When It Makes No Sense

When It Makes No Sense

By

Leonard Zwelling

Despite what you may hear, the economy and stock markets were all doing well on January 20, 2025. Mr. Trump had not inherited an economic disaster at all. Despite the foolish Biden legislation that poured money into people’s hands during Covid and revved up inflation, for the most part things were going pretty well when Mr. Trump took the oath of office.

That is not to say that the American people weren’t suffering. They were. Prices had skyrocketed under Biden and really had not dropped, but rather leveled off.

In the past few weeks, the markets have taken a beating. The primary cause of this downturn is thought to be the uncertainty of the Trump economic agenda manifested mainly as the off-again on-again tariffs with friends and adversaries alike dazed and confused. Now with the 25% auto tariffs, car companies may be crippled. Does any of this make sense to you?

In international affairs, Mr. Trump was going to end the war in Ukraine in one day and threatened Hamas with extinction should the remaining hostages not be released immediately. Instead, Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin are carving up Ukraine leaving Mr. Zelenskyy to hope he has something left to be president of. Israel has restarted the bombing in Gaza surely with the knowledge and approval of Mr. Trump. Does this make sense to you?

If not on the issue of the 300 illegal immigrants he flew out of the country without hearings, then on a future action that appears illegal, Mr. Trump is heading for a collision with the American justice system. We know where this will end. The Supreme Court either will or will not perform its constitutional duties and determine that illegal actions by the chief executive cannot be tolerated even if performed when he is in office. Then we will see whether Mr. Trump obeys a Supreme Court order or not. Does this make sense to you?

Mr. Trump has unleashed Elon Musk on the federal work force. Mr. Musk is winning as thousands lose their jobs without anyone knowing whether this is a good or bad thing. Unlike in his private companies, Mr. Musk’s actions may not be readily repaired after the fact with rehiring as arbitrary as the firings. Does this make sense to you?

Given the fact that Mr. Trump actually had a plurality of the America people’s vote in November, the first Republican to do so in twenty years, why not use that advantage to do some good? Put another way, who benefits from a weakened economy, a poorer American image on the world stage, a shell-shocked federal work force, and putting the executive branch on a collision course with the federal judiciary?

The answer seems to be the American oligarchy. That oligarchy is led by Musk but includes Mark Zuckerberg, and the rest of the Silicon Valley bros who want that tax cut, fewer regulations, and the opportunity to make more billions.

I think Mr. Trump will do anything to get his tax cut in place, even cut Medicaid. I think Mr. Trump wants to stride the world in tandem with Xi and Putin. I believe that Mr. Trump has no regard for the federal judiciary and either flouts court orders or figures he’s packed the Supreme Court to give him anything he wants. Finally, he doesn’t care whether the federal government functions well for the American people or not, only if it functions well for him.

None of this makes any sense to me unless Mr. Trump has an agenda that is truly nefarious. Mr. Trump and his buddies will rule the world and the country and all those people who voted for him be damned,

Maybe there’s another plot line that I am not seeing in this drama. How does any of this advance the country? How does any of it advance freedom? How does any of it advance justice? How does this make America great again? How does this make sense?

I don’t see it.