The big grift. I have said many times that the actions of this regime should not be viewed as pursuit of a national interest. If you want things to start making sense look for profiteering opportunities instead. Ask yourself Qui Prodest? 💡Last night arbitrary crippling tariffs, ostensibly computed using a method proposed by chatGPT prompted by a drunk intern, were decreed under the pretense of "bringing American manufacturing back". Every disinterested person with a functioning brain argues that repatriating manufacturing takes decades and such abrupt introduction of tariffs simply undermines the country's economy instead of strengthening it long term. That's the wrong analysis. Let's use the right one. Qui prodest? 🐀I'm sure that even before I wrote this, messengers from impacted mega-corporations and lobbyists representing associations of smaller ones were petitioning the Leader or members of the Regime for exemptions. A case can be made for any company or industry but it is in the Administration's discretion which requests to honor, reject or leave in a limbo. 💡Rising tide lifts all boats ... the low tide grounds some of them. These tariffs have already created a giant corruption market, where the government executives can be both unaccountable and all powerful. 🐀If you're wondering how Trump can benefit from this setup I have two simple answers. In a traditional patronage society or a mob operation there are two types of quid pro quo - financial tribute and political fealty. It's reasonable to expect the former from large cash rich businesses and the latter from media conglomerates and politicians. 🐀There are multiple legal ways to pay - crypto schemes, real estate - you name it - with contracts being the most legal and the easiest. The difference between regular corruption and what is happening now is that under normal circumstances in a functioning economy most of the businesses are viable as is, and they don't require patronage or "administrative resource" in order to stay profitable. When everybody and everything is under completely absurd non-market pressure, being exempt from it is critical. 🪳So all this ruin is done by the Regime's acolytes starting from the very top with a simple reason to steal. Everything is in place for the Big Grift to commence. How do I know all this? We have just seen something virtually identical unfold in Russia over the course of 20 years. Industrious Americans will manage much faster. 💩As to the timeline - don't look at the Markets. Give it a few months - you will see which piggies are becoming the new wealthy proxies for the regime, while the country sinks into a cesspool of economic ruin, abuses of power and corruption, rapidly turning into a giant banana republic with an immensely powerful military. 🛑This is why the Regime must be stopped. Congress must act and the people need to mobilize. Resist