I’m no big Trump fan. That said, how about you give things a chance instead of going off what CNN, MSNBC and the like are saying?

So the last trade war (as documented in the above sites) didn’t work out well. The world had changed since the 1930s. I am no economic expert, far from it. But the way I understand it, America takes it in the nose in many trade deals. So what are we supposed to do, keep taking it the nose and not try to change the tide?

And look up Buy America act. Like many things, it sounds good to the public, but in practice it doesn’t quite have the teeth many think it does.

PEBKAC

You know how I feel about inferior work. It sickens me. I was yelling at some people just yesterday over a small transformer pad footing. I can’t believe how inadequate some workers are these days. BTW I yelled because I asked 3 times nicely to do it correctly and they wouldn’t do it. So I stopped the concrete pour and threatened to write up a non conformance. Ridiculous that I had to go thru such actions over such a minor structure.

I don’t doubt any of the stories you have read. There are certain countries such as China and Mexico that pretend that inspections were performed when the inspectors are on the payroll of the contractor or corrupt government agency. Happens a lot in NYC BTW.

When I worked private, the inspector was hired by the owner (or owner's rep).  I was often on that side.  Now, we have to deal with contractor quality control, which is usually a contractor company employee.  Even if the specs call for the contractor to hire a third party inspector/engineer, they are often threatened with a "remember who pays the bill".  Even when I was the engineer working for the contractor on design-build projects, we got some static for not being team players, but never been threatened.  I'm working on a project where one of the JV partners of the prime contractor is a Korean company.  They flat out threaten the special inspectors.  Even asking them to edit their reports so as to not document non-conforming work.  So damn shady.  They are bad too in that they'll be all nice to your face when you are on site in person, saying work will be performed properly.  Then they go and do opposite.  This project is do dysfunctional, we have members of the JV partners essentially tattling on the other.  It's a damn mess.

I loved quite a few of the projects I was on, but I don't miss being a Special Inspector. It's just about one of the worst positions you can be in. Everybody hates you. Owners hate to pay you because you're just an expense the government told them they had to have. Contractors hate you because they just want to do the work as quickly and cheaply as they can with no oversight. Any delay costs both sides money... Concrete didn't make strength...inspectors fault (just don't talk about the extra 50 gallons of water they added). Welds bad...blame the inspector because the welder used the rod that had been sitting in the rain for a week. Luckily, the contractor can word the RFI well enough and have their own engineer say it's fine before it goes to the EOR. So in the end it's always good.

Now I get to be the contractors QC. But after almost 30 years on the QA side, I never take it out on the SI guys. But I have seen it happen from other contractors. There's one whose office is over by OCCC that I've heard threaten the SI guys. I've made contractors fix things before too. The worst is I've actually made the fix myself knowing they won't and I couldn't live with that.

I've told every technician and Special Inspector that's ever worked with or for me, the only you thing you have is your reputation. All we produce is a piece of paper. Lie one time or look the other way one time, it will haunt you forever.

A chance? He is going to do it regardless of whatever I say so he is going to take his chances so I am just along for the ride. Has something about economics really changed, will a trade war suddenly work for us where it didn't in the past?

By the way, I rarely watch CNN or MSNBC. I get news from a variety of sources that lean different ways. Trade wars aren't good historically speaking, that's why I oppose this. Furthermore Trump isn't just limiting this to our opponent China, he is pissing off our friends too. If it we're just China I wouldn't have as much a problem as he originally said but then he changes his position and does it to our allies.

Trump complains about trade deficits but we are the biggest economy in the world, that is always going to leave a deficit. I agree that some deals are not good for us but I don't think a worldwide trade war is in our interest.

I don't know about the buy America act so I don't know what worked and what didn't. I will go read about it. I am more familiar with the Berry amendment which had to do with defense department spending. Making the government buy local ends up costing more so the taxes may go up but more money stays in the country as well. I am not an economist eithe so my suggestion should be considered an idea only.

Interesting to see that there are some engineers on this board. Spent several months as a project engineer for a general contractor. Hated it. I had a business degree and every project engineer was a CE. I knew very little about construction but when I left I learned quite a bit about concrete etc.

Anyways, my stock portfolio is grateful for President Trump. He is doing good things and unlike previous career politicians he is trying to keep his promises. The lobbying industry and the career politicians don't like him as he can't be bought. I believe he is in it for the people.

Interesting to see that there are some engineers on this board. Spent several months as a project engineer for a general contractor. Hated it. I had a business degree and every project engineer was a CE. I knew very little about construction but when I left I learned quite a bit about concrete etc.

I loved quite a few of the projects I was on, but I don't miss being a Special Inspector. It's just about one of the worst positions you can be in. Everybody hates you. Owners hate to pay you because you're just an expense the government told them they had to have. Contractors hate you because they just want to do the work as quickly and cheaply as they can with no oversight. Any delay costs both sides money... Concrete didn't make strength...inspectors fault (just don't talk about the extra 50 gallons of water they added). Welds bad...blame the inspector because the welder used the rod that had been sitting in the rain for a week. Luckily, the contractor can word the RFI well enough and have their own engineer say it's fine before it goes to the EOR. So in the end it's always good.

Now I get to be the contractors QC. But after almost 30 years on the QA side, I never take it out on the SI guys. But I have seen it happen from other contractors. There's one whose office is over by OCCC that I've heard threaten the SI guys. I've made contractors fix things before too. The worst is I've actually made the fix myself knowing they won't and I couldn't live with that.

I've told every technician and Special Inspector that's ever worked with or for me, the only you thing you have is your reputation. All we produce is a piece of paper. Lie one time or look the other way one time, it will haunt you forever.

Lots of my work now is in Guam and Japan, and they don’t use PT.

A chance as in to see how things progress as opposed to crying “the sky is falling” based on speculation on what you think will happen.

Eventually, Trump’s approach of coming out in the extreme, letting the shock factor run its course and then soften will lose its current effect. Many other nations have picked up on this.

I believe some (or much) of what Trump does is in his best interested beyond his current position as President. That said, I think many of the things he’s done are for the good of this nation. Hasn’t he earned some credit?

Does the name of that company start with an “N”?

Being a licensed engineer, I can’t turn a blind eye to things I see. My project or otherwise. I mean I’ve helped the contractor get to a “good enough” point. But I’ve had some flat out ask me to let non-conforming things slide.

Most special inspectors won’t let the big things slide either. Like you said, they would have to live with themselves if someone got hurt. Thankfully, in the project I’m referring to above, the SI resigned and let us know what was going on.

Considering the humidity in Guam I don’t blame them for not using PT. We are currently working on a rehab in Waikiki that is PT and all the cables are gone. I have not asked how they are going to go about reinforcing the slabs with all the missing cables? Not sure I want to know. 

I'm not saying it does, but I have an Aunt Ann, who lives in San Fran 

I remind the guys about the tower crane incident in NYC where the inspector went to prison for signing off on the work done. Crane collapsed and killed people.

I did a job in Las Vegas with a really bad contractor who just bullied everyone. PT beams and decks for garage and support of a retail mixed use structure. They continually refused to clean out the trash and debris from the forms. After they stripped them, I would go around and take pictures of the work. I have the picture still where I could put my entire arm through the beam, tendons exposed.... Not pretty

So news feed is filled with titles such as "Treason by Trump for meeting Putin".  But not 1 mention of that fact that Putin stated Russians gave Clinton 400 million...

Not to mention that they had US intelligence servie help with the deal.

Sounds like Bennan's CIA.

The Deep State is fighting back with obfuscation and spinning.