We USers are now officially in a trade war with our border neighbors

Hands up, those who are surprised...

He and his cronies have wanted this for a long time; you just know they have their finances jogged so they profit (short term, at least) no matter what. They sold the base on the idea, screaming how the world treats Holy America unfairly and steals jobs and such, so don't expect much in the way of voter repercussions insofar as the red core goes.

That said, I fully expect another flopped flip (or flipped flop) inside a few weeks... though, if I were any other country, I wouldn't trust America any further than I could spit for a generation at least. Our nation's word officially means less than nothing.

So. Much. Winning!

We knew it was coming: he previously threatened this, then went to whining about how the NAFTA negotiations were so hard, and unfair and croool. So, now it happens. If he wants isolationism, he's going to get it, as half the world won't buy his stuff or sell stuff to him.

I assume that most normal people understand that 'just lie back and take it' is not a negotiation.

frimble3 said:

If he wants isolationism, he's going to get it, as half the world won't buy his stuff or sell stuff to him.

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That always was the unspoken promise behind "America First" - we don't need no rest o' the world, they don't matter. And the regime was always about lining personal pockets, national interests and future generations be damned.

And the people who swallowed the bait will be the ones most hurt, only they'll blame (insert scapegoat).

With winning like this, who needs losing?

Caught tail end of a news report on the Beeb, so not sure if it's the EU or just the UK, but those tariffs are going to be returned, and focused on commodities, where the burden will be falling on states that went for Trump in a big way e.g. orange juice tariffs hitting Florida.

Seems like a brilliant move to bring forth a recession.

Donald's starting to remind me of Cersei. She has schemes, she executes those schemes, she feels good about having done them schemes ... but she doesn't seem to realize/comprehend/take-into-account that other people have schemes as well.

The trade issues are going to continue for a long while. #45 proposed a set of trade policies to China and the two countries are due to meet sometime this week / this weekend. But, of course, prior to the actual meeting, #45 has flip-flopped on the policies again.

talktidy said:

Caught tail end of a news report on the Beeb, so not sure if it's the EU or just the UK, but those tariffs are going to be returned, and focused on commodities, where the burden will be falling on states that went for Trump in a big way e.g. orange juice tariffs hitting Florida.

Seems like a brilliant move to bring forth a recession.

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Yep, that's the EU being symbolic and really obvious about who it's targeting, and for good reason. I heard it's stuff like bourbon and Harleys and peanut butter.

And no, as far as I can tell from the heart of Europe, nobody believes a dang thing that comes out of Trump's mouth. Unfortunately, US integrity is dead.

talktidy said:

Caught tail end of a news report on the Beeb, so not sure if it's the EU or just the UK, but those tariffs are going to be returned, and focused on commodities, where the burden will be falling on states that went for Trump in a big way e.g. orange juice tariffs hitting Florida.

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Atlantic12 said:

Yep, that's the EU being symbolic and really obvious about who it's targeting, and for good reason. I heard it's stuff like bourbon and Harleys and peanut butter.

And no, as far as I can tell from the heart of Europe, nobody believes a dang thing that comes out of Trump's mouth. Unfortunately, US integrity is dead.

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You're right, that's exactly what they're doing https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43300193 "Many of the products the EU has in its sights are specifically chosen to have maximum political effect. Bourbon whiskey is produced in Kentucky, the state of Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. Orange juice is a key export for Florida, a swing state in the US elections."

Trump is a joke over this side of the pond. Paddy Power (Irish bookies/betting shop) are running 4/1 odds on him being impeached in 2018. 6/1 on 2019. I might bet on 2019 - that would be 60 quid off a tenner bet. They're also doing 50/1 odds on France asking for the Statue of Liberty back, and 10/1 odds on "Trump to publicly reference a country that doesn't exist during a 2018 press conference" and 22/1 on "the @POTUS Twitter handle to unfollow @realDonaldTrump by end of 2018"

ETA: on a more serious note, I am very concerned about the USA and sincerely hope that you get rid of cheeto-face quickly and manage to undo all the mess he's made, and make massive amounts of progress tackling all the bigotry and other underlying problems that helped him get elected in the first place. Moving the focus away from Trump, I can see progress in that direction.

Brightdreamer said:

... And the people who swallowed the bait will be the ones most hurt, only they'll blame (insert scapegoat).

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45 supporters that I know personally are 100% convinced that Hillary, Obama, and the evil Democrats are at fault for all of this.

If this little war of yours lasts much longer, expect tourism to hit record lows this summer.

-cb

Trump of course lied in his tweet about the agricultural balance of trade between Canada and the U.S., which has been in the American favour for some time.

People wondered how someone could go bankrupt running a casino. It's becoming apparent how.

Mexico’s retaliatory tariffs target pork legs, apples, grapes and cheeses as well as steel - products from U.S. heartland states that supported Trump in the 2016 election.

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Gonna hit 'em where it hurts.

I guess the lack of workers to pick fruit won't matter any more - nowhere to sell it.

cbenoi1 said:

If this little war of yours lasts much longer, expect tourism to hit record lows this summer.

-cb

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People I know are changing their minds already. Not so much as a political protest, but out of concern as to what might happen next.
Also, right now, the trade war is hitting big manufacturers. How long before we, personally, stop buying stuff from the States? Going over the line for shopping, ordering on-line, etc. Amazon has bases up here, but small sellers on E-Bay and Etsy could be taking a hit, as well.

No more maple syrup for you!
.
.
... and I want my toque back.

Yeah, maple syrup, make do with that Eastern American stuff. Our winters are colder, the syrup is better.
And, forthwith, all Canadian actors and comedians shall be clearly identified as such. (I'd include writers, but most Trump supporters don't strike me as literary fans). But, athletes! All those good Canadian college kids who go down to the States for sports scholarships! Big red leaves on their uniforms!

frimble3 said:

And, forthwith, all Canadian actors and comedians shall be clearly identified as such. (I'd include writers, but most Trump supporters don't strike me as literary fans).

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There's going to be so many of them in my town, you might as well declare LA a colony. (Please? We have legal weed now.)

Can't wait for the Screamin' Cheeto to tell his friends in Hollywood they can't film up in Toronto any longer. 95% of the current schedule would fold overnight.

So, remember when the Brexit vote happened and we all laughed in disbelief at how stupid that was? I have the feeling they're all going "I'm sorry, what were you saying?" right about now.

frimble3 said:

How long before we, personally, stop buying stuff from the States? Going over the line for shopping, ordering on-line, etc.

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With the trade war going on full, our loonie will lose some more steam against the US dollar. First hit this summer: tourism, online shopping. I've been avoiding anything that wasn't ".ca" for some time now, and I'm not alone.

-cb

Jolly-Boo said:

Donald's starting to remind me of Cersei. She has schemes, she executes those schemes, she feels good about having done them schemes ... but she doesn't seem to realize/comprehend/take-into-account that other people have schemes as well.

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regdog said:

Rather appropriate comparison. Both are so caught up in their vainglory need for power,they wrongly believe themselves to be all-seeing and omnipotent, but each lack the foresight to see the big picture. Never realizing their own words, schemes and machinations are working against them. They've made too many enemies, been too obvious, and too arrogant, to see they have sown the seeds of their own fall.

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Sadly I feel like the American public is Tommen in this metaphor....