The All Things Political Topic - What's Going On...?

[rjshae]

At first I wasn't all that interested in D. Trump's connection with Epstein; after all, you can say similar things about W. Clinton. But DJT is putting so much effort into distracting from Epstein, that I'm starting to wonder if there's more to it. Heh. This thing could backfire. Wouldn't that be fun? Meanwhile:

Johnson sending House home early amid push to force Epstein files vote

and:

House Republicans propose naming Kennedy Center's opera house after Melania Trump

Amusing.

[HoonDing]

[uuuhhii]

doodle card are the best most stupid and most funny part of the story

 

 

[BruceVC]

12 hours ago, rjshae said:

At first I wasn't all that interested in D. Trump's connection with Epstein; after all, you can say similar things about W. Clinton. But DJT is putting so much effort into distracting from Epstein, that I'm starting to wonder if there's more to it. Heh. This thing could backfire. Wouldn't that be fun? Meanwhile:

Johnson sending House home early amid push to force Epstein files vote

and:

House Republicans propose naming Kennedy Center's opera house after Melania Trump

Amusing.

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

 

 

[Lexx]

Trump knows so many pdf files, it's impossible for him to not be involved in this stuff.

[uuuhhii]

usa force japan to pay 550 billion as bribe for low 15 percent tariff

wonder if eu will have to give much bigger bribe

or will they actually be useful and shake off their vassal mindset

[BruceVC]

9 hours ago, uuuhhii said:

usa force japan to pay 550 billion as bribe for low 15 percent tariff

wonder if eu will have to give much bigger bribe

or will they actually be useful and shake off their vassal mindset

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?

 

 

 

 

Edited 11 hours ago by BruceVC

[majestic]

1 hour ago, BruceVC said:

Japan will be charged 15% for exports into the USA

 

edit: also, if anyone really believes Japan or Japanese companies are going to invest a single yen more in the United States than they would have anyway thanks to this agreement, I have this here slightly used bridge to sell you for cheap. It's a great deal. A fantastic deal. The best deal ever. The bigliest biggest deal ever. Don't miss out!

Edited 10 hours ago by majestic

[uuuhhii]

remember the 2 trillion bribe gulf state was suppose to give to usa

anyday now

[majestic]

56 minutes ago, uuuhhii said:

remember the 2 trillion bribe gulf state was suppose to give to usa

anyday now

Comin' in about, uh... two weeks.

[BruceVC]

1 hour ago, majestic said:

 

edit: also, if anyone really believes Japan or Japanese companies are going to invest a single yen more in the United States than they would have anyway thanks to this agreement, I have this here slightly used bridge to sell you for cheap. It's a great deal. A fantastic deal. The best deal ever. The bigliest biggest deal ever. Don't miss out!

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

 

Edited 9 hours ago by BruceVC

[majestic]

8 minutes ago, BruceVC said:

End of the day Japan seems fine with this agreement and its because they know the benefit of access to the US markets

Japanese car company stocks exploded while GM's dropped. Fairly easy to see who "won" the deal.  US car makers aren't going to sell a single car more in Japan while their cars now have an advantage over others, and Japan can really use rice imports at the moment, rice prices are becoming a huge problem for the government. Not that the US is exporting or even producing a whole lot of rice anyway. 

Trump's really a master of negotiation and deal making. His tarrifs are now screwing over GM more than Mazda, Toyota & comapny.

[BruceVC]

14 minutes ago, majestic said:

Japanese car company stocks exploded while GM's dropped. Fairly easy to see who "won" the deal.  US car makers aren't going to sell a single car more in Japan while their cars now have an advantage over others, and Japan can really use rice imports at the moment, rice prices are becoming a huge problem for the government. Not that the US is exporting or even producing a whole lot of rice anyway. 

Trump's really a master of negotiation and deal making. His tarrifs are now screwing over GM more than Mazda, Toyota & comapny.

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 

[BruceVC]

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

 

 

[rjshae]

4 hours ago, majestic said:

Trump's really a master of negotiation and deal making. His tarrifs are now screwing over GM more than Mazda, Toyota & comapny.

I'm starting to view the tariffs as a form of gambling, a tactic that DJT seems to enjoy. They don't really generate significant wealth on the whole, but they can be used as a type of shell game with presumably DJT being the only one who knows where the marker is hidden. The real victim of the tariffs will be the public, through higher prices and more limited good selection.

[Malcador]

Remember Foxconn. 

[rjshae]

2 hours ago, Malcador said:

Remember Foxconn. 

Yeah, but for every Foxconn there are dozens of US businesses that are hurt by Tariffs. It's going to be a two-way street, and in the end it's a gamble how it will all turn out. They also destabilize the market, reducing incentives to invest in the short term, and make the US less competitive.

[Elerond]

8 hours ago, BruceVC said:

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 

US car manufactures don't make their cars fully in US, where Japanese manufactures don't rely on imported parts usually and as Trump had great idea to put higher than 15% tariffs for countries where US manufactures buy their parts than. So end result is peculiar situation where US car manufactures suffer from higher tariffs than Japanese manufactures and when this is combined with fact that US manufactures need pay more their workers than Japanese manufactures, Trump has succeeded to increase price of US manufactured cars more than Japanese manufactured cars. 

US new car sellers are the ones that suffer most of these changes because they need to cut their profits in order to keep people by cars from them.

EDIT: So these trade deal as things are now looks like one that will just increase US trade deficit with Japan and increase amount of taxes that US people pay for their cars.

Edited 23 minutes ago by Elerond