See, even the way you explained it is miles above what they said. Claiming the trade balance is unjust but leaving out a major component reeks of dishonesty. How can anyone trust them ?
See, even the way you explained it is miles above what they said. Claiming the trade balance is unjust but leaving out a major component reeks of dishonesty. How can anyone trust them ?
I don't trust them at all, I just needed them to beat the alternative. I expect to like 60% of his policies. He has been delivering in spades for me on those. The rest is a dice game.
I admire your ability to ignore harm to people for your own profit. What are some policies that I too could profit from?
Maybe investing in currently-sanctioned Russian companies? Odds of Russian sanctions being removed are better than even, IMO.
"your ability to ignore harm to people for your own profit" Hey friend, not really sure why you are being passive aggressive with me? I'm not ignoring harm to people, my wife's 401k is red. I very much dislike the panic that people are experiencing right now watching their retirement plunge.
"I don't trust them at all, I just needed them to beat the alternative" Did you think this meant regarding his economic policies as in make money from them? I did not vote for him on the economy at all. If I see a way to hedge against what's coming, of course I will do that. Would be foolish not to.
By alternative I meant the other option for president. If you are angry at me for that, then so be it but you don't know me, we can be civil. You are free to just not comment.
You seem like a level headed dood and we seem to agree that their current strategy is incomprehensible apparently to both supporters and non-supporters alike.
You mentioned he delivered/will deliver on roughly 60% of the things you were looking for.
Do you draw the line somewhere and say, even if I get 60% of things I want, the other 40% could be/are a real dealbreaker ?
It's a very common thing for politicians to deliver on some things that are inconsequential while pursuing their own private agenda for other things.
In my home country there's a saying about politicians: He stole, but he also delivered. The social contract is that as long as the politician does 10% common good, (usually highly visible, populist, short term stuff) he can pursue his own interests be they short term, or long term, even if they are detrimental to the society as a whole - as long as he delivered some short term results.
I voted against Trump twice before I voted for him this time and switched full republican. First time ever voting republican, always been a democrat.
"Do you draw the line somewhere and say, even if I get 60% of things I want, the other 40% could be/are a real dealbreaker"
Absolutely as soon as we fall into secret police and citizens being taken in the night and put in camps or falling out of windows, that's the line for me. He has already come close to it. Censorship is another issue for me but that is not really his thing.
I am quite angry at the insanity with the El Salvador prisons and the man "mistakenly" taken. That's something I am watching. I did vote for him on the border though and removing people that are here illegally. So I have to temper that with the knowledge that the process is not a nice one and there is going to be violence and mistakes will be made. That is the stark reality of calling for enforcement of laws though, law is only law when backed by state sanctioned violence.
"He stole, but he also delivered" I like this and I think this aligns with my outlook. I know Trump is going to make moves to enrich himself, and I am ok with it as long as its not blatant and as long as it causes little collateral damage. I don't think this is one of those things. I think he genuinely believes that doing this with the tariffs is a good thing.
I mentioned it in another of my comments if you want to find it, on how the crashing stock market allows the government to refinance $10 trillion for lower rates. I think that's the goal here. That and rebuilding manufacturing and punishing China. I have no idea how this plays out though. Its possible he doesn't either.
Trump is a lot of things but he is not an idiot. He could not still be here if he was, he gets away with things that would sink anyone else. On top of that he has Musk and that man is also a lot of things but he is one of if not the smartest most driven man on the planet.
Trump is not a nice man, I know that but it will take a brutal man to carry out the social policies I voted for and not collapse under the constant criticism. I knew from the beginning it was a deal with the devil.
So I will watch how it plays out.
The other side was just so much more dangerous long term in my opinion. I wont go into my reasoning, this is not the place for that and it's not relevant to the conversation. Just know I am very comfortable with my vote on those grounds.
So I will remain cautiously optimistic that there is a plan and rational. Trump is Trump but there are some very capable people on the economics and finance side of the house.
At this point in the game I would vote the same way again without hesitation. It's only been 100 days though.
With all due respect, and I understand that you probably mean well, but did 2 different people write this?
You're drawing the line at things that are already happening. Legal citizens are being put into literal camps (the fact it's a modern warehouse or a Salvadorian prison doesn't make it less of a camp) solely based on their appearance.
He's blatantly making moves to enrich himself (see meme coins, tariff back and forward, etc), and unless you live under a rock, the collateral damage should be clear to you now. He's constantly lying when he speaks and I'm sure an educated person as yourself can see that.
You say the other side was more dangerous long in the long term, and although I don't like either side either, it was clear which side was still progress.
You somehow got into a mental state where you're able to trust someone to do things in good will and at the same time say that he's "not a nice man".
You support what is being done, and at the same time you say you don't understand it and you admit it's possible he doesn't either.
Please, take a second to think why billionaires of all people, would be interested in doing anything that doesn't benefit them. They're billionaires because they spent their life doing just that, they don't care about you and I.
You're clinging to the hope that maybe what they're doing somehow benefits you, but you're not even sure how that would happen.
Well, I was attempting to give you the benefit of the doubt by assuming you weren't voting for his frankly sadistic and idiotic attempts to foster hatred of minorities as a scapegoat for his and others like him, decades of mismanagement.
Friend perhaps we can save the accusations of racism for Reddit