FLBear5630 said:

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Assassin said:

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FLBear5630 said:

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KaiBear said:

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Been through the Canal several times.

It is not worth invading Panama still again.

As the American people and the rest of central and south America will go nuts.

Just build another bigger, better canal where it should have been done the first time.

Nicaragua

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I agree with Kai on this. Build a more modern Canal, build it with resiliency in mind. Not worth invading. The question is where? I prefer working with Mexico. Nicaragua is more Chinese than Panama.

I don't see Trump doing that, he feels we already paid for it/

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The only way he would do it, would be to actually purchase the land, own it and make it part of the USA. Send whomever some kind of payment based on the traffic coming through the canal. Charge?/Tax? the vessels going through to make that payment, it wouldn't affect the US economy negatively.

Also, when we moved the Holiday from Miami to Los Angeles, it took about half a day to go through all the canals/locks/etc. Would be nice to reduce that time. Since Panama is so narrow, using Costa Rica, there is a path around the San Isidro area. But it looks (from the size on a map). Hard to know as the mountains in Central America can be pretty massive.

In Mexico, there is a slightly longer path around the Veracruz area, but possible

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Longer, but more secure and with a neighboring Nation might be a good combo. China already has a foothold going to be tough to remove.

What about north with Canada, which makes Greenland more in play.

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That is another possible route but it can only work at certain times of the year. I sailed out of Alaska for several years, and that was in the summer. Icebergs and calving glaciers were always an issue even then

Now if we can improve man made global warming, that is a possibility...

"Mr. Trump sometimes sounds as if the U.S. shouldn't import anything at all, that America can be a perfectly closed economy making everything at home. This is called autarky, and it isn't the world we live in, or one that we should want to live in, as Mr. Trump may soon find out…

None of this is supposed to happen under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement that Mr. Trump negotiated and signed in his first term. The U.S. willingness to ignore its treaty obligations, even with friends, won't make other countries eager to do deals. Maybe Mr. Trump will claim victory and pull back if he wins some token concessions.

But if a North American trade war persists, it will qualify as one of the dumbest in history."

Ok, MAGA

What the F---? This is what you want???

Come on, I want to hear from the pro-MAGAs that spent the last 2 years making derogatory comments towards anyone that disagreed and preached some restraint.

You think this is good? We are making China look reasonable. Let's hear it, what is the game plan here? Shrink the US economy, decrease our sphere of influence, piss off our neighbors and make Xi look like a better option?

FLBear5630 said:

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Ok, MAGA

What the F---? This is what you want???

Come on, I want to hear from the pro-MAGAs that spent the last 2 years making derogatory comments towards anyone that disagreed and preached some restraint.

You think this is good? We are making China look reasonable. Let's hear it, what is the game plan here? Shrink the US economy, decrease our sphere of influence, piss off our neighbors and make Xi look like a better option?

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Give it time and your financial world will improve. It was only getting worse under Biden, you can't argue that. Something else has to be tried. We were becoming a third world country

Also,I would suggest cutting off MSNBC and CNN. That will help your sanity.

Deleted https://t.co/KlA2fW0oyY

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 1, 2025

boognish_bear said:

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"Mr. Trump sometimes sounds as if the U.S. shouldn't import anything at all, that America can be a perfectly closed economy making everything at home. This is called autarky, and it isn't the world we live in, or one that we should want to live in, as Mr. Trump may soon find out…

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For the record the USA (with Mexico and Canada together) could be a fuctinal autarchy

Probably the only one on earth.

All 3 have enough resources, varying climates-crops, and population to produce everting they would ever need.

Wild to think about….God really has blessed North America

Mexico-USA-Canada is astoundingly in power and resources

Bill Maher Goes Full RFK Jr. in a Scorching Takedown of America’s Failing Healthcare System

Something is not right with how America does health, and Bill Maher just dropped the receipts to prove it.

🧵 THREAD pic.twitter.com/5EbCwOFFfc

— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) February 1, 2025

boognish_bear said:

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JUST IN: 🇻🇪🇺🇸 Venezuela agrees to take back its citizens living illegally in the US after a visit from Trump's special envoy.

Venezuelan President Maduro also called for a "new beginning" in bilateral relations with the United States. pic.twitter.com/TG9kF2aR3H

— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) February 1, 2025

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also this... Grenell posted a picture of himself with six Americans who had been detained in Venezuela.

We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American citizens.

They just spoke to @realDonaldTrump and they couldn’t stop thanking him. pic.twitter.com/sCvCO4HQQv

— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 1, 2025

Us Canadians all have to do our part 🇨🇦
pic.twitter.com/1IjDnU4yR2

— Made In Canada (@MadelnCanada) January 31, 2025

The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups.

They literally never denied a payment in their entire career.

Not even once. https://t.co/kInoGWdw4C

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 1, 2025

Assassin said:

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Bill Maher Goes Full RFK Jr. in a Scorching Takedown of America’s Failing Healthcare System

Something is not right with how America does health, and Bill Maher just dropped the receipts to prove it.

🧵 THREAD pic.twitter.com/5EbCwOFFfc

— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) February 1, 2025

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viva bobby .....

- el kkm

.. and billy!

wow!!!

D!

{ sipping coffee }

go bears!!

FLBear5630 said:

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Ok, MAGA

What the F---? This is what you want???

Come on, I want to hear from the pro-MAGAs that spent the last 2 years making derogatory comments towards anyone that disagreed and preached some restraint.

You think this is good? We are making China look reasonable. Let's hear it, what is the game plan here? Shrink the US economy, decrease our sphere of influence, piss off our neighbors and make Xi look like a better option?

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The USA has very large military-economic sphere of influence.

I doubt a 25% tariff on Canada or Mexico will change that.

(Not to mention Congress might get involved and not even allow it…or one of both of Can-Mex might give in quickly so as to avoid it)

Assassin said:

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FLBear5630 said:

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Ok, MAGA

What the F---? This is what you want???

Come on, I want to hear from the pro-MAGAs that spent the last 2 years making derogatory comments towards anyone that disagreed and preached some restraint.

You think this is good? We are making China look reasonable. Let's hear it, what is the game plan here? Shrink the US economy, decrease our sphere of influence, piss off our neighbors and make Xi look like a better option?

---

Give it time and your financial world will improve. It was only getting worse under Biden, you can't argue that. Something else has to be tried. We were becoming a third world country

Also,I would suggest cutting off MSNBC and CNN. That will help your sanity.

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Yeah, anyone that sees these knee jerk moves as extreme is watching MSNBC? Really, that is your response? I have never watched MSNBC, you seem to have a better handle on their broadcasts than I do. I am reacting to markets and brow beating/threatening people that are doing nothing more than their job. That is not what most signed on for, because some FEMA idiot, since fired, made a stupid comment on signs that insulted Donald. By the way, I am not a Federal employee, nor have I ever since the military. I just know knee jerk ego driven moves when I see them.

Significant that these countries know the most terrifying and harmful weapon they can inflict on others is their own people. https://t.co/QaMmFWRg3c

— James Kirkpatrick (@VDAREJamesK) February 1, 2025

Doc Holliday said:

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The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups.

They literally never denied a payment in their entire career.

Not even once. https://t.co/kInoGWdw4C

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 1, 2025

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You gotta be kidding...What are we gonna find there?

FLBear5630 said:

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Assassin said:

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FLBear5630 said:

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Ok, MAGA

What the F---? This is what you want???

Come on, I want to hear from the pro-MAGAs that spent the last 2 years making derogatory comments towards anyone that disagreed and preached some restraint.

You think this is good? We are making China look reasonable. Let's hear it, what is the game plan here? Shrink the US economy, decrease our sphere of influence, piss off our neighbors and make Xi look like a better option?

---

Give it time and your financial world will improve. It was only getting worse under Biden, you can't argue that. Something else has to be tried. We were becoming a third world country

Also,I would suggest cutting off MSNBC and CNN. That will help your sanity.

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Yeah, anyone that sees these knee jerk moves as extreme is watching MSNBC? Really, that is your response? I have never watched MSNBC, you seem to have a better handle on their broadcasts than I do. I am reacting to markets and brow beating/threatening people that are doing nothing more than their job. That is not what most signed on for, because some FEMA idiot, since fired, made a stupid comment on signs that insulted Donald. By the way, I am not a Federal employee, nor have I ever since the military. I just know knee jerk ego driven moves when I see them.

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Thanks for your service

We won the last election by complaining about Democrats' policies, which gave us high prices. Tariff lovers will be forced to explain the persistence of high prices…https://t.co/1Tc9HdSEHi

— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) February 1, 2025

BREAKING: Canada was notified this morning by the U.S. that they will be subject to tariffs: 25% across the board with exception of energy, which will be 10%.

Would take effect Tuesday & be in place until the fentanyl issue is sorted, per CTV

— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) February 1, 2025

Chevron has begun using “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico” in its earnings materials after President Donald Trump ordered the US to rename it https://t.co/ORDZLWS476

— Bloomberg (@business) January 31, 2025

boognish_bear said:

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We won the last election by complaining about Democrats' policies, which gave us high prices. Tariff lovers will be forced to explain the persistence of high prices…https://t.co/1Tc9HdSEHi

— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) February 1, 2025

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Even worse it's a sales tax, meaning it will simply be transferred to consumers to foot the bill. And ironically, they're inflationary. Furthermore, these tariffs are at a level that doesn't even get close to bridging the comparative advantage cost and scale that drives import/export competitiveness. I mean China could flood the market with steel keeping the price low regardless of tariffs. Oh sure, we'll get a few swipes at allies to the north and Europe because they're in a comparable cost and regulatory swamp, but when you raise the cost of inputs, the first target companies go cost cutting at is labor.

Usually the long game is to incentivize and deregulate sectors so you can encourage the long term investments necessary to build the facilities and capacities to engineer a market supplier shift. But tariffs hit instantly and change the market dynamic and serve as an actual disincentive, particularly for labor expansion. It's not anti-MAGA, it's economics you can research from people like Milton Friedman.

ATL Bear said:

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boognish_bear said:

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We won the last election by complaining about Democrats' policies, which gave us high prices. Tariff lovers will be forced to explain the persistence of high prices…https://t.co/1Tc9HdSEHi

— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) February 1, 2025

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Even worse it's a sales tax, meaning it will simply be transferred to consumers to foot the bill. And ironically, they're inflationary. Furthermore, these tariffs are at a level that doesn't even get close to bridging the comparative advantage cost and scale that drives import/export competitiveness. I mean China could flood the market with steel keeping the price low regardless of tariffs. Oh sure, we'll get a few swipes at allies to the north and Europe because they're in a comparable cost and regulatory swamp, but when you raise the cost of inputs, the first target companies go cost cutting at is labor.

Usually the long game is to incentivize and deregulate sectors so you can encourage the long term investments necessary to build the facilities and capacities to engineer a market supplier shift. But tariffs hit instantly and change the market dynamic and serve as an actual disincentive, particularly for labor expansion. It's not anti-MAGA, it's economics you can research from people like Milton Friedman.

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Funny no one very says the income tax is inflationary.
Funny no one says the SSN tax is inflationary.
Funny no one says state sales taxes are inflationary.
Funny no on says state property taxes are inflationary.

Government SPENDING is inflationary.

boognish_bear said:

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BREAKING: Elon Musk says cutting $4 billion per day with DOGE could bring inflation to zero by 2026.

— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) January 31, 2025

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DOGE has now saved taxpayers over $1 billion in crazy DEI contracts https://t.co/P81LgRKeOV

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2025

FLBear5630 said:

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Ok, MAGA

What the F---? This is what you want???

Come on, I want to hear from the pro-MAGAs that spent the last 2 years making derogatory comments towards anyone that disagreed and preached some restraint.

You think this is good? We are making China look reasonable. Let's hear it, what is the game plan here? Shrink the US economy, decrease our sphere of influence, piss off our neighbors and make Xi look like a better option?

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LOL

Yes, this is good. If you want to stop the fentanyl trade. If you want to stop illegal immigration. If you want to stop transshipment of Chinese content in goods shipped from Mexico/China into the USA. Etc......

You are not thinking very hard on this.

Note the explicit connection here. He's not tariffing for the sake of tariffing.....

pic.twitter.com/SWZtSm6NMX

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 1, 2025

Redbrickbear said:

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boognish_bear said:

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"Mr. Trump sometimes sounds as if the U.S. shouldn't import anything at all, that America can be a perfectly closed economy making everything at home. This is called autarky, and it isn't the world we live in, or one that we should want to live in, as Mr. Trump may soon find out…

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For the record the USA (with Mexico and Canada together) could be a fuctinal autarchy

Probably the only one on earth.

All 3 have enough resources, varying climates-crops, and population to produce everting they would ever need.

Wild to think about….God really has blessed North America

Mexico-USA-Canada is astoundingly in power and resources

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yep. and highest/best use of those resources is in North America, not China or elsewhere.

Mexico and Canada are dependent on our markets & capital. They can't escape it. They will cave to Trump's demands.

Doc Holliday said:

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The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups.

They literally never denied a payment in their entire career.

Not even once. https://t.co/kInoGWdw4C

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 1, 2025

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Yes, this is the disgusting reality. The biggest rubber stamp in this is Medicare. If you code it right, the money comes. Hope DOGE can wrap some sanity around this

whiterock said:

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ATL Bear said:

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boognish_bear said:

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We won the last election by complaining about Democrats' policies, which gave us high prices. Tariff lovers will be forced to explain the persistence of high prices…https://t.co/1Tc9HdSEHi

— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) February 1, 2025

---

Even worse it's a sales tax, meaning it will simply be transferred to consumers to foot the bill. And ironically, they're inflationary. Furthermore, these tariffs are at a level that doesn't even get close to bridging the comparative advantage cost and scale that drives import/export competitiveness. I mean China could flood the market with steel keeping the price low regardless of tariffs. Oh sure, we'll get a few swipes at allies to the north and Europe because they're in a comparable cost and regulatory swamp, but when you raise the cost of inputs, the first target companies go cost cutting at is labor.

Usually the long game is to incentivize and deregulate sectors so you can encourage the long term investments necessary to build the facilities and capacities to engineer a market supplier shift. But tariffs hit instantly and change the market dynamic and serve as an actual disincentive, particularly for labor expansion. It's not anti-MAGA, it's economics you can research from people like Milton Friedman.

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Funny no one very says the income tax is inflationary.
Funny no one says the SSN tax is inflationary.
Funny no one says state sales taxes are inflationary.
Funny no on says state property taxes are inflationary.

Government SPENDING is inflationary.

---

That's because personal income tax is paid from earnings, and technically SSN is a pension payment. But corporate income taxes could be argued as inflationary. State sales taxes are post cost of goods. If we did a universal consumption tax/sales tax (as some argue for) we'd likely have a reduction in inflation. Government DEFICIT SPENDING is inflationary.

ATL Bear said:

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whiterock said:

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ATL Bear said:

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boognish_bear said:

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We won the last election by complaining about Democrats' policies, which gave us high prices. Tariff lovers will be forced to explain the persistence of high prices…https://t.co/1Tc9HdSEHi

— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) February 1, 2025

---

Even worse it's a sales tax, meaning it will simply be transferred to consumers to foot the bill. And ironically, they're inflationary. Furthermore, these tariffs are at a level that doesn't even get close to bridging the comparative advantage cost and scale that drives import/export competitiveness. I mean China could flood the market with steel keeping the price low regardless of tariffs. Oh sure, we'll get a few swipes at allies to the north and Europe because they're in a comparable cost and regulatory swamp, but when you raise the cost of inputs, the first target companies go cost cutting at is labor.

Usually the long game is to incentivize and deregulate sectors so you can encourage the long term investments necessary to build the facilities and capacities to engineer a market supplier shift. But tariffs hit instantly and change the market dynamic and serve as an actual disincentive, particularly for labor expansion. It's not anti-MAGA, it's economics you can research from people like Milton Friedman.

---

Funny no one very says the income tax is inflationary.
Funny no one says the SSN tax is inflationary.
Funny no one says state sales taxes are inflationary.
Funny no on says state property taxes are inflationary.

Government SPENDING is inflationary.

---

That's because personal income tax is paid from earnings, and technically SSN is a pension payment. But corporate income taxes could be argued as inflationary. State sales taxes are post cost of goods. If we did a universal consumption tax/sales tax (as some argue for) we'd likely have a reduction in inflation. Government DEFICIT SPENDING is inflationary.

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If Government deficit spending is inflationary, then the taxation source to fund it is irrelevant.

How is a tariff on an imported Chinese beach ball any different than a state sales tax on that Chinese beach ball?

whiterock said:

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ATL Bear said:

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whiterock said:

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ATL Bear said:

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boognish_bear said:

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We won the last election by complaining about Democrats' policies, which gave us high prices. Tariff lovers will be forced to explain the persistence of high prices…https://t.co/1Tc9HdSEHi

— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) February 1, 2025

---

Even worse it's a sales tax, meaning it will simply be transferred to consumers to foot the bill. And ironically, they're inflationary. Furthermore, these tariffs are at a level that doesn't even get close to bridging the comparative advantage cost and scale that drives import/export competitiveness. I mean China could flood the market with steel keeping the price low regardless of tariffs. Oh sure, we'll get a few swipes at allies to the north and Europe because they're in a comparable cost and regulatory swamp, but when you raise the cost of inputs, the first target companies go cost cutting at is labor.

Usually the long game is to incentivize and deregulate sectors so you can encourage the long term investments necessary to build the facilities and capacities to engineer a market supplier shift. But tariffs hit instantly and change the market dynamic and serve as an actual disincentive, particularly for labor expansion. It's not anti-MAGA, it's economics you can research from people like Milton Friedman.

---

Funny no one very says the income tax is inflationary.
Funny no one says the SSN tax is inflationary.
Funny no one says state sales taxes are inflationary.
Funny no on says state property taxes are inflationary.

Government SPENDING is inflationary.

---

That's because personal income tax is paid from earnings, and technically SSN is a pension payment. But corporate income taxes could be argued as inflationary. State sales taxes are post cost of goods. If we did a universal consumption tax/sales tax (as some argue for) we'd likely have a reduction in inflation. Government DEFICIT SPENDING is inflationary.

---

If Government deficit spending is inflationary, then the taxation source to fund it is irrelevant.

How is a tariff on an imported Chinese beach ball any different than a state sales tax on that Chinese beach ball?

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Also, any taxes on corporations or services are inflationary. People losing their heads. The media talking heads and same people here had nearly zero to say about inflation when Biden was driving it through the roof.