Thursday, May 15, 2025

The Art of the Cave

"Increasingly often, [Trump] ends up backing down and simply declaring a win. His opponents appear to be catching on, sharpening their tactics based on Mr. Trump's patterns and his unapologetically transactional attitude toward diplomacy."

Posted by reinheitsgebot at 10:33 AM | 32 COMMENTS | permalink

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Aides in the White House and Trump boosters tried to present the about-face not as a cave but rather as a master class in negotiating from the man who wrote The Art of the Deal But Trump himself acknowledged that economic reality forced the new approach www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc ...

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-- Jonathan Lemire (@jonlemire.bsky.social) April 10, 2025 at 10:45 AM

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... His opponents appear to be catching on, sharpening their tactics based on Mr. Trump's patterns and his unapologetically transactional attitude toward diplomacy." ...

Yup.

As China has shown in the US-China trade war.

China is acting as the adult in the room, and Pres trump is acting as tot in the terrible twos.

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-05-14 12:38 PM

The Impotent Theatrics of Trump's Tariff Cave-In.

Let's run the tape.
Trump swore tariffs would reset the American economy, bring back jobs, and make foreign nations beg for trade deals. "We'll be so rich, we won't know what to do with it," he said, echoing his 2016 snake-oil mantra. Instead, what did we get?
Chaos. Market volatility. Higher prices. Collateral damage.
The big, beautiful tariffs he slapped on our allies and enemies alike didn't bring the world to heel. China didn't buckle"they retaliated, and with devastating precision.
This week, Trump capitulated, bending the knee to the Middle Kingdom. China targeted American agriculture, technology, and manufacturing, hammering the very people Trump claimed to champion. Americans like their stuff, and the stuff factory cut off the flow.
More importantly, they began a slow but deadly decoupling from the American bond market, which is the real reason Trump caved. All that tough talk, and he was utterly impotent when reality came knocking.

therickwilson.substack.com

#2 | Posted by reinheitsgebot at 2025-05-14 12:39 PM

I've heard, perhaps from someone somewhere, maybe not, possibly so, that Old Yeller's moniker among real negotiators is "Beeg Poosie." Could've been an episode of "The Sopranos." Or last night's news.

#3 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-05-14 12:48 PM

OpEd: When an Arsonist Poses as a Firefighter
paulkrugman.substack.com

... Four points:

1. A 30 percent tariff is still really, really high, especially combined with the 10 percent tariff we're imposing on everyone else. The back of my envelope says that the average U.S. tariff rate will now be around 13 percent, up from around 3 percent when Trump began his trade war. Before all this drama that would have been seen as wildly protectionist.

2. This wasn't a case of both sides backing down. China only imposed its tariffs as a response to Trump's gambit, and has reduced them only because he retreated. And retreat he did. This was basically Trump running away from the killer rabbit.

3. The prohibitive tariff has been paused, not canceled. Nobody knows what will happen in 90 days. I've long argued that the uncertainty created by Trump's arbitrary, ever-changing tariffs is at least as important as the level of those tariffs. Well, the uncertainty level has arguably gone up rather than down.

4. This retreat probably hasn't come soon enough to avoid high prices and empty shelves. Even if shipments from Shanghai to Los Angeles -- which had come to a virtual halt -- were to resume tomorrow, stuff wouldn't arrive in time to avoid exhaustion of current inventories. ...




#4 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-05-14 12:57 PM

Step 1 Add a ridiculous high tariff.
Step 2 Wait for markets to crash.
Step 3 Reverse the tariff.
Step 4 Declare victory.

And the morons buy into it every single time.

Looking right at you magats.

Trump swore tariffs would reset the American economy, bring back jobs, and make foreign nations beg for trade deals.

Making things in America = 21% income tax rate.

Making things outside America = 13% income tax rate.

Where do you think they are going to make them?

I have consulted with numerous Canadian companies that when the tariffs were announced started looking for opportunities in the US to move their manufacturing. Then he cut tariffs. Then he put them back on. Then he cut them again. They then decided that his chaos environment was too unstable to base ANY decision to move jobs to the US and are just deciding to ride it out. They will eat the loss in the US, deduct the tariffs on their US tax filings, pay no taxes here and call it a day.

Way to go Donny Doll Hands....undermining your own policies.

Dumbass.

#5 | Posted by Nixon at 2025-05-15 10:47 AM

China didn't buckle"they retaliated, and with devastating precision.
This week, Trump capitulated, bending the knee to the Middle Kingdom. China targeted American agriculture, technology, and manufacturing, hammering the very people Trump claimed to champion. Americans like their stuff, and the stuff factory cut off the flow.
More importantly, they began a slow but deadly decoupling from the American bond market, which is the real reason Trump caved. All that tough talk, and he was utterly impotent when reality came knocking.

Donny Doll Hands holds no leverage.

The US GOP Congress is beholden to the world capital markets due to the TRILLIONS in debt that they pile up and continue to pile up in their never ending quest to satiate the greed of the billionaires who demand the world largest military to police their investments and refuse to pay for it. They just voted to add another $4,000,000,000,000 to the credit card in their craven desire to destroy social security and medicare because people who worked their entire lives should just die when they are no longer of value to the capitalist machine.

#6 | Posted by Nixon at 2025-05-15 10:52 AM

YOU GUYS....come on now....that's enough of playing us with this silly stuff

then I read it's started by Reins-a-goober and then ...well....mayhe you're just stupid..

naw...not really..just him..

so let me guess...reins-a-goober will soon post how

trump caved to big pharma by forcing them to save you money...

--can't wait for another laugh.

#7 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2025-05-15 10:55 AM

"the market will come back. Don't worry about it now. BUY WHILE IT'S ON SALE.

--Dave Ramsey....a man so much fiscally smarter than ALL OF YOU PUT TOGETHER
..so much there isn't anything to measure it.

--and now "you people " are upset cause you didn't do that....like some of us did.

#8 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2025-05-15 10:58 AM

"and now "you people " are upset cause you didn't do that....like some of us did."

If you bought when Trump said now is a good time to buy, you engaged in insider trading.

#9 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-05-15 11:01 AM

like some of us did.

take my word for it...the gold that bought...oh BABY....IT FEELS SO GOOOOOOOOOD
in my hands....smells good....feels good.....Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

#10 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2025-05-15 11:03 AM

If you bought when Trump said now is a good time to buy, you engaged in insider trading.

#9 | Posted by snoofy

I guess you were busy with your finger up your but...

the market will come back. Don't worry about it now. BUY WHILE IT'S ON SALE.

--Dave Ramsey

#11 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2025-05-15 11:05 AM

" well....mayhe you're just stupid.."

Classic self-retort.

#12 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-05-15 11:06 AM

but that was a hell of a try....at a shot.

good for you...

but how do you know that I"m not a member of congress where insider trading is okay ?

#13 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2025-05-15 11:07 AM

" well....mayhe you're just stupid.."

Classic self-retort.

#12 | Posted by Danforth

BWAAAAAA you ignored the next line like a classic worthless DR dweller pos.

"naw...not really.

#14 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2025-05-15 11:11 AM

danny boy...

I'm talking to snoofy....he's a little slow but at least he's got some class...

#15 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2025-05-15 11:13 AM

" ... you ignored the next line"

That wasn't my point.

It was that a poster who can't seem to spell, capitalize, or punctuate is questioning ANYONE ELSE'S intelligence.

You realize there's a Preview screen, right?

#16 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-05-15 11:17 AM

here's a better idea for your danny...

go find truthurts....he's probably back on a ledge about to jump

or he's gonna take some hostages....you know...stuff done by people

who have totally lost their minds.

MORE then the rest of you who have lost yours.....cause trunp

heh heh.....heh heh

#17 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2025-05-15 11:17 AM

" I'm talking to snoofy....he's a little slow"

Does he know only three dots go in the middle of that sentence?

#18 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-05-15 11:19 AM

#16 | Posted by Danforth

yes and it's as hard for me to see as the first one....

but that doesn't matter.show me where posts have to be term paper proofed
and I can make more money preparing posts for that.

otherwise...."funny " that I can't recall a grammar lecture from you for this punk.

"ShUtThEfiShUp"---JPW

#19 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2025-05-15 11:28 AM

" show me where posts have to be term paper proofed"

Oh, they don't.

Just like you don't have to embarrass yourself by questioning someone else's intelligence, while displaying your lack of 2nd grade spelling abilities.

#20 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-05-15 11:32 AM

Does he know only three dots go in the middle of that sentence?

#18 | Posted by Danforth

that's what you're leading a left jab with ? an extra dot in my ellipsis ??

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

#21 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2025-05-15 11:32 AM

"the market will come back."

I think it's gonna be like when Ballmer was at the helm at Microsoft.
The stock didn't really go anywhere for a decade because bean counters don't actually grow the business.
But as soon as Ballmer retired, the stock started going up again.

#22 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-05-15 11:39 AM

I go after people like that all the time but at the end I will add..

I know...trying to do more than one thing at a time and
auto correct..............* grammar rule can be less than "paper" worthy.....*...but then when I say that I"m talking to people I respect.

* BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

that and the fact I can't see the curse on a white background leads me to my
final remark.

shove it !!!

#23 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2025-05-15 11:41 AM

But as soon as Ballmer retired, the stock started going up again.

#22 | Posted by snoofy

I hope it goes past coming back for everyone's sake and I think you feel that
way too all bs'ing aside.

HOWEVER....just got notified that it's not moving the correct way.....for

trump haters...

#24 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2025-05-15 11:43 AM

Almost every country on earth had tariffs against the U.S. where we had small amounts or none.

Now someone comes along and notes how unfair that is and changes it and you Democrats/socialists go crazy.

Why?

If it was good for them, why isn't it good for us?

and BTW, China is going to open up their markets to us, that in itself is a good thing.

#25 | Posted by boaz at 2025-05-15 12:05 PM

"Almost every country on earth had tariffs against the U.S. where we had small amounts or none."

Why do you always have to be such a ------- victim?
How does this help you get through life?

#26 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-05-15 12:07 PM

HOWEVER....just got notified that it's not moving the correct way.....for

trump haters

well okay so it fluctuated a little but it closed at well
over 41 and it's not a sprint...
BUT GOLD went up even if a little...still means I made money
on money I made...

suckers.

even a little more gold....do you know what a woman will do for "even a little" gold ?

#27 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2025-05-15 05:06 PM

---- off, Jeff, you miserable little ----.

#28 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-05-16 07:36 AM

"shove it !!!"

No caps, and incorrect spacing.

FFS, you can't even insult properly.

#29 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-05-16 10:25 AM

What's the difference between The Art Of The Deal and The Art Of The Cave?

He didn't write The Art Of The Deal. His ghostwriter did.

#30 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2025-05-16 09:23 PM

DEI hire Bo-ass is allergic to research.

#31 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-05-17 04:12 AM

DEI hire Bo-ass is allergic to research.

#32 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-05-17 04:12 AM

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