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The Trump Trade War Scam

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skews13.

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If you’ve ever watched a game of three-card monte, you’ve noticed that the dealer talks nonstop. The chatter serves two functions. First, it distracts the victims. Second, and maybe more important, the dealer is deceiving his victims about what’s befalling them. The spiel invites them to imagine they’re playing a game in which they stand a fair chance. In reality, they are being swindled.

The Trump White House’s press releases about its so-called trade agreements and negotiations—first with the United Kingdom, now with China—are just so much dealer patter. The tariff numbers go up. Up and up and up. Ooh, now they come down. Up! Down! And all the while, everybody involved is telling contradictory stories about what’s being done and why.

 
This is all part of the plan. In another thread I commented on how this is really all akin to a PR campaign to sell accomplishments before really acknowledging whether they are or not. In the negotiations with the UK, what we really have is a framework that has to get ironed out. Once both parties agree to the terms and finalize them, then we're in "deal" territory. What we have with China is an agreement to continue talks and also lower tariffs from the ludicrous levels the US set. All that's been accomplished is walking back tariffs to a lower level, so for the White House to state it was a "trade deal" is pretty comical. There's going to be a lot more of this which is why we're all best served by ignoring the headlines and reading up on what was actually accomplished. This is a smoke and mirrors administration thus far, as evidenced with the sideshow over at DoGE.
 
skews13. said:
If you’ve ever watched a game of three-card monte, you’ve noticed that the dealer talks nonstop. The chatter serves two functions. First, it distracts the victims. Second, and maybe more important, the dealer is deceiving his victims about what’s befalling them. The spiel invites them to imagine they’re playing a game in which they stand a fair chance. In reality, they are being swindled.

The Trump White House’s press releases about its so-called trade agreements and negotiations—first with the United Kingdom, now with China—are just so much dealer patter. The tariff numbers go up. Up and up and up. Ooh, now they come down. Up! Down! And all the while, everybody involved is telling contradictory stories about what’s being done and why.

Click to expand...
Kick em when he's up... Kick em when he's down...
 
Queen Margo said:
Kick em when he's up... Kick em when he's down...
Click to expand...

It's the price to pay for being someone who exaggerates a lot. The folks not eager to take information and ignore the obvious issues are going to call people like this out on it. This is probably a better song choice:

 
People forget the alternative scenario of talks breaking down and both side digging in their heels for a protracted battle. Wall street is relieved that this didn't happen.
 
lynnwinslow said:
What's your timeline for the American manufacturing renaissance?
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What's your timeline for the demise of the Democratic Party?

I am not so sure I wish to see the Democratic Party go bye-bye, but as the trash I see around here just keeps piling up and none of you are interested in cleaning it up, there is nothing else possible, except for us Independents to take your place. Quite sad, too. You folks better find a new "Kennedy" for your leader, or your demise will be even more obvious after the next mid-terms.

Very, very sad. Historians will see it all summarized right here on this site. Some clever graduate student is going to write a term paper on how this site was an excellent demonstration of the why and how of the demise of the Democratic Party.

Very, very sad!
 
medi said:
What's your timeline for the demise of the Democratic Party?

I am not so sure I wish to see the Democratic Party go bye-bye, but as the trash I see around here just keeps piling up and none of you are interested in cleaning it up, there is nothing else possible, except for us Independents to take your place. Quite sad, too. You folks better find a new "Kennedy" for your leader, or your demise will be even more obvious after the next mid-terms.

Very, very sad. Historians will see it all summarized right here on this site. Some clever graduate student is going to write a term paper on how this site was an excellent demonstration of the why and how of the demise of the Democratic Party.

Very, very sad!
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Here is an alert for your notifications.
 
Queen Margo said:
Kick em when he's up... Kick em when he's down...
Click to expand...

He deserves every kick he gets. Up or down.

He fails utterly to meet my minimum standard for being someone I would help if they were drowning or stuck in a burning car. (Before you start, he was on my “don’t drown if I’m the only one around” list LONG before he fooled a bunch of terrible people into believing that if they made him president he would raise them up above their actual betters. Now I would mock him the whole time.)
 
dmpi said:
People forget the alternative scenario of talks breaking down and both side digging in their heels for a protracted battle. Wall street is relieved that this didn't happen.
Click to expand...

Could have skipped the talks altogether by not doing the stupid "Liberation Day." It's only making things worse.
 
ElChupacabra said:
What we have with China is an agreement to continue talks and also lower tariffs from the ludicrous levels the US set. All that's been accomplished is walking back tariffs to a lower level, so for the White House to state it was a "trade deal" is pretty comical.
Click to expand...
To pile on your point here, MAGA needs to understand that this is NOT a victory. Trying to return to the status quo is not winning. And, this administration has to answer for it.
 
Jason Warfield said:
To pile on your point here, MAGA needs to understand that this is NOT a victory. Trying to return to the status quo is not winning. And, this administration has to answer for it.
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If MAGA is told it’s a victory they will not question it. They will just celebrate as they are directed.
 
skews13. said:
If you’ve ever watched a game of three-card monte, you’ve noticed that the dealer talks nonstop. The chatter serves two functions. First, it distracts the victims. Second, and maybe more important, the dealer is deceiving his victims about what’s befalling them. The spiel invites them to imagine they’re playing a game in which they stand a fair chance. In reality, they are being swindled.

The Trump White House’s press releases about its so-called trade agreements and negotiations—first with the United Kingdom, now with China—are just so much dealer patter. The tariff numbers go up. Up and up and up. Ooh, now they come down. Up! Down! And all the while, everybody involved is telling contradictory stories about what’s being done and why.

Click to expand...

The Board Stalinists sure are melting down, this couldn't have anything to do with it, could it?

1747093635813.webp
 
I think that the end-game is the end of neoliberal free trade as we know it, and I think that's going to happen. I don't think the system is going to be saved, either. It's likely irreversible at this point.

Could this somehow end up working? It could.

Will it work in ways that are advantageous to the United States? I'm having a hard time seeing it in reality, though I suppose it's hypothetically possible. I am beginning to think the administration may not be quite as crazy as I thought they were, or maybe that's another way of saying, Scott Bessent is finding ways to moderate some of the impulsive energy that's within the White House.
 
Uncensored2008 said:
The Board Stalinists sure are melting down, this couldn't have anything to do with it, could it?

View attachment 67569578
Click to expand...

Well, they're betting that Trump is going to spare the system that they've heavily invested in and not go full-tilt in a campaign to break global trade as we know it. I think they're in for a bit of a surprise.

That being said, regardless of whether Wall Street fund managers love or hate what Trump is doing, either way, it's not a good barometer of the economy or a good judge about what lies ahead policy-wise, or even economy-wise lately. I mean many economists at trading firms predicted nearly a 100% chance of a recession during Biden's term and that never happened. Similarly, they've both over-sold and over-bought during the first few months of Trump-47.
 
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