Crazy American Politics

[Mason89]

It would be nice for someone to tell him to fuck off. Worth a go, seeing as they’ve tried everything else 

[redordead]

Totally agree. He'd probably be in tears.   Clearly a kid who never got a slap from his maw

[TheDonbytheDee]

According to Private Eye, he has been told to pony up £700k, by a Scottish court, which are legal costs of someone he took to court and lost against.

He is now trying to get around it by saying he doesn't have to pay it, as he is the American President.

The Judge is taking none of his shyte though.

A little victory maybe, but still nice to read it.

 

[Jupiter]

Somebody needs to tell Trump that tariffs are paid by American people buying imports and not by other countries.

[OrlandoDon]

1 hour ago, Jupiter said:

Somebody needs to tell Trump that tariffs are paid by American people buying imports and not by other countries.

I don’t buy that argument. The trillions brought in on foreign trade more than cover that, plus we’re most likely getting a tax refund later this year. 
inflation in December was at 2.7%, the lowest since 2020 pre COVID.

[RicoS321]

2 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

inflation in December was at 2.7%, the lowest since 2020 pre COVID

I don't really care, but I think that isn't correct. I don't even think 2.7% is the lowest since Trump got into office. However, inflation doesn't necessarily tie in with tariffs anyway. That would be dependent on the items in the basket of goods being imported from a tariffed country. 

It is entirely correct that tariffs are paid by the US consumer. The offset to that is not the trillions brought in by foreign trade, obviously. It would be the money spent within the US (US consumers buying US made goods) that was previously spent on imports. If I am in the US buying timber from France and it suddenly gets a 25% tariff, then I buy from the usually more expensive US supplier for example. France doesn't suddenly buy US timber too, because the price of French timber for French people doesn't incur the tariff. The direct effect of the tariff is a cost to the US consumer, the offset being a potential increase in tax take from the resulting sale in the US. Does that make sense (genuine question, I'm going through the logic in my own head!)?

[OrlandoDon]

9 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

I don't really care, but I think that isn't correct. I don't even think 2.7% is the lowest since Trump got into office. However, inflation doesn't necessarily tie in with tariffs anyway. That would be dependent on the items in the basket of goods being imported from a tariffed country. 

It is entirely correct that tariffs are paid by the US consumer. The offset to that is not the trillions brought in by foreign trade, obviously. It would be the money spent within the US (US consumers buying US made goods) that was previously spent on imports. If I am in the US buying timber from France and it suddenly gets a 25% tariff, then I buy from the usually more expensive US supplier for example. France doesn't suddenly buy US timber too, because the price of French timber for French people doesn't incur the tariff. The direct effect of the tariff is a cost to the US consumer, the offset being a potential increase in tax take from the resulting sale in the US. Does that make sense (genuine question, I'm going through the logic in my own head!)?

It was 2.7 in December. But you are correct, we’ve been at 2.4 twice since Oct 2024 I think. 
I understand inflation, but if you are talking tariffs you have to look at the bigger picture. Unemployment is slightly down, wages are up. Gas prices are significant down. People have more money. You’re seeing business and investment coming into the US. It doesn’t change over night, but you’re seeing an improving economy. I think our economy will only strengthen in the next few years as a result of the influx of new investment and business interests from trumps changes, including the tariffs.
 

While inflation increases prices, there is more money in the hands of the consumer. Add in there the big beautiful bill and tax changes, i was able to deduct up to 10k in property taxes, mortgage interest, that has been increased to 40k i believe. That’s a big deal to me and now I’m deducting 20-30k. Throw in the waste fraud and abuse and the funds recovered from that, I believe I’ll be receiving somewhere between $4000-$8000 this year in tariff stimulus/dividend checks. Pretty sure they’ll come out mid late summer prior to the mid terms, obviously strategic.

General costs of many everyday good are down, but what is mainly hurting the economy is housing prices and mortgage rates. Rates are coming down but not nearly where they were pre COVID.
 

there’s a lot of positives helping people have more money. What’s interesting here in Florida this year and voting in November, is that you may well see property taxes significantly reduced or even eliminated for permanent Florida residents, saving someone like me approx $8000 annually.

said it may times here before, not sure what news you hear back home from here, but there are good things going on helping people right now.