Politics

[Rocked and Loaded]

With a 31% drop in Canadians crossing the boarder in automobiles and a 13.5% drop in air travel, states that do any amount of business through tourism must be down on revenue. Those figures are year over year comparisons and have been down similarly each of the last four months.

Has anyone in the u.s. noticed a marked decrease in tourists ? Tourism is big business here in the summer months but we won’t start to notice until the ferry starts for the season if the decrease is reciprocal.

No, but I live on the wrong border for that anyway.

 

[spike.t]

On the plane ....

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/12/trump-qatar-air-force-one-taxpayer-costs-00342299

 

[Scott CWO]

With a 31% drop in Canadians crossing the boarder in automobiles and a 13.5% drop in air travel, states that do any amount of business through tourism must be down on revenue. Those figures are year over year comparisons and have been down similarly each of the last four months.

Has anyone in the u.s. noticed a marked decrease in tourists ? Tourism is big business here in the summer months but we won’t start to notice until the ferry starts for the season if the decrease is reciprocal.

Take off, eh!

 

[Altitude sickness]

I think it’s important for us here to share with uneducated people in our circles that it is the left Democrats that are isolationists.

the last four years the Biden/Blinken team would not talk to any countries leaders they had opposing views with.

Today the American team is in Qatar, (the referee in the Middle East). Working out bringing back Syria into the fold, which helps calm down other Muslim nations.

The new leader of Syria will be brought into the circle instead of driven to Russia and China. This also allows European Syrian refugees to go back to Syria. Trump is showing that he is America first but far from an isolationist. He just doesn’t believe in nation building and telling countries and cultures that America knows better than they do.

The past nation building regimes have failed. it’s high time to try something different.

In foreign policy. There’s no such thing as forever friends and forever enemies

 

[Brent in Az]

Knuckleheads & Ding Dongs

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[Red Leg]

Something has gone sideways on the Navy procurement. They were prepared to announce the winner (between Boeing and Northrop) last month and then the new team put it on hold.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I hope Hegseth doesn’t think aircraft carriers have becomeobsolete. Ground pounders are not optimal for a Chinese blockade on Taiwan. I’m sure Hegseth has been read in and is aware of other programs available to him since that pre SecDef interview.

Just solve the current hypersonic missile problem don’t scrap a long proven platform.

A couple clips in that video remind me of how rare of a person it is that can become a fighter pilot. It’s a rare combination of intelligence coordination and almost being a perfect
physical specimen.

Of course, I would never say that in front of the ones I know

 

[Munnik]

Trump is said to have lowered Chinese tariffs because of the disadvantages for his own voter base

The White House is said to have lowered tariffs against China after warnings of disadvantages for large parts of Trump's electorate - including port workers and truck drivers. The Washington Post reconstructs this with reference to two people who are familiar with the events.

Decisive for this were warnings from advisers, Secretary of Finance Scott Bessent and Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles that the punitive tariffs could hit central voter groups in particular economically. The measures have already had a noticeable impact on the US economy and led to uncertainty in international markets.

"We've seen Trump stand up to his neck when it comes to business for the first time," said Doug Heye, a Republican communications strategist who worked for former House of Representatives Majority Leader Eric Cantor. That was the reason for Trump's decision to lower tariffs. »It hits a core of its DNA – the economy and business. That made it difficult for him to maintain these customs."
DER SPIEGEL

 

[Altitude sickness]

This Foreign Aid Agency Locked Its Doors To Keep DOGE Out. Now We Know Why.

DAILY WIRE LONGREADS: This piece of long-form investigative journalism is adapted from a recent four-part series.When the Department of Government Efficiency showed up at a small USAID-linked federal agency called the African Development Foundation in March, its management locked the doors and...

www.dailywire.com

 

[skydiver386]

This Foreign Aid Agency Locked Its Doors To Keep DOGE Out. Now We Know Why.

DAILY WIRE LONGREADS: This piece of long-form investigative journalism is adapted from a recent four-part series.When the Department of Government Efficiency showed up at a small USAID-linked federal agency called the African Development Foundation in March, its management locked the doors and...

www.dailywire.com

Some might look at this as admission of guilt. Wonder if a search warrant is possible?

 

[Brent in Az]

This Foreign Aid Agency Locked Its Doors To Keep DOGE Out. Now We Know Why.

DAILY WIRE LONGREADS: This piece of long-form investigative journalism is adapted from a recent four-part series.When the Department of Government Efficiency showed up at a small USAID-linked federal agency called the African Development Foundation in March, its management locked the doors and...

www.dailywire.com

I think Pam Bondi will be very busy over the next few years.

 

[deewayne2003]

Trump is said to have lowered Chinese tariffs because of the disadvantages for his own voter base

The White House is said to have lowered tariffs against China after warnings of disadvantages for large parts of Trump's electorate - including port workers and truck drivers. The Washington Post reconstructs this with reference to two people who are familiar with the events.

Decisive for this were warnings from advisers, Secretary of Finance Scott Bessent and Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles that the punitive tariffs could hit central voter groups in particular economically. The measures have already had a noticeable impact on the US economy and led to uncertainty in international markets.

"We've seen Trump stand up to his neck when it comes to business for the first time," said Doug Heye, a Republican communications strategist who worked for former House of Representatives Majority Leader Eric Cantor. That was the reason for Trump's decision to lower tariffs. »It hits a core of its DNA – the economy and business. That made it difficult for him to maintain these customs."
DER SPIEGEL

I think it has more to do with the Chinese knowing their about to have financial ruin and people are already protesting and burning factories down because they haven't been paid in months....

For the 90 day pause....
USA has dropped its tariffs from 145% to 30% on Chinese goods
China has dropped its tariffs from 125% to 10% on USA goods

China would not have done this if they had leverage in the situation; it's merely China trying to save face and combat the massive exit of foreign investment that has occurred; if they had not agreed to the 90 day pause the CCP would have catastrophe on their hands.

 

[Brent in Az]

Saving face is part of the Asian culture.

I dont think we would ever have to go to war with China, when we could simply crush the Chinese economy without ever firing a shot.

I get a kick out of all the media propaganda claiming Trump is losing the Trade war.

 

[Brent in Az]

The big beautiful bill is not so beautiful as it gets watered down in the house
They need to realize there are 77 million Trump supporters, and not 77 million GOP supporters

 

[Pasme]

I think it has more to do with the Chinese knowing their about to have financial ruin and people are already protesting and burning factories down because they haven't been paid in months....

For the 90 day pause....
USA has dropped its tariffs from 145% to 30% on Chinese goods
China has dropped its tariffs from 125% to 10% on USA goods

China would not have done this if they had leverage in the situation; it's merely China trying to save face and combat the massive exit of foreign investment that has occurred; if they had not agreed to the 90 day pause the CCP would have catastrophe on their hands.

music to my ears

 

[Tbitty]

The big beautiful bill is not so beautiful as it gets watered down in the house
They need to realize there are 77 million Trump supporters, and not 77 million GOP supporters

77 million voted for Trump does not mean 77 million support him nor every single idea he has. There's a difference.

 

[Tanks]

The big beautiful bill is not so beautiful as it gets watered down in the house
They need to realize there are 77 million Trump supporters, and not 77 million GOP supporters

A lot of people held their nose and voted for Trump due to the alternative. That does not mean they support him or a lot of his ideas.

 

[rigbymauser]

77 million voted for Trump does not mean 77 million support him nor every single idea he has. There's a difference.

Yep. There are voters and the followers. A voter may rethink and reflect his choice. The followers are just zombies who well....Just follow.

 

[spike.t]

Mmm..seems Russia has not been truthful about the state of its economy....surprise surprise...

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/russian-economy-worse-shape-moscow-172031382.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=YW5kcm9pZC1hcHA6Ly9jb20uZ29vZ2xlLmFuZHJvaWQuZ29vZ2xlcXVpY2tzZWFyY2hib3gv&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHuC5DnDIPkZA791sEpkxz5W8-s26WJ6i_ZJvrpgjXc0ffNm8UuYW6W2e6EKv5jqXoqa81oFz8j_wd6fpYu7QMrXuc3QU93geJmjQMUAlvtiKgIwuKsatAuFQUQvtReyHcVtXublQK6OTMVHT8qI0XAxmoXtbZlSeES3XD45sgvW