First blood to Trump

Globalisation is a fact. Maximising profit is a fact. It is world wide fact. Do we want to mitigate against any harm, be it to the labourers or Environment? Well I certainly do. Many of these global companies are larger than the wealth of many countries, they hold the whip hand. Most countries are powerless against the effects of globalisation on their own. How to mitigate?

Why join together of course and agree on wtays of preventing harm, like the Paris Agreement etc. Isolationism may work short term, but it never works long term - fact.

So you think he has a point about the rest MaizieD?

There are two parts to that quote, Mair

1 Why do UK companies have so much made abroad in cheaper labour cost places? Even Burberry closed their factory in UK and moved it abroad - more profit on the things all the foreign visitors will buy.

To which you quite rightly pointed out that that is how free market capitalism works

2) Why is China investing in the factory to build all the flat pack houses - to make a profit from UK workers. Why on earth didn't the Govt put the money in to open the factory making these units?

Which you didn't touch on. But which is really the more interesting question. Why are the British (by which I mean British capitalists, not the British government) not investing in businesses in the UK? Why is the ownership (and thus the net profits) of so many British companies going abroad?

I rather think we hate Trump because he is a racist, sexist, authoritarian, mendacious white supremacist who has no regard for civil rights, doesn't 'believe' in climate change and appears to be mentally unstable. Not fit to be President of the USA.

*Why do UK companies have so much made abroad in cheaper labour cost places? Even Burberry closed their factory in UK and moved it abroad - more profit on the things all the foreign visitors will buy.
Why is China investing in the factory to build all the flat pack houses - to make a profit from UK workers. Why on earth didn't the Govt put the money in to open the factory making these units?*

Because thats what free market capitalism is all about, maximising profit and foreign workers are cheaper!
Where the business cannot be moved abroad, hospitality , agriculture warehousing, employers want to import cheap foreign workers - which you are all for Welsh! Dontt you see the contradiction in your logic?

Trump wants more protectionism, to save American jobs for American workers. Yet you hate him!

meet, not meed... sort of a freudian combo of meet and need!

No time for GN today with family here, but the image in the link below is from REUTERS that is posted on the BBC and not by his fave media to dump on... CNN. Of course Obama had more people, he was 'new'. George W had small crowds as well. Also, the angle from his rostrum facing out changes the perspective. Aerial photos are accurate. I wonder if he'd poo-poo the military helicopter footage if he saw it?

Scroll down for the aerial. It's a huge place. I used to live in DC when dad was in USAF. I have WALKED up the stairs to the Wash Monument as a teen... it was a great way to meed boys at the time, but you had aching shins for it!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38707722

I very much doubt that, the man has issues.

Perhaps he's getting the message by now!

Best banner of the day held aloft by a woman in Washington had to be "we are here to be respected, we are here to be nasty ! WOW

Interested to read that the crowds in Washington walking against the mysoginist was far larger than the crowds witnessing the inauguration.

Not the elite you understand as Trump and others would like it to believed.

Also interesting to read that Trump said "It wasn't bigger it was smaller" when talking about comparison with Obama crowd . So do we believe his post truth or what we can see with our eyes?

He also let it be known that he didn't have an argument with the CIA - oh!! Sorry thought he did it was reported that he did. So post truth I stand corrected.

Yes, we do export cut diamonds

I thought I saw diamonds!

Failed to spot the mines MawBroon!

No, they won't be but the market is worth billions, along with the other markets which are likely to be affected by Trump and/or Brexit. The diamonds market is already being hit by various factors. It's really difficult to think what the UK could sell which it isn't already selling.

I would like to gently suggest that cut diamonds are very unlikely to be our saviour!!

We don't mine diamonds. We import them. Historically, we owned the mines in many African countries, imported them, cut them and sold them.

Yes, we do export cut diamonds, but the industry is being hit by weak sterling, because we have to pay more for the rough diamonds we import. Belgium also has a strong cut diamonds market and is likely to be in a stronger position than the UK.

Surely you must have seen the pit heads oop North, Ankers? The glistening slag heaps of unpolished stones and the Cadillacs whisking the miners and their whippets off to the dog racing after their shift? Not to mention Arthur Scargill's luxury penthouse apartment (oh hang on, that's in the Barbican and for real)

The US is already the UK's biggest export market, accounting for 25% of British exports. 80% of that is machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods and chemicals and related goods.

The export market from the UK to the US is likely to be hit by Trump's aim to repatriate manufacturing and jobs. American companies manufacture in Europe (to avoid American taxes) then import to the US. This is especially true of chemicals and related goods (ie pharmaceuticals).

Any trade deal between the US and the UK is likely to favour America. We would become just another market for American healthcare, including providers and insurance schemes. We currently have a trade surplus with America, but not for much longer, if Trump has his way. This is especially worrying for the UK in the context of leaving the EU.

We have to import - oil and food probably being the most important - but finding new export markets is going to be tough, unless we become a sweatshop and/or tax haven. The UK has survived on trading and providing financial services for at least 300 years, because we don't actually have many raw materials, so the future doesn't look too rosy.

The Observer's headlines this morning absolutely echoes my opinion

"Trump, as bullishly self-confident as he is ignorant, will not be easily denied. And the crass nationalism that lay at the heart of Fridays speech is a powerful force. It appeals to the darker side of human nature, bolstering the insidious claims of jealousy, envy, greed and hubris. It thrives on fear, chauvinism and not always subliminal notions of ethnic, racial and moral superiority. It is a product of our time"

I weep for our grandchildren.

{I could have got all that completely wrong! I didnt know we mine diamonds?? ]

dahpnedill i think it was posted a list of what we sell to the USA somewhere - but not sure it was on this particular thread.
I think there were 3 things on her list. One was diamonds. I cant remember the other two.

I can't see how Trump is going to be good for Britain when he clearly stated several times "America First" . Not sure what things we would be selling the US anyway apart from all our utilities, properties etc. Oops no they have been sold off already. Financial services? NewYork has got plenty of those and many international financial service providers in the City of London ( which provides huge tax revenues for the Uk ) will be relocating.

I honestly don't think Trump would have acted differently whether it was the popular vote that got the win.

He most definitely would have done!

Barron looks bored out of his mind. Poor kid! So why is Melania holding an umbrella, if it isn't raining?

There's a picture somewhere with Melania holding an open umbrella. Why would she do that if it wasn't raining?

Ankers people go to the inauguration from all over the country not just from Washington D.C.
I honestly don't think Trump would have acted differently whether it was the popular vote that got the win.
Now his press secretary says that they edited the picture of the crowd at his inauguration to make it look like they didn't have a crowd like Obamas. But he didn't. It was raining on and off yet Trump even denies that.