patrick.net

RWSGFY says

"That's what I hope occurs, and also more freedom of people to move between Europe and North America if they wish, if they wish to work in Europe or wish to work in America, they should be allowed to do so, in my view. So that has certainly been my advice to the president," Musk added.

Cool. Then they can take care of their own security. More of a money saver on military for us. No issue dropping the new tariffs if they drop theirs. They'd be the loser in this outcome but whatever. Outside of car sales I cannot remember the last time I thought to buy a European made product.

RWSGFY says

"I hope it is agreed that both Europe and the United States should move, ideally, in my view, to a zero tariff situation, effectively creating a free trade zone between Europe and North America,"

No problem there, since Europe has similar labor and environmental laws - no phony comparative advantage due to slave labor and lax pollution enforcement. But also with the caveat that Europe reimburses the US for any military bases and related costs or take full responsibility for their security.

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1909110195302899812

HeadSet says

with the caveat that Europe reimburses the US for any military bases and related costs or take full responsibility for their security

Fun fact: Europe tried to establish their own defense alliance called WUDO back in 1948. The US insisted on creating NATO where it would dominate by design and rolling WUDO into it. So they probably would have no problem going back to the original idea, especially after witnessing the USA's feebleness wrt even mild stuff like providing permission to hit an aggressor across the border with US-provided weapons. No point in hiring a gunslinger who might have second thoughts wrt showing up for the fight.

PS. They might also charge the US for 20 years of participating in the Afghanistan campaign - the only rime Article 5 of NATO was ever used. And that was definitely not their war.

Eric Holder says

Fun fact: Europe tried to establish their own defense alliance called WUDO back in 1948.

Get serious. In 1948. without the US and the US atomic capability, the Red Army would have easily taken Europe.

Eric Holder says

Fun fact: Europe tried to establish their own defense alliance called WUDO back in 1948.

They had 3 operations, the only two worth a damn was where US B-29s pretended to be Soviet Aggressors.

Without US financial and military support, including all the dumped WW2 surplus, it was a joke. The French are still pissed we didn't subsidize their colonial efforts on top of most of their entire military logistics and much of their economy back in Western Europe in the 40s and 50s.
Eric Holder says

PS. They might also charge the US for 20 years of participating in the Afghanistan campaign - the only rime Article 5 of NATO was ever used. And that was definitely not their war.

Oh no, the battalion of infantry or the company of medics expense... much of that load being logistical and borne by the USA. For a year or two before they left. Piddling compared to the massive investment in Military and especially nuclear umbrella over Europe since 1945 by the USA.

We made sure they remain weak and dependent because it suited our "keep the USA in, USSR out and Germany down" policy. I'm pretty sure absent NATO WUDO would be pretty viable long term. And Germany would be nuclear-armed.

Put whatever monetary cost on it, but they did go to war for us and spilled their blood defending the US interests.Blood >> treasure.

PS. And while we at "who ever did what for us" Ukraine has provider the third largest contingent in the coalition forces during Iraq war and did lost men in action.

RWSGFY says

Put whatever monetary cost on it, but they did go to war for us and spilled their blood defending the US interests.Blood >> treasure.

I'm sorry, a company of Belgian Nurses offering free Gynecology exams for Kabul Women for a year or two is not the equivalent of tens of billions/year in nuclear umbrella and military deployment costs in Europe for 50 years.

AmericanKulak says

tens of billions/year in nuclear umbrella and military deployment costs in Europe for 50 years.

Already discussed above: the setup was foisted on them after they tried to create their own defense block.

PS. And then "the end of history" arrived and everybody became stupid: the US started cozying up to the KGB fucks, looking for "soul in their eyes", engaging in "resets" and deep talks about "global warming" and disarming their neighbors while Yurp basically decided there is no need for defense from there on (ignoring Poles and Balts who were warning them the sheep on the East is still the same wolf wearing sheep's skin, but what do they know?).

Eric Holder says

Already discussed above: the setup was foisted on them after they tried to create their own defense block.

No, the US wanted a say because it knew it was on the hook anyway for the defense of Europe, especially in 1948 given the END OF THE SOVIET UNION and the poor performance of the Russian Army.

The Cold War is over! Now the Europeans can have their own Block. Why don't they want it now that it's easier?

You're right, it's time for us to go - now, not then.

AmericanKulak says

it knew it was on the hook anyway for the defense of Europe, especially in 1948 given the END OF THE SOVIET UNION and the poor performance of the Russian Army.

This is a weird sentence I'm not sure I follow. 1948 and headfake known as "the end of USSR" are 45 years apart.

Anyway, nobody forced the US to want to dominate Yurp. Apparently it was deemed beneficial to do so.

https://x.com/UveBeenNudged/status/1895253405192618249

Eric Holder says

Anyway, nobody forced the US to want to dominate Yurp. Apparently it was deemed beneficial to do so.

80 years later, it is less beneficial to do so.

Especially after seeing how pathetic and impotent the Russian military's performance has been in Ukraine!

https://x.com/OwenSparks/status/1910842722597863760

Tesla’s profits have plummeted to a five year low ...

The electric car company’s net income slumped by 71pc to $409m (£307m) in the three months to the end of March, marking its least profitable quarter since 2020.

Sales came in at $19.3bn, down 9pc and well below market estimates.

The company warned: “Uncertainty in the automotive and energy markets continues to increase as rapidly evolving trade policy adversely impacts the global supply chain and cost structure of Tesla and our peers.”
...

Tesla also admitted that “changing political sentiment” was damaging sales. Deliveries of its vehicles fell 13pc in the first three months of the year, Tesla reported earlier in April.

The company warned that the twin impact of tariffs and boycotts “could have a meaningful impact on demand for our products in the near-term.”
...

The results came hours after Scott Bessent, the US Treasury Secretary, said that America’s trade war with China was not sustainable...

The admission is a sign that officials are growing wary of the economic cost of Mr Trump’s aggressive trade war, which has prompted a sell-off of US stocks, debt and the dollar.
....
The car company’s stock is still down 40pc on record levels it achieved in December in the wake of Mr Trump’s White House victory.

The US can wait out China, which is facing the greatest demographic collapse since the Black Plague.

stereotomy says

The US can wait out China, which is facing the greatest demographic collapse since the Black Plague.

Yes, and it's interesting to watch how the CCP handles girlbosses.

The banning of transferring housing or part of the equity to the ex-wife, that was purchased FOR the couple by the Groom's Parents is hilarious. There are some great compendiums of angry 30-something Dragon ladies who are having their divorce strategy negated over on Youtube. It really should be the law in the US that the primary mortgage payer keeps the house.

AmericanKulak says

It really should be the law in the US that the primary mortgage payer keeps the house.

How do you determine that if the initial equity put down was from the partner? Then the role of the bread winner and the role of the other? Does one allow the other to make more and raise the family?

I've admitted I'm roughly a stay at home dad now with part time work. My son starts driving this year. Who's gonna do that? A 3rd party costs money. I'm gonna have to get his hours. It will ultimately be in the car he'll drive.

I've got $300k invested at least in two homes at this point. I don't care if she's the breadwinner or pays the mortgage. I made it happen. Mind you this is a 25 year relationship. I get your point if you were just a stay at home wife for 25 years. Every situation is different though. God forbid anything went south, I'd be owed that money. I had a career and had to sacrifice it. That's value I lost because of her.

Marriage is tricky. It's not black and white. Every situation is different. My wife couldn't have even paid our current mortgage without my early years income. Me buying our house. She'll be the primary mortgage payer on the new build, but that doesn't happen without me on many provable levels.

All is good, but I'm always in protection mode. You have to be in any relationship, long or short term. Attorney for a father, so that's just the way I am.

stereotomy says

The US can wait out China, which is facing the greatest demographic collapse since the Black Plague.

Waiting out is not what Americans are good at.

As of yesterday Tesla have been renamed to Misla.

RWSGFY says

As of yesterday Tesla have been renamed to Misla.

Stock doing fine today though.

Not a shock that car deliveries were down considerably in Q1 when Tesla closed down the production line for the world’s best selling car at all 4 of their factories to retool for the new Model Y Juniper.

Energy storage was up big in Q1 and is making nearly 25% of their profits now.

socal2 says

RWSGFY says

As of yesterday Tesla have been renamed to Misla.

Stock doing fine today

Minute gyrations and all that.

But: -30% YTD.

All caused by a minor facelift of one model in a lineup. 🤡

Musk needs to get the fuck out of the DOGE. The thing is a complete clown show anyway.

RWSGFY says

All caused by a minor facelift of one model in a lineup. 🤡

Uh no - it is because Tesla has cars that can drive all by themselves and no other US competitor is even remotely close to what Tesla has already achieved in useful autonomy. Huge revenue potential to license to other OEMs and robotaxis.

I have personally driven over 4,000 miles using FSD this year alone and it is absolutely a game changer.

socal2 says

RWSGFY says

All caused by a minor facelift of one model in a lineup. 🤡

Uh no - it is because Tesla has cars that can drive all by themselves and no other US competitor is even remotely close to what Tesla has already achieved in useful autonomy

Wait, the stock's 30% YTD plunge was caused by autonomy, not Y facelift as every pundit seems to suggest?

Energy is but a side hustle. And they are still dependent on climate and EV credits. Which might go away sooner rather than later.

https://x.com/Sadie_NC/status/1916600016644252103

https://x.com/MarioNawfal/status/1917087700986781825

Twitter sill censoring.

I saw:

https://x.com/BLKMDL3/status/1922796132423577971

LA has gone to crap.

My house got robbed a couple weeks ago a few blocks from here. They took EVERYTHING. All family heirlooms, jewelry and the entire safe.

Totally organized crime, two cars with multiple guys waited until I left. It’s an epidemic. We’re #5 on the block alone to get hit.

I tried to post:

Vote to import the 3rd world, get the 3rd world.

The answer is mass deportation of all illegal aliens asap.

But got "Your content is invalid." Tried several times.

As a TSLA shareholder, I don't need Elon constantly tied to the hip to the Trump Administration and in the news everyday like we have seen the last 3 months. Elon has major companies to run including another Starship launch attempt this week with SpaceX, Tesla launching RoboTaxi in Austin next month and God knows what kind of Trillions in revenue this thing is going to pull in over the coming decades?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DicNKZyCnJc

RWSGFY says

Musk was included in the Saudi trip last week, speaking in a Q and A forum. Don’t believe opinion articles disguised as news from the UK Independent.

The anonymous source quoted above (“GOP insider” ) sounds like an easily offended Democrat.

”He’s finished, done, gone. He polls terribly. People hate him,” an anonymous GOP operative told Politico. “He’d go to Wisconsin thinking he can buy people’s votes, wear the cheese hat, act like a 9-year-old. ... It doesn’t work. It’s offensive to people.”

socal2 says

As a TSLA shareholder, I don't need Elon constantly tied to the hip to the Trump Administration and in the news everyday like we have seen the last 3 months.

See this doesn't make sense to me. Trump and Elon are polar opposites. Drill baby drill and Electric is the future. Both opinions require each other. Musk realizes this as if there's a heat wave, his cars won't be able to get charged. It's a strategic plan by both.

We have to have natural gas power to keep the network going. If his cars don't charge it's an automatic 5% drop or more stock price. Musk needs Trump more than he needs him. So do you or your car doesn't run with a 2-3 day outage. They're coming. Look at Spain, larger than CA. You guys have fires and brownouts. Musk wants Trump to drill. Lower gas prices and more reliability on the network for EV's. You want Musk and Trump to like each other.

socal2 says

As a TSLA shareholder, I don't need Elon constantly tied to the hip to the Trump Administration and in the news everyday like we have seen the last 3 months. Elon has major companies to run

Same. I could live with it if he was at least effective at DOGE, but he has proven to be a total stupid cunt there. He has no relevant expertise and failed to hire a competent help.

RWSGFY says

He has no relevant expertise and failed to hire a competent help.

And you think other government workers could do it? Honest question. They get the job for pension and benefits and have no clue what they're doing.