Are You Depressed about the Economic Depression

There is an old joke: If all the economists were laid end to end, they still wouldn't agree. Some disciplines continue to do studies and research but have large areas of consensus. Such as the earth is dying and vaccines save lives.  Just to cite two of many.

There are some truisms inre economics. Trickle down is a cruel joke.  And billionaires are not job creators.  Mostly a few people manipulate markets and companies.  Or they offer a host of poor paying and dangerous work.  With owners panting to replace humans with AI and robots.

Back to our economy.  Why hasn't it collapsed completely yet?  Of course I am not rooting for that. But everything...every single action Trump has taken hurts and will ultimately destroy our/ and perhaps the world's economy. It’s the coup de grace in a line of presidential economic buffoonery: George W. Bush brought people to their financial knees, after deregulation and other actions from Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan.

Now, the gulf between a coven of very wealthy folks and the rest of us is growing, nay exploding. And these people are getting richer at the expense- see what I did there- of the general good. The cost of their wealth and power is many losing housing and SNAP benefits, while tens of thousands are thrown off their health insurance.  On top of the immediate suffering, when people are poor or can't pay their bills- obviously they spend less. The GNP stagnates or drops.

And the tariffs.  The only possible rationale for why these insane sanctions were erratically placed and removed is that a small group of people kept making money on insider trading. As sick as it is to use foreign policy to enrich yourself, it fit perfectly with Trump’s second term, during which he has made more money than all his years before combined. Not that surprising since he has always been a total business failure. His businesses try to make money by stiffing his employees or vendors and cheating on his taxes. He still had to declare bankruptcy six times.

In other words, corruption, Trump has that down pat.  Meme coins.  More products for sale than QVC- with some actually being manufactured.  Lord only knows about his tax fraud since he is now protected from any IRS audit forever.  I assume that extends after his death.  The proceeds from oil stolen from Venezuela in an account only he controls. Trump's Board of Peace- ante in 1 billion dollars. The so-called board and certainly peace are gone but where is the money? Pardons for sale.  Overt insider trading.  And offering such to Wall Street by selling firms early access to his actions.  Via his failing social platform. 

To expand...Trump technologies, of which truth social is a part, lost around 700 million dollars in six months. This quarter was slightly less catastrophic. A little more time and you have a Dominion settlement.  So, since Trump cannot succeed without breaking the law- he now allows early access to his tweet like words. For a mere 1.2 million dollars annually, you can manipulate the stock market. Around 10 companies have already signed on.  Because hedge fund managers and Wall Street don't have enough money./s  

And even after that overt theft, there is certainly so much more that is hidden.  The oil company with ties to Trump as the media so quaintly puts it/is preparing to drill in Greenland without authorization.  What is his cut?  Trump wants the already  depleted military to spend billions to change to catapults.  What is his cut?

Back to our pocketbooks.  Inflation is rising and will geyser as oil prices soar.  Of course that affects everything.  DOGE criminals - I mean bros - cut funding to keep the screwworm south of this country. Well, the funding was cut, and here they are damaging the cattle industry. 

Tourism is down.  Wait what?  Of course people charging groceries on their credit cards probably won't be enjoying much of a vacation.  And what foreign visitor- especially those darker than ecru- would want to come here?  ICE.  Armed military in our cities.  Gun violence.  A president who could decide to arrest  anyone native to countries starting with the letters A to L.  He has done crazier things.

Job numbers are down.  Diseases are escalating.  Hard to work when you have leprosy.  Hello Florida. Or taking care of family members with measles. There are industries including construction and all phases of food from farming to consumption that are dependent  on many from immigrant communities. The very people who are now illegally being hunted down, arrested, brutalized and sometimes killed, and then expelled from this country.  The economic boon they provided is also diminishing.  People coming here seeking a better life have a lower crime rate than American citizens.  The Trump family has a rate of 100%.

Capitalism is cyclic.  There are ups and downs even without the cruel and deliberate machinations of this administration. Predatory capitalism only rewards a few. Everything else suffers: workers, consumers, the product, the environment, animals, children and more. 

No matter how pinched our budgets are... we need food.  And consumables as they say in the marketing biz. Even if most of the country can't afford a 400 surprise bill or large purchases, we still shop. Spend your money locally.  Seek out your neighbors, small and unrepresented businesses. It always comes down to money.  They have too much.  Together we have an economic cudgel.

Don't Shop on Tuesday.

#DSOT. #UPM