What has Trump done now?

[onetrack]

There's a revealing article in the link below, showing how much Trump has stuffed the American economy with his moronic and chaotic decision-making. What is interesting is the chaos he's creating in shipping, with the container trade about to revert to COVID-19 chaos, whereby empty shipping containers piled up in the wrong ports, and ships sailed with only part cargoes.

 

Coupled with American businesses inability to do any forward planning, while Trump bounces off the walls, and the end result will be nothing surer than goods shortages on American store shelves (which drives up prices), increased prices as a result of tariff impositions, and American ports withering, as cargoes diminish.

 

The thing is, it's not just imports being affected, the Chinese are effectively embargoing American goods and produce, so the number of containers leaving American ports will reduce substantially.

 

Boeing are getting a pile of new aircraft returned, that the Chinese were going to buy, so another kick in the nuts for Americas largest export earner.

It just makes one wonder how much longer Americans will put up with his idiocy, as regards his pathetic economic decision-making, that is going to make life harder for a lot of Americans.

 

https://prospect.org/economy/2025-04-24-permanent-tariff-damage/

[red750]

China has cancelled orders fpr 12,000 metric tonnes of US pork, US soybeans and returned 2 Boeing aircraft.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/u-s-farmers-face-steep-drop-in-china-s-soybean-and-pork-buying/ar-AA1Dz2Zt

 

https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2025/04/21/second-boeing-jet-starts-return-from-china-tracker-shows

[Marty_d]

Making America Broke Again.  Useless prick.

[red750]

[red750]

Vance Announces America, India Finalized ‘Terms of Reference’ For Trade Deal

 

https://conservativebrief.com/vp-vance-announces-90978/?utm_source=CB&utm_medium=573

[rgmwa]

(cartoon by Drew Sheneman)

[old man emu]

I was watching a video of a bloke restoring a Briggs & Stratton engine and he showed a gasket or something similar that he was going to put into the engine. The part was a genuine B&S part, but clearly marked on it, "Made in China". Apart from the problem of tariff damage to parts supply for Americans, it got me wondering just when did Western manufacturers begin moving their production to China.

 

Was it in the 8s when the mantra of Wall Street was 'Greed is Good'? The kicker is at the end.

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

 

This captures the essence of the shift in direction of the USA, but also highlights the dependency of the rest of the world on it.

Edited Saturday at 10:35 AM by Jerry_Atrick

[red750]

https://vt.co/news/world/zelensky-slams-trumps-ukraine-peace-plan-with-four-blistering-words?utm_source=vt&utm_medium=picturepost

[Marty_d]

Poor Ukraine. Having to put up with Trump's stupidity after being invaded by Putin is just adding insult to injury.

[Jerry_Atrick]

This is even more worrying: 

 

[rgmwa]

Trump once told Bob Woodward, “Real power is, I don’t even want to use the word, fear”.

[red750]

Typical ignorant Trump. First, he wore a blue tie to the funeral when a black tie was required. Biden and Zelenskyy also faied in this matter. But when it came to the part of the service where the mourners were requested to offer each other the sign of peace, a handshake, Trump didn't offer a hand till Melania whispered in his ear to do with it. 

 

Trump was placed front and centre, while Prince William was off to one side and a few rows back.

[onetrack]

So much for the much-vaunted U.S. Constitution, with its Bill of Rights, and Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. It leaves Trump and his slavish MAGA adherents with the ability to drive a truck through the loopholes in it.

 

https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C18-8-7-2/ALDE_00001262/

[red750]

Tension between the US and France over the Russian-Ukrainian conflict may have spilled over into Pope Francis' funeral as the French leader appeared to snub Donald Trump.

 

Prior to the mass to honor the pope's life and work, President Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss a peace deal with Russia. 

 

Before their pow-wow, French President Emmanuel Macron stopped by to say hello to Zelensky, grabbing his hand tightly as they exchanged some words. 

 

Trump appeared to reach out to touch Macron's arm before moving it in between the pair as they spoke for what many believed was going to be a handshake. 

 

Only the Frenchman never fully returned the gesture as the pair locked into a terse conversation. 

 

The video does show Macron's hands hovering near Trump's forearm as if he overshot the handshake and pulled back, bringing his other hand up to US leader's elbow. However, the two never locked hands. 

 

Despite what appears to be an awkward moment between the two, many have come to believe the European leader had purposely avoided greeting Trump with the same fondness and professionalism as Zelensky. 

 

However, Macron and Trump were seen grasping hands during the sign of peace at Francis' mass after Melania allegedly told her husband to partake in the Catholic tradition. 

[facthunter]

Zelenskyy had Important things to Discuss with Trump . nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

I would proffer that so did Macron and other world leaders - and it was the same subject.

 

7 hours ago, onetrack said:

So much for the much-vaunted U.S. Constitution, with its Bill of Rights, and Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. It leaves Trump and his slavish MAGA adherents with the ability to drive a truck through the loopholes in it.

 

https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C18-8-7-2/ALDE_00001262/

Thanks OT.. I am taking a break from catching up on some study I have to do.  However, it is pretty clear that the 5th Amendment prohibits denial of liberty without due process and this has been upheld for a lot less than what Chump is currently getting away with. At the moment, a complicity executive (because the president can arbitrarily appoint the executive - a flaw in their system) and congress means the courts are the only check and balance on the other two organs of government. Even though they can appoint a special counsel to prosecute contempt, who would enforce it? As I have always said to my kids, many of the autocratic countries in the world have constitutions that would be aspirational to most democracies, but the propaganda machines and the keys to the military and other executive agencies - and the general culture of the country - determine whether or not the constitution is effective or just a propaganda piece.

 

This article, if accurate is a cause of deep concern: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-27/how-us-voters-feel-about-donald-trump-100-days/105215796

 

Chump's supporters are defending thei continued support basically because he is implementing his promises at breakneck speed. There is no discussion on whether those promises are the right thing to do, or whether the execution of those promises are lawful. We have cases where people who are documented or have lawful abode in the USA being rounded up and. upon a court order not being brought back. Why? And we have many situations where there hasn't been due process, as required by the 5th amendment where the courts have ruled against the government being flagrantly ignored.

 

Also, we have someone saying Grandpa  Joe worked at a glacial pace. Yeah, I agree with that criticism. But in terms of domestic affairs, he managed to turn an incredibly large ship around in a very tight circle of time without causing extra undue duress to his people. Chump is simply wiggling the rudder backwards and forwards, and the bolts holing it on seem to be wobbling loose. Yet, because he is implementing his promises at breakneck speed, all is OK, apparently. Farmers are losing their farms, unemployment is rising, civil unrest is spreading.. flagrant breaches of the law are continuing, and the real economy - not just the stock markets is starting to tank.. But that is OK, as long as he implements his policies at break neck speed, when a more measured approach will probably reach the outcomes, some of which are fair, with less disruption and faster.

 

But worryingly, this is looking more and more like the 1930s. The dangerous rhetoric being whipped up, the governments attempts and controlling academic political discourse. Not only the weakening, but attacks on the judiciary that are upholding the rule of law even when it doesn't meet the government's agenda. A Wisconsin (I think) judge has been arrested so far without representation for abetting an illegal immigrant - whom, after hearing the case said there was none and told the immigrant where the door was. The arbitrary detainment of visitors - allegedly because they may have some messages on their phones criticising Chump. And who on earth would have thought in our lifetime, western European countries would be issuing travel advisories urging care when visiting the USA due to such flagrant violations of human rights because those visitors could be subject to them?

 

Unless someone straightens up this ship, this has the potential to have much longer term negative ramifications than are evident. Of course, the possibility of an outright autocracy is very high as the American people have, and seem happy to allow the executive to gram more and more power than they are allowed to. And why would they want to do that? However, despite America's current economic strength, the volatility that is being introduced and the lack of respect of the rule of law makes conducting business with the USA precarious. And most business people will have consistency, even if they don't give a poop about human rights.. Because without consistency, they can't plan confidently to make profits year on year. If the US$ keeps falling, the international value of the US economy will fall with it, and that may open doors to places like China or Europe, although admittedly the latter has other structural economic and political issues to deal with.

[red750]

[red750]

I received this from a guy I met online through The Shed Online a few years ago, the web-based version of the Men's Shed which no longer exists. He sends me lots of releases from the Sydney Morning Herald. It relates to AUKUS and our involvement that not many know about.

 

https://johnmenadue.com/post/2025/04/aukus-is-more-than-nuclear-submarines-and-thats-a-problem/

 

 

[facthunter]

John Menadue Does "Pearls and Irritations". Nev

[red750]

Yeah, that's what bunyip sends me each week,

[red750]

[facthunter]

The Judges apply the LAWS which exist relative to the CASE being Judged. Vance is in  effect saying He Trump et  al  are beyond any Law.  Dictator stuff and a preposterous suggestion. Tearing up trade agreements unilaterally is of the same  theme.  Nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

1 hour ago, red750 said:

The question is not who, but what.. and the answer is the constitution that they swore to uphold.

 

So, as they swore to uphold the constitution, they gave the justices a right to judge them.

Edited 3 hours ago by Jerry_Atrick

[facthunter]

They Just want to SELECT the Right Judges. The best ones Money can Buy OR "we know where you LIVE".   People are SCARED to go against His wishes. Nev