You know, for a bunch of people who get bent out of shape when we common folk "take matters into our own hands, especially where the sun don't shine," these same people will do it to themselves on the regular, especially when it comes to the U.S. economy. And the majority of the people of this country, whether they realize it or not, Did. Not. Consent. To. This. Self #u@!ing of the U.S. economy!!1!
All I hear going through my head any more all the time is "Road to Nowhere". All I see when I close my eyes are those scenes in the "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" with all the bourgeoisie going back and forth and back and forth on the road to nowhere. Can you explain it? Can you?!?!?!?
Well, a few of them are concealing their love for cocktail hour, which happens to be every hour that they aren't passed out from all of the excess alcohol that they consume.
This back-and-forth stuff puts me in mind of the fort / da (gone / there) game Freud observed his little grandchild playing, perhaps to assert control over the presence or absence of a thing. Trump throws the economy away, then splutters "da!" The grandkid was quite clever, but Trump, an elderly man, deserves no credit for this infantile game at all. It doesn't amount to trade policy.
Just wait until the next time that the proven rapist Trump has to distract from his latest terrible corrupt mistake, like taking an open bribe from an anti-Israel, pro Hamas state (actions that would get anyone else deported). This is what you will see, probably tomorrow:
Jamieson: sounds like he just swallowed a bunch of gravel, or maybe he's trying to sound like GERD-voice RFK Jr. (For those of you who don't know, a lot of folks who have GERD (reflux disease) sound gravelly.) Scott: recently starred in the blockbuster film, "Face of Wax."
The Fart of the Deal. By Donnie "Mad Taxer" Trump. Shoot off your own right leg and then declare victory even as you bleed to death. And the lame street media insists on categorizing you as a populist because large groups of moron racists support you even though you wounded everybody around you when you shot off your leg because you are such a bad shot and actually had been aiming at your left leg. Sheeesh.
"The world’s two biggest economies unwound for now most of the tariffs they had imposed on each other since April in a tit-for-tat battle that was threatening to stoke U.S. inflation, crash China’s export engine and upend the global economy." from the WSJ link
I'm sorry to disagree with the financial giants at the WSJ, but this statement is wrong:
* The "tit-for-tat" tariff increases was started and then fanned to a hotter flame by the Fulvous Fuckwad. The responses from China were more of a you need us more than we need you;
* Let's wait and see if the agreement holds or is torn asunder in 90 days, when the trade war cease-fire is scheduled to end (my money's on that the Pumpkin Pestilence will end up giving Xi more than he'll get in return);
* Mooseballs Mussolini is clueless as to what his tariffs have done, and are doing, to the US economy;
* The Mango Malignancy has blinked in almost -- if not every -- stare-down he has started with other governments; especially in his attempt to control the world financial market and other countries' governments through highly ill-advised tariffs;
* Nothing the Sociopathic Marigold Swamp Monster is doing economically will reduce the inflation his policies are creating (so long and good by to former Pres Biden's soft landing);
* Most of all: the WSJ is dead wrong on the Amber Ardipithecus ramidus' causing a crash in China's exports:
> "China’s exports surged in April on the back of a jump in shipments to Southeast Asian countries, offsetting a sharp drop in outbound goods to the U.S. as prohibitive tariffs kicked in.
Exports jumped 8.1% last month in U.S. dollar terms from a year earlier, according to data released by customs authority on Friday, sharply beating Reuters’ poll estimates of a 1.9% rise.
Imports slumped by just 0.2% in April from a year earlier, compared with economists’ expectations of a 5.9% drop.
Furthermore China has shown it's not as reliant on US exports as the Tangerine Tyrant insists:
> “Report: China halts US corn, soybean orders [headline]
We run the risk of immediate impacts this growing season, along with the impacts a prolonged trade war with China will inflict on our industry once again,” said Caleb Ragland, president of the ASA [American Soybean Association]. “The short-term disruptions are painful, but the long-term repercussions to our reputation, our reliability as a supplier, and the stability of those trading relationships are hard to even put into words. We’re still reeling from TW1 — Trade War One — and are certainly not thrilled about an extended TW2.” https://www.world-grain.com/articles/21302-report-china-halts-us-corn-soybean-orders
It's the triple M play at work. MASSIVE MARKET MANIPULATION. Good old fashioned "Pump and Dump". We get in trouble if we pull that ourselves. Who gave the WH a pass? The list is long I'm sure.
'China was demanding the tariffs be dropped to continue talking, even before the talk started. That was *their* demand. As we've covered from the beginning, they've been pretty consistent: "if you want to talk, you have to get rid of the tariffs." Trump got rid of the tariffs, and now they're going to talk. The US is announcing a major trade breakthrough that is really "Hey, we did what they wanted."'
...
'What was [all the chaos: layoffs, supply-chain disruptions, stock-market crash, etc] for? *Nothing.* What, a promise to continue talking? There was no "long-term gain" for "short-term pain." [...] It wasn't bringing manufacturing back: companies were moving their supply chains out of China... into other countries, not the US. It wasn't a meaningful source of revenue, because the imports stopped; ships literally just stopped coming. Therefore, there was nothing to tax, so it's not replacing income tax. Prices didn't stay the same: they went up, and don't expect them to come back down, because of price stickiness and the uncertainty that will continue. There weren't new jobs: in fact, people were being laid off or having their hours cut, because the US needs those imports. It didn't increase economic activity: the GDP took a hit. In other words what all of the economists said would happen, happened.'
...
'As you digest all the great economic news that will surely come out today, remember it's happening because Trump promised to stop kicking the US economy in the teeth... for the next 90 days.'
Art of the Capitulation
Jeebus! Is that *really* an eleven *hour* long video of a press conference? WTF did they have to talk about for eleven hours?
All right, it looks like it ends at 9 hours and some change before switching to essentially a test pattern. But still -- a nine hour press conference?
That's Swiss timing for ya.
Ta, Marcie. When will it end?
You know, for a bunch of people who get bent out of shape when we common folk "take matters into our own hands, especially where the sun don't shine," these same people will do it to themselves on the regular, especially when it comes to the U.S. economy. And the majority of the people of this country, whether they realize it or not, Did. Not. Consent. To. This. Self #u@!ing of the U.S. economy!!1!
All I hear going through my head any more all the time is "Road to Nowhere". All I see when I close my eyes are those scenes in the "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" with all the bourgeoisie going back and forth and back and forth on the road to nowhere. Can you explain it? Can you?!?!?!?
Why do all these “real Republican men” wear more makeup than a $10 hooker.
And their "Brazilians." Holy crap.
It’s the “Dear Leader” look.
Well, a few of them are concealing their love for cocktail hour, which happens to be every hour that they aren't passed out from all of the excess alcohol that they consume.
More makeup than a drag-queen story hour
"Age Defying"
This back-and-forth stuff puts me in mind of the fort / da (gone / there) game Freud observed his little grandchild playing, perhaps to assert control over the presence or absence of a thing. Trump throws the economy away, then splutters "da!" The grandkid was quite clever, but Trump, an elderly man, deserves no credit for this infantile game at all. It doesn't amount to trade policy.
"da!"
"Da" means "there" in German, but it means "yes, indeedy!" in Russian.
There's layers to your analysis.
Da, eta pravda. I’m a lizard of many layers.
Just wait until the next time that the proven rapist Trump has to distract from his latest terrible corrupt mistake, like taking an open bribe from an anti-Israel, pro Hamas state (actions that would get anyone else deported). This is what you will see, probably tomorrow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEg4F9csPzo
"Normally always I do not drink or "imbibe" as the kids are saying these days, but this Molotov cocktail -- Wow!"
Are you better off than you were 4 months ago?
Oh, Hell naw!
Jamieson: sounds like he just swallowed a bunch of gravel, or maybe he's trying to sound like GERD-voice RFK Jr. (For those of you who don't know, a lot of folks who have GERD (reflux disease) sound gravelly.) Scott: recently starred in the blockbuster film, "Face of Wax."
The Fart of the Deal. By Donnie "Mad Taxer" Trump. Shoot off your own right leg and then declare victory even as you bleed to death. And the lame street media insists on categorizing you as a populist because large groups of moron racists support you even though you wounded everybody around you when you shot off your leg because you are such a bad shot and actually had been aiming at your left leg. Sheeesh.
"The world’s two biggest economies unwound for now most of the tariffs they had imposed on each other since April in a tit-for-tat battle that was threatening to stoke U.S. inflation, crash China’s export engine and upend the global economy." from the WSJ link
I'm sorry to disagree with the financial giants at the WSJ, but this statement is wrong:
* The "tit-for-tat" tariff increases was started and then fanned to a hotter flame by the Fulvous Fuckwad. The responses from China were more of a you need us more than we need you;
* Let's wait and see if the agreement holds or is torn asunder in 90 days, when the trade war cease-fire is scheduled to end (my money's on that the Pumpkin Pestilence will end up giving Xi more than he'll get in return);
* Mooseballs Mussolini is clueless as to what his tariffs have done, and are doing, to the US economy;
* The Mango Malignancy has blinked in almost -- if not every -- stare-down he has started with other governments; especially in his attempt to control the world financial market and other countries' governments through highly ill-advised tariffs;
* Nothing the Sociopathic Marigold Swamp Monster is doing economically will reduce the inflation his policies are creating (so long and good by to former Pres Biden's soft landing);
* Most of all: the WSJ is dead wrong on the Amber Ardipithecus ramidus' causing a crash in China's exports:
> "China’s exports surged in April on the back of a jump in shipments to Southeast Asian countries, offsetting a sharp drop in outbound goods to the U.S. as prohibitive tariffs kicked in.
Exports jumped 8.1% last month in U.S. dollar terms from a year earlier, according to data released by customs authority on Friday, sharply beating Reuters’ poll estimates of a 1.9% rise.
Imports slumped by just 0.2% in April from a year earlier, compared with economists’ expectations of a 5.9% drop.
China’s shipments to the U.S. plunged over 21% in April year on year, while imports dropped nearly 14%, according to CNBC’s calculation of official customs data." https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/09/chinas-exports-jump-us-tariffs-imports-tumble.html
Furthermore China has shown it's not as reliant on US exports as the Tangerine Tyrant insists:
> “Report: China halts US corn, soybean orders [headline]
We run the risk of immediate impacts this growing season, along with the impacts a prolonged trade war with China will inflict on our industry once again,” said Caleb Ragland, president of the ASA [American Soybean Association]. “The short-term disruptions are painful, but the long-term repercussions to our reputation, our reliability as a supplier, and the stability of those trading relationships are hard to even put into words. We’re still reeling from TW1 — Trade War One — and are certainly not thrilled about an extended TW2.” https://www.world-grain.com/articles/21302-report-china-halts-us-corn-soybean-orders
fnord
It's the triple M play at work. MASSIVE MARKET MANIPULATION. Good old fashioned "Pump and Dump". We get in trouble if we pull that ourselves. Who gave the WH a pass? The list is long I'm sure.
Let's talk about Trump folding to China....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FTwOBUF_qY
'China was demanding the tariffs be dropped to continue talking, even before the talk started. That was *their* demand. As we've covered from the beginning, they've been pretty consistent: "if you want to talk, you have to get rid of the tariffs." Trump got rid of the tariffs, and now they're going to talk. The US is announcing a major trade breakthrough that is really "Hey, we did what they wanted."'
...
'What was [all the chaos: layoffs, supply-chain disruptions, stock-market crash, etc] for? *Nothing.* What, a promise to continue talking? There was no "long-term gain" for "short-term pain." [...] It wasn't bringing manufacturing back: companies were moving their supply chains out of China... into other countries, not the US. It wasn't a meaningful source of revenue, because the imports stopped; ships literally just stopped coming. Therefore, there was nothing to tax, so it's not replacing income tax. Prices didn't stay the same: they went up, and don't expect them to come back down, because of price stickiness and the uncertainty that will continue. There weren't new jobs: in fact, people were being laid off or having their hours cut, because the US needs those imports. It didn't increase economic activity: the GDP took a hit. In other words what all of the economists said would happen, happened.'
...
'As you digest all the great economic news that will surely come out today, remember it's happening because Trump promised to stop kicking the US economy in the teeth... for the next 90 days.'
Perhaps Mexico will be paying for all of this?
Art o da dealio!
Trump declares insane tariff. Targeted nation reciprocates. Trump and targeted nation agree to ratchet down insane tariffs. Trump claims victory because he "made" TN "back down."
It is all so fucking transparent and ridiculous that you'd think a 10-year-old wouldn't be fooled. But here we are.
A 10-year-old wouldn't be fooled, but MAGA is
MAGA's one consistency is that they'll believe anything but the truth.
Tariffs are only being ratcheted down to moderately insane levels. Returning to sanity is off the table.