Politics

[mdwest]

He always is - and fact not opinion heavy.

Concur...

Shapiro is a right winger.. thats not afraid to call out the right...

Much like Mahr is a left winger unafraid to call out the left

 

[deewayne2003]

Impossible to control given the nature of the border, and the nature of US gun control. Dual citizens buy basically in bulk via 'private sale' at gun shows, cart them up north covered by legitimate business, usually longhaul truckers.

If all US states had what all other first world nations have (and the US has on nearly everything else of significance, from prescription medication to automobiles), a registry to track sales of firearms so that you can identify who purchased and then illegally trafficked the firearms recovered in Canada, the problem would disappear in a fortnight. As long as you can buy untraceable handguns by the dozen at gunshows less than a day's drive from the border, there is not much that legislation in Canada can practically do.

Unless we're drastically going to impede trade and start scrutinizing every single truck going across, it's nigh on impossible. So we have a situation where 90% of guns used in shootings are illegally imported from the US.



How is Canada in any way responsible for people that have broken no Canadian laws, but who then go on to violate US law after an indeterminate amount of time in the country?

(In the example above re: gun trafficking, US federal law is being violated as well.)

And as was noted recently and long before, Canada has higher levels of illegal immigration from the US than the US has from Canada. It's not much different than the trumped up fentanyl "crisis" from Canada.

So what you are saying is that the guns flow north on the same routes the drugs flow south....

This Canadian journalist travels to Mexico and deals with the cartels that are setting up shop in Canada and facilitating the drug labs; she asked the RCMP about what they are doing about the drug labs and they said....

"If there were drug labs here we would know about them."

She then goes on to explain how if there were no drug labs in Canada then how is she able to film them with her Mexican cartel connections.

Again she is a born Canadian that is a professional journalist who travels between Canada & Mexico to report on crime as her profession as an investigative journalist.

 

[LivingTheDream]

As long as you can buy untraceable handguns by the dozen at gunshows less than a day's drive from the border,

You know nothing of American guns laws, so please don't lecture us on what guns laws are.

Unless we're drastically going to impede trade and start scrutinizing every single truck going across, it's nigh on impossible. So we have a situation where 90% of guns used in shootings are illegally imported from the US.

You are literally making my point. Canada isn't protecting its borders from guns being illegally imported. Because it is too hard!

Dual citizens buy basically in bulk via 'private sale' at gun shows, cart them up north covered by legitimate business, usually longhaul truckers.

You are literally describing Canadian citizens breaking US and Canadian laws. I'm not sure what point you are trying to make.

How is Canada in any way responsible for people that have broken no Canadian laws, but who then go on to violate US law after an indeterminate amount of time in the country?

How did they get into your country and why aren't you concerned that you have possibly terrorist in your country.

 

[mdwest]

Agreed, and as he said the tariffs stifle trade and again I don't think most people realize that the new tariffs in general are vary favorable to other countries as it's generally 50%ish of what the other country is collecting.

So I'm still at a loss as to how other nations especially the EU can go on and on about how this is unfair when it's either equal at 10% or 50%ish lower than the other nations are charging the USA...
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listen to the Shapiro link posted on the previous page..

those values being listed as tariffs being charged to the US arent actually tariff values at all.. they are based on a formula that calculates trade deficits, tariffs, and other unrelated items..

He uses Korea as an example where the average tariff is less than 1%.. we have a free trade agreement in place with South Korea..

They come up with a 50% value to assign to SK because the trade deficit is so huge between the two countries.. in a nutshell Americans buy a crap ton load of Korean stuff and Koreans don't buy a lot of American stuff.. and they want it to apply to "tariffs".. (which is wrong)..

Which is the same debate that's gone back and forth with @Tubby’s Canteen .. who cares that Canadians buy more American stuff than Americans buy Canadian stuff? Its a completely different argument and really shouldn't be applied.. its apples to oranges..

Trump is now making the same incorrect argument..

The even worse case Shapiro presented was the "tariff" value placed on Madagascar.. which is largely based on the huge trade deficit we have with Madagascar..

Well no shit.. is anyone actually surprised that we buy more stuff from Madagascar than they buy from us? The average annual wage in Madagascar is $506... they cant afford American made stuff.. but American consumers love Madagascar vanilla, cotton, sugar, coffee, and shellfish.. which are all very affordable.. We're consumers.. and they arent... so we buy a lot of their stuff that we want, and they don't buy a lot of our stuff that they cant afford..

Why is that a bad thing?

And why would that motivate us to put a 43% tariff on the stuff they sell us.. fully knowing they arent buying any of our stuff anyway?


Im all for true "reciprocal" tariffs.. if its fair and reasonable for Country XXXX.. then its fair and reasonable for the US as well.. other countries don't get to protect their industries and then cry when the US protects its industries.. the argument "you're bigger! you have a bigger economy! etc" doesn't fly.. every country on the planet has the opportunity to grow their economies and population any way they see fit.. If your country hasn't managed itself as well, that's a problem created by your country.. its not a problem my country needs to resolve.. If the other country doesn't want to bow to a reciprocal tariff, then they need to come to the table with something else of strategic or economic value to trade..

But these arent "reciprocal" tariffs at all.. they're in many cases actually nonsense..

 

[Tanks]

This has been and will continue to be his playbook. I hope in 4-6 months we look back on this as nothing more than a "wild memory" that turned out well.

As a businessman how is one supposed to make long term plans? Add a 25% contingency cost to everything? One thing people want from their government is stability.

 

[gbflyer]

In case this one hasn’t made it around yet:

 

[gbflyer]

Ford to offer employee pricing for everyone until June 2. How will that affect that profit margin, reckon?

Ford Motor Company will offer employee pricing to all U.S. shoppers | Fox Business

Ford's new initiative, From America, For America, will allow U.S. customers to purchase a vehicle for the same amount as the company's workers.

www.foxbusiness.com

 

[Red Leg]

Agreed, and as he said the tariffs stifle trade and again I don't think most people realize that the new tariffs in general are vary favorable to other countries as it's generally 50%ish of what the other country is collecting.

So I'm still at a loss as to how other nations especially the EU can go on and on about how this is unfair when it's either equal at 10% or 50%ish lower than the other nations are charging the USA...
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Except it is not a reciprocal tariff formula. The Tariffs charged US column also contains some sort of added percent based upon trade imbalance and stuff. Perhaps someone can explain how one addresses a trade imbalance, if you have an economy a quarter the size or smaller than the US - the largest consumer market on the planet.

I mean seriously. Whomever did this was worried about the Falkland Islands?!? It has a population of 3,198 souls - total. They certainly must be the critical economic center of a key US industry that is being pounded by their tariffs.

This is ridiculous. And MAGA world cheers that this will fix inflation and apparently every other economic ill.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

listen to the Shapiro link posted on the previous page..

those values being listed as tariffs being charged to the US arent actually tariff values at all.. they are based on a formula that calculates trade deficits, tariffs, and other unrelated items..

He uses Korea as an example where the average tariff is less than 1%.. we have a free trade agreement in place with South Korea..

They come up with a 50% value to assign to SK because the trade deficit is so huge between the two countries.. in a nutshell Americans buy a crap ton load of Korean stuff and Koreans don't buy a lot of American stuff.. and they want it to apply to "tariffs".. (which is wrong)..

Which is the same debate that's gone back and forth with @Tubby’s Canteen .. who cares that Canadians buy more American stuff than Americans buy Canadian stuff? Its a completely different argument and really shouldn't be applied.. its apples to oranges..

Trump is now making the same incorrect argument..

The even worse case Shapiro presented was the "tariff" value placed on Madagascar.. which is largely based on the huge trade deficit we have with Madagascar..

Well no shit.. is anyone actually surprised that we buy more stuff from Madagascar than they buy from us? The average annual wage in Madagascar is $506... they cant afford American made stuff.. but American consumers love Madagascar vanilla, cotton, sugar, coffee, and shellfish.. which are all very affordable.. We're consumers.. and they arent... so we buy a lot of their stuff that we want, and they don't buy a lot of our stuff that they cant afford..

Why is that a bad thing?

And why would that motivate us to put a 43% tariff on the stuff they sell us.. fully knowing they arent buying any of our stuff anyway?


Im all for true "reciprocal" tariffs.. if its fair and reasonable for Country XXXX.. then its fair and reasonable for the US as well.. other countries don't get to protect their industries and then cry when the US protects its industries.. the argument "you're bigger! you have a bigger economy! etc" doesn't fly.. every country on the planet has the opportunity to grow their economies and population any way they see fit.. If your country hasn't managed itself as well, that's a problem created by your country.. its not a problem my country needs to resolve.. If the other country doesn't want to bow to a reciprocal tariff, then they need to come to the table with something else of strategic or economic value to trade..

But these arent "reciprocal" tariffs at all.. they're in many cases actually nonsense..

You right the whole trade war has nothing to do with fair trade. It’s got everything to do with a New York business man at the head of a large economic power using his position to leverage a larger market share because his economy can afford to bleed longer. Congratulations your president is applying hostile takeover tactics to international diplomacy.

If there was any common sense in the world the finance ministers of the effected countries would band together and negotiate jointly from a position of strength. Wouldn’t that upset trumps little red wagon? u.s. vs the world = the world vs u.s.

 

[Red Leg]

listen to the Shapiro link posted on the previous page..

those values being listed as tariffs being charged to the US arent actually tariff values at all.. they are based on a formula that calculates trade deficits, tariffs, and other unrelated items..

He uses Korea as an example where the average tariff is less than 1%.. we have a free trade agreement in place with South Korea..

They come up with a 50% value to assign to SK because the trade deficit is so huge between the two countries.. in a nutshell Americans buy a crap ton load of Korean stuff and Koreans don't buy a lot of American stuff.. and they want it to apply to "tariffs".. (which is wrong)..

Which is the same debate that's gone back and forth with @Tubby’s Canteen .. who cares that Canadians buy more American stuff than Americans buy Canadian stuff? Its a completely different argument and really shouldn't be applied.. its apples to oranges..

Trump is now making the same incorrect argument..

The even worse case Shapiro presented was the "tariff" value placed on Madagascar.. which is largely based on the huge trade deficit we have with Madagascar..

Well no shit.. is anyone actually surprised that we buy more stuff from Madagascar than they buy from us? The average annual wage in Madagascar is $506... they cant afford American made stuff.. but American consumers love Madagascar vanilla, cotton, sugar, coffee, and shellfish.. which are all very affordable.. We're consumers.. and they arent... so we buy a lot of their stuff that we want, and they don't buy a lot of our stuff that they cant afford..

Why is that a bad thing?

And why would that motivate us to put a 43% tariff on the stuff they sell us.. fully knowing they arent buying any of our stuff anyway?


Im all for true "reciprocal" tariffs.. if its fair and reasonable for Country XXXX.. then its fair and reasonable for the US as well.. other countries don't get to protect their industries and then cry when the US protects its industries.. the argument "you're bigger! you have a bigger economy! etc" doesn't fly.. every country on the planet has the opportunity to grow their economies and population any way they see fit.. If your country hasn't managed itself as well, that's a problem created by your country.. its not a problem my country needs to resolve.. If the other country doesn't want to bow to a reciprocal tariff, then they need to come to the table with something else of strategic or economic value to trade..

But these arent "reciprocal" tariffs at all.. they're in many cases actually nonsense..

Beat me to it.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Ford to offer employee pricing for everyone until June 2. How will that affect that profit margin, reckon?

Ford Motor Company will offer employee pricing to all U.S. shoppers | Fox Business

Ford's new initiative, From America, For America, will allow U.S. customers to purchase a vehicle for the same amount as the company's workers.

www.foxbusiness.com

"Electric vehicle shoppers through Ford's Power Promise will also receive a complimentary home charger and standard installation through June 30."

Hey GB... how do you reckon that'll work for those of us in rural AK?

 

[Red Leg]

Ford to offer employee pricing for everyone until June 2. How will that affect that profit margin, reckon?

Ford Motor Company will offer employee pricing to all U.S. shoppers | Fox Business

Ford's new initiative, From America, For America, will allow U.S. customers to purchase a vehicle for the same amount as the company's workers.

www.foxbusiness.com

Hurt it, and car prices will still go up - judging by this - probably a lot. It is just that Ford will offer their employee discount on those more expensive cars. Something of an understandable bait and switch that looks good in the press.

 

[OxfordTheCat]

A bit of sarcasm here but why did Canada start charging a 5% GST on my guided hunts! Proof Canada started this trade war!

Your outfitter might have charged you with a pricing model of add-on services/packages, instead of an all-inclusive price.

Guided hunts are GST exempt provided that there is actually a service provided (ie, guiding; not just providing transportation, meals, bait, and game dressing). Basically if you incorporate any type of do-it-yourself to the hunt and it's not an all-inclusive package, it's not eligible for the rebate and GST applies.

 

[mdwest]

You right the whole trade war has nothing to do with fair trade. It’s got everything to do with a New York business man at the head of a large economic power using his position to leverage a larger market share because his economy can afford to bleed longer. Congratulations your president is applying hostile takeover tactics to international diplomacy.

If there was any common sense in the world the finance ministers of the effected countries would band together and negotiate jointly from a position of strength. Wouldn’t that upset trumps little red wagon? u.s. vs the world = the world vs u.s.

It actually has quite a bit to do with fair trade (admittedly with Canada and Mexico it is far more involved and also tied to borders, crime, dope, and politicians that genuinely don't like each other as well)..

Ive simply pointed out situations on both sides of the equation where nonsense, lies, mistruths, or mistakes are presented.. whether by intent or by accident..

I don't care if Doug Ford or Trudeau or Trump or Putin or Von De Leyen or Zelensky is the liar du jour of the day... (they all have been).. I don't let emotion get in the way of facts.. Nor do I think any relationship is ever as easy or simple to let me believe only one person (or country) is at fault when things go awry..

 

[Tamboti]

 

[Altitude sickness]

From what I understand the formula the Bessent team used included tariffs, but also less visible or harder to quantify tactics. That keep their markets closed to certain products. Beef for example. Plus others.

“South Korea has some restrictions on importing US agricultural products, including a ban on beef from cattle older than 30 months and specific requirements for processed beef products.

 

[OxfordTheCat]

You know nothing of American guns laws, so please don't lecture us on what guns laws are.

I know more than a fair bit actually, having written software and custom reporting for gun stores in a previous life and profession, so I'm happy to learn: Please point out where I'm in error in thinking that US citizens can show a driver's license and purchase a firearm that isn't in anyway registered or tracked when it's a private sale and not from an FFL, which facilitates the illegal trafficking down the line. Certain states have stricter regulations than others, but I bet you can guess which ones the handguns are coming from.
And I'm not aware that any of the litany of proposed "gun show loophole" type legislation has ever been passed.

You are literally making my point. Canada isn't protecting its borders from guns being illegally imported. Because it is too hard!

And my point was that from a practical standpoint, it's impossible, because of the proliferation of untraceable guns in the US. Short of stopping nearly all cross-border trade, or slowing it down to an absolute fraction of the current volumes, it's not economically feasible or practical.
Classifying it as "hard" is a bit of an understatement. It's like asking why there isn't a catalogue detailing every grain of sand in the Sahara - or similarly difficult, asking the Americans to scrap the 2A. Not ever going to happen.

You are literally describing Canadian citizens breaking US and Canadian laws. I'm not sure what point you are trying to make.

I suppose you would have to read and understand the post to figure that one out. It's a direct reply to your post, and the question you asked.

How did they get into your country and why aren't you concerned that you have possibly terrorist in your country.

By flying to Canada and getting off a plane, clearing Canadian customs, and going about their business? If someone has a US criminal record they're inadmissible to Canada and that information is shared with Canadian law enforcement, but there's no significant information sharing going on at the border services level of either nation: It's not like the guys at Pearson airport are able to look up and see who is on the NSA's or FBI's terrorist watchlist or anything.

For that matter, a fair pile of them probably just drive or walk across the US border, clearing customs along the way. I doubt the US CBP is screening that stuff either.
If you've ever visited Niagara Falls you'll see people just walking across the bridge and clearing customs just for the night. Visitors from other countries, visiting the US side, who then walk across to the Canadian side for the day, and vice versa.

More than 27 million people visited Canada last year. The guys getting off the plane are generally as innocuous as the next guy, and there's zero way of knowing who is on any type of watchlist. It almost always comes out after the fact that some yahoo was on a watchlist a decade or so ago.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

It actually has quite a bit to do with fair trade (admittedly with Canada and Mexico it is far more involved and also tied to borders, crime, dope, and politicians that genuinely don't like each other as well)..

Ive simply pointed out situations on both sides of the equation where nonsense, lies, mistruths, or mistakes are presented.. whether by intent or by accident..

I don't care if Doug Ford or Trudeau or Trump or Putin or Von De Leyen or Zelensky is the liar du jour of the day... (they all have been).. I don't let emotion get in the way of facts.. Nor do I think any relationship is ever as easy or simple to let me believe only one person (or country) is at fault when things go awry..

Yes I imagine penguins have told a great many lies and committed a great many trade injustices. Their probably manufacturing fentanyl and smuggling terrorists as we speak.

 

[mdwest]

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Typical half story meant to stir a shit pot..

The whole story is Canada plant in Windsor Ontario that is building American vehicles will be laying off 4500 employees in the next two weeks (already announced), and the Mexico plant in Toluca will be laying off 2400.. while the US Stellantis plants across 5 different states are temporarily laying off 900 (subject to call back)..

Those Americans however, because of union contracts will not lose any pay for 2 months.. only if the layoffs last longer than that would they feel any financial impact at all.. The Canadian auto workers union Unifor, and the Canadian union contracts do not offer the Canadian employees the same protections (Im unsure of the impact on the Mexicans that are being laid off)..

Which proves the point already made several dozen times in this thread..

Everyone in the US expects some measure of pain.. Far right wing conservatives have zero problem with the negative economic impact that will absolutely result in the short term... those that are more moderate clearly have more apprehension, but are still largely on board..

Because the pain felt by others (in this specific case Canada and Mexico) will be substantially greater and have much longer and enduring negative impact..

Which many conservatives believe will motivate other countries to take action and begin to negotiate quickly.. because the pain will be too great to endure long term..


What is also KEY to note in this is.. both Canada and the US agree that ALL USMCA compliant automobile transactions are NOT impacted by the new US tariffs.. the only transactions subject to the new tariffs are NON COMPLIANT USMCA transactions..

ALSO KEY TO NOTE.. Carney, the Canadian interim PM responded this morning with Canada's own 25% auto industry specific tariff for NON-COMPLIANT USMCA transactions..

So... IF Stellantis was operating in compliance with USMCA, there would be zero impact to them right now.. but because they were not operating in compliance they are being hit by both US and Canadians tariffs today that didn't exist for them yesterday..

 

[HookMeUpII]

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While I feel bad for the workers, Stellantis deserves whatever they get. Ever since naming Tavares the CEO, they've been going downhill. That guy could not have been more out of touch with their consumers if he tried. Chrysler products have been going downhill since he had his hand in that company. Guy even admitted to the fact their vehicles were rolling off the line with an unacceptable amount of issues. Wagoneer and the new Hurricane motor has multiple class action lawsuits.

Shame on them. They kept producing the same vehicles, with the same problematic systems and designs, all while knowing about it.