Trump: The Second Year

LOL! (LOVE IT, Z!)

As mentioned…stock buy-backs; efficiency efforts (which includes increasing automation efforts), etc…

They are not going to be using that Cash to go back to some 1950’s vision of manufacturing.

2 Likes

They also understand Trump isn’t setting up a dynasty that will keep all these changes forever. That’s why we didn’t see wages move an inch from the tax cuts. Little 1k bonuses so the public could get a boner about shitty budget balancing.

Sitting on it, what else? America wasn’t having capital problems. These companies are going to be more than happy to use this cash to create more efficient long term processes. Definitely what I would do

1 Like

By the way…

Lest anyone get’s the wrong idea; I am NOT against American Companies strengthening their overall Global Positions. What I am against is Trump selling good, honest hard-working people a pile of bullshit.

Except for Apple and Google…

(OH! Just kidding…!)

1 Like

Always a solid investment for executives…can’t beat the classics

To be fair, they entered via the Gobi desert. The wall was never actually breached by Genghis. They went around using their superior mobility.

I believe they thought a large force crossing it was impossible. More fool them.

Edited for correctness :History of the Great Wall of China - Wikipedia

1 Like

“…they believe new domestic manufacturing jobs will eventually pay political dividends that will swamp any market dislocations…”

Probably true. Also stupid.

Given the enormous capital investment/commitment involved, do you really think significant numbers of manufacturers will relocate back to the US? Especially when you consider that if Trump is not re-elected in 2020, the new POTUS may well revert US trade policy back to multilateralism/internationalism, and said investments will be for naught.

1 Like

This is what will hamstring him. There’s no way anyone of decent size can risk a meaningful investment when an outside looking in view definitely doesn’t point to a guaranteed win for Trump in 2020

1 Like

Exactly my point. The Big Boys are in a state of uncertainty–and I don’t need to tell you or anyone else here, if there’s one thing business hates, it’s uncertainty.

3 Likes

I think it’s also why the vast majority of companies didn’t start passing out pay raises and instead chose to invest in automation and efficiencies. You don’t raise wages with your capital if you think it’s a temporary thing and the raise would be permanent.

And given how Trump keeps getting into dick waving contests with the economy when he doesn’t get his way, who could blame them?

3 Likes

One thing to keep in mind;

I don’t think that Big Corporations getting pissed and/or moving overseas affects Trumps that much Politically. Big Corporations have been putting the sausage to average American workers and towns for years, so what’s new?

Where is begins to affect Trump politically is when those local and regional businesses…the kind we tend to see in our Industrial Parks and/or may be the main employer for a small to medium town or region…it’s when those businesses begin to lay off people and are adversely affected by Trump’s actions does Trump at least begin to be affected politically.

Even then; I still think that Trump’s base support would remain solid.

EU and Chinese tariffs have been directly targeting both Trump’s base, AND raw materials. These are the small regional places that often times supply the big guys you spoke about.

By targeting the source of raw materials, you’re directly hurting the suppliers that hold these small (mostly conservative) towns together.

It’s really hard for any base to remain solid if unemployment and economic problems start setting in.

No it’s not if they’re convinced that they’re locked in a life-or-death struggle against an implacable ideological foe.

It’s pretty easy if the other side pushes forward self-declared socialists who’ll try to fight the ideological battle.

That’s what Bannon and his coterie learned from European populists like Farage, Le Pen and Salvini - you can always bait the left into an ideological battle, something which they cannot resist.

In other words, the base will get the repeal of Roe vs. Wade instead of jobs they were promised.

Yeah. Especially when the base is the traditionally blue collar, vote with their stomach type.

When they get hungry, they switch tables.

2 Likes

I think

And that it’s dumb.

2 Likes

I don’t buy it. They are perpetually hungry yet still vote based on guns, abortion, homosexuality, fear of someone be it blacks, immigrants, Muslims, etc. Do they ever vote for education? Healthcare? Ending the stupid and ineffectual drug war? These are just a few of the things that actually affect them and their children.

1 Like

Well, it would be nice if there were a socially conservative party that had a more progressive view of education and healthcare.

Don’t take my word for it. Take all of the Dem. politicians that got sent packing in sept. of '15.

It wasn’t a bunch of die hard conservatives that sent them home.