The Second Term of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States of America

[sear]

"Did anyone watch Trump's speech (or even part of it)?" S2 #420

No.

"As Trump spun his globetrotting list of economic enemies, from Vietnam to Taiwan to the European Union, he declared this moment “Liberation Day.” Liberation Day!?! He actually said that years from now, we’ll all look back on this press conference as the day we got “so rich, so fast.” You know who else promises riches if you just believe hard enough? Cult leaders." #420

At risk of stating the obvious, Trump presides over the U.S. as he does over his own litigious, confrontational, treacherous, self-indulgent life.

Important Note:
Trump dominates our news cycles with his presidential shenanigans.
Persons of sense may grow fatigued with the unending gush of childish presidential mess-making.
This doesn't diminish the alarm that appropriately results.

But we dis-serve the world if we overlook the resultant displacement.
For example, our (former) friend and ally Germany is engaged in debate about how to respond to automation displacing human employment.
The U.S. faces the same consequences of technological progress. BUT !!
Trump so ruthlessly dominates our headlines, these other issues of society and governance are drowned out.

This does not mean their consequences will be any less consequential in the U.S. than they are elsewhere.
Instead it merely means Trump so destructively dominates our media these other very important issues are essentially being ignored,
left to be addressed in the shadows, by special interests rather than national social conviction.

 

[Shiftless2]

BTW, if you haven't figured out how Trump arrived at the "tariffs" he's claiming that other countries are putting on American goods it's actually a simple calculation. While it uses grade school arithmetic it's total nonsense:

.... the Trump administration used quite a simple calculation: the country’s trade deficit divided by its exports to the United States times 1/2. That’s it.

The calculation was first suggested by journalist James Surowiecki in a post on X and backed up by Wall Street analysts. The Trump administration later confirmed that was the calculation it used.

For example, America’s trade deficit with China in 2024 was $295.4 billion, and the United States imported $439.9 billion worth of Chinese goods. That means China’s trade surplus with the United States was 67% of the value of its exports — a value the Trump administration labeled as “tariff charged to USA.”

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/03/economy/reciprocal-tariff-math/index.html

“While these new tariff measures have been framed as ‘reciprocal’ tariffs, it turns out the policy is actually one of surplus targeting,” noted Mike O’Rourke, chief marketing strategist at Jones Trading, in a note to investors Wednesday.

“There does not appear to have been any tariffs used in the calculation of the rate. The Trump administration is specifically targeting nations with large trade surpluses with the United States relative to their exports to the United States,” he added.

The simple calculation used by the Trump administration could have broad implications for countries America depends on for goods — and the global companies that supply them.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch ...

Stellantis to idle Windsor plant, layoff 900 workers in Michigan, Indiana​

COO cites new tariffs as reason​

Stellantis to idle Windsor plant, layoff 900 workers in Michigan, Indiana

The temporary layoffs will impact workers at the Warren and Sterling Heights stamping plants.

www.clickondetroit.com

 

[Shiftless2]

Very interesting ....