Donald Trump the Megathread part II

ancapailldorcha · 10-07-2025 11:05AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123619928#Comment_123619928

I actually think he does. He takes the medieval view that a trade deficit mean that all your money is going abroad and this flow must be reversed. This concern is as nothing compared with his obsession with himself but it is something he's been consistent on. Obviously, he is intellectually incapable of understanding the situation and therefore will only make things worse.

Quin_Dub · 10-07-2025 11:12AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123619967#Comment_123619967

On some levels, I agree. He has a very simple zero sum approach to everything and in his mind a "Trade deficit" somehow means the US (and he considers himself to be the US now) is "losing".

But infinitely more important to him is his ego and he will sacrifice anything and anyone to protect that, so the second he starts getting backlash from his followers he will drop tariffs as a thing and find something to get them singing his praises

ancapailldorcha · 10-07-2025 11:31AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123619986#Comment_123619986

This is what I meant when I mentioned his obsession with himself. Actual policy will always play second fiddle to the cult of personality and the grift.

Penn · 10-07-2025 11:36AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620054#Comment_123620054

It's also why he's putting ridiculous, unrealistic and unworkable timeframes on getting manufacturing and pharmaceuticals back to the US. A realistic timeframe would be 5-7 years given how long it would take to construct factories, upgrade infrastructure, hire/train staff, get delivery frameworks set up etc. The issue is, once that would be completed and there's a big ceremony about the opening of these plants… Trump wouldn't be President. He wouldn't get to stand there and take the credit. He wouldn't get to force his acolytes out onto the public stage to make sure he gets all the credit for it.

So he wants it all done in the next year or two or he's going to punish all these companies for not giving him his photo op.

ancapailldorcha · 10-07-2025 11:44AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620069#Comment_123620069

I was unaware of that.

But yeah, he does have ideas for what he wants to do to the country. Obviously, they're about the economic equivalent of saying "Can't we all just get along?" but they are there.

yagan · 10-07-2025 11:57AM

Also add in the lack of essential skill that the US doesn't have in some of the industries that it wants to reshore. TSCM had problems getting visas for the factories that they did instigate under the Biden plan. Some of those factories are still brownfield sites, plus the likes of TSCM will drag their heels giving away their one core asset for US protection.

newport2 · 10-07-2025 12:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620069#Comment_123620069

And who in their right mind would start a 5-7 year project costing billions that relies on Trump sticking to what he is currently saying this week for the next 3.5 years? (Assuming there will be an election in 2028 of course) Nobody and I think he knows that, which is why I think it's all about noise.

Apiarist · 10-07-2025 01:46PM

I wonder if Trump's anti-immigration policies may have a positive effect on the rights of immigrants in the future? Imagine that he achieves his goal and all illegal migrants are deported. If the farming industry doesn't collapse, they will have to pay more to their workers, and they will have to get people from abroad with proper work permits and, presumably, pay them more than they were paying illegal workers.

looksee · 10-07-2025 02:00PM

So that is Brazil telling Trump to butt out. It covers a good few points - the original post by Trump was on social media, rather than a direct contact; don't tell us what to do; stay out of our legal system; and the US has a trade surplus with Brazil, not a deficit you ignorant fool. Nice, I hope it is a template for other countries.

Hoop66 · 10-07-2025 02:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620531#Comment_123620531

"pay them more" - good one! 🤤🤤🤤

amandstu · 10-07-2025 02:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620531#Comment_123620531

Are they going to pay to set up a system where a person applies for a job based on it being available and unable to be filled by an unwilling US citizen ?

Is this really not all about White Americans fearful of losing control of the demographic in the coming years?

An awful lot of hypocrisy and outright lies over the voting system.

Something tells me some people will not hand over power .

I find it easier to laugh at the Pariah States of America but it must be dispiriting to actually have to live there.

ancapailldorcha · 10-07-2025 02:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620531#Comment_123620531

How are farm owners going to pay more to labourers when they're already in an unprofitable game? If the illegal migrants are deported, US farming will collapse.

Peregrinus · 10-07-2025 02:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620531#Comment_123620531

Why would they have to pay them more?

amandstu · 10-07-2025 02:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620675#Comment_123620675

Do we have any reports of how particular sectors of agriculture are faring now?

Does the wine industry need lots of workers for the harvest who are being frightened from showing up ?

What about the oranges in Florida?

ancapailldorcha · 10-07-2025 02:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620722#Comment_123620722

I think the assumption is that if farmers can't recruit undocumented or illegal immigrants, they'll have to employ Americans which will cost more in wages.

odyssey06 · 10-07-2025 03:11PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620752#Comment_123620752

… and which will push up the prices those same Americans have to pay for groceries.

ancapailldorcha · 10-07-2025 03:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620844#Comment_123620844

I have a computer game I rarely play. It's called Victoria 3 and it runs from 1836 - 1936 (Developer likes Texas and he wanted them to be playable).

It's basically an economics simulator. Every business operates on the basis of an equation, A + B = C. For example, a tool factory would have wood and iron as input goods along with workers' wages and produce tools. If you build a lumber yard, the price of wood drops and your tool factory becomes more profitable. If you build another factory, the supply of tools increases and the price per tool drops.

I feel like it's helped me appreciate a lot about how the economy works in an apolitical way. It's obviously an entertainment product and should be treated as such but it's infuriating that, having lived through Brexit with a front row seat, I now get to hear about Americans foaming at the mouth to deport the people who make their food act surprised when the cost of food goes up.

They were told over and over again what would happen if they elected him but they dug in and yelled louder and now we've 3.5 more years of this crap.

Quin_Dub · 10-07-2025 03:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620069#Comment_123620069

It's all about the "show" - The so called "trade deals" he claims to have signed with the UK etc. are absolutely nothing of the sort . At best they are heads of agreement and even then only barely.

But Trump is incapable of understanding that a full trade deal takes years to create and fine-tune , he simply doesn't have the patience or intellect.

He wants instant gratification and reward , he wants to be sitting at a big desk with his sharp, signing "Deals" and he wants to do that NOW.

Igotadose · 10-07-2025 03:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620735#Comment_123620735

(https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-promises-immigration-order-soon-farm-leisure-workers-2025-06-12/)

Trump seems to know:

"Trump promises immigration order soon on farm and leisure workers

"Our farmers are being hurt badly and we're going to have to do something about that... We're going to have an order on that pretty soon, I think," Trump said at a White House event, adding that the order would address the hotels sector, too.

"

Nothing's changed afaik so far - 2 weeks no doubt for that order to come out.

Impacts won't be known till the end of the harvesting seasons. Other things done (tariff fun) are nailing farmers that export, apparently huge losses in Nebraska due to failing wheat sales (wheat is very cheap these days and lots of countries produce it).

Quin_Dub · 10-07-2025 03:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620966#Comment_123620966

Yes , but his idea for a solution is essentially indentured servitude.

No rights , no pathway to citizenship , your existence in the US owned and managed by your employer which means Health & Safety will be non existent.

It'll be worse than all those migrant workers in the middle east that get treated like chattle.

threeball · 10-07-2025 03:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620844#Comment_123620844

It won't, the likes of Walgreens will see to that. Instead farmers will get what that always got or less for breaking contract and go to the wall. More nice cheap land for Trumps buddies though so its all good. Eventually the house of cards will fall.

Wolf359f · 10-07-2025 04:00PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620966#Comment_123620966

That's ok for Nebraska farmers, USAID always steps in to buy it off the farmers to distribute around the world, helping to keep the wheat price stable....... Oh wait, nevermind there's no USAID anymore.

pad406 · 10-07-2025 04:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620576#Comment_123620576

Glad to see them sticking up for themselves and telling the Orange Buffoon where to get off. I hope they have to courage to carry it through and also that many, many other countries will follow suit.

aloyisious · 10-07-2025 04:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620966#Comment_123620966

The "I think" says it all about who is the boss and who is the puppet.

Quin_Dub · 10-07-2025 04:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123621076#Comment_123621076

Whilst all of his tariff stuff is nonsense , the letter to Brazil is just crazy - Trying to influence their political and judicial process using tariffs is crazy

Apple Dumpling · 10-07-2025 04:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123621190#Comment_123621190

That letter is just one dictator supporting another dictator.

We have seen it for years with China, Russia, North Korea etc all publicly showing support for each other nothing new when it comes to Countries in a dictatorship.

aloyisious · 10-07-2025 04:51PM

Listening to RTE Drive-time news it seems Lindsay Graham has a bill on Trumps desk for signature to impose 100% sanction on Russia over its war on Ukraine, just saying is all…..