How about showing some strenght and just completely scrap it instead of freezing it. Let’s dump some US debt and use the trade bazooka while we are at it. We need to show the power we have.
Dumping US debt is sort of the “nuclear option” as the whole reason countries have purchased treasuries is because they were seen as ultra stable. Once they destabilize and lose value as they start getting dumped, it hurts everyone involved. It’s definitely an option but much too early to be used over Trump social media posts.
Threatening to straight up annex Greenland is also a nuclear option. I fail to see how halting trade is an escalation in this context.
The regime has already openly stated, repeatedly, to any media that will listen, and in significant (if somewhat contradictory and nonsensical) detail that they consider Europe an adversary. Get your political leaders to stop pussyfooting around and take the situation fucking seriously. The best time to have started that was a literal decade ago, the first time he took a spin. The second best time to start that is right fucking now.
So I’m upvoting you but please consider my reply here:
I agree that trade is a great place to hit the US. As a Canadian we have been actively boycotting in my household since the threats against us a year ago. I would love a global coordinated effort to move off US social media (like we’re doing here), boycott products and digital services, and encourage lawmakers in other countries to repeal laws around digital restrictions they were coerced into enacting.
Threatening ANY country let alone an ally and then having no real domestic repercussions blows my mind and shows their true colors as a country. They have branches of government that could stop this in its tracks but have so far stayed mostly silent.
I’ll keep repeating this despite the emotional downvotes by some, but there are better options at this stage than selling off any significant amount (dumping) of US Treasuries in quantities large enough that it would make them care. So many other allied countries we do like will have economic repercussions and it’s also hard to predict where once dumping starts how far it could go. Even in “small amounts” if it causes other governments to start panic selling (to not be a country left with useless devalued Treasury bonds) it’s a global economic disaster. That’s why I call this the nuclear option, because it comes with fallout, not because I think Trump’s actions are reasonable or sane.
I’m sitting here debating how much wasted time explaining this is worth… (didn’t mean this to be rude, I meant it literally in that I could have written a much longer reply, and actually did sit to see how much time I’d waste on social media. Turns out a lot. )
Trump’s newest round of threatening parts of the world with annexation has been going on since he won the US election. Canada, Greenland, Panama, etc.
Right now the responses to his loud mouth ramblings have been proportionate. He mouths off, troops are sent to make it more of an escalation if he actually tried anything. It’s moving the pawns around waiting to see if there’s an attempt of a “check” coming. What plays, if any come next.
Your suggestion is to flip the table and hurt everyone at a point when only pawns have been moved.
I fully recognize as a Canadian the slap in the face that a threat of annexation has from an allied country. The sense of betrayal, and the concern that maybe it might happen. That said, you respond proportionately and appropriately without causing collateral damage.
Selling off US Treasury bonds hurts all US treasury bond holders across the globe, not just the US and not just the countries doing the selling. I called it the nuclear option because it does a lot of collateral damage and is a move reserved for when it’s more than just talk.
If you act on your table flip this early, not only was it you that escalated, you that removed all other measured and calculated moves, but you now have provoked the other player and given them more cause to then start punching you in the face.
You start your comment by insinuating you hold all knowledge but that it’s a waste of time explaining things to a dumb fuck like me. Just so you know, that’s not a great way of engaging with someone.
I didn’t insinuate anything. You’re being awfully combative when we’re both in agreement that his behavior is unacceptable. I also didn’t call you a “dumb fuck” so from my perspective you’re projecting. My major concern with your comment is that any selloff large enough to hurt the US also hurts ALL others holding US Treasury bonds so it’s an extreme move to do now. That’s it.
You didn’t actually say in your initial comment that you didn’t mean dumping all US bonds but again, any selloff enough for them to notice or cause them to panic also hurts others. Fundamentally I agree with you (though you seem to really be looking for a fight) but I also still maintain that there are other options like I’ve mentioned elsewhere in the thread. If you’re hellbent on going after US treasuries the other option (maybe more proportional) is for countries to stop reinvesting in them as they mature and make that known.
ETA: I’m indifferent to downvotes but can someone at least reply to enlighten me then where I’m missing the mark here in suggesting other options, and why selling off US treasuries is a good idea at this stage?
You called it a “trade bazooka” and now you’re back tracking saying you only meant a little bit when I explained why that move is maybe not the best move right now because it hurts many countries globally. You have also yet to acknowledge my point. Who’s not replying in good faith?
Ok. The trade bazooka is something else entirely. Look it up and learn something. I said sell some US bonds AND use the trade bazooka. Since you’re only after a fight I’m not going to indulge you any further. Have a nice day.
Honestly that’s that only way there’s gonna be any change. America isn’t as much of an autocracy as it is an oligarchy. Go after the money and the people who stand to make money and they’ll lean hard on the government.
Again, check out the impact globally of dumping enough US Treasury bonds that it actually hurts. I’m 100% for the idea of impacting their economy, but what this guy suggests disproportionately hurts countries like Japan who hold a lot of US treasuries. There’s collateral damage here.
Want some better options? Go check out Cory Doctorow’s last talk on ignoring US IP law and digital locks on products https://youtu.be/3C1Gnxhfok0 . How about organizing EU wide boycotts of US goods and services. These are more targeted options that are still hitting them in the money.
ETA: so again, if someone could inform me how this is wrong please reply with something constructive
I didn’t suggest going after treasuries. I said going after the money making apparatus’s of the oligarchs: cars, oil, IT, liquor. Ensure they can’t easily make money overseas.
Sorry, when you said “that’s the only way there’s going to be change” in response to the guy suggesting dumping treasuries, it came off like you thought that was a good call.
How about showing some strenght and just completely scrap it instead of freezing it. Let’s dump some US debt and use the trade bazooka while we are at it. We need to show the power we have.
Dumping US debt is sort of the “nuclear option” as the whole reason countries have purchased treasuries is because they were seen as ultra stable. Once they destabilize and lose value as they start getting dumped, it hurts everyone involved. It’s definitely an option but much too early to be used over Trump social media posts.
Bullies need to be fucking punched in the face, the sooner the better. Trying to be cautious and not overreact only encourages them to escalate.
There is no such thing as “too early” when retaliating against a bully.
Threatening to straight up annex Greenland is also a nuclear option. I fail to see how halting trade is an escalation in this context.
The regime has already openly stated, repeatedly, to any media that will listen, and in significant (if somewhat contradictory and nonsensical) detail that they consider Europe an adversary. Get your political leaders to stop pussyfooting around and take the situation fucking seriously. The best time to have started that was a literal decade ago, the first time he took a spin. The second best time to start that is right fucking now.
So I’m upvoting you but please consider my reply here:
It’s not just some social media post. It’s repeated threats to annex a part of europe.
I’m sitting here debating how much wasted time explaining this is worth…(didn’t mean this to be rude, I meant it literally in that I could have written a much longer reply, and actually did sit to see how much time I’d waste on social media. Turns out a lot. )Trump’s newest round of threatening parts of the world with annexation has been going on since he won the US election. Canada, Greenland, Panama, etc.
Right now the responses to his loud mouth ramblings have been proportionate. He mouths off, troops are sent to make it more of an escalation if he actually tried anything. It’s moving the pawns around waiting to see if there’s an attempt of a “check” coming. What plays, if any come next.
Your suggestion is to flip the table and hurt everyone at a point when only pawns have been moved.
I fully recognize as a Canadian the slap in the face that a threat of annexation has from an allied country. The sense of betrayal, and the concern that maybe it might happen. That said, you respond proportionately and appropriately without causing collateral damage.
Selling off US Treasury bonds hurts all US treasury bond holders across the globe, not just the US and not just the countries doing the selling. I called it the nuclear option because it does a lot of collateral damage and is a move reserved for when it’s more than just talk.
If you act on your table flip this early, not only was it you that escalated, you that removed all other measured and calculated moves, but you now have provoked the other player and given them more cause to then start punching you in the face.
You start your comment by insinuating you hold all knowledge but that it’s a waste of time explaining things to a dumb fuck like me. Just so you know, that’s not a great way of engaging with someone.
I’m not saying dump all US bonds. I’m saying send a signal. It’s been done before, with some success (https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/11/business/bond-market-trump-treasury-yield-rates). I agree it’s not a perfect solution to the problem, but showing strength is the only thing a bully understands.
I didn’t insinuate anything. You’re being awfully combative when we’re both in agreement that his behavior is unacceptable. I also didn’t call you a “dumb fuck” so from my perspective you’re projecting. My major concern with your comment is that any selloff large enough to hurt the US also hurts ALL others holding US Treasury bonds so it’s an extreme move to do now. That’s it.
You didn’t actually say in your initial comment that you didn’t mean dumping all US bonds but again, any selloff enough for them to notice or cause them to panic also hurts others. Fundamentally I agree with you (though you seem to really be looking for a fight) but I also still maintain that there are other options like I’ve mentioned elsewhere in the thread. If you’re hellbent on going after US treasuries the other option (maybe more proportional) is for countries to stop reinvesting in them as they mature and make that known.
ETA: I’m indifferent to downvotes but can someone at least reply to enlighten me then where I’m missing the mark here in suggesting other options, and why selling off US treasuries is a good idea at this stage?
I said some US debt. Some is not all. I can see you’re not acting in good faith here.
You called it a “trade bazooka” and now you’re back tracking saying you only meant a little bit when I explained why that move is maybe not the best move right now because it hurts many countries globally. You have also yet to acknowledge my point. Who’s not replying in good faith?
Ok. The trade bazooka is something else entirely. Look it up and learn something. I said sell some US bonds AND use the trade bazooka. Since you’re only after a fight I’m not going to indulge you any further. Have a nice day.
Wow. Your opening sentence is certainly one way to lose all credibility in the rest of your post. An unusual approach to arguing a point, for sure.
Yea, I just re-read it and I didn’t realize how it came across so I left it up but put a strike through and an edit.
Honestly that’s that only way there’s gonna be any change. America isn’t as much of an autocracy as it is an oligarchy. Go after the money and the people who stand to make money and they’ll lean hard on the government.
Again, check out the impact globally of dumping enough US Treasury bonds that it actually hurts. I’m 100% for the idea of impacting their economy, but what this guy suggests disproportionately hurts countries like Japan who hold a lot of US treasuries. There’s collateral damage here.
Want some better options? Go check out Cory Doctorow’s last talk on ignoring US IP law and digital locks on products https://youtu.be/3C1Gnxhfok0 . How about organizing EU wide boycotts of US goods and services. These are more targeted options that are still hitting them in the money.
ETA: so again, if someone could inform me how this is wrong please reply with something constructive
I didn’t suggest going after treasuries. I said going after the money making apparatus’s of the oligarchs: cars, oil, IT, liquor. Ensure they can’t easily make money overseas.
Yup 100% agreed.
Sorry, when you said “that’s the only way there’s going to be change” in response to the guy suggesting dumping treasuries, it came off like you thought that was a good call.
Oh. Gotcha. My bad.
Everyone should watch that talk, it’s amazing and would be such a powerful tool.