THE ERA OF TRUMP

[jbird4049]

Loves me some American agribusiness, I hate Canadian supply management, give me those subsidized American agricultural products any day of the week, that's a direct wealth transfer from the American taxpayer right into my pocket.

What's so bad about Canadian agriculture/food? Aside from some small differences in price corn, wheat, butter, pigs are the same. Isn't it?

[Smitty-48]

Loves me some American agribusiness, I hate Canadian supply management, give me those subsidized American agricultural products any day of the week, that's a direct wealth transfer from the American taxpayer right into my pocket.

What's so bad about Canadian agriculture/food? Aside from some small differences in price corn, wheat, butter, pigs are the same. Isn't it?

Small difference? Supply managed Canadian food is twice the price as American equivalent, 100% mark up is not a small difference.

It's actually a 125% mark up, because the US dollar is $1.25 Canadian, and yet the American products are half the price, in Canadian dollars.

Who the fuck; wants to pay 125% more than the market rate? Not I, nor any Canadian I know.

It's just a tiny number of entrenched interests, who are gouging the rest of us to line their pockets, the patriotic thing to do; would be to have them all shot, because they are scamming the whole country, the poorest amongst us most of all.

Can I afford to pay twice as much? Sure, but a lot of people can't, a lot of people here seek out the cheaper American products, at the cheaper American stores, not because they ain't patriotic, but because that's the only way that they can feed their kids.

You know who the busiest retailers are where I'm from? Costco and Walmart. I love Costco and Walmart, not only do they bring the best deals, but they also force competition into the market, keeping everybody else from gouging us too, they make everybody's prices lower.

Hell, without Costco, gas prices would be 50% higher, the other gas stations actually raise their prices, after the gas station at Costco closes.

When I see Walmart cut a price on something, suddenly that something goes on sale at the other grocery stores to match that price, without the American competition, Canadian retailers would be gouging our eyes out.

[Smitty-48]

Funny Walmart story; so they open a new Walmart down the road, first time I go, I find that all the shopping carts are chained together, and you have to put a loonie in to unhook them, now, I got lots of money, but this is Canada, nobody carries cash anymore, and certainly not coins...

... so I go on a tirade, I summon the manager, I have the manager and a bunch of Walmart employees following me around the store, as porters, to carry my groceries for me, then I make them carry it all to my car.

Next day I go back; all the grocery carts are unhooked all of a sudden. lol.

I do prefer Costco to Walmart, but Walmart still has its charms.

[StCapps]

20% tariff on Mexican imports already walked back. These bluffs are so easy to see coming, yet some still act surprised.
/shrugs

Trump loves to bluff with tariffs folks, it's like his favorite negotiation tactic. Just a heads up to the protectionists who think Trump actually shares their sentiments because of his rhetoric, don't get your hopes up.

[TheReal_ND]

Well tbf his staffer said he would propose 20% to congress. I kind of assumed this board was nominally more intelligent than that.

Funny Walmart story; so they open a new Walmart down the road, first time I go, I find that all the shopping carts are chained together, and you have to put a loonie in to unhook them, now, I got lots of money, but this is Canada, nobody carries cash anymore, and certainly not coins...

... so I go on a tirade, I summon the manager, I have the manager and a bunch of Walmart employees following me around the store, as porters, to carry my groceries for me, then I make them carry it all to my car.

Next day I go back; all the grocery carts are unhooked all of a sudden. lol.

I do prefer Costco to Walmart, but Walmart still has its charms.

Leave it to Canadians to not understand how shopping at Walmart works. Here, they shut down the manned lines after a certain hour and then throw up a few random automatic tellers that don't accept cash. I'm assuming it's because they are full or they are working out how much of a difference it makes in flow. One time I stuffed ten dollars worth of pennies in one by one. Should have seen the looks! Tbf though that was all the spending money I had at the time and they were already rolled up but I had to break them down. At the manned tellers they actually have a policy of breaking down rolls of pennies to count them and I had to ask, "Do people do that? Do they really try to get one over like that? Wow, just wow smh."

[C-Mag]

20% tariff on Mexican imports already walked back. These bluffs are so easy to see coming, yet some still act surprised.
/shrugs

Trump loves to bluff with tariffs folks, it's like his favorite negotiation tactic. Just a heads up to the protectionists who think Trump actually shares their sentiments because of his rhetoric, don't get your hopes up.

Yeah, he's doing that with regulations too. He wants to reduce regulations, and he's probably got a some specific ones in mind. So he comes out and says, we can need to reduce regulations by 75%.

That's just his opening offer in his future negotiation he wants to have on regulations. He does a good job of positioning himself so he can appear to be giving a lot up when the final deal is made.

[Smitty-48]

Leave it to Canadians to not understand how shopping at Walmart works. Here, they shut down the manned lines after a certain hour and then throw up a few random automatic tellers that don't accept cash. I'm assuming it's because they are full or they are working out how much of a difference it makes in flow. One time I stuffed ten dollars worth of pennies in one by one. Should have seen the looks! Tbf though that was all the spending money I had at the time and they were already rolled up but I had to break them down. At the manned tellers they actually have a policy of breaking down rolls of pennies to count them and I had to ask, "Do people do that? Do they really try to get one over like that? Wow, just wow smh."

It's the opposite here, the Walmart has all the checkouts manned all the time, it's the Canadian grocery store which has one late shift (unionized) employee at the check-out or take your chances with the automated machines.

I refuse to use automated machines under any circumstances, if they are forcing me to the automated machines, I just drop everything right there on the floor and walk out, and usually go straight to Walmart instead.

[TheReal_ND]

Well you're not missing out on anything. Between the R rated movie, the six pack and a phantom item that was never scanned to be put on the scale it takes up to five minutes with the one lady to man all fifteen or so automatic tellers and get me out. Mind you that's teller to door. I actually had a woman with Down Syndrome check me out at HEB and she broke all the land records for speed. While the customer in front of her was paying she lined all my items up to face her in the interim. When it was my turn BING BING BING all scanned with the gun and she was waiting on me. I was impressed. Should have told the foreman how impressed I was that was watching her but ah well.

[Smitty-48]

Usually I can get them to open another check out just for me, by going on a tirade, because usually there's a bunch of unionized employees standing around doing jack squat, even though a line is forming at the only check out open. Most people are too polite to say anything, but I go Sergeant-Major on them at the drop of a hat, and then they all start scurrying.

[TheReal_ND]

I tend not to make a fuss but my grandmother swore by that method for service and my grandfather could confirm. Basicaly the only fuss I make is at the vibrant lady walking in to the front of the line ahead of everybody trying to run scams on the teller because she knows she can get away with it while we're jammed up. Not so vibrant lady, not so. Not on my watch.