A great summary of how many of us are feeling, about what’s going down, will be interesting to look back one year from now and compare and reflect. I’m trying to decide what to do about my investments/retirement, with such incompetence and trade war stuff coming I don’t see how the stock market is going to weather dumb and spiteful. Then again the stock market went up during some of the most abject misery of the pandemic, pretty much nothing is rational these days.
In terms of investment/retirement, I would say set it and forget it, don't make huge moves other than simple rebalancing if your portfolio has drifted away from your desired ratios. As much as I have eaten a lot of humble pie the last few weeks, that strategy works most of the time, and probably beats a lot of professional analysts. I was sure the stock market would crater for years with covid, yet after a few months we got a V-shaped recovery and it started an incredible two-year bull run. Even after the 2022 correction, people in the market are still better off now than 2020. And so far, the market seems to like what they're seeing with Trump; all of the tariff nonsense is probably offset by salivating over tax cuts and de-regulation. Not my preferred policies, for sure.
Please re-read what you have written. You have directly implied or “per se’d” that those who voted for Trump are ill-informed, sexist, racist and/or un-educated, in short, “trash”. You indicate that your education allows you to make these pronouncements. I must ask what is the purpose of this screed other than to vent your frustration that your viewpoints are those of the minority? It certainly cannot be to convince anyone in the majority that they made a mistake, rather it will only further solidify their views and may convince others that the arrogance and elitism you expressed may convince others to follow the trend to turn to the right. For that I thank you.
I am sorry you had such a visceral and negative reaction to the post. At no point did I directly (or indirectly) call Trump voters “trash,” although such protestations are a little rich when Donald Trump himself has literally called Democrats “scum,” “vermin,” “animals,” and “enemies of the people.” He has said that my friends who are Hispanic immigrants, whom I’ve worked alongside on farms and labs, are “poisoning the blood of the country.” He has threatened to use force to quell peaceful protests against himself, to revoke the licenses of journalists who criticize him, and to withhold federal funding from liberal states and cities. Nothing I’ve written is even in the same neighborhood as that hateful rhetoric.
As for the comment about Republican voters being less informed, all I can say is the data I cite speak for themselves. Like I wrote, the only real possibilities are Trump supporters endorse his comments and policies, don’t believe them, or were simply uninformed about them (or perhaps a combination).
I must agree that my words will probably not convert many right-leaning partisans, although I have previously written many balanced articles about the stakes of this election for education, healthcare, and science policy that seem to have fallen on deaf ears. My tiny readership is dwarfed by the will and whims of 74 million voters. I will suggest that if someone reads this post and becomes even more dug-in on their political beliefs, their mind was probably never up for persuasion in the first place.
Barack Obama was right when he said “elections have consequences.” Now that Republicans control the White House, both houses of Congress, and the Supreme Court, the fate of this country is truly in their hands, you can’t blame Democrats for what happens in the next four years. I truly do wish they are successful, for I share this country with all of you. So far, based on his initial cabinet picks and proposed executive actions, I have little reason for optimism.
Best,
Eric
PS—I might catch up to date on any necessary vaccinations before RFK Jr revokes FDA approval for those he doesn’t like, and I’d probably avoid raw milk amidst a growing HPAI outbreak.
This is all so depressing but thanks for writing this post.
It is 😔
Agree.
A great summary of how many of us are feeling, about what’s going down, will be interesting to look back one year from now and compare and reflect. I’m trying to decide what to do about my investments/retirement, with such incompetence and trade war stuff coming I don’t see how the stock market is going to weather dumb and spiteful. Then again the stock market went up during some of the most abject misery of the pandemic, pretty much nothing is rational these days.
In terms of investment/retirement, I would say set it and forget it, don't make huge moves other than simple rebalancing if your portfolio has drifted away from your desired ratios. As much as I have eaten a lot of humble pie the last few weeks, that strategy works most of the time, and probably beats a lot of professional analysts. I was sure the stock market would crater for years with covid, yet after a few months we got a V-shaped recovery and it started an incredible two-year bull run. Even after the 2022 correction, people in the market are still better off now than 2020. And so far, the market seems to like what they're seeing with Trump; all of the tariff nonsense is probably offset by salivating over tax cuts and de-regulation. Not my preferred policies, for sure.
Please re-read what you have written. You have directly implied or “per se’d” that those who voted for Trump are ill-informed, sexist, racist and/or un-educated, in short, “trash”. You indicate that your education allows you to make these pronouncements. I must ask what is the purpose of this screed other than to vent your frustration that your viewpoints are those of the minority? It certainly cannot be to convince anyone in the majority that they made a mistake, rather it will only further solidify their views and may convince others that the arrogance and elitism you expressed may convince others to follow the trend to turn to the right. For that I thank you.
I am sorry you had such a visceral and negative reaction to the post. At no point did I directly (or indirectly) call Trump voters “trash,” although such protestations are a little rich when Donald Trump himself has literally called Democrats “scum,” “vermin,” “animals,” and “enemies of the people.” He has said that my friends who are Hispanic immigrants, whom I’ve worked alongside on farms and labs, are “poisoning the blood of the country.” He has threatened to use force to quell peaceful protests against himself, to revoke the licenses of journalists who criticize him, and to withhold federal funding from liberal states and cities. Nothing I’ve written is even in the same neighborhood as that hateful rhetoric.
As for the comment about Republican voters being less informed, all I can say is the data I cite speak for themselves. Like I wrote, the only real possibilities are Trump supporters endorse his comments and policies, don’t believe them, or were simply uninformed about them (or perhaps a combination).
I must agree that my words will probably not convert many right-leaning partisans, although I have previously written many balanced articles about the stakes of this election for education, healthcare, and science policy that seem to have fallen on deaf ears. My tiny readership is dwarfed by the will and whims of 74 million voters. I will suggest that if someone reads this post and becomes even more dug-in on their political beliefs, their mind was probably never up for persuasion in the first place.
Barack Obama was right when he said “elections have consequences.” Now that Republicans control the White House, both houses of Congress, and the Supreme Court, the fate of this country is truly in their hands, you can’t blame Democrats for what happens in the next four years. I truly do wish they are successful, for I share this country with all of you. So far, based on his initial cabinet picks and proposed executive actions, I have little reason for optimism.
Best,
Eric
PS—I might catch up to date on any necessary vaccinations before RFK Jr revokes FDA approval for those he doesn’t like, and I’d probably avoid raw milk amidst a growing HPAI outbreak.