EchoCranium

Just put the comics section out of the Sunday paper in a frame for him. He won’t know the difference.

They probably won’t include all the federal employees being kicked to the curb in the unemployment numbers either.

I know, it’s a nuclear option. Seriously shouldn’t put that card down right off. And yeah, hasn’t gone well for any central or south american government that the US has destabilized or overthrown due to some large corporation’s interests. But as all this garbage escalates, bringing up the possibility could make owners and shareholders squirm a bit. It hurts them financially, the only thing that would make them care. People who Trump might (might, small chance) listen to. But before that point? Those companies can produce all kinds of things. Doesn’t mean Canada or Mexico have to let those goods go out across their borders. Their trade agreement has been torn up by Trump again. And you know that bureaucracy is complicated, things get held up in customs sometimes, occasionally for very very long times. Paperwork gets lost… When companies here in the US are screaming about their supply lines breaking down again, now because of HIS stupid tariff war, there will be some negative political fallout. Trump’s ego and image are vulnerable things despite all the bluster. He won’t back down, but he could pivot to something else and let this nonsense drop.

That was Cory Doctorow’s recent take on it too. Trump just threw out the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico he was so proud to say was his accomplishment, after renegotiating NAFTA. They really should say fine, stew in your own mess. Ignore patents, crank out cheap pharmaceuticals, forget about DRM. Nationalize US factories on their soil. Will hurt for a while until new trade is established, but there is the whole rest of the planet to trade with.

I grew up there, and that’s pretty accurate. Very conservative Dutch christian area, but not completely dominated by that ideology. The church on every block depiction is quite true in some places. While there are little areas that can be more progressive, still not exactly a safe place to be too different. From my experience working there, LGBT folks were often understated, kept their personal life away from coworkers. Definitely a lot of quiet bigotry and discrimination, sometimes outright verbal and other abuse. Easier to recognize it now that I’m older and moved away. I’ve been gone for two decades, but probably still the same.

My cousin and his wife adopted their son from Guatemala. Great kid, growing up to become an admirable adult. They’re right-wing Trump supporters in the state of Florida. I know they voted for this shit, and probably don’t conceive of the idea this could ever harm THEIR son. But all it takes is the fact that he doesn’t look American enough to some racist in a uniform for him to get snatched up in a sweep. Really hope he doesn’t face this kind of harassment, but now its become much more likely.