Trade wars, Middle East, Immigration and general catch up

1) If the potential negative impact of the trade war will have on the American people is not apparent to you now then it never will be and I don't care and will not try to change your mind.

The tariffs are an attempt to help protect a small number of large multinational companies wishing to sell into and invest into China. That is all there about. Read the 301 directive.

Advocating for ending tariffs on goods imported by US citizens IS NOT supporting foreign countries. It is supporting Americans and freedoms of Americans. Those here speaking against tariffs are the patriots and the ones most concerned for Americans.

Tariffs on steel have cost American consumers hundreds of billions now in higher cost steel from domestic steel manufacturers who raised their prices since their competitors where higher priced and from the tariffs on all the foreign imports of steel from worldwide steel producing countries. Those tariffs are out and out protectionism of the steel business and have failed every time the numerous times they have been tried throughout our history. Typical of the US steel makers they spend their new found profits and when the tariffs disappear they bankrupt or merge. USX after reporting huge earnings announced a huge stock buyback instead of investing to double or triple their production as would be needed to eliminate imports. Navarro and Ross are too close to these people and should be run out of the administration like the other democrats have been recently.

The Chinese tariffs I think will soon end. As I said a couple of times before being vanquished to banville in facebookesque fashion, the Chinese will give Trump something small or beneficial to both he will declare as victory because he recognizes the harm the tariffs are doing across the supply chain of US manufacturers (and he knows very large US companies are at risk like Apple, GM and Boeing should the Chinese decide to retaliate---the growth estimates of the earnings of these companies include a lot of sales into China. BA is suppose to build a HUGE aircraft plant in China and projects to do a trillion dollars in business there over the next decade. China could simply kick all three out and Trump knows this.) When Trump calls it a victory his supporters here will agree and call it wonderful even if it is trivial in reality.

I suspect Xi will make concessions on IP and foreign investments in China. Both will benefit China as much or more than they will benefit US companies. Chinese companies would start profiting from new IP if they had the protection in China that US companies have in the US. China should welcome foreign investments in new jobs in their country and I suspect they will. Both of these things Vice Premier He has been advocating for and are the mainstay of Trump's 301 directive. Trump will declare a huge victory although it will be nothing like most here think it will be. I doubt it will have much impact at all on our trade deficit.

Exports from China to every major part of the world have fallen EXCEPT to the USA which even in November exports to the US increased.

It is absolutely a myth that China is going to starve if we quit shipping food products to them so get that out of your head. Their imports of soybeans from the US have been minuscule even with the last purchase. If the trade war goes another year they will not have to buy any from the US. If the Chinese loosen the government's grip on agriculture in their own country I suspect they will be a net exporter of ag commodities too.

I expect this trade war to end by March. Call it bending a knee or whatever Trump plays it as but Trump will not implement anymore tariffs on China as he threatens with the stock market collapsing as it has and US companies like Boeing and Apple in the cross hairs.

2) Trump was absolutely right to remove the troops from Syria and I want him to do it quickly before the neocons like Bolton talk him out of it. Get em out of Afghanistan and Iraq too. Close the base in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and Qatar.

3) I waffle on the wall but what I do not waffle on is the need RIGHT NOW for financial testing of immigrants and the limiting of welfare to non citizens. Stop it now. We should make it easy for immigrants that have been recruited or hired by US companies to come here so long as they continue to work and are covered by some sort of health insurance. This would be a small hurdle for immigrants compared to most Western countries. I can take or leave the wall but we should end economic hardship as a criteria for asylum NOW. This entire family separation issue is about how long it takes to get asylum hearings. Turn them around the same day they get here and forget the hearings. If the dems refuse wall funding then Trump should insist on these immigration policy changes.



General catch up on recent things:

Mulvaney should be the COS permanently. He worked for Paul and is a free trader and a big personal freedom guy.

I prefer a civilian for secretary of defense.

The new Trump government agency, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (IDFC), should be defunded and killed. The man can't tout all these claims of reducing government while he is in fact expanding it. He can't complain about spending while increasing foreign welfare.

The republicans should start talking more about reforming SS and all entitlement spending, moving toward loser pay in federal tort cases, and cutting all spending including defense. These are the important issues.

If given the opportunity to withdraw troops from place like Korea or even Europe Trump should do it quickly. We have to give up this world policemen role.

Trade deficits are not bad. The money has to eventually get back to the US and it does---unfortunately most of it is used to buy what might be considered our biggest export---US debt. $6.1 trillion is held by foreign countries.

Spying should be prosecuted. Stealing IP in America is theft and we have laws to protect it that should be enforced.

OH, just for old time sake---New Mexico is the latest state to recognize the ridiculous folly of film industry welfare and is now moving to end it they announced just this week.

Ok fire away. I will continue to ignore posts by those who simply want to spam my threads with insults or flame the threads with outrageous posts.

Wall of text but all on topic.