Elon Musk

[TimeISmoney]

that is liable to go elsewhere , unlike Australia China is growing new markets

look at how all the sanctions on Russia are going , China will be watching , learning and adapting , very likely India as well

goodbye to space supremacy if Russia , China and India team up

Funny you say that because the trade between Russia and China is increasing.

I think America might burn themselves out, 25% of China's exports going to the US, (just a rough guess) at the worst it can drop to around 5%

Trump might start taking more exports from Russia which come from China.

Infographic: China's Most Important Export Partners

This chart shows China's most important export partners in 2023.

www.statista.com

 

[divs4ever]

Russia will trade more with other heavily sanctioned nations ( Cuba , Iran , North Korea as examples )

now China has become a manufacturing power-house and with a billion citizens soon to be an innovation power-house

meanwhile the EU will struggle with rising energy costs , while China gets to use as much energy as it desires as it has plenty of stuff to trade with .

 

[Knobby22]

Funny you say that because the trade between Russia and China is increasing.

I think America might burn themselves out, 25% of China's exports going to the US, (just a rough guess) at the worst it can drop to around 5%

Trump might start taking more exports from Russia which come from China.

Infographic: China's Most Important Export Partners

This chart shows China's most important export partners in 2023.

www.statista.com

View attachment 187874

Russian economy is not much bigger than Australia's.
But yea, if Trump resumes relations with Russia as part of the Ukranian settlement, rebranded Chinese products might become a thing.

 

[TimeISmoney]

Russian economy is not much bigger than Australia's.
But yea, if Trump resumes relations with Russia as part of the Ukranian settlement, rebranded Chinese products might become a thing.

Even if they buy from other countries with a 10% tariff instead of the 60% on Chinese exports, the exports will be made from products that come from China.

I'm sure people will find other ways around the 60% tariffs.

Mexico is most likely going to be pissed at the border laws to stop the aliens and the US trying to prevent Chinese companies from setting up in Mexico. I guess there would be a big cost in moving all that manufacturing to the US and more expensive labour.

Just how much the US can cut out exports by self manufacture is yet to be seen, and if Trump pulls it off he'll be more famous than Roosevelt building the Hoover Dam.

 

[Knobby22]

Even if they buy from other countries with a 10% tariff instead of the 60% on Chinese exports, the exports will be made from products that come from China.

I'm sure people will find other ways around the 60% tariffs.

Mexico is most likely going to be pissed at the border laws to stop the aliens and the US trying to prevent Chinese companies from setting up in Mexico. I guess there would be a big cost in moving all that manufacturing to the US and more expensive labour.

Just how much the US can cut out exports by self manufacture is yet to be seen, and if Trump pulls it off he'll be more famous than Roosevelt building the Hoover Dam.

And let's see if it happens.
Might be some push back from billionaires and companies meaning exceptions start getting made.

 

[JohnDe]

the BIG problem is .. a LOT of spending is not even transparent to Congress over-sight committees

chances are that $38 trillion debt is way under realities as previous governments have plundered money set aside in pension funds and trusts ( and probably stuffed them full of long-term Treasuries )

remember BOTH parties have been at this for decades ( and often pigeon-holed under ' national security ' )

We will have to wait and see.

"Can it all be done?"

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

Thanks for all the posts, very interesting stuff.

I'd just like to add Vivek Ramaswamy . I cannot see him and Elon Musk working well together. There is also no budget for the new department DOGE and no KPI's and a lot of pain in fighting the "deep state". So it's not as simple as it looks on paper.

gg

 

[JohnDe]

Thanks for all the posts, very interesting stuff.

I'd just like to add Vivek Ramaswamy . I cannot see him and Elon Musk working well together. There is also no budget for the new department DOGE and no KPI's and a lot of pain in fighting the "deep state". So it's not as simple as it looks on paper.

gg

There is not a lot of detail, but one thing looks certain, Musk and Ramaswamy will not be in a new department, and they are donating their time. “advice and guidance”

Trump said in his statement that Musk and Ramaswamy will offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems.​

​

It's not clear exactly how the organization will operate. It could come under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which dictates how external groups that advise the government must operate and be accountable to the public.​

 

[mullokintyre]

When he assumed control/ownership Musk dumped 70% of the Twitter parasitic staff.
Its still being run.
One might argue how well it is being run, but it is still going.
obviously there was a bit of dead wood in the company prior to his takeover.
He may just treat the government the same way.
Mick

 

[TimeISmoney]

Thanks for all the posts, very interesting stuff.

I'd just like to add Vivek Ramaswamy . I cannot see him and Elon Musk working well together. There is also no budget for the new department DOGE and no KPI's and a lot of pain in fighting the "deep state". So it's not as simple as it looks on paper.

gg

They'll tighten their belts with the public purse, the poor will always pay like usual and easy targets.

• Trump tapped Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to co-lead a "Department of Government Efficiency."
• The aim of the commission is to cut government spending.
• The US spent $6.75 trillion in fiscal year 2024, with Social Security and health topping the list.

President-elect Donald Trump has announced his picks to help cut government spending. Areas like transportation and education could face heightened scrutiny.
Musk said during a Trump rally before the election that he would identify at least $2 trillion in spending cuts, which would amount to nearly one-third of total government spending, including the mandatory retirement-security programs.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-looking-cut-government-162825787.html

 

[Dona Ferentes]

at Mar-a-Lago , currently the world’s most important and exclusive job fair, Elon Musk has become such a fixture that Trump has given him his own “walk-on song” for the DJ to play when he enters the dining room: David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”

 

[Knobby22]

There is not a lot of detail, but one thing looks certain, Musk and Ramaswamy will not be in a new department, and they are donating their time. “advice and guidance”

Trump said in his statement that Musk and Ramaswamy will offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems.​

​

It's not clear exactly how the organization will operate. It could come under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which dictates how external groups that advise the government must operate and be accountable to the public.​

In Australia we would call it a Razor Gang.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

at Mar-a-Lago , currently the world’s most important and exclusive job fair, Elon Musk has become such a fixture that Trump has given him his own “walk-on song” for the DJ to play when he enters the dining room: David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”

It sounds like a proper freak show.

gg

 

[wayneL]

It sounds like a proper freak show.

gg

Super intelligence is freakish,it's true

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

Super intelligence is freakish,it's true

I would totally agree, except for the locals, the wealthy Floridian hangers on.

I would pay for a ticket ( $50 max ) just to spend an hour sitting in the Trump dining room watching the geniuses and faithful pay homage to The Donald. Although $50 would probably get me only about 5 secs among the worthy. All those arthritic and face lifted Ozempics would be a sight.

gg

 

[IFocus]

When he assumed control/ownership Musk dumped 70% of the Twitter parasitic staff.
Its still being run.
One might argue how well it is being run, but it is still going.
obviously there was a bit of dead wood in the company prior to his takeover.
He may just treat the government the same way.
Mick

Might need to hire a few back again, I bet the other investors that stumped up the money for Musk to buy are wrapped still I think it works for Musks wealth overall.

"A newly released disclosure report from Fidelity’s Blue Chip Growth Fund, which has an equity stake in the social media company, has once again adjusted the value of that holding. And by Fidelity’s calculations, the site is now worth less than 25% of the $44 billion Musk paid for it."

X sees its value drop more than 75% since Elon Musk's takeover

Newly released disclosure report from Fidelity give some insight.

fortune.com