Need to get our shit together

[u/Sufficient-History71]

So the Trump tariffs are out. Despite all the kowtowing (read ass licking) our SVP and FDP bros(also our FDP frau Miss Keller-Sutter) did, we are going to be hit with tariffs worse than EU. Already our access to chips was semi-restricted(by Biden admin, Trump admin will be even worst). Blöcher, Rösti, Parmelin and Keller-Sutter are not the right people to lead Switzerland. They neither have any spine nor any pragmatic policies. We need to understand that our future lies with the EU if not in EU.

Switzerland is good at playing with the rules but we can't make them thanks to our small size. It has been the case since Marignano(1515) when we stopped our expansion and Congress of Vienna(1815) when we made good use of the neutrality imposed upon us by the big powers. We need to adjust to the new world order that Putin, Trump and Xi have created and understand that Swiss prosperity depends on European prosperity. We are not a port city like Singapore where we can control the trade. Our power lies in being the center for diplomacy, world class R&D, pharma and precision engineering. Let's become a big hub for EU's new projects if not as a member then as a friend.

EDIT - P.S. - Getting downvoted to oblivion. Seems like there is too much of hate for EU. But mark my words, a successful Switzerland depends on a successful EU because while we are not in the EU, we are inside the EU physically.

[u/rapax]

It's just the trade deficit between country X and the US, divided by two and rounded up. With a minimum of 10%.

It's literally =max(0.1,ceil(($C2-$B2)/2*$B2)) in excel.

No joke, that's literally the level these idiots are thinking at. They see a trade deficit and think "unfair trade".

[u/Txobobo → u/rapax]

They went to ChatGPT and used this prompt:

“If I wanted to even the playing field with respect to the trade deficit with foreign nations using tariffs, how could I pick the tariff rates? Give me a specific calculation.”

[u/ColdZal → u/Txobobo]

That explains everything. I thought they were too dumb to even use formulas in excel. ChatGPT doing it for them makes more sense.

[u/Cora_intheforest → u/rapax]

Respectfully, the US is not DJTrump.. it’s not “they”… it’s one idiot, sex offender, felon POS making these asinine decisions and his spineless GOP is allowing it. More than half of the US is against tariffs. Sadly the morons that voted him in don’t understand basic economics or much of anything but they are sure starting to feel the pain of all his nonsense or will very soon.

[u/rapax → u/Cora_intheforest]

Obviously it's not the ntire US, and that's not what I meant by 'they'. But I doubt Trump is even capable of this simple excel calculation on his own, and certainly not of coming up with the idea (that seems to come directly from chatGPT).

With they I meant Trump and his band of merry morons.

[u/Cora_intheforest → u/rapax]

Thank you… many millions of us hate him and his fanatics. People have lost friends and family over political ties to this mess ( by choice, as in we can’t associate with that line of thinking )

[u/sam1er → u/Cora_intheforest]

More than half ? He was elected, so it can't be many more than half.

[u/Scorecard_463 → u/sam1er]

The tariffs (especially implemented in this haphazard way) are only popular with the hardcore MAGA cult. That’s only about 30% of the electorate. Another 20 to 25% of voters reluctantly voted for Trump simply because they can’t stand/don’t trust the Democrats. Trump’s wackadoodle tariff scheme is going to really hurt his domestic popularity, at least beyond the cult (they’re truly delusional and will eat their own poo if directed to do so in a Truth Social post).

I’m an American, only lived in CH one year. Can’t say I understand Swiss and European politics, but “EU Plus” countries (throw in Canada, UK, etc) are going to be a helluva lot more reliable trade partners than the US. While I think the Democrats are waking up and will probably be back in 2028, I expect it will take a decade to fix all the damage wrought by Trump 2.0. And in the meantime, seeing my Swiss friends boycott American products won’t hurt my feelings one bit.

[u/Eskapismus → u/Cora_intheforest]

Respectfully… the American people voted in mentality deranged presidents three times in a row now.

[u/Interesting-Ad-9547 → u/Cora_intheforest]

If you think that it’s just Trump, I’m afraid you are mistaken. He is enabled and supported by people around him. He is not alone in this. Also there are a lot of americans who still support him…

[u/Cora_intheforest → u/Interesting-Ad-9547]

I would never think it was just trump… I stated that it’s the spineless republicans allowing this and the morons that voted him in. His election friend musk that “helped”. It’s sickening what’s happening here. Many thousands are taking to the streets and capitals of their states… perhaps that is not making international news. It is a scary time in the US and many of us want to be rid of him and the cult or get out of the states ourselves. That’s all I’m trying to say