Skip Navigation

User banner

breakfastmtn

@ breakfastmtn @lemmy.ca

Posts
923
Comments
560
Joined
2 yr. ago

  • South Africa suspends American businesses and mineral exports

    Jump

  • They are indeed crap. The Reuters link isn't even about this.

    From SA's perspective, this would be get in front of cameras and pound your chest news, not get an unnamed spokesperson to whisper about it to some unknown reporter news. Like, why would you want to dramatically punch back... but keep it low key? Makes no sense.

  • TikTok is back on the Apple and Google app stores

    Jump

  • Yes. And the statute of limitations is a year into the next admin. This agreement is them acknowledging that they're breaking the law.

  • I’m a Federal Worker. You Have No Idea the Irreversible Damage Elon Musk Is Doing.

    Jump

  • It's way harder to build things than to smash everything to bits?

  • South Africa suspends American businesses and mineral exports

    Jump

  • Links or it didn't happen

  • What do you think about centralised clients?

    Jump

  • Mastodon.social has a "spam problem" because they're the largest target. We're lucky it's them because they're one of the few instances with the resources to take on the problem. They've also contributed a ton - in tools and strategies - to help other instances deal with the problem.

  • South Africa suspends American businesses and mineral exports

    Jump

  • I'd be pretty skeptical of this. As you said, no one else is reporting what would be huge news. I can't find the quote attributed to "a spokesperson for the South African government" anywhere else either. There isn't a named person in the article. This source seems sketchy, though I can't find any bias monitor info on them. That 'from the desk of the president' graphic is also just kinda weird.

    The closest to this story I can find is this Feb 3rd story from a mining conference:

    South Africa’s Minister of Minerals and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, told delegates in his opening address that Africa should withhold minerals if funding is withdrawn.

  • RFK Jr. confirmed by Senate as Health secretary

    Jump

  • Speaking as a measles stan, this is incredible news. We're back, baby!

  • What does an English nose look like?

    Jump

  • Are you sure it's appearance? You might sneeze with an accent.

  • Donald Trump may just cost Canada’s Conservatives the election

    Jump

  • Can anyone explain the reason behind the drop in MAU that happened end of January?

    Jump

  • The MAU counter at mastodon.social reset. It happened at about the same time they had an issue and had to recover data so I think it was related to that.

  • Deleted

    Permanently Deleted

    Jump

  • I don't know if this'll be removed but self-posts without news articles aren't allowed here (rule 2).

    Is there a community for content like this? Like a focus on our participation in activism/resistance? Even if not here, this is amazing and something I'd still like to see somewhere.

  • Deleted

    Permanently Deleted

    Jump

  • Define "win a trade war." If Trump's definition is 'Canada becomes non-viable as a country and agrees to become a cherished 51st state,' then the US can't win a trade war either. The US has a much larger economy and can inflict more damage on Canada, but the US still can't "win" in the extreme way you're talking about. 'No one wins and everyone suffers' is basically a defining characteristic of trade wars.

    Just in the auto industry, half a million Canadians would lose their jobs. It's easy to say that you shouldn't "concede" symbolism when you're not responsible for people's well-being. Again, there was always going to be a face-saving gesture. Your expectation that there wouldn't be is unrealistic. Agreeing to some border theatre nonsense (to help solve imaginary problems!) that Canada would've done anyway had someone just asked nicely is not a big deal. Canada didn't need an economic threat to... join a task force that was a Canadian proposal to begin with. The only reason that didn't already exist is because ~0% of the fentanyl getting into the US is coming from Canada.

    Well this is always the case everywhere. But 99.9999999% of the time, you don't have to worry about the US reneging on its end of the deal on a whim. Every country knows that the other country could announce tariffs any time. But they typically have reasonable assurances that they won't. Trump offers no such assurances beyond "I have altered the deal. Pray I do not alter it further."

    And?

    Canada and Mexico have no control over this.

    "We're entering into a trade war because you might in the future go back on not having a trade war and start a trade war!"

    And you're talking about this like there are no costs to Trump or the US for doing this. There are. He blinked because it was going to cost him. As much as he can say, 'this is a necessary sacrifice,' he's not personally willing to sacrifice a goddamn thing. Those costs will increase over time and skyrocket as we approach midterms.

    But it was announced and formed based on Trump talking points after the 2024 election.

    Yes, they said "this fucking moron keeps talking about imaginary border shit. Let's just pass this and hopefully it shuts him up."

    But that would've happened even if he didn't sign the tariff order. You're attributing it to Trump signing the tariff order and saying that Canada has just conceded it. That's not true.

  • Deleted

    Permanently Deleted

    Jump

  • There is no possible world where Canada fights a trade war with the US and has a complete and total victory where Trump admits utter defeat. That's just fantasy. In international political disputes people are always given the chance to save face -- that's just how shit works. The "what about a month from now" argument would also always be true. Even if he announced a permanent end to tariffs he could still announce tariffs tomorrow.

    Trump stared down Canada and Mexico and lost. He caved. It was obvious that he was caving when the White House started softening their messaging midday and saying that everything was just a big misunderstanding. The only concession he got was the ability to save face. Mexico re-announced an already in-place commitment. Canada announced some symbolic nonsense. That $1.3B in your original comment was announced more than a month before Trump took office.

    He already has Fox News. We don't need to help polish his losses into victories too.

  • Trump faces backlash from business as tariffs ignite inflation fears

    Jump

  • “We pay hundreds of Billions of Dollars to SUBSIDIZE Canada. Why?” He posted on Truth Social. “There is no reason. We don’t need anything they have. We have unlimited Energy, should make our own Cars, and have more Lumber than we can ever use. Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true! Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State.”

    Those posts are so unhinged. Almost a declaration of war.

  • Trump faces backlash from business as tariffs ignite inflation fears

    Jump

  • What will be the impact of a North American trade war?

    Jump

  • Flohmarkt - a Fediverse replacement for Facebook Marketplace

    Jump

  • Definitely weird on first reading. New names often seem weird or dumb at first so maybe I'll just get used to it. Anglicizing it might make sense? Fleamarkt?

  • Trump tariffs could cost households $830 extra this year, study finds

    Jump

  • Wait, his plan to artificially increase prices won't lower prices?!?!

  • Trump Tariffs Latest: Canada to Retaliate, Rethink US Reliance - Bloomberg

    Jump