Does Trump think there is some kind of advantage to alginate his allies nations?

He’s a multi billionaire, doesn’t bother him one bit. Not like he will suffer much if the economy tanks.

The Rep/cons screamed oh the inflation, now Trump will spike it again with these tariffs, just watch how food, and fuel rise with his orangeship at the wheel.

He IS a Russian asset. Try to imagine, if you were Putin, and you could have an asset become POTUS, what would you have them do?

How about, abandon NATO?

How about, alienate all their allies?

How about, tank the US economy?

How about, install a more intelligent Russian asset, as the Secretary of Intelligence?

How about, fire all the competent high-ranking generals and admirals in the US military, and replace them with fools and people loyal to your asset above all else?

How about, hand out top secret US military documents?

How about, make a laughing stock of the USA?

How about, abandon Ukraine?

Can you even think of things Putin would like more than what Trump has done?

Who else benefits from any of that nonsense?

Great point, thanks.

@Zaku, that fits logically, but what’s the advantage to Trump? He doesn’t do anything unless there’s something (a lot) in it for him. What does he stand to gain if Putin gets major leverage against the U.S.?

@SQUEEKY2, diid you mean alienate?

@Jeruba yeah I did and before I realized the mistake it was to late to correct it.

He’s a Nationalist. Foreign Nations are not US “allies” in his eyes and the he doesn’t care if the tariffs hurt US businesses as long as they hurt foreign business more.

He’s just anti-state in general. The corporatocracy he and his allies hope will ascend, requires the destruction of the old world order. Move fast, break things, sell them a shitty replacement with your face on it.

What the Don Father fails to understand is exporting countries, or companies do not pay the tariffs the importing company does and they pass that extra cost to the consumer, this next round of inflation will be totally on the Trump administration,so much for the promise of bringing the cost of food and fuel down.

Trump doesn’t believe in forming allies in the true sense of the word. For him it only matters if it works in his favor. He will cut you faster than a blade slicing through silk.

He thrives on creating chaos. Because when things are unpredictable and chaotic, it is an opening for thieves and evil-doers.

He deliberately creates situations where he can come out ahead. Not the US – but Trump the man and his huge ego.

Well, let’s consider the current situation. We are the punching bag for the world. We lose on trade agreements with every single nation we do trade with. And it isn’t by a little. We have asked some nations for help or favors and they act like we are being unreasonable. Take Canada and Mexico allowing illegals to enter their country on their way to ours. Ask them to help minimize that and they balk. Not only do they get lots of money in trade agreements but they want to screw us other ways as well. So he threatens tariffs on all the products coming into this country from theirs to help offset the extra cost their reticence is creating. The leaders of those countries are now facing a choice: either help us with that which we need help with (which is well within their power) or they can take a huge hit to their economy as they lose a huge trade market that is very close to them or they pay extra to continue to use it.

These countries can look for other trade partners but then they have a huge increase in shipping costs to go on top of the the tariffs those other nations would charge them. Oops. But hey, they can go that route if they like.

Another consideration is why countries like Canada or Mexico want to allow illegals into their country so they can send them to the US? They know these folks don’t meet the immigration criteria into the USA, so why are they purposely trying to antagonize the USA?

BTW, I’m not sure of your use of the word “alginate” which is a salt of alginic acid which can be used as a thickening or gelling agent. I get that you might think it sounds intelligent but misses by a bit.

He is aware of our buying power and uses it to our advantage. You can spin it emotionally or politically but he’s out to get Americans back on top, and as he told your PM if you survive by screwing us, you should make alternative plans.

@KNOWITALL what does “back on top” mean?

I hear it from a lot of republicans – it’s sort of a MAGA-like slogan, which sounds good but really has no meaning at aall.

I would like to see American on top of the world for health care, standard of living, educational levels, and quality of life.

What does ‘being on top’ mean to Trump? Or you, for that matter?

With definition, these are empty slogans.

@Jeruba It’s been an ongoing question since 2016. I don’t think I’m in a position to know all of it, but the parts I can see include:

* Russia caused Trump to barely win both elections and not only does Trump know this and so value to massive impact of Russia’s many opinion-shaping intelligence operations, and so want to keep that benefit, he also knows it could be turned against him, AND that Putin could explain it publicly, which would likely undo Trump’s political position in the US.

* Russia probably has other major kompromat/blackmail material on Trump. (Some people tend to dismiss that because of how shameless Trump has been about his sexual assault and infidelity, and his supporters haven’t seemed to care, but I think if it extended to graphic undeniable evidence of pedophilia, sexual violence, homosexuality, murder, etc., that might matter.)

* Putin also seems like the sort of person who has skills Trump wishes he had himself, including skills well suited to playing Trump like a fiddle

* Putin isn’t just head of state, he’s also former KGB, and is also essentially the head of the Russian mafia.

* And, both Russian covert ops and Russian mafia assassinate people, and Trump has talked with them many times over the years, and is a self-serving coward, so I would expect Trump to be afraid of them and want to stay on their good side for that reason.

* Russia is a potential safe harbor for if/when Trump finally finds himself about to be thrown in prison.

* Trump had at least $100 million in declared income from Russians in the period 2008 to 2013. I expect there is even more financial/business assistance from the Russian mafia, and/or other transactions that the Russians have intelligence about that they could reveal that helps Trump want to do what they want.

@SQUEEKY2 You can flag your own question and ask the mods to let you correct the spelling error.

@janbb In my past experience with editing my posts, it has taken the mods up to 24 hours to repost after I edited. By that time, the question would be buried way down in people’s feeds and get few more responses.

I haven’t heard a thing about these illegals flooding south from Canada, and Wulfie you do know it isn’t the exporting country or company paying these tariffs, it’s the importing company(American ) I know shock and they pass it to the consumer,I know it makes those imported goods less attractive .BUT it is the everyday American that is going to pay for it.
And you assume different trading partners would automatically put tariffs on these goods.
Do you have any idea the food the us imports from Mexico?
And 60% of imported oil comes from CANADA,look how inflation spiked when Putins oil was sanctioned see if how well it does if Canada’s oil is pulled.
Trump keeps crying the us is getting screwed by it’s trading partners, I think it’s more the other way round.

@elbanditoroso In this context, he’s threatening tariffs for political concessions that benefit Americans. With Mexico and Canada, it was/is about border issues. You know human trafficking, fent, guns, etc.. all documented and acknowledged by the ministers.
Also I don’t believe it will come to that, as Canada would definately go into recession. The Finance Minister resigned in a dispute with Trudeau recently. Its interesting.

Migrants do come across the border from Canada (through Canada from other nations), although way less than from our southern border.

Here’s an article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/illegal-migration-canada-united-states-1.7320623

@KNOWITALL I’d be surprised if Trudeau doesn’t resign very soon. I was reading about him in the NY Times and it seems that he’s not doing well, politically.

Trump is disturbingly insecure, for a man in his position of generational wealth and now power.

Often insecure people believe that coming off as ruthless and powerful, will fill some hole in them.

In Trump’s first term, he managed to force the globe to waot him out, instead of working with him.
He was publicly mocked, in most foreign nations, and obviously in America as well.

By preemptively attacking so many nations economically, Trump will force his way onto the world stage.
The infamous picture of him smiling, whilst our allies frantically tried to talk sensibly to him, is what he’s aiming for again. A clear illustration of his “power,” as the world clamors and begs at his feet.

No different from a new kid trying to establish dominance by acting tough, Trump is a coward.
He’s (as usual) talked himself underwater, and surely hoping that his words alone will make leaders try to come to him.

It’s a really fucked up game, that a narcissistic idiot needs to aid in his sickness. Unfortunately, he was elected to represent over 300 million Americans, and our allies, and he views this responsibility as a game where he’s playing with house money.

Trump obviously has used bankruptcy as his main tool in the past. It would be reasonable to assume that Trump could completely bankrupt the country, in efforts to set his family and friends up with more wealth. Only to leave his poor sheep, holding his bill…..

@SQUEEKY2 Yep, it is indeed those that import the products that pay for the tariffs. So let’s think about that for a moment. If we are importing something from Canada and there is suddenly a tax of 25% on it, that means the cost in this country would suddenly go up, right? But this country has a lot of options to buy things…consumers are not forced to buy the Canadian version of a product. People will buy the cheaper version or will decide it wasn’t truly necessary to begin with. So Canada has to either lower their prices and lose money or they decide to go somewhere else to sell their product. And that puts it back into the extra shipping costs and dealing with the tariffs of the other countries. You say Canada gives us 60% of our foreign oil. Cool. What are you going to do with it if the US starts producing their own or goes to another country to get their oil? Who are you going to sell it to? And if you can’t sell it, how is that going to hit your own economy?

As for your lack of knowledge of the increase in illegals coming to the US from Canada, all I can say is “Why am I not surprised?”

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/illegal-migration-canada-united-states-1.7320623

@seawulf575 the reason the US lose on trade agreements to everyone else in the world is you reneged on previous trade agreements. The US’s word is worthless when it comes to trade and your companies were so busy exploiting the cheap workforce of other countries they’ve lost the skills and infrastructure to compete. And when they do get a break like they did in 2016 on tariffs they’re so greedy and stupid they just put their prices up to match the imported stuff instead of taking advantage of being cheaper.

@Zaku, you sure did answer my question. A lot there to think about. Thanks.