The Witness Chronicles, 3/12/25
Mayhem hits markets
The Trumpcession is Coming Sooner Rather Than Later, and He Doesn’t Care
And stop talking about egg prices
The whitewashing is going full speed from the White House. Today’s plummeting stock markets did not warrant any comment and so far Trump has been radio silent after signaling over the weekend that a recession may be imminent, though he did not use the word.
Because if you do not actually say a thing, it won’t happen. Btw, he did post an order on Truth Social telling us bluntly to stop talking about egg prices. So I guess that issue is fixed. The Republicans are dealing with angry constituents by simply refusing to meet them in public. Why? Because they have no explanation for their silence and the inaction of their leaders.
We are in Orwellian 1984 territory these days with denial becoming an actual Republican strategy. The government is scheduled to shut down on Friday night and the best the House Republicans can put on the table is a document outlining all of Trump’s wishlist items, which has zero chance of going anywhere.
So, an impending recession and a government shutdown in the same week? And a deafening silence on the right? Apparently this is what normal now looks like in DC. And the future looks even scarier as we watch Donald Trump, who appears to be cognitively declining, attempt to declare himself king, or emperor, or whatever. Dictator for life?
His factotum Elon Musk, appears to be willing to let his businesses lose billions while he plays god with thousands of lives, apparently for fun. The question is, when does the country explode in anger over these horrible actions?
In contrast to the Republicans, Democrats are holding town meetings and so many are showing up that they have had to set up overflow spaces with video feeds. If the GOP had any self-respect left, they would be freaked out about the turnout we are seeing with Dems. If we have elections next year, they will be in serious trouble. If.
The fact that I can seriously write that last sentence is the scariest part of this scenario. And I am serious. If the right is willing to look away while Trump ignores court orders and rules by fiat, then they are abandoning any semblance of respect for the Constitution and our democracy.
Unfortunately, this is what reality looks like today and that is not an exaggeration. If you read history, this is exactly how dictatorships take power, gradually and then all at once. And most historical dictators were mentally ill which is almost a requirement for the desire to be all powerful.
If this rotten scenario continues then my overwhelming feeling about my fellow citizens is shame at their craven weakness. If that sounds extreme, you have probably not been paying attention, because it’s that bad.
Fun stuff, right? Unfortunately I am deadly serious. Trump and Musk, as individuals, are recession proof, so they have no reason to care. And both appear to be psychopaths who not only don’t care about others but actually take pleasure in hurting people.
I can’t see any other outcome but a recession, or more appropriately, a Trumpcession. All the indicators are in place including rising prices and inflation, unstable markets, and major league trade wars that are escalating all of these issues. And a government run by a man and his party who don’t care, or are afraid to say anything.
Because if you stay silent, it isn’t happening, or so they appear to think. That level of willful ignorance and outright fear are Trump’s ace in the hole and he knows it.
In perhaps the biggest indicator of a coming recession, the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which measures economic productivity of the country as a whole, dropped. Drops in two quarters in a row is generally considered to be a leading indicator we are in a recession.
Trump’s instability has the markets spooked as tariffs are imposed, then lifted, then imposed again, reflecting the theme of inconsistency in this administration. Business does not like instability and we are getting it in spades. The shift from yelling at Ukraine’s President in the White House to supporting him in negotiations is another example of Trump reacting unpredictably in the face of criticism.
The international world already knows Trump cannot be trusted and these rapid shifts in serious issues contribute to the growing sense of unreality spreading across the country, regardless of party. What we are seeing is just how little Trump and Musk care about those who elected him (no one elected Musk to anything). They no longer bother pretending to care.
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Martin Edic
'When does the country explode in anger over these horrible actions?' is the million-dollar question. As of a few days ago, Trump's favorability rating was still running in the high 40s according to an average of all polls. It should be closer to 25%.
I'd like to take two aspirin and respond in the morning. All too true, this. I'll buy a coffee