Elon Musk...human? - Political

[Sweet]

43 minutes ago, flesh said:

I’ll try to translate trumpese for you. He knows that the total fentanyl crossings from Canada are minor. He wants them reduced. The primary reason he says this is so that he has a stronger reason to impose tariffs that will hold up and he believes that something about trade relations are unfair… smokescreens.  It could be subsidies to certain industries, existing tariffs, tariff like instruments that have the same or similar effect, restrictions, or any other form of distorting effect. Of course free trade with friendlies and maximizing comparative advantage is the ideal, the ideal is never what happens. 
 

I posted in another thread with no response but I’ve yet to see a thorough analysis of all distorting effects on trade between usa and Canada. I personally done know if it’s fair or close to it. If it is I’ll agree it is if it’s wholistic.  
 

Regarding whether or not trumps strategies are, if I’m right, lying. I suppose you could say he’s lying partially.. in the sense that he uses one small reason as the main reason for what he’s doing. Otoh if he’s right and trade is unfair and In order to straighten it out he can’t see another path forward…. That’s a more difficult question. I don’t see how anybody can confidently say anything wo considering what I’ve written here. I originally come back to cobf recently thinking the Canadians … or somebody.. being the smart analytical types that invest.. would have a competent analysis of the trade between the two countries and found the opposite. I haven’t had time to do it my self but I’ll try. Also, if the usa is going to produce some things here for strategic reasons, antifragilityreasons, then that means by definition we will be buying less of those things Elsewhere and that means elsewhere wont be happy about selling less stuff to us. If we can’t compete for ammo prices and we need to manufacture our own, we may need tariffs. 
 

Also don’t assume those of us who voted for him are cultists, you won’t learn anything that way. In 2016 my father voted for him, and hated doing so, being a lifelong Mormon, the cleanest sort, only because he knew the Supreme Court appointees were coming up. He has no idea what happening in general. 
 

for myself, doge and cutting the deficit to 3% of gdp was paramount and the rest noise and I saw the opposite inclination since forever on the other side. For me, if this happens and wars don’t get worse, I’m willing to deal with the fallout as I see it as existential. I voted for Obama Romney Hillary then trump trump. Other things matter but I rank order them low compared to a snowballing debt/interest rate/inflation problem. 
 

For me the biggest mistake of the last four years was allowing the economy to be shuttered excessively and raining money in massive excess. Biggest mistake I’m aware of in my lifetime. I said that here March 2020 more or less. Then Biden doubled  down when the coast was clear. Destroyed the lives of tens of Millions of non asset owners for 79 year olds with 2.5 co morbidities who were going to die shortly and whom we could have targeted for relief at 1/100th the cost. 
 

 

 

I think overall that is how trump works.

 

However, ‘Who would ever sign a thing like this?’ - Trump said that a couple of weeks when referring to US trade deals.

 

Trump negotiated and signed this trade deal with Canada and Mexico.  So if the USMCA deal sucks then he’s probably to blame.

 

Edited Wednesday at 09:28 PM by Sweet

[Spekulatius]

3 hours ago, cubsfan said:

 

Trudeau is your idiot not ours. 

 

Why are you allowing him to negotiate on behalf of the Canadian people?

Trudeau is actually doing better in the polls now. Nothing better for popularity of a politician than dealing with an external threat.

[dealraker]

19 minutes ago, Spekulatius said:

Trudeau is actually doing better in the polls now. Nothing better for popularity of a politician than dealing with an external threat.

And Tesla has morphed to Bud Light?   LOL, I was actively buying the BUD in the lower 50's but you can be triple damn sure I will never discuss it on this site except to mention it here.  

[lnofeisone]

17 hours ago, Gregmal said:

LOL this is a great post with a lot of thought and consideration, and like always, its probably either ignored or met with the TDS drenched 3-4 sentence rager...

While I find @flesh's prose a bit logorrheic, I don't think anyone would disagree with having an efficient government that minimizes or eliminates fraud, waste, and abuse and maintains a healthy budget.

 

The crux of the argument here is the HOW. How are Elon and DT going about fixing the gov't. There are laws and processes and they disregard both. So far the savings amounted to fractions of what they claim and their actions are being reversed (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-civil-service-board-reinstates-thousands-fired-usda-employees-2025-03-05/) which basically amounts to added cost (workers were out 2 weeks doing 0 work, they will get backpay, and now they have to get reprocessed back in, which is extra work). 

 

Add in republicans threatening to impeach judges they don't like and the DOJ, on behalf of OPM, straight up lying to the court (and the DOJ got rightfully called out by the union and scolded by the judge); there is a lot not to like about the approach of the current administration. Given that Musk is running DOGE with the blessing of DT, this is 100% on him. 

[rogermunibond]

 

[rogermunibond]