this post was submitted on 10 Mar 2025
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The United States has placed Switzerland on a list of countries with "unfair trade practices".

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[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 151 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Lmao what the actual fuck? Switzerland…? He’s going after the Swiss now…? I just… wow. What is happening.

Edit: it’s apparently about - and I shit you not - chocolate. And it’s their volume market brand. Not even the really good stuff.

[–] pntha@lemmy.world 55 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

they probably hold billions in frozen Russian assets

[–] RamblingPanda@lemmynsfw.com 43 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Probably because Lindt said that they might supply Canada from Europe instead of the US.

Begun the chocolate wars have.

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 25 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)
[–] RamblingPanda@lemmynsfw.com 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's getting harder and harder to laugh at shit like this. I mean, it's still funny, but it really is not.

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I feel the exact same. It’s tragicomedic.

I laugh to hide the pain. The secret sixth stage of grief is gallows humor.

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[–] N0body@lemmy.dbzer0.com 102 points 1 week ago (6 children)

Europe needs to see that unity is the way to go. A united Europe is needed to stand against the mad kings in Russia and the US.

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 14 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Europe, the place where 27 separate sovereign nations have formed a Union, needs to realise how important it is to be united?

Is that what you're saying?

Well tbey are commenting this on an article about switzerland, which is not in the EU. Though it is in Schengen and the EEA.

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[–] Atherel@lemmy.dbzer0.com 74 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Switzerland has a positive balance of trade in goods and therefore appears on this list.

Ah that's why...

We have good arguments. And we have been doing exactly what President Trump wants for a long time.

Maybe it's time to fucking stop pleasing the orange cunt, he doesn't care!

[–] Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago (4 children)

This focus on the balance of trade is sooo stupid. The US spends more than it produces so it has an aggregate deficit on the trade balance. To stop this, you need to force Americans to spend less (I.e. ignite a recession), or produce more.

Tariffs against selected countries that have a strong bilateral trade surplus with the US will not affect the US’ aggregate trade balance, since it doesn’t affect consumption by/ or production of the US economy. This is common knowledge from econ 101, and shouldn’t need to be explained to a president that supposedly has a degree in business.

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[–] filister@lemmy.world 56 points 1 week ago (2 children)

The US is on a way to piss off all of its trading partners and former allies.

[–] nicky7@lemmy.ml 36 points 1 week ago (1 children)

We're never going to recover. He's speed running the fall of a nation.

[–] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago

At least Nero had some musical talent on display while Rome burned. This guy can't even dance.

[–] aeternum@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Drumpf had it wrong. It's not Zelenskyy risking WW3, it's himself.

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[–] Adderbox76@lemmy.ca 52 points 1 week ago

Trump is all about pretenses.

There are the "reasons" he's making those decisions, and then there are the "pretenses" he uses when the opportunity comes around to make them.

Swiss banks hold a lot of money from oligarchs and billionaires. Putin wants pressure put on them. But Trump has to find the "pretense" to do it so as to at least nominally not be seen as a russian asset. But what a coincidence, Lindt announces that they're going to supply Canada directly from Europe to avoid his tariffs. And BOOM. Pretense established.

[–] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 45 points 1 week ago (2 children)

He's either completely senile or doing Putin's bidding by destroying whatever is left of the US's international credibility.

[–] Raiderkev@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago

Por que no los dos?

[–] shani66@ani.social 10 points 1 week ago

We've known he is a Russian asset since before he even became president

[–] random_character_a@lemmy.world 39 points 1 week ago (1 children)

What? Swiss banks been mean to Putin?

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[–] MapleEngineer@lemmy.world 36 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Can we get a digital badge that the citizens of any advanced liberal democracy that Magastan labels as "bad" can proudly display on their socials?

[–] ahal@lemmy.ca 18 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Don't sully the "-stan" countries like that, they don't deserve that association.

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[–] Remember_the_tooth@lemmy.world 35 points 1 week ago (2 children)

He's doing the best Zapp Brannigan impression I've ever seen.

[–] Arghblarg@lemmy.ca 18 points 1 week ago

Well he really must hate those filthy neutrals.

[–] Skunk@jlai.lu 30 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 29 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The US is so fucked. People are not going to give the bully their lunch money. They’re going to team up against the bully.

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[–] dzso@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago (4 children)

How many months is it going to take for the Magats to realize they fucked America over?

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Empirical evidence says at least 100.

[–] CMonster@discuss.online 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Even if they self aware enough to see that, they will never admit it.

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Making quality products that people actually want to buy is a dishonest and abusive practice, I'm glad someone finally spoke up.

[–] ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Switzerland might really be one of the few countries no one can ever take over. Even if no one else cared — they will — sending troops running up a mountain where everyone has rifle skills and hidden bunkers is definitely not a military strategy I ever heard of.

[–] random_character_a@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago

...no one can fully ever take over.

ftfy

Reason why the country is what it is, is because quite a few have tried an kinda stuck around.

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[–] CosmicCleric@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Does that mean we have to stop calling it swiss cheese and start calling it holes cheese, or holy cheese?

~This~ ~comment~ ~is~ ~licensed~ ~under~ ~CC~ ~BY-NC-SA~ ~4.0~

[–] DreadPirateSnuggles@lemmy.ca 33 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] bagelberger@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

✅ Putting holes in things and calling it freedom

[–] filister@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

Cheese of America?

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[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Lol.

As an American I would give my right nut to live there instead of here.

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[–] commander 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Fuck, I wish the government was this enthusiastic about unfair trade practices within its own country.

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

Except it has nothing to do with unfair trade practices. It's all about breaking down the world order to make room for Russia.

[–] rxbudian@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 week ago

Welcome to the Trump's list of bad countries, lets trade with each other.
We're growing fast ...

[–] toiletobserver@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)
[–] MCasq_qsaCJ_234@lemmy.zip 12 points 1 week ago

Trump you are not neutral, you are stupid

[–] scytale@lemm.ee 12 points 1 week ago (4 children)

They’ll pull it back once they realize the billionaires stash some of their money there.

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[–] Clbull@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago

Does Trump want to fuck with the impenetrable banking fortress nation that is Switzerland?

[–] Floodedwomb@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

He heard they had nazi gold and decided it must be for him.

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