Yet for all his bluster and offensiveness, Trump often has a point. Take, for example, what he tweeted on Tuesday, shortly before arriving at the Nato summit in Brussels: ‘The European Union makes it impossible for our farmers and workers and companies to do business in Europe (US has a $151 billion trade deficit), and then they want us to happily defend them through Nato, and nicely pay for it. Just doesn’t work!’
It is hard to fault this analysis. The EU has spent much of the past few weeks complaining bitterly about Trump’s shameless declaration of a trade war, the first shots of which have been fired through tariffs on steel and aluminium. Yet at the same time it has overlooked the trade war which it has been waging against the outside world for decades on agricultural products. The EU’s protectionism of its farmers, expressed through punitive tariffs as well as regulatory barriers such as scientifically unjustified bans on anything from GM foods to chicken washed in chlorine, has been a huge impediment to the growth of global trade.
When they can’t fault you on the facts, they lecture you on “tone”.
“The EU’s protectionism of its farmers, expressed through punitive tariffs as well as regulatory barriers such as scientifically unjustified bans on anything from GM foods to chicken washed in chlorine, has been a huge impediment to the growth of global trade.”
Correct.
There are enterprising farmers in Africa who are ready and willing to provide tons of produce to Europe at very competitive prices. Too bad they’re largely locked out by tariffs and barriers.
So much for caring Europe helping Third World development.
There are indeed. Too bad the globalists want the Boers wiped out as punishment for defying them.
Trump is hysterical….just sitting back and watching the left go batshitcrazy is worth the price of admission….and he has the left so whacked they don’t know whether to wipe, crap, or go blind…..and totally contradict themselves at every turn.
Taxes are not high enough, we need to raise taxes…..Europe does not have to pay more into NATO….
The left is demonstrating/rioting….using every cuss word…pink pussy hats, vagina costumes, metoo…..to protest women getting grabbed, raped..
…at at the same time rioting/protesting because they were not able to put a rapist back in the whitehouse
screaming about cultural appropriation…..and every black girl now has straight blond hair!
No wonder the FBI was against Trump, it looks like the FBI is some gay bath house….the first one is some big girl….and the second one was like watching really bad Ru Paul outtakes
/rant
Trump has them twisted in knots they are not capable of undoing without looking like idiots.
He is having a blast watching the left discombobulate.
Trump is using the Dems on base against them…and there’s nothing they can do about it…they’ve lost all control
It’s like Waters….she mouths off….Trump pokes her again….she goes batchitcrazy! wash rinse repeat
Trade deals are often a simple loss of sovereignty as one country or trading block imposes its ‘standards’ on the one seeking to sell into its market. There is no greater offender of this than the EU with their Byzantine labyrinth of rules and regulations. I lost a lot or respect for PM Harper who negotiated a trade deal with the EU that basically gave the EU free rule over Canada. For the pittance in trade that Canada might gain in trade with the EU suddenly all the EU rules and regulations for all aspects of life were imposed on Canada.
Yes the EE “free trade” deal allowed Canadian companies to trade with the EU as long as they followed EU norms and policies.
” Yet at the same time it has overlooked the trade war which it has been waging against the outside world for decades on agricultural products.”
By this standard, the US has also been waging a trade war for decades. The US had tons of protectionism before Trump ex the sugar cartel-but it was declining. Tariffs all over the world WERE gradually declining. Trump is still the bad buy and an idiot who is leading us to ruin.
Unprecedented economic growth is ruin. The world of liberals folks. Manage the decline is over and they’re still mad.
WTF are you talking about? US GDP growth is tepid: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-28/u-s-first-quarter-gdp-growth-revised-down-to-2-on-services
did you read that??…..that’s GDP in services……exports are up
I read it. GDP was revised down because of services. Total GDP growth was still poor. Can you even reading comprehension?
that was the first quarter dimwit….companies were expanding their inventories like they always do in the first quarter in a good economy
“The economy has shown clear signs of accelerating from the first-quarter slowdown in GDP,…………… The first quarter is also typically influenced by seasonal quirks.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s GDPNow tracking estimate for second-quarter growth was almost 4.5 percent as of Wednesday”
Put the GLUE gun away Unthing….I’m Canadian & working in the US, and what I see is manufacturing having one single over riding issue – NOT ENOUGH MANPOWER.
50 hr work weeks and lots of OT.
Tepid My (_i_)…
I have been criticized for my “tone” at various times in my life. And without exception, each complaint was made by a female. While at times the complaint was valid, in most cases it was just an excuse to undermine the underlying (necessary) message. “Tone” is in the ear of the beholder. In the Trump (business) world of persuasion, “tone” is used to communicate; urgency, corrective actions, and realignment of priorities. Trump speaks in the blunt shorthand of the business world … and there can be no doubt that the political bureaucrats serving in no-fire, lifetime, jobs would be … un-comf-ter-ble… with a “bossy” tone. “Hey! you can’t talk to me like that! And I can’t be fired … so I don’t have to listen to you!”
When they say, “His tone is too harsh,” what they are really saying is, “Trump is right, but we don’t want to change. We privileged elites have it exactly the way we want it, and screw Trump.” They have no rational argument, so they go turn on the water works, WAAAHHH!
Not spending enough on NATO? “Sod Off! I am busy giving government money away to buy votes.”
Unfair Tariffs in the European Union? “We are protecting our selected crony pals and their businesses that kick back money to us politicians.”
Why is everyone shocked and surprized. People were voting for Trump BECAUSE he would blow up Washington and end fighting for ISIS and overturning governments and unecessary hostility.
But he didn’t. Washington is as big as ever. Spending is totally out of control. There’s unnecessary hostility galore.
But, as usual, the hostility is ALL on the part of the coddled left.
LOL “Muh tribe gud ur tribe bad”
“There’s unnecessary hostility galore.”…
…but the wear the most precious costumes while they do it
“..There’s unnecessary hostility galore..”
Yep…LEFTARDS losing their shit on a daily basis.
Waters- Pelosi and their chosen “warriors” AntiFa
YOU and your ilk OWN said hostility my non friend..By leagues and bounds.
“Spending is totally out of control”
absolutely…for example, we have been paying 70% of Europe’s NATO bill…70%
Trump did not create the “spending is totally out of control”…but he’s trying to fix it
There was always more than enough unnecessary hostility. For example, you exist. Go ahead and lie that you aren’t hostile to what is good, or don’t bother. We know that lie, and we don’t care.
What is going on now that is very good is that President Trump has brought some very necessary hostility and his example will bring out more.
Boy if only Romney had been president. He would have been so cordial and nice and just taken it up the ass from liberals with a smile. Trump is exactly what every conservative should be. They’ll hate us no matter what do you might as well win and achieve the policy goals. Scheer will be Romney. Lose with honour. Stay out of the fight. Smile while they call you names and make fun of you. Accept the premise that we’re evil. Get ready to yell at your tv for 4 weeks during election meltdown 2019 folks.
“Trump is exactly what every conservative should be.”
Every conservative should be a protectionist New York liberal apparently.
All the left has is outage and political theatre. They have no ideas … except to “tear it all dowwwwn maaaaaan”. Oh, and “get me more free stuff from dem rich people … because … well … because I was born.”
If PDT’s policies and behavior cause thousands of spoilt London lay-a-bouts to fly a cheesy balloon about 1/5th the size of a respectable Macy’s parade float, well, then he’s just right in my book.
You know, kinda like how 0bama getting his ass kissed by throngs of fawning Euro-trash made me uncomfortable.
Different, but similar.
That’s because Obama was our FIRST; half-white, half-assed, lay about, do nothing, affirmative-action POTUS … just like MOST of these protesters. Except the half-white part … most all the protesters I’ve seen look quite white, quite well-fed, well-dressed, and privileged. Search me as to WHAT they’re protesting ? Other than the repeated protester saying … well he’s (Trump’s) just not … nice.
I think the Liberals should convert some of our Ottawa taxpayer offices to SAFE ROOMS. That way Hussen and the others have a place to go and insolate themselves from the realities of the business world. These guys started this in our schools, its just a natural extension of their policies and practices from the school system they created.
Just Sayin…..
“Yet for all his bluster and offensiveness, Trump often has a point.”
I love the obligatory insult of Trump before conceding that he “often has a point.” You know, Trump is just too boorish to be in respectable company, however good he is at what he does.
Muh Gawd, are we in Victorian England, the real time and place of white privilege and patriarchy? You just can’t on the one hand denounce Trump for lack of manners, and on the other hand turn around and denounce all that tradition which demands such manners to begin with.
What I love about Trump is what Mrs. Trump wore on her back. He just doesn’t care. I would imagine most American politicians and media wonks would give anything to be accepted into that upper echelon of “old Europe” (read aristocracy they thought they got rid of) that permeates the EU hierarchy, by being cultured enough, suave enough, and cosmopolitan (read globalist) enough. Trump sneers at them, and make them make themselves acceptable to him. They may hate it, but eventually they will have to toe the line, because he knows he holds the, ahem, Trump cards.
Fortunately, what he does care about, a lot, is America and her citizens, you know ordinary deplorable people who are the backbone of the country. Most of us (but not I) are descended from peasants who were exploited and looked down upon by the ancestors of those selfsame “old Europe” EU hierarchy, came here to make America great, and still hate their guts, even as we are willing to fight and die to save their skins, for sake of the ordinary people still there. No wonder Trump resonates with us.
P.S. I inserted the disclaimer so as not to appropriate. I would have been proud to have been so descended, just as I am proud of my own ancestry. I say “we” and “us” because I feel the spiritual bond.
“…Most of us (but not I) are descended from peasants who were exploited and looked down upon by the ancestors of those selfsame “old Europe” EU hierarchy, came here to make America great, and still hate their guts …”
Reminds me of a great line delivered by Bill Murray’s character in the movie Stripes (1981), motivating his fellow recruits with a patriotic speech thus, “Our ancestors were kicked out of every decent country …”
We should put the same tariff on EU cars that they put on our agriculture. Where is there even room for debate? Why can’t we have a leader with balls?