[url]https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/01/business/china-possible-trade-talks-us-tariffs-intl-hnk[/url]
[b]China says it’s evaluating possible trade talks with the US[/b]
[img]https://y.yarn.co/59aea8ff-65dc-4890-b130-e31210474e42_text.gif[/img]
Printable View
[url]https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/01/business/china-possible-trade-talks-us-tariffs-intl-hnk[/url]
[b]China says it’s evaluating possible trade talks with the US[/b]
[img]https://y.yarn.co/59aea8ff-65dc-4890-b130-e31210474e42_text.gif[/img]
Market looking fan-f*cking-tastic this morning
Loss mitigation hedge funds be eating well right now, which is a bad sign for investors.
[img]https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/05/08/08/98163205-14690473-image-a-1_1746687725364.jpg[/img]
....
[video=youtube;Fz3sZiVAO0k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz3sZiVAO0k[/video]
[url]https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/12/investing/stock-market-dow-trade-deal-china[/url]
[b]Dow set to soar 1,000 points after Trump team dramatically lowers tariffs with China[/b]
[img]https://c.tenor.com/V6YQgPbcw_EAAAAd/tenor.gif[/img]
[b]Stock market futures soar after U.S. and China suspend tariffs for 90 days[/b]
The U.S. reduced its levies on Chinese imports to 30% from as high as 145%, while China cut its tariffs on American goods to 10% from 125%. The deal followed a meeting in Switzerland this weekend involving U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Administrator Jamieson Greer and Chinese negotiators.
S&P 500 futures were up 179 points, or 3.2%, as of 7:15 a.m. EST, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures soared more than 1,000 points, or 2.5%, and Nasdaq Composite futures jumped 822 points, or 4%.
"While the lower tariffs are technically only in place for 90 days, and 30% is still quite large on an absolute basis, the news is clearly an upside positive surprise," equities analyst Adam Crisafulli, head of Vital Knowledge, told investors in a research note.
Bessent said the temporary reductions would effectively reduce the level of U.S. tariffs still in place on Chinese goods to about 30%, while China was reducing its levies on American imports to 10%.
Global stock markets also rose on news of the U.S. and China de-escalating the trade conflict, if only temporarily. Hong Kong surged 3%, Germany's DAX gained 1%, France's CAC 40 in Paris added 0.8% and Britain's FTSE 100 ticked up 0.1% higher.
Despite the signs of progress in easing tensions between the world's two largest economies, some market analysts warned that the road ahead remains uncertain.
[url]https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stock-market-futures-us-china-tariffs-dow-s-p-nasdaq/[/url]
"Stocks soaring this morning on China trade deal news. Hope you bought the dip! S&P up nearly 1000 points in a month. At minimum I hope you didn’t listen to the left wing morons trying to terrify you into selling. I tried to tell you.
[url]https://x.com/ClayTravis/status/1921921957378826270?s=19[/url]
[QUOTE=Hey Yo;15003925]"Stocks soaring this morning on China trade deal news. Hope you bought the dip! S&P up nearly 1000 points in a month. At minimum I hope you didn’t listen to the left wing morons trying to terrify you into selling. I tried to tell you.
[url]https://x.com/ClayTravis/status/1921921957378826270?s=19[/url][/QUOTE]
The leftist morons don't own any stocks so they scare you to sell to just be like them.
The market will be down on Monday.
[url]https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4ge0xk4ld1o[/url]
[b]Moody's downgrades US credit rating citing rising debt[/b]
[quote]The US has lost its last triple-A credit score from a major ratings firm after being downgraded by Moody's, which cited growing federal debt over the past decade.
In lowering the US rating to 'Aa1', Moody's noted that successive US administrations had failed to reverse ballooning deficits and interest costs.
A triple-A rating signifies a country's highest possible credit reliability, and indicates it is considered to be in very good financial health with a strong capacity to repay its debts.
Moody's warned in 2023 the US triple-A rating was at risk. Fitch Ratings downgraded the US in 2023 and S&P Global Ratings did so in 2011.[/quote]
Growing Federal Debt is a problem? Who would've ever thought?
[video=youtube;p8LEKGMNvQ8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8LEKGMNvQ8[/video]
I thought the National Debt was just money that we owe to ourselves. smh.
[QUOTE=Doomsday Dallas;15005854]I thought the National Debt was just money that we owe to ourselves. smh.[/QUOTE]
Did you read that? The US had a "perfect" credit rating according to them. Highest possible rating, in great financial health. Now it's AA1, or next to perfect.
And yes, most of our debt is domestic. We didn't borrow $4 trillion from China to pay for covid. The FED just printed it. But when you do that you lose standing in the world. However during covid almost everyone else did worse than the US. That's why we were still AAA until now.
[QUOTE=Bill Gates;15005955]Did you read that? The US had a "perfect" credit rating according to them. Highest possible rating, in great financial health. Now it's AA1, or next to perfect.
And yes, most of our debt is domestic. We didn't borrow $4 trillion from China to pay for covid. The FED just printed it. But when you do that you lose standing in the world. However during covid almost everyone else did worse than the US. That's why we were still AAA until now.[/QUOTE]
When you print $4 trillion out of thin air you create inflation.
When your debt to GDP ration has been over 100% the past decade... you are living beyond your means.
It's an unsustainable system that constantly has to raise the debt ceiling... and it's also the reason why the price of Gold is skyrocketing (as Ron Paul always suggested it would).
[img]https://goldbroker.com/media/image/cms/media/quelle-performance-pour-or-2025-apres-30-pourcent/Goldprice_2024.png[/img]
Either way the market should take a hit on Monday.
You should have known it was a bubble when people were investing in meme coins and they were saying the wnba was profitable.
[QUOTE=Bill Gates;15005955]And yes, most of our debt is domestic. We didn't borrow $4 trillion from China to pay for covid. The FED just printed it. But when you do that you lose standing in the world. However during covid almost everyone else did worse than the US.[/QUOTE]
[video=youtube;9lx9YUxMEq4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lx9YUxMEq4[/video]
[QUOTE=Doomsday Dallas;15008905][video=youtube;9lx9YUxMEq4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lx9YUxMEq4[/video][/QUOTE]
yes that was my point.
You said:
[I]"I thought the National Debt was just money that we owe to ourselves. smh."[/I]
It IS. The Fed supposedly "lends" us $4 trillion, and now we are $4 Trillion more in debt. The thing is, the Fed isn't looking to collect that $4 Trillion. It's a fake debt, not real. The only part of the National Debt we need to care about is the foreign debt.
The US is in financial trouble. It is not only the $36-37 trillion but the trillions in OBLIGATIONS (Social Security, Medicare, Federal pensions, etc.) that is owed. Part of that $36-37 trillion is due (short-term) and has to be re-financed. When the US is downgraded (I believe this is the 3rd major indicator that has been downgraded), it signals that investors are not as confident that the US government can pony up and so require a HIGHER rate to buy/re-finance bonds. The more debt, the higher rate is needed and it becomes a spiral.
I believe the government will NOMINALLY "meet" it's obligations - but what those (inflated) dollars will be WORTH - lol - that's something else. Politicians (whether repubs or dems) want to get re-elected - which means no cutting back/austerity (which is what is NEEDED). They all are after the most for their constituents - the debt be damned - with no regard to what the dollar is worth or its status as world's reserve currency.
They need to go to zero-based budgeting - EVERY YEAR, start at ZERO and JUSTIFY spending - not using PREVIOUS budgets (inflated because of COVID spending eg. Medicaid) as starting point.
[video=youtube;x1FW36keZJw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1FW36keZJw[/video]
[img]https://c.tenor.com/aokDzMQ1VQAAAAAd/tenor.gif[/img]
[QUOTE=Bill Gates;15008927]The Fed supposedly "lends" us $4 trillion, and now we are $4 Trillion more in debt. The thing is, the Fed isn't looking to collect that $4 Trillion. It's a fake debt, not real. The only part of the National Debt we need to care about is the foreign debt.[/QUOTE]
[img]https://c.tenor.com/vS8Ui1_qIQUAAAAd/tenor.gif[/img]
[video=youtube;rwr2cRlEVDk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwr2cRlEVDk[/video]
[video=youtube;gsGwYyBx2VA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsGwYyBx2VA[/video]
[video=youtube;aO_bqemwzaA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO_bqemwzaA[/video]
[QUOTE=Off the Court;14984089][IMG]https://media1.tenor.com/m/yvRatrfzWegAAAAd/homer-bush.gif[/IMG]
Where are all the MAGA posters?[/QUOTE]
Where all the anti-Trump posters?
[IMG]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9e/9f/dd/9e9fdd1ebe593f3adf24b829a0f5a989.gif[/IMG]
Off The Court?
TheMan?
HIGHwhey?
Bill Gates?
[img]https://c.tenor.com/Sin0DOO2uMcAAAAd/tenor.gif[/img]
[IMG]https://i.postimg.cc/FzzWFMKJ/image.png[/IMG]
WINNING!
I highly recommend the series The Great Melt Up (4 episodes) which explains why/how the government will continue to inflate away because of the debt:
[video=youtube;4NYZRRyuXvk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NYZRRyuXvk[/video]
[video=youtube;QdVjyeV0Mg0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdVjyeV0Mg0[/video]
People have been fear mongering over the US Debt for decades but they don't understand it. As long as the economy grows at a faster rate than the interest, we are fine. Most of the National Debt is debt that we owe ourselves. Interest payments aren't a problem, or the FED would lower interest rates. And the FED can lower all the way to 0%. If interest rates were an issue? We would just print the money to pay for it.
Literally the only thing to fear is inflation, that the US prints so much it devalues it all. But currently the US Dollar is outpacing other currencies who are all printing up just like us. Every country in the world uses fiat, and they use fiat because Governments can easily print their way out of problems. If countries ran on just gold? Or just BTC all by itself? They would be completely screwed whenever an expensive disaster shows up. Because you can't just print those things up and pay your way out of it.
[QUOTE=Bill Gates;15019811][video=youtube;QdVjyeV0Mg0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdVjyeV0Mg0[/video]
[/QUOTE]
Video is 7 years old, before Covid hit, Buffett says “unless we do something stupid”
Printing 8 Trillion dollars to fight COVID qualifies as something stupid.
Let’s see what other X-Factors get thrown our way that we can print money for the solution and run up our national credit card. Right now we are vulnerable.
Also… what kind of national debt does Russia have? Why are they being conservative with their debt?
Secondly…. The cost of living has made it more difficult for Gen Z to live the way Gen X did. We’re in a steady decline…. And Generation Alpha will have it that much worse. The upper class homeowners don’t notice, but middle class folks that pay rent, living paycheck to paycheck feel it. You have 30 & 40 year olds moving back home with their parents, cause you need $75k to live comfortably… what kind of savings are these people accumulating? Nothing.
Who are liberals trying to help? The upper class? Excessive Spending does nothing to help the lower class.
It doesn't matter what Russia is doing. Currently there is no viable alternative to the US Dollar's Reserve Status. It's safe for the foreseeable future. The closest things would be the Euro and Yen, both of which have lost ground the Dollar. The covid crisis actually did wonders for the US Dollar as almost every other country faired much worse than the US did.
Honestly, Russia would probably have a lot more growth if they decided to spend like the US and create jobs for themselves. You can not CREATE anything without spending. Russia actually tried to create it's own silicon valley there, and the Government spent a few Billion trying. Because they are now seeing you have to do that to keep up.
And liberals are not in charge, conservatives are.
[QUOTE=Bill Gates;15019844]
And liberals are not in charge, conservatives are.[/QUOTE]
No, liberals today are ignoring all the good things Bill Clinton did and he was very mindful of the National Debt.
You would ideally want to have about a 60% Debt to GDP ratio… we’ve been over a 100% for a decade. It was only that high during WW2.
Yes, it would be nice to have the Government pay off your student loans, provide free health care, unlimited welfare, and bailout every big corporation that fails… but it’s only kicking the can further down the road for somebody to pay the bill (future generations).
Wages do not keep up with inflation, basic necessities like food, energy, insurance and rent are not allowing Gen Z to be self sufficient.
Do you really think the trend wont continue for Gen Alpha & Beta? It will only be that much worse until there is a solution for affordable housing.
Gen X is living off the inheritances of Baby Boomers and Credit Cards… once that money is taxed and gone, it’s quite possible we will see a Great Depression… especially if we have another COVID like X-Factor that forces us to print another 10 trillion.
It’s all a big bubble waiting to pop. Commercial Real Estate will be a big part of that bubble.
[QUOTE=Doomsday Dallas;15019906]
Yes, it would be nice to have the Government pay off your student loans, provide free health care, unlimited welfare, and bailout every big corporation that fails… [B]but it’s only kicking the can further down the road for somebody to pay the bill (future generations). [/B]
[/QUOTE]
No one has to pay the bill. That is the flaw in your understanding. We can "kick the can" forever.
The interest payments are it, and again, right now that is not an issue. If it was an issue? The FED would lower interest rates. But we can afford it right now. They can make interest 0% if they wanted.
Debt to GDP ratio doesn't matter nearly as much as Interest to GDP. And we are in control of interest rates.
You brought up college loans. Payments on those were actually turned off during covid. That is because our Gov can do that. It's different than a personal loan from a bank. The FED loans don't need to be paid off at all.
This is why Warren Buffett said it would have to be a monster mishap.
[QUOTE=Bill Gates;15019811][video=youtube;QdVjyeV0Mg0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdVjyeV0Mg0[/video]
People have been fear mongering over the US Debt for decades but they don't understand it. As long as the economy grows at a faster rate than the interest, we are fine. Most of the National Debt is debt that we owe ourselves. Interest payments aren't a problem, or the FED would lower interest rates. And the FED can lower all the way to 0%. If interest rates were an issue? We would just print the money to pay for it.
Literally the only thing to fear is inflation, that the US prints so much it devalues it all. But currently the US Dollar is outpacing other currencies who are all printing up just like us. Every country in the world uses fiat, and they use fiat because Governments can easily print their way out of problems. If countries ran on just gold? Or just BTC all by itself? They would be completely screwed whenever an expensive disaster shows up. Because you can't just print those things up and pay your way out of it.[/QUOTE]
This video is even more than 7 years old - it's from the [B][U]2013[/U][/B] Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit (12 years ago) - lol. US debt was 13.7 trillion dollars back in 2013 - it has 2 1/4 times since (over $37 trillion).
The government will inflate the dollar as it is not politically palatable to reduce spending. IOW, INVEST (in stocks, real estate, gold, silver or bitcoin if you prefer) to keep up.
[QUOTE=Bill Gates;15019911]No one has to pay the bill. That is the flaw in your understanding. We can "kick the can" forever.
The interest payments are it, and again, right now that is not an issue. If it was an issue? The FED would lower interest rates. But we can afford it right now. They can make interest 0% if they wanted.
Debt to GDP ratio doesn't matter nearly as much as Interest to GDP. And we are in control of interest rates.
You brought up college loans. Payments on those were actually turned off during covid. That is because our Gov can do that. It's different than a personal loan from a bank. The FED loans don't need to be paid off at all.
This is why Warren Buffett said it would have to be a monster mishap.[/QUOTE]
I just smh at your reasoning. You think the Fed can just willy-nilly lower interest rates? If they lower interest rates, there is the threat of inflation and WHO is going to buy treasury bills at LOWER interest rate when they are now doubting that the US government is good for repayment because of this tremendous debt?
[QUOTE=rmt;15019917]I just smh at your reasoning. You think the Fed can just willy-nilly lower interest rates? If they lower interest rates, there is the threat of inflation and WHO is going to buy treasury bills at LOWER interest rate when they are now doubting that the US government is good for repayment because of this tremendous debt?[/QUOTE]
I said earlier that inflation is literally the only real thing to fear here -
[QUOTE]Literally the only thing to fear is inflation, that the US prints so much it devalues it all. But currently the US Dollar is outpacing other currencies who are all printing up just like us. Every country in the world uses fiat, and they use fiat because Governments can easily print their way out of problems. If countries ran on just gold? Or just BTC all by itself? They would be completely screwed whenever an expensive disaster shows up. Because you can't just print those things up and pay your way out of it.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Bill Gates;15019911]No one has to pay the bill. That is the flaw in your understanding. We can "kick the can" forever.[/QUOTE]
Inflation pays the bill. That's kicking the can down the road.... Wages don't keep up with inflation.
Your average 18-22 year old cannot just pack their things and leave the nest to go live comfortably in a one bedroom apartment like they could in the year 1999.
after rent, food, utilities, and transportation bills are paid there's nothing left to spend.
Granted that it's not 3rd World Conditions.... But society should want things to be more affordable for their children and it's the exact opposite.
[video=youtube;W5Av4CetH_w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Av4CetH_w[/video]
[video=youtube;F9OdwxJt54k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9OdwxJt54k[/video]
[video=youtube;G1GyJxiUevA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1GyJxiUevA[/video]
Stock market near an all-time high
:applause: