I’m with Senator Chris Murphy, who says Trump wants businesses to fear him and is using Tariffs to threaten them with destroying their business models / going out of business. He is the Abuser-In-Chief. His full quote is in last nights letter from Heather Cox Richardson. From Sen Murphy…
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) noted tonight that the tariffs make no economic sense because “[t]hey aren’t designed as economic policy. The tariffs are simply a new, super dangerous political tool.” Murphy suggests they are a way to make private industry dependent on the president the same way he has tried to make law firms and universities dependent on him. Industries and companies “will need to pledge loyalty to Trump in order to get sanctions relief.”
Murphy warns that “[t]he tariffs are DESIGNED to create economic hardship…[s]o that Trump has a straight face rationale for releasing them, business by business or industry by industry. As he adjusts or grants relief, it’s a win-win: the economy improves and dissent disappears.”
This trade war is nothing more than an act of revenge. Revenge on the countries who don't bow to his will, revenge on the Americans who didn't vote for him. He doesn't care about the economy, the American people, or rule of law. His goal is to burn everything down and pull what's left out of the ashes for personal profit.
IMHO he gets bad advice and psychological reinforecement from a number of yes-men like Musk and Navarro. Every member of Congress was asked tl sign a no tax pledge, and most Republicans did. Tattiffs = taxes, so by supportong across the board tariffs, they are undermining their credibility with their Tea Party/MAGAT constituents.
In the auto industry, companies like Tesla have no (0) foreign components and therefore have an advantage over the competition. However as of 10:30, Tesla is down 5%. .
I watched Rachel last night, running down the list of tariff sanctions, many of them are not nations, but Islands. The person who drew up that list is not an idiot (never underestimate the enemy)
It came to mind that nations beat international law and sanctions by using vessels chartered under other nations. For instance In terms of the number of ships registered, Panama currently holds the title for the largest ship registry, followed by Liberia and the Marshall Islands.
So to beat tariffs, which are assessed at port of entry, a country need do no more than have their product registered aboard a Panamaian registered ship, as coming from the Heard or McDonalds islands.
Notice that the Falklands, population 2,330 and produces nothng except guano and fish has a tariff of 41% The Falkland Islands are a self-governing British Overseas Territory, with the UK responsible for foreign affairs and defense, while the islands have full internal self-government.
However Britain has only a 10% tariff and 25% on cars, steel and aluminum.
Why 41% on a self governing island that has no exports? Because it is a perfect place to use as a transhipment place,on paper, slap on a made in Falklands label on the bill of lading and voila.
I fully agree. And thank Thom for the tariff-explainer course. Trump loves to break things, taking no blame and credit for putting the things back together. Murphy seems to understand Trump perfectly.
Face it, Trump is doing a Reign of Terror on America using tariffs and destroying our government and economy because he is a Russian mole, code-named Krasnov by the old USSR and still serving Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, in service of being a puppet tyrant and monarch, with the help of western oligarchs.
Trump is an ignoramus of unequalled proportion, and his advisors are either not much more intelligent or they are unable to educate him and afraid to try. But his personal obsession with how the US has bailed out the rest of the world and has been taken advantage of by so many other countries is at the heart of his problem. First of all, he really doesn't care about this country in terms of the people and the economy. He cannot think or imagine past his own wellbeing and wealth. Secondly, he is using the foolishness of our victimhood as a country as a proxy for his own pathological sense of having been cheated, deprived, or denied. We are in a huge drama that belongs to one very sick individual which is now being projected onto the world stage. He must be removed from his position of power before we can ever return to sanity and stability. This could take a long time and cost many lives. Educating the people with these kinds of facts and analyses and motivating them to protest en masse is about our only hope. Be out there Saturday and every chance you get.
The cult is immune to education, and from what I have noticed about humans and cults, they are immune even to personal experience. They make excuses, Like "god has his own plans" or "god wills it, Deux Vult" or you can't know the mind of god.
There is a commenter on Thom, who claims to be very religious, yet is a Trump humper, he is totally immune to facts, to logic, nothing can be said or experienced will change his mind.
On the other hand, there are the fence sitters, the uninvolved, except when they turn on the TV, FB , Radio or chat to some right wing funded source.
I've been sayin' that one country owes us trillions...enough to pay off the national debt. OPEC has fixed oil prices which have undermined our economy since 1973. They control the largest domestic oil refineries, control some of our largest companies. Operate as monopolies...Don't pay their fair share.....
One example: President Trump’s unprecedented inaugural foreign trip to the country. There, he participated in the first ever Saudi-U.S. CEO Forum, and announced a $20 billion contribution from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (“PIF”) for investment in U.S. infrastructure projects. The contribution will be managed by the Blackstone Group, whose CEO, Stephen Schwarzman, is an informal advisor to Trump.
Our two Florida senate Republicans will get holy hell from our Canadian population, many with dual citizenship and who are registered Republican. 500,000 Canadians pay Florida real estate taxes, employ 54,000 Floridians.
On Saturday April 5th a host of organizations including Indivisible, MoveOn, 50501 and dozens of national and local partners are co-sponsoring rallies and marches in Washington DC and around the country.
Here 3 Cuban American MAGATS represent majority Democrats.
Call, email, picket Gimenez, Diaz Balart, Salazar. All have protested parts of Trump immigration policies. Gimenez, born in Cuba, was our Dem county mayor to 2020.
Ptrotest to CANF, Cuban American National Foundation .... "Based in Miami and Washington, DC, CANF engages in cultural activities, supports education and research, and conducts various events, including lectures and conferences. Historically, the organization has been known for its hardline stance against the Cuban government..." Miami (305) 592-7768. The Republican donor base is connected here. 202 530 1894.
But for these people, GWB would not have been elected. He and his dad had people bron in Cuba in their cabinets.
I just read a news flash that the stock market is taking a nose dive and it is only 11 AM. That means that Musk, Bezos and all the other uber wealthy are picking up good stock really inexpensively making them richer. Some companies, like we haven't seen enough go under already, will go bankrupt thus throwing more people on unemployment and making life just plain harder. This wasn't happening on Joe Biden's watch and yup he is older and frailer but not stupid. This action on Trump's part was planned and just plain evil - it hurts Americans.
Agree with Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell? Goddess, I hate when that happens!
Republican brains do not do nuance. They make quick decisions. Unfortunately, they often don't "learn" until the consequences land on THEIR doorstep. We are all about to get a special delivery, when the price hikes land every f-ing where.
Good explanation for us to use, Thom. At least if tariffs are applied to a PRODUCT, we and the affected businesses could plan.
That psychopath and his sick Project 2025 crew will do anything to break this country while protecting Russia. When MAGAs cry about prices, just remind them Dear Leader was going to fix all that day one. Ask them: how's that voting-your-wallet thing working out for you?
Like most autocratic leaders, Trump's #1 vulnerability is his ego. Autocrats surround themselves with people who dare not point out potential unintended consequences of their policy proposals. Thus, impulse rules - and catastrophe's follow.
Just look at the economies of Putin, Edogan, Orban, Netanyahu, etc.
Trump and Musk and the other billionaires in the current cabinet do not care about other human beings. Not you, not me. They were born into a wealth bubble. They never had to worry if there would be enough to eat or have a place to sleep. They went to private schools paid for by their parents. They were so secure that they were able to start businesses and if the business failed they had a safety net to catch them. We don't. Russia under Putin and China under Xi want the United States to fail. They want their countries to be number one in the world. And Trump and Musk, neither who understand people or how government works, are very willing helpers.
Thomas Paine's essay pamphlet "The American Crisis" (1776-1783), and his saying "These are the times that try one's soul" was a call to action during difficult times, urging perseverance and patriotism. In this current modern crisis It is time for a republishing and a retelling.
* A "bagman" typically describes someone who carries money for illicit purposes. It can refer to an individual involved in bribery, collecting or distributing funds for criminal organizations, or handling finances in a secretive or illegal manner.
The term is also sometimes used more broadly for someone who handles money or runs errands discreetly.
I don't doubt that for a moment. Russia has acquired as an asset any dictator that has the slightest dust up with the US and Europe. Big presence in Africa,especially those countries with gold and rare earth minerals.
The Chicken Tax is a retaliatory tariff of 25% on foreign pickups put in place more 50 years ago. The target was the VW LUV truck in retaliation for limiting chicken imports into Europe. It’s still in place and has distorted the US pickup truck market. Go to anywhere outside the U.S. and you will find smaller, safer, and more fuel efficient pickups. Ever heard of the Toyota Hilux?
The current action may spell the end of the WTO as well. Before you cheer too much, consider a world where designs by American manufacturers can be copied without consequences. The are countries ready and able to pivot to this model.
SCATTERBRAINED - that is my plain-English diagnosis for Trump based on his economic policies. He seems to have the attention span of a 3-year-old, acts impulsively, and never seeks advice about potential unintended consequences before he triggers what is likely to wind up being called "The Second Great Depression." A more clinically-precise term might be dementia with hyperactivity - possibly fueled by drugs. Ironic - that seems to describe Musk too. His ketamine alone could cause that. Maybe Elon is sharing with his pal Don???
If Congress does not quickly grow a spine and override this tariff madness, the damage tariffs will cause to the average MAGA (the rest of us too, to some extent) will take years to repair.
As a retiree in his late 70s, being debt-free, I am probably less vulnerable to severe damage. I could see this coming in late February, liquidated my stock investments, and moved all my IRA holdings to T-Bills - just as the market started to tank on the 24th. Of course, my actions cannot prevent the impact of inflation - a harm stocks usually deflect. Sadly, for people who have ignored Trump's tariff rhetoric, like Jamie Dimon at JP Morgan, yesterday's Liberation Day announcement became their Pearl Harbor when the NYSE opening bell rang - an average 4% drop by 11AM EDT.
We are in the same boat Tom. Also debt free,including mortgage. Wife has money in Mission Square, in a deferred compensation program. When she started 20 years ago, they gave her a choice of plans. I told her to invest in T Bills., and while others fall hers is safe.
As the stockmarket plunges, it presents an opportunity for those with resources to buy in cheap, provided that the stock doesn't continue to plummet and that the company survives.
During the last year of the Biden administration, when polls were whining about his management of the economy, my (then) diverse IRA earned 16%. My personal portfolio of diverse ETFs gained 21%. Since Trump took over, it has been a sh-t show. I ran the numbers Friday to see how much liquidating saved me from disaster. It was way over $100K that I would have lost in just 5 weeks.
In Econ 101 or was it 102, I was told that farmers buy futures to offset any losses due to weather. They also get subsidies.
A few miles down the road, there is a real nice spread, that has a herd of alpaca's, and nearby a guy who owns a couple of cows. I suspect that they get tax breaks and subsidies.
An absentee multimillionaire owns a winery I can see from my house,he also bought up all of the surrounding property, except mine and my neighbors (we wouldn't sell). His winery is basically a hobby and a tax write off.
Some years ago there was a map of where US farm subsidies went by postal code rather than by land description. The vast majority went to large cities, indicating large corporate holdings. Vary litle went to small farmers. Check out the Arkansas Christmas Tree. In St Louis just after 911, I attended a 1 day course on ethics in consulting. The speaker consulted with Californai rice growers on how to structure their business to get the most government subsiy money. I did not ask him but have regreted it since, about the ethics of what he was doing. No subsidy program has been developed that a handful of farmers sitting around a kitchen table with a case of beer cant figure out how to game.
Farmers are not the naive sitting ducks people think, they are wiley, lay lawyers and tax experts. Actually a very good source of income, if the weather doesn't fuck you up. a week of soil preparation, a day of sowing, and then maybe some spraying Round up or pesticide and then a couple of days, maybe a week or two of harvesting.
Where I lived in Pennyltucky, "English" farmers, most who had ag degrees, operated like big businesses with Amish farm labor.
In the midwest and California most labor is hired through contractors. I had 22 kinds of visas in my jurisdiction, and the most litigous were in farm labor.
There are losts of small farmers who mostly work another job or two.
Any idea of how many small farmers are left. I mean commercial, not victory farmers or concierge farms or the local who shows up at the Saturday open air market with tomatoe's, potatoes, rhubarb and onions.
According to USDA eighty-nine percent (89%) of all farms are small family farms and they generated 18 percent of total production value. "Small family farms operated 45 percent of U.S. agricultural land and produced 18 percent of the total value of production. Farm size classifications are based on annual gross cash farm income, a measure of a farm's revenue—including sales of crops and livestock, payments made under Federal agricultural programs, and other farm-related cash income—before deducting expenses. Small family farms have gross cash farm income (GCFI) below $350,000. In comparison, large-scale family farms, with GCFI above $1 million, operated 27 percent of agricultural land and were responsible for 46 percent of the total value of production in 2021. Midsize family farms, with GCFI between $350,000 and $1 million, operated 18 percent of agricultural land and similarly generated 18 percent of the total value of production. Overall, family farms of all sizes comprised about 83 percent of the overall production value while making up 98 percent of all farms. The remaining 2 percent of farms were classified as nonfamily. This category includes partnerships (of unrelated partners), nonfamily corporations, and farms with a hired manager unrelated to the owners. Despite accounting for such a small percent of farms, the nonfamily category was responsible for 17 percent of the total value of production." This chart appears in the ERS report America’s Farms and Ranches at a Glance, 2022 edition
Some "hobby" farmers. IMHO Topography has a lot to do with it. In Appalachia, people know the going rate for gensing, marijuana, other cash crops. When I lived in Virginia and Maryland, there were a lot who sold at farmers' markets.
In Miami, some on the fringes. We have some "pick em" farms where they won't pay for farm labor so the customers do most of the picking.
Scatterbrained,I think Jamie Dimon is a big Trump supporter as are most bankers. I still can't understand why churches,synogogues don't f comment on the " Neo Nazi" takeover of our gov't.
Synogogues know better than to stick their nose in politics, a 2,000 year history is very informative.
Churches on the other hand, are behind the transformation, they are rubbing their hands together in glee, as the country is headed towards a theocracy.
Religion has been losing clients, and that means money, power, influence, They have backed the rise of MAGA before it was MAGA, under the banner of names like family values (which has nothing to do with family or values) and pro life (which has nothing to do with pro life), and their war against the godless heathens.
Blackrock is Larry Fink, founder, CEO, Chairman, has his own wikipedia page
Yes most Jews, in America, are liberal and democratic, some orthodox are rabid Zionists and voted Trump
Don't know what a traditional Christian is save something like the Metropolitan Church
Lutherans are right wingers, Presbyterians, Southern Baptists, they are all heavily invested in the culture war, the rise of secularism has cost them congregations and that means money and power, The big thing they fear is that
America realizes that granted religions tax exemption, and states exempting them from property taxes is a violation of the principle of separation of Church and state.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion
Granting them tax exempt status violates that, however they got around that by enacting laws that give non profits tax exempt status, and churches then registered as non profits.
There is no national non profit corporate charter, it is state by state, and I wonder if every religion is registered in every state as a non profit.
Religions don't have to be chartered (like the Catholic Church) but individual churches do have to be chartered?
I know about sectarian non Profits The problem I am having is with churches.
Scientology for years tried to get tax exempt status,but finally Tom Cruise got it and it made him a demigod in the cult.
Here is what AI says:
The Catholic Church, like many other denominations, operates under a group ruling or exemption from the IRS, meaning the central organization (USCCB) permits subordinate entities (like dioceses and parishes) to apply and become part of its group, thus gaining 501(c)(3) status.
USCCB as the Parent Organization:
The USCCB acts as the parent organization in this group ruling, and its subordinate entities gain recognized 501(c)(3) status by virtue of the parent's existing exemption.
Not a State Registration:
This means that the Catholic Church isn't registered in a particular state as a 501(c)(3) entity. Instead, the IRS grants the exemption to the USCCB, and then individual entities under the USCCB can apply for recognition under that group exemption.
I translate this as the IRS has the ability (not the authority) to grant tax exempt (501(c)(3) status as it sees fit.
While not breaching the first amendment, directly as the IRS is not congress and the 1st Amendment states congress, not the executive.. It is usurping the powers of congress by granting tax exempt status,and thus violating the 1st Amendment.
AI: Churches in Pennsylvania are legally organized as nonprofit corporations that hold legal title to their assets. There are no “religious corporations” as recognized in other states. Rather, a church forms a nonprofit corporation governed by the Nonprofit Corporation Law of 1988, 15 Pa. C.S. §5101- 6145; In Re First Baptist Church of Spring Mill, 2011 WL 2302540, 22 A.3d 1091 (Pa. Commw. Ct., 2011).
I represented a couple -- an orthodox and a Disciples of Christ, that had been incorporated. There are many variations of the Catholic Church. I was the lawyer in some stuff because I couldn't get excommunicated. The arch diocese is selling off property all the time.
A frined of mine had a case where the issue was the church property, in Florida and who had the power to transfer -- so they had a corporation as trustee.
So it is the church's themselves that are incorporated (have corporate charters) and that is how they skirt the 1st Amendment. Not as religions or churches or what not, but as 501(c)(3)
Trump used his Art II powers, as modified by congress to call a National Economic Emergency. The Congress can revoke that emergency. The Senate with help of four Republicans voted to revoke that emergency.
It has to pass the House. Mike Johnson stopped that by a manuever in which he declared the rest of the year one long legislative day, thus stopping the ability of anyone to bring that bill to the floor,maybe any other bills as well.
I would suggest that Donnie's shotgun approach is meant to stampede the herd toward a quick move to his door before the window on making a deal shuts. I am sure many (most?) in this herd were targeted because they have something of particular value coveted by the "consortium" that paid to keep Donnie out of jail, and to put him back in the White House.
This reminds me of China granting Donnie's daughter product licenses to alleviate some measure of punishment during his first go 'round.
The frenzy of the stampede will heighten each target's sense that some of them must be shut out of the deal pool. They understand that there must be some sacrificial lambs so that there is meat to show to the MAGA faithful.
Let's keep a sharp eye on who comes knocking early, and whose pressure is eased in the coming weeks. It will probably tell us also which ones among this magical corruption tour are particularly favored, and what they are most coveting.
Someone has been doing this for him. I knew many people at the trade courts -- they are experts on every country, every industry. They have a cadr- supported by experts. One of my friends had also been a patent examiner -- litigated patents before he became a judge. Because they worked for the government, they couldn't trade -- too many conflicts. Most of the people invoved are "face men" who probably have access to this stuff.
I'm sure the SEC and the FBI and others had close scrutiny... From Trump Tyranny Tracker
Top Officials to Leave SEC's Anti-Bribery Unit
What Happened: Charles Cain and Tracy Price, the longtime heads of the SEC’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act unit, are departing amid a broader exodus of officials following Trump’s order to pause anti-bribery enforcement.
Why It Matters: Their exit highlights the Trump’s continued dismantling of U.S. anti-corruption infrastructure. With enforcement frozen and leadership gutted, the U.S. is retreating from its global anti-bribery role, opening the door for corporate misconduct and corruption.
Source: Reuters
US Securities and Exchange Commission shakes up enforcement, exams units
What Happened: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is restructuring its enforcement and examination divisions, consolidating oversight under new deputy directors and slashing senior reporting lines.
Why It Matters: With key anti-bribery officials gone and hundreds of SEC staff exiting, the agency is being hollowed out just as Wall Street's power surges. This deregulation blitz guts corporate accountability and opens the door to political weaponization.
I’m with Senator Chris Murphy, who says Trump wants businesses to fear him and is using Tariffs to threaten them with destroying their business models / going out of business. He is the Abuser-In-Chief. His full quote is in last nights letter from Heather Cox Richardson. From Sen Murphy…
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) noted tonight that the tariffs make no economic sense because “[t]hey aren’t designed as economic policy. The tariffs are simply a new, super dangerous political tool.” Murphy suggests they are a way to make private industry dependent on the president the same way he has tried to make law firms and universities dependent on him. Industries and companies “will need to pledge loyalty to Trump in order to get sanctions relief.”
Murphy warns that “[t]he tariffs are DESIGNED to create economic hardship…[s]o that Trump has a straight face rationale for releasing them, business by business or industry by industry. As he adjusts or grants relief, it’s a win-win: the economy improves and dissent disappears.”
Trump's career: 6 bankruptcies...thousands of lawsiuits, many current. Criminal fraud exposure, 34 felony convictions....
Daniel,stiffed every vendor,cheated on wife while pregnant,Trump university.He is really not human,no human could be so hated,reviled.
This trade war is nothing more than an act of revenge. Revenge on the countries who don't bow to his will, revenge on the Americans who didn't vote for him. He doesn't care about the economy, the American people, or rule of law. His goal is to burn everything down and pull what's left out of the ashes for personal profit.
IMHO he gets bad advice and psychological reinforecement from a number of yes-men like Musk and Navarro. Every member of Congress was asked tl sign a no tax pledge, and most Republicans did. Tattiffs = taxes, so by supportong across the board tariffs, they are undermining their credibility with their Tea Party/MAGAT constituents.
In the auto industry, companies like Tesla have no (0) foreign components and therefore have an advantage over the competition. However as of 10:30, Tesla is down 5%. .
It's a vicious cycle. He has declared himself right, and everyone who disagrees with him gets fired. Truth, law, and reality need not apply.
I watched Rachel last night, running down the list of tariff sanctions, many of them are not nations, but Islands. The person who drew up that list is not an idiot (never underestimate the enemy)
It came to mind that nations beat international law and sanctions by using vessels chartered under other nations. For instance In terms of the number of ships registered, Panama currently holds the title for the largest ship registry, followed by Liberia and the Marshall Islands.
So to beat tariffs, which are assessed at port of entry, a country need do no more than have their product registered aboard a Panamaian registered ship, as coming from the Heard or McDonalds islands.
Notice that the Falklands, population 2,330 and produces nothng except guano and fish has a tariff of 41% The Falkland Islands are a self-governing British Overseas Territory, with the UK responsible for foreign affairs and defense, while the islands have full internal self-government.
However Britain has only a 10% tariff and 25% on cars, steel and aluminum.
Why 41% on a self governing island that has no exports? Because it is a perfect place to use as a transhipment place,on paper, slap on a made in Falklands label on the bill of lading and voila.
No, it's all about the money...
I fully agree. And thank Thom for the tariff-explainer course. Trump loves to break things, taking no blame and credit for putting the things back together. Murphy seems to understand Trump perfectly.
Face it, Trump is doing a Reign of Terror on America using tariffs and destroying our government and economy because he is a Russian mole, code-named Krasnov by the old USSR and still serving Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, in service of being a puppet tyrant and monarch, with the help of western oligarchs.
Meanwhile in Moscow: https://globalpost.com/stories/a-call-to-arms-russia-institutes-draft-amid-faltering-ceasefire-negotiations/?lh_aid=35942&lh_cid=5q6qb0n5zc&lh_em=apaalj%40gmail.com&di=4739993f1b804bcb4aa74853e3310c70
Trump is an ignoramus of unequalled proportion, and his advisors are either not much more intelligent or they are unable to educate him and afraid to try. But his personal obsession with how the US has bailed out the rest of the world and has been taken advantage of by so many other countries is at the heart of his problem. First of all, he really doesn't care about this country in terms of the people and the economy. He cannot think or imagine past his own wellbeing and wealth. Secondly, he is using the foolishness of our victimhood as a country as a proxy for his own pathological sense of having been cheated, deprived, or denied. We are in a huge drama that belongs to one very sick individual which is now being projected onto the world stage. He must be removed from his position of power before we can ever return to sanity and stability. This could take a long time and cost many lives. Educating the people with these kinds of facts and analyses and motivating them to protest en masse is about our only hope. Be out there Saturday and every chance you get.
The cult is immune to education, and from what I have noticed about humans and cults, they are immune even to personal experience. They make excuses, Like "god has his own plans" or "god wills it, Deux Vult" or you can't know the mind of god.
There is a commenter on Thom, who claims to be very religious, yet is a Trump humper, he is totally immune to facts, to logic, nothing can be said or experienced will change his mind.
On the other hand, there are the fence sitters, the uninvolved, except when they turn on the TV, FB , Radio or chat to some right wing funded source.
I've been sayin' that one country owes us trillions...enough to pay off the national debt. OPEC has fixed oil prices which have undermined our economy since 1973. They control the largest domestic oil refineries, control some of our largest companies. Operate as monopolies...Don't pay their fair share.....
This used to be a bipartisan issue...
.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Oil_Producing_and_Exporting_Cartels_Act
Partners with Trump, Inc. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trump-planning-visit-saudi-arabia-mid-may-axios-reports-2025-03-30/
Uncovering Trump’s ties to Saudi Investment Funds
https://democracyforward.org/work/uncovering-trumps-ties-to-saudi-investment-funds/
One example: President Trump’s unprecedented inaugural foreign trip to the country. There, he participated in the first ever Saudi-U.S. CEO Forum, and announced a $20 billion contribution from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (“PIF”) for investment in U.S. infrastructure projects. The contribution will be managed by the Blackstone Group, whose CEO, Stephen Schwarzman, is an informal advisor to Trump.
"What's up, Doc?"
Updated Thu, Apr 3 20259:33 AM EDT. CNBC
Dow craters 1,200 points, S&P 500 heads for worst drop in 2 years after Trump’s tariff rollout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8IbXsnSkO0
What's up, Doc? What's cookin'?
What's up, Doc? Oh, you're lookin'
For Bugs Bunny bunting...
Elmer's gone a-hunting
Just to get a rabbit skin...
Oops! The rabbit's gone again!
What's up, Doc? What's cookin'?
Hey!...Look out!...Stop!
You're gonna hurt someone
With that old shot-gun!
E h h h h . . . What's up, Doc?
Our two Florida senate Republicans will get holy hell from our Canadian population, many with dual citizenship and who are registered Republican. 500,000 Canadians pay Florida real estate taxes, employ 54,000 Floridians.
On Saturday April 5th a host of organizations including Indivisible, MoveOn, 50501 and dozens of national and local partners are co-sponsoring rallies and marches in Washington DC and around the country.
Here 3 Cuban American MAGATS represent majority Democrats.
Call, email, picket Gimenez, Diaz Balart, Salazar. All have protested parts of Trump immigration policies. Gimenez, born in Cuba, was our Dem county mayor to 2020.
Ptrotest to CANF, Cuban American National Foundation .... "Based in Miami and Washington, DC, CANF engages in cultural activities, supports education and research, and conducts various events, including lectures and conferences. Historically, the organization has been known for its hardline stance against the Cuban government..." Miami (305) 592-7768. The Republican donor base is connected here. 202 530 1894.
But for these people, GWB would not have been elected. He and his dad had people bron in Cuba in their cabinets.
I just read a news flash that the stock market is taking a nose dive and it is only 11 AM. That means that Musk, Bezos and all the other uber wealthy are picking up good stock really inexpensively making them richer. Some companies, like we haven't seen enough go under already, will go bankrupt thus throwing more people on unemployment and making life just plain harder. This wasn't happening on Joe Biden's watch and yup he is older and frailer but not stupid. This action on Trump's part was planned and just plain evil - it hurts Americans.
An excellent article that clarified so much for me. Thank you, Thom!
Agree with Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell? Goddess, I hate when that happens!
Republican brains do not do nuance. They make quick decisions. Unfortunately, they often don't "learn" until the consequences land on THEIR doorstep. We are all about to get a special delivery, when the price hikes land every f-ing where.
Good explanation for us to use, Thom. At least if tariffs are applied to a PRODUCT, we and the affected businesses could plan.
That psychopath and his sick Project 2025 crew will do anything to break this country while protecting Russia. When MAGAs cry about prices, just remind them Dear Leader was going to fix all that day one. Ask them: how's that voting-your-wallet thing working out for you?
Like most autocratic leaders, Trump's #1 vulnerability is his ego. Autocrats surround themselves with people who dare not point out potential unintended consequences of their policy proposals. Thus, impulse rules - and catastrophe's follow.
Just look at the economies of Putin, Edogan, Orban, Netanyahu, etc.
Trump and Musk and the other billionaires in the current cabinet do not care about other human beings. Not you, not me. They were born into a wealth bubble. They never had to worry if there would be enough to eat or have a place to sleep. They went to private schools paid for by their parents. They were so secure that they were able to start businesses and if the business failed they had a safety net to catch them. We don't. Russia under Putin and China under Xi want the United States to fail. They want their countries to be number one in the world. And Trump and Musk, neither who understand people or how government works, are very willing helpers.
Thomas Paine's essay pamphlet "The American Crisis" (1776-1783), and his saying "These are the times that try one's soul" was a call to action during difficult times, urging perseverance and patriotism. In this current modern crisis It is time for a republishing and a retelling.
Could this be Putin's dream of destroying the Western alliances? We don't know where the voices in Donald's head come from.
We don't manufacture bananas or avocados all that well in this country, so why tariffs?
Note the super effective smuggling in of Putin's bagman* during the Fog of [Economic] War.
See: https://olgalautman.substack.com/p/kirill-dmitriev-putins-messenger?r=9gxti&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&triedRedirect=true
* A "bagman" typically describes someone who carries money for illicit purposes. It can refer to an individual involved in bribery, collecting or distributing funds for criminal organizations, or handling finances in a secretive or illegal manner.
The term is also sometimes used more broadly for someone who handles money or runs errands discreetly.
Just dabblin, but Noriega was the CIA's bagman, but screwed up by dipping into the bag.
Anyway Trump (Krasnov) is KGB asset. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-u4d6Zwdns
So was Saddam.
I don't doubt that for a moment. Russia has acquired as an asset any dictator that has the slightest dust up with the US and Europe. Big presence in Africa,especially those countries with gold and rare earth minerals.
The Chicken Tax — How stupid tariffs last.
The Chicken Tax is a retaliatory tariff of 25% on foreign pickups put in place more 50 years ago. The target was the VW LUV truck in retaliation for limiting chicken imports into Europe. It’s still in place and has distorted the US pickup truck market. Go to anywhere outside the U.S. and you will find smaller, safer, and more fuel efficient pickups. Ever heard of the Toyota Hilux?
The current action may spell the end of the WTO as well. Before you cheer too much, consider a world where designs by American manufacturers can be copied without consequences. The are countries ready and able to pivot to this model.
SCATTERBRAINED - that is my plain-English diagnosis for Trump based on his economic policies. He seems to have the attention span of a 3-year-old, acts impulsively, and never seeks advice about potential unintended consequences before he triggers what is likely to wind up being called "The Second Great Depression." A more clinically-precise term might be dementia with hyperactivity - possibly fueled by drugs. Ironic - that seems to describe Musk too. His ketamine alone could cause that. Maybe Elon is sharing with his pal Don???
If Congress does not quickly grow a spine and override this tariff madness, the damage tariffs will cause to the average MAGA (the rest of us too, to some extent) will take years to repair.
As a retiree in his late 70s, being debt-free, I am probably less vulnerable to severe damage. I could see this coming in late February, liquidated my stock investments, and moved all my IRA holdings to T-Bills - just as the market started to tank on the 24th. Of course, my actions cannot prevent the impact of inflation - a harm stocks usually deflect. Sadly, for people who have ignored Trump's tariff rhetoric, like Jamie Dimon at JP Morgan, yesterday's Liberation Day announcement became their Pearl Harbor when the NYSE opening bell rang - an average 4% drop by 11AM EDT.
We are in the same boat Tom. Also debt free,including mortgage. Wife has money in Mission Square, in a deferred compensation program. When she started 20 years ago, they gave her a choice of plans. I told her to invest in T Bills., and while others fall hers is safe.
As the stockmarket plunges, it presents an opportunity for those with resources to buy in cheap, provided that the stock doesn't continue to plummet and that the company survives.
Some people who know what they're doing play the futures market. Do not hold anything -- except maybe treasuries and select blue chips.
"Value" investors hold because they only buy at discounts.
During the last year of the Biden administration, when polls were whining about his management of the economy, my (then) diverse IRA earned 16%. My personal portfolio of diverse ETFs gained 21%. Since Trump took over, it has been a sh-t show. I ran the numbers Friday to see how much liquidating saved me from disaster. It was way over $100K that I would have lost in just 5 weeks.
In Econ 101 or was it 102, I was told that farmers buy futures to offset any losses due to weather. They also get subsidies.
A few miles down the road, there is a real nice spread, that has a herd of alpaca's, and nearby a guy who owns a couple of cows. I suspect that they get tax breaks and subsidies.
An absentee multimillionaire owns a winery I can see from my house,he also bought up all of the surrounding property, except mine and my neighbors (we wouldn't sell). His winery is basically a hobby and a tax write off.
Some years ago there was a map of where US farm subsidies went by postal code rather than by land description. The vast majority went to large cities, indicating large corporate holdings. Vary litle went to small farmers. Check out the Arkansas Christmas Tree. In St Louis just after 911, I attended a 1 day course on ethics in consulting. The speaker consulted with Californai rice growers on how to structure their business to get the most government subsiy money. I did not ask him but have regreted it since, about the ethics of what he was doing. No subsidy program has been developed that a handful of farmers sitting around a kitchen table with a case of beer cant figure out how to game.
Farmers are not the naive sitting ducks people think, they are wiley, lay lawyers and tax experts. Actually a very good source of income, if the weather doesn't fuck you up. a week of soil preparation, a day of sowing, and then maybe some spraying Round up or pesticide and then a couple of days, maybe a week or two of harvesting.
Where I lived in Pennyltucky, "English" farmers, most who had ag degrees, operated like big businesses with Amish farm labor.
In the midwest and California most labor is hired through contractors. I had 22 kinds of visas in my jurisdiction, and the most litigous were in farm labor.
There are losts of small farmers who mostly work another job or two.
Any idea of how many small farmers are left. I mean commercial, not victory farmers or concierge farms or the local who shows up at the Saturday open air market with tomatoe's, potatoes, rhubarb and onions.
According to USDA eighty-nine percent (89%) of all farms are small family farms and they generated 18 percent of total production value. "Small family farms operated 45 percent of U.S. agricultural land and produced 18 percent of the total value of production. Farm size classifications are based on annual gross cash farm income, a measure of a farm's revenue—including sales of crops and livestock, payments made under Federal agricultural programs, and other farm-related cash income—before deducting expenses. Small family farms have gross cash farm income (GCFI) below $350,000. In comparison, large-scale family farms, with GCFI above $1 million, operated 27 percent of agricultural land and were responsible for 46 percent of the total value of production in 2021. Midsize family farms, with GCFI between $350,000 and $1 million, operated 18 percent of agricultural land and similarly generated 18 percent of the total value of production. Overall, family farms of all sizes comprised about 83 percent of the overall production value while making up 98 percent of all farms. The remaining 2 percent of farms were classified as nonfamily. This category includes partnerships (of unrelated partners), nonfamily corporations, and farms with a hired manager unrelated to the owners. Despite accounting for such a small percent of farms, the nonfamily category was responsible for 17 percent of the total value of production." This chart appears in the ERS report America’s Farms and Ranches at a Glance, 2022 edition
Some "hobby" farmers. IMHO Topography has a lot to do with it. In Appalachia, people know the going rate for gensing, marijuana, other cash crops. When I lived in Virginia and Maryland, there were a lot who sold at farmers' markets.
In Miami, some on the fringes. We have some "pick em" farms where they won't pay for farm labor so the customers do most of the picking.
Scatterbrained,I think Jamie Dimon is a big Trump supporter as are most bankers. I still can't understand why churches,synogogues don't f comment on the " Neo Nazi" takeover of our gov't.
Synogogues know better than to stick their nose in politics, a 2,000 year history is very informative.
Churches on the other hand, are behind the transformation, they are rubbing their hands together in glee, as the country is headed towards a theocracy.
Religion has been losing clients, and that means money, power, influence, They have backed the rise of MAGA before it was MAGA, under the banner of names like family values (which has nothing to do with family or values) and pro life (which has nothing to do with pro life), and their war against the godless heathens.
1. I bet JP Morgan made out -- shorted the market or at least did a butterfly.
2. The reason most went for Trump is the 15% Biden corporate tax and the threat of increased IRS collection.
3. Some, a few, are actually coconspirators. E.G. Blackrock & Saudis, Musk, etc. Most of his cabinet have a business connection.
4. A few Synagogues are ultra orthodox -- but 70%+ are Democratic.
5. Evanglicals are in competition with tradidional Christians.
Blackrock is Larry Fink, founder, CEO, Chairman, has his own wikipedia page
Yes most Jews, in America, are liberal and democratic, some orthodox are rabid Zionists and voted Trump
Don't know what a traditional Christian is save something like the Metropolitan Church
Lutherans are right wingers, Presbyterians, Southern Baptists, they are all heavily invested in the culture war, the rise of secularism has cost them congregations and that means money and power, The big thing they fear is that
America realizes that granted religions tax exemption, and states exempting them from property taxes is a violation of the principle of separation of Church and state.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion
Granting them tax exempt status violates that, however they got around that by enacting laws that give non profits tax exempt status, and churches then registered as non profits.
There is no national non profit corporate charter, it is state by state, and I wonder if every religion is registered in every state as a non profit.
Do you know anything about that Daniel?
They register as 501(c)(3) with IRS.
I deleted my previous comment Daniel, as I erred.
Here is what is required to get 501(c)(3) status
Step 1: Incorporate before applying for tax-exempt status. ...
Step 2: Get an EIN. ...
Step 3: File form 1023 with the IRS. ...
Step 4: Ensure your 501(c)(3) also has tax-exempt status at the state and local level.
Churches are not incorporated, that I can find, so the conferring of said status on churches is illegal.
I represented some that were incorporated in Pa.
It took over a year to get tax status for our local historical society. While we were doing it, several churches did same.
I am trying to get a handle on all of this.
Religions don't have to be chartered (like the Catholic Church) but individual churches do have to be chartered?
I know about sectarian non Profits The problem I am having is with churches.
Scientology for years tried to get tax exempt status,but finally Tom Cruise got it and it made him a demigod in the cult.
Here is what AI says:
The Catholic Church, like many other denominations, operates under a group ruling or exemption from the IRS, meaning the central organization (USCCB) permits subordinate entities (like dioceses and parishes) to apply and become part of its group, thus gaining 501(c)(3) status.
USCCB as the Parent Organization:
The USCCB acts as the parent organization in this group ruling, and its subordinate entities gain recognized 501(c)(3) status by virtue of the parent's existing exemption.
Not a State Registration:
This means that the Catholic Church isn't registered in a particular state as a 501(c)(3) entity. Instead, the IRS grants the exemption to the USCCB, and then individual entities under the USCCB can apply for recognition under that group exemption.
I translate this as the IRS has the ability (not the authority) to grant tax exempt (501(c)(3) status as it sees fit.
While not breaching the first amendment, directly as the IRS is not congress and the 1st Amendment states congress, not the executive.. It is usurping the powers of congress by granting tax exempt status,and thus violating the 1st Amendment.
AI: Churches in Pennsylvania are legally organized as nonprofit corporations that hold legal title to their assets. There are no “religious corporations” as recognized in other states. Rather, a church forms a nonprofit corporation governed by the Nonprofit Corporation Law of 1988, 15 Pa. C.S. §5101- 6145; In Re First Baptist Church of Spring Mill, 2011 WL 2302540, 22 A.3d 1091 (Pa. Commw. Ct., 2011).
I represented a couple -- an orthodox and a Disciples of Christ, that had been incorporated. There are many variations of the Catholic Church. I was the lawyer in some stuff because I couldn't get excommunicated. The arch diocese is selling off property all the time.
A frined of mine had a case where the issue was the church property, in Florida and who had the power to transfer -- so they had a corporation as trustee.
So it is the church's themselves that are incorporated (have corporate charters) and that is how they skirt the 1st Amendment. Not as religions or churches or what not, but as 501(c)(3)
It was the CR that handed Trump the power to tax us through tariffs. I was dead set against that CR. I called out this fraud by Mike Johnson.
We get what Schumer handed us. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/fraud?r=3m1bs
Would do it anyway. He's declared the trade balance constitutes an emergecy.
It was a no-win situation.
Trump used his Art II powers, as modified by congress to call a National Economic Emergency. The Congress can revoke that emergency. The Senate with help of four Republicans voted to revoke that emergency.
It has to pass the House. Mike Johnson stopped that by a manuever in which he declared the rest of the year one long legislative day, thus stopping the ability of anyone to bring that bill to the floor,maybe any other bills as well.
Trump slapped 25% tariff on Canadian potash and now America is importing cheapwer Russian potash in spite of sanctions. Elbows up, Canada
The Tariff Stampede of 2025
I would suggest that Donnie's shotgun approach is meant to stampede the herd toward a quick move to his door before the window on making a deal shuts. I am sure many (most?) in this herd were targeted because they have something of particular value coveted by the "consortium" that paid to keep Donnie out of jail, and to put him back in the White House.
This reminds me of China granting Donnie's daughter product licenses to alleviate some measure of punishment during his first go 'round.
The frenzy of the stampede will heighten each target's sense that some of them must be shut out of the deal pool. They understand that there must be some sacrificial lambs so that there is meat to show to the MAGA faithful.
Let's keep a sharp eye on who comes knocking early, and whose pressure is eased in the coming weeks. It will probably tell us also which ones among this magical corruption tour are particularly favored, and what they are most coveting.
Someone has been doing this for him. I knew many people at the trade courts -- they are experts on every country, every industry. They have a cadr- supported by experts. One of my friends had also been a patent examiner -- litigated patents before he became a judge. Because they worked for the government, they couldn't trade -- too many conflicts. Most of the people invoved are "face men" who probably have access to this stuff.
I'm sure the SEC and the FBI and others had close scrutiny... From Trump Tyranny Tracker
Top Officials to Leave SEC's Anti-Bribery Unit
What Happened: Charles Cain and Tracy Price, the longtime heads of the SEC’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act unit, are departing amid a broader exodus of officials following Trump’s order to pause anti-bribery enforcement.
Why It Matters: Their exit highlights the Trump’s continued dismantling of U.S. anti-corruption infrastructure. With enforcement frozen and leadership gutted, the U.S. is retreating from its global anti-bribery role, opening the door for corporate misconduct and corruption.
Source: Reuters
US Securities and Exchange Commission shakes up enforcement, exams units
What Happened: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is restructuring its enforcement and examination divisions, consolidating oversight under new deputy directors and slashing senior reporting lines.
Why It Matters: With key anti-bribery officials gone and hundreds of SEC staff exiting, the agency is being hollowed out just as Wall Street's power surges. This deregulation blitz guts corporate accountability and opens the door to political weaponization.
Source: Reuters
America's final fate?
Take down the flag... Put up the $ sign...