this post was submitted on 24 Apr 2025
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[–] godot@lemmy.world 118 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (7 children)

Why would China be desperate?

China offers the cheapest high spec manufacturing in the world. If the US doesn’t buy that manufacturing, that leaves the rest of the world. Of course China wants American money, but it’s not going to devastate their economy in the short term. It’s a reasonable cost for providing China with so many opportunities, which they are aggressively pursuing, to cultivate deep seated international power.

The prevalence of Chinese manufacturing actually is a national problem for the US. While China has its pick of buyers, the US is stuck with one seller. The US should have been working for twenty years with India, Pakistan, Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam, and maybe even some counties in Africa to create access to alternatives. It didn’t.

Weaning the US off Chinese manufacturing would take decades of elegant economic policy and diplomacy featuring several countries. China knows this is where it actually has power over the US.

[–] match@pawb.social 18 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

China has been working with African countries for decades to build their supply lines. The US has had a blind spot over Africa the whole time

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 4 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Not true, they've just done a better job and built infrastructure instead of corrupt power networks based on the threat of regime change

[–] Snowclone@lemmy.world 4 points 4 hours ago

What do they got better principals than us? Wait are we the bad guys?

[–] Milk_Sheikh@lemm.ee 26 points 12 hours ago

I have worked professionally with Chinese vendors and suppliers for years, both pre and post COVID. China offers the whole range of manufacturing, not just cheap labor but high tech and precision devices too. You want cheap injection molded toys for Happy Meals? Done. Precision machine tools for CNC? Can do. Medical imaging devices? No problem. Mass assembly of automotive cable looms? Easy. If a business wants quality product from China they can do it.

And much like the classic European model where a textile or steel industry would collect in a valley for logistic/resource reasons and organically form an industrial ‘core’ the same is true in China, but with a centralized planned economy. Vocational schools feed local industry with skilled workers like engineers or tool and die makers, so that region experiences further and further specialization and conglomeration.

There’s no coherent or comparable manufacturing:educational alliance in the US, closest we have is ‘feeder schools’ that partner with individual industrial/scientific giants on an ad-hoc basis.

[–] clutchtwopointzero@lemmy.world 21 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Also, China has a shitload of US debt that they can use as leverage

[–] dryfter@lemm.ee 3 points 50 minutes ago

Which makes the debt ceiling fight that's coming up even more interesting. (article from March 24th)

The U.S. is most likely to default on its $36 trillion national debt sometime between mid-July and early October if Congress doesn’t act, the Bipartisan Policy Center predicted Monday.

......

Debt limit forecasters are expected to release a narrower X-date prediction after most tax receipts have landed at the IRS in April. While it’s “quite unlikely,” there is still a possibility that the U.S. could run out of borrowing power in early June if that gush of tax revenue comes in far below projections, the Bipartisan Policy Center cautioned.

The cost-cutting efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency effort headed by Elon Musk could also affect cash flow enough to change the X-date prediction, along with the strength of the economy, tariffs and any new spending or cuts Congress approves, the center said.

Given how DOGE is inflating it's cost cutting savings by over $140 Billion, the tariff trade war, and congress' habit of pushing things to the brink when their luck is going to run out sooner or later -- this could get ugly quick.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 5 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Which is why Trump tried to declare it void, as a very stupid person.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Hey now, if there’s one thing Trump is knows it’s declaring bankruptcy

[–] Cornelius_Wangenheim@lemmy.world 4 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Also, despite how much Trump wants to pretend he's a dictator, he's not. Both Congress and the Supreme Court have the power to stop this tariff idiocy at any point if the consequences get to be too bad. Xi is actually a dictator and the likelihood of any other power base overriding him is slim to none.

[–] superniceperson@sh.itjust.works -5 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (1 children)

Xi isn't a dictator and can be removed at any time. If you understand how US propaganda is working for trump, you should be able to understand how it works against china.

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 8 points 11 hours ago (1 children)
[–] superniceperson@sh.itjust.works -5 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

One whose decisions have to be approved, and can be removed by a simple majority vote at any time... If dictators were actually like that no one would have a problem with them.

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 6 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

It's easy to keep a simple majority from voting you out, when anyone opposing you gets the wall for being "Not doctrinal"...

Its like saying a pastor of a church can be voted out by a simple majority of the deacons... But the pastor can off any deacon at any time, merely for being a heretic.

[–] superniceperson@sh.itjust.works -2 points 5 hours ago

Except there's no documented instances of that happening. Like yeah if you make up shit anything can or cannot happen at any time.

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 3 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

And no one will dare go against the party, and he is the head of the party, hence de facto dictator. A dictator in all but name

[–] superniceperson@sh.itjust.works -3 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

...except they do. Often. That's how he was elected even, the party going against the president.

I know western propaganda has trillions of USD behind it, but you don't have to pay attention.

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 4 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

They do often? Really? That's why he's been removed? Oh wait no he hasn't. You don't have to pay attention to Chinese propaganda either.

[–] superniceperson@sh.itjust.works -1 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (1 children)

Why would he be removed...?

His ideas don't always become policy, that's a verifiable fact.

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Uhuh. Why might that be? If his ideas always become policy, that usually means something. You said they remove "him" all the time. I'm saying they dont

[–] superniceperson@sh.itjust.works -1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

I said they don't agree with him all the time, just like my previous comment states his policies do not always get passed, unlike a dictator.

Troll better next time.

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Nah, that's not what you said. It was a typo sure, but you can't shit on me for the typo you made. You mean policies like mass censorship, mass surveillance, things like "Xi has centralized institutional power by taking on multiple positions, including new CCP committees on national security, economic and social reforms, military restructuring and modernization, and the internet."

Very non dictatorial of him

[–] superniceperson@sh.itjust.works -2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Auto correct is rarely a typo, and anyone slightly intelligent would've been able to follow the thread. As far as the rest of your nonsense... Yes the government has expanded as the digital age happened. The US government has more than 700 federal departments. Most of those were made post 9-11. Are we saying the more a government does the more of a dictatorship it is?

Anarchism doesn't work that way, and likely doesn't work at all.

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

anyone slightly intelligent would've been able to follow the thread

Says the person defending Winnie the Pooh.

Lol

Are we saying the more a government does the more of a dictatorship it is?

When it's one person who's doing it, yeah.

[–] superniceperson@sh.itjust.works -1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

... Its not one person. There are hundreds of thousands of members of government in china.

I know you fascists love the idea of an infinitely strong and infinitely weak individual to pin all your worries on, but christ can you please not make it so obvious that's your thought process.

Also good work with the racist meme allusion there little buddy. If you're still stupid enough to believe that myth that Winnie the Pooh was banned, its really no wonder trump was elected.

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

There are hundreds of thousands of members of government in china

Uhuh, all following the order of Winnie the Pooh.

know you fascists love the idea of an infinitely strong and infinitely weak individual to pin all your worries on, but christ can you please not make it so obvious that's your thought process.

What a fucking stretch and a half. When did I say he's weak 🤣. I said he's a dictator. The mental gymnastics you had to go through to imagine that's what I said is fucking S tier. Congrats. I wish I could make up shit like that lol.

Also good work with the racist meme allusion there little buddy. If you're still stupid enough to believe that myth that Winnie the Pooh was banned, its really no wonder trump was elected.

Racist meme? Nah, just hating on Xi. It really got your hackles up, seems I struck a nerve. Your ad hominems really prove your point.

Also not an American.

[–] superniceperson@sh.itjust.works -1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

If you're not American, why are you blindly, and stupidly, repeating us propaganda and us racist memes?

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Why are you blindly and stupidly repeating Chinese propaganda?

I'm not blindly and stupidly repeating us propaganda and racist memes.

I can't imagine anyone trying to hard to defend an obviously corrupt and authoritarian person like Xi, like for fuck sakes. Hold your politicians accountable. I saw what the Chinese government did to Hong Kong, I've seen what they are trying to do to Taiwan, I've seen the pictures in Tianamen, I've seen pictures of what they are doing to the Uyghurs. China isn't a "good guy" they do so much fucking awful shit, and Xi is at the helm.

[–] superniceperson@sh.itjust.works -1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Yeah ,someday when the US falls and they stop producing the propaganda you've been consuming thoughtlessly, I hope you can recover and become a real human again.

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 1 points 24 minutes ago

That's it? The us has nothing to do with this. You bemoan me for blindly consuming propaganda, but friend, you need to look in the mirror. China is a belligerent country, not the fault of its people, but rather the corrupt autocratic rulers.

[–] futatorius@lemm.ee 21 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

I think that underestimates the extent to which the Chinese economy is vulnerable to reduced demand from foreign partners. I'm not saying China's in a worse position than the US, since the US has a blithering imbecile traitor as President. But they're not invulnerable to economic shocks either.

[–] slickgoat@lemmy.world 7 points 16 hours ago

China will definitely suffer, but it also doesn't care. Public opinion supporting its actions are not a priority in China. Trump is starting to feel the bite his stupidity has taken him. Not sure if he understands completely, but he's getting an idea that he'll wear the blame. Not from the Maga, but from everyone else.

[–] Blackout@fedia.io 11 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Part of my company's plan to weather the trade war was to stock up and wait for our competition to be priced out. We also expect the factories in China that supplied our competitors will shut down too. There is a ton of spare capacity with some of them and they work on slim margins. Even a short term downturn of orders can push many to close.

[–] superniceperson@sh.itjust.works 5 points 11 hours ago

They don't tend to close, they pivot.

[–] jaxxed@lemmy.ml 4 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

You're absolutely correct on the US topic, but one comment on the Chinese side: China does suffer from an excess of export focused production. Their excess of production capacity is artificial (created by Goverent investment) and has resulted in the need for continued Government cash injections.

The Chinese government investment injection has resulted in significant leads in at least two international markets (EV, and solar panels perhaps batteries by volume.) The cost has been a parge amount for waste and loss of public money (there were a lot of of losses in their recent tech/chip investment for example.)

These losses came at a hard time when the general popilation was suffering from significant equity loss, mainly real estate. There is an argument to make that trying to spur the domestic market would be better than investing in overcapacity.

[–] superniceperson@sh.itjust.works 4 points 11 hours ago

...You understand the primary market for Chinese products, especially ev and solar, is Chinese citizens, right?

Its not even close.

[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 1 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

These losses came at a hard time when the general popilation was suffering from significant equity loss, mainly real estate

Is this a reference to the 99 year leases people can get instead of full ownership or the citizens investment into big housing projects that some say are scams?

[–] coyootje@lemmy.world 26 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

I hope they don't back down, even if that orange whimp ends up pulling back the tariffs. Don't re-engage with the US until they elect a decent leader. They should really feel the impact of electing such a moron for a internationally significant role.

[–] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 16 points 16 hours ago

Yep. If America doesn't have a severe depression &/or civil war, the mental illness of MAGA will continue destroying the country from within, and wreaking havoc with global stability.