This week, I explain why the US economy looks worse for wear, break down what comes after the US-Ukraine ceasefire agreement, discuss Russia’s threat to the Baltics with the Latvian foreign minister, and answer your questions on nuclear proliferation and Justin Trudeau’s replacement. Plus, your weekly rec from my dog Moose.
Trump can only be understood when you understand what he is…a thief, fraud and felon. Understanding that reality leads to the conclusion that all his decisions are made to support his corruption. Tariffs give him the power to threaten and to make exceptions. That power allows him to line his pockets and those of the Trump Organization his family and business associates. Uncertainty keeps everyone off guard while he grifts. Although we have to fight the policies he espouses we need to also concentrate on taking away his money and economic opportunities.
Y’know Ian, I’m growing a little tired of what seems to be a persistent unawareness on your part of what the Trump 2.0 bigger picture is.
Here’s a starting point. It links to supporting evidence. I can provide a bunch more. It’s all out in the open, which is why Trump’s cabinet aren’t even wearing their masks any more.
Trump’s executing a plan, dreamed up by Silicon Valley’s “best”, to gut the federal government and privatise whatever still needs to be done, because at least some of the “trains still need to run on time” (because nothing says abolishing fraud, waste, and abuse more than slapping corporate profit margins on the replacements of those services previously provided by the Fed).
It’s a techno-feudal monarchy, whose philosophical foundations have been provided by Curtis Yarvin (aka Mencius Moldbug) and scant few others, and become the bible from which the Silicon Valley ‘mafia’ are now singing. No more of this messy annoying every-4/8-year-pendulum-swinging democracy crap, let’s wipe all that away and have corporate-feudalism, headed by a King, THE ULTIMATE IN STABLE GOVERNMENT.
The current King with “sidekick” Musk and his DOGE is currently in the wrecking-ball stage, and inserting the technological tentacles into the Fed computer systems to have complete control. But because that King’s old and only a heart attack or a bullet away from the grave, he’s backed by a young bur rather improbable VP pick, one who’s been groomed for a decade by Peter Thiel for exactly this task: to be ready to take over as the next figurehead King.
This Silicon Valley fever dream plan has been lashed to the vast array of Christian Nationalist groups that pervades the USA, and together that plan is Project 2025.
They’re not expecting to have elections come 2028, maybe not even the mid-terms in 2026; or at the very least, to whatever degree they will be held, they’ll be inconsequential. Remember Trumps words in August 2024, begging christians to come out and vote for him in November: “Christians, I love you, you gotta come out and vote in November, but you only have to vote this one last time, after that you won’t need to vote again, it’ll all be fixed”.
100% Anthony. How the hell do more people not know this? WTF is wrong with the media?? They hang on every sham of a “press conference” the guy has from the Oval Office, and don’t report on this stuff at all. Thank God people are taking to the streets though despite that. One thing people know is PAIN….and enough of them still understand right from wrong and what is at stake.
Why don’t people start calling it what it is…..the Hunger Games economy?? TRUMPS Hunger Games economy. And say it over and over and over again like they do. People get that. Sowing chaos and confusion and making everybody hang on his every word….meanwhile the rich will get richer and everybody else will be broke. Exhibit A: Project 2025 - https://audentesfortunaiuvat.substack.com/p/conversations-with-ai-understanding?r=3flfre
Why do you have Walmart as your sponsor? Most of their employees require public assistance to survive. Their corporation is not good for people and small businesses.
Trumps methods might create a downward spiral for the very thing we need, higher revenue to the federal government. Tariffs are meant for a number of things, national security, revenue generation albeit very small amount of the federal budget, and protection of domestic producers, if there are any, so they can raise prices. Here is the thing, they do not guarantee domestic producers will increase capacity and increase supply. Why? Because tariffs raise prices by design and there for slow demand. Companies won’t invest in new plant and equipment when demand is slowing. As demand slows, people get laid off, tax revenues go down and demand slows even more. More public resources are needed for the unemployed - so public spending goes up and tax revenues go down. The downward spiral continues with recession inevitable.
JFK made the term” a rising tide lifts all boats” popular. He was the first supply side President. He did not use tariffs because they don’t work to grow an economy. What he used mostly was investment tax credits for domestics investments in plant and equipment. In today’s era that needs to be expanded to, energy tech and data related investments. He also cut taxes on capital gains. He did not use tariffs.
Supply side economics are not trickle down economics. It’s a form of stimulus that grows the supply side while demand increase to keep a lid on inflation. Want new domestic capacity for steel, create an investment tax credit of 20% for all plant and capital equipment including automation required to build a new steel plant. Steel tariffs will increase the price of domestic autos reducing demand and provide no incentive to build new car factories. Want people to buy new EVs made in America? Which Trump seems to want, albeit only Teslas, then keep or increase the EV tax credit for all domestic made EVs. https://www.cato.org/blog/steel-prices-continue-rise-even-new-tariffs-take-effect
We’ve got a WW-1 type situation developing in Europe. Its caused in no small part by Trump’s repudiating NATO and its Article Five commitment and changing sides — his new alliance with Putin. What must Europeans now do to prevent a Russo-American attack?
Trump can only be understood when you understand what he is…a thief, fraud and felon. Understanding that reality leads to the conclusion that all his decisions are made to support his corruption. Tariffs give him the power to threaten and to make exceptions. That power allows him to line his pockets and those of the Trump Organization his family and business associates. Uncertainty keeps everyone off guard while he grifts. Although we have to fight the policies he espouses we need to also concentrate on taking away his money and economic opportunities.
Y’know Ian, I’m growing a little tired of what seems to be a persistent unawareness on your part of what the Trump 2.0 bigger picture is.
Here’s a starting point. It links to supporting evidence. I can provide a bunch more. It’s all out in the open, which is why Trump’s cabinet aren’t even wearing their masks any more.
https://substack.com/@mikebrock/p-156755682
Trump’s executing a plan, dreamed up by Silicon Valley’s “best”, to gut the federal government and privatise whatever still needs to be done, because at least some of the “trains still need to run on time” (because nothing says abolishing fraud, waste, and abuse more than slapping corporate profit margins on the replacements of those services previously provided by the Fed).
It’s a techno-feudal monarchy, whose philosophical foundations have been provided by Curtis Yarvin (aka Mencius Moldbug) and scant few others, and become the bible from which the Silicon Valley ‘mafia’ are now singing. No more of this messy annoying every-4/8-year-pendulum-swinging democracy crap, let’s wipe all that away and have corporate-feudalism, headed by a King, THE ULTIMATE IN STABLE GOVERNMENT.
The current King with “sidekick” Musk and his DOGE is currently in the wrecking-ball stage, and inserting the technological tentacles into the Fed computer systems to have complete control. But because that King’s old and only a heart attack or a bullet away from the grave, he’s backed by a young bur rather improbable VP pick, one who’s been groomed for a decade by Peter Thiel for exactly this task: to be ready to take over as the next figurehead King.
This Silicon Valley fever dream plan has been lashed to the vast array of Christian Nationalist groups that pervades the USA, and together that plan is Project 2025.
They’re not expecting to have elections come 2028, maybe not even the mid-terms in 2026; or at the very least, to whatever degree they will be held, they’ll be inconsequential. Remember Trumps words in August 2024, begging christians to come out and vote for him in November: “Christians, I love you, you gotta come out and vote in November, but you only have to vote this one last time, after that you won’t need to vote again, it’ll all be fixed”.
And here’s the progress, 38% in less than 2 months, of Project 2025, a progress tracker: https://www.project2025.observer/
It’s time you woke up and smelt the big picture and started talking like it.
100% Anthony. How the hell do more people not know this? WTF is wrong with the media?? They hang on every sham of a “press conference” the guy has from the Oval Office, and don’t report on this stuff at all. Thank God people are taking to the streets though despite that. One thing people know is PAIN….and enough of them still understand right from wrong and what is at stake.
Why don’t people start calling it what it is…..the Hunger Games economy?? TRUMPS Hunger Games economy. And say it over and over and over again like they do. People get that. Sowing chaos and confusion and making everybody hang on his every word….meanwhile the rich will get richer and everybody else will be broke. Exhibit A: Project 2025 - https://audentesfortunaiuvat.substack.com/p/conversations-with-ai-understanding?r=3flfre
Could a recession be intentional on trumps part?
Could a recession bring opportunity to the billionaires and remaining 95 % become much worst off?
It's what the majority of American swing state voters wanted again
Why do you have Walmart as your sponsor? Most of their employees require public assistance to survive. Their corporation is not good for people and small businesses.
Trumps methods might create a downward spiral for the very thing we need, higher revenue to the federal government. Tariffs are meant for a number of things, national security, revenue generation albeit very small amount of the federal budget, and protection of domestic producers, if there are any, so they can raise prices. Here is the thing, they do not guarantee domestic producers will increase capacity and increase supply. Why? Because tariffs raise prices by design and there for slow demand. Companies won’t invest in new plant and equipment when demand is slowing. As demand slows, people get laid off, tax revenues go down and demand slows even more. More public resources are needed for the unemployed - so public spending goes up and tax revenues go down. The downward spiral continues with recession inevitable.
JFK made the term” a rising tide lifts all boats” popular. He was the first supply side President. He did not use tariffs because they don’t work to grow an economy. What he used mostly was investment tax credits for domestics investments in plant and equipment. In today’s era that needs to be expanded to, energy tech and data related investments. He also cut taxes on capital gains. He did not use tariffs.
Supply side economics are not trickle down economics. It’s a form of stimulus that grows the supply side while demand increase to keep a lid on inflation. Want new domestic capacity for steel, create an investment tax credit of 20% for all plant and capital equipment including automation required to build a new steel plant. Steel tariffs will increase the price of domestic autos reducing demand and provide no incentive to build new car factories. Want people to buy new EVs made in America? Which Trump seems to want, albeit only Teslas, then keep or increase the EV tax credit for all domestic made EVs. https://www.cato.org/blog/steel-prices-continue-rise-even-new-tariffs-take-effect
https://www.cato.org/blog/steel-prices-continue-rise-even-new-tariffs-take-effect
He may not care now! But when the angry mobs with torches come after him he may then start to care!
You’re great, Ian.
We’ve got a WW-1 type situation developing in Europe. Its caused in no small part by Trump’s repudiating NATO and its Article Five commitment and changing sides — his new alliance with Putin. What must Europeans now do to prevent a Russo-American attack?