this post was submitted on 23 May 2025
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[โ€“] blandfordforever@lemm.ee 58 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Trump and his friends are making billions off manipulating the stock market by this mechanism.

[โ€“] IhaveCrabs111@lemmy.world 12 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

How much should I bet this time that trump will bitch out

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[โ€“] But_my_mom_says_im_cool@lemmy.world 75 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

Iโ€™m surprised Europe isnโ€™t already boycotting all American products, im Canadian and Iโ€™ve actually saved money avoiding their stuff and finding either a local alternative or just going without. Most of the stuff we get from the US is junk food or sugary crap so itโ€™s actually good to avoid them

[โ€“] Tweak@feddit.uk 39 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

The EU never really had much in terms of American products, ie food stuffs. The kind of American products the EU has is primarily internet services where there aren't always alternatives (or at least ones that are as polished as the big US ones). Then there's the fact that most people don't even consider a lot of things as American - WhatsApp isn't even recognised as owned by Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook/Meta, for example, for many people in spite of it being overwhelmingly the most popular messaging app in many countries.

[โ€“] But_my_mom_says_im_cool@lemmy.world 13 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

Yeah im Canadian so we get a lot of their food, I see myself reaching for a snack item or ceral and when I notice itโ€™s American I put it back. After I do I realize I really shouldnโ€™t be eating that crap anyways so it saves me money and keeps me from eating so much junk food

[โ€“] NotJohnSmith@feddit.uk 4 points 17 hours ago (5 children)

Would you say you're in the minority or is it evident that most Canadians are boycotting?

Do you feel any slow down of the movement?

Just about everyone i know is anti American right now, even conservative voters. Of course we have maple MAGA running around , but most people are pissed that Trump is treating Canada like an enemy

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[โ€“] rumschlumpel@feddit.org 12 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

I've definitely been doing it, but it's pretty hard to avoid US tech (both software and hardware). I can easily not buy bourbon or Heinz Ketchup, but not using commercial operating systems (I use linux, but y'know) or x86 CPU is kind of hard. Also, rightwingers see no reason to boycott Trump's US and we've got a bit of a problem with rightwing parties in most european countries.

[โ€“] But_my_mom_says_im_cool@lemmy.world 5 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Every bit counts, we can only do so much. Diapers for example are 99% from the U.S

[โ€“] rumschlumpel@feddit.org 7 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

There's no way that's true in europe.

[โ€“] NotJohnSmith@feddit.uk 8 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

The person you're replying to is Canadian and agreeing with your sentiment, pointing out an example of a product they have that can't easily be exchanged also.

Good work BTW on de-Americanising. I'm trying also but don't buy alot, particularly brands. I'm left with trying to not use American tech

[โ€“] Argyle13@lemmy.world 142 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Time to act like China and not bend to him.

[โ€“] huppakee@lemm.ee 82 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

China's strategy worked great, just counter any announced tarrif with an equal reciprocal tarrif and he'll back off eventually. I wonder if we have more or less to loose than China had.

[โ€“] Ek-Hou-Van-Braai@piefed.social 54 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Even if we lose more, we can't back down from a bully. We need to stand strong and roll with the punches

[โ€“] huppakee@lemm.ee 11 points 22 hours ago

Totally, don't want our governments to be pushed over. Just saying I have no clue how we compare to China in this.

[โ€“] magic_lobster_party@fedia.io 24 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Donโ€™t worry, heโ€™ll back down either way. Heโ€™ll just claim that heโ€™s made a great deal with EU even if no such deal has been made, and then lower the tariffs again.

[โ€“] albert180@piefed.social 13 points 22 hours ago

In our national news they've said that the EU made offers and the Trump Team didn't even responded to them, and they have the impression that they are severely understaffed and through the flowers indirectly said not very competent

[โ€“] Tweak@feddit.uk 12 points 20 hours ago

No, blind retaliatory tariffs would be stupid. When someone is punching themselves in the face, the correct thing to do is not to also punch yourself in the face.

Tariffs have 3 effects:

  • The buyer pays more.
  • Because the buyer pays more, the seller makes fewer sales.
  • The government collects tariff tax revenue.

Whichever way the tariff goes, export or import, it will negatively affect that nation's people. An import tariff, like this, would negatively affect local consumers. An export tariff (eg Canada tariffing electricity exports to the US) would negatively affect local businesses through lost sales (the genius with Canada is the US can't stop buying electricity, so sales local sales would stay the same).

The only way a tariff makes sense for a country is if the tariff tax revenue is reinvested into the local economy. For example, if you tariff imports, you should use that revenue to incentivise local businesses to grow to replace that import.

Trump is not doing that. He's just collecting tax money from American people. He's almost certainly going to spaff that away on some scam, probably crypto, and basically bankrupt the American taxpayer and fuck up everyone's livelihoods.

EU countries should not copy Trump and blanket tax their citizens for American imports. If the EU were to implement tariffs (and I argue this isn't necessary or worthwhile), they should only be done with a plan to reinvest, such that there is a net benefit. Blunt tariffs with no plan will almost certainly have a net negative effect.

China is like Trump, in that neither of them care much about the negative effects on their people. That's why China went hard with retaliatory tariffs. The EU does not need to emulate that behaviour.

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[โ€“] DMCMNFIBFFF@lemmy.world 16 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (8 children)

I say do nothing, as per another reply I made ITT.

Just because Trump hurts Americans with his beloved increased taxesโ€”i.e. increased tariffsโ€”doesn't mean we should hurt our own people with the same. The MAGAts might enjoy that sort of masochism, but we don't.

[โ€“] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 22 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (2 children)

Forget physical goods, hit us where it really hurts. Use the intellectual property clause, and start cracking down on Big Tech.

The US makes all its money with power projection through its services, so fuck them up. Please.

And for heavens sake, Europe would be healthier with a little less Twitter and fewer fees payed to the US.

This would be the perfect time to call out their hypocritical extension of copyright through recent trade deals.

American tech companies have made fortunes by violating licensing and copyright laws. Force Uber and AirBNB to buy taxi and hotel licenses. Put an intellectual property tax on AI. Prosecute Paypal for banking without a charter, ban cryto as illegal currency... the list goes on.

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[โ€“] Valmond@lemmy.world 81 points 1 day ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (7 children)

He'll back down. He's always backing down.

Must be some sort of adrenaline rush or something, threating big players. Then it wears off and everyone tries to explain he's being an idiot and eventually he backs down.

Edit: Don't forget the tariffs are paid for by ~~us~~ US consumers.

[โ€“] Keineanung@lemmy.world 10 points 15 hours ago

Insider trading. It's about the money his buddies and him can make, when he declares a "pause" and the stocks go back up. It's frustratingly simple...

[โ€“] DMCMNFIBFFF@lemmy.world 44 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

As a Canadian, a little part of me wants him to increase the tariffs even more, to 100%, 200%, 300%, maybe more.

I want the lessons that Trump-voters are currently being taught, by the free market, to be as unambiguous as possible.

[โ€“] shawn1122@lemm.ee 17 points 22 hours ago

He did that temporarily with tariffs on China. Tariffs over 60% are essentially a trade embargo since thats a cost that's too rich for companies to eat and would make imports too cost prohibitive to meaningfully compete with domestic alternatives.

Any tariff that high is a bluff. Essentially all his tariffs are a bluff, a type of 'worst case scenario', so that when he strikes a 'deal' (no matter how meaningless), he can declare victory. He's a TV personality. Its all for show.

The working class in the US is in for some real pain. Its too bad that so many of them voted for this.

[โ€“] frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io 12 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Tie the highest possible tariffs to corporate sponsors of his regime, then you can punish the responsible people more effectively.

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[โ€“] frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io 20 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

The announcements cause predictable stock market jumps that his sycophants can take advantage of over and over again

[โ€“] shawn1122@lemm.ee 14 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (2 children)

One example, Germany's stock market has been particularly strong this year, supported by fiscal policy but also in part by an increase in exports due to US retailers stockpiling German goods to avoid tariffs.

Today's report showed the economy grew double what was expected and initially the DAX went up significantly in response to that news, but it actually ended the day at a loss because of Trumps announcement.

Trump tanks stocks by announcing tariffs, advises his cronies to 'buy the dip' then once a deal is made there's a rush to buy causing a large jump in value, which maximizing profits.

He then advises his insiders when the next fiscally restrictive announcement will come so that they can sell before values tank again.

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[โ€“] takeda@lemm.ee 19 points 1 day ago (3 children)

This is retaliation for sanctioning Russia. He will back down once the wall street start sitting their pants about interest rate increasing for Treasury bills.

He bankrupted 4 casinos, so he can bankrupt a country.

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[โ€“] atro_city@fedia.io 54 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Do it. Please. The people need more negative press about the US. It hasn't reach enough people in the EU yet.

[โ€“] match@pawb.social 23 points 22 hours ago

Hasn't reached enough people in the US, but it will

[โ€“] orbitz@lemmy.ca 25 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Have you ever seen such a schlubby looking President? Like his arms are down, shoulders as down as far they can be. Of course he's not doing the accordion hands thing which is sort of a plus for him. That suit looks like off the rack too, I bet he gets them tailored that way heh. He sort of looks like he's giving an 8th grade presentation for his class.

I will say it's highly probable this picture was chosen for those attributes, but it's not like his content or speaking skills would make it better than what is captured in an image. So I'm guessing the image captures the essence of the speech.

[โ€“] DarkDecay@lemmy.world 12 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

His ties are awful too. Why the fuck you want ties that are sooooo long? They look like a cartoon tie or something a clown would wear

[โ€“] Ledericas@lemm.ee 4 points 14 hours ago

its to hide his gut, and his neckgina.

[โ€“] dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world 12 points 21 hours ago

Trying to disguise a paunch, and maybe look taller.

[โ€“] NotAGamer@lemmy.org 14 points 21 hours ago

Canadians appreciate your support when Trump announced tariffs against us so you will be able to count on Canadians supporting you.

[โ€“] DMCMNFIBFFF@lemmy.world 28 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Perhaps, as a Canadian, stuff from Europe (and Asia, and Latin America) might go down a bit.

[โ€“] SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago (24 children)

A lot of companies are unfortunately talking about raising prices globally so Trump doesn't retaliate against them.

So the whole world is paying his stupid tariffs.

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[โ€“] TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (14 children)

Western Europe should flood etsy with kickass stuff at really great prices to share and be cool to each other but then marks all sales as EU only. Use the US globalization as a way to squarely taunt the US digital bourgeoisie.

sorry! no, thank you! come again!

[โ€“] Telorand@reddthat.com 18 points 1 day ago

I like your idea, but the bourgeoisie aren't shopping on Etsy. Etsy shoppers are regular folk with very little political power (on their own).

What your idea might do is piss off the Etsy shoppers who voted for him, and to that I say: every little bit helps.

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