Fed Cuts Prime Rate 0.25%; Trump Pivots to "Make America Affordable Again"

A big reason for the loss of support from independents is the persistent Biden inflation and not-yet-hot economy.

The Fed is resisting actually boosting the economy, making the smallest possible reductions in the prime lending rate incrementally to have the smallest possible positive impact on the economy.

Remember, Powell cut interest rates shortly before the 2024 election despite still out-of-control inflation.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced its third interest rate cut of the year as policymakers moved forward with the cut to support the labor market despite elevated inflation.
Fed policymakers voted to lower the benchmark federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a new range of 3.5% to 3.75%. The move follows rate cuts of that size in September and October, which were the first of the year.
Policymakers have been tracking economic data showing a slowdown in the labor market in recent months as companies adjust to shifts in trade and immigration policy. Meanwhile, inflation has trended higher as tariff-related price hikes filter through the economy.
Those dynamics have put the Fed in a difficult spot as it looks to fulfill its dual mandate goals of stable prices in line with the 2% long-run target for inflation as well as promoting maximum employment.

Trump has sensed the dissatisfaction and the complaint that he's too focused on foreign policy. He's now on tour pushing his Make America Affordable Again agenda.

President Trump began his affordability tour in northeastern Pennsylvania on Tuesday, telling supporters he's focused on one thing -- driving prices down nationwide. Steering clear of insider chatter about political fallout or what the pundits say Republicans "should" be worried about, Trump framed the stop as the opening salvo of a national push to restore economic sanity.
"I have no higher priority than making America affordable again," he told supporters, hammering Democrats for driving prices higher and insisting his policies are already reversing the trend. "They caused the high prices, and we're bringing them down. It's a simple message."
...
On energy, Trump pointed to what he called "the greatest amount of drilling" and fuel production the country has seen in years -- a supply boost he credits for driving oil prices down. "When energy comes down, your other prices come down," he said, arguing that lower fuel and shipping costs ripple across grocery aisles, construction, and manufacturing.
Trump also previewed what he cast as immediate relief coming on January 1, when key provisions from his Big Beautiful Bill take effect. "We're putting thousands of dollars in the pockets of hard-working Pennsylvanians," he said. "No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security for our great seniors."
He blasted the "four years of disaster" under the Biden administration, reminding the crowd that inflation hit 9.1% on Biden's watch and insisting that Democrats have no credibility lecturing anyone about affordability. "When Biden and congressional Democrats had power, they blew up our economy, sent prices soaring," he said. "Now they want to take us right back to Bidenomics."

He also got the UK to drop artificial drug price controls, which will allow him in turn to reduce tariffs on imported British drugs, thus reducing some drug prices in America.

Under the terms of the deal, the U.K. will relax its artificial drug price controls, and in return the U.S. will refrain from imposing tariffs on British medicines, pharmaceutical ingredients and medical devices. That constitutes a win/win for both nations.
For decades, America has led the world in drug innovation, accounting for approximately two-thirds of all new medicines introduced to the world annually. That's the direct result of our greater emphasis on free markets and protection of intellectual property (IP) -- patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets -- compared to the rest of the world.
Unfortunately, over time that has cultivated a "free rider" problem vis-a-vis the rest of the world.
...
Simply put, for too long Americans have disproportionately subsidized the world's drug innovation pipeline.

President Trump's top priority is to create a STRONG economy for ALL Americans. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/lpnuoRx0Wu
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 10, 2025

The rule is that the public forms its final opinions about the economy six months before an election. Trump doesn't have much time to change the public's mind about the economy in time for November 2026.

Posted by: Ace at 05:10 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Should have been bigger.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic at December 10, 2025 05:09 PM (ExV1e)

2 Nooded.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic at December 10, 2025 05:10 PM (ExV1e)

3 The economy?

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:11 PM (ufetp)

4
I recall 1981 being mostly shitty, worse than 1980, really.

But 1982?
1982 was RED fucking HOT.

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:11 PM (H1HTt)

5 Remember, Powell cut interest rates shortly before the 2024 election despite still out-of-control employment.

I believe you mean inflation, not employment.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic at December 10, 2025 05:11 PM (ExV1e)

6 ChickenShit Powell is doing all he can to stymie Trump's economic plan.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 05:12 PM (Hm8Vv)

7 The Ragheads in Iran have plenty of water. Let them drink Heavy water (Deuterium Oxide, H2O, D2O)

Deuterium is a heavy hydrogen isotope. Heavy water contains deuterium atoms and is used in nuclear reactors. Semi heavy water (HDO) is more common than pure heavy water, while heavy-oxygen water is denser but lacks unique properties. Tritiated water is radioactive due to tritium content.

Posted by: Jackson at December 10, 2025 05:12 PM (J9q9v)

8 The fed guy is a dipshit.

Posted by: Voters at December 10, 2025 05:13 PM (AoMt0)

9 The fed guy is a dipshit.
Posted by: Voters at December 10, 2025 05:13 PM (AoMt0)

Voters only know what they're told on tiktok.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic at December 10, 2025 05:13 PM (ExV1e)

10 The problem with inflation is that it's sticky and you can only ever really deal with it on the supply side, ie, in order to make beef prices go down, you need a surplus of cows, and even then you can only drive down prices so much before it's untenable for the supplier.

Moral of the story, if the government would stop flooding the world with trillions of dollars it would be great.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at December 10, 2025 05:14 PM (XV/Pl)

11 The fed guy is a dipshit.
Posted by: Voters at December 10, 2025 05:13 PM (AoMt0)

Voters only know what they're told on tiktok.
==
We know a dipshit when we see one.

Posted by: Voters at December 10, 2025 05:15 PM (AoMt0)

12 Wasn't Powell supposed to be retired by now?

Posted by: FeatherBlade at December 10, 2025 05:15 PM (a+4eV)

13 Trump Pivots to "Make America Affordable Again"

==

good; now cut beef prices in half , and get rid of Powell and you are Golden!

Posted by: runner at December 10, 2025 05:15 PM (g47mK)

14
In fact, 1981 began with a shitty economy getting worse, and then Reagan got shot by a Democrat*. Not a good start for President Reagan.

*We were Gaslit into believing john hinkley tried to assassinate Reagan for jodi fucking foster. Bullfuckingshit. Oh, he's just insane, they said. FUCK YOU.

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:15 PM (H1HTt)

15 We are still living the last Reminants of the Shitty Biden Economy.

It took Reagan about 18 months to reverse Jimmy Carter's Charlie Fox of an Economy.

Of course, the Fake News will blame everything on Trump.

Posted by: Jackson at December 10, 2025 05:16 PM (J9q9v)

16 His OBBB, I think, *reduces* taxes on SS. It doesn't remove them entirely. Still, an extra $6K tax exemption is nothing to ignore.

I hope the tax rates themselves come down a bit, too.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 05:16 PM (wzUl9)

17 New college grads still can't afford two million dollar houses, y'all

Posted by: NCKate at December 10, 2025 05:16 PM (uQzkA)

18 Jay Powell is a clown.

Posted by: dantesed at December 10, 2025 05:16 PM (Oy/m2)

19 Moral of the story, if the government would stop flooding the world with trillions of dollars it would be great.
==
Wait. What happens to the free shit???

Posted by: Voters at December 10, 2025 05:16 PM (AoMt0)

20 Caspian Sea has a lot of water. The ‘tards in power should have made provisions for, you know, the weather- instead of playing at badass.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 05:16 PM (pDt9x)

21 Drip by drip my SBA backed loan is getting better…would love to just pay it off but I don’t really know anyone who would bail me out of jail if I robbed a bank.

Posted by: Piper at December 10, 2025 05:17 PM (OoFl2)

22 So in today's NRO Morning Jolt by Jim Geraghty, he said Trump's affordability message (in last night's PA speech) was: buy less dolls. Kids don't need so many dolls. These NRO guys seem to nitpick everything Trump says.

Posted by: beckster at December 10, 2025 05:17 PM (I7J98)

23 Brackish.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:17 PM (ufetp)

24 They should have bumped the prime rate down by .50%. The fed is still using the *we are waiting* for the tariff damage to settle out and they are basically fvcking the economy on purpose because if we were going to see any significant tariff effect on the economy we would have seen it by now.

Posted by: Mister Scott (Formerly GWS) at December 10, 2025 05:18 PM (0N4FZ)

25 @22

>>These NRO guys seem to nitpick everything Trump says.

C***s, the word you are looking for is c***s.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at December 10, 2025 05:18 PM (XV/Pl)

26 Unfortunately, over time that has cultivated a "free rider" problem vis-a-vis the rest of the world."

You mean about defense, right?

/$38T debt

Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:18 PM (qRoBZ)

27 The Biden Admin used the autopen to appoint Powell. He won't be chairman of the Fed much longer.

Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 05:18 PM (W7XSX)

28 Where's the beef?

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:19 PM (ufetp)

29 I have a book club meeting to go to tonight at a local library. Tonight's theme is "Award Winners." Naturally most of the people there will talk about books from the last ten years or so, and awards I've never heard of.

My choice is Ringworld by Larry Niven, from 1970. Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards in the same year. I'm the one who talks about books published before some of these people were even *born.*

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 05:19 PM (wzUl9)

30 I am glad to see Trump starting to make some considerable noise about the economy, and the positive effects of his policies on same. I'm as delighted as anyone else to note his foreign policy successes and his war on Venezuelan narcotraficantes, but, alas, voters ultimately want to be able to see and feel the benefits of an improving economy. He'll have his hands full just dealing with Democrat and media psy-ops attempting to convince Americans that the next Great Depression is just around the corner.

Posted by: Paco at December 10, 2025 05:19 PM (2L+MU)

31 A big reason for the loss of support from independents is the persistent Biden inflation
--
Which will likely increase due to the reduced interest rate, because more lending means more money sloshing around chasing the currently available goods.

Maybe bringing gas, and therefore transportation, costs will be enough to hide that.

Posted by: Methos at December 10, 2025 05:20 PM (vSvIl)

32 Meanwhile, inflation has trended higher as tariff-related price hikes filter through the economy

------

Oh boy it went up 0.1% after Trump cut to a third of Biden inflation.

Economics is much better than sociology.

Posted by: MAGA_Ken at December 10, 2025 05:20 PM (oYdJH)

33 So in today's NRO Morning Jolt by Jim Geraghty, he said Trump's affordability message (in last night's PA speech) was: buy less dolls. Kids don't need so many dolls. These NRO guys seem to nitpick everything Trump says
===
🛳🚢 he is trying to earn a birth on the upper deck on the next cruise.

Posted by: Earned at December 10, 2025 05:20 PM (AoMt0)

34
Here's a crazy idea!

The Republicans in control of Congress pass some fucking Bills.

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:20 PM (H1HTt)

35 7 The Ragheads in Iran have plenty of water. Let them drink Heavy water (Deuterium Oxide, H2O, D2O)

Deuterium is a heavy hydrogen isotope. Heavy water contains deuterium atoms and is used in nuclear reactors. Semi heavy water (HDO) is more common than pure heavy water, while heavy-oxygen water is denser but lacks unique properties. Tritiated water is radioactive due to tritium content.
Posted by: Jackson at December 10, 2025

***
Not really seeing the problem here . . .

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 05:20 PM (wzUl9)

36 As always, we have a problem with inflation. The overwhelming majority just don't understand that stopping inflation doesn't mean prices go down. They just stabilize. There may be some drop because of non-inflation related forces, like stopping anti-oil policies.

Posted by: Eeyore at December 10, 2025 05:20 PM (s0JqF)

37 >>>It took Reagan about 18 months to reverse Jimmy Carter's Charlie Fox of an Economy.

Of course, the Fake News will blame everything on Trump.
Posted by: Jackson
---

That's when it began to take off for the average Joe.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 05:21 PM (Hm8Vv)

38 voters ultimately want to be able to see and feel the benefits of an improving economy"

Well, it's working. Especially fuels....

Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:21 PM (qRoBZ)

39
Jay Powell is an unscrupulous Bond villain of a fed chair. Asshole propped Biden's saggy balls up to take a crap for 4 years and does nothing but hamstring Trump at every turn.

Posted by: Frank Barone at December 10, 2025 05:21 PM (IifOV)

40 Would've helped more at the 2.5 - 2.75 range.

Trump is still going to replace Powell next year.
We'll probably be seeing another rate cut shortly afterwards.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at December 10, 2025 05:22 PM (6ydKt)

41 Good for the economy temporarily but bad for my CDs. I remember relatively not long ago I was making 8 or 9 % 0n my CDs and 5-6% on my regular savings account.

American savings are in the shitter because you hardly make any interest and then they tax you on the little interest you do get.

Posted by: the way I see it at December 10, 2025 05:22 PM (KDPiq)

42 How do Tariffs affect the amount of money in circulation?

Posted by: garrett at December 10, 2025 05:22 PM (TR2dy)

43 In my area, regular gas is still ~ $4.80/gal. thanks to one-party state policies that are anti-carbon grifts, plus one of the highest state fuel tax rates in the nation. Fed policy won't have much impact here, I fear.

Posted by: Fritz at December 10, 2025 05:22 PM (k3OpT)

44 He's now on tour pushing his Make America Affordable Again agenda.

How is that pronounced?

MAH-ah-ah
Mah-AH-ah
Mah-ah-AH

Or is it just one big shout of MAAAAAAH! like Will Ferrell in "Wedding Crashers" when he's shouting at his mom wondering where tf is the meatloaf?

Posted by: Clyde Shelton at December 10, 2025 05:22 PM (P5BPp)

45 29 My choice is Ringworld by Larry Niven, from 1970. Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards in the same year. I'm the one who talks about books published before some of these people were even *born.*

Award winners? How about something from the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contests (sadly defunct, now)?

Posted by: Paco at December 10, 2025 05:22 PM (2L+MU)

46 You'd think someone smart with lots of money and maybe some social media chops could reach the poors and make them understand that their credit card interest is based upon the prime.

You'd think wrong.

Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at December 10, 2025 05:23 PM (/lPRQ)

47 powell’s term ends in may

Posted by: cherries in season at December 10, 2025 05:23 PM (0XI+v)

48 In fact, 1981 began with a shitty economy getting worse, and then Reagan got shot by a Democrat*. Not a good start for President Reagan.

*We were Gaslit into believing john hinkley tried to assassinate Reagan for jodi fucking foster. Bullfuckingshit. Oh, he's just insane, they said. FUCK YOU.

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:15 PM (H1HTt)

Is there a "real reason" other than him being a Democrat?

Posted by: pookysgirl, trying to fix what Lil Pooky broke at December 10, 2025 05:24 PM (Wt5PA)

49 and 5-6% on my regular savings account."

Wow. With 9% "inflation", that's....

Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:24 PM (qRoBZ)

50 will likely increase due to the reduced interest rate, because more lending means more money sloshing around chasing the currently available goods.

Maybe bringing gas, and therefore transportation, costs will be enough to hide that.
==
Yeah its a multifactorial equation for sure. Oil is a big factor. Tarriffs are a factor but have other effects- Trade balance shifts, increased demand for domestic sources. Its a very interesting economic juggeling act.

Posted by: Voters at December 10, 2025 05:24 PM (AoMt0)

51 So does this mean certain things will go down to

$19.50 same as in town?

Posted by: Tonypete at December 10, 2025 05:24 PM (cYBz/)

52 The fed is doing exactly what it was designed to do: set up boom and bust cycles to transfer massive amounts of wealth from the middle class to the bankers. It is - after all the Federal Reserve BANK - who do you think their policies favor if not banks?

The dollar is on the ground bleeding out with the FED's knife in its back.

Posted by: An Observation sez Trump is my President at December 10, 2025 05:24 PM (Da7Vv)

53 People need to stop referencing how long it took Reagan to move the economy. We had rotary phones, 3 TV channels, and oil embargo. 45 years ago. And 45 years before 1980, was 1935..just saying. stop looking that far back.

Posted by: runner at December 10, 2025 05:25 PM (g47mK)

54 "Remember, Powell cut interest rates shortly before the 2024 election despite still out-of-control employment."

AND out of control inflation.

Posted by: El Mariachi - Attorney at Law at December 10, 2025 05:25 PM (C3IAS)

55 >>>but, alas, voters ultimately want to be able to see and feel the benefits of an improving economy. ...
Posted by: Paco
---

His bills don't kick in until Jan. 1,. It will take at least three months before its effects begin to reach us.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 05:25 PM (Hm8Vv)

56 President Trump began his affordability tour in northeastern Pennsylvania on Tuesday, telling supporters he's focused on one thing -- driving prices down nationwide.

He has named his Achilles Heel... Hold your prices, Comrades!

Posted by: The Left Media-Corporate Alliance at December 10, 2025 05:25 PM (0ZmKh)

57
How is that pronounced?

MAH-ah-ah
Mah-AH-ah
Mah-ah-AH

============

Pretend it's MAFA?

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at December 10, 2025 05:26 PM (1N/bM)

58 Powell was first appointed to the Fed Board by Barky. Trump unfortunately listened to the uniparty and made him chairman. Biden reappointed him
Firing him is a waste of political capital as his term is up 5/15/26

Posted by: Smell the Glove at December 10, 2025 05:26 PM (D+mpw)

59 Good for the economy temporarily but bad for my CDs. I remember relatively not long ago I was making 8 or 9 % 0n my CDs and 5-6% on my regular savings account.

American savings are in the shitter because you hardly make any interest and then they tax you on the little interest you do get.
Posted by: the way I see it at December 10, 2025 05:22 PM (KDPiq)

The folks pushing for lower interest rates don't care that you behave responsibly and save for a rainy day. They want everyone incentivized into spending every penny they earn right now, and better yet, borrowing to get by (which seems easier when people hear 'lower rates').

Posted by: Methos at December 10, 2025 05:26 PM (vSvIl)

60
Fake News cranked up their scare-mongering against Reagan in 1980 -- saying he'll ruin everything, kill us all, etc.

Of Course they were trying to get Reagan killed or scare him out of the race. That's how John Hinkley got all jazzed up -- by the Fake News.

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:27 PM (H1HTt)

61 53 People need to stop referencing how long it took Reagan to move the economy. We had rotary phones, 3 TV channels, and oil embargo. 45 years ago. And 45 years before 1980, was 1935..just saying. stop looking that far back.
Posted by: runner
---

So, forget history?

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 05:27 PM (Hm8Vv)

62 Now that fuel prices have started to trend down for a lot of states, Trump should focus on bringing down electricity prices, insurance rates, and new home builds (hopefully far away from my county).

If we could get those three problems under control we'd be set for some decent growth.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at December 10, 2025 05:27 PM (6ydKt)

63 by the Fake News."

/courage!

Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:28 PM (qRoBZ)

64 We be needs Presdent Oboner back to saves the US economies!!

Posted by: Mary Cloggistein from Brattleboro, Vt at December 10, 2025 05:28 PM (0IwHf)

65 because more lending means more money sloshing around chasing the currently available goods.

How is there "more" lending? They already lend out everything. If there's more demand for loans (real or as an excuse) they'll just raise their rates.

Posted by: t-bird at December 10, 2025 05:28 PM (0ZmKh)

66
So in today's NRO Morning Jolt by Jim Geraghty, he said Trump's affordability message (in last night's PA speech) was: buy less dolls. Kids don't need so many dolls. These NRO guys seem to nitpick everything Trump says.
Posted by: beckster

Fewer dolls.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at December 10, 2025 05:29 PM (pkeXY)

67 Americans have been brainwashed into thinking that policy changes, like this, will yield immediate results.

Like the next time they buy whatever.

But Democrat increases in the same vein are... "transitory." In that it will take some undetermined number of months/years to see some change that benefits them.

The sad part? A lot of the public are willing to wait for 10, 20 or 100 years.

As long as the Democrats are in charge.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at December 10, 2025 05:29 PM (NwnyJ)

68 You'd think someone smart with lots of money and maybe some social media chops could reach the poors and make them understand that their credit card interest is based upon the prime.
--
"The poors" shouldn't be using credit cards at all, since the money they waste on interest means what little income they have doesn't go as far.

Posted by: Methos at December 10, 2025 05:29 PM (vSvIl)

69 This will now be the New Rule in perpetuity, that Republican Presidents must never stop campaigning, since if they lose the House they will get impeached on a purely partisan basis, facts be damned. But there is no point in devising a strategy around punishing the next Democrat President to teach them a lesson with tit-for-tat, because they will probably shred the Constitution for permanent single-party rule. Buy guns and ammo, and make friends with your neighbors.

Oh, I forgot to take my vitamin D. Sorry, Oregon winters are brutally dark, and so my mood is too.

Posted by: SciVo at December 10, 2025 05:29 PM (Sy6m/)

70 53 People need to stop referencing how long it took Reagan to move the economy. We had rotary phones, 3 TV channels, and oil embargo. 45 years ago. - runner

I agree. Even if true, it won't move the needle with respect to most people's perceptions of the current scene.

Posted by: Paco at December 10, 2025 05:29 PM (2L+MU)

71 and 5-6% on my regular savings account."

Wow. With 9% "inflation", that's....
Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:24 PM (qRoBZ)

Not at the time. But put more money in the economy and the more risk of inflation. It’s a delicate balancing act.

But printing more dollars and raising rates was insane.

Posted by: the way I see it at December 10, 2025 05:29 PM (KDPiq)

72 61 53 People need to stop referencing how long it took Reagan to move the economy. We had rotary phones, 3 TV channels, and oil embargo. 45 years ago. And 45 years before 1980, was 1935..just saying. stop looking that far back.
Posted by: runner
---

So, forget history?

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 05:27 PM (Hm8Vv)

People who do not remember history are Leftists.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 05:30 PM (pDt9x)

73 Ridiculously biased Fox Business summary. Fuck off.

Posted by: Elric the Blade at December 10, 2025 05:30 PM (yhEB+)

74 Trump should focus on bringing down electricity prices, insurance rates, and new home builds (hopefully far away from my county).

*looks at fifty million illegals*

How's he going to do all that?

Posted by: t-bird at December 10, 2025 05:30 PM (0ZmKh)

75 >>The folks pushing for lower interest rates don't care that you behave responsibly and save for a rainy day. They want everyone incentivized into spending every penny they earn right now, and better yet, borrowing to get by (which seems easier when people hear 'lower rates').

I don't think Bessent, Trump and the rest of his economic team pushing for lower rates want everyone to act irresponsibly. High interest rates aren't virtuous just because they are high. There's a balance. There can be both lower rates and responsible financial actions.

Posted by: JackStraw at December 10, 2025 05:30 PM (viF8m)

76 The ship of state is cumbersome and maneuvers slowly. Sometimes people become impatient. That’s a history thing.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 05:31 PM (pDt9x)

77 >>But printing more dollars and raising rates was insane.

Printing yes.

Raising Rates is actually the Pill we need. Bitter though it is.

Posted by: garrett at December 10, 2025 05:31 PM (TR2dy)

78 My choice is Ringworld by Larry Niven, from 1970. Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards in the same year. I'm the one who talks about books published before some of these people were even *born.*

Award winners? How about something from the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contests (sadly defunct, now)?
Posted by: Paco at December 10, 2025

***
Or some of Bulwer-Lytton's actual work?

I want these people to think I'm smart.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 05:31 PM (wzUl9)

79 Improving the economy right before a major holiday (Christmas) seems like a good idea. When it carries us forward into January, President Trump has yet ANOTHER feather in his cap to highlight during his SOTU speech next year.

Now I'm picturing President Trump showing up at the SOTU wearing an outrageously feathered cap like Bartholomew Cubbins.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at December 10, 2025 05:32 PM (ESVrU)

80 it won't move the needle with respect to most people's perceptions of the current scene."

Not the point. Some changes take time...

Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:32 PM (qRoBZ)

81 I'll bet you even Justices Kagan and Sotomayor go home and bang their heads against the wall after listening to Justice Jackson.

Posted by: JM in Illinois at December 10, 2025 05:32 PM (fGaR0)

82 Posted by: garrett at December 10, 2025 05:31 PM (TR2dy)

Insane to do it at the same time. It defeated the purpose of raising rates.

Posted by: the way I see it at December 10, 2025 05:33 PM (KDPiq)

83 I demand the government give me free everything so that I can continue sitting in front my computer and play mind altering games all day telling me why I hate America and Trump....

Posted by: Jackson at December 10, 2025 05:33 PM (J9q9v)

84 And 45 years before 1980, was 1935..just saying. stop looking that far back.

Your math checks out, but you didn't give a reason.

Posted by: t-bird at December 10, 2025 05:33 PM (0ZmKh)

85 It's easy to destroy the economy. Not so easy to fix it

Posted by: Skip at December 10, 2025 05:33 PM (Ia/+0)

86 President Trump showing up at the SOTU wearing an outrageously feathered"

Headband like Fauxcahantis?

Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:33 PM (qRoBZ)

87 As I sit at my desktop, I have a big black cat purring and bumping his head against my face. Hinting that it's almost time for dinner, I'm sure.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 05:34 PM (wzUl9)

88 54 "Remember, Powell cut interest rates shortly before the 2024 election despite still out-of-control employment."

AND out of control inflation.
Posted by: El Mariachi - Attorney at Law
-----------

That's more dollars chasing the same goods and services. However if you also have more goods and services those dollars are not competing with each other; therefore no inflation.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 05:34 PM (Hm8Vv)

89 86 President Trump showing up at the SOTU wearing an outrageously feathered"

Headband like Fauxcahantis?
Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:33 PM (qRoBZ)

He called it Macaroni.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 05:34 PM (pDt9x)

90
1980

I mentioned yesterday that 1980 is my personal "benchmark" for the beginning of the "modern era."

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:34 PM (H1HTt)

91 Trump needs to do whatever can be done to replenish cattle herds. Import some or a lot if that is what is needed.

Bring the price of beef down and everyone will notice.

Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 05:34 PM (W7XSX)

92 "Trump should focus on..."

Doing what I want him to do.
When I want him to do.
How I want him to do it.
Might as well add in...
Where I want him to do it, because everybody knows I am an expert at everything and drumpf is just a toopid doodyhead!

Posted by: Z, no not him. A different Z at December 10, 2025 05:35 PM (pcnhy)

93 91 Trump needs to do whatever can be done to replenish cattle herds. Import some or a lot if that is what is needed.

Bring the price of beef down and everyone will notice.
Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 05:34 PM (W7XSX)

Feed prices are an issue.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 05:35 PM (pDt9x)

94 The folks pushing for lower interest rates don't care that you behave responsibly and save for a rainy day. They want everyone incentivized into spending every penny they earn right now, and better yet, borrowing to get by (which seems easier when people hear 'lower rates').

Posted by: Methos at December 10, 2025 05:26 PM

That's pretty much the chamber of commerce plan. Everyone spends their paychecks before they get them and max out those credit cards.

Actually saving money is for suckers because the average savings account doesn't even pay 2% unless you have big bucks to put in the account up front and meet all sorts of minimum deposit requirements.

As a plan goes it certainly does benefit the top 1% that came up with the plan.

Posted by: Mister Scott (Formerly GWS) at December 10, 2025 05:35 PM (0N4FZ)

95 "Simply put, for too long Americans have disproportionately subsidized the world's drug innovation pipeline."

That is worth explaining - American companies develop the drug, for say $10 billion. They need to make $10 billion + back to make it worthwhile. They also only have 10-15 years of patent protection before the drug is available for generics, so they have to make that back quick.

They calculate out how many doses they are likely to sell, divided by $10 billion, and figure out what they can sell the drug per dose. Say it is $50.

Along comes Great Briton, with socialized medicine. They say, we won't pay $50 a dose, we'll pay $10. Also, if you don't give it to us for $10, we'll not uphold the patent, and give away the formula to anyone, and get it as a generic for $10 anyway. So, GB gets if for $10. The drug companies then raise the cost for Americans to $90/dose, to cover what GB didn't pay. And so on. It's WHY drugs cost less in other countries - they force Americans to pay the full freight for development. If every country paid a little more for new drugs, we would pay a LOT less.

Posted by: El Mariachi - Attorney at Law at December 10, 2025 05:36 PM (C3IAS)

96 because more lending means more money sloshing around chasing the currently available goods.

How is there "more" lending? They already lend out everything. If there's more demand for loans (real or as an excuse) they'll just raise their rates.
Posted by: t-bird at December 10, 2025 05:28 PM (0ZmKh)

What are you talking about? The only economic benefit of lower rates is that businesses are more willing to borrow (towards productive ventures), which eventually leads to more productivity. That means there is more lending going on.

Posted by: Methos at December 10, 2025 05:36 PM (vSvIl)

97
Well, then fix Feed prices.

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:36 PM (H1HTt)

98 Only one thing comes from Texas now.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:36 PM (ufetp)

99 Doesn't matter how much water the Iranians have. It would take a gigawatt of electrical power to desalinate and pump the water that Tehran needs never mind how it gets there.

Posted by: pawn at December 10, 2025 05:37 PM (EMg+d)

100 Government subsidised feed prices.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 05:37 PM (pDt9x)

101 Damn Trump, Eight months into his presidency and he hasn't fixed the economy. I'll never vote for him again.

Posted by: Ben Had at December 10, 2025 05:37 PM (sDNVV)

102 >>Improving the economy right before a major holiday (Christmas) seems like a good idea. When it carries us forward into January, President Trump has yet ANOTHER feather in his cap to highlight during his SOTU speech next year.

We just had the best Black Friday spending in history. Sometimes we are guilty of believing the bullshit the media puts out.

The reason we are in this mess is because Biden decided to crush the power production capability while simultaneously flooding the economy with billions for the idiotically named Inflation Reduction Act and other out of control spending on green energy and other doomed projects.

Trump's team has been working on this stuff. We didn't get falling gas prices by magic. But it takes time not just for policies to kick in but also for perceptions to kick in. We'll see where we are in a few months.

Posted by: JackStraw at December 10, 2025 05:37 PM (viF8m)

103 Bring the price of beef down and everyone will notice."

Yeah, because that's what everyone purchases most...

Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:37 PM (qRoBZ)

104 I traded interest rate futures.....rates should be .25 to .50 lower. Additionally, the fact the Fed is going to expand its balance sheet is a big deal for credit risk

Posted by: Jeff Carter (@pointsnfigures1) at December 10, 2025 05:37 PM (ZiwLX)

105 I am an Indian Princess from the Hekawis Tribe and demand respect !!!!!

Posted by: Elizabeth Warren at December 10, 2025 05:37 PM (J9q9v)

106 Just build a vast campsite in the Desssert.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:38 PM (ufetp)

107 >>>Raising Rates is actually the Pill we need. Bitter though it is.
Posted by: garrett
--

Trump is the man with the plan. Go with the plan.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 05:38 PM (Hm8Vv)

108 I have a book club meeting to go to tonight at a local library. Tonight's theme is "Award Winners." Naturally most of the people there will talk about books from the last ten years or so, and awards I've never heard of.

My choice is Ringworld by Larry Niven, from 1970. Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards in the same year. I'm the one who talks about books published before some of these people were even *born.*
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 05:19 PM (wzUl9)

I liked that book, though later Niven undid the theme in the sequel. I didn't read any of the later books. Niven had a lot of novel ideas but tended to write himself into corners. His collaborations with Pournelle tended to be better.

Lois Bujold won a mess of Hugos in the late 80s/90s. She's a good author if you need more ideas.

Posted by: Oldcat at December 10, 2025 05:39 PM (8avO+)

109 101 Damn Trump, Eight months into his presidency and he hasn't fixed the economy. I'll never vote for him again.
Posted by: Ben Had at December 10, 2025 05:37 PM (sDNVV)

You mean he’s not the wish Fairy, or Santa Claus, or a lamp Genie?

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 05:39 PM (pDt9x)

110 Stop using corn for ethanol and use it for feed. I know there is a difference but subsidize feed corn instead of ethanol corn if we’re going to subsidize.

Posted by: the way I see it at December 10, 2025 05:39 PM (KDPiq)

111
Listen Up, Gang:

Remember, tomorrow is a big day for Teresa.

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:39 PM (H1HTt)

112 In my experience LIVs want the prices of goods and services to go back to pre-Biden levels.

Trump has reduced inflation to its historical norm but to reduce prices would require significant deflation which I don't think he will do.

But he should be making the point that Biden gave trillions to immigrants and that's why many thing cost double what they did in 2019.

Posted by: 18-1 at December 10, 2025 05:39 PM (sKqQm)

113 Oh, and the other countries KNOW they are doing this. They know they are forcing the U.S. to pay for everything. It's just like Nato - the world is filled with freerides.

The drug thing is especially icky - they are playing with people's lives. Some Americans will DIE because the drug price was too high - nobody outside the U.S. gives a shit. They want the drug a buck cheaper than what we pay.

Posted by: El Mariachi - Attorney at Law at December 10, 2025 05:39 PM (C3IAS)

114 >>Feed prices are an issue.

Having 4 meat processing companies dominating 80%+ of the meat industry is also a problem.

Posted by: JackStraw at December 10, 2025 05:39 PM (viF8m)

115 Raising Rates is actually the Pill we need. Bitter though it is.

Posted by: garrett at December 10, 2025 05:31 PM (TR2dy)

It might stabilize the dollar and provide savers with more interest but it would hammer the economy for a few years getting all of that back to balance.

Corporations were living off of basically free money since 2008.
Since 2021 they've seen that spigot completely cut off and then the layoffs & mergers started.

AI bubble is keeping the stock market indexes up, though.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at December 10, 2025 05:40 PM (6ydKt)

116 We just had the best Black Friday spending in history. "

I'd bet $1000 cash that most don't know that...

Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:40 PM (qRoBZ)

117 Half of those companies are Brazillian.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:40 PM (ufetp)

118 Only one thing comes from Texas now.
Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:36 PM (ufetp)

I just bought a number of Nolan Ryan beef products.

Posted by: the way I see it at December 10, 2025 05:40 PM (KDPiq)

119
Why, Of Course.

Feed the Cattle BRAWNDO!

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:40 PM (H1HTt)

120 I mentioned yesterday that 1980 is my personal "benchmark" for the beginning of the "modern era."

I recall 1980 well. I was busy framing houses in Houston in what was the hottest summer since 1936. 21 days of heat over 100 deg. By the end of 1982 Mexico took over the task of construction in Texas so I went to college.

Posted by: DanMan at December 10, 2025 05:41 PM (8uzBS)

121 Forage Beets.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:41 PM (ufetp)

122 If you look at all the projections the FED is planning on timing lowered rates to when they hand all of the country back to the leftists. The timing of the return intersects with 2028. They will get their buddies in the GAPe to sabotage the midterms, generally keep the brakes on, and then coast into a ‘28 win with everything in place. The left means to win.

Posted by: banana Dream at December 10, 2025 05:41 PM (3uBP9)

123 High interest rates aren't virtuous just because they are high. There's a balance. There can be both lower rates and responsible financial actions.
-
There can be snow and thunder, too.

What matters is the incentives you're creating.

Posted by: Methos at December 10, 2025 05:41 PM (vSvIl)

124 91 Trump needs to do whatever can be done to replenish cattle herds. Import some or a lot if that is what is needed.

Bring the price of beef down and everyone will notice.
Posted by: no one
---

That bull is exhausted, his dick is dragging the ground.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 05:42 PM (Hm8Vv)

125 It's WHY drugs cost less in other countries - they force Americans to pay the full freight for development. If every country paid a little more for new drugs, we would pay a LOT less.

Posted by: El Mariachi - Attorney at Law at December 10, 2025 05:36 PM (C3IAS)

Blame Canada.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at December 10, 2025 05:42 PM (6ydKt)

126 >>I'd bet $1000 cash that most don't know that...

Exactly my point. Things aren't as gloomy as the left and their partners in the media would have everyone believe.

Posted by: JackStraw at December 10, 2025 05:42 PM (viF8m)

127 Should have been bigger.
Posted by: I used to have a different nic at December 10, 2025 05:09 PM (ExV1e)

You been talking to Mrs D?

Posted by: Diogenes at December 10, 2025 05:42 PM (2WIwB)

128 121 Forage Beets.
Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:41 PM (ufetp)

Purple ribeyes.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 05:42 PM (pDt9x)

129
Yeah, I meant, like, square headlights and stuff.

1980.

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:42 PM (H1HTt)

130 112 In my experience LIVs want the prices of goods and services to go back to pre-Biden levels. Trump has reduced inflation to its historical norm but to reduce prices would require significant deflation which I don't think he will do.
Posted by: 18-1 at December 10, 2025 05:39 PM (sKqQm)

YES. people don't get that - deflation is MUCH more dangerous than inflation. The only solution to Biden's inflation is increasing wages over the rate of inflation.

That said, some prices have come down this year, some quite significantly. I have been modestly surprised this Christmas by some of the things that have gotten cheaper than there have been recently.

Posted by: El Mariachi - Attorney at Law at December 10, 2025 05:43 PM (C3IAS)

131 How is that pronounced?

MAH-ah-ah
Mah-AH-ah
Mah-ah-AH

I like the first one. With just a little inflection on the first syllable, it could be a cartoon villain laugh.

Posted by: Oddbob at December 10, 2025 05:43 PM (3nLb4)

132 I don't think Bessent, Trump and the rest of his economic team pushing for lower rates want everyone to act irresponsibly. High interest rates aren't virtuous just because they are high. There's a balance. There can be both lower rates and responsible financial actions.
Posted by: JackStraw at December 10, 2025 05:30 PM (viF8m)
-
Correct. Interest rates pale in terms of increasing the money supply next to massive deficit spending.

It is possible to lower interest rates without inflation if one cuts government spending and balances the budget.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at December 10, 2025 05:43 PM (ZOv7s)

133
If only Republicans controlled Congress...

why, they could pass bills to improve the economy for Americans...

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:44 PM (H1HTt)

134 If you look at all the projections the FED is planning on timing lowered rates to when they hand all of the country back to the leftists. The timing of the return intersects with 2028. They will get their buddies in the GAPe to sabotage the midterms, generally keep the brakes on, and then coast into a ‘28 win with everything in place. The left means to win.
Posted by: banana Dream at December 10, 2025 05:41 PM (3uBP9)

Not sure how burning down your home base city and cutting off your genitals goes into the master plan, but you do you.

Posted by: Oldcat at December 10, 2025 05:44 PM (8avO+)

135 Higher rates, I thought, helped soak up the excess liquidity from the Biden money printing press. Lowering rates could lead to inflation.

Anyway, there it is. Let the economists smack this post around like a piñata.

Posted by: Chuck Martel at December 10, 2025 05:44 PM (Dv3i1)

136 Forage Beets will support 7.5 cows per acre.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:44 PM (ufetp)

137 "Managing" feed stores is a weapon.

We've been under attack for decades.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at December 10, 2025 05:44 PM (NwnyJ)

138 Feed the cattle surplus Circus Peanuts. They're nearly unfit for humans,but cattle would gobble them up.

Posted by: National Cattlemens Beef Association at December 10, 2025 05:45 PM (oftw2)

139 I recall 1980 well. I was busy framing houses in Houston in what was the hottest summer since 1936. 21 days of heat over 100 deg. By the end of 1982 Mexico took over the task of construction in Texas so I went to college.
Posted by: DanMan at December 10, 2025 05:41 PM (8uzBS)

1980, my grandpa who lived in central Wisconsin got me a job driving farm equipment that summer, it was pretty fun. I would write letters back to my friends here in Texas and Louisiana, and say "Hey Wisconsin is really nice this summer! It was even cool enough to have a fire the other morning!"

Posted by: Famous lines from Blackadder at December 10, 2025 05:45 PM (uWKK8)

140 Things aren't as gloomy as the left and their partners in the media would have everyone believe."

Agreed. Our daily living expenses have flattened or even decreased, but to listen to the news, we're 2 weeks from bankruptcy or something.

FWIW, Prime well trimmed brisket was $5/lb at costco a few hours ago...

Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:45 PM (qRoBZ)

141 >>What matters is the incentives you're creating.

Of course. But low rates don't necessarily imply bad incentives. Lots of people living in homes thanks to lower interest rates. I'm told younger people would like to buy homes. Seems like a good idea.

Lower rates also incentivize economic activity which means higher stock prices. There's nothing sacred about CDs. Find investments with better returns based on market conditions.

Posted by: JackStraw at December 10, 2025 05:45 PM (viF8m)

142 Or some of Bulwer-Lytton's actual work?

I want these people to think I'm smart.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius,

May I suggest selected classic verse from J. Gordon Coogler?

Posted by: Miklos got Cultcha at December 10, 2025 05:46 PM (N7hqt)

143 Feed them Peeps, and Candy Corn.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 05:46 PM (pDt9x)

144
I dunno, maybe make it Illegal for fucking filthy foreigners to own major parts of our Food Supply.

Why does china "own" anything in the USA?

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:46 PM (H1HTt)

145 138 Feed the cattle surplus Circus Peanuts. They're nearly unfit for humans,but cattle would gobble them up.

they're fine. you just gotta mix in some candy corn to make 'em palatable.

Posted by: anachronda at December 10, 2025 05:47 PM (sGtp+)

146 off bad sock!

Posted by: Tom Servo at December 10, 2025 05:47 PM (uWKK8)

147 AI bubble is keeping the stock market indexes up, though.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at December 10, 2025 05:40 PM

We are just starting this bubble. The dot com bubble lasted for almost five years. But when it broke it reset the entire economy overnight. The ai bubble is going to be worse I suspect.

Posted by: Mister Scott (Formerly GWS) at December 10, 2025 05:47 PM (0N4FZ)

148 Agreed. Our daily living expenses have flattened or even decreased, but to listen to the news, we're 2 weeks from bankruptcy or something.

FWIW, Prime well trimmed brisket was $5/lb at costco a few hours ago...
Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:45 PM (qRoBZ)
---
See also: homelessness is only a problem with Republican presidents.

Weird how no one worried about "affordability" when it was collapsing.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at December 10, 2025 05:47 PM (ZOv7s)

149 Do cows eat soybeans?

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:48 PM (ufetp)

150
Trump is the man with the plan. Go with the plan.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025

***
Or, as Reagan put it, "Stay the course."

(Did he actually say that? I was not a politics person back then. Though I recall someone at work goofing on it and saying, "Stay the Curse!")

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 05:48 PM (wzUl9)

151
If Things went "the other way" in 2024, Beef would be 2X as much right now, and they'd pushing BUGS on us as "alternative" "source" of "protein."

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:48 PM (H1HTt)

152 Trump tried to set up a deal to bring in a bunch of Argentinian Beef and he got nothing but criticism from Ranchers who said he was undercutting the good prices they needed to rebuild their herds.

Posted by: Tom Servo at December 10, 2025 05:48 PM (uWKK8)

153 What matters is the incentives you're creating.

Of course. But low rates don't necessarily imply bad incentives. Lots of people living in homes thanks to lower interest rates. I'm told younger people would like to buy homes. Seems like a good idea.

Lower rates also incentivize economic activity which means higher stock prices. There's nothing sacred about CDs. Find investments with better returns based on market conditions.
Posted by: JackStraw at December 10, 2025 05:45 PM (viF8m)
—-

This. Plus, the idea that we should target interest rates to benefit CDs is … not a good one.

Posted by: Elric the Blade at December 10, 2025 05:49 PM (yhEB+)

154 I’m of the opinion that corporations took advantage of real inflation ( increased cost to produce the same product) and to add on an extra 2 to 3% to that as a hedge and only now are sometimes lowering it to 1 to 2% over real inflation.

Also Shrinkflation ain’t going away.

F’ing Ivy League MBAs.

Posted by: the way I see it at December 10, 2025 05:49 PM (KDPiq)

155
I am an Indian Princess from the Hekawis Tribe and demand respect !!!!!
Posted by: Elizabeth Warren

You're no Silver Dove!

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at December 10, 2025 05:49 PM (pkeXY)

156 135 Higher rates, I thought, helped soak up the excess liquidity from the Biden money printing press. Lowering rates could lead to inflation.

Anyway, there it is. Let the economists smack this post around like a piñata.

Posted by: Chuck Martel at December 10, 2025 05:44 PM (Dv3i1)

The inflation started after a year of subsidy spending with checks to everybody, supply chain shocks causing shortages, and then another trillion more of spending.

It was an usual set of coinciding circumstances that caused it all, which is why the inflation hit so quickly as opposed to the inflation of the 70s - early 80s which was a slow burn due to excessive government spending on Vietnam and social spending increases with the Great Society.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at December 10, 2025 05:49 PM (6ydKt)

157 Silver spot at $62.06 per oz. Silver isn't going up - the dollar is on the ground bleeding out with the FED's knife in its back.

Posted by: An Observation sez Trump is my President at December 10, 2025 05:49 PM (Da7Vv)

158
(Did he actually say that? I was not a politics person back then. Though I recall someone at work goofing on it and saying, "Stay the Curse!")
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius

SNL (Dana Carvey) parody of Bush in 1991 pulled that shit.

"Stay the course."
"Thousand points of light."

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:49 PM (H1HTt)

159 Boss Moss, soybean meal and cotton seed meal

Posted by: Ben Had at December 10, 2025 05:50 PM (sDNVV)

160 I recall 1980 well. I was busy framing houses in Houston in what was the hottest summer since 1936. 21 days of heat over 100 deg. By the end of 1982 Mexico took over the task of construction in Texas so I went to college.
Posted by: DanMan at December 10, 2025 05:41 PM (8uzBS)

1980, my grandpa who lived in central Wisconsin got me a job driving farm equipment that summer, it was pretty fun. I would write letters back to my friends here in Texas and Louisiana, and say "Hey Wisconsin is really nice this summer! It was even cool enough to have a fire the other morning!"
Posted by: Famous lines from Blackadder at December 10, 2025 05:45 PM (uWKK

I think that was the year i had a summer job with Manpower doing odd jobs. One was to meet on the Ohio River Bank and meet the Delta Queen Riverboat and unload luggage from the staterooms over the plank to the bricked surfaced landing and set it down for the passengers. Pretty fun for a history buff.

Posted by: Oldcat at December 10, 2025 05:50 PM (8avO+)

161 Hopefully a few key items going back to pre-Biden prices will soothe the stupid fickle LIV. Energy, beef, other basic food items. Cars, appliances. Lower energy costs will help somewhat, but there won't be across the board price reductions.

Posted by: Chuck Martel at December 10, 2025 05:50 PM (Dv3i1)

162 Of course. But low rates don't necessarily imply bad incentives. Lots of people living in homes thanks to lower interest rates. I'm told younger people would like to buy homes. Seems like a good idea.
-
How did that approach play out in 2008?

Posted by: Methos at December 10, 2025 05:50 PM (vSvIl)

163 16 His OBBB, I think, *reduces* taxes on SS. It doesn't remove them entirely. Still, an extra $6K tax exemption is nothing to ignore.

I hope the tax rates themselves come down a bit, too.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 05:16 PM

Correct. I just looked that up because I wasn't sure myself. But the income still gets added to my AGI. With some capital gains and income from a part-time job, the SS income pushes me into a higher bracket. I'm looking forward to seeing the final effect on my taxes.

Posted by: Moonbeam at December 10, 2025 05:50 PM (rbKZ6)

164 Here is another weird thing - mass layoffs of federal workers. That would tend to drive unemployment up.

Removal of illegals. That would tend to drive unemployment down. It would also depress prices for things like housing (2 million less people need 500,000 fewer houses), but also might increase inflation, since Americans need to be paid more than illegals to do the same jobs.

Overall - better. But over the short term, who knows?

Posted by: El Mariachi - Attorney at Law at December 10, 2025 05:50 PM (C3IAS)

165 Cattle also eat the silage left over from harvested corn

Posted by: Ben Had at December 10, 2025 05:51 PM (sDNVV)

166 Lower rates mean more buyers. More buyers mean more production. More production means lower costs.

More houses to buy at better earnings to cost ratio. Lower monthly payment because of lower interest.
Builder can build more and cheaper because the cost of borrowing money is less.

Same with all small business which is hardest hit by high interest and at same time is biggest job creator.

Lower cost of money benefits everyone.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 05:51 PM (Hm8Vv)

167 The current Argentinian share of the beef supply is 2.5%. If they met the new quota it would go to 5%. We get most of our imported beef from Canada and Mexico.

Posted by: pawn at December 10, 2025 05:51 PM (EMg+d)

168 Trump tried to set up a deal to bring in a bunch of Argentinian Beef and he got nothing but criticism from Ranchers who said he was undercutting the good prices they needed to rebuild their herds.
Posted by: Tom Servo at December 10, 2025 05:48 PM (uWKK

Thought you just needed cows and bulls to do that.

Posted by: Oldcat at December 10, 2025 05:51 PM (8avO+)

169 I liked that book, though later Niven undid the theme in the sequel. I didn't read any of the later books. Niven had a lot of novel ideas but tended to write himself into corners. His collaborations with Pournelle tended to be better.

Lois Bujold won a mess of Hugos in the late 80s/90s. She's a good author if you need more ideas.
Posted by: Oldcat at December 10, 2025

***
Ringworld]/i] has adventure, aliens, humor, sense of wonder, a mystery solved by the lead character -- just about everything you could ask for. Niven himself admitted that it got harder to write Known Space stories later, because of all the near-magical engineering assumptions and restrictions he'd given himself such as the three days-per-light year starship speed. But ah, they were vivid and colorful!

While I'm at the library tonight, I'll look for Lois McMaster Bujold.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 05:52 PM (wzUl9)

170 Dammit!

Posted by: nurse ratched at December 10, 2025 05:52 PM (W2Pud)

171

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 05:52 PM (wzUl9)

172 This. Plus, the idea that we should target interest rates to benefit CDs is … not a good one.
Posted by: Elric the Blade at December 10, 2025 05:49 PM (yhEB+

Who said that? But the reality is Americans live paycheck to paycheck and have a low rate of savings. There is no incentive to save at all. It’s been a ticking time bomb like the 20’s with so much outstanding credit.

Posted by: the way I see it at December 10, 2025 05:52 PM (KDPiq)

173 Maybe they shouldn't pay farmers to grow gasoline.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:53 PM (ufetp)

174 165 Cattle also eat the silage left over from harvested corn
Posted by: Ben Had
---

Cattle say nom nom better than grazing. mmm nom nom

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 05:53 PM (Hm8Vv)

175 Silver spot at $62.06 per oz. Silver isn't going up - the dollar is on the ground bleeding out with the FED's knife in its back.

Posted by: An Observation sez Trump is my President at December 10, 2025 05:49 PM

Yep and wait until the fed starts shedding treasury securities and mortgage notes starting next spring in an attempt to influence the election.

Posted by: Mister Scott (Formerly GWS) at December 10, 2025 05:53 PM (0N4FZ)

176 170 Dammit!
Posted by: nurse ratched
Janet!

Posted by: Eromero at December 10, 2025 05:53 PM (o2ZRX)

177
Imagine if cattle barons were really like Taylor Sheridan's John Dutton.

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:54 PM (H1HTt)

178 Lower cost of money benefits everyone.
-
Why not just set it at 0, then?

Posted by: Methos at December 10, 2025 05:54 PM (vSvIl)

179 Well they kinda are.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:54 PM (ufetp)

180
I'm told younger people would like to buy homes. Seems like a good idea.

I thought they all wanted to rent apartments and take Uber rides?

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at December 10, 2025 05:54 PM (pkeXY)

181 Imagine if cattle barons were really like Taylor Sheridan's John Dutton."

I'd prefer the redhead...

Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:55 PM (qRoBZ)

182 Corn, roughly $5 bushel. Soybeans roughly $10 bushel.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 05:55 PM (pDt9x)

183 Why not just set it at 0, then?

Posted by: Methos at December 10, 2025 05:54 PM (vSvIl)

The banking system would collapse for one thing.
They all depend on some interest just to keep the lights on and the money flowing.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at December 10, 2025 05:56 PM (6ydKt)

184 Back in 1981, inflation was over 12%.

Paul Volker raised interest rates to kill it.

Reagan released the price of oil to find its market price.

Within 18 months, inflation was beat and the economy was sailing.

Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 05:56 PM (W7XSX)

185 Chicoms reneged on soy bean purchase.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:56 PM (ufetp)

186
In Taylor Sheridan's world, they're all mass-murdering, scheming, gay cowboys who like to do gay horse tricks.

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 05:56 PM (H1HTt)

187 AWFLs
AWFLs who are AWFL
Are there AWFLest people in the world

Libs of TikTok
@libsoftiktok
Kentucky State Rep. Sarah Stalker (D) says that she "doesn't feel good about being white every day," claims Whites have "privilege," and that children should be taught to feel bad about their skin color.

This woman is an elected official...

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now With Pumpkin Spice! at December 10, 2025 05:56 PM (L/fGl)

188 22 So in today's NRO Morning Jolt by Jim Geraghty, he said Trump's affordability message (in last night's PA speech) was: buy less dolls. Kids don't need so many dolls. These NRO guys seem to nitpick everything Trump says.
Posted by: beckster
=====
No way!! That NRO crew are fags!!!!

Posted by: Jeff Spicoli at December 10, 2025 05:57 PM (WDjG6)

189 just too late for this: You're not in Tehran anymore
youtu.be/jzZ1wg3h7Yk

Posted by: gKWVE at December 10, 2025 05:57 PM (gKWVE)

190 How did that approach play out in 2008?
Posted by: Methos at December 10, 2025 05:50 PM (vSvIl)
---
I hate to break it to you, it wasn't low rates that led to the meltdown, it was unqualified buyers who were terrible credit risks. Pushed by racial quotas.

If you think low interest rates caused that, I don't know what to say.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at December 10, 2025 05:57 PM (ZOv7s)

191 138 Feed the cattle surplus Circus Peanuts. They're nearly unfit for humans,but cattle would gobble them up.

You snark but I wouldn’t doubt they use them for feed at hog farms. I remember a doc that showed left over Buffett food and scraps were sold or given to local pig farmers.

Posted by: the way I see it at December 10, 2025 05:57 PM (KDPiq)

192 Dang Irish sheepherders.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:57 PM (ufetp)

193 gay horse tricks"

Gotta get tickets to the stock show and rodeo!

/Pete Bootyjuice

Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:57 PM (qRoBZ)

194 But the reality is Americans live paycheck to paycheck and have a low rate of savings. There is no incentive to save at all. It’s been a ticking time bomb like the 20’s with so much outstanding credit.
Posted by: the way I see it
--------------

If you're living paycheck to paycheck CDs are of no concern to you.

Two things: If you're living paycheck to paycheck you're spilling money somewhere. Trinkets

CD's are not an investment plan. Investment plans are available everywhere. If you don't have a recommendation ask AI. It's a start.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 05:57 PM (Hm8Vv)

195 Las Vegas buffets.

Posted by: the way I see it at December 10, 2025 05:58 PM (KDPiq)

196 Paul Volker raised interest rates to kill it.

Reagan released the price of oil to find its market price.

Within 18 months, inflation was beat and the economy was sailing.

Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 05:56 PM (W7XSX)

So much depends on the price of energy.
It's the basic cost nobody can avoid.

The Oil Shocks of the 70s also caused a lot of the inflation.

That's why 'renewables' aren't a bad idea if they were actually scalable and worked 24/7 without the need for battery storage and backup generation.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at December 10, 2025 05:59 PM (6ydKt)

197 I've seen truckloads of wonder bread store cakes fed to livestock.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:59 PM (ufetp)

198 Back in 1981, inflation was over 12%.

Paul Volker raised interest rates to kill it.

Reagan released the price of oil to find its market price.

Within 18 months, inflation was beat and the economy was sailing.
Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 05:56 PM (W7X
---
Don't forget Reagan also cut as much as he could from the federal budget, further reducing the money supply. It was a multi-faceted approach.

Pretty much the epitome of a V-shaped recession.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at December 10, 2025 05:59 PM (ZOv7s)

199 Cows eat everything edible and vegetable , but they only process like 10%of it . That's why cow poo is such good fertilizer, it has a lot more f unused nutrients

Posted by: Smell the Glove at December 10, 2025 05:59 PM (D+mpw)

200
Kentucky State Rep. Sarah Stalker (D) says that she "doesn't feel good about being white every day

She should compromise and be White every other day.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at December 10, 2025 05:59 PM (pkeXY)

201 I'd prefer the redhead...

Posted by: man at December 10, 2025 05:55 PM (qRoBZ)

The one who plays his daughter? She is a smokeshow. You have good taste.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at December 10, 2025 05:59 PM (n9ltV)

202 The distilleries in KY used to give farmers free byproduct after a run for animal feed. Pigs and cows fed. Since foreigners bought up most of the companies the distillers feed wasn't free and then became way too expensive.

Posted by: NCKate at December 10, 2025 06:00 PM (uQzkA)

203 200
Kentucky State Rep. Sarah Stalker (D) says that she "doesn't feel good about being white every day

She should compromise and be White every other day.
Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at December 10, 2025 05:59 PM (pkeXY)

Sounds like a fun girl.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 06:00 PM (pDt9x)

204 Soothsayer, look up the Four Sixes and The King Ranch

Posted by: Ben Had at December 10, 2025 06:00 PM (sDNVV)

205 >>How did that approach play out in 2008?

Once again, you are only looking at one element of a large complex system. Any first year economics student knows that increasingly the money supply while doing nothing else will increase inflation. But Trump's team is not just pushing for lower rates.

They are also reducing government spending. They are making lower energy prices possible. They are removing millions of illegals that drive demand. They are going after the meat processing cartel that is adding to increase prices for meat. And on and on.

I feel pretty comfortable that Bessent and team aren't idiots and understand the complexities of our economy far better than I do. This is not W's or Obama's team running the country and its kind of silly to pretend it is just because of interest rates.

Posted by: JackStraw at December 10, 2025 06:00 PM (viF8m)

206 Why not just set it at 0, then?

Posted by: Methos at December 10, 2025 05:54 PM (vSvIl)

The banking system would collapse for one thing.
They all depend on some interest just to keep the lights on and the money flowing.
----

When I was still in the game a 2% spread was about what one was looking for. If deposits were being paid around 5% and loans were carrying 7% note rates, that was a more or less balanced system.

Posted by: Crusader, former Federal Bank Examiner at December 10, 2025 06:00 PM (TN0g+)

207 Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 05:57 PM (Hm8Vv)

I’m doing quite well thank you and lead a stress free financial life. Condescending pri…

Posted by: the way I see it at December 10, 2025 06:00 PM (KDPiq)

208 I'm told younger people would like to buy homes. Seems like a good idea.

I thought they all wanted to rent apartments and take Uber rides?
Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at December 10, 2025

***
That's second choice, when they find they can't buy that $2 million mansion.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 06:00 PM (wzUl9)

209 Chicoms reneged on soy bean purchase.
Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:56 PM (ufetp)
---
They are completely untrustworthy. It's who they are.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at December 10, 2025 06:00 PM (ZOv7s)

210 175 Silver spot at $62.06 per oz. Silver isn't going up - the dollar is on the ground bleeding out with the FED's knife in its back.

Posted by: An Observation sez Trump
=====
Classic short squeeze in silver added by momentum. Everyone wants physical silver yet probably more silver contracts have been sold than metal exists to cover them.

Silver has a lot less to do with the dollar. Minor changes versus foreign exchange mainly due to the 1/4 pt cut.

Posted by: Jeff Spicoli at December 10, 2025 06:01 PM (WDjG6)

211 Niven himself admitted that it got harder to write Known Space stories later, because of all the near-magical engineering assumptions and restrictions he'd given himself such as the three days-per-light year starship speed. But ah, they were vivid and colorful!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 05:52 PM (wzUl9)

Well there was *something* that was faster, since somebody flew towards the galactic center far enough to find out that it had had a chain reaction explosion that was gonna hit in 50-100 thousand years. So the cowardly Puppeteers started running NOW.

see what I mean about writing into corners? Though the Pak flight was a plot point in Ringworld.

Posted by: Oldcat at December 10, 2025 06:01 PM (8avO+)

212 Same with vegetarians. Under optimal conditions humans can only use about half of plants.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 06:01 PM (ufetp)

213 youtube tells me that all of the central banks are buying gold.

Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 06:01 PM (W7XSX)

214 Kentucky State Rep. Sarah Stalker (D) says that she "doesn't feel good about being white every day

She should compromise and be White every other day.
------

She should just retire from public life--she's obviously not in a mentally sound place from which to lead.

Posted by: Crusader at December 10, 2025 06:02 PM (TN0g+)

215 Bugs. Bugs are the answer.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 06:02 PM (pDt9x)

216 209 Chicoms reneged on soy bean purchase.
Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 05:56 PM (ufetp)
---
They are completely untrustworthy. It's who they are.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd a
========
Difference is that Trump will do something about it, other presidents bent over and took it when Chicoms played us for patsies.

Posted by: Jeff Spicoli at December 10, 2025 06:02 PM (WDjG6)

217 Perfidious Celestials.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 06:02 PM (pDt9x)

218 214 Kentucky State Rep. Sarah Stalker (D) says that she "doesn't feel good about being white every day

She should compromise and be White every other day.
------

She should just retire from public life--she's obviously not in a mentally sound place from which to lead.
Posted by: Crusader
------
They can now do very dark with spray tans.

Posted by: whig at December 10, 2025 06:03 PM (WDjG6)

219 Don't forget Reagan also cut as much as he could from the federal budget, further reducing the money supply.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at December 10, 2025 05:59 PM (ZOv7s)

Nope. His cuts were balanced by increases in defense spending. I think the federal budget actually went up.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at December 10, 2025 06:03 PM (n9ltV)

220 Chickens will eat za bugs and the worms.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 06:03 PM (ufetp)

221 Smell the Glove, uh, about that whole cud chewing thing.

Posted by: Ben Had at December 10, 2025 06:03 PM (sDNVV)

222 They can now do very dark with spray tans.
Posted by: whig at December 10, 2025 06:03 PM (WDjG6)
---
Compare notes with "Rachel Dolezal"!

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at December 10, 2025 06:04 PM (ZOv7s)

223 Sarah Stalker oughtta talk to Rachel Jenteal, get some pointers.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 06:04 PM (pDt9x)

224 ---
I hate to break it to you, it wasn't low rates that led to the meltdown, it was unqualified buyers who were terrible credit risks. Pushed by racial quotas.

If you think low interest rates caused that, I don't know what to say.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd a
------------------------

Completing that thought - - Loans, forced by the government (Obama/Biden), to unqualified buyers.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 06:04 PM (Hm8Vv)

225 There is a much bigger "multiplier effect" with defense spending than food stamps.

Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 06:04 PM (W7XSX)

226 I hate to break it to you, it wasn't low rates that led to the meltdown, it was unqualified buyers who were terrible credit risks. Pushed by racial quotas.
-----

Absolutely correct. And feeble internal audit programs and feeble external (regulatory) audit programs and CPA firms that were devoid of talent and/or paid-off by the firms they were "independently" auditing.

Posted by: Crusader at December 10, 2025 06:05 PM (TN0g+)

227 Same with vegetarians. Under optimal conditions humans can only use about half of plants.
Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 06:01 PM (ufetp)

And of course Vegans dispense with the "renewable" foods vegetarians use - milk, eggs, etc just to make things even more difficult, mostly for themselves.

Posted by: Oldcat at December 10, 2025 06:05 PM (8avO+)

228 Winter solstice at 10:03 a.m. ET on Dec. 21

Posted by: SMOD at December 10, 2025 06:05 PM (Xac3k)

229 215 Bugs. Bugs are the answer.

indeed.

Posted by: volkswagen at December 10, 2025 06:05 PM (sGtp+)

230
The "global financial meltdown" was as much of an overblown Hoax as the china virus pandemic.

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 06:05 PM (H1HTt)

231 Nope. His cuts were balanced by increases in defense spending. I think the federal budget actually went up.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at December 10, 2025 06:03 PM (n9ltV)
---
Right, he cut as much as he could, as opposed to creating new departments and social spending.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at December 10, 2025 06:06 PM (ZOv7s)

232 Brazil has become a powerhouse in corn and soybeans, much improved yields compared to years ago. China has been buying from them more to stick it to USA.

Posted by: Classic Tractor Fever at December 10, 2025 06:06 PM (oftw2)

233 227 And of course Vegans dispense with the "renewable" foods vegetarians use

pez dispenser > vegan dispenser

Posted by: anachronda at December 10, 2025 06:06 PM (sGtp+)

234 We get most of our imported beef from Canada and Mexico.
Posted by: pawn
-----

And all of the, well, Canadian bacon.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at December 10, 2025 06:06 PM (XeU6L)

235 I hate to break it to you, it wasn't low rates that led to the meltdown, it was unqualified buyers who were terrible credit risks. Pushed by racial quotas.
-----

They wouldn’t have made a loan to those same unqualified buyers if the rate was higher.

Posted by: the way I see it at December 10, 2025 06:07 PM (KDPiq)

236 I hate to break it to you, it wasn't low rates that led to the meltdown, it was unqualified buyers who were terrible credit risks. Pushed by racial quotas.

If you think low interest rates caused that, I don't know what to say.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at December 10, 2025 05:57 PM (ZOv7s)

What ultimately caused that was the effort to sucker anybody at all into taking loans, just because you want to see more lending activity. Which is the incentive that lower rates provide.

Posted by: Methos at December 10, 2025 06:07 PM (vSvIl)

237 Ham?

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 06:07 PM (ufetp)

238 But the reality is Americans live paycheck to paycheck and have a low rate of savings. There is no incentive to save at all. It’s been a ticking time bomb like the 20’s with so much outstanding credit.
Posted by: the way I see it
____

One thing that concerns me are the demogogues that will rile up this large group of people and loot my modest savings for redistribution. I live rather modestly and made sacrifices. I don't want to see paycheck to paycheck people in their California ranch homes they are paying a $2mm mortgage on, their jumbo SUVs, truck and TV drooling greedily over my 401k.

Posted by: Chuck Martel at December 10, 2025 06:07 PM (Dv3i1)

239
Completing that thought - - Loans, forced by the government (Obama/Biden), to unqualified buyers.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 06:04 PM (Hm8Vv)

Guatemalan toilet scrubbers should own two homes, hater.

Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory, diseased garbage human at December 10, 2025 06:07 PM (P7vXf)

240 youtube tells me that all of the central banks are buying gold.

Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 06:01 PM

Somebody is buying up precious metals at an alarming rate. I am sitting on a bunch of silver that I paid less than $20 an ounce about 5 years ago and now it is $60 an ounce That is one heck of a return rate if I decide to sell. Problem is I will have to use one of the big online buyers as no one local can take what I have.

Posted by: Mister Scott (Formerly GWS) at December 10, 2025 06:07 PM (0N4FZ)

241 If the budget could be shaved by the useless bureaucracy and giving away billions in fraud, think how much the debt could be erased.

Posted by: Skip at December 10, 2025 06:07 PM (Ia/+0)

242 "Stop using corn for ethanol and use it for feed. I know there is a difference but subsidize feed corn instead of ethanol corn if we’re going to subsidize."
Posted by: the way I see it

We still pay for people to Not Grow crops on their acres, so if lack of corn was a problem, maybe start there. imo the point of ethanol was to keep corn prices from collapsing.

Posted by: illiniwek at December 10, 2025 06:07 PM (vbXSk)

243 Now will the poors stop complaining?

Posted by: Maryjane Cuthbertson-Klein from Grotot, CT at December 10, 2025 06:08 PM (9ipOP)

244 Sounds like my neighbors do buttstuff.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 06:08 PM (ufetp)

245 That was Groton, CT

Posted by: San Franpsycho at December 10, 2025 06:08 PM (9ipOP)

246 Same with vegetarians. Under optimal conditions humans can only use about half of plants.
Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 06:01 PM (ufetp)

to make matters worse, it's difficult to get the amino acids we can't make internally from plant sources. But one piece of meat has them in it.

Posted by: Oldcat at December 10, 2025 06:08 PM (8avO+)

247 >>They wouldn’t have made a loan to those same unqualified buyers if the rate was higher.

As long as Fannie and Freddie were buying every mortgage they could get their paws on they would've given a crackhead a loan.

Posted by: JackStraw at December 10, 2025 06:08 PM (viF8m)

248 I feel pretty comfortable that Bessent and team aren't idiots and understand the complexities of our economy far better than I do. This is not W's or Obama's team running the country and its kind of silly to pretend it is just because of interest rates.
Posted by: JackStraw
=======
Doomers gonna doom and a lot of that doom comes from excessive media consumption.

But as an econ grad, I would rate your comments as true. There are always lagging effects yet the public always behaves like Veruca Salt. "I want my great economy NOW, Daddy Trump, Now!!!!!"

True in Reagan I, True in GWB I, True in Maggie Thatcher in UK although it took several years there, and even True in Millei's Argentina.

Lagging effects and that the Fed, as always is too fast or too slow with its actions. Simply put, they are usually the last to catch onto whatever current economic conditions are because they are overeducated twats.

Posted by: whig at December 10, 2025 06:09 PM (WDjG6)

249 240 youtube tells me that all of the central banks are buying gold.

Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 06:01 PM

Somebody is buying up precious metals at an alarming rate. I am sitting on a bunch of silver that I paid less than $20 an ounce about 5 years ago and now it is $60 an ounce That is one heck of a return rate if I decide to sell. Problem is I will have to use one of the big online buyers as no one local can take what I have.
Posted by: Mister Scott (Formerly GWS) at December 10, 2025 06:07 PM (0N4FZ)

Slowly. One silver dime, at a time.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 06:09 PM (pDt9x)

250 Canadian Bacon isn't!

Posted by: Hatfield Packing Co. at December 10, 2025 06:09 PM (oftw2)

251 There is a much bigger "multiplier effect" with defense spending than food stamps.
Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 06:04 PM (W7XSX)
---
It's complicated, but yes, because a lot of defense expenditures result in long-term gains like ships that last for decades. There is also heavy machinery and manufacturing, which has civilian applications. Pure social spending is literally paying people to do nothing.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at December 10, 2025 06:09 PM (ZOv7s)

252 Posted by: illiniwek at December 10, 2025 06:07 PM (vbXSk)

Then supply and demand is not a reason for high feed prices?

Posted by: the way I see it at December 10, 2025 06:09 PM (KDPiq)

253 The can in canola oil stands for Canada.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 06:10 PM (ufetp)

254 "Do cows eat soybeans?" Posted by: Boss Moss

My neighbor had some cows get loose and they roamed my property for a month or more. I read if they eat too many soybeans it could kill them. But they usually will moderate with grasses, if they have that option.

idk the details on that ... but the cows scared of the deer till they finally caught them a mile away or so.

Posted by: illiniwek at December 10, 2025 06:10 PM (vbXSk)

255 youtube tells me that all of the central banks are buying gold.
Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 06:01 PM (W7XSX)
====

If they are buying someone else is selling.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at December 10, 2025 06:10 PM (9ipOP)

256 I read that seed oils are hard for our body to process. It was on the internet, so true, obviously.

Posted by: tubal at December 10, 2025 06:11 PM (pDt9x)

257
The TX D primary is lit, yo.

It's between a racist black "lawyer" who hates white people, and a queer (who pretends to like "porn stars") who hates jews.

The supporters of each candidate are hilarious: Crockett supporters say Talarico is too white, and Talarico supporters say Crockett likes Israel too much.

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 06:11 PM (H1HTt)

258 They wouldn’t have made a loan to those same unqualified buyers if the rate was higher.

As long as Fannie and Freddie were buying every mortgage they could get their paws on they would've given a crackhead a loan.
------

Yep. And as I said above, internal audits were both lacking and incompetent, external (regulatory) audits were both lacking and incompetent, and the Big 6/Big 8 whatever the accounting firms were collectively called back in that period were incompetent and sometimes incahoots with the outfits they were "independently" auditing.

Posted by: Crusader, former Federal Bank Examiner at December 10, 2025 06:11 PM (TN0g+)

259 253 The can in canola oil stands for Canada.
Posted by: Boss Moss

What about the Shit in Shinola?

Posted by: Mazola Corn Goodness at December 10, 2025 06:12 PM (oftw2)

260 They claim China sold off 80% or so of their silver.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 06:12 PM (ufetp)

261 Well there was *something* that was faster, since somebody flew towards the galactic center far enough to find out that it had had a chain reaction explosion that was gonna hit in 50-100 thousand years. So the cowardly Puppeteers started running NOW.

see what I mean about writing into corners? Though the Pak flight was a plot point in Ringworld.
Posted by: Oldcat at December 10, 2025

***
Yeah, that was the Quantum II hyperdrive that would do a light-year in 1.25 minutes. The puppeteers admitted the ship was a failure; it was mostly machinery and had room for only one or two people in it.

"At the Core" was the first LN story I ever read, and said, "Why can't there be more SF like that?" I didn't know he was writing more of it right then.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 06:12 PM (wzUl9)

262 224- Completing that thought - - Loans, forced by the government (Obama/Biden), to unqualified buyers.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 06:04 PM (Hm8Vv)

Yep.

Posted by: Moonbeam at December 10, 2025 06:12 PM (rbKZ6)

263
Laugh at Oh, Canada all you want but I'm betting Justin Trudeau and his boyfriend are all snuggled up together in some warm place with Katy Perry pleading with him to go out and get photographed.

Posted by: Auspex at December 10, 2025 06:13 PM (Y8DZL)

264 ---
Compare notes with "Rachel Dolezal"!
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd
------

No dead-naming!

She's now Nkechi Amare Diallo.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at December 10, 2025 06:13 PM (XeU6L)

265 The can in canola oil stands for Canada.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 06:10 PM (ufetp)

And since it also sucks as a food oil, it is aptly named.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at December 10, 2025 06:13 PM (n9ltV)

266 The chimichanga chain gang.

CNN: You said Latinos who voted for Trump have a slave mentality...

CROCKETT: That's not what I said at all.

-
Yes, Sugartits, that's what you said.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now With Pumpkin Spice! at December 10, 2025 06:13 PM (L/fGl)

267 As long as Fannie and Freddie were buying every mortgage they could get their paws on they would've given a crackhead a loan.
Posted by: JackStraw at December 10, 2025 06:08 PM (viF8m)
---
Yep. The interest rates were essentially irrelevant because the people getting the loans had no idea what they were doing. All they saw was ZERO DOWN and were told that "real estate always goes up" so they could just keep pulling "equity" out of their home forever.

And the banks were told MORE LOANS TO THE POORS! Increasing homeownership was a specific priority, and Bush targeted a specific rate, which he wanted to reach.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at December 10, 2025 06:13 PM (ZOv7s)

268 As long as Fannie and Freddie were buying every mortgage they could get their paws on they would've given a crackhead a loan.
Posted by: JackStraw

I once got into it (mildly) with my priest after mass when he said greedy banks were what got us into economic problems back in '08. I tried to tell him it was govt. policy. But, technically Fannie and Freddie are banks, it's in the name. Too subtle a distinction for him, between govt and banks, which is fair. I learned to take it easy.

Posted by: Chuck Martel at December 10, 2025 06:13 PM (Dv3i1)

269 Found the thoughts that got DHH branded as a Nazi in the tech world. It's the reason for the fuss over Omarchy in the Linux world. And frankly, it's thoughts that I think most of us have had.

https://tinyurl.com/mv9zxwwa

Posted by: Notsothoreau at December 10, 2025 06:14 PM (+mUZM)

270 youtube tells me that all of the central banks are buying gold.

Posted by: no one
=======
Lot of liars and AI slop on YT along with hair on fire to get clicks. Basically gold does better as a shield, not as a replacement, against inflation as a commodity. Classic hedge. It is awful to hold when deflation takes place and that is what is occurring in China right now, Russia, on the other hand is selling all it mines and perhaps more due to fiscal problems. Neither are big silver buyers. India has a traditional of silver and gold jewelry being used as a hedge against uncertainty and booming economy means more demands there.

Silver has a weird relationship with gold in that it tracks gold sometimes and sometimes not.

But in this case, I think it is a classic short squeeze like what happened on Gamestop. Hedge funds trading naked silver contracts without the means to cover them. Been rumored that big metal traders have been naughty that way.

Posted by: whig at December 10, 2025 06:14 PM (WDjG6)

271 "Then supply and demand is not a reason for high feed prices?" posted by: the way I see it

I'm saying if they opened more acres, it would increase supply, lower prices. Last year farmers were complaining about Low Prices for corn. idk exactly, around $4.50 I think.

Posted by: illiniwek at December 10, 2025 06:14 PM (vbXSk)

272 =====
Classic short squeeze in silver added by momentum. Everyone wants physical silver yet probably more silver contracts have been sold than metal exists to cover them.

Silver has a lot less to do with the dollar. Minor changes versus foreign exchange mainly due to the 1/4 pt cut.
Posted by: Jeff Spicoli
----

There are plans to mint a Trump silver dollar.
Democrats are resisting.
They would be sold at a premium as our current silvers are.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 06:14 PM (Hm8Vv)

273 The budget deficit was 41 billion less in 2025. It's a start.

Posted by: Ben Had at December 10, 2025 06:15 PM (sDNVV)

274 You hire someone to do a job. They take their pay and buy, in addition to groceries, everything else.

You give someone Food stamps, only the grocery stores and supply chain benefit. The multiplier effect of 90% is crap.

A multiplier effect of 500% is much better.

Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 06:15 PM (W7XSX)

275
*hands start shaking*

Now I'm worried about inflation. The economy will overheat. Weimar II! We're all going to dieeeeeeee!!!!

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at December 10, 2025 06:15 PM (tgvbd)

276
You wanted a million dollar house
You'd settle for a 250k bungalow
You get to pay 2 million dollars in rent on a 2 bedroom apartment.

Posted by: Michael Angelo at December 10, 2025 06:16 PM (vFG9F)

277 "At the Core" was the first LN story I ever read, and said, "Why can't there be more SF like that?" I didn't know he was writing more of it right then.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 06:12 PM (wzUl9)

I think my first was "Neutron Star" out of a collection of SF Awards stories.

Posted by: Oldcat at December 10, 2025 06:16 PM (8avO+)

278 Apparently, there is a lot of gold and silver in contracts that does not exist in meatspace.

Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 06:16 PM (W7XSX)

279 Let the free $hit mafia go first.

Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 06:16 PM (ufetp)

280 Yep. And as I said above, internal audits were both lacking and incompetent, external (regulatory) audits were both lacking and incompetent, and the Big 6/Big 8 whatever the accounting firms were collectively called back in that period were incompetent and sometimes incahoots with the outfits they were "independently" auditing.

Posted by: Crusader, former Federal Bank Examiner at December 10, 2025 06:11 PM

I had a single E4 get two mortgages on two different houses during that period without any paperwork other than her LES. Fact was she could not afford either house but got high pressured into buying both as investment properties with zero down.

She was told that if she kept them for 6-8 months and made the minimum interest only payments she could sell them for way more than she bought them for. She lost that bet and also lost both houses and pretty much destroyed her credit rating for the next 30 years.

Posted by: Mister Scott (Formerly GWS) at December 10, 2025 06:16 PM (0N4FZ)

281
I don't want to see paycheck to paycheck people in their California ranch homes they are paying a $2mm mortgage on, their jumbo SUVs, truck and TV drooling greedily over my 401k.
Posted by: Chuck Martel

This is s the story of the ants and the grasshoppers.

Fuck the grasshoppers.

Posted by: BifBewalski at December 10, 2025 06:17 PM (G6LBI)

282 I once got into it (mildly) with my priest after mass when he said greedy banks were what got us into economic problems back in '08. I tried to tell him it was govt. policy. But, technically Fannie and Freddie are banks, it's in the name. Too subtle a distinction for him, between govt and banks, which is fair. I learned to take it easy.
Posted by: Chuck Martel

No, you did right. You have to rough up a priest every now and again, keeps them from getting soft.

Posted by: Father Groppi, The Fighting Priest at December 10, 2025 06:17 PM (oftw2)

283 People need to stop referencing how long it took Reagan to move the economy. We had rotary phones, 3 TV channels, and oil embargo. 45 years ago. And 45 years before 1980, was 1935..just saying. stop looking that far back.
Posted by: runner at December 10, 2025 05:25 PM (g47mK)

Pffft. By 1955 we had 7 VHF channels, three more if one could pick up the Philly stations with a rotor. By the early 70's push button phones. Still have a wall phone from 1971.

Posted by: thatcrazyjerseyguy at December 10, 2025 06:17 PM (5xuJ/)

284
The problem with Silver is we don't have Vampires, anymore.

Or is it Werewolves?

Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 06:18 PM (H1HTt)

285 Yay! 1/4 of a percent! We are saved, all we have to do is wait three months before the results will be felt in the economy!
That and hope it isn't enough to restart the inflation! Yay!

Posted by: Kindltot at December 10, 2025 06:18 PM (rbvCR)

286 Remember the film "The Big Short" where the guys went to a neighborhood and found nobody living there, except one guy who has a mortgage and no rents coming in?

Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 06:18 PM (W7XSX)

287 I once got into it (mildly) with my priest after mass when he said greedy banks were what got us into economic problems back in '08. I tried to tell him it was govt. policy. But, technically Fannie and Freddie are banks, it's in the name. Too subtle a distinction for him, between govt and banks, which is fair. I learned to take it easy.
Posted by: Chuck Martel
=======
While fake credentials have pissed on the idea of expertise, never the less, it exists and a priest is not a specialist in the economy anymore than a parishioner an expert in theology.

Skeptical to experts that proclaim things that do not make common sense; but willing to accept expertise after testing the expert. A true expert usually has some modesty in predictions, caveats, backfilling, etc. A carny expert does not.

Posted by: whig at December 10, 2025 06:18 PM (WDjG6)

288 AWFL, Part Deux.

Lib goes nuclear on "ICE" at Chipotle, tells them to stop eating "brown people" food and go to Cracker Barrel

-
Totally not racist at all.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now With Pumpkin Spice! at December 10, 2025 06:19 PM (L/fGl)

289
Do you want a ride to the train station?

Posted by: Rip Wheeler at December 10, 2025 06:19 PM (IifOV)

290 If you want to make money via Gold, I'd be looking to invest into the Mining of said Gold rather than the Gold itself.

With Energy being the most significant input, Gold Mining has a very nice little run up coming, imo.
Even if the price continues to slide a bit.

Posted by: garrett at December 10, 2025 06:19 PM (TR2dy)

291 You give someone Food stamps, only the grocery stores and supply chain benefit. The multiplier effect of 90% is crap.

A multiplier effect of 500% is much better.
Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 06:15 PM (W7XSX)

Pelosi told me welfare dollars 7X economy dollars.

Posted by: rhennigantx at December 10, 2025 06:19 PM (gbOdA)

292
I don't want to see paycheck to paycheck people in their California ranch homes they are paying a $2mm mortgage on, their jumbo SUVs, truck and TV drooling greedily over my 401k.
Posted by: Chuck Martel

_________

The Democrats will say that your 401K really belongs to the government. Bet on it.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at December 10, 2025 06:20 PM (tgvbd)

293 The problem with Silver is we don't have Vampires, anymore.

Or is it Werewolves?
Posted by: Soothsayer's Innaccurate but Amusing History at December 10, 2025 06:18 PM (H1HTt)

Both. Vampires are sensitive to ash wood which is why it is best for the stake.

Posted by: Oldcat at December 10, 2025 06:20 PM (8avO+)

294 A true expert usually has some modesty in predictions, caveats, backfilling, etc. A carny expert does not.
------

Correct. As we point out in sales, if you make an assertion you become responsible for providing the burden of proof.

Posted by: Crusader at December 10, 2025 06:20 PM (TN0g+)

295 It is now profitable to mine silver again.

Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 06:20 PM (W7XSX)

296 nood

Tricks

Posted by: banana Dream at December 10, 2025 06:21 PM (3uBP9)

297 290 If you want to make money via Gold, I'd be looking to invest into the Mining of said Gold rather than the Gold itself.

With Energy being the most significant input, Gold Mining has a very nice little run up coming, imo.
Even if the price continues to slide a bit.
Posted by: garrett at December 10, 2025 06:19 PM (TR2dy)

About 20 years ago wife wanted to buy gold.
I told here buy Yellow
CAT.
She 4x in about 4 years.

Posted by: rhennigantx at December 10, 2025 06:21 PM (gbOdA)

298 NOOD

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at December 10, 2025 06:21 PM (ZOv7s)

299 Vampires? Yes a stake through the heart. But any saw or knife for cutting off the head with suffice.

Posted by: no one at December 10, 2025 06:21 PM (W7XSX)

300 The Democrats will say that your 401K really belongs to the government. Bet on it.
-----
Yes, various Democrats have already floated the idea that your 401Ks and other investments should be annually taxed, even on *unrealized* gains.

Posted by: Crusader at December 10, 2025 06:22 PM (TN0g+)

301 Signs all over town. Tax preparer jobs
Earn 40,000 in four months. Work from home. No experience necessary

Posted by: Ben Had at December 10, 2025 06:22 PM (sDNVV)

302 255 youtube tells me that all of the central banks are buying gold.
Posted by: no one at
----

They've been saying that since 2010.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 06:22 PM (Hm8Vv)

303 It is now profitable to mine silver again.
Posted by: no one
......

I've got a Bell jar full of quarters.

Posted by: wth at December 10, 2025 06:22 PM (v0R5T)

304 What ultimately caused that was the effort to sucker anybody at all into taking loans, just because you want to see more lending activity. Which is the incentive that lower rates provide.
Posted by: Methos at December

It was driven by Clinton's CRA. Basically if the fed came in and your loan portfolio didn't match local demographics, you were accused of discrimination.

Thus, bad loans were made to meet the criteria. More loans led to more demand led to more bad loans and increased prices which were fueled by bad loans.

Homebuilders were pulling back in late 2005 early 2006. It just took ~2 years for it to filter thru the system.

Posted by: Steve_in_SoCal at December 10, 2025 06:24 PM (FxH7T)

305 While I'm at the library tonight, I'll look for Lois McMaster Bujold.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 10, 2025 05:52 PM (wzUl9)

The hardest one to read is Mirror Dance, it is downright brutal. Start with Warrior's Apprentice, A Civil Campaign or Captain Vorpatril's Alliance to get your toes wet. She is as good a prosist as David Drake, but they are like Drake was writing Restoration novels.
her first two books in the series are a bit rough, much better than most first books, but she was still shaking out what was going on.

Posted by: Kindltot at December 10, 2025 06:24 PM (rbvCR)

306 285 Yay! 1/4 of a percent! We are saved, all we have to do is wait three months before the results will be felt in the economy!
That and hope it isn't enough to restart the inflation! Yay!
Posted by: Kindltot
======
We don't have good multinational economic models because the complexity is beyond economic theory nowadays. I suspect federal deficits spending drives the inflation more than Fed reserve moves do in the US in the near term. And drop in interest rates means that US drops the deficit by refinancing to take advantage of it.

Yellen left a Treasury mess where the Feds shifted to selling short term treasuries to refinance the debt rather than the more expensive 10 year or longer. Probably 80-100 billion out of nearly a trillion bucks paid in interest for FY 2025 was due to Yellen's bullshit attempts to hide the magnitude of Democrats' wasteful spending.

Long run, the debt in the West will be monetized one way or another. You may see several defaults but Japan's Central Bank has been the leader in way out there debt to GDP ratio and now China is challenging for the title.

Posted by: whig at December 10, 2025 06:25 PM (WDjG6)

307 It is now profitable to mine silver again.
Posted by: no one

Silver is a byproduct of copper, zinc and lead mining. It is going to be a lot of extra refining to get that last tiny amount out.

Posted by: Kindltot at December 10, 2025 06:26 PM (rbvCR)

308 She lost that bet and also lost both houses and pretty much destroyed her credit rating for the next 30 years.
Posted by: Mister Scott (Formerly GWS)
-----------

Talk about a vicious monopoly.

Credit Reporting Agencies.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 06:28 PM (Hm8Vv)

309 Long run, the debt in the West will be monetized one way or another. You may see several defaults but Japan's Central Bank has been the leader in way out there debt to GDP ratio and now China is challenging for the title.
Posted by: whig at December 10, 2025 06:25 PM (WDjG6)

I have been watching Argentina go from the brink of another hyperinflation and national default to being able to keep their head above water economically and have a balanced budget. THAT was managing a soft landing.
They need to resolve a lot of the labor issues the Peronists put in over the last 80 years, and increase their manufacturing, though.

Posted by: Kindltot at December 10, 2025 06:30 PM (rbvCR)

310 253 The can in canola oil stands for Canada.
Posted by: Boss Moss at December 10, 2025 06:10 PM (ufetp)
-----
Yeah, turns out it's hard to market RAPESEED oil to housewives.

Posted by: ballistic at December 10, 2025 06:30 PM (3BwY8)

311 304 What ultimately caused that was the effort to sucker anybody at all into taking loans, just because you want to see more lending activity. Which is the incentive that lower rates provide.
Posted by: Methos at December

It was driven by Clinton's CRA. Basically if the fed came in and your loan portfolio didn't match local demographics, you were accused of discrimination.

Thus, bad loans were made to meet the criteria. More loans led to more demand led to more bad loans and increased prices which were fueled by bad loans.

Homebuilders were pulling back in late 2005 early 2006. It just took ~2 years for it to filter thru the system.
Posted by: Steve_in_SoCal
---------

Another aspect to the Credit Bureau. If you don't charge things, if you don't make loans and buy on credit. You have no credit rating. You may own a $500K home and an $80K car but you will have Zero credit.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at December 10, 2025 06:33 PM (Hm8Vv)

312 Whig, we also managed to get out of the LIBOR system where the City of London had a lot of say in the pricing of Dollars, and into our current SOFR system where it is all the Fed and the Treasury, and that seems to be a big thing for managing inflation.

I don't put much truck in quarter percent changes in the prime rate, but I do think reindustrialization and getting rid of the drag the welfare state is forcing on us will help more. and I am willing to hold my nose and agree the change in rate was a signal moment.

Posted by: Kindltot at December 10, 2025 06:33 PM (rbvCR)

313 There is noise that Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac are going to be brought out of receivership from the government, and that may very well normalize the home loans even more, since they will not be subject to Dodd Frank rules.

Posted by: Kindltot at December 10, 2025 06:35 PM (rbvCR)

314 Hedge funds trading naked silver contracts without the means to cover them. Been rumored that big metal traders have been naughty that way.
----

There has been a short market in silver for a long time. Too many banks and hedge funds would go under if they were forced to deliver on short contracts. When gold collapses and takes silver with it, there will be a whole lot of traders going down.

Posted by: clarence at December 10, 2025 07:00 PM (JwHY3)

315 Easy way to fix the housing market - only primary residences are covered by FDIC, AND each's secondary residence gets a 1% interest rate speculation tax.

Posted by: El Mariachi - Attorney at Law at December 10, 2025 07:02 PM (C3IAS)

316 If you read Reddit today’s economy is LITERALLY worse than the 1930s.

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