realitista

Donald Trump had a plan. It was not a good plan, or even a plausible one. But it was, at least, a coherent plan: By imposing large trade barriers on the entire world, he would create an incentive for American business to manufacture and grow all the goods the country previously imported.

Whatever chance this plan had to succeed is already over.

The key to making it work was to convince businesses that the new arrangement is durable. Nobody is going to invest in building new factories in the United States to create goods that until last week could be imported more cheaply unless they’re certain that the tariffs making the domestic version more competitive will stay in place. (They’re probably not going to do it anyway, in part because they don’t know who will be president in four years, but the point is that confidence in durable tariffs is a necessary condition.)

But not everybody got the idea. Eric Trump tweeted, “I wouldn’t want to be the last country that tries to negotiate a trade deal with @realDonaldTrump. The first to negotiate will win - the last will absolutely lose.”

Eric’s father apparently didn’t get the memo either. Asked by reporters whether he planned to negotiate the tariff rates, the president said, “The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have.”

Someone seems to have then told Trump that this stance would paralyze business investment, because he reversed course immediately, writing on Truth Social, “TO THE MANY INVESTORS COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES AND INVESTING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF MONEY, MY POLICIES WILL NEVER CHANGE.”

However, there is a principle at work here called “No backsies.” Once you’ve said you might negotiate the tariffs, nobody is going to believe you when you change your mind and say you’ll never negotiate.

Hitman World of Assassination

Ghost Town

Prison Boss: Prohibition

Vendetta Forever

Underdogs

Slender: The Arrival VR

Gorn 2

ShadowGate: The Mines of Mythrok

Postal 2

Out of Sight VR

Roboquest VR

Surviving Mars

Wrath: Aeon of Ruin VR

Memoreum

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/25925641

A former senior Soviet KGB spy chief has claimed that Donald Trump was recruited as a spy by Russian intelligence as early as 38 years ago by his department, and given the codename ‘Krasnov’.

In an extraordinary post on Facebook on 20 February, Alnur Mussayev – who used to run the successor to the Soviet-era KGB in Kazakhstan – claimed that he was personally aware of Trump’s recruitment by the agency in 1987.

The recruitment, he said, was undertaken by his own KGB department. One of the key roles of that department was to acquire intelligence through business leaders in Western countries.

A former senior Soviet KGB spy chief has claimed that Donald Trump was recruited as a spy by Russian intelligence as early as 38 years ago by his department, and given the codename ‘Krasnov’.

In an extraordinary post on Facebook on 20 February, Alnur Mussayev – who used to run the successor to the Soviet-era KGB in Kazakhstan – claimed that he was personally aware of Trump’s recruitment by the agency in 1987.

The recruitment, he said, was undertaken by his own KGB department. One of the key roles of that department was to acquire intelligence through business leaders in Western countries.

"Many leaders have talked about a Europe that needs its own military — an Army of Europe. I believe that the time has come. The Armed Forces of Europe must be created.

This is not harder than standing firm against Russian attacks — as we have already done. But this isn't just about increasing defense spending as a GDP ratio. Money is needed, yes — but money alone won’t stop an enemy assault."

"Does America need Europe? As a market, yes. But as an ally? For the answer to be 'yes,' Europe needs a single voice — not a dozen different ones.

A few days ago, President Trump told me about his conversation with Putin. Not once did he mention that America needs Europe at that table. That says a lot. The old days are over — when America supported Europe just because it always had.

But President Trump once said: What matters is not the family you were born into, but the one you build. We must build the closest possible relationship with America, and — yes, a new relationship — but as Europeans, not just as separate nations. That's why we need a unified foreign policy, a coordinated diplomacy, the foreign policy of a common Europe."

"Europe has everything it takes. Europe just needs to come together and start acting in a way that no one can say 'no' to Europe, boss it around, or treat it like a pushover."

"Look at what Putin is trying to do. This is his game. Putin wants one-on-one talks with America — just like before the war, when they met in Switzerland and looked how to carve up the world.

Next, Putin will try to get the U.S. President to stand on Red Square on May 9th — this year — not as a respected leader, but as a prop in his performance. We don't need that."

Via ToothyBJ