Notices by Sherri W (SyntaxSeed) (syntaxseed@phpc.social)

I saw a post where a small business owner was quoted as saying “We’ve effectively been told to cease U.S. operations entirely.” - yes, that’s *exactly* what this is.

That’s something lots of American folks don’t seem to understand about tariffs and what they are for:

You’re not expected to pay them.

You’re expected to be unwilling or unable to buy foreign-made things anymore.

1/x

#tariffs #UsPolitics #Politics #trade

(Credit to my colleague Jeff S. for this post.)

See, the “punishment” that Trump is inflicting on China is not making them pay for their goods to be exported to America (they don’t pay, American importers do) - it’s reducing their sales to America by making buyers stop buying. (Because even the American importers can’t pay these fees.)

So you’re not supposed to be able to buy electronics, or board games, or toys for your kids, or kitchen utensils or whatever else normally comes from Chinese companies that make them.

2/x

#tariffs #politics

I’m not going to weigh in on whether a trade war is a good idea or not - but your President didn't explain a big part about a trade war to the people that elected him when he was running on that promise: that you will be effectively forced into austerity measures similar to those in a real war in exchange for putting pressure on other people.

3/x

#tariffs #politics

It hasn’t gone far enough for consumers to feel it yet. But companies are folding. Some going bankrupt, some shuttering before they go bankrupt and abandoning stock in China, some ceasing U.S. sales and pivoting their marketing strategies to try to sell more elsewhere in the world. The biggest are battening down the hatches and storing stock in warehouses offshore waiting for sanity to return. For consumers, things won’t just get expensive - a lot of things just won’t be available anymore.

4/x

Some Americans may be happy about this - “good, let’s start making stuff in America” - but until some things can be made domestically you will go without. Other things will never be made in America, and you will go without. Some of those won’t come back after the trade war is over, because the companies that own them will be long gone.

5/x

#tariffs #politics

So I *did* end up getting a new #keyboard (Keychron K1 QMK - low profile, red switches).

And I'm pretty happy with the layout and feel. Jumped through hoops to get the basic Launcher web app to connect on #Ubuntu, but for the life of me I can't get VIA to connect. Pretty bummed that it seems like I won't be doing much in the way of customizing. Tried all the advice I could find on Reddit and elsewhere.

#Keychron

To be honest, as a #Ubuntu user for nearly 2 decades, and someone who's always vowed that I would set my kids up on #Linux for their first computers, to build a foundation of open source OS familiarity and give them the maximum freedom and choices for their future computer lives.... I'm really losing my will to do that.

Nothing f*cking works on Linux. And I say this as someone who's using what's supposed to be the most user friendly distro. And I'm just darn tired of wrestling with my PC.

@aral Thanks Aral! We are planning a possible vacation to France this summer (my husband was born there). It will be the kids & my first trip overseas! 😊

I'm sure we aren't alone when I say my husband & I feel like we've aged 10 years in the last month. Went from feeling content & dealing with run-of-the-mill parenting & midlife challenges; to having existential fears. Planning to refresh my husband's France citizenship & look into getting it for the kids. Wondering if we should get a gun licence or take other drastic security measures. We live close to the border with the US and it's always been a blessing. Now it's a fear.

#Politics #CdnPoli

For comparison this is one (1) cocaine seizure coming into Canada from the USA: 835 kg = 1840 lbs.

From a single seizure. One.

#Politics #CdnPoli #Tariffs #Fentanyl

We see your (non-existent) #fentanyl & raise you #guns.

#Politics #CdnPoli #tariffs

Friend's meme coping strategy isn't pulling any punches today. 😳

#politics #USPoli #CdnPoli #tariffs #literacy

A friend of mine's coping strategy is by making infographics. 😳

#CdnPoli #Politics #Fentanyl #tariffs

@pluralistic OMG this bit here is NUTS!! 😱🤬

I'm going to share this story everywhere.

Found the word of the day.

Demagogue.

What I can't figure out.... is who collects, remits & enforces #tariffs ?

With a tax... the seller does. But Canada won't be adding this to our US-bound invoices. Are American buyers supposed to just be honest & pay it? Is US border patrol stopping physical shipments and charging a fee at the border like with import duty?

Will this spawn a bunch of "under the table" shipping?

How does the accounting around this just spring up over night? 🤔

#UsPoli #Politics #CdnPoli

@bobjonkman @meganL @EricLawton

The problem is that a lot of people see "government funded" as the opposite of independent. Like if the feds pay all your bills, can you truely criticise them?

Maybe a more diversified funding model spreads that risk.

Public #media gets a lot of hate in #Canada.... but I definitely get more than $33/y of value from the #CBC.

And funding has been squeezing for years so we're probably even lower now.

Can't think of much else that is this efficient tbh.

#CdnPoli

People (looking at you women) don't talk enough about what a load it is to be the person primarily responsible for making dinner for the family.

- It has to be nutritious, varied & affordable.
- You have to pre-plan it to some degree - moreso if there's elements to defrost.
- Any pre-cooking prep.
- The actual cooking work.
- Adding used ingredients to the shopping list.
- Tidy & serve.
- Deal with people's (kids') reactions.

It's the most onerous part of my day.

#parenting #life #cooking

If you aren't the spouse who cooks you are both very lucky & better darn well be doing the dishes.

I know I know, people exist who *like* cooking. These people are blessed & I'm very jealous of them. 😆