just_abc

I come from a country where there are many different languages spoken.. and the term used for Jesus in different languages can sometimes possibly be a little bit different.. or have different spelling etc.. God knows all languages.. And regardless which language a Christian may use to call out to Him.. I think He will be able to understand.... Just my personal opinion. Thanks.

Thank you very much for explaining. Much appreciated.

Some /many countries do have barriers etc in the import of certain agriculture products.. Some of the barriers might be quite understandable (For example to try to protect their country from plant /animal diseases which the exporting country might be experiencing outbreaks of).. Some other barriers however perhaps might not seem as fair in terms of having free trade etc.. Regardless.. even if one is taking into account other things beside tariffs.. one still needs to calculate / estimate it accurately.... The method the Usa used to calculate things.. does not appear to be correct.... ?

@George @WorthyNewsBot Thank you for correcting the name of the country.. in the article on the worthy news site.

Ok I hope nobody has misunderstood what I meant.. (my apologies if my earlier posts were not very clear....) I am not disputing the right of the Usa (or other countries) to charge whatever tariffs they wish (as long as it is not against any laws etc).. What I am questioning is the reason/s that was used for it.. as well as the data and/methodology used to calculate.. um.. If I may use a hypothetical example to explain.... (sorry it is a bit long) A hypothetical example : If two weeks ago.. a foreign country held a news conference.. and told the whole world (including their own citizens) that the Usa was charging a tariff etc. of 30 percent on goods from that country.... And that in return that foreign country would reciprocate with a tariff of half that amount (i.e. 15 percent) on Usa goods.... I think many people might find that action quite reasonable.. or even a bit kind (since that country would be charging the Usa just half of what it said the Usa was charging it..) But..... If it turned out that the Usa was actually charging that country a tariff of say just 5 percent.. or even no tariff at all.. but that foreign country kept on claiming the Usa was charging it a 30 percent tariff etc.. And if journalists then asked that foreign country how they came up with the figure of 30 percent.. and they replied that they had basically just taken the goods trade imbalance between the Usa and their country.. and divided that with the goods imported from the Usa.. and 'made' that figure a percentage.... and then just assumed /claimed that figure was the tariff etc charged by the Usa (even though it wasn't!).... (The math /methodology used is wrong....) If they had put that incorrect figure into a chart /table.. and showed it to the world.. claiming the Usa was charging it 30 percent in tariffs etc (even though this claim was untrue).. and then used this untrue claim as the basis for hitting Usa made goods with a 15 percent tariff.... If this had happened to the Usa.. how would americans feel? Wouldn't many americans be at least a bit miffed.. that a false claim was being made against the Usa.. or that incorrect data was being used as the basis for punishing the Usa? That hypothetical foreign country might have the right to impose tariffs against the Usa.. but shouldn't it be made on the basis of something that is true.. and not something that is false? And especially shouldn't that foreign country stop misleading its own citizens by claiming something about the Usa that was not true.. (i.e claiming the Usa was imposing a 30 percent tariff etc on goods..?) How would americans feel if this had happened to their country? Surely many americans would be at least a little upset? Sorry.. just my personal thoughts. Truly truly no offence intended to anyone. Thank you for listening / reading.

um.. well actually the Usa does not have a trade deficit with Singapore. It has a trade surplus with Singpore.. From american government websites : 1. From the Office of the United States Trade Representative (Executive Office of the President) : https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/southeast-asia-pacific/singapore#:~:text=Singapore Trade %26 Investment Summary&text=U.S. goods imports from Singapore,(%241.3 billion) over 2023. Quote/ Singapore Trade & Investment Summary U.S. goods trade with Singapore totaled an estimated $89.2 billion in 2024. U.S. goods exports to Singapore in 2024 were $46 billion, up 8.4 percent ($3.6 billion) from 2023. U.S. goods imports from Singapore totaled $43.2 billion in 2024, up 5.6 percent ($2.3 billion) from 2023. The U.S. goods trade surplus with Singapore was $2.8 billion in 2024, an 84.8 percent increase ($1.3 billion) over 2023. /Unquote 2. Also this website gives the data year by year.. https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5590.html If I am not mistaken.. from the year 2001 until 2024.. i.e for well over 20 years.. the Usa has had a trade surplus with Singapore every single year.. except for 2020 ( which was a covid pandemic year?).... The Usa has had more than 2 decades of trade surplus with singapore (minus year 2020).. But singapore is still being punished with the 10 percent tariff.... ? ( and it is not the only country which the Usa has a trade surplus with.. but which have been hit with the 10 percent tariff... Most if not all such countries are being hit with that tariff..? ) Thanks.

Singapore does not charge tariff on US goods.. It also has a free trade agreement with the Usa (since at least 2004) .. The Usa also has a goods trade surplus with singapore.... (i.e singapore buys more goods from the Usa.. then the Usa buys from singapore).. Yet Singapore was still hit by the 10 percent tariff by the Usa.... Why? The Usa is punishing countries which are doing the things you suggested in your post.. What should those countries do? What is the solution to enable a country to not get punished by the Usa? Thanks.

@LaMonte The sentence that you quoted in your post.. was said by another poster.. not me.... (I was just quoting them to reply). I would appreciate it very much if you could please correct /edit your post. Thank you very much.

I am truly sorry that your country is facing economic difficulties. That is tough. :( I am thinking though that if the tariffs imposed by the Usa were actually actual 'reciprocal' tariffs.. and fair / proportionate etc.. .. perhaps more people around the world might be more understanding of the whole situation.. However the way the 'reciprocal tariffs' were calculated by the Usa appears based on just the trade deficit etc alone.... and not based on the amount of tariffs a country had actually placed on Usa goods... or even if the country had any tariffs on Usa goods at all.... i.e. The proposed Usa tariffs appear to be a 'trade imbalance' tariff.. and not an actual 'reciprocal tariff'.... (and even countries which don't have a trade imbalance with the Usa are still being punished with the 10 percent minimum tariff.. ) A hypothetical example : If there were two countries.. one a large /wealthy country.. the other a small poor country.. And if the rich country imposed a tariff on some.. (or even all?).. Usa made goods entering that country.... But because the population was wealthy they were able to afford to purchase american made goods etc.. and there was extremely little or even no trade deficit at all.. between the Usa and that country.. On the other hand if the poor country imposed no tariff at all on any Usa goods.. and embraced free trade.. and sold their agricultural products.. or mined products.. to the Usa.... But because a large portion of the population were still living in poverty.. most simply could not afford to buy expensive american products.. And there was therefore a trade imbalance between that poor country and the Usa.. In the hypothetical example above.. if the current method used by the Usa government to calculate 'reciprocal' tariffs was used on both those countries.... ....The rich country which actually did charge tariffs on Usa goods.. would only have to pay the bare minimum 10 percent tariff (or close to that).. simply because it did not have a trade imbalance with the Usa.. On the other hand.. the poor country which charged no tariffs at all on any Usa goods.. would be punished with a high tariff by the Usa.. simply because it had a trade imbalance with the Usa (i.e. they sold more to the Usa.. then they bought from the Usa..) This is because the Usa administration is currently actually using 'trade imbalance' to calculate.... but pretending /calling it 'reciprocal' tariffs.... Truth matters. But the chart /table displayed by the Usa administration.. is inaccurate.... This is one reason why some people outside the Usa .. are a bit frustrated /upset at the Usa.... Because truth matters.... Just my personal thoughts. Truly truly no offence intended to anyone.... Thank you.

No problem sis :) I hope everything goes well for you. Many many hugs to you.

I posted on another thread regarding the tariffs. I hope you don't mind but I will just link to that thread instead of typing some things out? https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/311567-worthynewsus-president-trump-announces-tariffs-of-up-to-49-percent/ Please forgive me if I speak too frankly.. But one issue I have (as a non-american) to this current situation.. is that regardless of the titles used on the chart the Usa administration is showing its own citizens.... the tariffs the Usa is placing on countries around the world mostly do not seem to be actual 'reciprocal tariffs' I think?.... But rather is calculated based on the amount of trade deficit the Usa has with a particular country....(and for the countries which the Usa doesn't even have a trade deficit with .. they are still being hit with the minimum 10 percent tariff ! :O ).. To me if the Usa wants to punish countries if they sell more goods to the Usa.. then they buy from the Usa.. why not just say so? i.e. Why pretend /imply that the figures used to justify such-and-such a tariff on other countries is supposedly the amount of tariffs those countries are charging the Usa.. when it is often not accurate? .. And the figures are actually being calculated based on the amount of trade deficit the Usa has with those countries? (And for countries which the Usa has no trade deficit with.. and/or which do not even place tariffs on Usa made goods.. they still get punished anyways with a 10 percent tariff ! ) Why? I don't understand? Thanks. Just some personal thoughts. No offence intended to my american friends or anyone else. Thank you.

One problem is that the title of the left column is incorrect.... For most of the countries listed.. the figures used in that column is apparently obtained by taking the trade deficit in goods that the Usa has with a particular country.. and dividing it with how much the Usa imports from that country.. Or in other words.. for most of the countries listed.. the tariffs imposed by the Usa appear to have been calculated based on the goods trade deficit.... rather than on any tariffs by those countries.. ? For the other countries on that list.. they either don't have a trade deficit with the Usa.. (i.e they and the Usa buy roughly the same amount from each other).. or the Usa actually has a trade surplus with them (i.e they buy more from the Usa.. then the Usa buys from them).... Yet even those countries have been hit by a Usa imposed tariff of 10 percent! :O I don't get it? Ok.. How about the Usa government's own websites? For example take the country of Singapore. On the list posted on worthy it showed a 'reciprocal tariff' of 10 percent being imposed on Singapore.. Below is info from the Usa government's own websites : 1. From the Office of the United States Trade Representative (Executive Office of the President) : https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/southeast-asia-pacific/singapore#:~:text=Singapore Trade %26 Investment Summary&text=U.S. goods imports from Singapore,(%241.3 billion) over 2023. Quote/ Singapore Trade & Investment Summary U.S. goods trade with Singapore totaled an estimated $89.2 billion in 2024. U.S. goods exports to Singapore in 2024 were $46 billion, up 8.4 percent ($3.6 billion) from 2023. U.S. goods imports from Singapore totaled $43.2 billion in 2024, up 5.6 percent ($2.3 billion) from 2023. The U.S. goods trade surplus with Singapore was $2.8 billion in 2024, an 84.8 percent increase ($1.3 billion) over 2023. /Unquote 2. From the International Trade Administration (department of Commerce.. Usa ) : https://www.trade.gov/us-singapore-free-trade-agreement#:~:text=Besides binding all Singapore tariffs,textiles%2C pharmaceuticals%2C and chemicals. Quote/ Besides binding all Singapore tariffs for U.S. goods at zero, the FTA has increased export opportunities for certain U.S. manufacturing sectors, including those that produce medical instruments and equipment, microelectronics, photo equipment, certain textiles, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. /Unquote @Patticats The american government websites above show that not only does Singapore not impose tariffs on Usa made goods.. but that the Usa actually has a goods trade surplus with singapore.. (i.e. singapore buys more goods from the Usa ..then the Usa buys from singapore).. Yet singapore is being hit by a 10 percent tariff by the Usa? Why? I don't understand? Thanks.

The tariffs are possibly not actually reciprocal....? https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93gq72n7y1o https://www.reuters.com/world/trumps-tariff-formula-confounds-world-punishes-poor-2025-04-03/ Thanks.

@George @WorthyNewsBot Malaysia does not have a 'military junta'. And Malaysia also did not 'carry out' any major earthquake.. (whatever that means?) I am guessing it is typo.. both on article in this forum.. as well as the same article on worthynews site.... Just fyi. Thanks.

It was not meant as a slam on the West. (Or East) Colonialism (in my opinion) was /is usually very very wrong.. regardless of whether it was carried out by countries in the West or by countries in the East.... ( For example : Japanese colonial rule over Korea) What was Colonialism? Often it was invading / occupying other Lands / nations.. and ruling over the people of those nations.. as their colonial rulers /masters.... Colonialism often included widespread racism / discrimination / treating people as lesser etc.. It often (initially) denied the people of those nations the freedom to be free. Etc. (And this is in addition to many other wrong things which often happened too during colonialism) ------------------------- My personal opinion (truly no offence intended) : But if Christianity is used to support these colonisations.. then to me it is possibly like Christianity is possibly being used to support things that are wrong or harmful.. That is why I posted in this thread. Not a slam on east or west. But just my personal thoughts. Again truly no offence intended to anyone. My apologies if I spoke too frankly. Thank you.