It's all turning into an unholy mess.

I actually agree with Trump that the US should encourage manufacturers back to the US but it's such a complicated request.

Big business often takes years to make these decisions which involve investments of $Billions with possibly years before a profit is realised.

I'm quite sure that happened exactly that way when they decided to go off shore to countries like China that provided cheap labour.

One huge problem he's not tackling..the very low minimum US wage that hasn't changed in over a decade so that employees like those at Walmart (the world's largest employer) have to get food stamps as well to survive.

Everything Trump is doing is to provide tax cuts for billionaires and the wealthy who invest in corps like Walmart.

He's rewarding the very people who created the mess.

www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/us-tr...20250529-p5m36g.html

US trade court blocks Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs

If you cut taxes to giant corporations, they will stay in the country, in theory. Otherwise, they will take their business and staff elsewhere.

The USA used to manufacture a lot like the UK did, but both just buy from abroad, cutting jobs.
The UK has lost cars, boats, steel and energy industries. Most textiles are made from Bangladesh, Turkey or China which are mostly crap. If you want a decent suit, buy from Italy.

If you were raised in Detroit, with no qualifications, the auto industry is where you ended up—a bit like the miners up North. At least it was a job and not relying on dole money.

I am not sure if it's still the case, but most sporting goods, hunting goods and camping gear were American-made in the US.

Trump is right about cutting funds to Harvard, etc.

People need to learn skills and trades, not waste their student debts on studies unless they want to get into teaching.

I do think the recruitment age needs to be lowered. in the 70s and 80s, there were kids about 12 upwards doing paid work. I am not talking about paper rounds, if they are still a thing. I think the driver's mates need to come back.

I did read online last year or so that production companies are telling students that jobs in the media are full up, unless you can find a gap online like YouTube, Twitch, Discord (whatever that is) or OnlyFans.

OnlyFans is no different to what lonely people subscribe to on the Sky for the XXX channels. Prostitution is the oldest profession; let's just call it what it is.
I know feminists call it "Sex Work", but what is the difference?

Capitalism does whatever suits it's bottom line.

Cutting taxes to the very rich as in the Walton family, owners of Walmart for instance has not worked.
They built their own Chinese factories under favourable conditions from the CCP.

Now it's come back to bite them.

Never forget the great US Will Rogers quote in 1920s:

"The money was all appropriated for the top in the hopes that it would trickle down to the needy. Mr. Hoover didn’t know that money trickled up. Give it to the people at the bottom and the people at the top will have it before night, anyhow. But it will at least have passed through the poor fellow’s hands."

Capitalism does whatever suits it's bottom line.

You have done ok out of it.

Looking at some old pics earlier of early 1900s Newcastle. The sheer poverty was etched on the faces of the people. Kids barefoot. Women of 35 looking 75. Trickle down has always been a great lie. We are seeing those with a seat at the table of the Great Feast of Life determined to recover the scraps that fall. If my belief system measures up, it will be their turn next under the table.

Very depressing to see that Trump has now defunded Free Radio Asia after decimating the wonderful Voice of America.

Both broadcast to 100s of millions around the world and have been a great tool in spreading US influence.

Particularly Free Radio Asia which had specialty broadcasters and journalists providing content for every Asia country from the US.

The very same thing happened with the last ghastly Australian conservative penny pinching government who shut down the Pacific ABC broadcasting service that broadcast throughout the Pacific nations.

And of course the inevitable is happening..China has stepped into the breach with new broadcasting services throughout the Pacific and now Asia.

Dumb, dumb , dumb.

hedda wrote:
Very depressing to see that Trump has now defunded Free Radio Asia after decimating the wonderful Voice of America.

Both broadcast to 100s of millions around the world and have been a great tool in spreading US influence.

Particularly Free Radio Asia which had specialty broadcasters and journalists providing content for every Asia country from the US.

The very same thing happened with the last ghastly Australian conservative penny pinching government who shut down the Pacific ABC broadcasting service that broadcast throughout the Pacific nations.

And of course the inevitable is happening..China has stepped into the breach with new broadcasting services throughout the Pacific and now Asia.

Dumb, dumb , dumb.

No broadcaster should be funded by taxpayers money. It should be like any business; if you are not making money, you close down.

Green Man wrote:
Capitalism does whatever suits it's bottom line.

You have done ok out of it.

Indeed and I've always said I can live under Capitalism although I much prefer Oz now with it's basically Social Democrat style government with plenty of socialist policies that even the alternative Conservative government often didn't dare touch because of the popularity of things like socialized medicine.

But Capitalism only operates well with strict government controls to stop it's excesses but ever since Ronald Reagan those controls have been gradually dismantled leading to the numerous crashes every 10 years or so like the 2007-2009 recession that impacted the entire world economy.

Trump is now abandoning those controls on steroids exampled by the dodgy Doge who have cancelled so many US institutions like even the agency that ensured American citizens were not ripped off by banks or credit card companies or the agency that ensured Americans have clean water on the ludicrous excuse there have been no poisoned water outbreaks for over 20 years so they weren't needed.

It will all end in tears.

Green Man wrote:


People need to learn skills and trades, not waste their student debts on studies unless they want to get into teaching.



The real conversation is AI and employmemt GM. There will be no need to learn "trades" soon. I would encourage young people to go to University for the great, mind broadening life experience it is. And for goodness sake forget about the "job market"; as it is about to undergo a revolution. You can't control or predict it - no one can - so forget about it.

Green Man wrote:


Prostitution is the oldest profession; let's just call it what it is.
I know feminists call it "Sex Work", but what is the difference?

It's not so much feminists GM as the the new liberal consensus of inclusivity which outlaws pejorative terms because of the harm and labelling it can cause those it is directed towards.

Mostly this is a good thing, for example with regard to race and disabilities.

However when it normalises life choices such as prostitution - which are far more harmful for either sex to engage in than being called a prostitute or a whore - by making it easier to sell one's body, it does more harm than good.

Similarly, the push of neutral language and normalisation with regard to obesity. Which was the main cause of all the excess Covid deaths.

Even after all that it can't be discussed for what it is...

hedda wrote:
Capitalism does whatever suits it's bottom line.

Cutting taxes to the very rich as in the Walton family, owners of Walmart for instance has not worked.
They built their own Chinese factories under favourable conditions from the CCP.

Now it's come back to bite them.

Never forget the great US Will Rogers quote in 1920s:

"The money was all appropriated for the top in the hopes that it would trickle down to the needy. Mr. Hoover didn’t know that money trickled up. Give it to the people at the bottom and the people at the top will have it before night, anyhow. But it will at least have passed through the poor fellow’s hands."

Capitalism can work just fine and bring many benefits to all. As can socialist-democratic regimes.

The problems come when some want - and get - an acute monopoly of the benefits, so that in the case of capitalism there is no choice left to consumers (train travel, Water companies); or in socialist regimes where some, to paraphrase Orwell, start to consider themselves more equal than others.

Orwell knew the problem lies in the greedy hearts of people having too much power, not idealistic systems, of either hue. In people just not having enough love for their neighbour. Yes, Jesus was smart too...

What a ticket: Predident (Jesus)/VP Orwell.

Got my vote...

And I, of course, am a Capilalist with Communist sympathies. A lot of good in both as well as a lot of bad.

JK2006 wrote:
A lot of good in both as well as a lot of bad.

Yep because people run either system, and are full of good and bad.

The only way to improve things is to look at how healthy we are in our hearts and souls, not endless arguments about right/left merits.

Wyot wrote:
Green Man wrote:


People need to learn skills and trades, not waste their student debts on studies unless they want to get into teaching.



The real conversation is AI and employmemt GM. There will be no need to learn "trades" soon. I would encourage young people to go to University for the great, mind broadening life experience it is. And for goodness sake forget about the "job market"; as it is about to undergo a revolution. You can't control or predict it - no one can - so forget about it.


I think you can get experience by travelling abroad, it's probably cheaper than going to a Uni, and more fun being lectured by someone who only repeats what they have been told to teach by the curriculum.


Prostitution is the oldest profession; let's just call it what it is.
I know feminists call it "Sex Work", but what is the difference?


It's not so much feminists GM as the the new liberal consensus of inclusivity which outlaws pejorative terms because of the harm and labelling it can cause those it is directed towards.

Mostly this is a good thing, for example with regard to race and disabilities.

However when it normalises life choices such as prostitution - which are far more harmful for either sex to engage in than being called a prostitute or a whore - by making it easier to sell one's body, it does more harm than good.

Similarly, the push of neutral language and normalisation with regard to obesity. Which was the main cause of all the excess Covid deaths.

Even after all that it can't be discussed for what it is...

People need to be thick skinned, it's mind boggling how thin skinned people are these days. I will say with America they are not scared to say "fag" or "retard" now like they were under Biden or Obama.

The 3 judges who overturned Trump's tariffs were appointed by Reagan, Trump and Biden.

They rightly ruled, as is bloody obvious, that new tariffs can only be introduced by Congress.

Congress will no doubt do Trump's bidding.

One thing that really pleases me: Trump is challenging this in court.

I really feared he was going to ignore court rulings as it would have meant the end of US democracy as it only survives on the rule of law.

So the US Appeal Court has re-instated the tariffs for now although it's asked the plaintiffs..a group of business owners, to provide more evidence in their case.

And that's a positive..the courts are prevailing.

On the downside 100s of businesses have paused imports as they have no idea what the future will bring.

This is a total mess. One thing the US exports and which is a huge business, is computer chips. Now China has suddenly invested $Billions in creating it's own chip industry.

I don't think there is a single economist in the Trump cabinet. Just numerous ex-Fox News talking heads.

I know GM thinks Communism has failed but indeed, it's been a roaring success to date.

Both China and Vietnam are superb examples of Communism working albeit with both using Market Economy and a mixture of Capitalism to achieve remarkable results.

But that's Asia..the most practical people on the planet.

I reckon the old USSR was a success as well dragging a basically rural based economy into the 21st century.

One cannot of course ignore the dreadful murderous actions of the brutal mad Stalin.

But there is not a word in the Communist manifesto that justifies or promotes brutality. It's basically economics.

# I once shook Gorbachev's huge hand. I considered it a great honor)

As for the USA that has murdered so many people as in Vietnam on the fear of Communism spreading, they failed of course. 100,000s of innocent peasants dead for no reason.

And the greatest of US presidents FDR introduced numerous socialist style policies to drag the US out of the '29 crash (unbridled Capitalism gone mad).

These policies were continued and increased by Eisenhower and Harry S Truman.

These policies boosted tens of millions of Americans into the Middle Class.

We'll never know what JFK would have done but LBJ and even Nixon or Ford didn't fidle with these polices & Jimmy Carter of course increased some.

But then came Ronald Reagan (so likeable) and the dismantling began.

Trump of course is on steroids in his quest to rid the US of any hint of socialism like Medicaid, Food Stamps or aged pensions.

I'd venture Cuba is a success as well despite the cruel US sanctions. (10 years ago China gave every Cuban household a new refrigerator)

One Communist state I can think of that failed was Yugoslavia but that had much to do with strong man Tito dying and the "coalition" of countries who never were the greatest of friends, falling apart.

Communist Albania collapsed in the 90s but as they were great fans (like me) of Norman Wisdom I forgive them anything.