Davin News Server

On Thu, 13 Mar 2025 23:41:33 -0000 (UTC), pothead
<pothead@snakebite.com> wrote:

>On 2025-03-13, Governor Swill <governor.swill@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Wed, 12 Mar 2025 20:56:30 -0000 (UTC), pothead
>><pothead@snakebite.com> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>Trump is correct.
>>>Unless absolutely necessary.
>>>When the US depends upon other countries for needed goods then it gives
>>>up all control.
>>>
>>>What do you think is going to happen to the myriad of products, say prescription
>>>drugs for example, if the USA gets in a war with China?
>>
>> That's *exactly* why trade is good and why the US has spent the past
>> eighty or so years evolving free trade.  Each nation becomes too
>> dependent on the others to risk going to war with them.
>
>True, but for various reasons "free trade" is no longer equal and equitable.
>China in particular devaluing their currency is one example.
>How does the US compete with a country that is effectively using slave labor?

Apparently they have quite a few ill paid workers, especially in the
Muslim territories to the east.

But wage scales are what they are.  One reason so few *Mexicans* are
coming here for work is that their own economy is building and it's
becoming worth their while to work at home.

Don't forget, Mexico is having the same problem with their southern
border.  Masses of illegals flooding across and taking whatever crap
jobs they can get on their way to America.

>> If a nation is your only source of wheat, you dare not invade them.
>> When you're their only source of corn, they dare not invade you.
>
>It comes down to a matter of priorities. So do we need Nike sneakers from China
>or do we need prescription drugs. And what do they need from the USA?
>they get to choose as well.

In the end, it doesn't matter because the product mix is so deep.
Besides, they buy our debt.  They can't attack us, because they'd lose
their investment.  We can attack them because we need them to buy our
debt.

If Republicans were that serious about dealing with China, they would
deprive them of the income they derive from buying our debt.

>> It amazes me that the Magas and haters don't get that.  It's as if
>> they'd rather live in a combative world risking war than to play nice
>> with the other kids.
>
>People, including Trump want FAIR TRADE. Why should goods we export to some country
>have taxes, tariffs on them that are high while goods they export to the USA
>do not?

The belief that the world has tariffs against us but we don't against
them is a fallacy.  Tariffs already exist between nations.  For
example, we impose tariffs on European agricultural products because
European governments subsidize their farmers so heavily.  Europe has
tariffs against some of our ag goods because we also subsidize our
farmers.

Tariffs are a powerful soft power tool.  "If you'll vote with us in
the UN this year, we'll drop all tariffs against your ______ for a
year."

>The same applies to NATO. Countries need to pay their fair share assuming of course
>they are able of doing such. 
>IMHO NATO needs to be updated. It's a cold war agreement that is getting stale.

Yet Russia has proven it is not obsolete.

That said, I agree.  It's high time Europe rearms itself.  The EU and
so many other continental agreements and institutions guarantee they
aren't likely to burst out into war again.  In a sense, they need to
deal with Russia and Africa so we can focus on security in Asia and
the Pacific.

I DON'T agree that such goals are best achieved by leving huge and
arbitrary tariffs and making offensive statements that annoy our
friends.

Trump has a rep for setting people in his orbit against each other.
This is extremely dangerous in international affairs.

>> The supreme example of 'trade is good' is that there has not been a
>> war between major powers since 1945.
>
>True, however as I've stated above, things have changed drastically in recent times.
>China wants to dominate the world, no secret, and the USA at least under Biden
>has been falling right into the trap. China's only interest in renewable energy
>is selling stuff to the USA and making us dependent upon it.

Your information is partial.  China is both the planet's number one
producer and consumer of EVs.  China is rich enough to have its own
markets.  They buy a lot of stuff from us. Why piss them off and lose
those sales?

Wealth is based on trade.  You trade your excess milk to your neighbor
for his excess flour and you both eat better.

>Rare earth minerals, batteries, as well as other green energy materials.
>This is suicide IMHO.
>Especially since we are sitting on decades worth of fossil fuels.
>
>Fair trade will benefit all.

We're not going to get there by pissing off our friends.

Trump's violation of USMCA will kill Detroit and make Japan even
stronger.

The Honda Passport, at 71% domestic content, is the most American car
you can buy.  The Chevy Silverado is far down the list at 37%.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_automobiles_manufactured_in_the_United_States>