Member Info for Winstanley

NICKTIMS, I'm smart enough to know it's very difficult to crash a casino in the U.S, and Musk may be intelligent but that is not the only attribute for giving someone support - after all, Hitler was a genius they say.

Donald Trump's businesses filed for bankruptcy protection six times. These included the Trump Taj Mahal in 1991, Trump Plaza Hotel and Trump Castle in 1992, Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts in 2004, Trump Entertainment Resorts in 2009, and the Trump Organization's broader restructuring in 2014. Each bankruptcy was a result of the company seeking to reorganize and restructure its massive debts, primarily from his casino and real estate ventures. This is hardly the basis of a exceptionally experienced business leader, is it ? Even if, which he was not, had been a brilliant businessman that wouldn't necessarily make him a good choice for President.

Donald Trump's major failings in business often stemmed from overleveraging and poor financial management, particularly in his real estate and casino ventures. His reliance on massive debt led to several high-profile bankruptcies, notably in the 1990s and early 2000s. His casinos, which were once his flagship properties, struggled due to mismanagement, overspending, and the decline of the Atlantic City market. Additionally, his ventures sometimes lacked the necessary adaptability to navigate changing economic conditions, and some of his business decisions were criticized for being overly ambitious without sufficient planning or risk mitigation. In a nutshell, Trump was not up to the job.

You think Trump and Musk are good for the U.S. and the world - that's worrying.

S/W

Your views on Ukraine are interesting, having visited the country you're obviously more informed than I. While I dislike Tяump, he was perhaps right in trying to get other countries to increase defence spending. However, IMO, the way he went about it, with careless rhetoric, was self harming to the U.S.

'Tяump's latest flip-flop just confirms he’s got everything under control (yes, I'm joking).

Now he's exempting smartphones and computers from the tariffs, likely because the tech giants threw a fit. What’s his next brilliant move? Let’s wait and see.

Walmart is full of Chinese goods which will probably double in price. Americans won't like it at all.

I think the common perception that Chinese goods are rubbish just isn't true anymore. Things are changing, their cars are pretty good and value for money! They even make good quality acousic guitars that rival U.S brands!!

News:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20xn626y81o

Now we wait to see how the lunatic will treat pharmaceuticals. Never a dull moment.

P.S

Rory Stewart has suggested China could play a significant role. I can't remember where I heard it, but I think it was on one of his podcasts with Alastair Campbell.

S/W

This is only theoretical, but is more plausible than Trump's appeasement, and self interest, approach. China could help end the war in Ukraine by leveraging its strong relationship with Russia to pressure Moscow into a ceasefire and negotiations. With its economic influence over Russia, China could offer incentives for peace, while promoting a neutral security framework for Ukraine. By acting as a mediator and using its diplomatic clout, China could push both sides toward a settlement, though overcoming deep past mistrust and entrenched positions would remain a challenge.

In the news: Apparently Trump is climbing down on some tariffs again. The uncertainty of the man must be embarrassing for Americans.

HVIVO and GSK have mutual interests, particularly in the field of clinical research and vaccine development.

In this interview, hVIVO CEO Yamin ‘Mo’ Khan warns that a decline in vaccine uptake will almost certainly lead to the return of preventable diseases - a concern that also applies to GSK. Ultimately, vaccines have become a victim of their own effectiveness, and any resurgence of serious illnesses will likely trigger a renewed surge in demand for them:

"As for vaccine sentiment and the FDA—if vaccine use drops, we expect to see a rise in viral diseases..."

https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/1069470/hvivo-ceo-on-73m-target-and-expansion-strategy-icymi-1069470.html?rel=scroll

Https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/1069470/hvivo-ceo-on-73m-target-and-expansion-strategy-icymi-1069470.html?rel=scroll

There's nothing much to talk about on GSK.

So, might as well talk about the international climate.

Ironically, a few years ago, the UK under Prime Minister Theresa May was working to build stronger ties with China. Had that effort succeeded, it might have given some legitimacy to Brexit. However, issues like international security concerns and China’s human rights record ultimately derailed progress. The EU, if smart enough to 'seize the moment' might now be the beneficiaries!! - strange old world.

Imagine, if China were willing to bend a little towards western values, who knows what could be achieved. At least they listen:

http://gb.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/dshdjjh/202503/t20250322_11580182.htm

On a separate note, Trump once claimed he could end the Ukraine-Russia war on his first day in office. Needless to say, he didn’t - and never could have. In my view, China, however, could end it tomorrow if it chose to.

Is Trump painting himself into a corner?

He thinks 'Tariffs' is a beautiful word!

The EU and China seems to think 'cooperation' is a beautiful word. Together they would easily eclipse the U.S.

Meanwhile, the UK appears to be reaching out to India.

Clearly, It's not panning out the way Trump expected. His whole persona, which is probably the real man, is not making him or the U.S any friends.

https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/news/article/brussels-looks-to-beijing-with-fresh-eyes-as-it-contends-with-trumps-tariffs

If they don't start acting like grownups there could be worse to come. Is that there is going to be a large outbreak of not just measles, but other vaccine-preventable diseases as well?

https://www.propublica.org/article/whooping-cough-measles-outbreak-vaccine-hesitancy-trump

Let's be clear there is NO autism epidemic.

The only possibility of an epidemic, apart from bird flu, is one of Trumpian incompetence.

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/rfk-jr-pledges-answer-autism-epidemic-september-120706020

Https://electrek.co/2025/04/10/china-just-won-the-ev-race-due-to-trump-its-now-negotiating-closer-trade-with-eu/

Zheng Yongnian, In his latest commentary, he warned that the fallout from the escalating trade war must be managed to prevent direct conflict between the United States and China, especially if Trump’s tariffs fail to deliver his desired outcomes.'

The Trump administration are very foolish to publicly describe the Chinese as peasants.

https://thediplomat.com/2025/04/china-us-trade-war-about-whose-economy-more-resilient-leading-chinese-scholar/

...................

https://hss.cuhk.edu.cn/en/teacher/623

Fair point s/w

For me, this is fairly accurate:

https://apnews.com/article/brexit-five-year-anniversary-uk-eu-economy-8a8b87fb3ddd9e9ac278469c291f97c1

NICTIMS

Thanks for your opinion, it is respected. I fear once again we have gone off topic regarding GSK (probably my fault).

I will just say this, we don't currently have a better tariff arrangement than the EU (it's a blanket 10%, except for China) which translates as a U-turn. I expect this might change because Trump likes to play games. If a more favourable deal is secured for the UK it won't be anything to do with being outside the EU - and I suspect there will be hidden costs in one from or another. The claim that Brexit "saved thousands of lives" during Covid overlooks the fact that the EU was actually central to the joint vaccine procurement strategy, which secured vaccines for member states and others, including the UK, via early agreements with pharmaceutical companies. While the UK signed additional contracts, the EU's collective bargaining power helped expedite global access to vaccines. While the UK and EU both impose tariffs on certain goods, the UK now faces trade barriers with its largest trading partner, the EU, which has resulted in increased costs for businesses and consumers, contrary to the notion that the UK is better off economically outside the EU. Furthermore, the idea that the EU operates as a "protection racket" ignores the benefits of single market access, which significantly reduced trade friction and facilitated economic growth across the region. Alarmingly, on security the US has distanced itself from being an ally - being isolated up a certain creek without a paddle in this dangerous world is 'not good'.

S/w

Most people in the UK and Europe want good relations with the U.S. Unfortunately, Trump has damaged the American brand. He needs to go if trust is to be restored.

Amid the ongoing trade war, the Chinese government has signaled that it is ready for its citizens to bear economic hardship. Historically, China has experienced prolonged economic difficulties and has developed strategies to weather such storms. On the other hand, President Trump's trade policies are already starting to inflict economic strain on the U.S and it's citizens will not like what's happening . While both countries face challenges, China has a stronger track record of enduring such pressures, making it more likely they will withstand the current conflict better than the U.S.

Hopefully, I'm wrong too!

MenoMosso

Yes, I agree, you are right but Europe needs to believe in itself. Trump was one of the biggest cheerleaders of Brexit outside of Europe. Trump and Putin feared a United European power and both worked to make it collapse.

For the UK, the total freedom of movement was difficult to absorb and the likes of demagogues like Farage used that angle, and still does. IMO, it's better to be in a club as a member than it is to be subservient to the U.S. Europe, if it can work together is a strong economic force.

Thanks s/w

Just checked - yes they're there now.

He'll be waking up soon. I wonder how many days before he backtracks again?

It's become clear over the past week that MAGA is about returning to a world in which the US is the hegemonic capitalist power. But back in the Good Old Days, there was no economy big enough to challenge the US. Now there's China and their rise has spooked America into self-harming policy decisions.

Will he? Won't he?

Probably, Trump doesn't know either - depends which side of the bed he gets out of.

The uncertainty that is firmly attached to the man continues, it's a weakness that the markets dislike.

https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/1069450/astrazeneca-and-gsk-retain-defensive-qualities-but-tariff-assault-on-sector-could-change-that-1069450.html