Politics

[mdwest]

Bessent's name is in the mix for next fed chair. He's sharp.

I still think Warsh will get it because Trump needs Bessent where he is right now.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/29/bessent-warsh-hassett-are-the-leading-contenders-to-get-fed-chair-job-cnbc-survey-finds.html

I dunno..

Bessent wouldnt take the Fed Chair position until May 2026.. that still gives him almost another year to continue down the path he is currently on and get things stabilized at Treasury.. and there are other solid choices that could make great replacements at Treasury for Bessent..

If he takes the Fed Chair position, that locks him into that seat until May of 2030.. almost 2 years after Trump is gone from office, Bessent would still be pushing Trump agenda items from his seat.. and Trump knows at this point he likes and trusts Bessent, where the other candidates are "maybes" (although I think Hassett is likely inside the "inner circle" and well trusted also)..

I could be happy with Bessent remaining at Treasury or moving to the Fed.. He is in my opinion one of the two strongest picks Trump made for his cabinet... Hes got good ideas, and he knows how to execute.. he isnt the best public speaker in the world, but he isnt afraid to get on national TV and tell idiots at CNN, MSNBC, etc that they are idiots in a reasonably polite way... He's calm and collected when many of Trumps other appointees are more brash and emotional...

 

[HookMeUpII]

I could be happy with Bessent remaining at Treasury or moving to the Fed.. He is in my opinion one of the two strongest picks Trump made for his cabinet... Hes got good ideas, and he knows how to execute.. he isnt the best public speaker in the world, but he isnt afraid to get on national TV and tell idiots at CNN, MSNBC, etc that they are idiots in a reasonably polite way... He's calm and collected when many of Trumps other appointees are more brash and emotional...

Agreed. My opinion, he is the BEST pick he's made for his cabinet. He has impressed me in terms of everything from his media presence to his decision making. Trump is 2-2 on Treasury Secretary picks. Mnuchin and now Bessent.

He struggled with the public speaking initially but really has made a lot of improvements. It's funny because Mnuchin followed the same trajectory.

You make a good point about the perpetuity. Bessent is a good firewall for 2028 and beyond.

 

[Brent in Az]

That would have also been far less risky..

The last thing you want is him locking himself in a reinforced cockpit, firing up those engines and deciding to start fleeing (suicide) with passengers on board..

Hitting the aircraft was stupid…

And if he decided to resist in any way, anyone with any “tactical” (SWAT, Military Special Operations, etc) will tell you that a “tubular assault” on something like an aircraft or a bus is one of the hardest things to pull off successfully… they are extremely difficult even if you’re trained for them… you want to avoid them at all costs…

They should have let the plane off load.. have a plain clothes agent standing in the jetway near the aircraft to block him from re-entering the aircraft once he gets off… have a pair of plain clothes agents standing at the location where the jetway connects to the aircraft that identify themselves as soon as they see him to make the arrest.. and if you think there is a serious risk of him fleeing or fighting, you have a couple of uniformed airport police officers just inside the terminal for back up..

What they did was stupid…

I can imagine how many passengers had the cellphone camera's rolling. Everybody videos stuff like that with instant uploads to social media.
Maybe the agents thought notoriety was more important than public safety.?
Like you said, the copilot could have slammed the cockpit door shut, neutralize the pilot, and bad things could have happened quickly if the copilot was mentally unstable enough to go that route

 

[rookhawk]

I’m a huge fan of Hillsdale College. My daughter wouldn’t go there. But I still became a small benefactor because of the quality citizens they produce.

2.1K views · 443 reactions | What happened to the political power of the American citizen? Victor Davis Hanson explains the history of citizenship and the challenges facing the American citizen today in the free online course, “American Citizenship

What happened to the political power of the American citizen? Victor Davis Hanson explains the history of citizenship and the challenges facing the American citizen today in the free online course,...

www.facebook.com

It’s a great institution, I get their Imprimus newsletter.

My only critique is they claim they are affordable. When I researched their costs it seemed very high to my old fashioned eyes. (E.g. flagship state school in-state would be less)

 

[spike.t]

Looks to me a bit like the Botswana fiasco where the antis went all around the country promoting photo tourism over hunting....then disappeared into the sunset after the locals fell for their bullshit...animal sentience gets brought up a few times ....I have a sneaking suspicion that the locals..well apart from the rich ones in their luxury eco estates ..dont care or even know what that crap means

Communities near Kruger Park reject trophy hunting: study https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/art...near-kruger-park-reject-trophy-hunting-study/

 

[mdwest]

I can imagine how many passengers had the cellphone camera's rolling. Everybody videos stuff like that with instant uploads to social media.
Maybe the agents thought notoriety was more important than public safety.?
Like you said, the copilot could have slammed the cockpit door shut, neutralize the pilot, and bad things could have happened quickly if the copilot was mentally unstable enough to go that route

My best guess is this was another (smaller scale) ATF - Waco... or ATF - Ruby Ridge type event...

The KNEW what the better option was in both of those cases.. but chose the other route (which failed in historic proportions) because they actually wanted the fan fare and publicity..

Thankfully this one didnt fail and no one got hurt..

10 agents/cops is frankly ridiculous and completely unwarranted unless they had a reason to believe he was armed or in some other way a serious threat. Having Homeland Security involved was also completely unnecessary.. Their reasoning (per public statements) was they got involved because the arrest was planned at SFO..

The reality of the situation is the investigation and case are owned by the Sheriffs department in California (Contra Costa County.. they are who took the guy into custody) and SFO has its own police department, which operates as a bureau of the SFPD, that has full jurisdictional authority at SFO.

This should have been a Deputy from Contra Costa County (maybe send a pair), who coordinated with the Airport Police who also provide a pair of police officers to actually make the arrest (and then transfer the arrestee to Contra Costa County). They should have let TSA (Homeland Security) and the local Air Marshals office know what they are doing so that when badges and handcuffs come out and chaos starts to occur at the gate theyre not surprised by the action.. and MAYBE TSA has a uniformed guy present (at a distance) just to hit the radio net once the arrest happens so that everyone at TSA knows whats happening, that everything is contained, etc..

I typically hate monday morning quarterbacking law enforcement.. I wasnt there, and obviously dont have all the details.. often times when you see people monday morning quarterbacking, they dont have enough information about whats gone on.. or they dont actually understand law enforcement, the rules, the laws, the policies, etc that drive decisions.. and the "court of public opinion" is WAY off base when it comes to determining if the cops got it right or got it wrong..

But based on whats been revealed so far (10x or more personnel involved in the arrest.. the arrest happening while the plane is still full of people standing in the aisles trying to get their bags and deplane.. arresting the suspect in the most fortified and defensible place on the aircraft... etc..etc..).. and having been involved in both law enforcement special operations and military special operations for a fairly long period of my life, trained for tubular assaults, etc... and having been a law enforcement investigator for a little while... everything thats come out so far on this one reeks of someone wanting to make a big show out of this and being willing to expose a whole lot of people to unnecessary risk (to include the cops) just so they could make a big splash on TV..

Im glad they got a suspected pedo off the streets.. and Im glad no one got hurt in the process...

but this honestly shouldnt have been national news.. its a local case.. and pedos get arrested by local law enforcement all the time..

It was just handled so poorly that it made national news as soon as it went down..

The Sheriff of Contra Costa County and the Chief of the SF Airport Police Bureau should be crawling all over someone's ass right now...

Instead I bet we see them making public statements about the "bravery" of their officers and how proud they are that a child abuser is behind bars...

 

[spike.t]

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

You would think that they would wait and arrest him after everyone left the plane, instead of freaking out the passengers.

Exactly. I know where my thoughts would immediately jump to if a bunch of armed law enforcement boarded the plane I was on.

I mean I’m glad they got the guy but it just makes me wonder.

 

[Wheels]

Canada had the opportunity to be at the front of the line when it came to American tariffs. The best deals were available at the front of the queue. Canada’s leaders chose to bloviate and procrastinate.

With the deals finalized in July, Canada is now in a much weaker position to attain an optimal tariff. I don’t wish harm for any of our Canadian friends but your leaders have cost you dearly.

 

[RLD]

Canada had the opportunity to be at the front of the line when it came to American tariffs. The best deals were available at the front of the queue. Canada’s leaders chose to bloviate and procrastinate.

With the deals finalized in July, Canada is now in a much weaker position to attain an optimal tariff. I don’t wish harm for any of our Canadian friends but your leaders have cost you dearly.

A bit of a bold prediction before even a “framework” is announced.

Do keep in mind that a fair amount of the “deals” you call finalized are not close to finalized and do not contain what the American president has announced.

I would have traded the younger Trudeau for a bag of hockey pucks, but the jury is still out on Carney. We will see.

But if you want some bloviation, look no farther than the Oval Office.

 

[Wheels]

A bit of a bold prediction before even a “framework” is announced.

Do keep in mind that a fair amount of the “deals” you call finalized are not close to finalized and do not contain what the American president has announced.

I would have traded the younger Trudeau for a bag of hockey pucks, but the jury is still out on Carney. We will see.

But if you want some bloviation, look no farther than the Oval Office.

Approximately 60% of Canada/America trade is covered by USMCA. Next summer it is up for renegotiation. America will end the trilateral deal in favor of bilateral deals with both Canada and Mexico.

The 40% of trade not covered by USMCA looks to go to 35% tariff on August 1, without Canada doing much to negotiate a permanent deal. What could Canada negotiate for this 40% of trade I doubt any of us know but if 35% is the punitive penalty for not negotiating then it is safe to say Canada’s leaders are hanging their citizens out on a limb by not coming to the table prior to August 1.

 

[RLD]

Approximately 60% of Canada/America trade is covered by USMCA. Next summer it is up for renegotiation. America will end the trilateral deal in favor of bilateral deals with both Canada and Mexico.

The 40% of trade not covered by USMCA looks to go to 35% tariff on August 1, without Canada doing much to negotiate a permanent deal. What could Canada negotiate for this 40% of trade I doubt any of us know but if 35% is the punitive penalty for not negotiating then it is safe to say Canada’s leaders are hanging their citizens out on a limb by not coming to the table prior to August 1.

I don't know how closely you have been following this issue but there have been substantial and ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Canada, that apparently are continuing as we type these posts.

Both sides have been at the table for quite some time. I have no idea why you seem to think otherwise.

Interestingly it has been reported that the concessions that the U.S has been requesting lately have no impact on the diary industry, non-tariff barriers or fentanyl coming across the border, the pretext reasons for the recent problems.

But I hear there is good news. Trump's executive order on drugs is so powerful that apparently the drug companies will soon be paying you massive amounts of money to take their drugs. Utopia.

On Tuesday, Trump claimed that he could lower drug prices by 1500%—a mathematically impossible number since it suggests drug companies would be paying the consumer to take the drug. Many critics immediately roasted the president on social media platform X, explaining that Trump’s math was not adding up.

“This is something that nobody else can do. We’re going to get the drug prices down, not 30 or 40%, which would be great, not 50 or 60,” Trump said on Tuesday. “No, we’re going to get them down 1000%, 600%, 500%, 1500%.”

 

[Wheels]

I don't know how closely you have been following this issue but there have been substantial and ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Canada, that apparently are continuing as we type these posts.

Both sides have been at the table for quite some time. I have no idea why you seem to think otherwise.

Interestingly it has been reported that the concessions that the U.S has been requesting lately have no impact on the diary industry, non-tariff barriers or fentanyl coming across the border, the pretext reasons for the recent problems.

But I hear there is good news. Trump's executive order on drugs is so powerful that apparently the drug companies will soon be paying you massive amounts of money to take their drugs. Utopia.

On Tuesday, Trump claimed that he could lower drug prices by 1500%—a mathematically impossible number since it suggests drug companies would be paying the consumer to take the drug. Many critics immediately roasted the president on social media platform X, explaining that Trump’s math was not adding up.

“This is something that nobody else can do. We’re going to get the drug prices down, not 30 or 40%, which would be great, not 50 or 60,” Trump said on Tuesday. “No, we’re going to get them down 1000%, 600%, 500%, 1500%.”

You can hate Trump or love Trump. Hate Carney/Trudeau or love Carney/Trudeau. Hate America or love America. Hate Canada or love Canada. Doesn’t really matter. I’m just dealing with the facts as they are presented.

Canada had the opportunity to be at the front of the tariff line and probably get the best deal Canada could get. Canada completely blew that off for a couple months. The deal Canada gets now probably doesn’t match the deal they could have gotten even a month ago. Trump has less need for Canada now than he did then with the other deals that have been announced in July.

Are negotiations ongoing. Sure. Are they getting anywhere prior to August 1. Doesn’t seem like it at the moment. Could a deal get done before August 1. Sure. Will it be as good as it would have been without the two months of bloviating. Probably not.

As to your straw man regarding pharmaceuticals feel free to talk about it if you want. It has nothing to do with the trade deals and is no interest of mine at the moment.

 

[RLD]

You can hate Trump or love Trump. Hate Carney/Trudeau or love Carney/Trudeau. Hate America or love America. Hate Canada or love Canada. Doesn’t really matter. I’m just dealing with the facts as they are presented.

Canada had the opportunity to be at the front of the tariff line and probably get the best deal Canada could get. Canada completely blew that off for a couple months. The deal Canada gets now probably doesn’t match the deal they could have gotten even a month ago. Trump has less need for Canada now than he did then with the other deals that have been announced in July.

Are negotiations ongoing. Sure. Are they getting anywhere prior to August 1. Doesn’t seem like it at the moment. Could a deal get done before August 1. Sure. Will it be as good as it would have been without the two months of bloviating. Probably not.

As to your straw man regarding pharmaceuticals feel free to talk about it if you want. It has nothing to do with the trade deals and is no interest of mine at the moment.

But you are not dealing with "facts". You keep repeating things that are not accurate and acting like they are true.

Only one of the U.S. trade deals has been finalized. One. The rest are just frameworks and/or social media announcements from a chronically unreliable source (Trump).

The only deal so far reduced to paper and signed was just a framework and the negotiations on a multitude of key issues are (surprise, surprise) still ongoing.

Parts of what Trump announced about the EU framework have already been denied by the EU and we others we know are impossible to fulfill. The numbers Trump put out about how much energy the U.S would be selling into Europe under the deal are literally impossible. Trump promised that the EU would be buying massive amounts of US arms under the deal and within one day the EU reps were saying that the framework has no agreement on arms purchases at all. Trump claimed there will be no more tariffs on U.S. goods going into the EU, the EU now says that is not accurate and only applies to some categories.

The deals that you say are finalized and not finalized. You said Canada was not at the table, when they were. You got the two key issues factually wrong. Why anyone might take your speculation on what any eventual agreement might contain now, or might have contained months ago is beyond me.

 

[Wheels]

But you are not dealing with "facts". You keep repeating things that are not accurate and acting like they are true.

Only one of the U.S. trade deals has been finalized. One. The rest are just frameworks and/or social media announcements from a chronically unreliable source (Trump).

The only deal so far reduced to paper and signed was just a framework and the negotiations on a multitude of key issues are (surprise, surprise) still ongoing.

Parts of what Trump announced about the EU framework have already been denied by the EU and we others we know are impossible to fulfill. The numbers Trump put out about how much energy the U.S would be selling into Europe under the deal are literally impossible. Trump promised that the EU would be buying massive amounts of US arms under the deal and within one day the EU reps were saying that the framework has no agreement on arms purchases at all. Trump claimed there will be no more tariffs on U.S. goods going into the EU, the EU now says that is not accurate and only applies to some categories.

The deals that you say are finalized and not finalized. You said Canada was not at the table, when they were. You got the two key issues factually wrong. Why anyone might take your speculation on what any eventual agreement might contain now, or might have contained months ago is beyond me.

Feel free to say what you wish to say. I have other things to do with my time. I’m done with this conversation.

 

[steve white]

This guy wanting to cancel the LA Olympics is hilarious and childish.
But worse, shows that he was probably educated in the typical liberal public system. If he had even an elementary level of history education. He would know that Jesse Owens showing up and defeating the German champ in front of Hitler was far more impactful than canceling the trip.

He either doesn’t know basic history. Or isn’t secure enough or sure enough in his beliefs to defend them.

As shuttered and ghettoed out as some sections of L A have become, I'm surprised anyone wants them to represent an olympic venue.

 

[fourfive8]

If I were a passenger on that SFO flight, I’d be cheering or helping the arrest. Hope the trial is swift, punishment severe. To hell with the second guessing of LE arrest techniques or timing.

I’m responsible for four “girls”- ages 4, 21, 29 and 46. Scattered from Kuwait to SE Asia to US. Here!s our 4 year old rugrat I just returned from visiting on her birthday,

 

[mdwest]

Canada had the opportunity to be at the front of the line when it came to American tariffs. The best deals were available at the front of the queue. Canada’s leaders chose to bloviate and procrastinate.

With the deals finalized in July, Canada is now in a much weaker position to attain an optimal tariff. I don’t wish harm for any of our Canadian friends but your leaders have cost you dearly.

Eric Trump said exactly that back in February…

He was very clear… those that come to the table first have the best shot at getting the best deals… if you’re last in line, you’ve likely lost all leverage and are going to find yourself in a bad bargaining position..

The EU took a huge beating with the deal that finally got brokered..

I can’t imagine things are going to be better for Canada…

The thought that expanding Canadas energy market to Europe got hosed pretty hard with the EU now committing to buying $750B in energy from the US…

I would guess other bargaining chips are going to get squashed as well while Carney, Ford, et al continue to screw around…

Per Canada’s own press… things aren’t looking good for Canada… and Trump really isn’t looking at Canada seriously to make a deal…i.e “we haven’t been focused on them”

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/us-canada-trade-deal-tariff-1.7593904

 

[Hank2211]

Approximately 60% of Canada/America trade is covered by USMCA. Next summer it is up for renegotiation. America will end the trilateral deal in favor of bilateral deals with both Canada and Mexico.

Wheels, with respect, this is entirely wrong (!). Apologies, but it's the lawyer in me.

The USMCA (or CUSMA as we call it in Canada - sort of like the Gulf of America) is clear that it's in force until 2036. Article 34.7 of the Agreement requires the three parties to hold what is referred to as a "joint review" of the Agreement on the sixth anniversary of its coming into force (which July 1, 2026).

Article 34.7(2) states: "On the sixth anniversary of the coming into force of this Agreement, the [parties] shall conduct a 'joint review' of the operations of this Agreement, review any recommendations for action submitted by a Party, and decide on any appropriate actions."

That's all that happens in 2026. If the Parties can't agree on recommendations, the Agreement just continues on its merry way for another ten years, unaltered.

There is a provision (Article 34.6) whereby one party can provide six months written notice to the other Parties that it wants to withdraw from the Agreement. In that case, the entire Agreement falls away with respect to that Party, but remains in force for the other Parties.

So it's basically an all or nothing for each Party if the others don't want to negotiate individual items. Given that the Agreement provides benefits to all Parties (or the US wouldn't have entered into it), there's risk to the US if Trump decides to terminate the entire agreement that the provisions and protections for the US which he fought for in his first term disappear, both with respect to Canada and Mexico. He may be up for that. Time will tell, but I suppose we will find out no later than February 1, 2026 (when he has to give notice if he wants the Agreement to terminate on July 1, 2026.

 

[mdwest]

The only thing I’d add to Hank’s post is as I understand it if they don’t come to an agreement to extend to 2036, then there are annual reviews every year until a revision is made or an agreement is reached to extend to 2036…

That said, it wouldn’t surprise me in the tiniest bit if Trump doesn’t walk away.. or leverage other trade agreements to stay…

He’s already holding a whole lot more chips now than he was 6 months ago with deals made with Japan, EU, UK and others already in place… and by the end of the year he’ll have several more…

It would be pretty easy to enter into a bilateral agreement with Mexico, and just walk away from USMCA… and offer a bilateral with Canada that puts Canada in a “take it or leave it” situation…

Canada has a lot more to lose than the US… especially in light of the booming US economy and the D party currently having its lowest approval rating in the entire history of the party…

Were I Carney I’d be trying everything in my power to avoid pushing Trumps buttons.. we know Trump is spiteful and can also be vengeful… Carney could be playing a game that creates economic strife for Canada that lasts generations…