[johnu]

shyams, on 2026-April-04, 02:26, said:

The Dow is over 50,000 right now.

Yes, Bondi did gloat about the Dow being 50,000 in a Congressional hearing in a canned non-response to a question from a Democrat about Convicted Felon Trump's best friend for 15+ years and fellow sex predator Jeffrey Epstein.

And while in the abstract the Dow reaching a record 50,000 sounds great, in fact, the percentage increase in the Dow ranked only 21 out of 23 developed markets being tracked at the time. The Dow would have had to have reached 60,000 to be comparable to the average of the other 22 developed markets

[barmar]

I asked ChatGPT to write a complaint about Trump's actions in the style of the Declaration of Independence.

Quote

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for the people to voice their grievances against a leader whose conduct has betrayed the trust bestowed upon him, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation of confidence.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that leadership demands integrity, that truth should not be twisted for personal gain, and that public office is a sacred trust, not a platform for vanity. Yet time and again, these principles have been cast aside in favor of spectacle, division, and self-interest.

He has shown a persistent disregard for the norms and institutions that sustain a free society, treating them not as pillars to uphold but as obstacles to overcome. He has sown discord among the people, setting citizen against citizen, neighbor against neighbor, for the sake of his own ambition. He has wielded words not to unite, but to inflame; not to clarify, but to confuse.

He has demonstrated a troubling indifference to truth, making claims unmoored from fact and dismissing accountability as though it were an inconvenience rather than a duty. In doing so, he has eroded public trust, leaving many uncertain of what to believe and whom to trust.

He has placed personal loyalty above the common good, valuing allegiance over competence, and praise over principle. Such conduct weakens the very foundation of governance, which depends upon reason, responsibility, and respect for the rule of law.

In every stage of these actions, the people have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms. Their concerns have been met not with reflection, but with deflection; not with unity, but with further division.

Therefore, let it be known: a nation cannot thrive when its leadership thrives on conflict. A republic cannot endure when truth is treated as optional. And a people cannot remain united when they are constantly pulled apart.

With firm reliance on the principles of liberty and justice, the people must continue to demand better—from their leaders, from their institutions, and from themselves.

[barmar]

I also asked how he would rewrite the Constitution, and got this amusing result.

Quote

If Donald Trump were to rhetorically “rewrite” the United States Constitution in his characteristic style, it might sound something like this:

---

A Tremendous Constitution—Maybe the Best Ever

We the People—great people, the best people—of the United States, in order to make America stronger than ever before (and everyone agrees it’s already very strong, but we’re making it stronger), establish this Constitution. Nobody’s done more for unity, prosperity, and winning than we have, believe me.

Article I – Congress (They Talk a Lot, Frankly)
All legislative powers are vested in a Congress, which—let’s be honest—sometimes does a terrible job, lots of gridlock, very sad. But when it works with strong leadership, incredible things happen, historic things.

Article II – The President (Very Important, Very Powerful)
The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States. A very important job—probably the most important job anywhere in the world. The President must be strong, decisive, and able to make great deals. Weakness is not an option, folks.

Article III – The Courts (Big Decisions, Huge)
The judicial power shall be vested in one Supreme Court—great justices, many very smart people—and such inferior courts as may be established. They make big decisions, sometimes controversial, but very important.

On Rights (People Love Their Rights)
The people shall enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to bear arms—very popular rights, tremendous support. We love our freedoms, and we’re going to protect them, absolutely.

On Amendments (We Can Fix Things, It’s Fine)
Whenever something isn’t working—and sometimes things don’t work, it happens—we can amend this Constitution. We’ll make it better, smarter, more efficient. Nobody improves things like we do.

Closing Statement
This Constitution will ensure safety, prosperity, and success. America will win like never before. It’ll be incredible—people are already saying it.

---

This kind of rewrite leans into his recognizable speaking patterns: repetition, emphasis on strength and success, informal tone, and frequent self-referential confidence.

[thepossum]

Hope everyone had their oil positions right yesterday

[WasWinM]

You would think the future's markets would be immune to TACO by now.