Politics Japan and Trump 2.0

[Mikawa Ossan]

China, Japan, South Korea to bolster trade ties

The three nations announced on Sunday that they have agreed to accelerate negotiations on their trilateral free trade agreement and enhance cooperation in supply chain management and export controls, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.

asianews.network

If the US continues to treat allies no different or even worse than rivals, then you can expect to see more of these types of agreements.

 

[Ukigumo]

No elections have been canceled.

Even his opponents have agreed that now is not the time.

**

I mean really--how could you not more directly say that you're pro-trump and wholly swallowing fox news?

Yes, you're correct. Most countries, if not all, have a clause in their election rules that says that during conflict, elections are cancelled lest they be caught with their pants down by the enemy, so to speak. Think of the opportunities to bomb polling stations, to launch attacks on political rallies and while one government is leaving and another is finding their feet etc.

The British war criminal, and prime minister, Winston Churchill cancelled elections during WW2 for this very reason. Have I seen a bronze bust of this terrible murderer somewherevrecently?

 

[Grandpa Frank]

After Biden & Osama running things seemed to be going wrong , Trump sounded like a change in a better direction to voters. The speed he's moving on things now has people a bit worried. I've got to the point I only watch the weather on TV these days , LOL. I do hate discussing politics here on JREF because it always seems like a bloody battle with major wounds of butt hurt feelings

and anger/hatred toward each other. I save all my venting for Facebook where everyone agrees with me or else , LOL.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

After Biden & Osama ...

I assume you meant Obama?

 

[Ukigumo]

I assume you meant Obama?

I was too scared to ask!

 

[Grandpa Frank]

He sure was loved by the tinfoil hat people. To this day they still talk all kinds of conspiracy theory's about him.

 

[mdchachi]

I have lots to say on this topic but thomas has requested that we restrict the discussion to Japan-related matters. So that's what I'm doing.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

I live on Facebook and it's a political war zone of hate & threats. It's just a small step before it could happen on JREF. If I slip , I'll claim early stage dementia. I feel guilty that my middle name is "off topic" too often here. I'm thinking of sending Thomas a remote control for a shock collar .

 

[Ukigumo]

I exited FB a few years ago when Molly Russell committed suicide after viewing disturbing content on the platform. The subsequent inquiry was so sad with the mealy-mouthed representative from Meta denying all responsibility or acceptance for requirements to change. Her father is now campaigning to have laws changed and highlighting the evils of Meta et al.

 

[nice gaijin]

I wonder why those 'victims' don't see this is a potentially fool-hardy move and keep supporting him. What am I missing?

It comes down to media diet. My Trump-loving friends have been posting his list of "reciprocal tariffs" taking his statements at face value or otherwise re-iterating right wing talking points about how America has somehow been taken advantage of by all our allies and trading partners, so it's time to throw it all out the the window. Of course, when you start looking into things, none of it makes any sense, but if you don't bother looking into anything it probably sounds like bold, decisive action.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/03/economy/reciprocal-tariff-math/index.html?

My dad gets all his news from people on Telegram, which means he's basically mainlining got a constant IV drip of russian propaganda. He has bought into the whole scheme to a disturbing level, and the thoughtful, well-educated man I grew up with has descended into a fountain of volatile, reactionary rhetoric. Every time I go down the rabbit hole trying to find the sources for his posts, I always end up finding russian roots.

Thread 'Kishida Reshuffles Cabinet, sending me down an internet rabbit-hole'

13 Aug 2022

Kishida was promising to reshuffle his cabinet, but it seems to be more of a 3-card monty:

Kishida opts for continuity and stability in new Cabinet

The new lineup is remarkably consistent with that of its predecessor, a government forged under the influence of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

www.japantimes.co.jp

Rather than opt for more sweeping changes to his cabinet, it seems like the recent bad press regarding member ties to the Unification Church has led to swift action but not much change after all. In an effort to emphasize stability and rebound some public support, Kishida's new cabinet is mostly identical to his old one. Although there's been a bit of sweeping up, 5 members remain who have noteworthy connections to...

• nice gaijin
• cabinet fakenews kishida
• Replies: 2
• Forum: Japanese News & Hot Topics

• 
• 

If anyone here is in favor of these tariffs, I would like to hear some predictions for how you think they will play out if they all go into effect. Meanwhile, all of my Japanese clients are very concerned about their investments in entering the US market, and some are redirecting their attention elsewhere

 

[Achilles 1-1]

She didn't do her homework.

View attachment 125151​

The White House press secretary criticised Japan for its high tariff on US rice imports. During a briefing, Karoline Leavitt discussed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium before shifting focus to other countries. She presented a chart highlighting tariff rates, specifically Japan, the European Union, and India. She noted Japan's particularly steep tariffs on US beef, dairy, and rice as examples of trade imbalances. Leavitt stated that President Trump believed in fair trade and argued it was time for a leader who prioritised American businesses and workers. She emphasised that the president was seeking fair and balanced trade practices.

Leavitt failed to mention that Japan has a mandatory tariff-free import quota for US rice. Imports outside this framework are subject to a levy of 341 yen, or roughly 2 dollars, per kilogram.

Sounds pretty fair to me.

White House spokesperson slams Japan for 700% rice tariff | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

The White House press secretary has criticized Japan over a tariff it imposes on US rice imports.

www3.nhk.or.jp

The U.S. says Japan has a 700% tariff on American rice. Is that the case?

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s accusation describes only a small portion of U.S. rice imported by Japan.

www.japantimes.co.jp

Leave it to a blonde to mess things up. She's probably from California too.

 

[Achilles 1-1]

I agree with most of the stuff trump is doing. But we—meaning the American government—need to shut up before we ruin our relationship with Japan.

 

[thomas]

I have lots to say on this topic but thomas has requested that we restrict the discussion to Japan-related matters. So that's what I'm doing.

Don't hold back on my account. The caravan's moved on.

 

[mdchachi]

I agree with most of the stuff trump is doing.

So you agree that:

• it was ok to pardon all the January 6 rioters even the ones who attacked police
• we should target and deport all "illegal" immigrants, even those who are not criminals and those who grew up in the U.S. and do not know their birth country or language
• (speaking of immigrants) it's ok to lie about them and claim they eat pet cats and dogs without any evidence
• it's ok to indiscriminately fire people from government positions without any consideration of the mission of the agency they are working for and the work they are doing
• it's ok to immediately shut down US Aid operations that will cause people to literally die from lack of food, clean water, and health care
• it's ok to remove non-discrimination protections against LGBTQ+ in health care
• it's ok to encourage discrimination against transgender, Muslims and other minorities
• it's ok to ignore U.S. laws including the Constitution
• it's ok to threaten and withhold funding from schools and other institutions because they promote inclusion and diversity
• it's ok to rewrite American history by directing agencies to remove any mention of systemic racism or slavery from educational materials
• it's ok to reduce the size and function of government in order to provide tax breaks for the super rich
• it's ok to reduce/eliminate programs providing essential vaccines to the poorest children
• it's ok to personally attack judges when they rule against you
• it's ok to destroy relationships for both trade and security alliances with our allies
• it's ok to threaten to take the land of sovereign countries such as Canada, Denmark and Panama
• it's ok to hurt both domestic and global economies by indiscriminately imposing tariffs where the overwhelming consensus by economists is that the tariffs risk severe economic harm with minimal strategic upside
• it's ok to end the U.S.'s dominance as a global power and allow Russia and China to become even stronger
• it's ok to use the power of the federal government to threaten and retaliate against law firms that represented Trump's political opponents in the past
• it's ok to appoint people to cabinet-level positions of leadership purely on the basis of loyalty, not ability or experience, such as appointing a journalist to lead the Department of Defense.
  etc

 

[Grandpa Frank]

No clue who or where the info comes from but it does seem a bit unfair in some cases.

 

[mdchachi]

The tariffs were calculated by the trade deficit of each country without regard to mitigating facts, like why there is such a trade deficit. And if there's no trade deficit such as in the case of UK a minimum tariff of 10% is assigned anyway. So for example Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are poor countries that primarily export clothing made by poor people. They can't afford to import much from the U.S. We're not going to magically see a U.S. domestic textile industry appear. Even with these tariffs, we can't produce textiles cheaper. So the end result is that prices will get passed on to the consumer and we'll see less production and trade.

 

[mdchachi]

If there wasn't so much ignorance and gaslighting I probably wouldn't be tearing my hair out. But these people are so dumb. From the top on down. As for the relationship to Japan, just substitute "Japan" for "Belgium" and "India" in his comments.

 

[Lothor]

I was reluctant to start this thread, as most Trump-related discussions we had during his first term went south fast. We cannot ignore the current global mayhem, but I'd like to keep the toxicity and disharmony at the forum to a minimum.

Hence, I'll focus on the Japanese government's reactions to the "reciprocal" tariffs imposed on Japanese goods.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa found surprisingly unambiguous words condemning Mr Trump's 24% tariff on Japan but disclosed no plans for retaliation. At a press conference on the morning of 3 April, he expressed deep regret and urged the U.S. to reconsider, citing concerns over its compliance with WTO and Japan-U.S. trade agreements. He warned the measure could disrupt bilateral economic ties, the global economy, and the multilateral trade system.

Japan lambastes Trump's tariff as 'extremely regrettable' | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Good for Japan. Bullies need to be stood up to. It's interesting being back in the UK for a couple of weeks and listening to the views of another country's people. Despite the historical friendship between the UK and the US, most people are unable to talk about the current Republican government without a look of disgust crossing their face.

 

[Ukigumo]

Good for Japan. Bullies need to be stood up to. It's interesting being back in the UK for a couple of weeks and listening to the views of another country 's people. Despite the historical friendship between the UK and the US, most people are unable to talk about the current Republican government without a look of disgust crossing their face.

Yes, it's not because the Amerucan government is Republican per se; Britain is, afterall, a generally right-leaning country, it's specifically because of Trump/Vance et al. Narcissism and egocentricism are traits most people find objectionable in others...they are certainly my kryptonite and make me walk away from the afflicted...that and if they smell of faeces.

 

[Lothor]

Yes, it's not because the Amerucan government is Republican per se; Britain is, afterall, a generally right-leaning country, it's specifically because of Trump/Vance et al. Narcissism and egocentricism are traits most people find objectionable in others...they are certainly my kryptonite and make me walk away from the afflicted...that and if they smell of faeces.

Yes, just walk away. Both at an individual level and at a geopolitical level. People who share Trump's values are dead to me.

 

[johnnyG]

One oddity to me is that trump, et. al, think that companies previously exporting the the US will somehow move there (en masse?), and do so quickly. Some lightweight businesses may be able to do that in a couple years or so, but not heavy industry like car companies, steel/aluminum producers, and not the highest tech stuff like chip manufacturers--these industries need stability (long term stability), and that's almost the antithesis of trump. He has a horribly simplistic notion of what constitutes an 'american' car.

Trump is mercurial, has the attention span of a potato, and in his first two months has demonstrated how on-again off-again his tariffs are. Who knows if this most recent 'plan' will last a week, three months, or a year? The only thing he has introduced is chaos and uncertainty. Why would any company take a change on that? They were apparently throwing darts about what the tariffs would be up to right before the announcement. And then seem to have used chatGPT to have made a 'plan'.

Most everyone will have their eyes on the midterm elections, and already trump and melonia have been dealt a blow in Wisconsin. And tho their guys won in Florida, the reps there won by a much smaller margin than trump did in those same two districts.

Let this chaos continue for a few months, let the economy continue to crumble, let people see prices go up and their retirement account wither.

Let the R's see their polls numbers fall, and get a glimpse of the control of congress changing hands. And if not then, then when those election results sink in, Trump should then be impeached--again.

 

[Lothor]

One oddity to me is that trump, et. al, think that companies previously exporting the the US will somehow move there (en masse?), and do so quickly. Some lightweight businesses may be able to do that in a couple years or so, but not heavy industry like car companies, steel/aluminum producers, and not the highest tech stuff like chip manufacturers--these industries need stability (long term stability), and that's almost the antithesis of trump. He has a horribly simplistic notion of what constitutes an 'american' car.

Trump is mercurial, has the attention span of a potato, and in his first two months has demonstrated how on-again off-again his tariffs are. Who knows if this most recent 'plan' will last a week, three months, or a year? The only thing he has introduced is chaos and uncertainty. Why would any company take a change on that? They were apparently throwing darts about what the tariffs would be up to right before the announcement. And then seem to have used chatGPT to have made a 'plan'.

Most everyone will have their eyes on the midterm elections, and already trump and melonia have been dealt a blow in Wisconsin. And tho their guys won in Florida, the reps there won by a much smaller margin than trump did in those same two districts.

Let this chaos continue for a few months, let the economy continue to crumble, let people see prices go up and their retirement account wither.

Let the R's see their polls numbers fall, and get a glimpse of the control of congress changing hands. And if not then, then when those election results sink in, Trump should then be impeached--again.

Yes, let the chaos continue. Sometimes countries seem to go through a sickness - Nazi Germany, Brexit-era UK - where they lose all sense of rationality. Eventually, once the people experience for themselves the consequences of their country's actions - then they usually learn. Nobody in Britain celebrates their 'freedom' from the EU these days.

 

[thomas]

Nobody in Britain celebrates their 'freedom' from the EU these days.

But the tariffs seem to be water on the mills of some Brexiteers.

The Daily T: Could Trump’s tariffs finally make Brexit work for Britain?

Jacob Rees-Mogg says the Government would be “incredibly stupid” to impose retaliatory tariffs on the US

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Lothor]

But the tariffs seem to be water on the mills of some Brexiteers.

The Daily T: Could Trump’s tariffs finally make Brexit work for Britain?

Jacob Rees-Mogg says the Government would be “incredibly stupid” to impose retaliatory tariffs on the US

www.telegraph.co.uk

The Brexiteers are keeping quiet these days, with most of the swivel-eyed nutters even distancing themselves from their former friends in the US.

 

[johnnyG]

It's been a few weeks since I read this comment, but with reference to trump's on-again off again tarrifs (canada & mexico), it's like he's playing chicken with them.

Probably from a Canadian, the comment was, "Don't play chicken with a country full of geese."

(if you've ever dealt with an angry goose, you'll know...!)