Hey you 'muricans ... get those Swiss watches pronto [tariffs and international trade]

Archer · Thurs. 2:23pm

BlackTalon
Nobody lies like The Donald. His lies are great! They are Huuuuuge! Men cry when they hear his lies -- big, burly, manly men.

Did you see the "Dear leader" cabinet meeting? Not the first time and likely not the last where the first and most important order of business is to praise Trump. Pam Bondi was particularly sickening, saying it was the best 100 days of any president ever. Then announced that Trump has "taken the handcuffs off" authorities, which should raise alarm bells for anyone living in the US. The next claim was that Trump saved 258 million lives reducing incoming fentanyl. So without Trump most of you in the US would already be dead! Praise be! ::facepalm1::

It feels like a bad parody of The Office...

Dan S · Thurs. 2:37pm

Archer
Did you see the "Dear leader" cabinet meeting? Not the first time and likely not the last where the first and most important order of business is to praise Trump. Pam Bondi was particularly sickening, saying it was the best 100 days of any president ever. Then announced that Trump has "taken the handcuffs off" authorities, which should raise alarm bells for anyone living in the US. The next claim was that Trump saved 258 million lives reducing incoming fentanyl. So without Trump most of you in the US would already be dead! Praise be!

It feels like a bad parody of The Office...

It was poor performance art ... embarrassing to watch. And in retrospect, it's hilarious to see Mike Waltz try to preserve his job by taking the suck-up to new levels.

fiberguy · Thurs. 3:00pm

Archer
It is the greatest coin flip in the history of coin flips! 🤣🤣🤣

Biggst coin ever, no one has ever had a bigger coin

watchyouwant · Thurs. 4:00pm

Archer
Did you see the "Dear leader" cabinet meeting? Not the first time and likely not the last where the first and most important order of business is to praise Trump. Pam Bondi was particularly sickening, saying it was the best 100 days of any president ever. Then announced that Trump has "taken the handcuffs off" authorities, which should raise alarm bells for anyone living in the US. The next claim was that Trump saved 258 million lives reducing incoming fentanyl. So without Trump most of you in the US would already be dead! Praise be!

It feels like a bad parody of The Office...

Whatever happens in the coming years in the USA, everything and every direction was clear long before your Country men elected him. TWICE. The dictator playbook was published as " Concept 2025 " for everyone to consider . Even Tariffs was nothing new . High time to re- consider your voting system. A 250 year old electoral college , is now just idiotic. Don't know who published this :

"There have been and still are lots of legal, nonviolent attempts to stop him, including two impeachments, civil and criminal convictions, and charges stemming from the 2020 election with the attempted coup and attempt to falsify election results in Georgia, the theft of national security documents. It's a disgrace the latter cases never came to trial, just as it's a disgrace the republican Senate refused to remove him from office after both impeachments.
In the first 100 days of trump2.0, we've seen the judiciary holding firm on the rule of law and the constitution, overwhelming ruling against the administration as they attempt to consolidate power. We've seen his popularity plummet, his "policies" destroy the country, nationwide protests involving millions of citizens, and even a little backbone from the supreme court.
It's very important to remember that getting rid of trump does nothing to get rid of the festering sore that surrounds him - the project 2025 dystopia, christian nationalists and their desire for a theocracy, the tech bros who want no taxes and no regulations on their quest to literally own the world.
A demented, vile egomaniac is the least of our worries."

Archer · Thurs. 4:06pm

watchyouwant
Whatever happens in the coming years in the USA, everything and every direction was clear long before your Country men elected him.

Just want to point out they were not my countrymen...😉

ErichPryde · Thurs. 4:07pm

Archer
Just want to point out they were not my countrymen...😉

Come off it, you didn't hear that Canada is already the 51st state?

😉

Archer · Thurs. 4:16pm

ErichPryde
Come off it, you didn't hear that Canada is already the 51st state?

😉

I can only say if it ever came true, the electoral college would look very different than it does now...something I don't think Trump really gets.

140dave · Thurs. 4:21pm

STANDY
Rice 🍚
The price of rice is about to get 🫣

Again, I only wade into this garbage fire once in a while, but just thought it worth mentioning that over 80% of rice consumed in the USA is domestically grown. It will actually reduce our rice prices on the shelf as our California growers typically export a large amount (over 40% of production) to Canada, Japan and other parts of the world. They wont have that market, they planted pre-tariff, so will have to dump it into the domestic market.

Not a win, don't take it that way, but the US consumer wont suffer buying rice this year.

Dan S · Thurs. 4:28pm

Archer
I can only say if it ever came true, the electoral college would look very different than it does now...something I don't think Trump really gets.

Like adding a second California (54 electoral votes), more or less. But only two senators. 🙄

BlackTalon · Thurs. 4:30pm

Archer
Did you see the "Dear leader" cabinet meeting? Not the first time and likely not the last where the first and most important order of business is to praise Trump. Pam Bondi was particularly sickening, saying it was the best 100 days of any president ever. Then announced that Trump has "taken the handcuffs off" authorities, which should raise alarm bells for anyone living in the US. The next claim was that Trump saved 258 million lives reducing incoming fentanyl. So without Trump most of you in the US would already be dead! Praise be!

It feels like a bad parody of The Office...

Sadly this crap goes down in my backyard. I had the privilege today of driving by the White House and properly saluting Don with the middle digits on each hand.

gatorcpa · Thurs. 4:47pm

watchyouwant
High time to re- consider your voting system. A 250 year old electoral college , is now just idiotic.

Can you explain why it is so idiotic and what should replace it? In 2024, Trump won the popular vote as well as the Electoral College.

The USA at the federal level is a Republic and has never been a true democracy. If we had a true democratic voting system for president, a candidate could win by appealing only to the population of a handful of big cities in a few states. That is just as true today as it was in 1787.

For most modern presidential elections, it is a few demographically diverse states (see the map above -- it is accurate at least with respect to the USA). All of those "black" states had something in common, a near 50/50 split between registered voters of both parties. Trump won a few more voters in each of those states and that won him the election.

If it were up to me, I'd have the electoral votes in a state split by Congressional districts, with the 2 votes in each state representing the Senators go statewide like it is now. A couple of smaller states actually do this (Nebraska and Maine). At least that way, all votes have a chance of affecting the makeup of the state electoral delegation. Large states like California, Texas and Florida will never go for this, as it dilutes their power on a national level.

It's not perfect, but find me something better.
gatorcpa

Archer · Thurs. 5:01pm

gatorcpa
It's not perfect, but find me something better.
gatorcpa

I would say the parliamentary system. Have you ever noticed that when the US sets up governments in countries they have invaded, that is what they set up? Not the system you have?

Dan S · Thurs. 5:04pm

gatorcpa
If it were up to me, I'd have the electoral votes in a state split by Congressional districts, with the 2 votes in each state representing the Senators go statewide like it is now. A couple of smaller states actually do this (Nebraska and Maine). At least that way, all votes have a chance of affecting the makeup of the state electoral delegation. Large states like California, Texas and Florida will never go for this, as it dilutes their power on a national level.

Agree with this suggestion. Also, as you probably know, a number of states have passed a law agreeing to give their electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote.

None of this solves the over-representation of tiny states in the senate, which is ridiculous.

gatorcpa · Thurs. 5:10pm

Dan S
Also, as you probably know, a number of states have passed a law agreeing to give their electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote.

Like 48 of them.
gatorcpa

glownyc · Thurs. 5:58pm

That map would look different without gerrymandering. We need logical universal rules and standards on how voting districts are divided. One party shouldn't be allowed to carve up the map so it looks like a abstract jigsaw puzzle for their own advantage.

We need universal rules and standards on access to voting. We shouldn't have voters in one part of the state get in and out with ease while others stand in line for hours.

We need a major overhaul of election interference laws. Things are majorly wrongs when it's illegal to hand out water to those voters standing in line for hours but perfectly legal for a billionaire to handout million dollar checks at a rally.

ErichPryde · Thurs. 6:02pm

glownyc
We need a major overhaul of election interference laws.

Citizens United- undo it. It's been a grand experiment and an even grander failure.

sxl2004 · Thurs. 6:07pm

One thing which makes the USA not a real democracy is that it has two classes of citizens.
The ones that can get elected for president and the ones like Schwarzenegger and me that cannot get elected for president.

Dsloan · Thurs. 6:10pm

ErichPryde
Citizens United- undo it. It's been a grand experiment and an even grander failure.

Ok, if we're taking a break from talking tariffs:

1) Eliminate or reform the electoral college.
2) Use stats to draw even-handed maps to avoid gerrymandering
3) Term limits for the supreme Court
4) End citizens United / campaign finance reform

There's more, but I think those reforms would be a good start. And, I dare say, refusal do the the above would be anti-democratic.

Then, I can worry less about the future and spend more money on watches.

ErichPryde · Thurs. 6:12pm

Dsloan
Ok, if we're taking a break from talking tariffs:

1) Eliminate or reform the electoral college.
2) Use stats to draw even-handed maps to avoid gerrymandering
3) Term limits for the supreme Court
4) End citizens United / campaign finance reform

There's more, but I think those reforms would be a good start. And, I dare say, refusal do the the above would be anti-democratic.

I shouldn't have posted it, I was going to loop this back to tariffs.

watchyouwant · Thurs. 6:14pm

glownyc
That map would look different without gerrymandering. We need logical universal rules and standards on how voting districts are divided. One party shouldn't be allowed to carve up the map so it looks like a abstract jigsaw puzzle for their own advantage.

We need universal rules and standards on access to voting. We shouldn't have voters in one part of the state get in and out with ease while others stand in line for hours.

We need a major overhaul of election interference laws. Things are majorly wrongs when it's illegal to hand out water to those voters standing in line for hours but perfectly legal for a billionaire to handout million dollar checks at a rally.

This.
Or make it democratic; voting compulsory with fines , if not attended. One citizen equals one vote. Open up the political landscape with more Parties instead of that rigid 2 party stuff. Get rid of your Leader , if she/he starts undemocratic actions , with all voters voting in a legally binding referendum , if that is triggered by a ( to be determined ) threshold number of all voters again.