Memes and Elon Musks and Stuff.

From my response to Facebook chats etcetera.

SIMPLISTIC, uh huh. 

       <>U.S. economy is aided by consumer activity ("millions of poor people and other people" continually buying. Check "contained" unemployment vis a vis spike in goods prices etcetera). <>U.S./China trade pact of 2000. When major American corporations built factories in China. Now there are 8,000+ U.S.-owned companies operating there. There were 66 American billionaires in 1990; there are 801 now. Last time the U.S. was in trade surplus was in 1975. And the U.S. remains as the world's #1 consumer market while military spending exponentially spikes ($840+ billion vs China's $200+ billion; in 2023, the U.S. spent $916 billion). While minimum wage stays $7.25 but unemployment will not ever go to the 1930s level. 

       <>Washington's political leadership is The Issue. Government can fix it but it chooses not to due to the obvious. Although the rich will get unstoppably richer due to the evolution of global trade, U.S. poor can still be less poor if the government wills it. 

       Read up on China's "Common Prosperity" program and why privately owned Alibaba donated $15.5 billion to the program in 2021, for example. How their billionaires are compelled to share countryside development for the people. China's major industries, except Big Tech, are state-owned. But then Americans hate anything Chinese, so… 💸💵🗽

ELON and EVs. 

       Here are some to ponder: <>Top EV market is China (not the U.S., by a long shot). Top 5 countries with the highest share of EV sales: Norway (80 percent), Iceland, Sweden, Netherlands, China (22 percent). The US, 6 percent. I believe Mr Musk's interest is China and political clout would give him (economic) leverage on the table. Already, he has a Tesla "gigafactory" in China etcetera. But what he needs in abundance are minerals that China and its BRICS and RCEP partners have. Plus silicon, the emerging next standard for EV energy storage. China has the most silicon, lopsidedly owns most of the global supply. Second is Russia. Meanwhile, the top selling EV brand in the world is Tesla Model Y but China's BYD is the top EV seller, overall.

       X is simply Mr Musk's playground. Reason why he bought it. It may not earn him money or he knew he could lose but he believes he can use it to his advantage for political ends. Easier to handle than a major newspaper, I guess? Like Jeff Bezos' Washington Post. Though Elon may buy a newspaper, too. But this guy knows how to juggle business and politics as his buddy. 🚗🚚🚕