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Riedquat wrote: ↑Fri May 09, 2025 6:44 pm
You think anyone's actually going to buy that crappy American food though?
If it's cheap enough, of course. Besides, please, it's the UK. They conquered half the world in order to get spices, but never figured out that you need to put these into the food.
I'm really curious how this will work out in reality though. US food will be cheaper, thanks to both economy of scale and US standards being considerably lower then EU/UK-standards. I feel it's inevitable, that local producers will be heavily outcompeted, go out of business and those who don't, will have lowered their standards considerably. This is out and about a bad deal.
Oh and update: Those 100,000 tariff-free cars per year? Only if they're Bentleys, McLarens, LandRovers and Rolls-Royce. No, I am not joking.
"If you get shot up by an A6M Reisen and your plane splits into pieces - does that mean it's divided by Zero?
- xoxSAUERKRAUTxox
McAvoy wrote: ↑Fri May 09, 2025 1:28 am
Trump made a deal today with UK about tarrifs. I am still waiting on analysis of it to see if it was a nothing burger or an actual deal. Whether the UK or the US made out on it.
It's a nothing-burger, largely. Or a bad deal for the UK, depending on your point of view. The corner-stones are:
base 10% tariffs remain
25% tariffs on cars applies only after the first 100,000 cars being exported to the US
aircraft engines are free of tariffs, if exported to the US
UK market being opened up for US agrarian produce
First, well, the base 10% tariff remains, which is bad. Second, the aircraft engine deal was largely made for Boeing's sake, but the UK kinda benefits from it, which is good. Third, the UK exported roughly 101,000 cars to the US in 2022, so... hmpfsht. It kinda caps the amount of potential exports, but frees the regular export from tariffs (except the 10%, of course) so kinda neutral. And fourth... Well... *points and laughs at the largely BrExit-supporting agricultural sector of the UK* Fooked. Properly. Well done. Guess those are going to support Farrage in the next elections (whose presence at the helm wouldn't have made a difference to this "deal", but whatever).
In other news, I started playing "Not Tonight". Can highly recommend. Great soundtrack, thought-inducing (just like "Papers, Please") and kinda topical.
You think anyone's actually going to buy that crappy American food though?
That and also I have been questioning about not just UK but other countries being 'forced' to buy American cars. Trump has stated that the US buys everyone else's but no one buys ours.
Well there are reasons behind that and it doesn't really have to do with quality. Like I have been to Europe many times and I figured it out pretty damned quick. American cars are way too big for the small streets. Certainly American trucks. But here is the kicker, there is only eight sedans being produced by US car manufacturers. Take away, the Ford Mustang, the Charger, the huge Cadillacs, then what else do you have left?
Also this has been discussed here recently where the US citizen really does need a car unless they live deep in one of the major cities. Our public transportation system sucks.
McAvoy wrote: ↑Sat May 10, 2025 12:40 am
That and also I have been questioning about not just UK but other countries being 'forced' to buy American cars. Trump has stated that the US buys everyone else's but no one buys ours.
Well there are reasons behind that and it doesn't really have to do with quality. Like I have been to Europe many times and I figured it out pretty damned quick. American cars are way too big for the small streets. Certainly American trucks. But here is the kicker, there is only eight sedans being produced by US car manufacturers. Take away, the Ford Mustang, the Charger, the huge Cadillacs, then what else do you have left?
Also this has been discussed here recently where the US citizen really does need a car unless they live deep in one of the major cities. Our public transportation system sucks.
The way American companies dealt with that was by setting up European subsidaries that made cars designed for the local market. Until they stopped it the Ford Fiesta was the bestselling car in the UK. Got one myself (and I thought stopping producing it instead of creating an electric version was madness, that would sell very well here).
I'm very much enjoying the Red Hat fallout regarding the new Pope. MAGA started out absolutely ecstatic that it was an American who was chosen (a lot of them were dropping a brick that the choice might be a black man as you can imagine). That lasted about 24-48 hours until it became clear that Pope Leo *shock* has tweeted in the past in support of the poor and immigrants. He heavily criticised Vance for using his Catholicism as an excuse for doing evil shit. And Loopy Laura Loomer has already branded him as ''anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro open borders and a Marxist.''
Basically, Pope Leo as far as I can tell is very much the successor of Pope Francis's good work and he actually understands that the word of God is one of peace and love as opposed to Trump and his supporters. Have you ever noticed how it is always the most un-Christian Christians seem to shout the loudest about what amazing Christians they are?
clearspira wrote: ↑Sat May 10, 2025 7:56 pm
I'm very much enjoying the Red Hat fallout regarding the new Pope. MAGA started out absolutely ecstatic that it was an American who was chosen (a lot of them were dropping a brick that the choice might be a black man as you can imagine). That lasted about 24-48 hours until it became clear that Pope Leo *shock* has tweeted in the past in support of the poor and immigrants. He heavily criticised Vance for using his Catholicism as an excuse for doing evil shit. And Loopy Laura Loomer has already branded him as ''anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro open borders and a Marxist.''
Basically, Pope Leo as far as I can tell is very much the successor of Pope Francis's good work and he actually understands that the word of God is one of peace and love as opposed to Trump and his supporters. Have you ever noticed how it is always the most un-Christian Christians seem to shout the loudest about what amazing Christians they are?
The really funny part is that the stuff they're upset at him for isn't even any kind of progressive position in the Church. They're literally mad that the Pope is a Catholic.
clearspira wrote: ↑Sat May 10, 2025 7:56 pm
I'm very much enjoying the Red Hat fallout regarding the new Pope. MAGA started out absolutely ecstatic that it was an American who was chosen (a lot of them were dropping a brick that the choice might be a black man as you can imagine). That lasted about 24-48 hours until it became clear that Pope Leo *shock* has tweeted in the past in support of the poor and immigrants. He heavily criticised Vance for using his Catholicism as an excuse for doing evil shit. And Loopy Laura Loomer has already branded him as ''anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro open borders and a Marxist.''
Basically, Pope Leo as far as I can tell is very much the successor of Pope Francis's good work and he actually understands that the word of God is one of peace and love as opposed to Trump and his supporters. Have you ever noticed how it is always the most un-Christian Christians seem to shout the loudest about what amazing Christians they are?
The really funny part is that the stuff they're upset at him for isn't even any kind of progressive position in the Church. They're literally mad that the Pope is a Catholic.
I have seen that not only is he 'woke' but then comes up the same arguments between Protestants and Catholics. Sprinkle in Evangelical crap too and it ends up interesting reading.
Honestly, what the Pope does or says matters to me to me little.
