American Politics 4.0 - Orangeyou Glad He’s Back?

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by direwolf

Also, putting tariffs on cars to try and "shut down" Canadian auto plants would also result in U.S. auto plants shutting down as well and thousands of Americans losing their jobs. Dude has completely lost the plot.

I was worried that Ford's move would send Trump into a rage and I was right. Perhaps he should remove that surcharge? Do we back down from the bully on this one thing? I don't know anymore. With him declaring a "national emergency" in that region and to "do what has to be done", this is making me feel like we're days away from U.S. tanks rolling across the Ontario border. Trump is obviously a complete dumbass who still doesn't seem to know how tariffs really work. But this is legit starting to get scary now.

No, we don't back down now. We should be untied as a country banning or tariffing all energy exports and anything else they need to function in the very short term. THEN we go with a package plan to remove all of these things, in exchange for things. Backing off now is a sign of huge weakness, and Trump will roll over us knowing a few measly threats are enough to make us cower.


I really hate to say it, but Ford is exactly the type of politician to know how to do this, but I also feel better knowing there is a PM above him to keep him on the rails.

[Leondros]

Originally Posted by GGG

It’s covered in the article. They recover much of it each year,

What do you think the accuracy of Social Secuity payments should be?

Read through it and am now informed on that side. Thanks. $28B in 2023 is still a large sum of money. For reference NASA's total annual budget is roughly $25B.

I still think the target of entitlements through fraud needs to be looked at on the GOA reports I have read through. I have an audit/forensics background believe that, including in Canada, most of these findings never get addressed. Its a nice change to see some action being taken is all I'm saying and entitlements are absolutely a place of material impact that could be made.

The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Office of the Inspector General reported that, from Fiscal Years 2015 through 2022, the SSA made nearly $72 billion in improper payments, primarily overpayments. This amount represented less than 1% of the total benefits disbursed during that period. As of the end of Fiscal Year 2023, the SSA had an uncollected overpayment balance of $23 billion.

https://oig.ssa.gov/news-releases/20...ce=chatgpt.com

Since 2003, federal agencies have reported approximately $2.8 trillion in improper payments, with annual figures exceeding $150 billion over the past seven years. Notably, in fiscal year 2023, nine programs susceptible to significant improper payments failed to report estimates as required. Programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, and the Earned Income Tax Credit collectively accounted for about 80% of the total government-wide reported improper payment estimate for that year.

https://files.gao.gov/reports/GAO-25...ce=chatgpt.com

The GAO estimates that fraud related to COVID-19-era unemployment benefits ranges between $100 billion and $135 billion. Efforts to recover these funds are constrained by the approaching five-year statute of limitations, with projections indicating that as little as 0.8% of the defrauded amount may be recovered.

https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/...ce=chatgpt.com

[Ryan Coke]

Hopefully, this turns into the bargaining chip to get Trump to make a longer term agreement on Tarriffs, and then sell it as his great negotiating to eliminate the electricity charge.

One of those throw away negotiation points that you put in that you know you’ll drop when needed.

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

No, we don't back down now. We should be untied as a country banning or tariffing all energy exports and anything else they need to function in the very short term. THEN we go with a package plan to remove all of these things, in exchange for things. Backing off now is a sign of huge weakness, and Trump will roll over us knowing a few measly threats are enough to make us cower.


I really hate to say it, but Ford is exactly the type of politician to know how to do this, but I also feel better knowing there is a PM above him to keep him on the rails.

I agree we need to be unified and I hope you're right. The stock market already appears to be tanking after his tweet about the extra aluminum & steel tariffs, and American business leaders will likely be putting a lot of pressure on him today and telling him to settle down.

[Leondros]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

He is big mad this morning while the Dow freefalls again

@realDonaldTrump

Based on Ontario, Canada, placing a 25% Tariff on “Electricity” coming into the United States, I have instructed my Secretary of Commerce to ad an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. This will go into effect TOMORROW MORNING, March 12th. Also, Canada must immediately drop their Anti-American Farmer Tariff of 250% to 390% on various U.S. dairy products, which has long been considered outrageous. I will shortly be declaring a National Emergency on Electricity within the threatened area. This will allow the U.S to quickly do what has to be done to alleviate this abusive threat from Canada. If other egregious, long time Tariffs are not likewise dropped by Canada, I will substantially increase, on April 2nd, the Tariffs on Cars coming into the U.S. which will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada. Those cars can easily be made in the USA! Also, Canada pays very little for National Security, relying on the United States for military protection. We are subsidizing Canada to the tune of more than 200 Billion Dollars a year. WHY??? This cannot continue. The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State. This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear. Canadians taxes will be very substantially reduced, they will be more secure, militarily and otherwise, than ever before, there would no longer be a Northern Border problem, and the greatest and most powerful nation in the World will be bigger, better and stronger than ever — And Canada will be a big part of that. The artificial line of separation drawn many years ago will finally disappear, and we will have the safest and most beautiful Nation anywhere in the World — And your brilliant anthem, “O Canada,” will continue to play, but now representing a GREAT and POWERFUL STAE within the greatest nation the world has ever seen.

Dude is so unhinged...

[Leondros]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

No, we don't back down now. We should be untied as a country banning or tariffing all energy exports and anything else they need to function in the very short term. THEN we go with a package plan to remove all of these things, in exchange for things. Backing off now is a sign of huge weakness, and Trump will roll over us knowing a few measly threats are enough to make us cower.


I really hate to say it, but Ford is exactly the type of politician to know how to do this, but I also feel better knowing there is a PM above him to keep him on the rails.

I agree with much of this but its always concerning seeing a bully dealing with another bully but that bully has a much bigger stick. Agreed on the PM comment as well, Ford in charge would be an absolute tinder box.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by direwolf

I was worried that Ford's move would send Trump into a rage and I was right. Perhaps he should remove that surcharge? Do we back down from the bully on this one thing? I don't know anymore.

Nope, once you've taken a position (i.e. these stay until all tariffs are removed) you can't really back down from it or it'll be taken as a sign of weakness and the WH will just be emboldened. Just have to leave everything as it is now and ride it out. The correct move is to do nothing in response to the extra 25% and focus everyone on the end of that tweet - if it's possible to make the story about "hey look, he's serious, he actually intends to try to take over Canada", that is the win, because no one down there wants this type of aggression. But they're not talking about it on the news down there because no one takes it seriously but us.

[WideReceiver]

Nm

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by Leondros

Dude is so unhinged...

And you know he probably typed that while sitting on the toilet. His earlier tweet from last night was still just as dumb, but a little less unhinged. My guess is the stock market taking a nosedive set him off into a rage this morning. And that was mostly because of his interview over the weekend where he wouldn't confirm or deny that a recession might be coming.

@realDonaldTrump


Despite the fact that Canada is charging the USA from 250% to 390% Tariffs on many of our farm products, Ontario just announced a 25% surcharge on “electricity,” of all things, and your not even allowed to do that. Because our Tariffs are reciprocal, we’ll just get it all back on April 2. Canada is a Tariff abuser, and always has been, but the United States is not going to be subsidizing Canada any longer. We don’t need your Cars, we don’t need your Lumber, we don’t your Energy, and very soon, you will find that out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

So Trumps response to Ford putting an export tax on electricity, which Americans pay, is to put higher import taxes on steel & aluminum, which Americans will pay. He really is the dumbest mother####er to ever hold office

Orange Rapist still does not know how tariffs work. Maybe the author of My Pet Goat can draw it out for him.

[Nufy]

Orange man says he is now gonna buy a Tesla to support Elon...

Thing is he probably wont pay for it...

[Leondros]

Originally Posted by direwolf

And you know he probably typed that while sitting on the toilet. His earlier tweet from last night was still just as dumb, but a little less unhinged. My guess is the stock market taking a nosedive set him off into a rage this morning. And that was mostly because of his interview over the weekend where he wouldn't confirm or deny that a recession might be coming.

Spoke with Analysts the last day and a half and they don't know what to do. On the bond side they didn't really know which way to go. Mid-terms are really the next inflection point in terms of stabilization which is a full year and a half. Markets are going to be extra choppy but the volatility should stabilize once people get desensitized to the rhetoric/headlines.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Nufy

Orange man says he is now gonna buy a Tesla to support Elon...

Thing is he probably wont pay for it...

Or actually buy one.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Nufy

Orange man says he is now gonna buy a Tesla to support Elon...

Thing is he probably wont pay for it...

When is the last the rapist drove a car? haha. Maybe he will crash be consumed in the battery fire.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

When is the last the rapist drove a car? haha. Maybe he will crash be consumed in the battery fire.

https://www.rd.com/article/things-fo...allowed-to-do/

As much as they may want to, former presidents aren’t permitted to drive themselves around. “A rule created after John F. Kennedy was assassinated is that ex-presidents no longer can drive on open streets or roads—only private property,”

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by direwolf

And you know he probably typed that while sitting on the toilet. His earlier tweet from last night was still just as dumb, but a little less unhinged. My guess is the stock market taking a nosedive set him off into a rage this morning. And that was mostly because of his interview over the weekend where he wouldn't confirm or deny that a recession might be coming.

@realDonaldTrump


Despite the fact that Canada is charging the USA from 250% to 390% Tariffs on many of our farm products, Ontario just announced a 25% surcharge on “electricity,” of all things, and your not even allowed to do that. Because our Tariffs are reciprocal, we’ll just get it all back on April 2. Canada is a Tariff abuser, and always has been, but the United States is not going to be subsidizing Canada any longer. We don’t need your Cars, we don’t need your Lumber, we don’t your Energy, and very soon, you will find that out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!

Trump sounds like a typical child bully crying to an adult the minute someone stands up for themselves.

The indignance is fascinating. Canada using tariffs and they aren't allowed to do that! They are abusing us!

Spoiler!

[direwolf]

Trump's annoying Nazi press secretary just mentioned Doug Ford by name, saying that his threat to cut off electricity completely is the reason for the 25% increase in steel & aluminum tariffs. So it's not even about the initial 25% surcharge and is obviously personal. Trump is clearly just butthurt over Ford's threat.

As much as I've liked Ford's strong response, I honestly hope that the Feds tell him to cool his jets for now and just leave things as is until at least April 2nd. Don't escalate this any further from our side and just continue with the dollar for dollar equal tariffs.

CBC mentioned that Carney has already spoken to Ford over the phone today and will be meeting with him tomorrow.

[Muta]

Ford also had very nice things to say about Carney recently after his election, that he is a smart guy, knows what he's doing and they're on the same page economically. Not a good look for conservative unity, but definitely something mature and classy for Ford to say in the face of partisan politics.

[Drak]

Originally Posted by direwolf

Trump's annoying Nazi press secretary just mentioned Doug Ford by name, saying that his threat to cut off electricity completely is the reason for the 25% increase in steel & aluminum tariffs. So it's not even about the initial 25% surcharge and is obviously personal. Trump is clearly just butthurt over Ford's threat.

As much as I've liked Ford's strong response, I honestly hope that the Feds tell him to cool his jets for now and just leave things as is until at least April 2nd. Don't escalate this any further from our side and just continue with the dollar for dollar equal tariffs.

CBC mentioned that Carney has already spoken to Ford over the phone today and will be meeting with him tomorrow.

My conspiracy hat is kicking on wondering if Ford is doing this on purpose to give Trump an excuse to escalate. I know Ford is a different kind of conservative but I just don’t trust them. I know I know, it’s crazy.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by direwolf

Trump's annoying Nazi press secretary just mentioned Doug Ford by name, saying that his threat to cut off electricity completely is the reason for the 25% increase in steel & aluminum tariffs. So it's not even about the initial 25% surcharge and is obviously personal. Trump is clearly just butthurt over Ford's threat.

As much as I've liked Ford's strong response, I honestly hope that the Feds tell him to cool his jets for now and just leave things as is until at least April 2nd. Don't escalate this any further from our side and just continue with the dollar for dollar equal tariffs.

CBC mentioned that Carney has already spoken to Ford over the phone today and will be meeting with him tomorrow.

Kinew has pretty much taken the same stance as Ford. Manitoba might not be as influential as Ontario, but they do provide some electricity to the U.S.