Usa Thread

[bust]

Will have zero effect on us but will put a stop to affordable medicine in the US for many

Australia defends Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme as US companies urge Trump to impose reciprocal tariffs

A US pharmaceutical industry representative body said the PBS "undervalued American innovation".

American medical giants have written to the Trump administration, urging it to consider Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme as an "unfair trade practice" and to impose "reciprocal" tariffs.

Labor says the Trump administration cannot exert any direct influence on the PBS, and there is "no way" it will change, but the government is alive to the possibility its own pharmaceutical exports to the US could come in line for tariffs.

Donald Trump has promised tariffs on countries in retribution for a range of pricing practices he deems "unfair", a list that includes sale taxes such as the GST.

American medical giants have labelled the federal government's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) "egregious and discriminatory" and have pressed US President Donald Trump to target Australia when he imposes sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on trading partners next month.

A lengthy letter sent from a US pharmaceutical industry representative body to US trade representative Jamieson Greer said the PBS amounted to "damaging pricing policies" that undervalued American innovation and threatened billions of dollars in lost sales.

Under the PBS, the government negotiates prices directly with suppliers to make them cheaper for Australians.

Photo shows us president donald trump holds a signed executive order for tariffs increase

The tariffs were not going into effect immediately but could begin to be imposed within weeks as Trump's trade and economic team study bilateral tariff and trade relationships.

The independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommends which medicines are listed on the PBS, with about 930 prescription medicines currently on the scheme.

The letter argues this process "systematically devalues US medicines" and fails to "appropriately recognise innovation" by preferencing cheaper "generic" versions of medicines rather than the higher-priced originals in some circumstances.

"[Australia] penalises legitimate efforts by innovators to protect their intellectual property rights," the letter read.

The Trump administration intends to impose fresh tariffs in April on countries it believes employ "unfair" trade practices, a term that has been applied extremely broadly, including to sales taxes such as Australia's GST.

The purpose of the letter is to encourage the Trump administration to regard the PBS, and several other medicine schemes around the world, as an unfair practice and impose tariffs in response, for instance on Australia's own pharmaceutical exports into the US.

'No way' PBS will change, say Labor ministers

Labor has already categorically ruled out touching the PBS in any trade negotiations, and ministers have been quick to emphasise the Trump administration could not exert any direct influence on the scheme.

"There's no way we're going to change the PBS because of advocacy of any other country," Health Minister Mark Butler said on Sunday.

"This is a cherished part of the Australian healthcare system, one that Labor has fought for 75 years."

[bust]

Why is he so eager to go after us?😟

US tech giants lobby Trump to tackle Australian social media rules

The US's tech lobby has used the Trump administration's trade review to complain about regulation in Australia, including plans to impose charges on American social media companies to support Australian news outlets.

The sector says Australia is among countries imposing unfair "digital trade barriers", and it wants the White House to consider that when devising its new tariffs strategy.

The Trump administration warns countries that impose unfair barriers on US companies will face new tariffs on April 2.

America's big tech sector is lobbying the Trump administration to take up a new fight with the Australian government — over its rules governing social media and streaming services. 

Silicon Valley, whose top executives have cultivated close relationships with Donald Trump, is now pushing the new president to pressure Australia to relax its regulations or risk retaliation.

The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), representing the sector, has made a formal submission as part of the White House's review of US trade policy.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-21/us-tech-x-meta-facebook-twitter-trump-australia-trade-review/105079442

[Coss]

When the Neighbour down the street is holding a continuous, loud and drunken party, 365 days a year and the other residents of the street and indeed streets nearby, exhort them to keep the noise volume down.

And then tell them that the rest of the neighbourhood are going to prevent, the Criminals and Sexual Deviants and other Ne'er Do Wells, of the Neighbour down the street's party, wandering onto the other neighbourhood properties.

Neighbour down the street partygoers, scream blue murder and teach the Neighbour down the street's leader to try and impose financial penalties on access to the other neighbours, which get paid by the Neighbour down the street's people, when they wander.

Neighbour down the street's leader is sufficiently dim, to think that this is good and clever.

Also he thinks that by his mere presence in the neighbourhood, that he is King of the neighbourhood.

The other neighbours laugh at him. Regularly.

[Coss]

Trump revokes legal status of 530,000+Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans   LINK

I wonder if they've got enough cattle cars...

 

Sad and distressing

[Mekong]

[bust]

Against public interest, Trump hands public forests over to private industry

• Against public interest, Trump hands public forests over to private industry

The Coconino National Forest (Arizona) in the aftermath of a fire. Fire can actually play an important role in a forest's natural equilibrium, allowing new life to spring forth.

Brady Smith (USFS), flickr.

Trump gives greenlight for reckless logging, sidesteps critical environmental law

While people across the country were out enjoying their public lands and forests on Saturday afternoon, President Trump was signing an executive order that makes it easier for private companies to log and clearcut forests, while sidestepping review under the Endangered Species Act.  

Executive Order “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production” is reckless, anti-science, and masquerades as a wildfire solution, yet does nothing to protect communities threatened by wildfire.  

Trump’s Executive Order is a multi-pronged attack, aided by his allies in Congress who are moving along the misguided “Fix Our Forests Act” and following the firing of thousands of federal workers, included from the Forest Service, who ensure our nation’s forests remain places that benefit communities, climate, and biodiversity, and continue to be sources for clean air and water. The order sets in motion a series of efforts that, taken together, will make logging primacy on our nation’s publicly owned forests above all else.  

In response to the news, The Wilderness Society issued the following statement: 

“People deserve smart, science-driven solutions that truly protect their forests and communities, but don’t let it fool you – President Trump's forest executive order isn’t the solution. It’s a short-sighted giveaway for extractive industries that will result in destruction for the very places that provide us clean air, water, and sustain many local economies driven by tourism and recreation,” said Josh Hicks, Director of Conservation Campaigns at The Wilderness Society. "Leaders in Congress must stand up and oppose these far-reaching attacks and look to finding real solutions for our communities, wildlife, and public forests." 

[buffalo_bill]

Gentlemen, I was planning to put together a daily summary of all Trump-decrees which went wrong already now or will do so in future. A list like that goes above my capacity and therefore just 3 random samples:

The German Air Force bought 35 F35 planes at totally 9 billion USD plus trainloads of spares and services. The deal is now under threat due to the possibility of the US supplier to interfere with the operational capability of the F35. They can switch it off in other words if somebody tells them so. People do not trust the USA any more.

Several US states lost weather forecast capacity due to many people sacked by Elon. They cannot operate all balloons any more and lost people who can analyse the signals.

After the greatest peace deal of all times, arranged by several big phone calls both fighting  parties involved now keep accusing each other of breaking arrangements that do not exist.

[bust]

It's a lost cause Bubi because by nature, Americans are stupid. (some exceptions 😊)

[Coss]

6 hours ago, bust said:

It's a lost cause Bubi because by nature, Americans are stupid. (some exceptions 😊)

Ditto Bubi

I too, am going to spend my time on more productive matters, though I will spare a chuckle for when Donald melts.

I'll do any further posting in [picture] [caption]  format, as it seems, that this format, is the only thing the modern world understands and it saves me writing  1,000 words per point, for the uneducated to ignore...  

_____

only dancing is needed

 

don't criticize him, he can dish it out but he can't take it

 

look, think, say good bye

 

only the expendables can save you now

_____

 

[buffalo_bill]

6 hours ago, bust said:

It's a lost cause Bubi because by nature, Americans are stupid. (some exceptions 😊)

 

Sir, I refuse to agree. Some of your éxceptions´  we even had the pleasure to enjoy here on this very board at a much earlier time. And although Mr Hippie for example once refused to accept the Airbuses as better planes than the Boeings I would include him into the exceptions. As we are talking about Americans being stupid I once did enjoy the priviledge talking to famous writer Gore Vidal who used to spend some time in January in Bangkok. The man explained me that many of his US countrymen were just ignorant. The occasion made me buy one of his books but it did only create a major headache, maybe I am one of the ignorants.