Lone Candle
Champion of Truth
China is screwing Europe economically. The US could have worked with Europe to counter China’s cheating, instead, Trump declared economic war on everyone at once, and bowed to China because China was too strong for Trump to take on alone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d3dZojivjI
Trump thinks a trade deficit means the US lost. This is false. Americans agreeing to buy goods from another country is a win for both sides.
Trade enlarges the pie, creating more total goods than we’d have without it. Consumers count too, and they benefit by buying foreign products, so do companies using foreign inputs to create goods and services in America.
The US needs to maintain its ability to produce military necessities, but the administration’s approach is to treat deficits generally as a lost. They broadly attack bilateral deficits without a sensible strategy–this hurts most people.
Lower prices aren’t necessarily “cheap”. They mean more. You can buy more; American businesses can produce more.
A lot of manufacturing jobs aren’t even good jobs anymore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYsdgsiyQO0
What economists get wrong about government debt | Prof. Steve Keen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXSPAfOFl2k
Why This Asian Border Sees More Crossings Than the Entire US-Mexico Border
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUWOhAs5rTs
“Previous efforts by Trump to get China to purchase more US goods have fallen short, raising questions about whether the latest pledges will be fulfilled. China failed to meet its commitments under an agreement Trump brokered in 2020 to buy an extra $200 billion in US agricultural, energy and manufactured products over a two-year period. The Covid-19 pandemic complicated that effort but critics said the targets were unrealistic.
China has recently turned to cheaper Brazilian soybeans after meeting the initial purchasing volume from the US agreed to in last year’s trade truce between Washington and Beijing.
While the fresh discloser will likely be welcomed by farmers, who were seeking more clarity from the latest summit, the amount may not be large enough to satisfy growers looking to turn around tough economic conditions.
Farmers have been struggling for years with relatively low crop prices and high costs. Pressures have been compounded by geopolitical tensions including Trump’s tariffs, and most recently by a surge in fertilizer costs linked to the conflict in Iran.”
https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/us-says-china-agrees-spend-181028241.html
Trump’s visit to China achieved essentially nothing. The countries’ problems are too deep to be achieved in a presidential visit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD1eGSCvUO0
Japan is becoming its own hub in a hub and spoke model of quasi-alliances in the Asia-Pacific. It’s cooperating with many countries and selling needed weapons. Japan is the most trusted major power among ASEAN countries. Beating the EU, US, China, and India.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYRGTpagxus
Throughout history, even before it became a global superpower, the United States fought to defend the freedom of the seas. If Iran forces the US to accept an extortionary toll on the Strait of Hormuz, it will be a great blow to the US-led order that allows trade across international waters without heavy fees enforced by deadly power.
Control of the Strait gives Iran control over the price of oil. If they want the price higher, they let fewer ships through.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o4IUPNYAK0
Trump’s tariffs haven’t much limited goods coming from China to the US because China just ships them through third-party countries. The administration talked about cracking down on this, but haven’t really done it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6k7sQuNZfU
The US refines and uses heavy oil, but it produces light oil. It imports a lot of this heavy oil and exports the light.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmt5D9vOoVU