The issue of trust will be recurring as the dismantling of democratic structures continues. We are all realising that trust is the glue that holds democracy together. And the process of destroying democratic institutions will damage or destroy whatever trust remains, including confidence that trust, consensus and agreement are credible foundations for government in general.
Well, the CFPB was created by Congress. I realize in the America of 2025 the rule of law is often viewed as a quaint anachronism and not, in fact the bedrock upon which our civilization rests.
But unless courts cave, I don't see how the regime gets away with this one, any more than they can get away with destroying USAID. (But sure, they can weaken and hobble these institutions.)
Well, buckle your seatbelt. They plan to ignore any rulings that they don’t like. The financial predators bankrolled tRump’s campaign for just this reason. Greedy oligarchs fanned the flames of reichwing paranoia to get just this outcome. The courts may rule against them but have no actual mechanism to enforce their orders if good Ol’ Pam Bondo doesn’t choose to. The foxes are in charge of the henhouse. They have done this before… think robber barons and the 1929 crash. We need our Teddy Roosevelt and a band of trust busters.
My hope is that the courts will go hard after the folks who are doing the actual litigating on the gov't's behalf. Musk's goons, the lawyers bringing frivolous claims and whose clients refuse to follow court orders. The courts aren't going to put Cheeto or Elon in jail - but there are a whole lot of other people who can be targeted if they make themselves parties to ignoring valid court orders.
Full on Autocracy then....nothing left but to OVER THROW the Illegal Government...you know it's going to happen...it's the where and when... 3.5 million cannot be stopped and THEY KNOW THAT
The OP’s comment was about “the people’s” trust being the glue that holds our government together. I agree 100%. And so, even if the courts hold the line, which we all hope for, the damage to trust is already done.
While I agree with you in theory - that they can't do this legally - it appears that they're perfectly willing to do it illegally. And who will stop them?
The Supreme court has already ruled in favor of "If the president does it, it's legal".
We're stuck with a completely subservient House and Senate, so Trump and his merry band of DOGE orcs moving fast and breaking stuff, and the Project 2025 brigands and theofascists he's installed are going to push it relentlessly until they're stopped or they've accomplished their goals of demolishing the United states to squat in the rubble.
I fear that the courts are a slender reed to lean on.
Lets not forget one of his heroes is Andrew Jackson
"John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it."
The RW media and politicians have been successfully sowing mistrust of most American organizations for decades. They've besmirched the government, law enforcement, the military, the scientific establishment, churches, non-profits, non-RW media, etc., and pretty much anything except themselves. A decent society cannot function with this level of distrust and will devolve into an authoritarian kleptocracy of some type; if the US goes that way we'll probably follow the Russian model rather than the North Korean model but neither of those are something we would want to experience first hand.
Imagine going to the corner store to buy a carton of milk, only to find that the refrigerator is locked. When you've persuaded the shopkeeper to retrieve the milk, you then end up arguing over whether you're going to hand the money over first, or whether he is going to hand over the milk. Finally you manage to arrange an elaborate simultaneous exchange. A little taste of life in a world without trust--now imagine trying to arrange a mortgage.
...
"If you take a broad enough definition of trust, then it would explain basically all the difference between the per capita income of the United States and Somalia," ventures Steve Knack, a senior economist at the World Bank...
How could that be? Trust operates in all sorts of ways, from saving money that would have to be spent on security to improving the functioning of the political system. But above all, trust enables people to do business with each other. Doing business is what creates wealth.
..."The reason why the U.S. is richer than Somalia is mostly not because of culture. The great thing about formal systems, when well designed, is that they make a little bit of public spirit, altruism or professionalism go a long way," says Paul Seabright, an economics professor at the University of Toulouse.
The most significant casualty of the waning of trust will be the failure of monetary systems. This is something that Republicans have never understood, and trump is here to show them.
This is not going to end well for Trump and his ilk. Unfortunately we have to suffer the consequences of this criminal administration. It's all about the money. Trump is a dangerous figurehead for this group trying to destroy the government along with our standing in the world. Thanks to the Supreme Court Trump, already a lawless president, is out of control.
I think you're right. In the end, the Trump/Musk organized crime cabal will get their due. Unfortunately, by the time they do, they'll have already destroyed all that there is to destroy.
It will work out great for Trump. He will make lots of money, and neither the courts nor Congress will lift a finger to punish him. The American people get the leadership they deserve.
LOL OH..it's alot BIGGLIER than that LOL and it will NOT end well...It seems the History books are FULL of good examples of Countries NOT liking their Sovereign Land stolen or being crushed economically and taken over...Will it be the primal survival of the fittest OR will we learn to GET ALONG...and treat each other with respect even if we have differences. This was the Peace we achieved after WW2...now we have another Adolf .......WANTING IT ALL....well lets see how this one ends
There are historical examples of revolutions against autocrats and there are plenty of examples of autocrats staying in power indefinitely. Vladimir Putin, Victor Orban, Alexander Lukashenko, and Donald Trump are doing just fine and will remain perfectly safe until they die peacefully of old age.
They will do well..UNTIL THEY DON'T. When you steal and break International Laws, Domestic Laws and DECENCY...1) your own decent People will REBEL 2) the World is watching closely and they too WILL REBEL ....History 101
Paul - I would LEAD with "Trump and Musk have ILLEGALLY shuttered the CFPB". Stating that the agency is shuttered and only mentioning the illegality half way down dampens things. We should be stating up front when an executive action is illegal so people get used to hearing it. It's illegal. Trump is breaking the law.
I saw your take over on Slow Boring how every description of a Trump/Musk/Vought action should lead off with its blatant illegality. Multiple thumbs up to that.
HOW many more times do we need to hear what they are doing is illegal, or immoral or despicable...or or or or....it is now what are you and we collectively GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?? Roll over...or fight back...and start today to find a way to fight back as it only took Adolf Hitler 33 days..and Adolf Trump is 22 days IN ???
Planned extremely well !!!!!!!! Full marks for them really an - A++ really. But what is their fatal flaw....? HINT .... 3.5 patriotic Americans who are not going to have the FREE and biggest and best country on the PLANET taken from them...it will not happen...it's just a matter of when and how....the numbers...they do not lie :) :)
"And let’s not forget that crypto, which has gained a lot of influence with this administration, has yet to find a real-world use case other than money laundering."
It does have found a real-world use case other than money laundering, perhaps. AFAIK, many of the Trump-adjacent shadowy figures are also crypto whales, i.e. they have nominally millions if not billions of $ in Bitcoin.
But as with every illiquid asset, you can't trade much your "assets" for real money at once, lest the market price implodes. Enter the administration's hare-brained idea of having the government accumulate a 1 million BTC reserve (N.B. 1 million BTC, not 1 million USD).
You see where this is going, right? Once THAT program is in place, friends of Musk and/or Trump have a way to offload their junk assets on the taxpayer's dime and nobody needs to know. It's basically a raid on Fort Knox, because the gold in there is what is supposed to pay for the 1 million BTC.
What I cannot understand is why staff of the Bureau are responding to Vought. He is acting director. Under 12 US Code 5586 the only person who can act in that role is the Secretary of Treasury. He cannot act in that capacity and any action he initiates is illegal and cannot be actioned. Further the very act of misrepresenting himself as Director raises the question of his suitability for his confirmed position with OPM.
“So what is the real reason? It seems fairly obvious. CFPB was created to protect Americans from financial predation, and has done a very good job of doing so. But now we have government of, by and for financial predators. Trump has famously left behind a trail of bankruptcies and unpaid contractors, and is furiously grifting even now. Musk has faced multiple lawsuits from vendors and former employees over unpaid debts.”
Thank you Professor! As the adage goes, “when you hire a clown, you get a circus. However, when you hire the anointed clown, you get a Freak Show!” So Mission Accomplished!
Perhaps, knowing how well Trump ran his companies, is a harbinger for things to come! Trump built his real estate empire leveraging his properties with debt; to the hilt. And the results are to be as expected.
The first economic crisis in his business career, and he was resigned to living on an allowance (banks), so they didn’t have to foreclose on his properties; unwinding the debt when the markets turned positive.
That said, my greatest fear is being realized. The dismantling of the administrative state; allowing an oligarch style takeover remnant of the 1933 Business Plot; except this coup is an inside job, not requiring a military style takeover. And even a fascist Supreme Court couldn’t accomplish this feat on their own.
Moreover, we truly have to hand it to Trump; this is quite impressive! Which leads me to my next question.
How can an imbecile manage a coup; happening in plain sight, in the light of day? It’s a rhetorical question, so no need to answer: he can’t!
Therefore, besides Heritage and Musk, he has to have some help from actual competent experts and other wealthy billionaires, who continue to be nameless. I’d like to shine a light on the law puppet masters. Trump is just a disruptor, and a terrible one at that. Musk is a great disruptor, but his agenda is limited to his own selfish needs and agenda.
So the real question is who’s pulling the strings; exuding Beijing and Moscow? Just asking for a friend!…:)
Seriously dude, I wrote it in five seconds, after waking up. If you have an actual critique feel free to make your point. Criticism, without actually saying anything, is a form of verbosity; itself!…:)
"CFPB has been an outstanding success story. Why, then, rush to shutter the agency?"
Because it has been an outstanding success story.
It appears the Trump/Musk mob family is doing what it does best. Robbing from the poor and giving to the rich. The reverse Robin Hood effect in action.
When dealing with these goons, gender is never very far away. The CFPB is a "mommy agency:" protecting weak people. Masculinists only like "daddy agencies" that hurt bad people, such as the cops.
From what I have seen, I think that "daddy agencies" love to hurt the weak. One of the most popular whipping "boys" are trans people. The number of trans people in the country is miniscule as a percent of the population. But MAGA and the right loves to restrict them and otherwise humiliate and punish them as much as possible. To hear MAGA tell it, a handful of trans people are singlehandedly undermining Western Civilization.
Watch the MAGA folks. They love to go after the "weak" -- as in dark-skinned immigrants, trans, people who are different, people who have little political power.
Well, MAGA actually is made up the weak: the ones who are too weak to control their fear; too weak to resist their selfishness, their spitefulness and their desire to indulge their ignorance; too weak to even try to find their courage. All they’re able to do is abuse people who don’t have the numbers, the wealth or the political power to defend themselves.
Sickening, isn’t it: The weak prey on the defenseless and think themselves strong.
Notice how Trump often says “everyone tells me” or “ everyone knows “ or “I’ve been told “ or words like that. He tries to make his audience think that they might be the only one who doesn’t know something and should get on the bandwagon. If pressed he will say he’ll send a report or there is a report. And funny, no report ever shows up. But since he has a lot of money he must know what he is talking about. When I asked a Trump supporter for their source, they said they were not going to do my research for me. So one approach bedsides flooding the market with facts is to call out the falsehoods and distortions asking for justification and sources.
That all goes along with another one of his favorite phrases: "a lot of people, I don't know how many, but a lot", usually paired with some wild exaggeration.
As for calling out falsehoods and distortions and asking for justification and sources, it's hard to do because of The Orange MAGA King's nonstop stream of garbled nonsense. I suspect that's part of his strategy - make it next to impossible to keep up with.
First, we focus on the ABCDEs of crises the US faces right now, four impact the entire world, especially our allies:
Authoritarian rule by a handful of tech billionaires and elected officials inspired by Curtis Yarvin (proponent of TESCREAL - Elon Musk and JD Vance read Yarvin) and Christian extremists driven by Christian reconstructionism and dominionism.
BRICS competition, maneuvering, and de-dollarization, which will lead to hot or cold war(s).
Climate change and contagious disease catastrophes.
Disruption and the dismantling of "the people's" assets; e.g. FBI, USPS, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Meals on Wheels, NPR, etc.
Economic crash worse than 2008.
Then, we take action. What I'm doing now and near future is listed here (link). People are picking three things on then list, which includes a couple scripts, and moving quickly. This list is a work in progress - lacks an obvious logic flow. It will be frozen/perfected in 15 days; for now: skim, do three things, share all or parts, let me know what's missing.
The issue of trust will be recurring as the dismantling of democratic structures continues. We are all realising that trust is the glue that holds democracy together. And the process of destroying democratic institutions will damage or destroy whatever trust remains, including confidence that trust, consensus and agreement are credible foundations for government in general.
Well, the CFPB was created by Congress. I realize in the America of 2025 the rule of law is often viewed as a quaint anachronism and not, in fact the bedrock upon which our civilization rests.
But unless courts cave, I don't see how the regime gets away with this one, any more than they can get away with destroying USAID. (But sure, they can weaken and hobble these institutions.)
Well, buckle your seatbelt. They plan to ignore any rulings that they don’t like. The financial predators bankrolled tRump’s campaign for just this reason. Greedy oligarchs fanned the flames of reichwing paranoia to get just this outcome. The courts may rule against them but have no actual mechanism to enforce their orders if good Ol’ Pam Bondo doesn’t choose to. The foxes are in charge of the henhouse. They have done this before… think robber barons and the 1929 crash. We need our Teddy Roosevelt and a band of trust busters.
I’d add that pursuit of vast wealth and power seems to be a major personality disorder and needs to be delineated in DSM.
Take a look at Norm Eisen's video here, from The Contrarian. I think it is a hopeful assessment of where we're at with the courts, lawyers and skanky ole oligarchs. Norm is pretty well versed in this stuff. https://contrarian.substack.com/p/norm-eisen-explains-to-jen-rubin?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
My hope is that the courts will go hard after the folks who are doing the actual litigating on the gov't's behalf. Musk's goons, the lawyers bringing frivolous claims and whose clients refuse to follow court orders. The courts aren't going to put Cheeto or Elon in jail - but there are a whole lot of other people who can be targeted if they make themselves parties to ignoring valid court orders.
Full on Autocracy then....nothing left but to OVER THROW the Illegal Government...you know it's going to happen...it's the where and when... 3.5 million cannot be stopped and THEY KNOW THAT
There is no law there’s an outlaw in town
Folks in a rage doors broken down
He dresses in a suit with paint on his face
A gathering storm so full of disgrace
(I guess I’ll write a song)
We desperately need protest songs. Remembering the 1960's.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnFtSVg2yt4
The OP’s comment was about “the people’s” trust being the glue that holds our government together. I agree 100%. And so, even if the courts hold the line, which we all hope for, the damage to trust is already done.
While I agree with you in theory - that they can't do this legally - it appears that they're perfectly willing to do it illegally. And who will stop them?
AKA "divide and conquer". Then steal the spoils.
The Supreme court has already ruled in favor of "If the president does it, it's legal".
We're stuck with a completely subservient House and Senate, so Trump and his merry band of DOGE orcs moving fast and breaking stuff, and the Project 2025 brigands and theofascists he's installed are going to push it relentlessly until they're stopped or they've accomplished their goals of demolishing the United states to squat in the rubble.
I fear that the courts are a slender reed to lean on.
Lets not forget one of his heroes is Andrew Jackson
"John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it."
It may be up to all of us to throw sand in the gears... https://www.404media.co/heres-a-pdf-version-of-the-cia-guide-to-sabotaging-fascism/
The RW media and politicians have been successfully sowing mistrust of most American organizations for decades. They've besmirched the government, law enforcement, the military, the scientific establishment, churches, non-profits, non-RW media, etc., and pretty much anything except themselves. A decent society cannot function with this level of distrust and will devolve into an authoritarian kleptocracy of some type; if the US goes that way we'll probably follow the Russian model rather than the North Korean model but neither of those are something we would want to experience first hand.
An oldie, but a goodie.
The Economics Of Trust
Imagine going to the corner store to buy a carton of milk, only to find that the refrigerator is locked. When you've persuaded the shopkeeper to retrieve the milk, you then end up arguing over whether you're going to hand the money over first, or whether he is going to hand over the milk. Finally you manage to arrange an elaborate simultaneous exchange. A little taste of life in a world without trust--now imagine trying to arrange a mortgage.
...
"If you take a broad enough definition of trust, then it would explain basically all the difference between the per capita income of the United States and Somalia," ventures Steve Knack, a senior economist at the World Bank...
How could that be? Trust operates in all sorts of ways, from saving money that would have to be spent on security to improving the functioning of the political system. But above all, trust enables people to do business with each other. Doing business is what creates wealth.
..."The reason why the U.S. is richer than Somalia is mostly not because of culture. The great thing about formal systems, when well designed, is that they make a little bit of public spirit, altruism or professionalism go a long way," says Paul Seabright, an economics professor at the University of Toulouse.
https://www.forbes.com/2006/09/22/trust-economy-markets-tech_cx_th_06trust_0925harford.html Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist.
Of course tearing that all down destroys wealth and nations.
John Howard, Max Weber used the term, legitimacy, to describe the type of trust you are referring to.
The most significant casualty of the waning of trust will be the failure of monetary systems. This is something that Republicans have never understood, and trump is here to show them.
I trust you will be monitoring level of trust public holds in democratic institutions that rely on trust.
This is not going to end well for Trump and his ilk. Unfortunately we have to suffer the consequences of this criminal administration. It's all about the money. Trump is a dangerous figurehead for this group trying to destroy the government along with our standing in the world. Thanks to the Supreme Court Trump, already a lawless president, is out of control.
Our standing has already been destroyed. China and Russia will quickly fill the void left by USAID. Our (former) allies know we cannot be relied on.
Great report. Watch your back Dr. Krugman.
TROL
I think you're right. In the end, the Trump/Musk organized crime cabal will get their due. Unfortunately, by the time they do, they'll have already destroyed all that there is to destroy.
Unless....3.5 million say otherwise ! :)
It will work out great for Trump. He will make lots of money, and neither the courts nor Congress will lift a finger to punish him. The American people get the leadership they deserve.
LOL OH..it's alot BIGGLIER than that LOL and it will NOT end well...It seems the History books are FULL of good examples of Countries NOT liking their Sovereign Land stolen or being crushed economically and taken over...Will it be the primal survival of the fittest OR will we learn to GET ALONG...and treat each other with respect even if we have differences. This was the Peace we achieved after WW2...now we have another Adolf .......WANTING IT ALL....well lets see how this one ends
There are historical examples of revolutions against autocrats and there are plenty of examples of autocrats staying in power indefinitely. Vladimir Putin, Victor Orban, Alexander Lukashenko, and Donald Trump are doing just fine and will remain perfectly safe until they die peacefully of old age.
Its not going to end well for us; Trump and the oligarchy will do very well indeed.
They will do well..UNTIL THEY DON'T. When you steal and break International Laws, Domestic Laws and DECENCY...1) your own decent People will REBEL 2) the World is watching closely and they too WILL REBEL ....History 101
Paul - I would LEAD with "Trump and Musk have ILLEGALLY shuttered the CFPB". Stating that the agency is shuttered and only mentioning the illegality half way down dampens things. We should be stating up front when an executive action is illegal so people get used to hearing it. It's illegal. Trump is breaking the law.
It >almost< goes without saying. If Trump does it, it must be illegal.
I saw your take over on Slow Boring how every description of a Trump/Musk/Vought action should lead off with its blatant illegality. Multiple thumbs up to that.
HOW many more times do we need to hear what they are doing is illegal, or immoral or despicable...or or or or....it is now what are you and we collectively GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?? Roll over...or fight back...and start today to find a way to fight back as it only took Adolf Hitler 33 days..and Adolf Trump is 22 days IN ???
👍👍
The default setting of Trump, his cronies and his enablers is corruption. So they eliminate all oversight.
That's because it's the >only< setting. Corruption is all they know. They were all born and raised into it.
Planned extremely well !!!!!!!! Full marks for them really an - A++ really. But what is their fatal flaw....? HINT .... 3.5 patriotic Americans who are not going to have the FREE and biggest and best country on the PLANET taken from them...it will not happen...it's just a matter of when and how....the numbers...they do not lie :) :)
Look at his record.
And what does Harvard have to do with this?
"And let’s not forget that crypto, which has gained a lot of influence with this administration, has yet to find a real-world use case other than money laundering."
It does have found a real-world use case other than money laundering, perhaps. AFAIK, many of the Trump-adjacent shadowy figures are also crypto whales, i.e. they have nominally millions if not billions of $ in Bitcoin.
But as with every illiquid asset, you can't trade much your "assets" for real money at once, lest the market price implodes. Enter the administration's hare-brained idea of having the government accumulate a 1 million BTC reserve (N.B. 1 million BTC, not 1 million USD).
You see where this is going, right? Once THAT program is in place, friends of Musk and/or Trump have a way to offload their junk assets on the taxpayer's dime and nobody needs to know. It's basically a raid on Fort Knox, because the gold in there is what is supposed to pay for the 1 million BTC.
What I cannot understand is why staff of the Bureau are responding to Vought. He is acting director. Under 12 US Code 5586 the only person who can act in that role is the Secretary of Treasury. He cannot act in that capacity and any action he initiates is illegal and cannot be actioned. Further the very act of misrepresenting himself as Director raises the question of his suitability for his confirmed position with OPM.
Illegal is this administration's M.O. Everything they do is illegal. They ignore the law. They're all about rule by fiat, law be damned.
As for the question of Vought's suitability, he's unquestionably unsuitable. For anything - other than a long prison sentence.
I appreciate that you’re emboldened by not working for the NYT! Thank you.
You are so very important to honest people.
But aggressively sane washed Trump.
Only the right wing writers, not editorials or others.
“So what is the real reason? It seems fairly obvious. CFPB was created to protect Americans from financial predation, and has done a very good job of doing so. But now we have government of, by and for financial predators. Trump has famously left behind a trail of bankruptcies and unpaid contractors, and is furiously grifting even now. Musk has faced multiple lawsuits from vendors and former employees over unpaid debts.”
Thank you Professor! As the adage goes, “when you hire a clown, you get a circus. However, when you hire the anointed clown, you get a Freak Show!” So Mission Accomplished!
Perhaps, knowing how well Trump ran his companies, is a harbinger for things to come! Trump built his real estate empire leveraging his properties with debt; to the hilt. And the results are to be as expected.
The first economic crisis in his business career, and he was resigned to living on an allowance (banks), so they didn’t have to foreclose on his properties; unwinding the debt when the markets turned positive.
That said, my greatest fear is being realized. The dismantling of the administrative state; allowing an oligarch style takeover remnant of the 1933 Business Plot; except this coup is an inside job, not requiring a military style takeover. And even a fascist Supreme Court couldn’t accomplish this feat on their own.
Moreover, we truly have to hand it to Trump; this is quite impressive! Which leads me to my next question.
How can an imbecile manage a coup; happening in plain sight, in the light of day? It’s a rhetorical question, so no need to answer: he can’t!
Therefore, besides Heritage and Musk, he has to have some help from actual competent experts and other wealthy billionaires, who continue to be nameless. I’d like to shine a light on the law puppet masters. Trump is just a disruptor, and a terrible one at that. Musk is a great disruptor, but his agenda is limited to his own selfish needs and agenda.
So the real question is who’s pulling the strings; exuding Beijing and Moscow? Just asking for a friend!…:)
“when you hire a clown, you get a circus. However, when you hire the anointed clown, you get a Freak Show!”
And when you hire an evil clown you get mass murder.
Touché…:)
All the Project 2025 people have been working hard on this for years, and they are evil but not stupid or lazy like their puppet/figurehead.
I agree, but Heritage is a Think Tank, and its funding is with mostly dark money. Who’s funding their projects, especially Project 2025?
duh
The real question is why you make an obvious point that could be made in 2 sentences.
Appreciate the feedback!
RRL is ANOTHER TROLL...they come here to read our work and try to screw dis information ...sigh...they ARE everywhere but so easy to SPOT :)
Paranoia is treatable.
Seriously dude, I wrote it in five seconds, after waking up. If you have an actual critique feel free to make your point. Criticism, without actually saying anything, is a form of verbosity; itself!…:)
Don't feed the troll.
Thank you, and troll is an understatement…:)
ignore the troll !
trolls are always eloquent...therefore pretty EASY to spot :)
"CFPB has been an outstanding success story. Why, then, rush to shutter the agency?"
Because it has been an outstanding success story.
It appears the Trump/Musk mob family is doing what it does best. Robbing from the poor and giving to the rich. The reverse Robin Hood effect in action.
When dealing with these goons, gender is never very far away. The CFPB is a "mommy agency:" protecting weak people. Masculinists only like "daddy agencies" that hurt bad people, such as the cops.
From what I have seen, I think that "daddy agencies" love to hurt the weak. One of the most popular whipping "boys" are trans people. The number of trans people in the country is miniscule as a percent of the population. But MAGA and the right loves to restrict them and otherwise humiliate and punish them as much as possible. To hear MAGA tell it, a handful of trans people are singlehandedly undermining Western Civilization.
Watch the MAGA folks. They love to go after the "weak" -- as in dark-skinned immigrants, trans, people who are different, people who have little political power.
Well, MAGA actually is made up the weak: the ones who are too weak to control their fear; too weak to resist their selfishness, their spitefulness and their desire to indulge their ignorance; too weak to even try to find their courage. All they’re able to do is abuse people who don’t have the numbers, the wealth or the political power to defend themselves.
Sickening, isn’t it: The weak prey on the defenseless and think themselves strong.
Notice how Trump often says “everyone tells me” or “ everyone knows “ or “I’ve been told “ or words like that. He tries to make his audience think that they might be the only one who doesn’t know something and should get on the bandwagon. If pressed he will say he’ll send a report or there is a report. And funny, no report ever shows up. But since he has a lot of money he must know what he is talking about. When I asked a Trump supporter for their source, they said they were not going to do my research for me. So one approach bedsides flooding the market with facts is to call out the falsehoods and distortions asking for justification and sources.
That all goes along with another one of his favorite phrases: "a lot of people, I don't know how many, but a lot", usually paired with some wild exaggeration.
As for calling out falsehoods and distortions and asking for justification and sources, it's hard to do because of The Orange MAGA King's nonstop stream of garbled nonsense. I suspect that's part of his strategy - make it next to impossible to keep up with.
Krugman unplugged is terrific.
Yes dear lady and that is precisely why I am here reading the champion.
Spot on as usual.Dr Krugman. How, if even possible, do we undo all the damage these thieves have done in only the first few weeks in power?
First, we focus on the ABCDEs of crises the US faces right now, four impact the entire world, especially our allies:
Authoritarian rule by a handful of tech billionaires and elected officials inspired by Curtis Yarvin (proponent of TESCREAL - Elon Musk and JD Vance read Yarvin) and Christian extremists driven by Christian reconstructionism and dominionism.
BRICS competition, maneuvering, and de-dollarization, which will lead to hot or cold war(s).
Climate change and contagious disease catastrophes.
Disruption and the dismantling of "the people's" assets; e.g. FBI, USPS, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Meals on Wheels, NPR, etc.
Economic crash worse than 2008.
Then, we take action. What I'm doing now and near future is listed here (link). People are picking three things on then list, which includes a couple scripts, and moving quickly. This list is a work in progress - lacks an obvious logic flow. It will be frozen/perfected in 15 days; for now: skim, do three things, share all or parts, let me know what's missing.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-156748074
Who would have thought that if you elect crooks they would defund the ppolice? This has been a Republicna dream for years.
Nice barb!
As a 25 year real estate appraiser veteran, I can tell you, Fanny and Freddy are pushing Appraisal waivers.
Appraisal waivers are making the market skyrocket.
Computer valuations are skewed to favor the people with higher credit scores.
Appraisal waivers are not our friend . If you think Zillow does a good job, think again.
Thank you for being a consistently sane voice in my echo chamber. You always bring hope.