"As Trump finally admitted this week, after lying for a year on the campaign trail, there isn’t really much he can do to bring down prices, either.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Deixis9 Absolutely.

[zenmorph@indieweb.social]

@wdlindsy @lowies When confronted with cognitive dissonance, people tend to resolve the internal tension by altering or ignoring facts that would force them to change their opinion or outlook. We are lazy as a species. Honesty and openness requires mental discipline.

[kathylk@universeodon.com]

@wdlindsy

Or they'll still insist it's the Democrats' fault. It's not like the Democrats have made a lot of noise saying whose fault it REALLY is. #corporations #CEOs

[tristan@gaygeek.social]

@wdlindsy As usual, it was a con. People got suckered by the greatest conman of a generation. But it's also a cult, and you never question Dear Leader.

[pizzademon@mastodon.online]

@wdlindsy well, at least we'll get tax-free tips, overtime, and social security.... {Godot silhouette.gif}

[mattmcirvin@mathstodon.xyz]

@wdlindsy Trump can say that inflation is over, because the high inflation essentially IS over, and has been for a while--it's just that prices are still higher than we remember and would like them to be.

But he'll say he fixed it. Somehow.

Trump's supporters still insist that the economy was a dumpster fire under Obama and Trump fixed it. Of course, you can't see that in any economic indicator you look at--there was a gradual recovery from about 2010 on, and it continued under Trump.

But when Obama was in, Republicans insisted that any improving economic indicator was fake. When Trump entered office, these numbers abruptly became real, like Pinocchio becoming a real boy. The key element was the permission to believe.

Liberals are also unwilling to full-throatedly take the opposite side and say everything is great, because they actually care about longstanding structural inequities. It's what political commentators sometimes call "the Hack Gap"--if you're unwilling to construct your entire worldview around cheering for your team, it's a political disadvantage relative to someone who will.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@zenmorph @lowies Yes, you're right. I couldn't agree more.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@KathyLK Yes, so it seems to me, too.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Tristan Absolutely.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@PizzaDemon Indeed — all while our hard-earned savings flow into the pockets of the richest people on the planet.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@mattmcirvin Yes — good commentary. I agree.

[iamdannyboling@mstdn.social]

@wdlindsy

Apparently that's what the people (thought they) wanted.

@PizzaDemon

[blackburied@newsie.social]

@wdlindsy @wdlindsy #trump started every speech with “it’s the economy, stupid” verbiage and #harris never attempted to counter with the true source of inflation, like a rope-a-dope strategy thinking Trump would tire of lying?

At #bessent’s confirmation hearing, I think the most important question a senator can ask will be “what were the primary causes of our last bout of inflation?” Do you think he’ll tell the truth?

What to know about Scott Bessent, Trump's pick for treasury secretary

President-elect Donald Trump chose money manager Scott Bessent, who worked for major Democrat supporter George Soros, to serve as his next treasury secretary.

AP News (apnews.com)

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@blackburied A great suggestion for how senators whould handle the confirmation hearings.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@IAmDannyBoling @PizzaDemon Yes.