• redlemace@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    Now i’m scarred … No, wait! I’m not! Raise them 40% tariffs just for sending this letter. Not in August, not in September but now. Today. It’s the only thing the bully understands.

    • Bytemeister@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      Fuck it. Send a letter back saying that you’re not going to have this pointless dick waving contest. You’re stopping all trade with the US and nationalizing US commercial and military assets in the EU. Effective tomorrow unless the US come back to the negotiating table with a zero tariff policy already signed and ready to go.

  • MrSulu@lemmy.ml
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    7 days ago

    " You will never be disappointed with the United States of America". I can’t decide if this is a failed promise or a failed instruction or a failed other.

  • Evrala@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    Right when I decide to buy a Fairphone 6, welp, guess I’m keeping my current phone till the the tariffs drop.

  • Elvith Ma'for@feddit.org
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    8 days ago

    These Tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country.

    First, what the fuck is that random capitalization?

    Second, so your giving us in writing, that these tariffs may will be modified at will if you feel so.

    Third, which country are you talking about? Europe is a continent. EU is a union of independent countries/nations.

    • Optional@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      First, what the fuck is that random capitalization?

      Yes, he’s a demented rapist.

      Second, so your giving us in writing, that these tariffs may will be modified at will if you feel so.

      Yes, he’s a demented rapist.

      Third, which country are you talking about? Europe is a continent. EU is a union of independent countries/nations.

      Yes, he’s an incredibly stupid and demented rapist.

      He’s the most humiliating thing we could come up with, apparently.

    • dzsimbo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      8 days ago

      At first I thought it might be a standing point for Orbán to point out that they want this (but the bad EU, yadda yadda), but after actually reading that garbage of a propaganda piece, I can only imagine that part is boiler-plate, and noone along the chain caught it or could be bothered with correcting it.

      Trump is serving up the distmantling of most US soft powers. Like how is this not a game of chicken for us to bunch up on Ireland and tell them no more fucking around with appl and alphabet. I’d love nothing more than a third level bureaucrat tucked away in Strassbourg to calculate exactly how much societal and global harm these companies cause. We could shift that into dollars (somehow?), and make sure they pay that tax, or we start filtering their sites. I rarely believe restriction is the way to go, but nothing would really be lost here.

      • Valmond@lemmy.world
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        8 days ago

        Yeah the whole trade deficit is bullshit, with GAFA it’s the other way around.

        But USA, why are we not buying your shitty cars or crappy food? One can wonder…

        • dzsimbo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          8 days ago

          I just don’t really understand the bigger picture. Like why are Trump’s handlers letting him get away with this? Which group would benefit the most, if the US’s general purchasing power went down? I’m thinking more Waltons than Putins, but it just doesn’t make sense.

          While I do see there is a healthy limit to conspiracy theories (looking at the chief of Health), I cannot imagine people wielding actual power wouldn’t stop this lunacy if it weren’t in their interest for some reason.

          • Valmond@lemmy.world
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            8 days ago

            Trump is a media genious (let’s give to Caesar what’s Caesars) he’s 80IQ in maths, economics and F- in history. Surrounded with yes men, this is what you get.

            History is littered with rulers in similar situations, and surprise, it goes exactly the same way. So here the EU will use soft power or whatnot and just blast that Donald out of the waters. Might take a while worst case, but that’s my prediction!

            • dzsimbo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              8 days ago

              Naw, I’m not giving Trump a cent more than he deserves. He is as good of a troll as anyone before 4chan could get, but he has nothing else going for him.

              I am more concerned about the background service. Like who were the ones that composed the newest sandwich bill? I feel if we get caught up in just the emotional part (he is trolling the whole world, after all), we won’t see the actual harm being caused behind the scenes.

              It feels that even this proposal is only there to distract from the actual harm being caused.

              • Valmond@lemmy.world
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                7 days ago

                It’s almost like the qanons, maga crazies etc are correct when they think there is a “cabal” or shadow government, it’s just that it isn’t the democrats doing it.

                • dzsimbo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                  7 days ago

                  Naw, they aren’t totally wrong. I mean take any kinda superpac, and see the influence. The problem is, they voted for a swindler, who is only there to further his own goals, not dismantle anything (well, besides soft power).

    • apotheotic (she/her)@beehaw.org
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      8 days ago

      As much as I fucking despise this shitbrick orange hitler, the capitalisation is standard in my limited experience, in legal documents it is common to treat an established concept as a proper noun to make it explicitly clear what you are referring to.

      There may be a passage near the start which says something along the lines of “the proposed 30% trading tariff, herein referred to as the Tariff” or “the European Union trading area, herein referred to as the Country”. (In this case those passages don’t exist but I think the capitalisation still makes sense)

      Equating the EU with Country is absolutely batshit insane though.

      AMERICA NUMBER 1 YOU’LL NEVER BE DISAPPOINTED (if your expectations are already on the floor)

    • Microw@piefed.zip
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      8 days ago

      It’s a bit delusional to say that EU countries are truly independent. Yes, any country can independently decide to leave the union – but as long as you’re part of it, you give up parts of your independence.

      • Honytawk@feddit.nl
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        7 days ago

        It is delusional to say any country is truly independent. (don’t know why you focus on the EU)

        They all live is the world and trade with each other because no country makes all the resources they need themselves.

        • Microw@piefed.zip
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          7 days ago

          That’s not even remotely the same. You are talking about economic interdependence.

          I am talking about the political act of self-surrendering powers to the union that all EU member states have done.

      • Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de
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        8 days ago

        Parts, sure, but they also still have separate foreign policy apart from trade. As seen in the American War on Afghanistan for example.

        • plyth@feddit.org
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          8 days ago

          The news talk about Kallas, not foreign ministers. Things have changed since Afghanistan.

        • Microw@piefed.zip
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          8 days ago

          Afghanistan was pre-Lisbon Treaty. EU countries would have a hard time nowadays going “I’m joining this war no matter what you guys do”. It could still happen, but there would be a lot more discussion between the institutions.

      • qyron@sopuli.xyz
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        8 days ago

        The EU is very strange. Yes, there is a global unifying policy but countries still have a wide autonomy.

        Portugal has specific trade and travel agreements with individual countries, outside the wide EU policy. Other countries do this.

        In this specific situation, we already know it will be the bloc handling as a whole the issue. Spain has already stated that all commercial tariffs must be addressed to Brussels, as it is part of the common external relations policy. But individual countries can add their twist to end.

  • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    They need to stop pussy-footing around with Trump.

    He says 30, they need to reciprocate with 60 percent, and will back down to 20 when he cancels the 30.

    Make it permanently harmful to threaten this bullshit.

    • dzsimbo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      8 days ago

      It would be more appropriate from Europe to count all the environmental harm corpos like Cocacola get away with and simply start taxing based on the extra strain they cause to society. Give a number and just not budge. It is not hard to deal with this man.

    • Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      8 days ago

      Suspend American IP in Europe (which is a counter-tariff measure that the EU has already approved regulations for).

      Watch the TACO do his thing.

    • Benedict_Espinosa@europe.pub
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      8 days ago

      Unfortunately Europe can’t very well afford to play hardball with him - not just because it’s economically harmful to Europe, but also because Europe wants to keep at least some sort of foreign policy and military alliance, and cooperation in the midst of the war in Ukraine.

      So EU already scrapped the plans of digital tax, giving Trump a win and gaining exactly nothing from this. There is still hope that Europe will pressure him at least a little bit - but not much hope, I’m afraid.

      • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        A stable alliance with the Trump administration isn’t possible, as has been made abundantly clear. There’s no reason to give concessions to preserve one.

  • Lumidaub@feddit.org
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    8 days ago

    I can’t decide what’s the best worst best most stand-out part, I keep coming back and rereading.

    You will never be disappointed with The United States of America.

    Are you selling us a car?

    Therefore, we invite you to participate in the extraordinary Economy of the United States, the Number One Market in the World, by far.

    We’d absolutely LOVE to but unfortunately we have to wash our hair. So sorry. Next time, for sure. Love you, kisses!

    • redlemace@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      Therefore, we invite you to participate in the extraordinary Economy of the United States, the Number One Market in the World, by far.

      any updates on the price of eggs?

  • Kate-ay@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    What is even fucking going on? It feels like a child touching random shit on their parents phone, opening apps and accidently calling and buying things. Meanwhile the rest of the world just goes wtf.

    • Ænima@feddit.online
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      8 days ago

      I don’t think so, but the delusions of grandeur sure sound familiar between the two. Talking out of their ass, like they know anything about what they speak of, is a tell-all trait of sovcits and tRump!

    • rem26_art@fedia.io
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      8 days ago

      honestly, if you handed him a fountain pen, i don’t think he’d figure out how to use it.

      • Ænima@feddit.online
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        8 days ago

        Cut to a video of tRump furiously trying to turn the ink of a 0.7mm ballpoint pen to the same thickness of his arrhythmic heartbeat signature like a kid trying to fill in their fake bubble-art graffiti during class. Tongue sticking out and everything!

    • huppakee@feddit.nl
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      8 days ago

      What does it even say in the first place. I know it should include either D or Donald and either T or Trump, possibly include J or whatever J stands for. The last teo letter look like ld, but the ones before look like rum, as if he just put something together like DumnldJTummmmld.

    • Kissaki@feddit.org
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      8 days ago

      In his first presidency, he started contracting pens specifically for this. It’s a big signature that is very visible when he holds up his signed letter to the cameras after signing. It’s a deliberate performance, with an absurd signature for that gesture and good pictures.

      Just look at this absurdity

      Every. Time.

      /edit: New England Firm Makes President Trump’s Pens (YouTube) 1:20, 8 years ago

      • Eril@feddit.org
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        8 days ago

        It’s so much back and forth all the time, that I don’t even know anymore what the current tariff rate is. 10%? None? Probably not even worth remembering though, because it changes all the time randomly anyway

        • Kissaki@feddit.org
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          8 days ago

          It’s a negotiation tactic. It doesn’t even matter what it “is right now”, because it’s not in effect, and not established.