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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#289651: Sep 10th 2019 at 6:44:27 AM

So, today is the NC special election. I reaaaaaally hope Dan Bishop crashes and burns.

Ultimatum Disasturbator from Second Star to the left (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Disasturbator
#289652: Sep 10th 2019 at 6:46:04 AM

Who is Dan Bishop and why should he crash and burn?

New theme music also a box
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#289654: Sep 10th 2019 at 8:11:49 AM

[up] What are these "horrific costs to the US and her people?" Less profits for the MN Cs who makes millions from relying on cheap Chinese labor with poor conditions? The real horrific cost IMO is American soft power and our economy being trapped in an abusive relationship with China, whose government is damnably clever enough to use the capitalist free-market economy that we are so proud of to cause our business leaders to happily apologize and surrender on everything ranging from how to label places on clothing, destinations on airline websites, and self-censorship in our film industry.

Do you seriously think costing companies millions isn't going to affect the American people? Are you kidding me? That's not how this works, it's not how this has ever worked.

When companies face costs they pass those costs onto their consumers. So if you deprive companies of the market which allows them to sell their product cheaply they'll merely raise the prices. Which hurts the general public.

Maybe just maybe if you're missing fundamental economic realities like this then your support for Trump's trade war should be reconsidered mistaken and misguided?

Companies work with China because of their massive labor market, even if decoupling from that is possible (and that is no certain thing, China's economy is very large) that doesn't mean that it's optimal. Making our consumer goods more expensive and hurting businesses when China applies counter-tariffs (for example, Farmers are barely staying afloat with Federal subsidies) has a very real human cost.

Economically trade benefits both of us, cutting it off because China has some problematic policies is the height of idiocy.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Sep 10th 2019 at 8:28:09 AM

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#289655: Sep 10th 2019 at 8:14:29 AM

[up]Oh, is that the old "China EVUL" argument rearing up? It's kind of shameful how many otherwise rational people will pull it out to justify self-destructive trade policies.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#289656: Sep 10th 2019 at 8:17:05 AM

That's exactly what's happening.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
TobiasDrake Queen of Good Things, Honest (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
Queen of Good Things, Honest
#289657: Sep 10th 2019 at 8:24:44 AM

China is an ugly regime with a lot of terrible practices and some human rights violations thrown in for good measure.

We are economically tied to them in a way that would take decades to untangle, as they are to us, and the effects of a trade war is potentially crippling to both nations.

These two statements are both true.

Also, on the "human rights violations" count, we've got a bit of a glass house of our own. That's not a good thing, nor is it a defense of China's violations. Just saying, that economic tangle wasn't exactly built on a foundation of goodwill towards man.

The hardest part about seeking to improve our country is figuring out how to build a stable and decent society on top of the foundation of blood and skulls that our predecessors left for us. And, also important, how to do it without causing the whole thing to come crashing down like a Jenga tower.

The Jenga tower option might sound cathartically good to people disillusioned with the horrors of our past, but that really just takes us back to Square One: Harvesting Blood and Skulls. Nobody benefits from a Jenga Tower collapse.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Sep 10th 2019 at 9:29:16 AM

My Tumblr. Currently liveblogging Haruhi Suzumiya and revisiting Danganronpa V3.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#289658: Sep 10th 2019 at 8:29:11 AM

[up]Sure, I don't think anyone disputes that they're both true. Just that China hurting people does not justify hurting more people by starting a trade war.

After all, if one wants to put pressure on China then instead of supporting Trump's idiotic trade war they can look to a candidate who is both skeptical of China and not an idiot, i.e Warren. I'm sure she'd employ much more efficacious, and non-self harming, tools to attack China

But yes, I entirely agree with your message.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Sep 10th 2019 at 8:29:52 AM

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
KazuyaProta Shin Megami Tensei IV from A Industrial Farm Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Shin Megami Tensei IV
#289659: Sep 10th 2019 at 8:31:24 AM

If Trump really wanted to hurt China, then he should have jointed the TPP. It literally was made to counter China

Watch me destroying my country
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#289660: Sep 10th 2019 at 8:32:59 AM

Indeed, but that would require an even slightly basic of understanding geopolitics and economics. Which is entirely beyond Trump.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
Medinoc Chaotic Greedy from France Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Chaotic Greedy
#289661: Sep 10th 2019 at 8:33:55 AM

[up][up]A shame it also countered its own citizens.

Edited by Medinoc on Sep 10th 2019 at 5:35:04 PM

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
KazuyaProta Shin Megami Tensei IV from A Industrial Farm Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#289663: Sep 10th 2019 at 8:37:48 AM

[up][up]It didn't "counter its own citizens", be serious. Yes, the issues progressives had with it should've been addressed but that's a laughable way to put it.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
KazuyaProta Shin Megami Tensei IV from A Industrial Farm Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Shin Megami Tensei IV
#289664: Sep 10th 2019 at 8:39:12 AM

I really don't get any argument against the TPP. Thought mainly because I'm personally invested on it because my country is one of the "lesser members".

Seriously, if USA was on it, a lot of It's issues would be lessened. The current TPP is the Plan B due to USA refusing

Edited by KazuyaProta on Sep 10th 2019 at 10:40:08 AM

Watch me destroying my country
Medinoc Chaotic Greedy from France Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Chaotic Greedy
#289665: Sep 10th 2019 at 9:01:58 AM

What I remember of the TPP's problems was:

  • Liberticide laws regarding copyright (obligation to censor sites and block access to foreign infringing websites, like in SOPA/PIPA). In fact, news about that part was how I learned TPP existed in the first place.
  • Problems about pharmacy, hampering genericization of lifesaving medicine
  • Allowing corporations to sue states, which, in early drafts, included allowing Tobacco corporations to sue states for anti-Tobacco campaigns.

People opposing TPP on the Dem side weren't "anti free trade", they were anti-"free trade agreements" that included such stuff.
People opposing TPP on the Republican side however...

Edited by Medinoc on Sep 10th 2019 at 6:05:45 PM

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#289666: Sep 10th 2019 at 9:04:21 AM

[up]Another problem IIRC, was that industry reps were allowed to see the drafting stages but neither the general public nor organized labor was able to see it. Which is probably why the rest of those issues existed.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
Medinoc Chaotic Greedy from France Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Chaotic Greedy
#289667: Sep 10th 2019 at 9:06:15 AM

In short, selling America to corporations, but somehow desirable because those corporations were American ones.

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
Parable State of Mind from California (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Holding out for a hero
State of Mind
#289668: Sep 10th 2019 at 9:13:07 AM

Bolton just got fired.

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#289669: Sep 10th 2019 at 9:15:33 AM

Just saw the notification from Reuters myself.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#289670: Sep 10th 2019 at 9:17:13 AM

I am so glad that Trump fired the psychotic maniac that he previously hired.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
Reflextion from a post-sanity world (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
#289671: Sep 10th 2019 at 9:18:17 AM

Wait until you see the psychotic maniac and/or incompetent who he replaces Bolton with before you say things like that, cause "Trump fires somebody bad, replaces them with someone WORSE" has been the background refrain of this administration.

Edited by Reflextion on Sep 10th 2019 at 12:19:15 PM

Medinoc Chaotic Greedy from France Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Chaotic Greedy
#289672: Sep 10th 2019 at 9:18:19 AM

So who will be his next, worse nomination?

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
PhysicalStamina so i made a new avatar from Who's askin'? Since: Apr, 2012 Relationship Status: It's so nice to be turned on again
so i made a new avatar
#289673: Sep 10th 2019 at 9:26:17 AM

I'm guessing Jesse Ventura.

To pity someone is to tell them "I feel bad about being better than you."
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#289674: Sep 10th 2019 at 9:28:41 AM

Wait until you see the psychotic maniac and/or incompetent who he replaces Bolton with before you say things like that, cause "Trump fires somebody bad, replaces them with someone WORSE" has been the background refrain of this administration.

No? I just said that I'm glad he fired the psychotic maniac, not that there won't be any bad person in the spot.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
TobiasDrake Queen of Good Things, Honest (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
Queen of Good Things, Honest
#289675: Sep 10th 2019 at 9:33:05 AM

I am so glad that Trump fired the psychotic maniac that he previously hired.

...hold on, let me cut off the first five words of that real quick, to make it a description instead of reaction.

Trump fired the psychotic maniac that he previously hired.

This. This, right here. This is how the headlines should describe what just happened.

But they won't.

My Tumblr. Currently liveblogging Haruhi Suzumiya and revisiting Danganronpa V3.

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