The shelves will be empty by June

[Mycroft]

Trump's preparations for the war come after he starts the war.​

Not after. Concurrently.

As I said, doing those "preparation" things wouldn't work without the tariff action incentives. In other words, it would have been counterproductive to try to do those things without the tariffs in effect.

 

[BirdinHand]

It certainly does have to do with deficit spending. That's the big difference between Trump's tactic and the Biden puke's tactic.

So, you are of the position we shouldn’t bail out farmers, etc that Trump in harming?

 

[BirdinHand]

Not after. Concurrently.

No, he started a tariff war and harmed businesses and average Americans.

Thats why the stock market shed trillions.

 

[multivita-man]

Am curious to know the impact of the ban on the de minimis exception. A lot of small businesses probably rely heavily on these imported goods.

Again, some tariffs or increased business costs? No problem. But a supply chain shock is going to suspend business activity for many of the self-employed, including probably a not-so-insignificant number who voted MAGA all the way without thinking about it.

 

[Simon W. Moon]

Trump's preparations for the war come after he starts the war.

Not after. Concurrently.

Most folks realize that the start of this trade war has already ended.
but you're saying
Trump is still in the process of starting the war?

What else is Trump going to do to FURTHER START the war?

As I said, doing those "preparation" things wouldn't work without the tariff action incentives.

not exactly what you said

You asked what other incentives could have been used besides the tariffs.
Now you are saying that there are zero other options other than starting the trade war first.

iow,​

Trump is blameless yet again because Trump was FORCED to do things this way.​

Was it the Democrats who forced Trump to go to war unprepared?​

In other words, it would have been counterproductive to try to do those things without the tariffs in effect.

I believe you believe Trump was backed into a corner on this.

 

[Mycroft]

Most folks realize that the start of this trade war has already ended.
but you're saying
Trump is still in the process of starting the war?

No. That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm saying that he's doing the "preparations" you suggest, he's doing them concurrently with the tariffs and I told you why.

~snipped the nonsense~

 

[BirdinHand]

No. That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm saying that he's doing the "preparations" you suggest, he's doing them concurrently with the tariffs and I told you why.

He’s not doing shit except trash talking in Truth Social, planning a parade to honor himself and golfing.

 

[noonereal]

Shipping to the United States is down by 30% already.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-import-bookings-down-64-154541951.html

Trump tariffs place trucking industry in the crosshairs

As the White House barrels ahead with its massive tariff project, American truckers are feeling the heat from a global trade war

theweek.com

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/24/unsustainable-china-trade-war-retail-shortage-warnings.html

This will not change quickly. Recession is here.

No shelves will be empty.

What nonsense.

 

[Simon W. Moon]

No. That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm saying that he's doing the "preparations" you suggest, he's doing them concurrently with the tariffs and I told you why.

LOL

You're just saying that these preparations are currently ongoing

You're just saying that these preparations have not been completed

Instead of completing preparations BEFORE starting the tariffs​

Trump is still conducting his preparations for the tariffs​

AFTER the tariffs have launched​

 

[multivita-man]

He’s not doing shit except trash talking in Truth Social, planning a parade to honor himself and golfing.

What he's doing makes zero sense if we believe that there's a return entry into the world of neoliberal global trade as we've known it. But it makes more sense if we believe there isn't and that brutal competition with global powers is inevitable and potentially right around the corner. I question (okay, doubt) Trump has calculated the many what-ifs involved accurately. If China believes that MAGA will succeed in boxing China in and cutting them out of trade with wealthy countries and also disrupt their access to resources, I think China would begin harassing Taiwan (if not outright attempting a bombardment) and doing whatever they can to disrupt US and EU trade in ways that hurt.

 

[Plasmaball]

I wouldn't call it that. It is a necessary step in restoring the USA to its former power. We have become dependent on China, and we should not be dependent on any other nation. When a surgeon removes cancer, they have to make the patient bleed as they have to cut into and stitch back up the path to the cancer.

China is a cancer. The USA is the patient. The patient will heal.

Lol Trump isn't fixing shit.
He's a flipper. He's gonna slap some new paint on it and call it a win.

Then you'll be in here praising his genius for doing literally nothing.

Rinse repeat for 4 years.

 

[Plasmaball]

What he's doing makes zero sense if we believe that there's a return entry into the world of neoliberal global trade as we've known it. But it makes more sense if we believe there isn't and that brutal competition with global powers is inevitable and potentially right around the corner. I question (okay, doubt) Trump has calculated the many what-ifs involved accurately. If China believes that MAGA will succeed in boxing China in and cutting them out of trade with wealthy countries and also disrupt their access to resources, I think China would begin harassing Taiwan (if not outright attempting a bombardment) and doing whatever they can to disrupt US and EU trade in ways that hurt.

Yeah but that's not happening

 

[venice_ca]

The employment report mentions a surge in shipping and warehouse jobs . . .

And predictions of significant drops of traffic coming into the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest in the nation.

Too bad, those are good paying union jobs at the port, and the warehouses in the area depend on the goods coming into the port.

 

[Mycroft]

LOL

You're just saying that these preparations are currently ongoing

You're just saying that these preparations have not been completed

Instead of completing preparations BEFORE starting the tariffs​

Trump is still conducting his preparations for the tariffs​

AFTER the tariffs have launched​

sigh...

How many times do I have to say it: These preparations would NEVER happen without the tariffs being in effect.

Never mind. You are repeating yourself and you are making me repeat myself. This is counterproductive.

Bye.

 

[BirdinHand]

sigh...

How many times do I have to say it: These preparations would NEVER happen without the tariffs being in effect.

Never mind. You are repeating yourself and you are making me repeat myself. This is counterproductive.

Bye.

The tariffs have broken our economy.

Trump isn’t playing 5D chess

You pledge loyalty to an idiot.

 

[Simon W. Moon]

How many times do I have to say it: These preparations would NEVER happen without the tariffs being in effect.

lol

NOT TRUMP'S FAULT.

IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO PREPARE FOR LAUNCHING THE TARIFFS BEFORE THE TARIFFS WERE LAUNCHED.

NOT TRUMP'S FAULT

TRUMP HAD NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER

NOT TRUMP'S FAULT

TRUMP HAD INADEQUATE CONTROL OVER THE SITUATION

NOT TRUMP'S FAULT

 

[pragmatic]

Don't know if anyone has already pointed this out, but there is some good news in all this gloom.

Almost all of our toilet paper is produced right here in the good old United States.

So the shelves should remain plentiful in that particular aisle of the store.

..

 

[RIP U.S. Democracy]

Well, I don't know about y'all, but I can survive very well by not buying stuff, so if the shelves are empty...I don't care.

But...if the importers aren't placing any orders, what is that doing to the Chinese manufacturers? Nobody is buying their stuff and they aren't making any money.

Instead of crying because you can't get that cheap stuff from China...stuff you probably don't really need...be happy that China has it orders of magnitude worse.

I guarantee, they'll blink long before WE need to blink.

btw, I don't see empty grocery shelves at my Walmart. Food is plentifully available. That's probably because we don't get our food from China.

Then you shouldn't pretend to care about "Biden's inflation", either.

Why the double standard? Well...we know why.

 

[multivita-man]

Yeah but that's not happening

It could, though.

 

[rickc]

The business owners and bankers are starting to feel the effects of trump's tarrifs. They knew what was coming.

The farmers are certainly feeling the pain. Of course it happened to them last time Trump was in office and they still voted for him again. Little hard for me to feel compassion for them.

I simply am going to wait for the effect of trump's tarrifs to trickle down to the maga people. Then we will see how their tune changes.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

"Trump on Friday downplayed concerns about potential economic trouble, saying everything would be “OK” in the long term, even if the U.S economy experienced a recession in the short term," NBC.

A recession, Trump, as our President, caused!

Republicans ignore the realities of the present and embrace future fantasies!

There will be no response from Republicans.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Now Trump's tariffs will begin to affect consumers.

Until now the only effect Trump's tariffs have had is a surge in consumer spending to avoid the tariff's effect on pricing.

CNN reports, "Many Americans might not have felt major effects from President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs — until now.

"That’s because a major shipping loophole expired at one minute past midnight on Friday. The de minimis exemption, as it’s known, allowed shipments of goods worth $800 or less to come into the United States duty-free, often more or less skipping time-consuming inspections and paperwork.

"The loophole helped reshape the way countless Americans shop, allowing ultra-low-cost Chinese e-commerce sites like Shein, Temu and AliExpress to pour everything from yarn to patio furniture, clothes to photography equipment and more into US homes.

"Its impending end has rung alarm bells across social media, with a baseline tariff as high as 145% depending on the carrier set to take effect on Chinese imports, potentially more than doubling the cost for all those cheap products deal-hungry Americans scooped up.

"Major carriers like UPS, FedEx, DHL and the United States Postal Service say they’re prepared for the changes. The government says it, too, is set; a US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told CNN that “We are prepared and equipped to carry out enhanced package screenings and enforce orders effectively.”

"But whether American shoppers are ready for the changes is another matter."

 

[Plasmaball]

It could, though.

But it's not. Asian countries are not interested in that

 

[multivita-man]

But it's not. Asian countries are not interested in that

They might be if the US is able to help KSA and Isreal's strategic aims...and get a deal in return. Under the current regime, the US is aiming for natural resource dominance. We obviously don't produce enough of it on our own to call the shots, but if we can strongarm certain resource-rich countries into seeing things our way. Consider, for instance, the fact that OPEC has been producing more oil at a time when the price per barrel keep sinking.

ETA: To be clear, yes, this take is kinda 'out there'. But this stuff is being considered, talked about by various people in the administration.

 

[Plasmaball]

They might be if the US is able to help KSA and Isreal's strategic aims...and get a deal in return. Under the current regime, the US is aiming for natural resource dominance. We obviously don't produce enough of it on our own to call the shots, but if we can strongarm certain resource-rich countries into seeing things our way. Consider, for instance, the fact that OPEC has been producing more oil at a time when the price per barrel keep sinking.

ETA: To be clear, yes, this take is kinda 'out there'. But this stuff is being considered, talked about by various people in the administration.

We should have been looking at Africa then