Understanding the US - Again

[A_Gupta]

A North American Fertilizer Price Index
https://fertilizerpricing.com/priceindex/

Sept 6, 2024: 521.9
Sept 6, 2025: 722.9

For the points in between, go the page and play with the graph.

[drnayar]

...
Just this evening, Trump said from the former Rose Garden in the White House, that $17 trillion dollars will be invested in the US in the next few months.
...

I wonder if Failed Marshall Asim Munir has taken inspiration from Desperado Donald or is it the other way round ?

US is now like 100x paki

[uddu]

US immigration agents arrest hundreds at Hyundai plant, mostly Koreans

US immigration agents arrest hundreds at Hyundai plant, mostly Koreans

[uddu]

In North Korea they clap continuously. In U.S Supreme leader is glorified with words and then claps follow. There is this eerie resemblance to NK. Trump is surrounded by Yes Men. If you stop clapping you hold this. The expression on the face of Military person says it all.
President Trump signs executive order renaming Department of Defense as Department of War

[saip]

Department of War, yea? And the OM wants a Nobel for PEACE? He should have named it Dept of PEACE a la 1984.

[A_Gupta]

So it turns out that Trump sent SEAL Team Six into North Korea and they killed some civilians and now he can’t possibly understand why Kim Jong-un is drawing closer to China and Putin.
...
...

A group of Navy SEALs emerged from the ink-black ocean on a winter night in early 2019 and crept to a rocky shore in North Korea. They were on a top secret mission so complex and consequential that everything had to go exactly right.

The objective was to plant an electronic device that would let the United States intercept the communications of North Korea’s reclusive leader, Kim Jong-un, amid high-level nuclear talks with President Trump.

The mission had the potential to provide the United States with a stream of valuable intelligence. But it meant putting American commandos on North Korean soil — a move that, if detected, not only could sink negotiations but also could lead to a hostage crisis or an escalating conflict with a nuclear-armed foe.

It was so risky that it required the president’s direct approval.

For the operation, the military chose SEAL Team 6’s Red Squadron — the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden. The SEALs rehearsed for months, aware that every move needed to be perfect. But when they reached what they thought was a deserted shore that night, wearing black wet suits and night-vision goggles, the mission swiftly unraveled.

A North Korean boat appeared out of the dark. Flashlights from the bow swept over the water. Fearing that they had been spotted, the SEALs opened fire. Within seconds, everyone on the North Korean boat was dead.

The SEALs retreated into the sea without planting the listening device.

The 2019 operation has never been publicly acknowledged, or even hinted at, by the United States or North Korea.

The details remain classified and are being reported here for the first time. The Trump administration did not notify key members of Congress who oversee intelligence operations, before or after the mission. The lack of notification may have violated the law.

from https://www.thebulwark.com/p/what-happe ... -172869947
Original story:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/us/n ... =url-share

[Amber G.]

^^^ may need to edit the link..of the bulwark..

[A_Gupta]

The Bulwark link works for me, but here it is again:

https://www.thebulwark.com/p/what-happe ... hare=false

---
The economic outlook for the US is grim if this guy is correct:
https://youtu.be/XMb3NryFMbo?si=ilC-hqK7qHWHOUIA

[uddu]

South Korea reacts to Hyundai Motor raid

[A_Gupta]

ALIGNING GLOBAL MILITARY POSTURE WITH U.S. INTERESTS
https://www.defensepriorities.org/expla ... -interests

A review of the U.S. global military posture should focus on four priorities: defending the homeland, preventing the rise of a rival regional hegemon in key areas, burden shifting to allies and partners, and protecting U.S. economic security.

[A_Gupta]

U.S. Open Orders Broadcasters to Censor Reactions to Trump
An email obtained by Bounces includes instructions from the U.S. Open on supporting Trump's planned stagecraft during the National Anthem.
https://www.benrothenberg.com/p/us-open ... os-alcaraz

An internal email sent by the U.S. Tennis Association leadership to U.S. Open broadcasters, obtained by Bounces, requested that broadcasters censor any possible protests or other reactions to President Donald Trump’s presence at Sunday’s U.S. Open men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Here’s the key text from the USTA email obtained by Bounces:

“With respect to Broadcast Coverage, the President will be shown on the World Feed and the Ashe Court Feed during the opening anthem ceremony. We ask all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity, including ENG [Electronic News Gathering] coverage.”

[A_Gupta]

Stephen Miran is the United States Chairman of Council of Economic Advisers and also nominated for the Federal Reserve.
This is by him, November 2024
A User’s Guide to Restructuring the Global Trading System
https://www.hudsonbaycapital.com/docume ... System.pdf

From a trade perspective, the dollar is persistently overvalued, in large part because dollar assets function as the world’s reserve currency. This overvaluation has weighed heavily on the American manufacturing sector while benefiting financialized sectors of the economy in manners that benefit wealthy Americans. And yet, President Trump has praised the reserve status of the dollar and threatened to punish countries that stop using the dollar for reserve purposes. I expect these tensions will be resolved by a suite of policies designed to increase burden sharing among trading and security partners: rather than attempting to end the use of the dollar as the global reserve currency, the Trump Administration can attempt to find ways to capture back some of the benefits other nations receive from our reserve provision.

Tariffs provide revenue, and if offset by currency adjustments, present minimal inflationary or otherwise adverse side effects, consistent with the experience in 2018-2019. While currency offset can inhibit adjustments to trade flows, it suggests that tariffs are ultimately financed by the tariffed nation, whose real purchasing power and wealth decline, and that the revenue raised improves burden sharing for reserve asset provision. Tariffs will likely be implemented in a manner deeply intertwined with national security concerns, and I discuss a variety of possible implementation schemes. I also discuss optimal tariff rates in the context of the rest of the U.S. taxation system.

As long as the US dollar remains strong and even gains strength because exporters to the US devalue their currencies, US manufactures become less competitive globally. Any manufacturing in the US can cater only to the domestic market, which may be OK because the US has 30% of the world's consumer market.

If imports to the US cost the same after tariffs because the exporting country devalues its currency, then US manufactured goods from these new factories won't be competitive in the US domestic market. The only way US manufactured goods can have the domestic price higher than the world market prices (which is required to make them viable) is if tariffs do provide a shield, and that means US domestic prices must increase, and be borne by the American consumer.

Seems to me Stephen Miran, Trump and his coterie want to have it in all ways - have the dollar as the reserve currency, the dollar stronger than ever, a high tariff barrier with no extra costs to the US consumer, and increased US exports. I don't understand it at all, I think at most only one of these objectives is achievable at a time.

[A_Gupta]

Based on AI, two data points:

In August 2025, a ton of US hot-rolled coil steel averaged $850–$900, while the world export price was around $450 per ton. This created a 107% price premium for American steel over Chinese steel ($410/ton) and a 34% premium over European steel ($635/ton)......A 50% tariff on most imported steel, enacted in June 2025, protects domestic manufacturers from foreign competition, allowing them to raise prices.

In June 2025, the US Midwest Premium for aluminum was about 60 cents per pound ($1,323 per metric ton). This compares to much lower premiums in Europe and Asia, at approximately 25–30 cents per pound and 20–25 cents per pound, respectively... The 50% tariff on aluminum imports has caused US Midwest premium prices to surge.

[Kati]

Family claims political motives behind DHS's push to deport veteran to Pakistan

https://komonews.com/news/local/departm ... onal-guard



DHS Sets the Record Straight about Pakistani Criminal Illegal Alien with Extensive History of Fraud Across the Globe

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/09/04/dhs ... ve-history

[Kati]

Billionaire backer of NYC Democratic socialist Mamdani funds controversial 'woke math' program: report

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/billio ... th-program

[gakakkad]

i've met the late Jim Simons. I actually liked him. he was a great mathematcian himself and folks familiar with rentech are probably aware of the funding of math they do. i ve met both his daughters even. one of them is married to the son of a fairly renowned topologist by the name of sylvain cappell who was president of american mathematical society. The family as a whole have done a lot to promote math ed.

I dislike mamdani with a passion as his sympathies clearly lie with islamic terrorism, and am unhappy that simons older daughter is funding him .

however fox news calling the funding mathemical education by the simons family is racist and pedantic.not unexpected from their ilk.

[uddu]

https://x.com/RadioGenoa/status/1964713441899565330
@RadioGenoa
Muslims in Texas want to ban Americans from drinking beer and eating pork. Allah wants this.

[Amber G.]

i've met the late Jim Simons. I actually liked him. he was a great mathematcian himself and folks familiar with rentech are probably aware of the funding of math they do...

Thanks for this Interesting post about Jim Simmons.. Let me add..

(I generally do not comment in this thread but let me add to this and make a few points)

There’s lot of chatter about “woke math” and a 'billionaire connection', so here’s a quick rundown from what I know. (and reading the details as I also took notice)

The funding trail mostly points to the Heising-Simons Foundation, set up by Liz Simons (daughter of Jim Simons) and her husband Mark Heising. Unlike her father’s foundation, which is very research-oriented, the Heising-Simons Foundation has put millions into education programs that mix social justice themes into math instruction. This isn’t “just teaching fractions differently” — the grants support projects that explicitly weave in race, equity, and even LGBTQ+ identity into math lessons. For example, kids might be asked to analyze disparities or do “numberless” word problems framed around identity topics.

That’s where the controversy comes in. Some say as a way to make math more relevant and to address systemic inequities . I firmly see it as ideology taking the place of rigor. The paper trail is pretty clear: yes, the Heising-Simons Foundation funds programs that consciously integrate social justice into math.


Now, it’s important not to confuse this with the Simons Foundation, which was started by Liz’s father, Jim Simons -as Gakakkad points out. Yes, Jim was a world-class mathematician before becoming the legendary hedge fund manager behind Renaissance Technologies. He spent his later years pouring money back into pure math and science — things like geometry, physics, astronomy, big collaborative research centers, and direct support for mathematicians. That foundation is all about advancing science for its own sake.

And for those who follow the family tree: Yes, Jim’s daughters have been active in philanthropy in their own ways. Liz went the progressive-education route with Heising-Simons, while another daughter married into the Cappell family (Sylvain Cappell being a topologist at NYU and a past AMS president). So the Simons family connections run deep in both finance and the math world.

So bottom line: don’t lump all the “Simons” philanthropy together. Jim’s Simons Foundation = pure math and science. Liz & Mark’s Heising-Simons Foundation = early education, climate, immigration, and yes, funding “woke math” programs that integrate DEI themes into the classroom.

[gakakkad]

^^ didn't know liz simons was so much in the dark side.. side part is that they are jewish and yet will support mamdani. another thing yehuda and hanood have in common. Jaichands..

[gakakkad]

https://archive.ph/0uN5C

seems like the koreans are pissed as much as indians about hyundai thing. i saw korean twitter accounts with very overwhelming anti-us sentiment.

carry on trumpy... that's what we need.

this is one english language article i could find that is highl sanitized. pretty sure the korean language ones are filled with gaalis.

like all asians they 'll have looong memories.

https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10570891

[A_Gupta]

https://www.chosun.com/english/industry ... BJS7NLI6A/

Supposedly Korea’s largest newspaper.

This year, South Korean companies have successively announced investments in the U.S. to avoid the Trump administration’s “tariff bombs.” Particularly ahead of the South Korea-U.S. summit, the government organized a large “investment package,” prompting even companies that had already announced investments to unveil additional large-scale plans. The total scale reached $150 billion (approximately 209 trillion Korean won). A source from a major corporation said, “Given the circumstances, there was an aspect of being pressured to invest more than immediately necessary.”

In this context, the Trump administration’s policies—such as “reducing subsidies” and “strengthening immigration crackdowns,” which are diametrically opposed to the previous Biden administration—are heightening concerns among South Korean companies. Among domestic firms, comments like “If the market is this unpredictable, it might be better to reconsider investments and just pay the tariffs” are emerging.

[A_Gupta]

Continued

South Korean companies have historically been reluctant to build production bases in the U.S. This is due to the country’s exorbitant labor costs compared to South Korea, despite the difficulty of finding skilled workers. A semiconductor industry source said, “Many factories are built in rural U.S. areas with low income levels, but most local workers have never seen a ‘semiconductor cleanroom,’ and even those who have worked on large-scale factories are rare.” The source added, “Yet labor costs are high, and we have to train these workers to build advanced facilities on schedule, create a new ecosystem by collaborating with local universities to secure a steady supply of talent, and so on.”

According to a 2021 report by the American Semiconductor Industry Association, the total cost of operating an advanced system semiconductor plant in the U.S. for 10 years is 28% higher than in South Korea. If the U.S. cost is set at 100, Asian countries like South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan are at 78, and China at 63. This shows the U.S. is inefficient in terms of costs for owning and operating semiconductor plants. Currently, the burden from the wage gap is greater than the reciprocal tariffs (15%) and automotive tariffs (25%, agreed to reduce to 15% but not yet applied) imposed on South Korea.

[A_Gupta]

Continued:

All costs are invested in dollars, and with rising exchange rates and inflation, soaring labor and material costs are a significant burden. Local media reported (Reuters, 2023) that Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor plant under construction in Taylor, Texas, would cost over $25 billion (34.75 trillion Korean won), a 47% increase from the initial estimate of $17 billion. In Korean won terms, this means spending over 11 trillion won more. Reuters cited a local source at the time, stating, “Rising material costs account for about 80% of the construction cost increase.”

The surge in costs continues. The Trump administration maintains high tariff policies, such as a 50% tariff on imported steel, causing inflation and driving up U.S. factory establishment costs.

◇Subsidies and Immigration Policies Flip 180 Degrees

The biggest issue is “uncertainty”—an element previously unimaginable in the U.S., a model of free-market economics. The previous Biden administration offset the U.S. market’s notoriously high-cost structure and attracted manufacturing investments by offering large subsidies. This promise has been completely reversed. The Trump administration has not only reduced and abolished subsidies since this year but also proposed an unprecedented plan to “secure equity in investing companies.”

The same applies to “immigration crackdowns.” The Biden administration announced in 2021 the suspension of “large-scale workplace raids” to crack down on illegal immigrants—a decision closely tied to attracting investments. Georgia, home to Hyundai Motor’s factory and domestic secondary battery companies, benefited significantly. In contrast, the second Trump administration is pressuring foreign companies’ investments while tightening visa issuance and reversing immigration policies. Amid this, incidents like the “massive crackdown at the Hyundai Motor-LG factory” were widely reported in global media.

A source from a domestic company said, “Companies dislike uncertainty even more than losses,” adding, “The unpredictability of the U.S. market, where future situations cannot be forecasted, will inevitably hinder companies’ long-term investment plans.”