In the past. How do you pay off your Farm loans? God knows they operate on a shoestring as it is always subject to catastrophic crop failures. This is a national disaster, almost as bad as an actual war. We will really suffer for this.

Maybe worse, Walleye, if we lose our government & we're solidly on that path.

This is the order of my emotions.

... is the provide a stable and dependable framework for fair trade.
May need to revisit that.

In the1930s. Then it may have been rich men more than corporations, but the idea is the same. Rin out the family farms, corporations buy them for pennies on the dollar, and our cost for food goes up even higher as mire profit is wanted. Unregulated capitalism is as bad as... or worse than communism IMO. As long as men are greedy, anyway.

One of my grandfathers was well off and lost everything.
My other grandfather was well off and took over peoples mortgages until they got back on their feet and could pay him back. My grandma saved the ledgers. He did not add to their debt, no additional interest added.

officially corporate owned farms. This was done under their policy that small farmers would not be able to meet the food demands of a fast growing, at the time, global population.
Edit Add, this policy of only supporting the largest growers is that the primary aid to farmers is to provide crop insurance backed by the government but only the largest growers can afford to purchase.

in the future, if available at all. Like states with fire or severe weather issues.

I hope they remember who did this to them this time.

But it feel impossible that a complete collapse of consumer confidence, won't be followed by a recession. We have random economic policies of the moment. And a hostile, extremely hostile foreign environment which should be devastating to tourism and just trade in general. We have zero allies at the moment.

Maybe VD Vance or moron Trump can explain how having zero allies is beneficial in a global economy.

but they created a Frankenstein's Psychopath this time, and they don't know what to do..................

Trump has already thrown his Trumphumping Voters under the bus, now that they have outgrown their usefulness,

Now he is throwing the Fucking Corporations under the bus......(Every last one of them, who gave him un-fathomable donations thinking he wouldn't screw them over)...............

He is a Sadistic, Narcissistic, Psychopath..........how could they think this wouldn't happen. He only takes his orders from Putin, which they all should have realized LONG AGO.......

they'll do better staying loyal to Trump. It is Republicans and rich corporations who could turn this around but they are too greedy, too scared, or too cynical.

They'll regret it someday but it will be too late. Either the autocracy will be impenetrable, or the Dems will be in charge and we'll make sure they don't have the power (or the money) to do this again.

were the Republican Senators in first time around, and have, along with the USSC, continued ever since.......
But the Senators, in particular, are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Corporations........

The Best Politicians that money can buy.........bar none...................AND there are a number of Dem Senators that are no different. Especially the DINO's...........and here in Colorado, we have ones that qualify............Katie Bar The Door............

for having no allies in a global economy. Of course, it's based on nothing more than them, themselves. No one else matters. I'm old and no doubt in the minority, but I've always considered Wall Street as nothing more than a huge gambling casino. Even the lingo corresponds. That gambling is considered a sin in their Christian religion, christianists sure seem to go all in with it. It advances cheating, greed, and avarice in society. I don't see it as a good thing at all. And I especially don't like the hawks, vultures, and other mega capitalists that use its knowledge to shortchange or bankrupt another person or company. And while parts of actions may be illegal, too few are held accountable and, especially, if they're rich. It's like we've taken "too big to fail" so far as to encompass people like trump, musk, zuke, and the others as being "too rich to fail." It's all become so much evil that everyone is suppose to get behind and praise. But then, I'll admit, I was never good at math nor finances... so maybe that plays a role in my opinion.

If they travel to the United States I’d rethink my trip on that alone, not to mention the stories starting to crop up about people being detained - not just told to turn back and get on a plane for home but detained and treated like criminals in barely habitable cells.

Tourism to the U.S. is going to be a big FAFO until he leaves office.

a permanent move-New Zealand is beautiful and friendly. and very relaxed!

Many March trips were booked before tRump was inaugurated.

The mood in Canada is such right now that if someone announced vacation plans for the US they would be shunned.

I know we can do it, but will we.

Of what has to happen. We must hit them hard economically, where it really hurts them. And that's the main aspect that must be sustained and the hardest to make it so. Everyone has to eat, so money has to be spent. But we have to be smart, organized, and consistent in whatever rules we lay for buy nothing periods. And we have to be ready for retaliation by trump and mega owners. That means supporting each other by sharing whatever meager supplies we have, or giving money if that's the better of the choice. This is where we're gonna sink or swim. Magas won't go this far, if they'd even take the first step. But when it comes to trump making sure everyone of his critics hurt and hurt bad, we either band together and help people swim, or we sink with all the panicked flailing in wild waters.

Reward companies that treat their employees decently!

We will tip the scales at over 3 1/2 %

my wildest hopes are with you on this!

Touché!!

It knocks over all of the pieces, shits all over the board, and then it struts around like it won something.

You would think he would notice illegal immigrant Musk.

Putin is thrilled!

... just demonstrates Trump's infantile pettiness, and desperate need for constant praise, even if it's obtained through coercion. If there ever was a decent part of Trump – which I seriously doubt – it ran down his mother's leg. He has no business befouling the Oval Office by his rancid presence. And allowing just anyone to run for the highest office in the land with NO qualifications for the position is sheer idiocy of astronomical proportions. Plumbers, electricians, hair stylists, and thousands of other professions, all have to prove that they're qualified to do their jobs. To lead what was once the most powerful nation on Earth... not so much. That has to change. Trump has proved that.

I heard that they are going to start reporting unemployment, GDP, etc. as exclusively private sector, so that the thousands of government layoffs don't bring the numbers down.

Export tariffs will harm them too and cause layoffs. Foreign buyers will get their machinery elsewhere and it may permanently destroy relationships with these customers. Without these sales, they may not be able to sustain their businesses and have to furlough skilled employees. Many small American companies have mature markets in the U.S. and depend upon their offshore sales to stay in business.

It’s working. They are afraid of the masses. The movement is building. These things take time.

Except the rich. They have a little time. They will survive this.

You and I? Not so much.

I have to have time. Small businesses need to make time. None of us have time. We need to make time, because there really is no other way. Peaceful protests held by a steadily building movement will work. Violence will get people killed or incarcerated. Dead people or incarcerated people can’t protest or make a fuss. Making a fuss is more worrisome to these people than you think. It scares them when they see the numbers grow steadily. Even the republicans are getting a little worried. The first protest had a couple of million, this last one had several million. It’s growing, it is also starting to get some attention from the mainstream. They’ve been trying to ignore it. We can’t give up, because that’s what they want.

Every year in baseball season there is a series played in Seattle by the Toronto blue Jays. Most years, thousands of Canadians come down to enjoy the games, creating a nice weekend long surge in tourism in the area, helping local restaurants, hotels, watering holes, etc.

This year they are scheduled to be here in May, and so far reservations are running 30-50% below average, cancellations are rising.

Can't say that I blame them, I'd be wary of coming here myself.

The trump effect is real and is costing real money to American businesses.

Not phony like trumps spiritual counselor. He definitely had a bead on where this world was going. Gods, but I miss him . Hmm maybe rewashing old twilight zone shows could give us some ideas to implement today.

2 space aliens looking down on earth.
I see the dominant life form has developed space weapons.
Does this mean they are an emerging intelligence?
I don't think so. They have them aimed at themselves.

Something MAGA claims to abhor

However I believe plenty of small businesses did take support on multiple occasions.

Around here, rural farmers love them some farm subsidies but hate government subsidies for everyone else.

Last edited Sun Apr 13, 2025, 09:53 PM - Edit history (1)

>I'm betting that > 80% of the small business people who are importing from China, now totally screwed by the tariffs, also voted for Trump<

How much are we betting?

of those who consider themselves "self-made small business entrepreneurs" are very right-wing. They all believe they did everything by themselves and all government spending is bad. They are all Trumpers, and all quick to blame any issues on "the others".

That is anecdotal, of course. Maybe your circle of acquaintances is different.

Is in line with my own experience -- an even split. I live near Etsy HQ so lots of other lefty entrepreneurs here.

Gallup polled in 2020:

Donald Trump 50%
Joe Biden 50%

Couldn't find a similar poll for 2024

https://news.gallup.com/poll/284396/small-business-owners-highly-engaged-2020-election.aspx

I was thinking about the people Mark Cuban described:

that if the dollar is weak, americans may stay in the US for vacation which can slightly offset the loss of foreign tourists. But that won’t help US airline’s international flights, either.

Even in Australia.

Cynical me read an article about a local business, essentially this:

"The Melbourne-based entrepreneur started her children's company as a young mum, when she dreamed up a reusable alternative to throwaway colouring books."

In short, she is selling a silicone coloring book that can be reused.

Essentially, she thinks that she is selling to the US from Australia.

In reality, she is drop-shipping from China, ie no goods are made in Australia, and no goods go through Australian ports, China direct to the US, so the full tariffs apply. Whatever that is today.

She was expecting to pay a 10% tariff.

"In HeyDoodle's case, they expect to pay the far higher tariff that the US has slapped on China — now more than 100 per cent and rising.
That's because the firm's silicone colouring mats are manufactured in China.
They are then shipped directly from a factory there to the US to wholesalers and retailers, like bookshop giant Barnes & Noble."

To my mind, it's a lazy way to run a business, basically selling a Chinese product as middle-man.
It's a common business model and it will be destroyed by the tariff system.

So yeah, big panic!

On a personal note, I will be watching the local AU and US prices of lawn mowers carefully.
What used to be locally manufactured brands moved production to China years ago, while still appealing to low information buyers with the 'buy local' sentiment.

I would cancel trumpistans third and split it with Canada and Mexico.
These fans are the targets and their safety is not guaranteed.

We are not a happy country right now.

... where they are disappearing people and throwing them into foreign concentration camps?

Not a winning tourism strategy.

Quit acting like trump is the fucking star of this show. It's the republican party, and all their voters and Supreme Court judges, who are responsible for the collapse of America.