Sometimes, a brief summary says it all.
In a recent newsletter, Paul Krugman succinctly described what Trump has done to the economy. Granted, his economic ignorance is only a part of the current devastation–there are also the daily assaults on the constitution and individual liberties, and the continuing restoration of the Confederacy and its out-and-proud racism and misogyny…
But a lot of people who don’t care about the American Idea or fundamental fairness do care about their bottom lines. So Krugman’s summary ought to matter. Here’s that summary:
He has imposed high tariffs, undoing the effects of 90 years of trade negotiations. His deportation policies are already creating labor shortages and supply disruptions in multiple sectors of the economy. His Big Beautiful Budget Bill, aside from being cruel, is fiscally irresponsible. Deportations will undermine Social Security and Medicare. His drastic cuts to scientific research will undermine U.S. technology, and hence long-run economic growth.
That recap was an intoduction to Krugman’s analysis of why the stock market hasn’t tanked (yet), which he attributes to faith in the promise of AI. (My jury is out on the question of whether that “promise” is really a threat…) He also points out that the market has historically been a poor predictor of longer-term economic trends.
Whatever the market’s performance means–or doesn’t–it’s impossible to read that quoted paragraph without recognizing the enormity and inevitability of decline in American prosperity unless the mindlessness and madness aren’t reversed.
I wonder whether Trump voters will find the restoration of Confederate statuary and philosophy worth the economic costs…
It was said by many pundits when Roe was overturned, that women wouldn’t stand for it, so the Democrats would mop up.
1.) Biden- was timidly speaking up,
2.) No big electoral shift
Now- Immigrants- deportations- so far – could be similar
Democratic voters and Independents- oppose military support of Israel- but elected Democrats- slower to change
WHEN will our Resistance of (impending) Fascism- get Really Serious????
Don’t look for Schumer and Krugman to save us! Schumer doesn’t care and Krugman isn’t a Community Organizer!
Organize-Organize- enjoy your Colts and Pacers, but they and CNN- aren’t “the answer “ or the Messenger.
We need to do much more now!,
Trump is sadistic. His power to cause pain brings him satisfaction. Others follow, support and enable him for various reasons but HIS reason is the kick he gets from being cruel. The good news is that he is nearing the end of his life.
I don’t think a large percentage of Americans are invested in the markets, but they do use them to gauge the effectiveness of the POTUS however, if you’re MAGA, a strong economy is based on their wealth and income. The exception is if there is a Democrat in office. Then they narrow their focus on gas and grocery prices. We saw this for the entire 2024 election.
Under Biden, all you heard about was high grocery prices – eggs, meat, cereal. They also constantly complained about gas prices. Suddenly, eggs and gas were the MOST important economic factors. For some reason, those factors are no longer critical. I saw a video of a Californian claiming that prices have fallen on energy and food, except in “Newscums California.” Neither of which is true.
Trump is also claiming that tariff dollars will easily pay down our debt and then some. Who is paying the tariffs? Trump still claims that other countries pay for the tariffs, so in his mind, China and the EU are paying down our debt. He says that to the media, and they don’t cut it out because it’s false.
The consumers pay for the tariffs via higher prices on goods and services. Most corporations bought a large supply of goods in anticipation of higher prices, but those products have been depleted. Now the higher-priced goods are being sold at higher prices. That might be good for profits and the stock market, but guess who will be paying for the goods and services at higher prices?
As for the cut in research and development, let’s be clear what he is cutting and what’s not being cut. If you look closer, he’s eliminating research on anything having to do with climate change for his oil buddies/donors. He’s also cutting what Biden invested in. Those dollars are being replaced by Trump’s investments. One of his first announcements was an investment of $500 billion in AI research. However, now he is telling AI companies that their language models must exclude DEI and climate change, honoring Trump’s worldview. If Microsoft or ChatGPT wants those billions, guess what they’ll do?
Trump is pure satanic narcissism and is replacing everything done in the past, and replacing the arts, culture, history, economics, foreign policy, etc., with a Trump-centered US of A. As an autocrat, it’s all about him, and if you want to do business with the US of A, you will negotiate with King Trump. KT is the alpha and the omega.
Lastly, not sure who asked this question, but “Why don’t we know more about the attempted assassin from Butler, PA?” 😉
We are not the United States of America. We are now occupants of Trump World, Inc.
If we want to truly save our democracy then we need to replace ALL of those who are now in Congress that bend their knee to Trump. They so want to be re-elected but have shown no guts to stand up to him.
From “THE SONGS OF THE CELL” by Siddhartha Mukherjee Pg. 367-
“Systems of cells with specialized functions, communicating with each other through short-and long range messages, can achieve powerful physiological functions that individual cells cannot achieve—for example, the healing of winds, the signaling of metabolic states, sentience, cognition, homeostasis, immunity. The human body functions as a citizenship of cooperating cells. The disintegration of this citizenship tips us from wellness into disease.”
Societies work the same way, as do the groups of societies that make up humankind. Mess with this and, as in the body of a single person, you create the environment for international cancer. Trump is like a cancerous cell, subverting and distorting everything around him.
“The moral test of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable.” And WE are now failing that test, despite the “Holier than thou!” BS of the right!
That quoted paragraph barely touches on the Trump problems. Does anyone believe he is talking to Putin to end the war in Ukraine; have you all forgotten that Ukraine and newly elected President Zelensky were the basis of Trump’s FIRST impeachment. Or that he has ousted all government and military members who testified against him in those hearings and the impeachment. The Epstein/Maxwell situation has come and gone and now back full force as being factual or not without details of Trump’s connection and/or participation in the sex trafficking organization along with Prince Andrew and other U.S. and global dignitaries. His moving Maxwell to a low-level prison situation with the ugliest of convictions for her participation in child sex trafficking speaks volumes of his insider dealings continuing. He has now dropped the required age limit for ICE agents and requested teenagers apply for positions; his sick interest in using children is expanding to armed, military level.
The destruction of the historic Kennedy Rose Garden at the White House has now been cemented over and spare poolside, umbrellaed patio tables shipped from Mar-A-Lago to grace the once beautiful Rose Garden to remind him of his home. Was that the site of his and Musk’s car sale a few months ago when they were BFFs; now competing for the Richest Man in the World Title? The renaming of the Kennedy Center Opera Center to Melania Trump and the removal of President Obama’s official portrait to who knows where makes me question what else has he done internally to our stately White House before destruction externally by the construction of his 90,000 square foot gold ball room?
The dangerous and illegal actions he has taken within the U.S. and globally in only six MONTHS are being overlooked by the attention switched to his stupid actions he is putting before the public as his legacy when he is working on remaining in the Oval Office after his second term ends. Restoring the Confederate statuary will be much simpler to remove a second time than it will be to remove Trump if he is determined to stay. We currently have Randall McMurphy as president and Nurse Ratched as Attorney General and neither of them willing to fly over the current Cuckoo’s Nest that is our federal government.
It seems like the all out blitz from every direction hit full force after the Epstein issue didn’t look like it was going to die. I suspect every new outrage is just part of flooding the zone…
It seems to be working. We all are suffering from fatigue and overload. It’s not exactly Hitler’s playbook but it seems effective in the Internet age.
Trump, the most successful NYC conman in the country’s history, eclipsing even Bernie Madoff, is harvesting our country for his sponsors, the eyewateringly wealthy.
He is a taker living the high life off the makers to the tunes of the Pied Piper of fascism, leading the willing, nose to the butt in front of them, all wondering what that awful stench is.
When will the buzzards come swooping down on the Golden Throne, take his meat, and wonder why there is no heart in the giant pile of blubber?
Soon, one can hope. Sooner rather than later.
The problem is that too many Americans have been out to lunch, for way too long. If we are to recover from this misery, we need to get everyone to the polls. We need to have a simple dashboard that shows the what the issue is, who benefited.or was hurt by the action taken, was it Constitutional? Yes or no.? Put a link to more information. Let the people know how much information is out there, but don’t force it on them.
Most people who play/invest in the stock market have caught on to the fact that Trump’s threats and bullying are mostly meaningless. He really is TACO MAN, and if they catch on and act quick enough they can buy and sell accordingly. Fortunes are being made while thousands sleep in the streets. It’s the 1920s all over again.
Theresa; this time around, it is the “Grapes Of Wrath” brought about by the dried up little raisins TACO MAN is showing the world.
Thank you Sheila and for the comments. They are wonderful and on point. I follow several people and I just wonder what is going to happen that I haven’t thought of tomorrow. I understand that they still have a few more hits to finish the Project 2025 agenda. Show we end up with JD he will no doubt be worse than Trump…the are two of a kind and just look at those that are running our country. And I was one of those that was asleep at the wheel until “Trump” being elected for office the first time woke me up! History became important to me at that time. Finding Heather Cox Richardson has helped me to navigate this total nightmare that we are living daily. I can’t believe the people I know that are following him! Trump is a better conman than Elmer Gantry!