French Politician Blasts Trump

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

EU is putting tariffs on the US now.

I think Trump understands how tarrifs work and doesn't care. It's just another tax on the consumer aka everyone. Just to fund his tax cuts for the rich.

Also now he is admitting the US will go in a recession. One of his making. I am wondering when the breaking point is for his followers.

Yeah most economists realized quickly that this is more stick and carrot than it is negotiating fair and efficient business between countries.

Going into a recession can be measured, not unlike inflation.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

The fuck are you blathering about?

Back in WWI we were all friends. US, France, and Russia. We couldn't have won if we all didn't work together and it's not very different now.

So you think France is supposed to join the US in stabbing Europe in the back to support Russian aggression... just because?

Yeah probably best not to do anything that supports what Russia is doing

[McAvoy]

EU is putting tariffs on the US now.

I think Trump understands how tarrifs work and doesn't care. It's just another tax on the consumer aka everyone. Just to fund his tax cuts for the rich.

Also now he is admitting the US will go in a recession. One of his making. I am wondering when the breaking point is for his followers.

Yeah most economists realized quickly that this is more stick and carrot than it is negotiating fair and efficient business between countries.

Going into a recession can be measured, not unlike inflation.

Well of course. It's more about the stick than the carrot at this point.

I am curious though how this would affect Europe. Not that well versed in how much American products are sold overseas, and how much of any of them is needed. I say this because I really don't want to see any country that Trump threatens to bend the knee to him.

I want him to take the losses. Yes it would affect me, but sooner the better for him to realize it's not working. Sooner the better that his followers realize it's not working and put pressure on him. Should some countries actually break down and give what he wants this will continue and will not get better.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

EU is putting tariffs on the US now.

I think Trump understands how tarrifs work and doesn't care. It's just another tax on the consumer aka everyone. Just to fund his tax cuts for the rich.

Also now he is admitting the US will go in a recession. One of his making. I am wondering when the breaking point is for his followers.

Yeah most economists realized quickly that this is more stick and carrot than it is negotiating fair and efficient business between countries.

Going into a recession can be measured, not unlike inflation.

Well of course. It's more about the stick than the carrot at this point.

I am curious though how this would affect Europe. Not that well versed in how much American products are sold overseas, and how much of any of them is needed. I say this because I really don't want to see any country that Trump threatens to bend the knee to him.

I want him to take the losses. Yes it would affect me, but sooner the better for him to realize it's not working. Sooner the better that his followers realize it's not working and put pressure on him. Should some countries actually break down and give what he wants this will continue and will not get better.

From the looks of it, American products aren't necessarily dominant at all, but we have more common touch around the world with any given country. Equal parts superpower turnout and our competition friendly state structure.

My guess is it's probably possible for other countries to spite trump collectively on a trade front, but it's either something that will plainly happen or not happen in the near term and not something that would just pick up steam some point down the road.

[McAvoy]

EU is putting tariffs on the US now.

I think Trump understands how tarrifs work and doesn't care. It's just another tax on the consumer aka everyone. Just to fund his tax cuts for the rich.

Also now he is admitting the US will go in a recession. One of his making. I am wondering when the breaking point is for his followers.

Yeah most economists realized quickly that this is more stick and carrot than it is negotiating fair and efficient business between countries.

Going into a recession can be measured, not unlike inflation.

Well of course. It's more about the stick than the carrot at this point.

I am curious though how this would affect Europe. Not that well versed in how much American products are sold overseas, and how much of any of them is needed. I say this because I really don't want to see any country that Trump threatens to bend the knee to him.

I want him to take the losses. Yes it would affect me, but sooner the better for him to realize it's not working. Sooner the better that his followers realize it's not working and put pressure on him. Should some countries actually break down and give what he wants this will continue and will not get better.

From the looks of it, American products aren't necessarily dominant at all, but we have more common touch around the world with any given country. Equal parts superpower turnout and our competition friendly state structure.

My guess is it's probably possible for other countries to spite trump collectively on a trade front, but it's either something that will plainly happen or not happen in the near term and not something that would just pick up steam some point down the road.

My suspicion is that this will be treated short term for at least two years and see if the US can right itself with a string Democrat turnout in 2026. And/or when Trump leaves office in 2028. Then allow the healing to happen.

I have been overseas in other countries and have recognized that American products are not as prevalent as some (MAGA) think it is.

I am just not well versed in the amount that is . Are we talking 5% or 1% or 10% or more of American products bought? So I wonder how much the tariff war would truly affect the EU.

[Riedquat]

On how much American stuff is sold outside the USA, it really depends on how you look at it. Cars are an obvious one. There are very few cars made in America sold in the UK. But there are a lot of cars sold by American-owned companies. A Ford sold in the UK is still a Ford, but it's not an American model nor made there (and is technically produced by a European subsidary AFAIK). If Trump's unhappy with that then he's unhappy with how American companies operate, setting up subsidaries abroad and manufacturing them abroad to designs made to sell for the local market, and meeting those local regulations.

When it comes to technology there are computers running Microsoft OSs, phones running Apple OSs and so on everywhere. There are a lot of American films, TV shows, and music around too. Physical goods actually manufactured in the USA though, pretty uncommon. Drinks are a bit of an exception, Californian wine is common enough. I assume soft drinks like Coke are made more locally though, possibly to a slightly different recipe due to regulatory reasons (still ultimately US owned).

[clearspira]

EU is putting tariffs on the US now.

I think Trump understands how tarrifs work and doesn't care. It's just another tax on the consumer aka everyone. Just to fund his tax cuts for the rich.

Also now he is admitting the US will go in a recession. One of his making. I am wondering when the breaking point is for his followers.

Yeah most economists realized quickly that this is more stick and carrot than it is negotiating fair and efficient business between countries.

Going into a recession can be measured, not unlike inflation.

Well of course. It's more about the stick than the carrot at this point.

I am curious though how this would affect Europe. Not that well versed in how much American products are sold overseas, and how much of any of them is needed. I say this because I really don't want to see any country that Trump threatens to bend the knee to him.

I want him to take the losses. Yes it would affect me, but sooner the better for him to realize it's not working. Sooner the better that his followers realize it's not working and put pressure on him. Should some countries actually break down and give what he wants this will continue and will not get better.

From the looks of it, American products aren't necessarily dominant at all, but we have more common touch around the world with any given country. Equal parts superpower turnout and our competition friendly state structure.

My guess is it's probably possible for other countries to spite trump collectively on a trade front, but it's either something that will plainly happen or not happen in the near term and not something that would just pick up steam some point down the road.

My suspicion is that this will be treated short term for at least two years and see if the US can right itself with a string Democrat turnout in 2026. And/or when Trump leaves office in 2028. Then allow the healing to happen.

I have been overseas in other countries and have recognized that American products are not as prevalent as some (MAGA) think it is.

I am just not well versed in the amount that is . Are we talking 5% or 1% or 10% or more of American products bought? So I wonder how much the tariff war would truly affect the EU.

I mean... it kind of depends on what is meant by an American product. As mentioned above, our Ford cars are not your Ford cars - our roads are too small to take them even if we wanted them. We have McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Hollywood films etc. but that is everywhere.

But a lot of your stuff we would not, and a lot of the times, cannot touch due to the law. Chlorinated chicken, those white eggs that you eat, growth-hormone enriched beef, sweets/candy full of banned additives and colours, bread with the consistency of cake. Have you ever watched one of those videos that compares the ingredients lists between an American and a European product of the same name? I do not say this to be insulting that is not my aim at all, rather to note just how different our food standards and tastes are.

As for healing, ''forgive not forget'' applies here imo. US hegemony AKA Pax Americana has been damaged beyond repair. Maybe i'm wrong but I find it hard to believe that a lot of ''America saves the world'' Hollywood films and games are going to take off quite like they used to. We already used to roll our eyes at how overt some of it was (Spider-Man 3 where Peter jumps in front of the Stars and Stripes to rousing music made my cinema laugh - no joke, true story). I know for a fact that sales in China have fallen way below what they used to be.

We actually got a taster of this in the run up to Captain America Brave New World where Anthony Mackie was caught in interviews trying to downplay the name of Captain America.

[McAvoy]

On how much American stuff is sold outside the USA, it really depends on how you look at it. Cars are an obvious one. There are very few cars made in America sold in the UK. But there are a lot of cars sold by American-owned companies. A Ford sold in the UK is still a Ford, but it's not an American model nor made there (and is technically produced by a European subsidary AFAIK). If Trump's unhappy with that then he's unhappy with how American companies operate, setting up subsidaries abroad and manufacturing them abroad to designs made to sell for the local market, and meeting those local regulations.

When it comes to technology there are computers running Microsoft OSs, phones running Apple OSs and so on everywhere. There are a lot of American films, TV shows, and music around too. Physical goods actually manufactured in the USA though, pretty uncommon. Drinks are a bit of an exception, Californian wine is common enough. I assume soft drinks like Coke are made more locally though, possibly to a slightly different recipe due to regulatory reasons (still ultimately US owned).

When I was in the Navy we would resupply from local countries. When it came to soda, we would get American coke, American Pepsi products. But when we passed through the Suez Canal the sodas shifted to local Middle Eastern made versions of the same sodas. We even had a derogatory term for them. Dirka Coka, Dirka Dew etc. They had the old school pull tabs. They also tasted very different. The Middle Eastern Coke for example resembled more like Pepsi. Pepsi was undrinkable. Mountain Dew tasted like something like someone was told to recreate the soda without tasting it.

Let's just say that when American sodas found themselves back into vending machines on the ship and word passed through the ship. Those machines were empty within the hour. Especially Mountain Dew. The one time Root Beer appeared in the machines it was like a bunch of piranhas attacking a wounded cow.

It was the same for potato chips, but the tate wasn't that much different.

I have been to other countries and I did notice much more local (as far I can tell at least) options. So the way I look at it, I doubt EU would be that affected from a lack of American food products if not at all.

I have heard about the differences between what is legal in the US over what is not in the EU.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

The one time Root Beer appeared in the machines it was like a bunch of piranhas attacking a wounded cow.

For some reason I'm just curious the event that this metaphor was personifying, if you'd please? Did it just have a relentless little red light next to the button despite sporadic restocking?

[McAvoy]

The one time Root Beer appeared in the machines it was like a bunch of piranhas attacking a wounded cow.

For some reason I'm just curious the event that this metaphor was personifying, if you'd please? Did it just have a relentless little red light next to the button despite sporadic restocking?

Basically for months the ship had the Middle Eastern sodas. One day root beer showed up in the vending machines (oh they were fifty cents each back then), word passed through the ship that there was root beer. Everyone was going down to the vending machine room and buying all the root beer they could hold.