I'm inclined to think he doesn't. But I don't know. Why create such difficult relationships with next door neighbours? Canada wants to be a friend. I think Trump's a wiley fox -- seems to play things off the cuff and forget prior statements and positions, yet plays a long game and holds his cards. The White House administration is now a train wreck with over two hundred staff sacked and a lack of applicants for the empty positions. In the meantime, Trump is surrounded by staff in damage control, and Republican advisors writing his speeches and trying to coach his behaviour. It is possible that being unpredictable is part of his game. It is possible that he knows the effects on international relations but doesn't care - is only out for number one. He may not understand that we are all one world, and what affects one side has ripple effects everywhere else. And those ripples bounce back.
This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at June 16, 2018 6:34 PM MDT
It is. The phrase, used in that context, is pejorative for racist and narrow-minded. It comes from the tendency of whites with fair complexions to develop red necks and or faces due to florid complexion, rosacea, alcoholism, sunburn, heat stress or anger. One might call it an as yet unacknowledged form of racism - the assumption that anyone with a red neck or face must be a (white supremacist) racist. In the part of the world where I live, such people are usually the geriatric descendants of Scottish free-settler farmers.
This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at June 16, 2018 6:50 PM MDT
Interesting. Redneck throughout Australia means racist, and often also includes the idea of the American word "hillbilly" - goes hand-in-hand with rural isolation and poor education.
I wonder what other meanings the word might have in other places.
Call it whatever you want simple, dark, etc....but it is working. Stock markets up, unemployment is down to 1/2 century ago lows and all time lows for some demographics, GDP growth is higher than it has been in decades, wages increasing and not because the gov passed an minimum wage law. Now if Canada and any other country does not want tariffs then they should feel free to remove theirs and we will definitely follow their lead.
Guess nothing to do but see if it works.long term -when other countries make up retaliatory tariffs.
This post was edited by Kittigate at June 16, 2018 7:09 AM MDT
I think my concern, and I know it's often unwelcome, not taken well and people tell me to mind my own business, is that while in the short term, it may *seem* like there's some measure of improvement, we have to bear in mind three things; 1) the policies that are bringing this lower unemployment were put in place before the orange idiot was elected.. the policies bearing fruit aren't his.. but are being claimed to.. 2) that these so called gains are actually more hype than based on evidence.. for almost every claim of improvement there is a reasoned,and well explained counterpoint that demonstrates all is not what it seems.. 3) that ultimately even tho some Americans have this idea that they are so great that they don't need the rest of the world and they dont need allies the truth is likely to be very different..that's said advisedly.And fwiw some of the allies that are being insulted in the trade war don't have tarriffs anyway.... it's ill advised.. but that's the point - most of what Trump does IS ill-advised.
It's almost never worth saying that the hard truth is that America isn't as great, isn't the all encompassing super-power some seem to believe it is.. it hasn't been that way for a long time.. if it were wrong about that, (and people forget I have no reason to say it) then America wouldn't be so worried about its standing in the world, and its loss of status and influence...and they wouldn't need to make themselves great again... but the point to reflect on.. is HOW can America be great again? Can they do it without the rest of the world? Well no.. you can't be leader of the world if the rest of the world thinks you have a screw-loose running the show, you can't be leaders and expect others to listen if your prez goes around picking fights, alienating world leaders and acting like a rabid loony.. other countries need to respect America to listen to it.. and they won't and don't with Strumpet at the helm.. But that's not the real point I wanted to make.. it was about the fact America cannot function isolated.. it just wouldn't be workable and America can't have that and also expect to be listened to and respected round the world.. SO there are two opposing ideals there.. And like it or not the economy works and grows by the country earning money from exporting their goods, ideas etc. it brings money in.. I am not sure any country can have an economy that works just by circulating its own money...if it could they yay lets all do that.. So you need to be able to export and Strumpet has made it clear he wants to do that.. and again you cant be slapping tariffs and expect others to gleefully accept your exports.. It really isn't as simple as saying you import more than you export, we do too, but the economy and business, and jobs rely on being to export goods.. The trade war isn't cos other countries can't afford your tariffs, its cos they are annoyed with the arrogant behaviour so will retaliate BECAUSE of the needless aggression to allies... it's retaliation, simple.. and it will hurt AMerica not just in terms of exports but also because the rest of the world will increasingly lower respect and influence of America.. I;ve not explained it terribly well because I am in a hurry.. but this isn't a simplistic idea.. imagine if America imports overall more goods than it exports, but that it's the world leader in exporting clothes, or candy or something else.. If other countries punish America for their idiot's decisions and this means American industry like clothing, candy etc collapses with loss of jobs and loss of that money coming into the economy... not to mention that the rest of the world forces America down even further in the world pecking order.. that ultimately would cause harm.. and that's a realistic danger here
No, the jobs etc are not because of Obama's policies. I am in business and I can tell you there is a marked difference between the economy now and under Obama. I just had the biggest year in business ever in 20+ yrs and if everything continues as it appears....this year is gonna blow that one away. As I said the countries can either agree to remove all or we can have our trade war. He who blinks first looses.
Slartibartfast 