Jedidajah Otte Wed 5 Mar 2025 10.10 EST
"Since Donald Trump began his tariff threats against Canada and his ‘jokes’ about making Canada the 51st US state, I have not bought a single product originating in the US,” said Lynne Allardice, 78, a retired business owner from New Brunswick, Canada.
“Not a single lettuce leaf or piece of fruit. I have become an avid reader of labels and have adopted an ‘anywhere but the US’ policy when shopping. I will not visit the States while Trump remains in office, and most of the people I know have adopted the same policy.”"
My god you’re dense. I’ve already explained everything clearly and twice so far. I’ll put it in very simple to understand words for you:
Trade Deficit = Deindustrialisation and Job Loss
Trade Surplus = Industrialisation and Job Growth
For someone who claims to have an understanding of macroeconomics, you clearly very much don’t. 🤦🏼
And I’ll reiterate: the Memorandum did not guarantee military support, and yet, we’ve been providing it for the last three years for free despite them breaking their own agreement and infringing on Russia’s border security. They poked the bear, FAFO’d. The only way Ukraine keeps their sovereignty is through diplomacy and, most likely, complete detachment from NATO.
Yes those are negative side effects of a trade deficit, just like it has positive effects, which the US has benefitted from for decades. Why is the USD currently so strong? Mainly because of your trade deficit. Dont try to frame it like there are only downsides.
Sure, a transition to trade surplus is a valid possibility, but tarriffs wont accomplish that. They will create a few jobs, sure, but they definitely wont increase exports.
I didnt say the Memorandum guaranteed military support. I said Trump suggesting that Ukraine give up the occupied territories is violating the sovereignity and borders part. Russia violated the agreement long before by attacking Ukraine, which would obviously draw sympathy to Ukraine as the attacked. I also didnt deny the US providing support. They provided about as much as the average country supporting Ukraine, which they are very thankful for, but its not that special. Ill dismiss the propaganda part, I think you know very well that its bullshit.
And which other countries have benefited from far more, for decades.
We don’t even need a trade surplus, we just need to minimise the deficit gap. Too much reliance on foreign trade is weakening our own economy while strengthening others. Maybe be grateful that it lasted as long as it did.
You did say that, and I quoted it in my reply. Quit backpedaling.
Attacking Ukraine in self-defence is not violating the agreement. If you don’t see how having an opposing military alliance right on their border would be perceived as a security threat, idk what to tell ya. Especially when NATO gave assurances not to expand eastward past Germany. I recall the U.S. having similar concerns when Russia had a presence in Cuba.
Anyway, that was back before the US of A and Russia started becoming allies.
See, it’s that kind of ungrateful attitude that resulted in a complete halt on all aid to Ukraine. The U.S. provided ~%43 of the military support to Ukraine while no other country exceeded 6%. It would have been over in weeks if not days had we not supported them as much as we did. If we were such an “average” provider, the entire world wouldn’t be throwing a tantrum over it like you are right now.