US EU trade war

[PopeyesPappy]

I read an article this week that said US/EU trade negotiations are at an impasse. This round of negotiations was basically kicked off when the orange turd threatened heavy tariffs against EU automobiles. The EU understandably doesn't want that. On the other hand the US wants the EU to lower tariffs on US agricultural products. Based on what I read the EU refuses to even talk about the latter therefore trade negotiations are going nowhere.

My take on that from this side of the pond is fuck the EU. You want to sell your cars here then let us sell our grains there. What says the hive?

[Baruch]

I read an article this week that said US/EU trade negotiations are at an impasse. This round of negotiations was basically kicked off when the orange turd threatened heavy tariffs against EU automobiles. The EU understandably doesn't want that. On the other hand the US wants the EU to lower tariffs on US agricultural products. Based on what I read the EU refuses to even talk about the latter therefore trade negotiations are going nowhere.

My take on that from this side of the pond is fuck the EU. You want to sell your cars here then let us sell our grains there. What says the hive?

Similar to Japanese tariffs over rice.  Rice is sacred to Shinto, the national religion of Japan.  So importing foreign rice is both bad for farmer politics (Japanese farms are inefficient because of mountainous geography) and bad for religion (of which the Japanese emperor is the head).  For Europe, they protect their farmers as well, some of their farming being inefficient (but with free trade in EU this is partly corrected because of wide variance in geography in the EU).  The Europeans don't have the religion angle regarding protectionism, other than both Japan and Germany and China are the mercantilist (colonial) powers, in that like Britain during their Empire, they maintain a positive balance of trade (opposite of the US for example).  Which is to say, the value of mercantilist exports exceed the value of mercantilist imports.  Where there is a difference, it is made up in finance.  For import dominated countries like the US, the US being the prime example because of the US dollar being the "carry" trade currency ... the US is a net exporter of dollars, that is how the accounts are neutralized (aside from time-delay aspects of accounts-receivable/payable).

There has to be some net exporters, to make the whole world system work, to cover the net importers.  The early example of this was ancient Athens, whom were net grain importers.  Sparta did without import/export and finance.  Athenian export was olive oil and wine and pottery.  Athens also exported their money, because they ran their accounts at deficit .. the Athenian "owl" became the standard currency, just as the US dollar is today.  And why?  Because of the all powerful Athenian military (primarily navy) that got that way because of the victory at Salamis.  The US is just Athens writ large.  N Korea is like Sparta.

[Baruch]

"Hard times create strong men,
Strong men create good times,
Good times create weak men,
Weak men create hard times."

Feminists and Beta males don't get this.  Socialism cuts to the end game ... making weak men.

[Cavebear]

Trade wars are like fighting a neighbor about leaves falling in the yard.  You can either complain about the leaves or you can take advantage of them and add them the the compost pile.  One starts a angry argument, the other gains you something and keeps the peace.  I prefer to compost the leaves.

Trump is creating a volcano from a pile of leaves just for political advantage to excite his base in everything he does.

[Baruch]

The normal state of international relations is war.  Either trade war or hot war.  I prefer trade war.

[PopeyesPappy]

Trump is creating a volcano from a pile of leaves just for political advantage to excite his base in everything he does.

So you are OK with the EU creating barriers protecting their markets from evil US farmers?

[drunkenshoe]

So you are OK with the EU creating barriers protecting their markets from evil US farmers?

Hey, all Americans are evil! Who are you working for? Speak!

[PopeyesPappy]

Why Lucifer, of course...

[drunkenshoe]

The only character left with some integrity, eh. LOL

[your_dude_james]

The normal state of international relations is war.  Either trade war or hot war.  I prefer trade war.

I remember reading that a lot of Chinese people actually preferred Trump because the Obama admin was angling for a hot war, and Trump was predicted to angle instead for a trade war.

[Unbeliever]

I seriously doubt that Obama was "angling" for any hot war with China. But who knows what the Chinese perception was, with all the disinformation that's out there in the ether.

[drunkenshoe]

Obama angling for a hot war. And with China, no less. LOL

[Unbeliever]

Besides, what difference does it make what the Chinese people preferred, they don't vote in U.S. elections.

[Baruch]

The only character left with some integrity, eh. LOL

That is why Iblis was expelled by Allah.  When Allah revised his own view (regarding Adam), Iblis said "You can't do that, I say it contradicts what you said before!"

So yes, Iblis as more integrity that Allah, not that it mattered.

[Baruch]

I remember reading that a lot of Chinese people actually preferred Trump because the Obama admin was angling for a hot war, and Trump was predicted to angle instead for a trade war.

Yes and no.  Originally George W wanted a hot war with China (remember US plane forced to land in China?).  But Osama came to the rescue, and all attention was focused on the Middle East.  For which, China has been the greatest gainer (they got the Afghan minerals and the Iraqi oil, and now the Iranian oil too).  So now that the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" strategy is winding down, the focus naturally returns to China, 16 years later.  Some people in China consider Trump to be a genius politician.  Some dogs worship their master (but cats never do that).  Obama wasn't angling for a hot war in China, but in Ukraine and Syria.  Warmongers all.