Politics

[wesheltonj]

Unfortunately, the world's largest economy is currently being governed by some pretty bunglers. And they are being advised by economists the world has never heard of, who want to push through a completely abstruse customs policy with completely abstruse theories. The architect of US customs policy, Peter Navarro, has never played any professional role whatsoever. Nobody knew this man. And now he is coming up with crazy customs theories.

To think that you can help American industrial workers by completely dismantling the world trading system and imposing tariffs is sheer nonsense. It doesn't work. Everyone has tried to explain that to Trump. He doesn't understand it.

I would suggest that you ask the Bank of England of Mr. Bessent is some bungler.

And by the way, Navarro has a Ph.D from Harvard in Economics. I supposed if you are a fan of Paul Krugman, who has never been right about anything, you might find Dr. Navarro's plan foreign.

 

[Brent in Az]

Unfortunately, the world's largest economy is currently being governed by some pretty bunglers. And they are being advised by economists the world has never heard of, who want to push through a completely abstruse customs policy with completely abstruse theories. The architect of US customs policy, Peter Navarro, has never played any professional role whatsoever. Nobody knew this man. And now he is coming up with crazy customs theories.

To think that you can help American industrial workers by completely dismantling the world trading system and imposing tariffs is sheer nonsense. It doesn't work. Everyone has tried to explain that to Trump. He doesn't understand it.

So .....are you a world class economist, or just regurgitate what you hear on the biased media platforms?

 

[deewayne2003]

One of the things most interesting about the tariffs is…

No one seems to care about Ukraine anymore..

No one is clamoring to see the Epstein client list…

No one is talking about the process underway to dismantle the Dept of Education..

No one is raising hell about the most recent DOGE cut..

No one is talking about the NATO 2% issue…

The American people love chasing the most recent and shiney object..

If tariffs become to hot of a topic, I feel certain DC will roll out another new highly controversial objective for us all to focus on.. while they continue to work the tariffs in the background…

Amen to that, the man that ended Covid was Putin.... Once he invaded Ukraine all the leftist stopped shopping for face diapers and focused on yellow and blue garments.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Amen to that, the man that ended Covid was Putin.... Once he invaded Ukraine all the leftist stopped shopping for face diapers and focused on yellow and blue garments.

The same professional protesters switched to the keffiyeh. A much more hip look. And makes them much more attractive.

 

[Tanks]

Trump has put tariff exemptions on cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices.

What hasn't he put exemptions or holds on?

I hope his eyelids are not sore from blinking so much. I am overseas right now. I was having dinner with a couple of people that were saying the tariffs on China were going to greatly hurt the US economy. My response was wait; it will change. I never realized it was going to be so fast.

 

[Royal27]

What many are too obtuse to realize on Chinese tariffs (and especially electronics) is that they have already begun to work. Manufacturing in no small amount is, has been, and will continue to ne moved out of China to other friendlier countries. It will certainly take time but it is happening. It is far from being as simple as "Trump blinked and China won."

The uncertainty Trump has created around China has had the intended impact. I have no issue with anyone arguing that the intended impact is wrong, just recognize the impact.

Fascinating how that is regularly forgotten.

 

[Pheroze]

Here's a Canadian explanation of what happened to the markets last week. Many of you will not like the message, and will attack the messenger, as usual. I think it is a worthwhile read. https://open.substack.com/pub/deanb...adas-quiet?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Did the government buy up all those since his election to replace Trudeau, or while he was consulting for the last five or so years? I doubt Canada was able to amass the leverage in the last three weeks. This looks a lot more like someone who was hedging while destroying the Canadian economy than a brilliant chess player. It is consistent with the moves Brookfield took to escape the Canadian disaster Trudeau inflicted on us. He rightly saw the US as a much more stable economy. Now, presented with the current challenge , I do not doubt the pressure tactic was developed in conjunction with the other countries. But this piece reads more like an ad for his election platform than a reflective analysis viewed in light of his failures over the last five years or so. He is a classic example of the Canadian career bureaucrat, who rises up through institutions to claim crowns. He is smart and manipulative enough to develop a strategy to trip up Trump, but not competent enough to actually be innovative.

He will get elected on the 28th because Canadians can’t see a future that doesn’t look like their past. We will be doomed to this heavy “Ottawa knows best” centralization, unless you live in Quebec, that started with Trudeau Senior and has been followed in one form or another by every Prime Minister since. It will be a lost opportunity for meaningful revitalization of this amazing country.

Once we play this brilliant plan what next? Nothing. We will continue to be dependant on their economy because over the last ten years the Liberals made us so tragically dysfunctional that it will take a generation to change things. Ultimately we are going to do whatever Trump needs us to. We are going to elect a government that will continue to do a shell game to avoid the necessary foundational adjustments needed to allow the Canadian PEOPLE to grow the Canadian economy. Carney will deftly manipulate our economy to make things look good and Canadians will stand in line for healthcare or MAID praising themselves that they aren’t American.

I am so saddened by what I am seeing with this election.

 

[LivingTheDream]

I would suggest that you ask the Bank of England of Mr. Bessent is some bungler

This is the best comment I have read on the internet in a long time. Well done.

 

[ActionBob]

At 62 I still work 2 x 90 hour weeks at an offshore oilrig.. Growing up working from early on..then the military with officer training etc. As long as one is in good health it is perfectly possible to work hard beyond 60..

Think maybe those two things might go together

 

[Brent in Az]

What hasn't he put exemptions or holds on?

I hope his eyelids are not sore from blinking so much. I am overseas right now. I was having dinner with a couple of people that were saying the tariffs on China were going to greatly hurt the US economy. My response was wait; it will change. I never realized it was going to be so fast.

Trump could shit gold bars directly into your portfolio, and you would still be unhappy with the man.

 

[deewayne2003]

Colorado has just passed a law requiring residents to complete a state safety course and background check in order to by semi automatic firearms with detachable magazines.....

 

[Brent in Az]

I bet California or New York are on the top of that list

 

[Wheels]

Unfortunately, the world's largest economy is currently being governed by some pretty bunglers. And they are being advised by economists the world has never heard of, who want to push through a completely abstruse customs policy with completely abstruse theories. The architect of US customs policy, Peter Navarro, has never played any professional role whatsoever. Nobody knew this man. And now he is coming up with crazy customs theories.

To think that you can help American industrial workers by completely dismantling the world trading system and imposing tariffs is sheer nonsense. It doesn't work. Everyone has tried to explain that to Trump. He doesn't understand it.

I couldn't disagree with this statement more.

Bessent is by far the most intelligent and competent Treasury Secretary America has had in my lifetime. Lutnick isn't far behind in Commerce. Navarro worked with Lighthizer and negotiated tariffs in the first Trump Administration. They are making these decisions themselves. If they are talking to people, those people are ones they have worked with for decades and trust. The Paul Krugman's types that got America into this mess wouldn't be considered for a janitors position at Treasury today.

In regards to helping American industrial workers. America is still the number two manufacturer in the world. Evidently America has $5T of investments committed by companies and countries so far this quarter. It won't turn around overnight but it is a great start.

Will this all work out. I don't know but what America has been doing for the past 40 years certainly wasn't working. Trump has talked about the trade imbalance and tariffs for over 30 years. Trade was probably the number two plank in the platform that won him the election. I doubt Trump could have found a better individual than Bessent to implement his plan.

 

[ActionBob]

I bet California or New York are on the top of that list
View attachment 678339

And I'd be surprised if the 3rd (and 4th) wasn't Minnesota and/or Illinois.

 

[ActionBob]

Gunsmithing pays absolute crap and to be truly competent requires 35 years of experience. Allow me to explain: Five years on the job and you've mastered your craft. Lets say you hop in a time machine and visit 1930 London and walk into Purdey. You'll see a master stocker, master checkerer, master engraver, master barrel mechanic, master lock maker, master action filer, master ejector builder, master blacker/browner/bluer.

To be able to competently restore a best gun today you need 8x the mastery of the original maker. You're expected to be able to do master level craftsmanship across 8-10 disciplines whereas the original maker had no such equivelant expectation.

If you can achieve that level of skill and you have a million dollars of tools, equipment, and workshop, you can charge $150 per hour for your work.

Or you can graduate high school and take a paid apprenticeship at 18 years old and by 21-24 years old you're making $150 an hour.

Becoming a professional gunsmith is a financially ruinous decision.

We just visited Rigby and the Holland and Holland factory.

I've met some of the gun smiths you may be referring to... Wouldn't let them fix a Daisy bb gun. I doubt they'd be real successful at any other job either.

However the Craftsmen we met and observed working seemed to have very high job satisfaction and many had been at pushing 40 years. Yet both shops also had many younger people with under 7 years in.

H&H has a basement full of both old school and high tech machines. But where the magic happens is mostly self made hand tools. In fact an apprentice starts by making his (or her, many women doing this work also) own tools. Even the turn screws (screwdrivers) are hand made at H&H. Then they make screws, which are all hand made. I heard zero complaints about pay.

And then there is our friend J.J.Perodeau. The gunsmith at Gordy's, etc.

 

[ActionBob]

Perhaps sooner than later AI and robotics will replace the fine gunsmiths and gunmakers that are retiring and/or have gone on to the Happy Hunting ground. Perhaps a Royal Double Rifle from Holland & Holland or the finest Hartmann & Weiss bolt action made by these methods at significantly less cost?

No evidence of Holland and Holland going that way. They have some reasonably high teck machines run by very talented and skilled operators. Yet the final work on a Royal and including boring some of ybe holes in the action is still done by hand. It boggles the mind how they cut a perfect hole into that block of steel with a chisel, hammer, and a file. Heck they still have a drill run by a foot treddle

We heard a story of the Berretta people wanting to know how such precision holes could be cut so perfectly every time. The Craftsman shrugged his shoulders, grabbed an unfinished action and drilled that hole by eyeballing it and tossed it to the executive

Fascinating people in that shop

 

[ActionBob]

I should add that i have a new understanding of why a Holland and Holland Royal costs almost a quarter million USD

 

[BJH65]

I should add that i have a new understanding of why a Holland and Holland Royal costs almost a quarter million USD

Yes you do and congratulations!!

 

[Brent in Az]

And I'd be surprised if the 3rd (and 4th) wasn't Minnesota and/or Illinois.

I wouldn't doubt that in the least

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Anyone else in Canada having issues getting your voter card? They were supposed to be out by the eleventh and I didn’t receive mine or fathers same story with all of my neighbours. Called 45 minutes on hold to get told to call back Monday.