, having their children taken and ethnically cleansed.

Tariffs were down to their lowest levels ever. Foreign free trade was a reality for most countries, certainly those in the WTO. The only real "cheating" going on was the ag subsidies in the the US and Europe. These two things - national sovereignty and free trade - were interdependent.

Not anymore. Trump and Putin will meet this weekend to discuss the carve-up of Ukraine. The US still imports $2.5 billion worth of goods from Russia, largely fertilizers and rare earth materials. The Trump tariff on Russia is 10%, the lowest rate possible under his scheme.

Canada, by comparison, is tariffed 35% - over a third of the price of the goods. Canada is the US' biggest trading partner. The reason Canada are given for their tariff rate is illegal fentanyl entering the US from Canada. Fentanyl busts coming from Canada total 0.01% of all US seizures. The cross border drug trade goes the other way, with the overwhelming number of drug seizures entering Canada from the US.

With an approach like this to international relations, how can the US not fall flat on its face? We're about to see what happens when the Trump administration realizes its approach is failing. Traditionally, the way out of this kind of economic decline, particularly for a large military power, is war. Once the headlines get really bad, the invasion of Greenland, Panama or even Canada is assured. The worse things get for Trump, the more he'll try to bully someone else. I'll put money down that the US will be at war by 2026.

Anybody up for a friendly wager?

Dear Karnal,
before Trump mentioned it I didn't even realise that many countries
had placed massive tariffs on US imports.
In most cases Trump has only matched those tariffs -
which is a very fair policy to follow.

Bobby. wrote on Aug 14^th, 2025 at 5:28pm:

Dear Karnal, before Trump mentioned it I didn't even realise that many countries had placed massive tariffs on US imports. In most cases Trump has only matched those tariffs - which is a very fair policy to follow.

I see. Then you'll need to show us all those naughty old tariffs, won't you?

Start with Australia, Bobby. What rate do we charge on US imports?

Every Saturday I chat via computer and Jitsy with 4-5 yankee homebrewers.

(Oops—we are all too flipping old to brew, AHAHAHAHAHA!) Tho I am going to set up a part mash system, 3-4Kg of grain plus a can or two of malt extract.)

Anyway, last Saturday the three diehard Trumptards were all triumphant “what he is doing with tariffs I agree with 100%”

See what they are claiming in a month or two!

Paki gob on a stick wrote on Aug 14^th, 2025 at 6:41pm:

Bobby. wrote on Aug 14th, 2025 at 5:28pm: Dear Karnal, before Trump mentioned it I didn't even realise that many countries had placed massive tariffs on US imports. In most cases Trump has only matched those tariffs - which is a very fair policy to follow. I see. Then you'll need to show us all those naughty old tariffs, won't you? Start with Australia, Bobby. What rate do we charge on US imports?

Bobby?

Paki gob on a stick wrote on Aug 15^th, 2025 at 12:00am:

Paki gob on a stick wrote on Aug 14th, 2025 at 6:41pm: Bobby. wrote on Aug 14th, 2025 at 5:28pm: Dear Karnal, before Trump mentioned it I didn't even realise that many countries had placed massive tariffs on US imports. In most cases Trump has only matched those tariffs - which is a very fair policy to follow. I see. Then you'll need to show us all those naughty old tariffs, won't you? Start with Australia, Bobby. What rate do we charge on US imports? Bobby?

Very low tariffs in Australia or nothing but some countries had over 100% tariff on US imports.


"Do you know that 'if' is the middle word in life?
'If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you'"
I mean, I'm no — I can't — I'm a little man. I'm a little man.
He's, he's a great man.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HqIiJHI1-M

Bobby. wrote on Aug 15^th, 2025 at 12:13am:

Paki gob on a stick wrote on Aug 15th, 2025 at 12:00am: Paki gob on a stick wrote on Aug 14th, 2025 at 6:41pm: Bobby. wrote on Aug 14th, 2025 at 5:28pm: Dear Karnal, before Trump mentioned it I didn't even realise that many countries had placed massive tariffs on US imports. In most cases Trump has only matched those tariffs - which is a very fair policy to follow. I see. Then you'll need to show us all those naughty old tariffs, won't you? Start with Australia, Bobby. What rate do we charge on US imports? Bobby? Very low tariffs in Australia or nothing but some countries had over 100% tariff on US imports. "Do you know that 'if' is the middle word in life? 'If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you'" I mean, I'm no — I can't — I'm a little man. I'm a little man. He's, he's a great man. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HqIiJHI1-M

I see. So why is your DL tariffing us?

And which other countries are you referring to?

Thanks, Bobby. Keep the truth coming.

Paki gob on a stick wrote on Aug 15^th, 2025 at 12:32am:

I see. So why is your DL tariffing us? And which other countries are you referring to? Thanks, Bobby. Keep the truth coming.

Google it - do some homework.

Bobby. wrote on Aug 15^th, 2025 at 12:48am:

Paki gob on a stick wrote on Aug 15th, 2025 at 12:32am: I see. So why is your DL tariffing us? And which other countries are you referring to? Thanks, Bobby. Keep the truth coming. Google it - do some homework.

I have. Australia has no tariffs on the US.

Why would you lie about that?

More importantly, how did you possibly think you could get away with it?

Bobby. wrote on Aug 14^th, 2025 at 5:28pm:

Dear Karnal, before Trump mentioned it I didn't even realise that many countries had placed massive tariffs on US imports. In most cases Trump has only matched those tariffs - which is a very fair policy to follow.

I thought trump had equated his tariffs with the trade imbalance.
Nothing to do with reciprocal tariff rates.
All to do with americans buying more than they can afford

Bobby. wrote on Aug 15^th, 2025 at 12:48am:

Paki gob on a stick wrote on Aug 15th, 2025 at 12:32am: I see. So why is your DL tariffing us? And which other countries are you referring to? Thanks, Bobby. Keep the truth coming. Google it - do some homework.

I have. He's lying. We have a trade deficit with the US.

We also have a General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs. Members agree to settle trade disputes at the WTO.

So why is your DL tariffing us?

Bobbi seems very reluctant to answer questions.

Paki gob on a stick wrote on Aug 15^th, 2025 at 4:31am:

Bobby. wrote on Aug 15th, 2025 at 12:48am: Paki gob on a stick wrote on Aug 15th, 2025 at 12:32am: I see. So why is your DL tariffing us? And which other countries are you referring to? Thanks, Bobby. Keep the truth coming. Google it - do some homework. I have. He's lying. We have a trade deficit with the US. We also have a General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs. Members agree to settle trade disputes at the WTO. So why is your DL tariffing us?

Americans will pay the tariffs not us.
All their prices will go up.

They already have.

Marla wrote on Aug 15^th, 2025 at 6:54am:

They already have.

Marla,

"Do you know that 'if' is the middle word in life?
'If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you'"
I mean, I'm no — I can't — I'm a little man. I'm a little man.
He's, he's a great man.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HqIiJHI1-M

aquascoot wrote on Aug 14^th, 2025 at 7:38am:

Trumps influence on Americans? Very small. The effects of AGI and large language models will be much more profound.

And you claim you’re not devoted to him, yet you pivot with a deflection that could only come from blind loyalty, Scoot. Surely even you can see it.

Bobby. wrote on Aug 15^th, 2025 at 6:19am:

Paki gob on a stick wrote on Aug 15th, 2025 at 4:31am: Bobby. wrote on Aug 15th, 2025 at 12:48am: Paki gob on a stick wrote on Aug 15th, 2025 at 12:32am: I see. So why is your DL tariffing us? And which other countries are you referring to? Thanks, Bobby. Keep the truth coming. Google it - do some homework. I have. He's lying. We have a trade deficit with the US. We also have a General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs. Members agree to settle trade disputes at the WTO. So why is your DL tariffing us? Americans will pay the tariffs not us. All their prices will go up.

No, I asked you why he's tariffing us. And which other countries have all these nasty tariffs?

You'll need to answer, Bobby. Stop wasting everybody's time, dear. 

Chop chop.