Random Politics Thread

[The Cat]

 

[The Cat]

What does interfering in an election look like?
Local News downplaying the fuck upedness of the situation is kinda disgusting but here we still are.​

 

[The Cat]

 

[Virtual ghost]

Liberal wins Wisconsin court race in blow to Trump, Musk

The margin of 10 points is pretty big for the state.
For a swing state this is basically a landslide.

 

[The Cat]

 

[Virtual ghost]

Trump hits ‘pathetic’ Europe with 20 percent tariffs

Ok, but this whole plan of putting tariffs on enemies, allies and anything between just doesn't seem as something that will actually work (for obvious reasons).

 

[SensEye]

Trump hits ‘pathetic’ Europe with 20 percent tariffs

Ok, but this whole plan of putting tariffs on enemies, allies and anything between just doesn't seem as something that will actually work (for obvious reasons).

Yep. But until the inflationary and recessionary effects take effect, nobody will believe that because orange Jesus says otherwise. Give it three to six months though for the pigeons to come home to roost, although the markets may react in advance.

 

[Red Herring]

I myself celebrated "liberation day" by buying a crate of Sinalco Cola rather than Coca-Cola.

We drive a Volkswagen and the next family car will likely be European as well because American cars are not really made for European roads or European gas prices (or the environment) and people in oversized cars are usually considered assholes over here anyway. But the small stuff adds up as well, so I have mentally gone through what American products we tend to buy.

Cloths are usually European brands, simply because of taste preference. Books, music and movies could be either European or American but with a preference for European. Electronics -mostly European or Asian (Android over Apple and a big fan of Sony). Cosmetics and toiletry - mostly European (but the toothpaste brand has been bought by Colgate-Palmolive). Beverages - definitely European and mostly local with cola being a complicated case because it is sold by a licensee who has various owners of which The Coca-Cola Company actually only makes up 19%. Foods - definitely European (with the exception of fruits and vegetables that don't grow here). I consider Pringles inferior chips and Hershey's chocolate very much inferior chocolate (it's actually hard to find here anyway, unlike Pringles which is everywhere). I only bought Coca-Cola in the past because the Western-European recipe uses real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup which I personally find revolting. (Eastern Europe uses the American recipe - imagine my shock when I unwittingly tried one in Prague!).

Turns out our family consumption pretty much reflects the overall trade balance. Because while there is few American products we're buying (and I'd prefer it if some formerly local brands did not belong to some American mega-conglomerate now) ... we DO buy and use American digital services!
- Amazon (including Audible)
- Netflix
- Paypal
- WhatsApp
- Microsoft
- Youtube
- Google
- Ebay

Some of these might be easier to switch out than others. There is a website I came across which offers information on alternative brands and services from Europe: https://www.goeuropean.org/

 

[The Cat]

It will work exactly how its supposed to work. It will tank the us economy, isolate us from our allies, and make the world a better place for our enemies. Its like watching the country kill itself in real time. Hopefully we can get ourselves to poison control in time and pull out of the nose dive in time for just a rough landing instead of a full on north korea crash into isolation and authoritarianism...I'd like to think so, but we live in uncertain times.

 

[Coriolis]

I myself celebrated "liberation day" by buying a crate of Sinalco Cola rather than Coca-Cola.

We drive a Volkswagen and the next family car will likely be European as well because American cars are not really made for European roads or European gas prices (or the environment) and people in oversized cars are usually considered assholes over here anyway. But the small stuff adds up as well, so I have mentally gone through what American products we tend to buy.

Cloths are usually European brands, simply because of taste preference. Books, music and movies could be either European or American but with a preference for European. Electronics -mostly European or Asian (Android over Apple and a big fan of Sony). Cosmetics and toiletry - mostly European (but the toothpaste brand has been bought by Colgate-Palmolive). Beverages - definitely European and mostly local with cola being a complicated case because it is sold by a licensee who has various owners of which The Coca-Cola Company actually only makes up 19%. Foods - definitely European (with the exception of fruits and vegetables that don't grow here). I consider Pringles inferior chips and Hershey's chocolate very much inferior chocolate (it's actually hard to find here anyway, unlike Pringles which is everywhere). I only bought Coca-Cola in the past because the Western-European recipe uses real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup which I personally find revolting. (Eastern Europe uses the American recipe - imagine my shock when I unwittingly tried one in Prague!).

Turns out our family consumption pretty much reflects the overall trade balance. Because while there is few American products we're buying (and I'd prefer it if some formerly local brands did not belong to some American mega-conglomerate now) ... we DO buy and use American digital services!
- Amazon (including Audible)
- Netflix
- Paypal
- WhatsApp
- Microsoft
- Youtube
- Google
- Ebay

Some of these might be easier to switch out than others. There is a website I came across which offers information on alternative brands and services from Europe: https://www.goeuropean.org/

Good for you. I have never had accounts on youtube, google, whatsapp, or netflix. Haven't used microsoft at home in over 20 years. Stopped using paypal a year ago. use ebay rarely, and only as a guest. Amazon is the only thing I still need to wean myself off of. None of us should be using most of this, Trump or no Trump.

 

[Virtual ghost]

I myself celebrated "liberation day" by buying a crate of Sinalco Cola rather than Coca-Cola.

Just one more for our American forum members: I rarely drink these kinds of drinks but I can also replace US products of this kind without feeling any real difference. As a matter of fact these brands are something like 15% cheaper in general. Since the brand is weaker because it doesn't have global recognition. But the tongue can't really tell the difference if you are average consumer. Or if you are trying to make some kind of a mixed drink.


Here is one such example:

It looks like a duck, it quacks like a duck ... but it ain't a duck.

Plus I took a pair from Adidas.
But I it is quite possible that I would have done that anyway, it surely wouldn't be the first time.

 

[Virtual ghost]

Yep. But until the inflationary and recessionary effects take effect, nobody will believe that because orange Jesus says otherwise. Give it three to six months though for the pigeons to come home to roost, although the markets may react in advance.

Absolutely. Especially since the markets will probably respond within days.
Declaring open trade wars on billions of people isn't all that smart move in the big picture.



Europe slams ‘illegal’ Trump tariffs, vows unified response

I mean this is the continuation of the story that I posted in quoted post.
Plus it must be said that now the most pro US politicians in Europe are in serious economic and ideological problems (for obvious reasons).
The guy will evidently blow up multi generational projects and friendships in just a few months.

 

[Virtual ghost]

It will work exactly how its supposed to work. It will tank the us economy, isolate us from our allies, and make the world a better place for our enemies. Its like watching the country kill itself in real time. Hopefully we can get ourselves to poison control in time and pull out of the nose dive in time for just a rough landing instead of a full on north korea crash into isolation and authoritarianism...I'd like to think so, but we live in uncertain times.

​

To tell you the truth I am more and more certain what we are going towards the scenario that the blue states will eventually merge with Canada. After all most of them would have land connection to Canada. This used to be unthinkable but I am not sure this is 100% impossible scenario if we consider how things are going.

 

[Red Herring]

Good for you. I have never had accounts on youtube, google, whatsapp, or netflix. Haven't used microsoft at home in over 20 years. Stopped using paypal a year ago. use ebay rarely, and only as a guest. Amazon is the only thing I still need to wean myself off of. None of us should be using most of this, Trump or no Trump.

I checked the goeuropean.org website to see what they suggest as replacements for digital services.

Microsoft Office is not something I can replace because it's a work requirement.

PayPay - The alternative that's most widely accepted by online shops seems to be Klarna from Sweden. I have used them before and will look into making the switch for good.

Amazon - The "best" thing about them is their networm of slave laborers ensuring fast delivery when you need something asap. For everything else though established companies like Otto.de (which started as a mail order catalogue in 1949) and Kaufland.de (based on a German supermarket chain) also function as a retail platform for smaller traders now. I'll try to use the impetus of the moment to switch to those whenever I can.

Audible - there are a few alternatives, but nothing convincing. I migh just cancel the subscription though and keep using the files I already have.

WhatsApp - Ironically even though this belongs to Meta I keep hearing that Americans rarely use it. In Europe (and much of the rest of the world) it is a part of daily life though. There are obviously lots of similar apps around but nothing with this kind of reach. I could ask my family members to switch to something else, but not the parents group chat at my kids' school (and what would life be without endless parent group chats?!)

Netflix, Prime Video and Youtube - nothing commercial with a similar reach and extant (though lots of good smaller websites) but I am already paying a licencing fee for a bunch of public media channels that offer more quality-ish material in their media library than I could ever consume.

Google - My brother has been trying to convince the family to switch to Ecosia for ages (a German proxy search website which has the added benefit that as a non-profit they plant a tree for roughly every 30 searches and produce more solar energy than they consume themselves), I might as well finally try that out

Ebay - There's Vinted and Kleinanzeigen but I'd have to see if that actually works as an alternative

It's still very early in the game but Europe has been complaining about American dominance in the online sector for ages and this might just be the moment to go cold turkey. As coincidence will have it Der Spiegel published an article on how to replace American digital services just half an hour or so after my last post.

 

[The Cat]

When one expects order from a KNOWN agent of chaos...
One is either insane or a fool.
Tell me again how Dear Leader is for the Unions and gonna get unions more money...ffs.​

 

[The Cat]

To tell you the truth I am more and more certain what we are going towards the scenario that the blue states will eventually merge with Canada. After all most of them would have land connection to Canada. This used to be unthinkable but I am not sure this is 100% impossible scenario if we consider how things are going.

Nothing is unthinkable anymore. It's a brave new world...

 

[Coriolis]

I checked the goeuropean.org website to see what they suggest as replacements for digital services.

It's still very early in the game but Europe has been complaining about American dominance in the online sector for ages and this might just be the moment to go cold turkey. As coincidence will have it Der Spiegel published an article on how to replace American digital services just half an hour or so after my last post.

I have to use microsoft for work, too - ugh. And yes - WhatsApp isn't that popular here. I've never heard of Ecosia. I use DuckDuckGo for searches, and never got into the Google system at all for email or online apps. Here, Target and Walmart offer decent online shopping for some things, but not as extensive as Amazon, and both have their issues, too. I hope Europe really takes the lead on this. They are ahead of us in addressing privacy concerns.

 

[The Cat]

Lots of good information in this one.
Good Luck out there.​

 

[SensEye]

It just keeps getting worse. Now it turns out the 'reciprocal tariffs' are not reciprocal at all. The numbers on Trump's chart have nothing to do with import tariffs imposed on the US for the most part (there are, of course, some tariffs applied by various countries, China is a major culprit). However, the numbers on Trump's chart are just a ratio of the trade imbalance, nothing more. A trade imbalance can occur for many reasons, most likely because the US has such a large economy that they buy more from smaller countries than those smaller countries can afford to buy from the US even if there are zero import taxes on US goods.

More falsehoods and outright stupidity from the Trump administration. It's like they are too stupid to actually look into what is tariffed and what is not and figure it all out. I mean, that would take some effort. Instead, they just cobble together some b.s. that can conveniently be complied in an hour or two. Shockingly inept.

Well, I guess not that shocking considering the clowns Trump has surrounded himself with. But you would think there would still be some minions around whose brains actually function. So when Nutlick says: "Get me some numbers!" you would think somebody would deliver something at least plausible. Nope.

 

[Coriolis]

It just keeps getting worse. Now it turns out the 'reciprocal tariffs' are not reciprocal at all. The numbers on Trump's chart have nothing to do with import tariffs imposed on the US for the most part (there are, of course, some tariffs applied by various countries, China is a major culprit). However, the numbers on Trump's chart are just a ratio of the trade imbalance, nothing more. A trade imbalance can occur for many reasons, most likely because the US has such a large economy that they buy more from smaller countries than those smaller countries can afford to buy from the US even if there are zero import taxes on US goods.

More falsehoods and outright stupidity from the Trump administration. It's like they are too stupid to actually look into what is tariffed and what is not and figure it all out. I mean, that would take some effort. Instead, they just cobble together some b.s. that can conveniently be complied in an hour or two. Shockingly inept.

Well, I guess not that shocking considering the clowns Trump has surrounded himself with. But you would think there would still be some minions around whose brains actually function. So when Nutlick says: "Get me some numbers!" you would think somebody would deliver something at least plausible. Nope.

The kind of economic analysis and "non-stupidity" you describe would presume Trump is actually trying to do what is in the best interests of the U.S. It has long been apparent that they are not. Trump is in this for himself, and to support his wealthy cronies. They don't care how much of the country or the world go down the drain and suffer, as long as they achieve their personal gains.