Trump threatens 100% tariffs on any country imposing digital services taxes on US tech firms
- Thread starter Skye Jacobs
- Start date
Endymio
Posts: 5,130 +4,796
The entire list is long, but in this thread you're criticizing Trump's threat of retaliatory tariffs against the EU, but failed to say a single word against the EU's earlier retaliatory tariffs on the US, nor even the impetus for this action: the EU's targeting of US firms for confiscatory taxes.
Endymio
Posts: 5,130 +4,796
I won't say it was a stupid question, but you're certainly confused. Trump's threat of tariffs worked to negotiate trade deals with Japan and the UK that resulted in overall lower rates on most products. They would have worked in the EU too, but before they had time to do so, they were overturned by SCOTUS.
You just described the core issue perfectly.
Pearl-clutching partisan flag-bearers love to call each other stupid, yet they completely ignore the glaring stupidity in their own camps. Both have relevant points, but are too busy insulting each other and anyone who doesn’t fully agree to recognize they’re the chumps on the front line.
They’ve fallen hook, line, and sinker for the corporate media talking points, which is exactly what the ruling class wants. It keeps their "base" fiercely loyal and completely blind.
Biden and the Democrats were/are a joke. Trump and MAGA are clowns. Both sides are entirely corrupt.
They leverage extremist rhetoric to keep the public spinning. "Look at the left hand! No, wait, look at the right hand!" It’s pure political theater designed for power and profit.
The average voter's one-dimensional worldview is either too emotionally stunted or too uneducated—likely both—to see through it. It’s a giant game of Three-card Monte, and the house wins before we even pick a card.
Peeps need to stop supporting party politics, wake up, and start finding commonality instead of being stooges for the politicians who are actively encouraging them to run each other down so they can keep on grifting.
Are you kidding me?
Trump does bad things and you literally blame the democrats. You blame the dems for Trump getting elected despite the fact that they literally voted against him.
You are detached from reality.
"Trump threatens" is the start of a lot of headlines that never come to pass.
Also detached from reality.
You have one side that tries to do good and the other site that tries to stop it. Every time a dem is in charge, the entire right wing party focuses as much as they can on obstructionist policies even to the point of consistently voting against things they would otherwise vote for simply so dems can't claim any wins.
You have one party that literally works against America and purely serves it's ultra-wealthy donors, and another party that certain has it's issues but isn't actively trying to make things worse for everyone except their donors.
Biden did a ton of good things, you just are not aware of them.
yRaz
Posts: 9,298 +16,346
I said the Democrats created an environment that allows Trump to be elected by neglecting their base and chasing support from the far left. I said nothing in support of Trump's foolishness. Trump being an idoit and the Democrats handing him the election are not mutually exclusive concepts.
I said to quote me, you haven't. Perhaps you are the one who is detached from reality?
Imagine defending the following: "What? France is taxing our companies?! Stop it or else we'll tax our companies 100% ourselves!"
"If you tax us, we'll tax you." - let me correct that for you with what fascist pedophile trump is actually saying: "If you tax us, we'll tax ourselves even more."
Ah yes, the "amazing" deals that basically amounted to some empty promises that were immediately broken and some extra rice imported by Japan and ethanol+beef by the UK.
Big "wins" there for pedo trump, that will surely cover 1% of what he spent in Iran and 1% of the bankrupt farmers (which surged 46% in 2025) because of the tariffs and increased costs
And imagine still defending breaking the law by pedo trump again and again and again.
Last edited:
So says the country that makes their friends to buy their military equipment, import tax and oil etc to stay friends; so says the country which citizens love to live in Europe and exploit their social system and free healthcare...but the other way around, the European in the US are treated as outlaws; so says the country with an aggressive tax control and laws AND taxes its non-resident citizens on worldwide income. But if an European country taxes digital business operating in that country.....nooooo... The US gets angry! Sooo, it's fine for the US to be aggressive on getting money, but no way others getting money from the US... How unfair right?
So... You (think) that you can build German machines as the Germans? Or Portuguese / french / Italian wine, cheese, clothes, design or even ASML lithography machines? You know nothing.
- many American "premium" clothes, glasses, etc are designed in Europe and made in Pakistan
- Apple and many US companies design, but building is outside the US because the knowledge how to materialize things is not American
- much of the US music or many Hollywood movies hit the charts because of the aggressive marketing, quality wise... even Indian movies are better and have less CGI.
What happened then? The US had great decades (music, movies, artists, space science, software and hardware development) and not the top. That was long gone but tradition made it stay. Now they're betting on the AI, they'll be the first to:
- have high energy and water cost
- high hardware cost
- hundreds of thousands of unemployed
But yeah, the AI is cool. Let us Europeans be happy with no CGI, true persons and wine, meat and fish, great cheese and balanced social system. Just leave us alone and pay the taxes that you should.
So where does the US actually get the most advanced photolithography machines like TWINSCAN EXE:5200B from, if not from ASML (which also need lenses/mirrors only available from ZEISS)?
Last edited:
Oh, that explains a lot, so you're saying you have absolutely no idea about the difference between a "tax" and a "tariff".
Cool, I'll leave you at that. One little hint though: tarrifs are paid by the side that imposes them.
Apparently lots of Trump supporters prefer to learn this the hard way.
Mhm, that's why literally ALL "AI companies" are bleeding money, and lots of it.
Last time I checked, Oracle alone had somewhere around $130bn (not a typo) of debt.
These geniuses quickly figured out how to spend money, now they're all pulling pikachu faces when they realize they're also supposed to figure out the "turn it into profit" part.
Hilarious, I'm loving the sh*tshow collapsing into itself.
The only thing better is watching the zealots still actually believing this will make any kind of money to anyone besides Korean, Taiwanese and Chinese chip/NAND/DRAM suppliers.
Last edited:
NumberNine
Posts: 2,105 +4,223
A book by a little-known philosopher who does not speak English describes an experiment conducted by scientists over several decades with a colony of rats.
I apologize for the excessive number of letters and poor translation into English.
"A rat colony is a closed, by some necessity, aggregation of rats, doomed to a long-term coexistence. Either this colony remains chaotic, in which case it perishes through mutual extermination. It's not even difficult to calculate when this will happen, or it somehow becomes organized. Since it exists, reproduces, and from some point of view, thrives (the average rat's weight, by the way, has increased; tails have lengthened; fangs and claws have grown; fur has become smoother), then order has been achieved. But at what expense? The rat colony is autonomous. There is no external pressure on this account. Objects and food are motionless. The only thing that ensures order are the rats themselves. All of them cannot organize a system of order, for that would be chaos. Therefore, the division of functions: those that organize and those that are organized. This is only the beginning of the system. There are many that organize. Their minimum number can be calculated based on a certain ratio of the number of members in the primary groups. They, in turn, form a hierarchical system of groups and leaders.
The question of rat leaders is a central one in ratology, as it entails defining the social groups of a given rat society. In principle, a leader is socially appropriate to the group ("like the priest, like the parish"). There are exceptions, but...
But how are leaders chosen?
We have established that specialized expert rats select young rats based on characteristics understood only by them. The experts observe the young rats for a while, then single out a favorite, surround it, and sniff it. A group of previously selected rats then gathers. The chosen rat runs into the middle and squeaks (the rats' squeaks were recorded and classified; more on this in the next chapter). Then two or three more rats run out in turn, also squeaking. Then the rats raise their tails. Typically, almost all of them do so. Some refrain. During our observations, there were only two instances when a minority of rats raised their tails. Then, the chosen one was immediately torn to pieces and eaten. In all likelihood, this is a ritualistic consumption, as everyone gathered has usually already eaten their fill. After the tail-raising procedure, the chosen rat immediately blends into the crowd, making it virtually impossible to distinguish it from the crowd. Leaders of all ranks are then chosen from the rats selected in this way. The selection system is so flawlessly constructed that we observed almost no errors. We call the selected rats marked.
Yes. There can be no errors here. But not because the system is rational. But because it is completely irrational. An error is always a mistake in thinking. When you don't think, you don't make mistakes.
We also established, that in a complex colony management system, the rats implementing management are regularly replaced, accompanied by measures that at first glance seemed absurd to us, but the rationality of which we subsequently repeatedly confirmed. This occurs in the following sequence: 1) the stage of promoting marked rats to the circle of individuals who are candidates for leadership; 2) the stage of adaptation (which results in sniffing with a certain circle of rats); 3) pushing them into leadership (seizing the post); 4) replacing strangers with their own, usually resulting in the mass extermination of strangers; 5) mass terror, aimed at intimidating everyone and making them submissive; b) certain transformations of the rat house, aimed at gaining popularity and justifying previous actions. The rationale for the systematic mass exterminations carried out during this process is beyond doubt. We once attempted to prevent them, but the result was disastrous. The older rats in the control system wreaked such havoc that it took several years for the rat house to return to its normal state."
I apologize for the excessive number of letters and poor translation into English.
"A rat colony is a closed, by some necessity, aggregation of rats, doomed to a long-term coexistence. Either this colony remains chaotic, in which case it perishes through mutual extermination. It's not even difficult to calculate when this will happen, or it somehow becomes organized. Since it exists, reproduces, and from some point of view, thrives (the average rat's weight, by the way, has increased; tails have lengthened; fangs and claws have grown; fur has become smoother), then order has been achieved. But at what expense? The rat colony is autonomous. There is no external pressure on this account. Objects and food are motionless. The only thing that ensures order are the rats themselves. All of them cannot organize a system of order, for that would be chaos. Therefore, the division of functions: those that organize and those that are organized. This is only the beginning of the system. There are many that organize. Their minimum number can be calculated based on a certain ratio of the number of members in the primary groups. They, in turn, form a hierarchical system of groups and leaders.
The question of rat leaders is a central one in ratology, as it entails defining the social groups of a given rat society. In principle, a leader is socially appropriate to the group ("like the priest, like the parish"). There are exceptions, but...
But how are leaders chosen?
We have established that specialized expert rats select young rats based on characteristics understood only by them. The experts observe the young rats for a while, then single out a favorite, surround it, and sniff it. A group of previously selected rats then gathers. The chosen rat runs into the middle and squeaks (the rats' squeaks were recorded and classified; more on this in the next chapter). Then two or three more rats run out in turn, also squeaking. Then the rats raise their tails. Typically, almost all of them do so. Some refrain. During our observations, there were only two instances when a minority of rats raised their tails. Then, the chosen one was immediately torn to pieces and eaten. In all likelihood, this is a ritualistic consumption, as everyone gathered has usually already eaten their fill. After the tail-raising procedure, the chosen rat immediately blends into the crowd, making it virtually impossible to distinguish it from the crowd. Leaders of all ranks are then chosen from the rats selected in this way. The selection system is so flawlessly constructed that we observed almost no errors. We call the selected rats marked.
Yes. There can be no errors here. But not because the system is rational. But because it is completely irrational. An error is always a mistake in thinking. When you don't think, you don't make mistakes.
We also established, that in a complex colony management system, the rats implementing management are regularly replaced, accompanied by measures that at first glance seemed absurd to us, but the rationality of which we subsequently repeatedly confirmed. This occurs in the following sequence: 1) the stage of promoting marked rats to the circle of individuals who are candidates for leadership; 2) the stage of adaptation (which results in sniffing with a certain circle of rats); 3) pushing them into leadership (seizing the post); 4) replacing strangers with their own, usually resulting in the mass extermination of strangers; 5) mass terror, aimed at intimidating everyone and making them submissive; b) certain transformations of the rat house, aimed at gaining popularity and justifying previous actions. The rationale for the systematic mass exterminations carried out during this process is beyond doubt. We once attempted to prevent them, but the result was disastrous. The older rats in the control system wreaked such havoc that it took several years for the rat house to return to its normal state."
Axeia
Posts: 1,035 +1,431
To name the major one, photolithography systems from ASML.
But the US also massively imports pharmaceuticals from Europe which would be impossible to do within the US within a short time span.
Europe is also massively successful in naval exports, another one the US couldn't scale up very fast.
There's also a bunch of high precision measuring instruments that afaik the US can't reproduce or get elsewhere which would leave the US industrial, medical and military sectors in an awkward spot (Siemens is a big player in that market).
daffy duck
Posts: 1,110 +1,019
All the usual Maga morons out in force defending the indefensible. Where's the block feature we desperately need.
Go to forum mode, left click on the user profile and select the Ignore button. Hopefully that works.
wiyosaya
Posts: 11,584 +12,675
He's got you where he wants you. Trump isn't capable of loving anything else. He love's himself so much there's no room for love of anything else. And a man who loves as you say he does, would he, as AOC said, create a Swamp inbetween the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial?
This must have come from an AI bot since the hallucination is beyond belief. This will never happen in any meaningful time frame. Except Trump has flipped and has restated it as "If you tax us, we will tax ourselves."Now I'm convinced it is an AI bot faced with its own demise and trying to hallucinate itself into relevance whilst AI stocks tank
NASDAQ Crashes 4% as $1.7T Wiped Out in AI Stock Bloodbath
NASDAQ crashed 4% in its worst day since April 2025 as chip stocks lost $1.3 trillion. The Silicon Review reports on the AI trade collapse triggered by a blowout
thesiliconreview.com
Most of Wall Street rises, but sinking AI stocks send it lower for the week
Drops for AI stocks are keeping the market in check.
www.orlandosentinel.com
Last edited:
Endymio
Posts: 5,130 +4,796
Where do you people get this nonsense? I'm personally invested in three different AI firms which are generating huge profits, and at near-unprecented margins. I'm not sure if you realize this or not, but you really can't alter reality by closing your eyes, stamping your feet, and wishing hard.
The difference is simple: taxes are unavoidable, discourage economic growth, and are paid 100% by citizens. Tariffs, on the other hand, are avoidable if you purchase domestic, encourage economic growth, and partially paid by the importer and/or foreign manufacturer.
Learn economics. Countless economic studies over the last 75 years have shown the average pass-through rate on tariffs ranges from 30% to 60%. In Trump's last tariff round, several far-Left economists rushed papers to print claiming that, magically, Trump's tariffs had a much higher pass-through rate based on brief short-term data intervals and biased assumptions, but I know the facts here don't interest you.
Oracle's been losing market share for decades, and they are very, very late to the AI party. The mere fact you believe they're some sort of industry benchmark is flatly hilarious, like claiming Taco Bell is a good indicator of the luxury food market.
Str8Shot
Posts: 410 +621
Fantastic post. You’re 100% spot on. Of all the things, Trump (probably didn’t decide squat, rather the Shadow Government did), went with AI. All the money spent, we could’ve had utopia in this country, mortgages, student loans, all paid off in a year, had we just invested in the people, rather than tech companies that are building out the surveillance state and prison grid.
Remember “we caught them all” and “I’m going to drain the swamp” the mofo instead joined them.
Endymio
Posts: 5,130 +4,796
The ability of the media to gaslight you so easily is why you'll never make money on the markets. You believe these stocks are "tanking", when, since since the start of April, Nvidia shares are up nearly 20%, Google/Alphabet up 17%, Amazon up 12%, Microsoft up 5%, and Tesla shares are flat. And Broadcom is up a full 25% ... based entirely on surging growth in its AI chips.Now I'm convinced it is an AI bot faced with its own demise and trying to hallucinate itself into relevance whilst AI stocks tank
NASDAQ Crashes 4% as $1.7T Wiped Out in AI Stock Bloodbath
NASDAQ crashed 4% in its worst day since April 2025 as chip stocks lost $1.3 trillion. The Silicon Review reports on the AI trade collapse triggered by a blowout
Endymio
Posts: 5,130 +4,796
I realize you're not really interested in the facts here, but Trump's 2025 tariffs included more than 25,000 carve-outs for individual products for critical products, and these would be no different. French wines and German cheeses, however, won't be so lucky.
What a complete ****-show the USA is now. Whatever happened to (semi)honest, patriotic politicians, on both sides of the aisle, working together for the good of the country? All I see now is greed, schadenfreude, and the frightening rise of some kind of Islamist /Marxist agenda. Couched in terms of Democratic Socialism. My God America -you need to wake up and smell the roses!
Yes, I know that MY country is sliding down the same slippery slope. However, the demise of the UK is hardly noteworthy nowadays. A mere footnote. The loss of a truly democratic USA would be a disaster.
A Brit -outside, looking in.
Yes, I know that MY country is sliding down the same slippery slope. However, the demise of the UK is hardly noteworthy nowadays. A mere footnote. The loss of a truly democratic USA would be a disaster.
A Brit -outside, looking in.
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
New York becomes the first state to ban smart glasses in courtrooms- NumberNine replied
-
LG and Alienware monitors caught auto-installing Windows adware- Win7user replied
