Watch my address to congress tonight.

The latest rumour is that Mark Carney will call an election on March 16 with voting on April 22.

Congressional Democrat' approval rating hit an all-time low of 21% last month.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded Wednesday to China's claims that it is ready for any "type of war" following President Donald Trump's 10% tariff increase.

On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded to Trump's move, claiming the "fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports."

"Let me reiterate that intimidation does not scare us. Bullying does not work on us. Pressuring, coercion, or threats are not the right way of dealing with China. Anyone using maximum pressure on China is picking the wrong guy and miscalculating," he continued.

Lin concluded that China is prepared for any "type of war."

"If the U.S. has other agenda in mind, and if war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, we're ready to fight till the end. We urge the U.S. to stop being domineering and return to the right track of dialogue and cooperation at an early date," Lin remarked.

In response to the 20% tariff on Chinese imports, China imposed a 15% tariff on U.S. agricultural goods.

On Wednesday, Hegseth reacted to China's threats of war readiness with his own.

"We're prepared," Hegseth told "Fox & Friends."

Quote from: Herman on March 05, 2025, 09:10:43 PMDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded Wednesday to China's claims that it is ready for any "type of war" following President Donald Trump's 10% tariff increase.

On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded to Trump's move, claiming the "fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports."

"Let me reiterate that intimidation does not scare us. Bullying does not work on us. Pressuring, coercion, or threats are not the right way of dealing with China. Anyone using maximum pressure on China is picking the wrong guy and miscalculating," he continued.

Lin concluded that China is prepared for any "type of war."

"If the U.S. has other agenda in mind, and if war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, we're ready to fight till the end. We urge the U.S. to stop being domineering and return to the right track of dialogue and cooperation at an early date," Lin remarked.

In response to the 20% tariff on Chinese imports, China imposed a 15% tariff on U.S. agricultural goods.

On Wednesday, Hegseth reacted to China's threats of war readiness with his own.

"We're prepared," Hegseth told "Fox & Friends."

 

The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) announced the payment of billions of dollars to more than a million Americans after two provisions that reduced or eliminated benefits for certain individuals were recently repealed.

Last week, the agency said that it will start paying retroactive payments to people whose benefits have been affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). Through March 4, "SSA has already paid 1,127,723 people more than $7.5 billion in retroactive payments," the agency said in a March 4 statement. "The average retroactive payment so far is $6,710."

The WEP and GPO provisions "reduced or eliminated the Social Security benefits for over 3.2 million people who receive a pension based on work that was not covered by Social Security (a non-covered pension)."

In January, former President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) which ended both GPO and WEP. Since the provisions no longer applied as of January 2024, millions of Social Security beneficiaries became eligible for retroactive payments.

"President Trump made it very clear he wanted the Social Security Fairness Act to be implemented as quickly as possible," said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. "We met that challenge head-on and are proudly delivering for the American people."

Quote from: Garraty_47 on March 06, 2025, 06:46:53 AM

Is that for the US, China or both?

Quote from: Herman on March 06, 2025, 08:44:30 PMIs that for the US, China or both?

Mostly for 'Murica insisting on turning China into an actual enemy.

Play stupid games; win stupid prizes.

Quote from: Garraty_47 on March 06, 2025, 09:14:54 PMMostly for 'Murica insisting on turning China into an actual enemy.

Play stupid games; win stupid prizes.

By insisting China open it's market to US goods they way the US has opened it's market to Chink goods?

Quote from: Herman on March 06, 2025, 09:19:42 PMBy insisting China open it's market to US goods they way the US has opened it's market to Chink goods?

What exactly are these "goods" that you want to sell the Chinese people?

Why would they opt to buy 'Murican when they can get domestic versions of equal or better quality?

Is the Chinese government supposed to just stockpile a bunch of 'Murican crap in dockside warehouses and hope that some day they'll find a use for them?

"Trade" policy on the barrel of a gun is extortion, and begging for an *actual* war. It's what a country does when it can't compete but also refuses to accept a loss.

It's stupid. And malicious. And have I mentioned stupid?

Quote from: Garraty_47 on March 06, 2025, 10:24:20 PMWhat exactly are these "goods" that you want to sell the Chinese people?

Why would they opt to buy 'Murican when they can get domestic versions of equal or better quality?

Is the Chinese government supposed to just stockpile a bunch of 'Murican crap in dockside warehouses and hope that some day they'll find a use for them?

"Trade" policy on the barrel of a gun is extortion, and begging for an *actual* war. It's what a country does when it can't compete but also refuses to accept a loss.

It's stupid. And malicious. And have I mentioned stupid?

I'm Chinese and even I admit China has never played fair with trade. They restrict what can come in, but demand other countries not do what they do.

Quote from: Shen Li on March 06, 2025, 10:51:57 PMI'm Chinese and even I admit China has never played fair with trade. They restrict what can come in, but demand other countries not do what they do.

Sounds like you're describing a certain 'Murica First policy with its subsidies, tariffs, and lopsided trade agreements.

As far as restricting imports there are many possible explanations for that. A lot of the "food" 'Muricans eat is restricted or even banned in other countries and for good fucking reasons.

Quote from: Garraty_47 on March 06, 2025, 11:01:21 PMSounds like you're describing a certain 'Murica First policy with its subsidies, tariffs, and lopsided trade agreements.

As far as restricting imports there are many possible explanations for that. A lot of the "food" 'Muricans eat is restricted or even banned in other countries and for good fucking reasons.

What Trump is doing is a mild form of what China has been doing since Deng Xiaoping's reforms a couple years after the death of Mao.

I will give you an example. Mom and I went home about 15 years ago for a holiday. Chinese media announced zhongnanhai put some really punitive measures on Norwegian imports because they placed some tariffs on Chinese food and medicine imports to protest Chinese tariffs and protectionism.

Norway quickly dropped the tariffs on Chinese food and medicine imports and China did not reciprocate.

Why? Because China can. Norway wanted the massive Chinese market a lot more than China needs the tiny Norwegian market.

I don't blame the US for flexing it's economic muscle for self interests. Every country wants to sell to Americans. The US should have been acting more like China decades ago.

Quote from: Shen Li on March 06, 2025, 11:14:03 PMI don't blame the US for flexing it's economic muscle for self interests. Every country wants to sell to Americans. The US should have been acting more like China decades ago.

So when China does it it's bad, but when 'Murica does it that's alright?

Yeah good okay.

Maybe 'Murican companies shouldn't have exported so much of their manufacturing; kind of difficult to avoid trade imbalances when all you do is consume.

Quote from: Shen Li on March 06, 2025, 10:51:57 PMI'm Chinese and even I admit China has never played fair with trade. They restrict what can come in, but demand other countries not do what they do.

The world is sick of the Chink's double standards on trade. Let all their crap into our countries and they use tariffs or restrictions on foreign goods.

QuoteA lot of the "food" 'Muricans eat is restricted or even banned in other countries and for good fucking reasons.

Food from China or the States - which is safer?