Category: Negative Space

Trump, the Futurist

Michael Matheron1 Comment

Trump 1.0 and during his 2021-2025 “vacation” never missed an opportunity to directly blame President Biden for any significant financial market sell offs despite the fact that, for example, the S&P 500’s growth rate under Democrats is 10% compared with 6.7% under Republicans. Trump posted on True Social in July 2020: “If you want your 401k’s and stocks…to disintegrate and disappear, vote for the Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats and Corrupt Joe Biden,” In reality, reported CNN, “with Biden in the White House, the US stock market not only preserved those Trump-era gains, but generated even more massive ones for millions of Americans’ 401(k) plans, nest eggs and college savings plans.”

But now with the markets lately off by significant percentage points, Trump is now apparently has changed, he’s now Future Man! Stock market? Schmockmarket! Just wait a few years, it’ll come back. Here’s what he told FOX News’ Maria Bartiromo, on a show called – speaking of the future – Sunday Morning Futures. Introducing Future Man . . .

BARTIROMO: Before you came into the Oval Office the first time, you were a very successful businessman, very successful real estate executive. And a lot of people said, oh, this is the business president. This is it. He’s watching the stock market. He knows all about — he doesn’t want the market to go down. And now we have got tariffs, and the market has been going down.

TRUMP: Well, not much, I mean, in all fairness, not much.

BARTIROMO: You said, look, we’re going to have a disruption, but we’re OK with that. Is that what you meant? The stock market going down was the disruption?

TRUMP: There will be a little disruption.

BARTIROMO: What other disruption were you alluding to?

TRUMP: Look, what I have to do is build a strong country. You can’t really watch the stock market. If you look at China, they have a 100-year perspective. We have a quarter. We go by quarters.

BARTIROMO: That’s true.

TRUMP: And you can’t go by that. You have to do what’s right. What we’re doing is, we’re building a tremendous foundation for the future, tremendous foundation. Everything’s been taken away. We don’t make ships anymore.

Trump Bumbles and Fumbles After Shocking Oval Office Zelensky Meeting

Michael Matheron1 Comment

After scolding Ukraine’s Zelensky in the Oval Office and then punishing Ukraine by cutting off U.S. intelligence data, threatening to remove thousands of Ukrainians from the U.S., and stalling military assistance, Trump is now, just an hour ago, threatening Russia with sanctions for waging an aggressive bombing campaign.

Yesterday, he posted this on TruthSocial:

“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED. To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!”

This stepped up aggression by Russia is a case of cause-effect based upon Trump’s own recent treatment of Ukraine, the literal cutting off of most aid to Ukraine following the February 28th Oval Office fiasco. Basically, Trump’s post-meeting abandonment of Ukraine made it possible for Russia to do the Ukrainian battlefield “pounding” by removing, for example, Ukraine’s access to U.S. military surveillance thereby allowing Russia to immediately lambaste Ukraine at will. Cause-Effect. When will his madcap foreign policies do the same, and how dangerous will be the result?

Why the Ultra-Wealthy Need More Tax Breaks

Michael Matheron1 Comment

Today, CNN reported: “When it comes to the rise of multimillionaires, the United States is leading the charge, a new report found. The number of high-net worth individuals — or those with assets worth more than $10 million — rose 4.4% worldwide in 2024, to 2,341,378, but jumped 5.2% in North America, according to the annual Wealth Report by global real estate consultancy Knight Frank. The U.S. is now home to almost 40% of the world’s super rich, the report estimates — nearly double the share that resides in China, the region with the next highest contingent of wealthy individuals.”

The report points out as well that “Future wealth creation, especially in the ultra-wealthy (US$100 million+) segment, is likely to be subject to a more activist regulatory and tax response.” In plain English, wealth growth, under the Trump administration, will likely result in an “activist regulatory and tax response,” i.e., a super-wealthy person’s way of saying, “More tax breaks and less regulations!! For us!”

And, of course, being in a competitive society, the growth rate of super-wealthy families must hold on to its leadership position. Rooting against them would be Un-American!! The chart below shows just how hard it is to stay in the top 1%; there are so many 99%ers grasping cravenly at their fortunes: 85 million other families, versus 2.5 million super-wealthy. A very unfair fight. How is it that such a small contingent has been able to dominate so many millions of families? Hmmmmm…

Negative Space: First in a Series of 2025 Resolutions

Michael Matheron1 Comment

I’ve been thinking. Again, as I do every New Year’s day, I’m pondering how to help you. You need resolutions! And, since 2025 is already in the toilet, with Trump threatening various sovereign countries with invasion among his other grisly resolutions for the year, it seems appropriate to help you immunize (excuse the term) yourself with not simply one, two, or three resolutions, but with as many as I can think of. Although 2025 is a year I don’t plan on thinking much, I can’t predict just how many resolutions I’ll offer you, but they’ll be numerous, or not – I just don’t know. Anyway, here’s the first in a series of resolutions or goals to help you screen out the reality of Trump 2.0. Hope this helps. Hope you have a chair,