US Politics

[Penge Eagle]

Untrue, again!

In the last year or so I was. It was his determination to stand again that ultimately led to Trump getting back in and the mess we are all now witnessing.

Prior to that his administration had done well and delivered a post Covid recovery that out performed most of the developed world. He put together, and led, a team. He wasn’t a mouthy puppet being manipulated by political ideologues.

So he's judged purely on his COVID policy?

 

[DanH]

It would also make imports more expensive which on top of the tariffs would lead to hyper inflation. Foreign capital would drain away. With confidence shattered and trust destroyed who would make long term agreements with the USA?

I see it less as a gamble and more as suicide.

Both the US and Chinese economies (as would everyone) suffer greatly leading to social unrest. Which of the two could handle that better? The USA who put “freedom of speech” at the top of the page or China who puts protesters in jail?

Well yes, that's why it's such a massive gamble, on top of wiping trillions off the value of global stocks and flirting with a global recession. And that's just the economic risk, there's also the relationship damage done geopolitically, especially with historic close allies.

He's gambling that US businesses will be agile and innovative enough to onshore production of many goods, with the double whammy of expensive imports and cheap exports increasing demand domestically, creating jobs. It may work in some industries, but some it's just not feasible - either due to the time it would take for businesses to be able to manufacture some goods, or due to the cost/scarcity of the raw materials and labour.

 

[HKOwen]

The TDS brigade should be happy Trump is doing so badly there will be no chance of anything other than a Dem government next time around.

 

[mezzer]

Tim Davies, a patriot ex RAF fighter pilot of over 20 years, does a stint on GB News essentially saying how this country needs strategic industries otherwise it leaves itself vulnerable. This is just common sense but he's right to call the 'uniparty' idiots as their dual obsession with global neoliberalism in every quarter has left us an increasingly second rate country without the skills we were once famous for.

'This is a mockery of the entire country. I honestly think this is being done to bring down the United Kingdom and I'm not standing for it.'

Former RAF fighter pilot instructor, Tim Davies, fumes at reports Britain's Red Arrows could fly Russian jets. pic.twitter.com/a0ZIZ9nhlO

— GB News (@GBNEWS) April 7, 2025

So while we can criticise Trump for this sledgehammer protectionism and what it might lead to, we can also see the argument that some forms of protectionism are more than necessary. It seems we are caught in an argument of extremes.

Thatcher, like Trump, was an opposite reaction figure to the left's failure in government and she did some necessary evils with the economy. However, I remember when Thatcher started this 'neoliberalism' in anything and everything possible back in early 80s and I also remember Tory grandee McMillian calling it, 'selling the family silver'. He was right....it became a meme ideology and went too far.

However, she wasn't responsible for wiping out our military and some of the later privatisations, which were British Rail and Royal Mail. I remember that she voiced reservations about privatising British Rail in the mid 90s, which are concerns that have borne out (in effect aping McMillian). I think by the Royal Mail in 2013 she had had dementia for several years....I think she died that year too.

All the politicians and state officials who did this have letters after their name are heavily rewarded in society and retired on big fat pensions and all because they were part of the establishment's group think and did the deed that the self congratulatory system wanted.

Taking the big bucks while fecking it up.

If it was connected to privatising the Royal Mail I bet those letters after their name failed to arrive on time

 

[DanH]

The TDS brigade should be happy Trump is doing so badly there will be no chance of anything other than a Dem government next time around.

Maybe some people care about the impact of policies on people that didn't vote for them and have no say in them rather than petty political point scoring.

Anyway, haven't you got another Labour Derangement Syndrome thread to star...oh, I see you already have.

 

[Rudi Hedman]

Yep. $3,500 is the estimated sale price of a US only made iPhone.

Global supply chains are in place for a reason - being able to keep the price down by making various different parts in different parts of the world where the raw materials and labour are cheaper make a huge, huge difference to many industries, especially tech and engineering.

With all the best will in the world you can’t just onshore the manufacturing of many goods without making the production cost multiply many times.

Yep, globalisation has fecked many people and unfortunately will continue to. How much Trump can improve this we will see. In the meantime a few Chinese people get mega wealthy while their workers experience a more sterile version of slave labour, hundreds of miles from their home and family. Marvellous.

 

[HKOwen]

Yep, globalisation has fecked many people and unfortunately will continue to. How much Trump can improve this we will see. In the meantime a few Chinese people get mega wealthy while their workers experience a more sterile version of slave labour, hundreds of miles from their home and family. Marvellous.

I agree with most of that except the situation in Xinkiang should not be conflated with the rest of China where people generally have well paid jobs . Most Chinese cities I have been to are in much better shape than most cities in UK and Europe.

 

[Rudi Hedman]

I agree with most of that except the situation in Xinkiang should not be conflated with the rest of China where people generally have well paid jobs . Most Chinese cities I have been to are in much better shape than most cities in UK and Europe.

That’s because they’re all brainwashed and controlled to comply, living in their shoebox rooms supplied by their employer, hundreds of miles away from their children and family. But isn’t the camera on the new iPhone so much better than the previous camera?

 

[eaglesdare]

Crashing the economy was perfectly okay when everyone thought they were going to die from a 99 percent survivable virus that only affected old people 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[Stirlingsays]

Maybe some people care about the impact of policies on people that didn't vote for them and have no say in them rather than petty political point scoring.

Anyway, haven't you got another Labour Derangement Syndrome thread to star...oh, I see you already have.

Ha....like the left give a monkey's about the people they so clearly hate with a passion.

 

[NMPalace]

So he's judged purely on his COVID policy?

He lead the country out of covid quite successfully, with high employment/new jobs etc and inflation lower than most other countries (it was less than 3% at the time of the election).

However, Trump successfully argued that the country was in a mess with high inflation, poor markets (the S&P/Dow did very well over Biden's 4 years) and high unemployment.

If another covid was to come along, as is widely predicted, how do you think the US will react, when it can't manage measles - 2 kids have unfortunately died in the last week, although if is barely being reported.

Whether you like Trump or not, the fact that one person has so much power without any checks and balances and seems to be ignoring the courts is a massive concern.

This is not a left or right argument, just common sense.

 

[Wisbech Eagle]

So he's judged purely on his COVID policy?

No, and I didn’t say that. I said his administration managed the post Covid recovery effectively. Which they did.

 

[ASCPFC]

I agree with most of that except the situation in Xinkiang should not be conflated with the rest of China where people generally have well paid jobs . Most Chinese cities I have been to are in much better shape than most cities in UK and Europe.

Indeed, I think a telling part of this is that on the quiet a couple of Chinese cities are now more expensive than New York, London or Paris. I believe there are three or four Chinese cities within the top ten most expensive currently. I never realised until I looked it up. The rise of the Chinese, urban middle class has been extraordinary.

 

[HKOwen]

Indeed, I think a telling part of this is that on the quiet a couple of Chinese cities are now more expensive than New York, London or Paris. I believe there are three or four Chinese cities within the top ten most expensive currently. I never realised until I looked it up. The rise of the Chinese, urban middle class has been extraordinary.

Very true, cities like Chengdu are like Tokyo, Shenzen is more modern than Hong Kong but cheaper, thousands go from Hong Kong every weekend to shop and eat.

 

[Wisbech Eagle]

Crashing the economy was perfectly okay when everyone thought they were going to die from a 99 percent survivable virus that only affected old people 🤷🏻‍♂️

Are you still pushing this nonsense?

Even if true a 99% survivable virus means a 1% mortality rate. That’s unacceptable.

Whilst any virus, or indeed any infection, will impact the elderly more than the young, to suggest it only impacted them is completely ridiculous. Ask anyone now suffering from long Covid or who were hospitalised and fighting for their life to understand why.

The economy was hurt and we are still in the recovery stages. What people like you never consider is how much damage was foreseen if we had just ignored it and allowed it to rip through the population. The worst case scenarios were unacceptable and no responsible government could ever accept them.

That some now play political games by suggesting otherwise doesn’t change that.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest insights - Office for National Statistics

Now I suggest we return to the current problems. Which are all totally man made and completely avoidable.

 

[eaglesdare]

Are you still pushing this nonsense?

Even if true a 99% survivable virus means a 1% mortality rate. That’s unacceptable.

Whilst any virus, or indeed any infection, will impact the elderly more than the young, to suggest it only impacted them is completely ridiculous. Ask anyone now suffering from long Covid or who were hospitalised and fighting for their life to understand why.

The economy was hurt and we are still in the recovery stages. What people like you never consider is how much damage was foreseen if we had just ignored it and allowed it to rip through the population. The worst case scenarios were unacceptable and no responsible government could ever accept them.

That some now play political games by suggesting otherwise doesn’t change that.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest insights - Office for National Statistics

Now I suggest we return to the current problems. Which are all totally man made and completely avoidable.

So was Covid 👍🏻

 

[DanH]

Are you still pushing this nonsense?

Even if true a 99% survivable virus means a 1% mortality rate. That’s unacceptable.

Whilst any virus, or indeed any infection, will impact the elderly more than the young, to suggest it only impacted them is completely ridiculous. Ask anyone now suffering from long Covid or who were hospitalised and fighting for their life to understand why.

The economy was hurt and we are still in the recovery stages. What people like you never consider is how much damage was foreseen if we had just ignored it and allowed it to rip through the population. The worst case scenarios were unacceptable and no responsible government could ever accept them.

That some now play political games by suggesting otherwise doesn’t change that.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest insights - Office for National Statistics

Now I suggest we return to the current problems. Which are all totally man made and completely avoidable.

I'd just let him get on with it. He makes himself look like even more of a tit on this subject.

 

[Stirlingsays]

I'd just let him get on with it. He makes himself look like even more of a tit on this subject.

No, he's a 100 percent right.

Still, yours was an amusing response and feck knows we all need a laugh in today's times.

 

[DanH]

No, he's a 100 percent right.

Still, yours was an amusing response and feck knows we all need a laugh in today's times.

And now the pair of tits are complete 🙂

 

[Stirlingsays]

He lead the country out of covid quite successfully, with high employment/new jobs etc and inflation lower than most other countries (it was less than 3% at the time of the election).

However, Trump successfully argued that the country was in a mess with high inflation, poor markets (the S&P/Dow did very well over Biden's 4 years) and high unemployment.

If another covid was to come along, as is widely predicted, how do you think the US will react, when it can't manage measles - 2 kids have unfortunately died in the last week, although if is barely being reported.

Whether you like Trump or not, the fact that one person has so much power without any checks and balances and seems to be ignoring the courts is a massive concern.

This is not a left or right argument, just common sense.

Errrr....He added massively both to the national debt and the deficit.

He left office with America spending 7 trillion a year and taking in 5 trillion.......Currently at 38 trillion....A debt repayment that requires interest payments currently projected to be around $952 billion. That's 15 percent of America's spending and rising......Totally unsustainable.

And here's you saying Biden left a good economic situation.

People can argue about what Trump is doing but the fact is that something has to be done.....The US economy is heading for disaster without this picture changing.

Much could be said about the structure of our own economy.

As for the covid response....don't get me started.

Economic insanity.