John, do you think at some point, if these tariffs continue and tank the markets and people feel the effects, do you think that would be enough to change the minds of the religious MAGA movement to give up on protectionism and populism?
Nailed it straight out the gate on every question this week John. It's like you read my mind!😉
China upped their tariffs on US goods to match Trump's 125%.
It doesn't take a stable genius to know which country is going to lose out the most in that arrangement. Hint: - It's not China.
It's going to be a very long 3½ years knowing This administration will likely do something very stupid or illegal, without notice, at any given point in time. Trump proved his word means nothing to both American citizens and allies alike.
Friends don't treat other mutual friends like Trump treats the rest of the world, i.e with impunity, abuse, and with a total disregard for
Yup, China has no human rights sentiments and will make their citizens suffer immensely, as opposed to Americans who holler and bitch over the slightest inconvenience. China would prevail, Navarro and Trump underestimate their President. Having the whole planet pissed at us is NOT to our advantage; all at the same time, nonetheless. Not good.
One factor that has not been reported, as far as I can tell, is that we have predominantly a consumer economy. We buy far more consumer products than China and most other countries.
You are assuming Navarro and Bessent have some kind of idea they know what is happening.
They aren't 'underestimating' Trump because they are in the dark about the machinations of Trump's brain - like everyone else. That is clearly evident over the last week.
Pres Trump can never 'eat crow', or be ever wrong, never. It's his character. He has flaws he can't/won't control, and that is going to be his downfall one day. This makes me nervous.
<Hi Rob. I haven’t actually read the legislation, but I’m among that 84% that thinks a voter ID requirement is a good idea. Democrats have long argued that making voters go through that hoop amounts to voter suppression, but I’ve never understood that reasoning. Like you said, identification is required for all kinds of things less important than voting.>
I haven't yet read the bill either, but chances are that, if passed, it'll result in a lot more eligible voters not voting than in discouraging ineligible people from trying to vote. On the surface, it sounds like a good idea, but as many such ideas it has difficulties if you think about it.
As I understand it, voters must prove two things - that they are who they say they are with an "appropriate" picture ID and that they are American citizens.
If it's anything like the Texas voter ID law (I don't know if it's still in effect), voters must present a government issued picture ID with an (unexpired) expiration date. Accordingly, a current student at University of Texas cannot vote using his student ID. There are some young Americans and many older Americans who do not have this type of ID.
And how does someone prove he's a citizen? Must he provide a certified copy of his birth certificate? How many people have their certified copies of their birth certificates? I don't. And what about Americans like Ted Cruz who were born in a foreign country, must they prove proof that at least one of their parents was an American at the time of their birth?
There is no credible evidence whatsoever that voter fraud is anything but a minute matter. Voter personification is extremely hard to successfully pull-off. If a voter is turned away from his polling location because someone already voted in his place, that voter would be an overnight sensation in the right-wing media. Same with a noncitizen caught attempting to vote.
I live in a VERY Blue state which DOES have a voter id requirement, and has for as long as I can remember. No one seems to have a problem with it. I'm just not getting this argument from the Left that requiring someone to show an ID before they vote is somehow racist or disenfranchising. Makes no sense to me, unless the goal is to encourage or enable fraud.
First, I haven't said voter ID laws are racist. In fact, I stay away from the word "racist" - people have different definitions for that term. Instead, I substitute racially discriminatory or racially bigoted. And I do NOT necessarily think that voter ID laws are that.
All states I think have a type of voter ID law, although I could be wrong.. In Hawaii, before we had mail-in voting, if you didn't have a driver's license, a state issued ID or any other type of picture ID, you could establish your ID by showing a utility bill with your name and address on it. Hawaii also made accommodations - I'm not sure what they were - for homeless people. With mail-in voting, our ID is confirmed with a statement under penalty of law and our signature. For example, the State of Hawaii has on file several different of my signatures, depending on which hand I've used and how much of a hurry I'm in - how they got them I know not.
Did you read my entire comment above? What I think might discourage qualified voters from voting is a voter ID law that requires an unexpired, current, state issued, picture ID AND proof of American citizenship. Obviously, student ID's are unacceptable under such a law because they don't have an expiration date, or at least the ones I'm aware of. In addition, expired, state issued, picture ID's are also unacceptable.
Second, how does one provide proof of citizenship? If an unexpired driver's license or an unexpired, current, state issued, picture ID is sufficient to prove citizenship, then why does the law add that you must ALSO prove citizenship IN ADDITION TO providing the requisite ID? Must you show a certified copy of your birth certificate? If you were born in a foreign country - like Ted Cruz was - how do you prove that at least one of your parents was an American at the time of your birth?
For many Americans such a law would be burdensome, especially for parents - many of them single parents - raising young children - who work one or two jobs. Additionally, many Americans do not drive.
As I said above, studies have shown that voter impersonation and noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare. Dollars-to-donuts this issue has been championed by many in the national GOP not because they fear such voter fraud but because they think it will help depress the Democratic turn-out. Both parties engage in voter suppression techniques, e.g. trash talking each other. A few of the advocates of this voter ID law, for example Bill O'Reilly, have let the truth spill in other contexts, saying that they don't think that everyone qualified to vote should vote.
Again, I might be "flying in the dark" - as one of my profs used to say - because I haven't read the bill. I have heard it reported on, however. As is typical, reporting on this bill has been vague and deficient as far as I can tell. As Popeye the Sailor, I mean Ross Perot, liked to say, the devil is in the details.
John, I agree re. Peter Navarro. Why is Pres Trump giving so much stock in what he advises? Do you lean towards the thought China is being underestimated here? I do. China's citizens have zero say in their politics- our country's citizens lay the pressure on, thus influencing to a point. And I agree, too much authority given to the President with tariffs- Congress needs more input authority. Absolutely.
Question for Friday,
John, do you think at some point, if these tariffs continue and tank the markets and people feel the effects, do you think that would be enough to change the minds of the religious MAGA movement to give up on protectionism and populism?
Ed G
Nailed it straight out the gate on every question this week John. It's like you read my mind!😉
China upped their tariffs on US goods to match Trump's 125%.
It doesn't take a stable genius to know which country is going to lose out the most in that arrangement. Hint: - It's not China.
It's going to be a very long 3½ years knowing This administration will likely do something very stupid or illegal, without notice, at any given point in time. Trump proved his word means nothing to both American citizens and allies alike.
Friends don't treat other mutual friends like Trump treats the rest of the world, i.e with impunity, abuse, and with a total disregard for
relationships that have been forged over decades.
With "friends" like that..
Yup, China has no human rights sentiments and will make their citizens suffer immensely, as opposed to Americans who holler and bitch over the slightest inconvenience. China would prevail, Navarro and Trump underestimate their President. Having the whole planet pissed at us is NOT to our advantage; all at the same time, nonetheless. Not good.
One factor that has not been reported, as far as I can tell, is that we have predominantly a consumer economy. We buy far more consumer products than China and most other countries.
You are assuming Navarro and Bessent have some kind of idea they know what is happening.
They aren't 'underestimating' Trump because they are in the dark about the machinations of Trump's brain - like everyone else. That is clearly evident over the last week.
Pres Trump can never 'eat crow', or be ever wrong, never. It's his character. He has flaws he can't/won't control, and that is going to be his downfall one day. This makes me nervous.
I was meaning they underestimate the Chinese President, not Pres Trump.
I meant underestimate the Chinese President, not Pres Trump.
<Hi Rob. I haven’t actually read the legislation, but I’m among that 84% that thinks a voter ID requirement is a good idea. Democrats have long argued that making voters go through that hoop amounts to voter suppression, but I’ve never understood that reasoning. Like you said, identification is required for all kinds of things less important than voting.>
I haven't yet read the bill either, but chances are that, if passed, it'll result in a lot more eligible voters not voting than in discouraging ineligible people from trying to vote. On the surface, it sounds like a good idea, but as many such ideas it has difficulties if you think about it.
As I understand it, voters must prove two things - that they are who they say they are with an "appropriate" picture ID and that they are American citizens.
If it's anything like the Texas voter ID law (I don't know if it's still in effect), voters must present a government issued picture ID with an (unexpired) expiration date. Accordingly, a current student at University of Texas cannot vote using his student ID. There are some young Americans and many older Americans who do not have this type of ID.
And how does someone prove he's a citizen? Must he provide a certified copy of his birth certificate? How many people have their certified copies of their birth certificates? I don't. And what about Americans like Ted Cruz who were born in a foreign country, must they prove proof that at least one of their parents was an American at the time of their birth?
There is no credible evidence whatsoever that voter fraud is anything but a minute matter. Voter personification is extremely hard to successfully pull-off. If a voter is turned away from his polling location because someone already voted in his place, that voter would be an overnight sensation in the right-wing media. Same with a noncitizen caught attempting to vote.
I live in a VERY Blue state which DOES have a voter id requirement, and has for as long as I can remember. No one seems to have a problem with it. I'm just not getting this argument from the Left that requiring someone to show an ID before they vote is somehow racist or disenfranchising. Makes no sense to me, unless the goal is to encourage or enable fraud.
First, I haven't said voter ID laws are racist. In fact, I stay away from the word "racist" - people have different definitions for that term. Instead, I substitute racially discriminatory or racially bigoted. And I do NOT necessarily think that voter ID laws are that.
All states I think have a type of voter ID law, although I could be wrong.. In Hawaii, before we had mail-in voting, if you didn't have a driver's license, a state issued ID or any other type of picture ID, you could establish your ID by showing a utility bill with your name and address on it. Hawaii also made accommodations - I'm not sure what they were - for homeless people. With mail-in voting, our ID is confirmed with a statement under penalty of law and our signature. For example, the State of Hawaii has on file several different of my signatures, depending on which hand I've used and how much of a hurry I'm in - how they got them I know not.
Did you read my entire comment above? What I think might discourage qualified voters from voting is a voter ID law that requires an unexpired, current, state issued, picture ID AND proof of American citizenship. Obviously, student ID's are unacceptable under such a law because they don't have an expiration date, or at least the ones I'm aware of. In addition, expired, state issued, picture ID's are also unacceptable.
Second, how does one provide proof of citizenship? If an unexpired driver's license or an unexpired, current, state issued, picture ID is sufficient to prove citizenship, then why does the law add that you must ALSO prove citizenship IN ADDITION TO providing the requisite ID? Must you show a certified copy of your birth certificate? If you were born in a foreign country - like Ted Cruz was - how do you prove that at least one of your parents was an American at the time of your birth?
For many Americans such a law would be burdensome, especially for parents - many of them single parents - raising young children - who work one or two jobs. Additionally, many Americans do not drive.
As I said above, studies have shown that voter impersonation and noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare. Dollars-to-donuts this issue has been championed by many in the national GOP not because they fear such voter fraud but because they think it will help depress the Democratic turn-out. Both parties engage in voter suppression techniques, e.g. trash talking each other. A few of the advocates of this voter ID law, for example Bill O'Reilly, have let the truth spill in other contexts, saying that they don't think that everyone qualified to vote should vote.
Again, I might be "flying in the dark" - as one of my profs used to say - because I haven't read the bill. I have heard it reported on, however. As is typical, reporting on this bill has been vague and deficient as far as I can tell. As Popeye the Sailor, I mean Ross Perot, liked to say, the devil is in the details.
John, I agree re. Peter Navarro. Why is Pres Trump giving so much stock in what he advises? Do you lean towards the thought China is being underestimated here? I do. China's citizens have zero say in their politics- our country's citizens lay the pressure on, thus influencing to a point. And I agree, too much authority given to the President with tariffs- Congress needs more input authority. Absolutely.