87 Comments
User's avatar
Mike Hammer's avatar

He needs to go. Do we have an extradition agreement with any of Trump’s shit hole countries?

Janet Wilson's avatar

El Salvador seems more appropriate. Perhaps Israel...

David Maceira's avatar

Dismantling government agencies like the IRS and the CPFB. Now who would benefit from that??

Huitzilopotchli's avatar

The wealthy could cheat on their tax returns and not worry about audits.

Lemuel Wade's avatar

Just heard Hegseth lie about how the news is reported concerning brave US solders losing their lives. He seems to be saying that those lives lost got more press than the bombing campaign to make Trump look bad. What an idiot!

Diane in Ohio's avatar

Trump and Hegseth pay lip service to those lost servicemen and women. Trump's attitude, "it's what happens".

Dee Cee's avatar

trump's attitude part ll: Lives will be lost, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

Diane in Ohio's avatar

It reminds me of what he said in 2020 during covid in an interview..."Yes, they're dying. It is what it is". He has zero regard for human life.

Oaktown's avatar

He didn't say the rest of that sentence out loud this time, but he has before, many times: It's what happens to "losers." Truly astounding that any military personnel support Bone Spurs and a juvenile drunken idiot Sec Def.

Teresa Morales's avatar

Trump only knows how to financially fail, this time as president, with our stolen money in the billions.

Dee Cee's avatar

He's failed forward all his miserable life, thanks to his Daddy's millions.

Oaktown's avatar

And Russian oligarchs, whom he helps launder their money.

Oaktown's avatar

He's the King of Bankruptcies who's lived on credit his entire life.

Dee Cee's avatar

Exactly! He brags about being "The King of Debt":

"Trump: 'I'm the King of Debt'"

https://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/trump-king-of-debt-224642

Now he's working on bankrupting our country.

Martha Lorantos's avatar

The FDIC is being dismantled, in accordance with Project 2025. Page 705 of Project 2025 discusses shrinking or restructuring federal financial protections, including the FDIC, under the justification of ‘market efficiency.’

https://criticalresistance.substack.com/p/the-fdic-is-being-dismantledmost?r=m8e1o&utm_medium=ios

Signe K.'s avatar

Yikes! This was exactly my question after reading this piece. So the typical American with CDs and other bank savings will have no safety net if banks fail, correct?

Bonnie Boyce's avatar

Should that progress much further, I imagine my mattress will have to muscle out my bank for the foreseeable future.

Mary Merrill's avatar

I read this in another post as well...scary...

Robot Bender's avatar

I.e., vacuuming everyone's money into the .01%s hands.

Grant Ingle's avatar

The tightening of credit is already happening for me, Max. I have two credit cards with Chase, one for personal use and the other for business use. I always pay the monthly balances entirely. I've had these two credit cards for more than 25 years. A couple months ago, Chase notified me that it was reducing the amount of credit available on both cards, from the high teens to about $5000. BTW my credit score is 830. I'm not worried about the loss of credit because I now belong to a federal credit union who offers short term loans at interest rates that are far below those charged by Chase credit cards. But I was struck by these reductions in my credit limits shortly after I heard you mention it on Meidastouch.

Jean Conley's avatar

Oh geeze..............substitute what I'm writing here with the seven words George Carlin said you should never say on TV. Guess it applies (or "should" apply) to media plus like ti applies to.well........you know.... Those regular columns and their "community guidelines" rules?

Robot Bender's avatar

I'll have to look at ours.

ISteve Hurd's avatar

HELLO CONGRESS, ANYBODY THERE? grow some and impeach this nightmare!

Sue Stjohn's avatar

Congress was bought. Trump wants loyalists. Pre-campaign, The Heritage Foundation threatened all representatives not to stand in Trump's way (their Project 2025) or they would lose their jobs. In Vance's words, they won't fare well.

WJB Motown's avatar

They have none........they are all stored in the top drawer of the Orface Office desk

Kristy Rasso's avatar

Trump’s net worth has increased by billions since taking office. Now it’s time to crash the stock market so he can buy stocks for pennies on the dollar. Every person with a 401k loses and the crook in the White House profits. Way to go, MAGA. If it wasn’t that the rest of the country will suffer right along with you, I would be elated that you are going to pay for what you have done by putting a malignant narcissist in charge.

Diane in Ohio's avatar

His family has already done that with their crypto venture and stable coins/meme coins. The Trump and Melania coins are virtually worthless at this point causing investors to lose thousands, but Trump made out like a bandit through collecting fees.

Jo Burns's avatar

He's broken every thing else, why not? I can't fathom the GOP. They absolutely destroy the economy at every turn when in office. The democrats then scurry around to fix it. There may be a time when it's unfixable.

Mystic's avatar

So basically if you're a young person getting established, there's no future.

The more I learn about America's history the more disgusted I am with the older generations that voted for this. And these same people have the audacity to complain about Millienlials and Genzers not popping out babies.

It's sad because I really want to be a mother but that is never happening. Even if this gets fixed, Americans will vote for another republican touting his own version of trickle down economics. Birthing a child here would be the worst thing I could do to them.

Signe K.'s avatar

Not all older people voted for this horrific regime! I voted for Kamala (and I'm over 70), as did MILLIONS of others. Many of us are fighting back in every way we can. I realize this is a terrible time for young people, and we are fighting for YOU and your future! Get everyone you know to VOTE.

Trish Smith's avatar

I am in total agreement with you. I'm also over 70, never voted for this regime, and am fighting every way I can. I have younger family members whom I love dearly which keeps me going in this fight when events get me down.

Diane in Ohio's avatar

Totally agree! But I fear for my grandchildren's future between stuff like this and AI eliminating so many jobs.

I do all I can to elect Democrats everywhere.

Camille Kelly's avatar

Well said Signe. I agree. I also voted for Harris, donated considerably to her campaign, and have vetted every political candidate for public office diligently, no matter how small. I'm here because I care about the future, not just for my children, but for everyone else who is a decent person, and all the animals and plants who also have an inherent right to exist.

I approach young people every time I go out to ask if they are registered to vote and to explain how to vote if they are not, or why to vote if they appear disinterested. I and others like me here, may not have caused this problem, but we all recognize that we have a responsibility to do what we can to promote change, whether it be donating, protesting, writing our representatives, educating ourselves and others and anything else that we have the power to do to change this regime.

Mystic's avatar

Obviously I'll try, but I'm not hopeful. Americans are addicted to republicans and their values. Our efforts will go to waste because republicans are gonna come up with another dumb culture war to trick people into voting for them. I don't understand how Americans benefitted so heavily from FDR's reforms just to turn around and put Nixon and Reagan in office.

I recognize there are older people fighting for good. But for every kind pro-social genxer or boomer, there's 10 more wanting to put in policies that destroy the working class. I'm not even hopeful about my own generation, genz men let republicans use culture wars to trick them into voting for their own deaths. It'll definitely get worse when we get older. America's done.

Ivy.6677's avatar

Boomer here. I can understand your anger, but saying that over 90 percent of us support policies destroying the working class is incorrect.

Signe K.'s avatar

Don't give up -- we're definitely all in this together. As Benjamin Franklin said, "we must all hang together, or surely we will all hang separately."

Robot Bender's avatar

If you're retired, even well off retired, you're in danger, too.

Puppy george1's avatar

He’s following through with the plan as told, bankrupting the country, destroying the economy and making out like a dictator on the run!

Steve Hurd's avatar

Hegseth makes idiots look good!

Andrew Waters's avatar

Trumpus Ignoramus is playing with the US / global economy like he managed his casinos.

Snoozer's avatar

The man bankrupted 4 casinos, a business where the house always wins. Is there anything more you need to know about his financial prowess?

WJB Motown's avatar

He can throw 50 bucks at an underage girl that he just fucked to go and get an abortion.

Snoozer's avatar

What a guy, right?

rob reese's avatar

Well that statement is not a prediction, more like recognition of the obvious

Kelvin Hobbs's avatar

By providing financing to fledgling or struggling companies that may be unable to obtain bank loans or raise capital elsewhere, BDCs can expose investors to investments similar to those associated with private equity or venture capital firms. Because BDCs—which trade like stocks but are managed like funds—invest in higher-risk businesses, they can charge higher interest rates on their loans and, in turn, offer attractive yields for investors. ... As with other high-yield investments, however, BDCs should be approached with caution. ... BDCs are publicly traded companies—not bonds—and come with the same market risks as other equities, including increased volatility. Beyond that, BDCs:

• Are sensitive to interest rates. BDCs use borrowed money to provide financing to other companies at higher rates. As interest rates rise, a BDC's profit margins could suffer.

• Are subject to credit risk. The types of companies BDCs invest in may be more likely to default on their loans or even go out of business, which could undermine overall returns.

• Charge high fees. In addition to their relatively steep management and service fees, BDCs may charge incentive fees on profits earned as well as loan-servicing fees.

• Lack transparency. Although publicly traded BDCs offer daily liquidity, they generally hold illiquid, and often not investment-grade, investments in private companies, which aren't required to make public disclosures, making it difficult to assess a BDC's true risk-reward profile.

• Lack of diversification. BDCs often concentrate assets in small- to mid-size developing and distressed companies. Such companies may share risks in loan repayment and economic resilience. Each BDC invests across various companies but cannot hold more than 25% of its assets in one company.

• Are managed by a small team. A few key personnel drive BDC investments decisions, and the board of directors can vote to replace the external manager. Any changes or loss of expertise can adversely impact the company.

Is a Business Development Company Worth the Risk?; August 7, 2025; Charles Schwab https://tinyurl.com/msr3ftnj

Douglas Gilligan's avatar

One of the problems with publicly traded companies is they rarely use the money raised by selling their stocks to fund their business. They are focused on their share price (are actually legally required to do so) and any money spent is counted against money gained, reducing their apparent profits, reducing their share price. So they borrow against their money raised from selling shares, giving the bank money for the rent of money they effectively already had. Overall, this reduces the amount of money invested in 'developing and distressed' companies.

Kelvin Hobbs's avatar

Indeed, and CEOs often have stock price, performance-based compensation, so they engage in share buy-back programs that reduce the number of shares outstanding, designed to increase the value of the remainder. In consequence, CEOs earn more.

Identified, but often not focused on by unsophisticated share buyers of BDC ETFs, area two essential and visible variables: share price and interest rate. If the interest rate remains constant (e.g.) at 12% but the share price drops 10%, how great was the investment vs. cash in the bank (subject to manipulated currency devaluation, which could have affected, in part, how and why the share price and net return decreased).