BruceVC

This is a reality of having different countries in a working union. Its expected to have different opinions on geopolitical events But the EU is better than no EU. The single market and reality of the Euro are advantages for its members Lots of countries want to create a similar economic model to the EU like Africa with the AU We constantly talk about the economic advantages of inter-Africa trade and that requires an EU model of the unity of Africa But by default that doesnt mean countries will agree on all geopolitical events like Israel, Russia or these US tariffs

Best thing YT provides for me are the cooking shows , cute dog and animal interactions and then gaming updates around things like mod collections, mod managers or game strategies around different classes if you not familiar with a ruleset The gaming videos can be very informative, I mastered Mod Organizer 2 by using YT But the political updates and opinions are probably the worst reason to use YT

Do you find it sexist, would you be happy if they said " sis " every 5 seconds

What do you mean by " It is same factors why EU don't do anything to prevent Israel starving population of Gaza, even though it is something that EU by its own laws should be against. " Im interested in where you see the connection between this and why the EU doesnt create other trade markets outside the USA List all the factors if you have time?

But here is the real problem, I dont think these other markets are as accessible or a realistic alternative to the US for several reasons To create new markets you need 3 main things you need functional supply chains you need a trade agreement you need a country that can buy your goods and can absorb what the US buys China is an export driven economy, its the second largest global economy and twice they have been subjected to US tariffs from Trump and yet they still haven't found alternative export markets so they can bypass the US. Why would China continue to export to the US if they could export to other markets? The US is still Chinas biggest export market And then South Africa is part of BRICS and that includes Brazil and India and yet after 15 years we have a massive trade deficit, R270 billion, with BRICS because these countries also protect there own markets. But we have a R37 billion trade surplus with the USA Im not saying its a bad idea to find other markets outside the US, I wish South Africa could do it. Im saying its not that easy or realistic as you seem to think

Is China also a US vassal, they have agreed to 30% tariffs ? I assume it must be if the definition of a US vassal state is negotiating terms around the tariffs?

Just to be clear are you saying the EU should not have made trade concessions with the US like it did and just paid the 30% but it should have also done what you suggesting in this post. So basically a tariff war with the US because that is exactly what tariffs on GOP states would create? And where does the EU find new export markets because these examples seem to be about imports to the EU? Or when you mention Brazil and India do you mean they could replace the US as an export market

What do you think the EU should have done around these tariff negotiations? Is it better to not export to the US and then they dont have to agree to anything Trump says?

Im not concerned with Trump and what he thinks and says on Truth or what people say on SM . These tariffs could backfire on the USA because it could make inflation worse but we wont know that until 9-12 months But that will be a US self-inflicted problem created by Trump and these tariffs Im concerned with the economic reality of getting the best deal for South Africa around US tariffs. We face 30% tariffs so if can negotiate 15% tariffs like the EU or Japan that would be great So any country that can negotiate reduced tariff terms is better than the initial tariff terms

Its a good question and its an interesting one but its also very complex and nuanced because US debt is not the "simple " debt we know about. Like when anyone borrows from the IMF its easy to understand because the money is owed to the IMF Here is a good link that breaks down the US debt and how its structured https://www.pgpf.org/article/the-federal-government-has-borrowed-trillions-but-who-owns-all-that-debt/ Most of the US debt is owed to various domestic US institutions " At the end of December 2024, the nation’s gross debt totaled $36 trillion. Of that amount, $29 trillion, or 80 percent, was debt held by the public — representing cash borrowed from domestic and foreign investors. The remaining $7 trillion (20 percent) was intragovernmental debt, which simply records transactions between one part of the federal government and another. Domestic holdings of federal debt have increased notably over the past decade, rising from $7.0 trillion in December 2014 to $20.3 trillion at the end of December 2024. The Federal Reserve, which purchases and sells Treasury securities as a means to influence federal interest rates and the nation’s money supply, is the largest holder of such debt." So if the US " collapses " its greatest debt holders are itself So nothing can happen because the bigger problem would be its own collapse Im not sure if Im explaining it properly But that wouldnt be our concern, we all would be dealing with the massive global economic consequence of an economically failed USA. It would make the Great Depression seem like a picnic

I think Im not explaining my point properly or you not understanding it We must separate the objective and advantages of any country exporting goods to the US and then agreeing to US tariffs from the other aspects of these agreements So for example like the Japanese agreement the EU has agreed to the following https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxpdv5x54ko "It also means EU carmakers will face a 15% US import tax, rather than the 25% global tariff that was introduced in April. But in return the EU is "opening up their countries at zero tariff" to American exports, Trump said. EU steel and aluminium will also continue to face a 50% tariff when sold into the US. For Trump, still feeling the glow from last week's tariffs deal with Japan, the announcement marks another major victory. The EU deal brings with it the expectation of roughly $90bn (£67bn) of tariff revenue for US government coffers – based on last year's trade figures. As part of the agreement the EU will also buy US energy products and arms worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Trump said the EU would boost its investment in the US by $600bn, including American military equipment, and spend $750bn on energy. " Much of this is vague around specifics and you can call it a " bribe " which as I mentioned I wouldnt call it that. And then these other things still have to be negotiated with further supply chains and other contracts This could take years and Trump will be gone in 4 years so who knows if we will ever see " Trump said the EU would boost its investment in the US by $600bn, including American military equipment, and spend $750bn on energy" But tariffs on exports are something that happens almost immediately and is felt almost immediately. There is a massive difference between the EU facing 30% or 15 % So this is also a win for the EU because its primary objective is to continue to export to the US The other alternative to not agreeing to these tariffs is for the EU to find other export markets and ignore the US completely Thats something in South Africa some commentators think is an " obvious " solution to USA tariffs. We should just trade with BRICS or other African countries But obviously thats a solution because we have a trade deficit with BRICS and BRICS countries arent really interested in that changing because it undermines there own domestic economies and most African countries dont have the money to absorb our exports I think you putting much attention on Trumps childish and sensationalized comments around how these agreements are " wins " for him and how he is this incredible negotiator These agreements are fundamentally about one main thing for all the countries cutting deals, they want to export to the US because it benefits there local economies And the likes of China, Japan and the EU have succeeded in that endeavour

Are you just asking what if the amount of debt is so high the likes of the IMF cant provide the money? So if the US collapses how would the $36 trillion get paid back?

No I cant understand why people are getting so emotional about these tariff agreements? Its all about the benefits to be able to export to the USA because the USA has such a strong consumer driven economy China agreed to worse tariffs compared to the EU, China has 30% tariffs The main point is all these countries want to continue to export to the US because they know this benefits there economies Yes Trump is using the strength of the US domestic economy to pressure countries to agree but obviously it still benefits the likes of the EU, China or Japan or they wouldnt agree to these tariffs

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2xylk3d07o The EU had now also cut a tariff deal with the USA, 15% on most EU goods And the EU has committed to certain other trade agreements with the USA Both sides will benefit from this " Trump said the EU would boost its investment in the US by $600bn (£446bn), including American military equipment, and spend $750bn on energy. That investment over the next three years in American liquified natural gas, oil and nuclear fuels would, von der Leyen said, help reduce European reliance on Russian power sources. Some goods will not attract any tariffs, including aircraft and plane parts, certain chemicals and some agricultural products. A separate deal on semiconductors may be announced soon."

Does anyone remember this from 2020, somehow I doubt Trump and Bondi would be laughing at this now

Yes, I agree This deal wont benefit US car manufacturers by definition because imports provide alternatives to local goods And well priced imports now become competitive with locally produced goods But thats the nature of trade around exports and imports, its a balance and really a decision that consumers make Im sure none of us want to live in a country where you cant find any imported goods I buy EU imported cheeses all time, they obviously more expensive but you cant find the same type of cheese around taste in SA like Roquefort, Gorgonzola or UK mature Cheddar

I think I understand what you suggesting but here is better link around where and how the $500 billion from Japan will be invested and it raises legitimate concerns https://www.axios.com/2025/07/24/japan-trade-deal-trump-tariffs I do agree its uncertain and I can understand why anyone would think its a bribe but its also more complex and nuanced than that Firstly $500 billion is a huge amount if it is bribe, thats 14% of Japans GDP in 2024 End of the day Japan seems fine with this agreement and its because they know the benefit of access to the US markets Trump is not the reason the US is such a strong economy, this is an outcome of the decades of US economic growth and the overall success of its free market system But Trump can use this to his advantage and claim " wins " because countries want to export to the US so he can force transactional negotiations like with Japan and tariffs Thats the main point Im making, there was a general sentiment from many commentators that US tariffs wouldnt benefit the US or wouldn't be accepted by US trading partners But we not seeing that and every country that is significant seems to be folding and agreeing to some sort of deal that benefits the US China was suppose to be the best example of " standing up " to the US and Trumps tariffs but even they agreed to 30% tariffs and US exports to China are only 10% https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx0ry7kdk5o

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/22/business/japan-trade-agreement-us Its not really a bribe, thats part of the negotiations in direct investment in the US. But they reached a trade agreement that benefits both countries. Japan will be charged 15% for exports into the USA This definitely benefits Japanese motor exports "The deal will see US importers pay 15% “reciprocal” tariffs on Japanese goods exported to the United States. But importantly for Japan, the 15% rate will also extend to automobiles and car parts - putting it at an advantage over other major vehicle exporters, which have faced a 25% levy on automotive sector exports since April. " Its interesting how Trump has been able to get countries to agree to these types of transactional trade terms and this is because of the strength of the USA economy and its buying power So we shouldnt use words like " vassals" because its about economics and if there were other export markets that could absorb the USA buying power countries would be using them It reminds me of our South Africa trade imbalance with BRICS, we have a trade deficit with BRICS of R230 billion and a trade surplus of R37 billion with the USA And yet now we facing US tariffs people are saying " lets just use BRICS to trade, we dont need the USA" But BRICS isnt buying our goods as much as they selling\dumping goods on us So BRICS is clearly not going to replace the USA as an export market But the main point Im making is no one is being forced to export to the USA, any country can decide who they want to trade or export with. If you can find other export markets then use them and just ignore Trump and his tariffs?

I dont think Trump is personally implicated in under-age sex in the "Epstein Files" , he attended various Epstein parties like hundreds of other people and that doesn't mean everyone who went to one of these parties over the decades did anything wrong. As you mentioned Clinton also attended some of these parties But I do think people he knows and who are considered allies of him are in the files and thats why the DOJ has been flip-flopping on releasing the files It will be an embarrassment to Trumps presidency due to proximity and it will create lots of negative media attention But they clearly trying to create distractions, now its " Obama created the Russian hoax, forget the Epstein Files....we must prosecute Obama !!!" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/gabbard-pushes-report-on-obama-and-russia-probe-as-trump-faces-pressure-over-epstein

Im really enjoying Knights Tale now I have mitigated the initial frustration with the healing mechanics by understanding how to deal with injuries So I now have upgraded the cathedral and hospice to include more knights certain injuries arent a big deal and I can complete a mission even with them the real solution is to be better at combat and how to use Knights and strategy more effectively to avoid unnecessary damage And Im loving the combat and the different ways to use skills Neocore really delivered on this I like the Morality chart and how your decisions influence the direction you follow. Im going Old Faith and Rightfulness, similar to the path I followed in the two King Arthur RTS games

I completed Darkwood after about 45 hours Its one of the best and most exciting horror, survival games I have ever played and Im going to officially make it a " BruceVC must play game " It gets a solid 73/100 on the " BruceVC game rating system " Darkwood has one of the best crafting systems around finding resources I have ever seen, you need crafting to survive but until the last map you are always short of resources so you have to constantly make tough decisions around what to craft and you always exploring to find items Then the overall narrative is very dark, I got a little confused around some parts but then I used some high-level guides for pointers The " surviving each night " is probably the most part terrifying part of the game because you have to prepare your hideout for the the inevitable attacks from enemies but you dont know what types of creatures will attack so nothing is predictable But excellent indie game I am now playing King Arthur : Knights Tale I have played all the previous Neocore King Arthur games and I loved them. I am enjoying it so far, its fun but not fantastic I dont know how I feel about the healing mechanics, it seems limited. You lose vitality and you cant use a knight in a mission while he is healing Anyway I will comment more on this game when I have progressed further, Im only level 4

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/17/africa/africa-eswatini-trump-us-deportees-intl There is such a ridiculous and sensationalized story in our local media at the moment Basically 5 criminals have been sent from the US to Swaziland to be incarcerated, Trump has done this a few times in other countries like El Salvador For those who dont know anything about Swaziland its an absolute Monarchy where the king has 11 wives and lives a lavish lifestyle while most of the country lives in abject poverty But its a sovereign country and obviously the US is paying Swaziland to incarcerate these criminals The funny part is all the South African drama and comments from some people about this "A South African government source told CNN, “There is a feeling that some inside the Trump administration could be using this (the deportation of prisoners to Eswatini) to destabilize South Africa,” given its porous borders and Eswatini’s struggling economy. " Just to be clear, 15% of our prison population is foreigners so thats about 25k people who are in prison for many of the same crimes and we have millions of people in the country illegally but somehow 5 people are going to escape from Swaziland and ......" destabilize our country "

You really depressing me, whats going to happen first? Nuclear holocaust, re-emergence of the medieval Black Plague or Great Depression v.2? Or do you think they will all happen simultaneously

Yes, this entire Epstein scandal and list has become one big confused conspiracy theory with all these different opinions and allegations I hear people suggesting Epstein is still alive because he was a Mossad agent and Trump\DOJ wont release the list because he is controlled by Israel and then people suggesting " if there is no client list what is Maxwell doing in jail " But as you said, Epstein was a well known socialite and he had hundreds of parties and hundreds of people and celebrities attended these parties through the years but that doesnt mean everyone who knew Epstein or who attended the parties committed a crime Epstein and Maxwell were both charged and guilty of sexual exploitation around underage sex and sex trafficking, you dont need a client list for someone to be charged for these crimes https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/jeffrey-epstein-charged-manhattan-federal-court-sex-trafficking-minors " announced that JEFFREY EPSTEIN was arrested Saturday and charged with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. The indictment unsealed today alleges that, between 2002 through 2005, EPSTEIN sexually exploited and abused dozens of underage girls by enticing them to engage in sex acts with him in exchange for money. Epstein allegedly worked with several employees and associates to ensure that he had a steady supply of minor victims to abuse, and paid several of those victims themselves to recruit other underage girls to engage in similar sex acts for money. He committed these offenses in locations including New York, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida. EPSTEIN is expected to be presented in Manhattan federal court this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry B. Pitman. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman. " But Trump and the likes of Bondi made things worse because they keep flip-flopping on the client list and was there a client list and now they saying "there is no relevant client list to release " No wonder conspiracy theorists are having a field day Bondi initially said there was a client list on 21 February https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/07/politics/bondi-epstein-files-client-list-suicide-memo " During a February 21 interview on Fox News, host John Roberts asked whether DOJ would release a “list of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients.” “Will that really happen?” Roberts asked. Bondi responded: “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review. That’s been a directive by President Trump. I’m reviewing that.” In other words, Bondi didn’t commit to releasing such a list, but she affirmatively indicated it existed and that it was in her possession. And the question was specifically about the purported list – not other files related to Epstein. " I think there is a list of names and Trump\DOJ dont want to release them because certain people in Trumps inner circle will be implicated just by association and it will be embarrassing, Im not saying they necessarily guilty of sexual crimes I dont think Trump is a paedophile, I do think he had sex with women at the parties that Epstein arranged But a paedophile is someone who is attracted to pre-pubescent girls Its a very different type of sexual crime to statutory rape

Im about 20 hours into Darkwood and its good fun Its a tough horror survival and its definitely not for the faint hearted You basically have these 3 main map areas and you can only save in your hideout and there is 1 hideout per region. So if you die anywhere you respawn back in your hideout and you lose a percentage of your items in your inventory which you can go back and get Your survival is very dependant on crafting items and upgrading items so you constantly looking for resources And then at night you have to go back to your hideout where you get attacked randomly by about 5-6 different monsters in one night. So you might get attacked by human savages one night, or dogs, or undead banshee creatures and each requires a different strategy to survive the night. I mostly die at night unless its human savages And the map is RNG so when you explore the 3 regions you dont know where specific landmarks are until you find them and then they marked. But the map never tells you where you are unless you at a landmark so you have to use the main screen , like a fallen tree, to navigate Its very hard but exhilarating when you survive a night Overall, a very entertaining horror survival game