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‘A Nonsensical Place’
Did everyone hear Scott Bessent on Wednesday?
I hope so, because the rhetoric from the Trump admini
Gee, Ken, who could’ve seen this coming? You’d think people managing tens of billions of dollars would have some basic ability to recognize a charlatan.
Remember the 2004 presidential election when the GOP excoriated John Kerry for “flip flopping” on issues? Back then GOP voters favored resolute stuborness over reactive bobbing and weaving.
Things have changed, I guess.
Crazy that it hasn’t even been a month indeed. It feels we really went down the rabbit hole on April 2nd and we still haven’t found our way out.
It’s game over for America I think. Total laughing stock on the world stage and the country is quickly realizing it holds no real cards.
Because it holds no real leaders.
Yes
This is the very real problem. Neither party possesses a single viable leader who knows anything. The US literally has no future.
Nice to see the Big Orange taking care of those who add to his coffers. The top 220 holders of Bitcoin $TRUMP will be invited to an exclusive gala dinner with the president next month.
It’s beyond my mental capacity to understand how something like this can be normalized.
I thought that, at least in part, Trump wanted to increase tariffs in order to set the stage for Congress to extend the 2017 tax cuts (the real goal). So if tariffs are just the means to the end; then it really doesn’t matter if US actually collects more in tariffs or not- so long the perception is that higher tariffs are on their way (just close your eyes and believe) which will offset taxes given up by extending the 2017 tax code (vote yes! because this is favorable to the wealthy who paid to get you in office).
I still say that a “cabal” of ultra wealthy/power brokers, who have direct, or once removed, access to Trump, are calling the shots. And that cabal doesn’t want anything to happen that would destroy their own wealth.
So what is “signal” and what is “noise”?
I think you’re right about a cabal. Just think it’s a group that’s formed that wants to take us back to the “glory days” when we were a white, god-fearing nation, when white/men/might made right. Trump doesn’t care about the religious implications because they’ll let him and his family become wealthier than they ever would have been (already happening). He’s a tool.
Maybe. My life experience tells me that it is ALWAYS about the money.
Trump goes into his playroom and consults his magic 8 ball….The Magic 8 Ball has 20 possible answers, ranging from affirmative to negative and non-committal. Affirmative answers include “It is certain”, “Yes, definitely”, and “As I see it, yes”. Negative answers include “Don’t count on it”, “My sources say no”, and “Outlook not so good”. Neutral answers include “Ask again later” and “Very doubtful”.
Now you know.
Concentrate and ask again.
This is the conundrum.
The reciprocal tariffs announced on 4/2 plus the triple-digit tariffs thereafter announced on China imply a very severe recession or worse – maybe with high inflation, maybe with recessionary deflation – and SP500 with a 3 handle.
The current best-wish-case of 10% on everyone plus 50% or so on China imply a significant recession, and a 4 handle.
We don’t know which scenario we’re headed for, or how long it will take to get there (2-3 years?!?), or what other self-harm this administration will inflict, and yet the SP500 has a 5 handle.
Actually, is that really a conundrum? Maybe it’s pretty clear.