Just a Thought

The thought below is my thought alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.or google.com

 

[[[ It's sad to say but I'm seriously beginning to wonder about the mental state of President Trump...the man I voted for three times, and who I supported when he took us to war with Iran in the summer of 2025. But as the "6-weeks top" war continues on Trump has proven himself, to me anyway, NOT to be the man I voted for.

Why so...because all Trump's self-spewed, ego-driven, bravado regarding him standing strong with America's allies and friends against those who are our common enemy, has proven to be but empty-winded talk at best. 

How so? In regards to Iran, we still find President Trump trying to make "deals" with the very terrorist regime who relishes in publicly executing the "freedom fighters"...those brave Iranian men and women who begged him for help...including for much needed weapons so they could help in the fight against the regime... and whose help has yet to come.

And also there's the fact that Trump has seemingly now turned his back on both Ukraine's President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people courtesy of his not only making a "diesel deal" with his now buddy Vladimir Putin that actually works against Ukraine and in Russia's favor in their war, but to add insult to Ukraine's injury by his having decided to waiver U.S. sanctions against Russia. How so... by his claiming that it's in America's best interest.to do so. 

But the truth is that it's in Trump's best interest so that we don't see higher gas prices at the pump right before the upcoming midterm election...nothing like trying to divert and deflect the American voter's attention away from their ever dwindling pocketbooks which could well be the decider of the election.

And so the man who was the target of the Democrats and Russia's 'Steel Dossier" political generated witch hunt has now cozied up to Russia and against Ukraine after both India and China raised concerns about how his Russian economic sanctions bill would negatively affect them as well.

Trump has proven himself to be but a  "paper tiger" at best whose bark has become but a joke instead of a much needed bite. 2028 cannot come fast enough...my opinion and I stand by it no matter what Trump's blind followers have to say about it. ]]]

Copyright @ 2026 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.  

Op-ed:

Tying the Economy and Stock Market Together

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor

This opinion piece is my opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.or google.com.    

 

...When consumer buying power is down the “stock market” experiences what is known as “increased volatility,” because reduced consumer spending lowers corporate revenues and hence profits in a cause and effect scenario that tends to see overall stock valuations dropping. And this is what leads some investors into a panic mode, and thus “sell-offs” (as devaluations) begin....a vicious cycle indeed. 

 

Remember, when the “stock market” drops too fast serious economic consequences can see the government possibly having to raise taxes, which in and of itself is an obstacle to economic growth. And this helps to tie the “stock market” and the economy together, as does war itself for uncertainty of a war's outcome, coupled with the logistics of what would likely be rising inflation, tends to see panic driven “sell-offs,” directly affecting overall economic conditions. 

 

Drops in the “stock market” are normal expected occurrences for today's drop can easily turn into tomorrow's gain. But when the game of war is thrown into the mix...in this case the war with Iran...the tie between the “stock market” and the economy becomes critical. Why so...because if said war does not turn out as we hope it does, the “stock market” could see gains being immediately wiped out which in turn will affect our economy and “We the American People” to a degree we have not seen in decades. Read entire article here.

Op-ed:

Tying the Economy and Stock Market Together

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor

This opinion piece is my opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.or google.com.    

Last week I put up a post on a few social media sites stating that the “stock market” is down almost across the board, and that it’s because President Trump refuses to do what even he has to know needs to be done in regards to Iran.

And while the majority of those who read my post did agree with my statement others did not...as is their right...as they either have no idea that the “stock market” is both a key indicator of how our American economy is doing and thus affects the pocketbooks of each and every one of us to some degree, or they simply don't care as they still believe that the “stock market” only affects the rich and/or those who invest.

So maybe it's time for a lesson in “Economics 101” on how the “stock market” plays into it courtesy of five bonafide facts...facts in simplified layman's terms of course.

Fact One: Over the past 20 to 30 years there has been a tremendous increase in the number of people...including young people...putting their monies into the “stock market” as opposed to a regular bank type savings account and/or a CD (Certificates of Deposit) as was the case for most folks in the past. Why so...because with today's interest rates remaining relatively low in regards to buying a home...they currently, as I write this, hover in the 6% range compared to the 1980s when said interest rates reached 18.63% on average...folks tend to forget that in turn the same interest rates will remain low for CD's and for savings accounts as well. And the consequences of this fact means that very little money...very little profit...is being made off those entities, thus turning them into basically negative yielding investments.

Remember, in the early 1980s, CD rates were between 15% and 18%, and in some cases they topped 18.19% if one had what was referred to as an ”Extended CD” for over three months or for over a year. For example, if someone had a $100,000 at 18% there was little to no monetary risks involved. However, over the last 20 years the average CD rates have been between 0.1% and 5%...extremely low puts it mildly..,meaning putting money into a CD with the hopes of making money was foolish indeed. And that’s why over these past 20 years we’ve seen increasing numbers of people from all walks of life putting their money into the “stock market” so that their money can actually start to work for them instead of into low yielding savings accounts and IRAs.

Fact Two: The “stock market” today has now become a modern day savings account of sorts, and it's not just for the rich any more, but for middle and upper middle class families as well...families who no longer believe that the traditional type of savings account will help them to increase their wealth now or in the future. And this makes perfect sense because when one invests in the “stock market” one's money immediately starts working for you which is simply not possible with bank driven low interest rates.

Fact Three: Today, almost 62% of American adults currently have some monies invested in the “stock market,” with the number of middle-class and working-class Americans investing now up 54% as opposed to five years ago, with said number equating to those who earn between a modest $30,000 to $80,000 per year.

But here one needs to understand that while one can make large sums of money courtesy of wise investments, and sometimes in a relatively short period of time...one can also lose large sums of money also in a short period of time. How so? Simply, more times than not, it's courtesy of a downturn in the economy coupled with rising inflation numbers, as well as in times of war itself. And while wars...like the Iran War we now find ourselves in...can and usually does lead to short-term stock market “sell-offs,” hence falling numbers, those drops in number are usually not long lasting, as historical data itself shows that geopolitical events, like wars, usually do not have prolong effects on the trending course of the “stock market” itself.

Fact Four: However, when times of war are combined with what is economic woes for the majority of people...as in when both gas and grocery prices rise even a small percentage...a “stock market” drop in numbers can be disconcerting for far too many folks, especially those new to the market. And why so...because many new investors do not understand that it's the economy itself that sets the stage for both corporate performance and investor expectations, which in turn then drives “stock market” trends, and that it's how the “stock market” reacts to said trends that directly influences consumer spending, all important business investment, and overall economic sentiment, which can include monthly “jobs numbers.” Simply, the “stock market” is indeed a reflection of our county's economy and visa-versa. 

Fact Five: A president’s actions...no matter the political party the president belongs to...no matter the political party in control of the Congressional “power of the purse string”...we still find that both the economy and the “stock market” as being affected by their fiscal and trade policies, their regulatory decisions, their monetary policy appointments, their crisis managed leadership, as well as by a healthy or, in some cases, an unhealthy dose of public sentiment. And when combined together said presidential actions do indeed help to influence both Congress and the Feds, via their ability to shape both the policy environment and the parameters that key markets (including the “stock market”) and businesses operate within.

Simply, because presidents are responsible for implementing and enforcing the law, they surely do have some control over business and market regulations which in turn directly affects the economy itself, and thus filters down to the “stock market.” In President Trump's case think of his recent, what I consider to be, high stakes tariff fiasco...the one where he raised tariffs so high on certain countries doing business with the U.S. that said countries literally could not afford to continue doing business here unless said tariff raise was negated or at least neutralized. And how did the countries affected accomplish this...simply by passing on to the American consumer a price increase in the products being sold to them.

Not a good scenario indeed, yet a scenario that in many cases did happen in the past and can still happen now or in the future what with the economic buying power of many American families continuing to fall. And when this continues over a period of time the “stock market” is affected as well. How so? When consumer buying power is down the “stock market” experiences what is known as “increased volatility,” because reduced consumer spending lowers corporate revenues and hence profits in a cause and effect scenario that tends to see overall stock valuations dropping. And this is what leads some investors into a panic mode, and thus “sell-offs” (as devaluations) begin....a vicious cycle indeed.

Remember, when the “stock market” drops too fast serious economic consequences can see the government possibly having to raise taxes, which in and of itself is an obstacle to economic growth. And this helps to tie the “stock market” and the economy together, as does war itself for uncertainty of a war's outcome, coupled with the logistics of what would likely be rising inflation, tends to see panic driven “sell-offs,” directly affecting overall economic conditions.

Drops in the “stock market” are normal expected occurrences for today's drop can easily turn into tomorrow's gain. But when the game of war is thrown into the mix...in this case the war with Iran...the tie between the “stock market” and the economy becomes critical. Why so...because if said war does not turn out as we hope it does, the “stock market” could see gains being immediately wiped out which in turn will affect our economy and “We the American People” to a degree we have not seen in decades.

As a successful businessman President Trump knows all this...I just hope his wish for a “deal”...a “deal” he's trying to make with terrorists...does not backfire in his and our economic faces. Case closed.

Copyright @ 2026 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved. 

************************************************************************************************** For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, The Caregiver's Revenge.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE! 

Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 9th from 7 to 8:30pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'Tying the Economy and Stock Market Together'; 'The Caregiver's Revenge'; and important news of the day. Tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE.'