Donald Trump is off and running with his “America First” agenda. Why he thinks other nations will not respond in kind is a mystery.
On day one, Trump will kill TPP, open up energy restrictions, and enact lobbying restrictions.
Trump also interjected himself into UK politics, outright requesting Nigel Farage as the UK ambassador to the US.
Please consider Trump Vows to Renounce Pacific Trade Deal on First Day in Office.
Donald Trump plans on his first day in office to tell the Pacific Rim countries that signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership that the US will pull out of the trade deal which was a signature policy of Barack Obama.
In a video outlining steps that he would take on January 20, the Republican president-elect said he would follow through on his campaign promise to walk away from the TPP, a 12-nation deal that took years to negotiate. Critics have argued that the move would pave the way for China to increase its influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
Resurrecting one of the slogans that propelled his campaign and produced his unexpected victory over Hillary Clinton, Mr Trump said his agenda would be based on the simple core principle of “putting America First”.
“Whether it’s producing steel, building cars, or curing disease, I want the next generation of production and innovation to happen right here, in our great homeland America — creating wealth and jobs for American workers,” Mr Trump said.
Later on Monday Mr Trump also inserted himself in British politics by suggesting that Nigel Farage, the UK Independence party leader who spearheaded the Brexit campaign, would make a good ambassador to the US.
“Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States. He would do a great job!” Mr Trump tweeted.
Mr Farage is so far the only British politician to meet Mr Trump since the election. He has called on Theresa May, the UK prime minister, to replace Sir Kim Darroch, the British ambassador to Washington, with someone more aligned with Mr Trump’s world view.
Trump Addressed the US in Video
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
This could hasten Brexit since the EU could refuse the UK’s replacement of Farage in EU parliament
Theresa May should say “Yes Donald, a great idea. Let’s have a trade deal first so we can tell Brussels what they can do with their negotiations”. She won’t though 🙁
Trump needs Farage as US SoS not as UK’s US Ambassador.
Why he thinks other nations will not respond in kind is a mystery.
Mish… other nations already <i.are doing this, and it is the U.S. that will be “responding in kind”.
Your belief in free trade uber ales blinds you to the facts that 1) no county truly practices free trade, just different shades of mercantilism, and 2) nations that practice mercantilism prosper, including the early U.S.
But you are denying our progressive indoctrination that tells us that we are to sacrifice for the good of the world…the planet collective, who they see as victims of our success. As always, the progressives will tell us to do as they say, not as they do, as we can easily see, that as you suggest, the rest of the world seeks trade advantage over us, not parity or a level playing field.
EVERYONE is a “protectionist” as they ultimately seek to protect themselves or their interests using the power that government provides. Unfortunately these “protectionists” are willing to sacrifice their fellow countrymen to advance their own very personal agenda, not a nation or culture. Our trade policies have rewarded a pretty small group of people greatly, while everyone else is left to “adapt” to the “new” market realities. They call it progress….while millions find themselves jobless and largely unemployable.
We need policies that benefit the MOST people, not just some aggregated number that fails to show the true costs. What IS GDP and how does it reflect the plight of the many? What is CPI and how does it reflect normal people’s true cost of living?
This is a terrible game where government and financial groups use statistics to gloss over real costs. One person can earn 10 trillion a year while everyone else eats dirt and our statisticians will tell us “on average” how well we are doing.
People are deprived of true facts and deluded by those who see us as only an obstacle. Most really don’t know what the truth is, as they have no reliable facts and even the most curious are left to sift through the infinite amount of crap to try and figure it out….something that is nearly impossible for most people.
So, we are left with our biases, our anecdotal evidence and our worst fears. This is no way to run a country or a world. It is hard to imagine how this will work out without massive violence and hardships.
The US was happy to import Chinese goods as long as the Chinese paid a cover charge. They were able to get away with not paying said cover charge as long as the POTUS was completely ignorant of economics.
Not saying it’s right, not saying it’s fair. But it isn’t naive.
Many US businesses are ‘banned’ in China in favor of their copycats – e.g. Google, Facebook, eBay, Twitter, LinkedIn.
No chance whatsoever that Nigel Farage would ever be made ambassador to anywhere (short of UKIP forming the government) the British political and Establishment class hate him with a passion, even more so than your average Clinton supporter hates Pres. Elect Trump.
Trump is criticized for attempting to influence foreign governments, while that has been the basis of American foreign policy for the last hundred years. Did not Obama just tell Europe and the Brits that Brexit would damage the UK’s relationship with America in an effort to influence their vote? Did not Obama send his own political hacks and MONEY to Israel to attempt to defeat Netanyahu? But trump suggests that we actually try to get along with Russia, and he is a mole, or inform Britain of who he feels he could have a good relationship with as a representative of their country and it is somehow wrong.
Countries that seek peaceful coexistence with others would surely want their representatives to be tough but friendly. Farage is a British Nationalist, just like Trump is an American nationalist. Why wouldn’t we want these people to get along and share similar philosophies?
How does a nation concerned about their own circumstances, negotiate with one who sees only the world and the relative few powerful players in it as of the only importance?
Trump is doing what he promised in his campaign.
Shall I remind?
“I will sign a universal health care bill into law by the end of my first term as president that will cover every American and cut the cost of a typical family’s premium by up to $2,500 a year.”
— obama 2007
“The problem is, is that the way Bush has done it over the last eight years is to take out a credit card from the Bank of China in the name of our children, driving up our national debt from $5 trillion dollars for the first 42 presidents — number 43 added $4 trillion dollars by his lonesome, so that we now have over $9 trillion dollars of debt that we are going to have to pay back — $30,000 for every man, woman and child. That’s irresponsible. It’s unpatriotic.”
— obama 2008 (the obama debt in now at $20T)
“I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage.”
— obama 2008
Yes, and wow wee, those are some real whopper lies. You only get away with such profusely dishonest speech as that if you enjoy the complete and covert support of the entire US mainstream media, which Obama certainly has.
“I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman, not me, not Bill, nobody more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America.”
– Buhdak Rhubamba – 2016
And just to be clear, Hillary Clinton will NEVER (‘no’, not ever!) be president of the United States.
– Who cares what Merkel thinks, even if I just got out of prison, knocked down an entire bottle of Jägermeister, I still wouldn’t fu*k that thing with your di*k.
-Donald J. Trump 2016
The economy has gone parabolic since the election but for the past few months retail sales have been booming. Many items are selling out at full tag price with no discounts or promotions (especially designer clothing & electronics). Behavior now is buy at full price for fear of missing out..
I see inflation numbers (both core & headline) at or above 5% in 2017. Apparel, food, recreation, cable TV/high speed internet prices have jumped over last year (not to mention medical costs, prescriptions, auto repair, an electricity which have at least tripled in price)
The next interest rate hike cycle that starts in December will be at least equal to that of 1994 & 1995 — 2017 will see at least 3 50BP increases and maybe an 75BP increases when core inflation is north of 4%
Usually I’m in doubt, but this time I’m not so sure. We still haven’t had the second down-leg, the one that’ll make the “Great Recession” look like a tea party. Any beneficial policies Trump may put into place will be too late. The bullet has already been fired, it just hasn’t reached the target yet.
I say buy gold and be ready to short the stock market.
“For every new regulation, two old regulations must go.”
Wow! Hillary will be pissed.
Wasn’t it her mentor Robert Byrd who said “One man’s regulation is another thousand men’s government jobs?”
The lobbying restrictions might be a good idea. Its a conflict of interest to allow regulators to take money from the people they regulate.
Problem is, all congresscritters are in effect regulators. Their laws & regulations effect everyone. They all take campaign contributions from the people effected.
However, banning foreign lobbyists and contributions is a very good idea.
The Brits have responded that they have no intention of replacing their present ambassador to the US. At least, for now.
These are still only words and nothing else. Don’t get too excited.
And what will Farage achieve by becoming the UK ambassador to the US? Comfortable retirement?
Snowflakes: Escape to The Bubble ~
A big blow to globalism. I love this guy. He’s following through quickly on his promises. This is the reason the people elected him to office. We’ve been stooges for the global elite for the last 25 years. And Americans have suffered as a result. Trump knows that he’s walking into unbelievable headwinds on this stuff. The corrupted insiders are going to try to derail his intentions. It’s going to be exceptionally satisfying to watch Trump unwind Obama’s failed programs one after another from trade to immigration to health care.
The TPP allows corporations to sue governments if the government enacts laws that hurt the corporations economically. So, for example, some country decides to outlaw round up because of environmental concerns, Monsanto can sue the government for lost revenue. How can anyone in favor of democracy back this POS legislation? The fact that Hillary and Obama were in favor or this really reflects on who they represent.
Kidhorn
Actually a corporation can arbitrate outside the country’s legal system if the corporation perceives a loss of profit. They do not sue nor use our legal system. Fifteen global arbitrators decide your fate and then we taxpayers are on the hook for the tab. It is the ISDA part of the NAFTA and now the two new trade agreements being negotiated in secret!!!
Funny how other governments post the agreement for their people to read. This administration with its transparency is not posting shit. Sorry just pissed I have to head to other countries to read the dam thing.
By the way we cannot arbitrate against a corporation. Riots have been happening all year in Europe and Asia. Our media will not cover it and it is sad. A lot of these MSM companies do not report news at all. Just labeling food with GMO in Europe would trigger an arbitration. You see all food in Europe is labeled , but many stupid Americans do not want it labeled.
Today in European Parliament. Guy Verhofstadt said below against Trump, Putin. He’s chief Brexit negotiator for the EU.
“Putin is financing even groups here in this parliament directly – all nationalist, populist and anti-European.
“And let’s face it, Donald Trump is no better than that, his most important strategic advisor [Steve] Bannon wants to launch an extreme right-wing website – Breitbart.
“He has done it already in the US, he wants to do it also in Paris and Berlin, in fact to influence the German election and to influence the French.”
Expect censorship of Breitbart in Europe.
Americans should expect the politically heated debate over the new trade agreement to continue. We must ponder how much of this is about individual governments giving up control and becoming subservient to corporate “efficiency” and the desire of companies to both develop and control future rules.
We should not lose sight of the fact that while free trade is important, fair trade is far more so and should be the main issue. Developing a long-term sustainable economic system that is balanced would contribute to both global cohesion and the world economy. The article below highlights the difference between free trade and fair trade.
http://brucewilds.blogspot.com/2015/10/tpp-and-fair-trade.html