Open mike 06/04/2025

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 6th, 2025 - 23 comments
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Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

23 comments on “Open mike 06/04/2025 ”

  1. Bruce 1
    6 April 2025 at 8:23 am

    Rachel Maddow gives an interesting explanation of where Trump got his tariff ideas from. From about 6.30 min. Apparently Key would have voted for him, be interesting to see how many of the current lot are enamoured with such a loon.

    https://youtu.be/MJbZCbBLqkk?si=nfZJXZDFPXCkPc8_

    Reply
    • mikesh 1.1
      6 April 2025 at 9:08 am

      Though of course US consumers have been enjoying cheap goods through outsourcing for years. It's the sudden plunge down into reality that is doing the damage. Continuing on their previous path may not have been a good idea either.

      Reply
    • Drowsy M. Kram 1.2
      6 April 2025 at 9:36 am

      Thanks Bruce. The leader of the free world exposed – again. I couldn't make this up frown

      But that really is how the Trump administration crafted its tariff policy. That's where Trump came up with the tariff idea – circulating a fake memo from a fake person with a fake email address, in order to make it look like this was a serious issue being debated by real experts.

      Fake news?

      That is the intellectual basis on which Donald Trump, today, wiped six trillion dollars of wealth out of existence, and crashed America's markets, and brought America, and the world, to the brink of a self-inflicted, on purpose, global great depression, along the lines of what we had in 2008 and what the pandemic inflicted on us in 2020.

      This time, the global disaster is Donald Trump's big brain.

      Don't worry Kiwis, Luxon reckons Nicky No Boats has a very big brain – incredible.

      Nicola has what I think is a very big brain – a very big, incredible intellect.

      https://www.facebook.com/RadioSamoa/videos/fiafia-mai-show-16-mar-2022-radio-samoa/661345278532625/ [@51:40 minutes]

      Billionaires have their eyes on the prize, and it's not fixing poverty or global warming.

      Reply
    • KJT 1.3
      6 April 2025 at 11:07 am

      As the Coalition of Cockups obviously have similar lunatic ideas, austerity, wage cuts, small Government, cut welfare and Government infrastructure, cut taxes for the rich, privatise everything in sight! I'm not surprised they support the Orange clown and his sycophants.

      Reply
    • Tony Veitch 1.4
      6 April 2025 at 11:42 am

      An explanation as to why Lesotho received one of the highest tariffs – %5%.

      This tiny and poor landlocked African country has been ripping the US of A off for years, it seems: exports to the US $280 million (mainly in diamonds, which the US doesn't have), imports from the US $7 million.

      Therefore, in Donald's lala land mind, Lesotho is ripping the US off – so high tariffs!

      That'll teach them all – the great US is not to be messed with!

      Where, in conjunction with what Rachel Maddow said, where oh where are the men in white coats when you need them?

      Reply
      • AB 1.4.1
        6 April 2025 at 1:16 pm

        Trump's tariffs are simply a sanction on anyone with the temerity to run a trade surplus with the US. It's not an economic policy at all, it's an assertion of pure power. Plus, it must be a more than remote possibility that it's all a calculated game of 'poop and scoop' – where Trump insiders profit personally from planned sharemarket manipulation.

        Reply
      • tc 1.4.2
        6 April 2025 at 1:20 pm

        The men in white coats would've been a priority for elon to vanquish along with the various Federal bodies investigating his killer Teslas and exploding rockets.

        Reply
      • Tony Veitch 1.4.3
        6 April 2025 at 1:33 pm

        Oops – that should be 50%

        Reply
  2. Anne 2
    6 April 2025 at 10:32 am

    Q&A this morning features David Clark's ideas as to how NZ navigates the present tumultuous world:

    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/q-and-a/live

    Interview 15:45 minutes from start of programme.

    His views are realistic, rational, clear sighted and cover economic and defence issues plus what he describes as the "Wild West" of the global social media platforms which are destroying democracies around the world.

    Well worth a watch.

    Reply
  3. Obtrectator 3
    6 April 2025 at 10:43 am

    He should worry (“mid-term bloodbath” blurts the headline). There won't be any mid-terms worth the name. Old Four-O's has gone too far down the path now to be able to turn back. Nothing that endangers his gang's hold on power can or will be allowed to occur.

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/05/ted-cruz-midterm-trump-tariffs-recession

    Reply
    • Tony Veitch 3.1
      6 April 2025 at 11:45 am

      The Republican US senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa introduced bipartisan legislation on Thursday to grant Congress more power over placing tariffs on US trading nations. The bill, co-sponsored by the Democratic senator Maria Cantwell, would “reaffirm” the role of Congress in setting and approving trade policy.

      My understanding, admittedly a bit hazy, is that the President has a final veto on all legislation – so perhaps this means sweet fa?

      Reply
      • Macro 3.1.1
        6 April 2025 at 12:47 pm

        perhaps this means sweet fa

        Essentially yes. But it is significant that some of the repugnants are beginning to wake up to the chaos they have allowed to evolve in the white house. There are even a few in the House of Reps who are now beginning to look a little sideways at the resulting mess that the Chump "administration" is creating. There is but a slim majority there and hopefully those with some remaining sense of morality will grow a pair and vote against the continuing flow of ludicrous and dangerous edicts being signed by the demented fool.

        Reply
  4. Dennis Frank 4
    6 April 2025 at 11:52 am

    Markets came down another 5% overnight, so the Fed press conference was timely: https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/feds-powell-weigh-amid-tariff-fray-market-drop-2025-04-04/

    cautioning it was still too soon to know what the right response from the central bank ought to be. "We face a highly uncertain outlook with elevated risks of both higher unemployment and higher inflation," undermining both of the Fed's mandates of 2% inflation and maximum employment, Powell told a business journalists' conference in Arlington, Virginia

    Powell's comments highlighted the tension the Fed is seeing emerge between "hard data" that remains solid – the economy added 228,000 jobs in March with a 4.2% unemployment rate – and "soft data" like surveys and interviews with business contacts that point to a coming slowdown.

    "We are closely watching this tension between the hard and soft data. As the new policies and their likely economic effects become clearer, we will have a better sense of their implications for the economy and for monetary policy," Powell said. "We are well positioned to wait for greater clarity before considering any adjustments to our policy stance. It is too soon to say what will be the appropriate path for monetary policy."

    Didn't know that data is officially hard or soft? Me neither. Metaphysics flies under cultural radar for everyone, but this dyad is likely to get traction. Meanwhile, the Fed proclaims a relaxed view to avoid further spooking of market reef fish, who are already frantic in their escape attempts. Gold has soared in price.

    Reply
    • SPC 4.1
      6 April 2025 at 6:43 pm

      The difference is past result (hard) and forecast (soft).

      Outcome

      They cannot commit to making a forecast of their own planned action yet.

      The markets are confused, tariffs are inflationary and so the Fed cannot rate cut.

      But if people pay more for some stuff they have less to spend on other stuff. Who loses business – and cuts jobs etc.

      Stagflation looms.

      Reply
  5. Joe90 5
    6 April 2025 at 3:27 pm

    The boot fits ACT.

    David Pepper

    ‪@davidpepperoh.bsky.social‬

    🚨 If you’re continuously stunned by the behavior of gerrymandered GOP representatives in the world of Citizens United, don’t be. Here’s how to think of them: They are no longer public servants. Improving public outcomes is not their goal. Nor do they do better in life… 1/

    https://bsky.app/profile/davidpepperoh.bsky.social/post/3lm2vs5tlds24

    Unrolled on Skyview

    Reply
  6. SPC 6
    6 April 2025 at 4:43 pm

    A quote from a Reuters story.

    Turner told Fox News, misgendering Sullivan.

    The issue is whether a women's sports event (here fencing) participation is based on biological sex, or gender.

    https://bsky.app/profile/nbcnews.com/post/3lm4mdjb2yp25

    Reply
  7. SPC 7
    6 April 2025 at 5:33 pm

    Musk playing nice … Tesla protection noise.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/trumps-tariffs-elon-musk-says-he-wants-europe-us-free-trade-zone/R2HI4LZMKVAB7L6C2IJSVAYABA/

    Both he and Vance want to break the EU global trade approach to their libertarian heel.

    A right wing anti-immigrant social conservative anti-liberal order of the Russia type – and then have open borders with the USA.

    The zero tariff taunt means using Musk satellites, no (global) tax on the US Tech companies and using American AI on their terms – American global dominance in online services – Chinese lockout.

    The bottom line of the white Australia reprise is fear of China becoming the central market of the free trade world.

    A Europe (+ the white race 10% tariff nations) brought to their new order (post global free trade) is the Americas +1.

    Bluntly white race western Christendom right wing capital Atlas Network libertarian order laager.

    Reply
  8. Dennis Frank 8
    6 April 2025 at 6:08 pm

    Almost a year ago, an aussie academic think-tanker produced this: https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-project-2025-the-policy-substance-behind-trumps-showmanship-reveals-a-radical-plan-to-reshape-the-world-227161

    In April 2022, conservative American think tank the Heritage Foundation, working with a broad coalition of 50 conservative organisations, launched Project 2025: a plan for the next conservative president of the United States.

    An unspoken aim of Project 2025 is to inject some ideological coherence into Trumpism. It aims to focus if not the leader, then the movement behind him – something that did not happen in the four years between January 2017 and January 2021. The entire project is a response to the perceived failures and weaknesses of the (first) Trump administration.

    Too flakey, the loose cannon needs guidance! Their framing uses a tetrad:

    The vision rests on four “pillars”… Pillar two is the foundation’s recruitment program… specifically designed to “deconstruct the Administrative State”… to unilaterally re-categorise, fire and replace tens of thousands of independent federal employees with political loyalists.

    So that's the Deep State strategy the American right-wing establishment hopes T will use, and his deployment of Musk seems consistent with it.

    What the Mandate can’t acknowledge is that the man aiming to be the 47th president was notorious for not reading his briefs

    When you know best you get irritated by others claiming they know better! Being right-wing makes no difference to that irritation factor. T sometimes agrees with rightists, often not. The horn-wearing shaman who featured prominently in the tv coverage of the Jan 6 insurgency didn't become T's secretary of state – nor are there any Proud Boys in his cabinet as far as I know. So he's trying to be moderate.

    Reply
  9. joe90 9
    6 April 2025 at 6:30 pm

    The most moral army in the world did not “randomly attack” an ambulance, and kill its occupants. The most moral army in the world deliberately attacked ambulances and murdered the occupants.

    Pricks.

    /

    The U.N. has said Israel killed the workers. The video appears to contradict Israel’s version of events, which said the vehicles were “advancing suspiciously” without headlights or emergency signals.

    A video, discovered on the cellphone of a paramedic who was found along with 14 other aid workers in a mass grave in Gaza in late March, shows that the ambulances and fire truck that they were traveling in were clearly marked and had their emergency signal lights on when Israeli troops hit them with a barrage of gunfire.

    Officials from the Palestine Red Crescent Society said in a news conference on Friday at the United Nations moderated by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that they had presented the nearly seven-minute recording, which was obtained by The New York Times, to the U.N. Security Council.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/world/middleeast/gaza-israel-aid-workers-deaths-video.html?unlocked_article_code=1.9U4.S3jG.HnUfNsqO4i3N&smid=url-share

    Reply

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