U.S. Politics

[Lone Star]

For those failing to grasp "reciprocal trade", which was the topic of discussion between Juncker and Trump, it means that there would be no tariffs, no barriers and no subsidies for the importer or the exporter. The EU would also benefit from no tariffs, no barriers and no subsidies.

Free and Fair Trade means that the ultimate deciding factor is the quality and value of the product with judgment being made by the consumer in each country. I love the Individual Liberty of being able to decide how I spend my money without having to figure in tariffs, fees, etc.

Both sides win in a deal like that.

If a US company cannot sell their product overseas with all barriers removed, too damn bad. Come up with a better product. That's how free enterprise works.

[Lone Star]

Secretary Ross has repeated Trump's goal: no tariffs, no barriers, no subsidies. That's the end game, and both sides benefit from it.

[skinner]

For those failing to grasp "reciprocal trade", which was the topic of discussion between Juncker and Trump, it means that there would be no tariffs, no barriers and no subsidies for the importer or the exporter. The EU would also benefit from no tariffs, no barriers and no subsidies.

Free and Fair Trade means that the ultimate deciding factor is the quality and value of the product with judgment being made by the consumer in each country. I love the Individual Liberty of being able to decide how I spend my money without having to figure in tariffs, fees, etc.

Both sides win in a deal like that.

If a US company cannot sell their product overseas with all barriers removed, too damn bad. Come up with a better product. That's how free enterprise works.

Unfortunately things aren't that simple , the poorest kids in society end up with the poorest food because its cheap. Big business doesn't care because the rich own big business and they get richer . We don't all want to be like America !!

[skinner]

Secretary Ross has repeated Trump's goal: no tariffs, no barriers, no subsidies. That's the end game, and both sides benefit from it.

what a load of horse sh*t. Big business benefits from no barriers.

[Giggle]

Why does the EU feel the need to have America subsidize their poor by applying tariffs on US goods? Tax your own domestic goods and services if you want to play Nanny and dole out goodies like Santa. Not everybody in the world wants to live in a socialist utopia like Venezuela.

[trekkertony]

Socialism works until the elected officials/Government of the day runs out of everyone elses money

[Lone Star]

Socialism works until the elected officials/Government of the day runs out of everyone elses money

Why does the EU feel the need to have America subsidize their poor by applying tariffs on US goods? Tax your own domestic goods and services if you want to play Nanny and dole out goodies like Santa. Not everybody in the world wants to live in a socialist utopia like Venezuela.

Absolutely correct.

Those who put all their faith in big government don't even trust them to deliver. They don't trust the government, or the politicians who they elect to oversee it. They don't trust business to deliver a product fairly. They don't trust people to be wise enough to make free choices.

Anyone who uses business (which employs millions of people) as the bad guy in the EU/US Free & Fair trade deal that is ongoing – or ANY free and fair trade deal – must not trust business in his/her home country and/or must not trust his/her own countrymen to make good value judgments when making purchases.

EU businesses or individuals will be the ones importing US goods without tariffs/barriers, and it will be true for any opposite transaction. Those imported goods will be either used by the purchasers or sold to others in their respective countries. I would have thought that anyone living in Thailand, where we are saddled with huge import duties and customs fees and a VAT would see the value in not having those economic barriers on imported goods -- especially for those imported goods that aren't even produced in Thailand. There's not even a producer here that needs protecting. The BUYER benefits by being able to obtain a product they value/need at less cost because all of the added tariffs and fees don't inflate the price. It's a win-win for both the buyer and the seller. That's what free enterprise is all about: the voluntary exchange of capital for goods and services. Don't want a particular product? Don't buy it.

In a free society where businesses exist, the market, which is comprised of people making value judgments on products under consideration for purchase, will ultimately determine which companies succeed or fail. If making a profit is considered a “bad” thing, then the consumer has the discriminating power to reject the product and buy from someone else. In a free and fair trade scenario, the buyer is given the choice of purchasing domestic products or imported products without tariff constraints. I trust people to be able to make informed buying decisions, and it's also up to them to be knowledgeable about whatever it is that they are purchasing.

Those who are of the view that governments are bad and can't be trusted, businesses that make profits are bad and can't be trusted and fellow countrymen are too ignorant to be trusted to make informed buying decisions, will probably never be happy anywhere. Their narrow stance of distrusting everything and everyone in a free market to make a good decision or deliver a product fairly, makes for a hopeless society. These individuals will never recognize the value and freedom afforded in free and fair trade between countries – or even trust individuals to make daily transactions. Any discussion about economics and finance with anyone embracing this view is a waste of time because they have programmed themselves to reject everything.

[vincemunday]

Surely not even the leftist of lefties can deny that this is a good thing! Well done Donald Trump!

Korea remains: Pyongyang returns US troops slain in Korean War http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44976947

[jimjay]

One of your better posts Lone-sie.

Alas,

[Lone Star]

More details from Kudlow on the background in the EU/US trade deal. Market responds positively.

I'm optimistic that a good deal will be hammered out. No doubt that free and fair trade will be good for all sides -- and freedom for consumers to choose without the burden of tariffs and barriers.

[jimjay]

Surely not even the leftist of lefties can deny that this is a good thing! Well done Donald Trump!

Korea remains: Pyongyang returns US troops slain in Korean War http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44976947

I'm named after my grandmother's brother who died in that war, interesting stuff going on.

Still don't trust them or their Chinese handlers but that's to be expected given our experience.

[Lone Star]

Surely not even the leftist of lefties can deny that this is a good thing! Well done Donald Trump!

Korea remains: Pyongyang returns US troops slain in Korean War http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44976947

Yes, a good thing.

But LIBs/PROGs/Dems have a habit of even ignoring what they see with their own eyes. 555 They will never give Trump credit for anything. If he found a cure for cancer, they'd protest to get their cancer back.

[Lone Star]

Putting the squeeze on Iran.

Interesting information about a NATO-like coalition being formed in the ME to put down the "bad neighbor" rogue regimes and keep the peace.

That would be a HUGE WIN if it comes about.

[skinner]

Putting the squeeze on Iran.

Interesting information about a NATO-like coalition being formed in the ME to put down the "bad neighbor" rogue regimes and keep the peace.

That would be a HUGE WIN if it comes about.
[

Why would any intelligent person want to put the "squeeze on Iran "

Iran is the Middle eastern power who have contributed most to the destruction of Islamic state .A long with Russia , they have put boots on the ground , which any former serviceman who has seen active service would know is essential !!

what would Trump the WAR DODGER KNOW ABOUT THAT ??

Saudi Arabia , the most repressive regime in the world is overlooked because Americans want their oil .

Compare the lives of Iranian women to Saudi women ?

Septics make me laugh , its all about money to you. You talk about democracy and human rights , YOU ARE FULL OF SH"T

[stattointhailand]

The VERY FIRST human right from the day you are born is to be looked after when you are unable to look after yourself ............. unless you have insurance/can pay big bucks up front or can get the required 10,000 "We are praying for you today" on facebook you stand NO CHANCE of that basic human right in America skinner

[Giggle]

you stand NO CHANCE of that basic human right in America skinner

Apparently not in the UK either.

‘So Much Harm to Patients’: British Doctors Describe NHS as ‘Worse Than Communist China’

A recent report in the U.K. Telegraph chronicles the conclusions of the British Medical Association’s annual conference, where doctors loudly lamented the undue power of abusive managers and bureaucrats, who seem to have as much or more power in hospitals than the actual doctors.

“The result is the perfect toxic professional working environment for this explosive mixture to generate disasters such as Mid Staffordshire which did so much harm to patients,” said Dr. Peter Holden, a member of the BMA’s GP negotiating committee.

“Not even in Communist China did they have managers overruling doctors in the operation of hospitals and health services,” he added.

The Mid Staffordshire “disaster” is a reference to the revelation that up to 1,200 people died unnecessarily at an NHS-run hospital between 2005 and 2009, some suffering from starvation or dehydration and left in complete squalor (this is the case where people were drinking the water out of flowerpots they were so desperate).

https://www.theblaze.com/news/2013/07/1 ... nist-china

Tell us again how marvelous your socialist utopia is ...

[Lone Star]

. . .

Tell us again how marvelous your socialist utopia is ...

Yes, typical government-run anything.

Until Trump came along, our Veteran's Administration was the same.

Seems like there would be oodles of charitable people in the perfect and highly civilized Unicornville so that there would be no need for the government to take people's income to care for others. Not going to bash any individual country for their choice. Up to them. If they're happy or unhappy with what they have, I don't much care.

[Lone Star]

The haters are always so quick to jump on the "Silver Bullet of the Week" that is fired at Trump. Sometimes there is more than one each week.

The latest "Silver Bullet" is the Cohen accusation regarding Trump having prior knowledge of a meeting between Don Jr. and some Russian lawyer -- who was granted a visa by the Obama Administration.

1. Not a crime to have the meeting.
2. Not a crime to have prior knowledge of the meeting.
3. Not a crime to discuss adoption proceedings.
4. Not a crime to not have any further contact with the Russian.

But the biggest caviat of them all regarding this: Cohen admits that he has no evidence to corroborate this accusation.

You'd think by now, after months of this kind of nothingness with past "silver bullets", the cheerleaders for failure would wait a few days or a week and see what else comes out before they have their pep rally. Quick to jump. Up to them.

It may look politically damaging to all of those cheerleaders for failure, but I predict that this silver bullet will miss the target just as all the others have done. This is a very old story. LIBs/PROGs/Dems continue to rehash old stories. The cheerleading for failure has surpassed 18 months of daily hand-wringing and hair-on-fire accusations, and it continues.

In the meantime, what have Democrats proposed that would be good for all Americans or supported by more than half of WORKING Americans? Nothing.

And then there's the level of virtually infinite arrogance in the worldwide haters, who think they should have some say-so over who Americans choose as their political leaders. They also think they should be able to determine our inalienable rights. The hypocrisy of it all is that their hate runs so deep, it makes one wonder why the hell they care so much about it. 55555 Americans don't care about the leadership of other countries. Up to them.

This behavior even plays out in this forum: one-line insults, seeking to shut down the speech of those with whom they disagree; and in their frustration, certain haters imploring others not to post and engage in the discussion -- even though they don't take their own advice and continue to return with their one-liners and keep the thread alive that they want to kill. 55555

Both groups -- Democrats and haters -- are about only one thing: "HATE TRUMP." They offer nothing -- not even civil discourse. Maybe, like Maxine Waters has recently claimed, they view their existence on this earth to be commanded by God to go after Trump.

[Lone Star]

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and US Trade Rep Robert Lighthizer are close to a new bilateral trade deal with Mexico's new president -- Lopez Obrador. Surprisingly, AMLO and Trump have a lot of common ground regarding trade. AMLO wants to increase manufacturing and stop the exploitation of the Mexican farmer. Trump assisting with this would be equally beneficial for the US.

Trudeau in Canada is dealing with environmentalists beating the pots and pans, and he has doubled-down on his stance after the G8. Canada wants to retain NAFTA access to the US and also broker Chinese imports.

So it looks like there will be a deal with Mexico, but not much headway with Canada (who cares?).

The US representatives have been in ongoing negotiations with Mexico. If a deal gets done soon, and it's close, Canada will be isolated (who cares?) If Canada doesn't join under the same US/Mexico terms, then NAFTA is dead (great news).

[stattointhailand]

The NHS along with the other "public services" in UK has only been in such a state since Thatcher and her cronies decided to "Privatise" every service they could and over officiate every one that they couldnt with more accountants than people to run the service
BTW Thatcher was years ahead of Trump when it came to massaging figures and then feeding them to a gullible public