The Philippines and Taiwan

@danfinn
Ankle biters? While I appreciate the complement if only true would question how you raised your children? Force? Coercion or a simple slap?
Sure I am an outsider to the goings on in the US but it's plastered world wide on different media platforms including FOX and the tidings are not good.

I think personally all these TDS innuendos from many over the years will bite big time as they seem to be with a petulant ankle biter changing thoughts and demands day after day with no regard for those going to pick up the tab.
The TDS is really about the 70 million people that put him into power and are now paying the price.
Little skin in the game as I'm simply a retired ankle biter living in a country that suffered minimal damage from the onslaught.

As simply said if he gets his way the average worker/punter is going to pick up the bill in the US with a far higher cost of living,,,,,, not me.

Any different to DOGE with a chainsaw? It didn't work and most times a scalpel makes a clean incision, the tariffs? How many times does the administration need to sharpen the teeth when it comes to the world economy.

On topic I care little where the US sticks weapons as the way it's playing out won't matter in a few years, but hey.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve. - @bigpearl
As I told Fred, I think we are at the very beginning of a process that will take st least 4 years and present indications are a vast reduction in balance of trade, right now (!), and the ongoing construction of 8 Trillion in investments of factories bringing the jobs back home again and eventually reducing the balance if trade to near naught. Neither you nor I can predict for certain the final outcome but suffice it to say, I am very positive even if you are not. Americans are not suffering as you say but instead are beginning to recover from the zombie auto-signer presidency and I do not believe that I will be the one in this forum who will be eating crow at the end of Trump's term.
- @danfinn

Keep drinking the Kool Aid hahahaha

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c071xm4x7g7o

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has warned of China posing an "imminent" threat to Taiwan, while urging Asian countries to boost defence spending and work with the US to deter war.

When translated from balderdash to English, this reads:

We want you to spend alot of money on US armemants for another, WMD style, non-threat because we think you are stupid.

Hegseth, the accused rapist and nazi who has stated he wants to use troops in domestic politics, should be believed without question.

Keep drinking the Kool Aid hahahaha - @FindlayMacD

God blessTrump

Pope trump has discovered that he missed a country when he set his  tariffs. He  has corrected that oversight by setting a base rate of 10% tariffs on all products from the nation of Antenna.

bigpearl said . . . Australia buys twice as much from the US compared to what we sell there yet we were also hit with these tariffs, 10% across the board and what was 25% on steel and aluminium look like 50% now.

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Yes there is a big trade imbalance, one of the problems is Australia is rich in minerals so that's their major international export. Australia exports quality beef, most of my beef purchases comes Australia and some from Brazil.

Now for the tariffs, Australia limits beef imports from the US in order to protect their beef industry. In 2003 Australia limited US beef imports because a cow with mad cow disease was imported from Canada to the US.

Now 22 years later Australia still puts up barriers on the importing US beef. So when the tariff war is over you will be able to buy US beef if you desire to do so.

I always admired Australian's.  I was fortunate to be born in the US and if I could choose a secondary place it would have been Australia.

It goes back to my high school days when I watched the movie and read the book "On the beach". Almost poetic what the near future may be about. I especially like the music in the movie, "Dancing Matilda".

Second favorite: "Tie me kangaroo down".

Maybe I should try your Kool aid Bob, I'm sure it's a lot cheaper than JD.

While Australia is a small trading partner with the US I and OMO can see it getting a lot smaller the same with many countries diversifying to other stable markets, Bob it's not all about the US and what many can see as protectionism,,,,,,, any different to our beef trade with the US in 2005? We didn't want to decimate our beef industry,,,,, all livestock for that matter.

Australia purchased a measly 5 billion worth of automobiles from the US last year,,,,,,,, mostly Teslas and US trucks,,,,,,, now with all the crap going on? China and other countries are looking good. J ust purchased a new Chinese EV as far easier to deal with and very cost competitive.

Steel and alumina tariffs? Hope the Kool aid is working Bob as if the US didn't need those recourses,,,,,, they would have dug it out of the ground the same as Australia does. We might be a small country but very proud of our country and its ability to trade in an open market and not stifle a potential future.

Regardless Bob most can see the road being travelled by the current US administration and shy away, we don't need all the crap.

OMO as always.

Cheers, Steve.

Wasn't aware one could purchase Kool aid in the Philippines.

Actually you need to know how a trade war works - @danfinn
I think I know.
TACO is not up to much past humour because, in my most humble of opinions, Trump messes everything up so share prices fall.
He, under cover of whatever shady shell company he runs, buys shares, them pretends to coward out. Prices rise, and Trump makes a fortune.
However, the American people suffer badly. - @Fred
I think we are at the very beginning of a process that will take st least 4 years and present indications are a vast reduction in balance of trade, right now (!), and the ongoing construction of 8 Trillion in investments of factories bringing the jobs back home again and eventually reducing the balance if trade to near naught. Neither you nor I can predict for certain the final outcome but suffice it to say, I am very positive even if you are not. Americans are not suffering as you say but instead are beginning to recover from the zombie auto-signer presidency and I do not believe that I will be the one in this forum who will be eating crow at the end of Trump's term.  - @danfinn
I have heard about all these fictional factories springing up all over the USA hahaha
- @FindlayMacD

What can I say. Mac. Discussions are only weeks old and commitments to spend the money have been announced to US major media.  I have not  read reports that thee businesses and countries have gone back on their commitments totaling now, about 8T, but perhaps you have superior information sources to mine. By all means, if you have proof that any or all of these companies and countries are reversing their well-publicized announcements, by all means please enlighten we plebes on expat forum who suffer from those exaggerated claims. We would greatly appreciate any factual information that you have,  not simply speculations based upon what you "wish" would happen. Thanks!

bigpearl said . . . .

*Maybe I should try your Kool aid Bob, I'm sure it's a lot cheaper than JD.

*Hope the Kool aid is working Bob as if the US didn't need those recourses,,,,,,

*Wasn't aware one could purchase kool aid in the Philippines

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Now you are joining the know nothing Kool Aid rebuttal gang . . . .  Fred & FinlayMacD?

Is this the best you can do by mimicking those two?  I  always gave you credit being at level much higher than them.

Thanks Bob, I never knew you held me in such high regard.

Cheers, Steve.