As with George W Bush before him - manufacturing dissent against Saddam Hussein's rule with his Iraqi 'Weapons of mass destruction' to justify extreme action, so too Trump has now embarked on a similar escapade...

Similar... but not identical.

Now the targets of dissent, Canada and Mexico, are in on the pantomime with the US to manufacture a reason for extreme actions under the cover of which all three can attempt to achieve an economic reset.

An economic reset, made imperative by the pandemic's exposure of immediate existential threats to all countries over-reliant on international imports for even the most basic necessities like food, let alone on medical supplies to maintain a defense against a future pandemic.

Bobby. wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2025 at 7:22am:

Sure... and American citizens and companies have been producing and supplying synthetic opiates for years... That is what created the opioid crisis in the US in the first place, and the reason why codeine in Australia is now a Schedule 4 drug.

The US should strive for greater self-sufficiency, but is a recession really the best way to achieve it?

Given Trump’s track record, especially while in office, his follow-through rarely extends beyond executive orders. His latest economic playbook is no different. Instead of laying the groundwork to strengthen local manufacturing before implementing tariffs, he’s gone straight for the blunt-force option: tariffs first, no real industrial strategy to support them.

The result?

Economic pain for ordinary Americans, with little to no gain, particularly in the short term.

And yet, you actually trust that Trump has some grander plan? Have you even looked into Project 2025 and what it outlines regarding government support for local industry?

Spoiler: it doesn’t prioritise subsidising or supporting local manufacturing at all. Instead, it’s a blueprint for slashing government involvement in the economy, cutting subsidies, and dismantling programs that support domestic industries.

Put simply, more incentive for the free-market to continue to prioritise profit over jobs, moving more things offshore and with the tariffs raising the prices their international competitors have to charge, they'll just raise their prices to match for more profit.

That leaves Trump with one economic lever: tariffs. No strategy, no investment, just economic disruption under the delusion that manufacturing will magically return. This isn’t leadership, it’s reckless economic vandalism.

And yet, you’re all cheering for him.

SadKangaroo wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2025 at 11:34am:

Well, Keating said it first for Australia- the recession we had to have...

Maybe he was right... and we haven't had one since.

SadKangaroo wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2025 at 11:34am:



meh

america will be successful if the people are optomistic and free.

that translates to a president with extreme self belief and an end to over regulation.

trump, musk , doge are all steps in the right direction.

lets not forget that the size of government is an anchor around the economy

and with 95 % of washington voting democrat, its pretty obvious they think trump is going to take the blowtorch to them

that can only unleash entrepreneurial spirit and the mighty engine of small business, tech and entrepreneurs.

america succeeds or fails based on the enterprise of these people.

trump is the perfect catalyst for diminishing government

and elon is the perfect catalyst for unleashing entrepreneurial activity.


the fact trinkets on temu are going to cost 10 % more is of significance only to those stuck in consumer culture (the takers),   trump is about helping the creators, the lifters, the risk takers and job creators.

and remember the equation

success =  competancy X  self belief

trump isnt that competant but he makes up for it in self belief

and thats what the USA needs

self belief

self love

patriotism

an end to self attack and white guilt which erode self belief 

Trump's decrees, including tariffs, (in association with Canada, Mexico and China), are the equivalent of an Australian state/federal public service staff restructure - designed to be disruptive, and from which the most common outcome is the guarantee of more to come.

Canada and Mexico should know better than to try and screw over their fellow North Americans
But hey, they played the Lefty game and now it's biting them in the arse, just like it is for all Lefties from Argentina to Australia.

MeisterEckhart wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2025 at 2:04pm:


Sure, but the difference here is Americans will get tariffs for four years, they'll pay a fortune for nothing, and the next administration will be forced to pick up the pieces.