3M officially responds to Trump's inhumane demands ...

[mzmolly]

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--3M issued the following statement in response to the announcements issued by the White House last evening:

Over the last several weeks and months, 3M and its employees have gone above and beyond to manufacture as many N95 respirators as possible for the U.S. market. Yesterday, the Administration formally invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA) to require 3M to prioritize orders from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for our N95 respirators.

...

In the course of our collaboration with the Administration this past weekend, the Administration requested that 3M increase the amount of respirators we currently import from our overseas operations into the U.S. We appreciate the assistance of the Administration to do exactly that. For example, earlier this week, we secured approval from China to export to the U.S. 10 million N95 respirators manufactured by 3M in China.

The Administration also requested that 3M cease exporting respirators that we currently manufacture in the United States to the Canadian and Latin American markets. There are, however, significant humanitarian implications of ceasing respirator supplies to healthcare workers in Canada and Latin America, where we are a critical supplier of respirators. In addition, ceasing all export of respirators produced in the United States would likely cause other countries to retaliate and do the same, as some have already done. If that were to occur, the net number of respirators being made available to the United States would actually decrease. That is the opposite of what we and the Administration, on behalf of the American people, both seek.

We also continue to act on reports of price gouging and unauthorized reselling related to 3M respirators. This activity is unethical and illegal. We are working with the U.S. Attorney General and attorneys general of every state, making it clear that 3M has not and will not raise prices for respirators and offering our assistance in the fight.

FULL PRESS RELEASE

[Laffy Kat]

1. Trump fucks up everything he touches. nt

[ooky]

12. Yes, among his many horrible traits,

he's stupid.

[SCantiGOP]

23. You beat me to it

He’s really not doing this because of any political beliefs. If he’s doing it to help his re-election he is making his chances worse.
No, all of this is happening because he not very smart, and is very incompetent.

I don’t know that we need to run against trump’s politics; just run on competence and the ability to get things done in a normal manner. Don’t start by firing 90% of the senior people who are actually smart and know what they’re doing.

[fwvinson]

30. They might better let Jarvanka know this. These stupid, idiotic, egotistical assholes are in charge!

[tblue37]

2. K&R for visibility. nt

[Celerity]

3. Germany will be front of the line to retaliate after Rump caused piracy of their masks

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213234385

He is a fucking monster who is going to cause the world to turn on the US.

[mzmolly]

5. As others have said, November can't come

soon enough.

[Blecht]

4. Trump is a moronic monster

The question is usually stupid or evil -- here it's definitely stupid AND evil.

[GP6971]

6. K & R n/t

[Blue Owl]

7. Hey Donny, tell us about all the businesses you bankrupted...

Then tell us why you have any business telling other companies what to do...

[Orrex]

8. In other words, 3M is correctly stating...

that President Fuckhead is an idiot racist fuckhead worshiped by a cult of idiot racist fuckheads.

[mzmolly]

9. LOL

works for me.

[Celerity]

11. [phone]

[blm]

15. ✔️

[uponit7771]

17. +1

[ProfessorGAC]

38. They Also Said No!

The way I read it, they said no they're not going to do that, and that they know better. They're correct.

[NoMoreRepugs]

10. Fucking Ignoramous.

[crickets]

13. So the only time he actually invokes the DPA, he misuses it in a way that screws everyone.

Odd, it's almost as though there's some kind of plan...

[mzmolly]

14. That's an excellent point.

He only invoked the DPA to settle scores. He's evil.

[IronLionZion]

19. It seems deliberately malicious

rather than incompetence

[TDale313]

26. Not sure it has to be an either/or.

He can be malicious and incompetent. But yes, absolutely a vengeful streak a mile wide.

[FarPoint]

16. Professional statement...

Show us how incompetent our current Administration actually is...

[IronLionZion]

18. Stable genius

Maybe it's time to stop electing failed businessmen and bring back public servants who actually serve the public, not seek to maximize profit by restricting supply and bidding up prices in times of high demand. What an asshole.

[mountain grammy]

20. He really is a madman.. clinically insane.

He's a sick man and should not be president.

[fwvinson]

31. He,and the Trumpians, should be in hell

Frump is going to kill us all. Frump WILL get his, but not before he kills millions of us. A bullet to all their skulls is the answer.

[marble falls]

21. A curse on all their houses.

Why not keep US made respirators in the US? Send the Chinese masks elsewhere?

[GulfCoast66]

25. And if US made respirator depend on things like fabric made in another country!

Say Canada? What good are making respirators if you can’t get the parts because our dickhead president is living in the 50’s.

[marble falls]

27. How are US masks being made? There are fabic factories that are making fabrics for masks even as ...

we type in Alabama and South Carolina as we speak. This was reported here on DU this week.

We've been after the orange goofball to enact the Defense Production Act. He does and we're going to defend 3M against it?

After we jail the Orange Goofball, we'd better take a serious look at what it takes to meet a similar event in he future. No matter what it is it will these same thing.

Masks out of the US and masks into the US at the same time? Something is wrong.

[GulfCoast66]

28. Respectfully, I think you are incorrect.

Historically the largest threat to humanity is war. Not pandemic, which often follows war.

And the most likely situation that causes war is by each nation bring and island among itself. And seeing all others as, well, others.

And we have prevented a major war for the longest time in human history, at least in the west, by insuring all democratic nations are tied to each other by economic realities.

That said, China is not yet a democracy so we should be more wary. But when considering Canada and Western European we should be in solidarity when in times of crisis.

[Caliman73]

29. Any competent leader would have been able to navigate the system.

With global supply chains there is some nuance with trade that has to be navigated. The problem isn't the global supply chain, although it would likely be prudent to have at least several manufacturers making materials using our own resources in the US.

The problem with the response is simply that Trump is stupid, greedy, and vindictive. GM was gearing up to make ventilators along with a partner. They were waiting for leadership from D.C. to officially kick off. They received none. They went at it without the leadership, then Trump threatened to invoke DPA but not to get what we need, to punish GM for going public about the delays. Now he is going after 3M when they were already producing masks near capacity?

If anything is wrong systemically with how things are operating with regards to "masks in and masks out, it is reliance on the capitalist market system. We definitely need to look into how capitalism fails often and badly when it comes to distribution of goods and services especially in crisis situation with lifesaving products and services.

[fwvinson]

32. President Obama had a plan, Frump destroyed it on day one.

[spanone]

22. K&R

[NoRoadUntravelled]

24. We Must Not Be the Country that Causes the World's People to Die

That is not who we are and I refuse to believe otherwise.
If we don't wake up now, American citizens will carry this shame for generations.

This isn't toilet paper hoarding we're talking about. This is life and death.
There will be plenty for everyone if the world works together.

[amcgrath]

33. Trump is destroying America

I actually feel quite sorry for 3M. They were quick to say that they thought the order to cease export to Canada and Mexico was wrong. These were regular customers and part of the trade that goes between the three countries and benefits everybody.

All Trump has suceeded in doing, is showing - very publicly - that the US cannot be relied on in an emergency. - something most of us have known all our lives, but still a revelation to some.

Within 24 hours of the announcement, Canada had set up warehousing in China and bought millions of masks which will be shipping direct from the warehouse there, to various points in Canada.

When this is all over, does Trump imagine the Canadian health system will hook back up with 3M and go back to having a supplier who is prevented from shipping to them in a crisis? Canada will more likely stick with China and perhaps set up its own maunfacturers, by reserving some of the $8 billion dollars worth of pulp and paper products it supplies the US with each year.

As a sociopath, Trumps behaviour is expected, but as businessmen is happy to pull stunts, to look like the big man, but doesn't give a damn about anybody's future. He did the same sort of thing to the farmers, and now China buys pork and soy beans from Russia.

[Lock him up.]

35. Putin is a better investor...

... working on his long-term plan (to cash in).

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142463635

[LittleGirl]

34. Now I realize how IQ45 went bankrupt so many times

he gets mad at a supplier and then disses them and doesn't pay them. Tries to tell him how to run their business.
Everything he touches dies.

[dawg day]

36. There is some comfort in knowing that most people are more compassionate than Trump....

almost everyone. No. Everyone. Everyone is kinder and more caring than Trump.

The question remains... how can he be president, when he's so much worse a human being than almost anyone any of us know??

[klook]

37. Wow, weird. It's almost as if this is a global crisis affecting all humans

A crisis that could be solved more quickly through international cooperation and mutual assistance.

Nah, Amurka First!!1! We’ve gotta grab ‘em all for ourselves!

[BrightKnight]

39. He was just trying to redirect blame to 3M or GM