Well, Bill, I have been reading you for several year now. And like so many others, I grow weary of the doom-saying. By now those of us who can learn (or be convinced) either agree with you or stop reading after the first sentence or two. Far be it from me to tell you how to run your newsletter, but perhaps it's time to try a new tack: don't tell us what's wrong -- tell us how to make it right. Then when we go to the polls we can vote for the person who promises to do what you think should be done.
The only way a serious reformer ever makes the ballot is if they already have the money to run a campaign and the machinery to outmaneuver both parties, for it isn't going to come from within either current party.
Even if such a person did get elected, they would be neutralized or removed if they actually tried to stop the flow of money to the powerful. The people who benefit from the system do not want it fixed.
And Bill didn’t only diagnose the problem. He offered solutions back in December 2022 in the “Clowns” newsletter.
The trouble is that no politician who wants to stay in office is willing to do what needs doing. They would rather run the grift and fade into the sunset.
Lukas, your comment exposes a naked truth, one which no one wants to hear much less act upon: our system simply isn't built to deal with a situation such as ours where the consensus model upon which the system rests is no longer functioning. It is impossible for a consensus system to work when the electorate is split roughly 50-50. We hear this all the time on TV broadcasts of football games: "Well, the problem here is that so-and-so is behind three scores, and their team is simply not 'built' to come from behind." So, that team had better not get behind, or they can expect to lose. Guess what? We got behind. Best always. PM
He has no solutions except in broad generalities. He's made it his mission to trash Trump and ignore anything that Trump is doing right - like deregulation, energy production, investment in America, etc.
Yes, Dean... it will be Bonner's fault. I thought you knew that. Didn't you know that Bongo Bill is controlling everything behind the scenes? Where have you been? Hiding under your pillow all this time?
I know John…it seems as every knowledgeable and intelligent dear reader leaves this sad site, a leftist moron takes their place. Hopefully it’s not a sign for America’s future, like the disastrous state of NY City🤔
It’s not the left or the right that’s the problem. It’s that both sides are racing each other to the basement. One blows the budget on social programs and entitlement spending, digging a deeper fiscal hole, while the other cozies up to corporations that gut environmental protections, dodge taxes, and profit from endless military spending.
Take your pick — either path ends in the same place: a crippling deficit, with our own elected representatives stripping the carcass before they fly away.
Sorry Lucas, but it’s been at least 90% the cause of the left, and that includes the globalist RINOs like the Bush family, and neocons like DICK Cheney. All globalists swamp creatures that have done their best to destroy America and our Republic. Again, I can’t stress enough how grateful I am that a Past Democrat like president Trump is in the White House now, and we don’t have to live through the horrifying rapid decline that the LEFT has caused, and enjoy the slower pace of the inevitable collapse 😊
Add these “right” features of Mr. Trump: tariffs that operate as hidden taxes on Americans, removing EPA oversight so industries can poison their own land and water, bombing “suspected drug runners” with no due process, claiming to have “fixed” wars while fueling new conflicts, stopping illegal immigration by tanking the economy and triggering the highest inflation in four decades, feeding at the trough of self-aggrandizement, and now cashing in billions through crypto deals.
I’m sure those are the accomplishments you voted for—rather than stopping the spending, cutting off lobbying, ending the grift, or doing the one thing that would actually change foreign policy: shutting down the 800 overseas military bases and forcing nations to police their own borders.
Well, Lucas, you make some points that are good, some are half-truths, and others are total exaggerations. If only things were so simple as shutting down all our overseas military bases. Unfortunately, life on this planet is a little more complicated than you indicate.
Almost 2000 years ago, something very similar happened in Rome. As the empire weakened, the elite saw the end coming. They began openly “extracting” wealth from the system. They avoided taxes, sold influence, took bribes, and debased the currency until silver coins were basically copper with a silver wash — from 98% silver to around 5% near the end.
Inflation exploded. Ordinary Romans were paid in money that was worth less every month. The rich insulated themselves by buying hard assets: land, slaves, private armies, and fortified estates. They weren’t trying to save Rome. They were preparing for what came after.
When the empire finally collapsed, those elites simply became feudal lords. The state died. Their wealth didn’t.
You overlook the fact that not only did they counterfeit the money, they counterfeited Roman citizenship for the sake of labor and taxes. Does THAT sound familiar? Best always. PM
The thesis, the level of corruption and corruptibility in Man is constant, is interesting, and likely true. What DOES change, over time, is the acceptance of corruption within a society/state, and the result is that those who can be persuaded to be corrupt for the purpose of gaining advantage, will succumb, and corruption increases and its attendant circumstance, social decline, increases as well. It's a distinction that must be drawn. The net effect is that there is more corruption and bad effects, and it doesn't really matter what the actual inherent level of corruption and corruptibility in Man actually is. Best always. PM
Re Dan's comment it appears the govt has been working toward a "cashless" society for some time. Beginning with the state and local "SNAP" etc. benefit cards. LA provided them back in 2005 after Katrina so the move to checkless is just another step down that pathway. Sure, it is much less expensive than a physical check, and supposedly "safer." Except for the established fraud that has occurred thus far. At least for now our congressional leaders have codified in law that there will be no CBDC. When that gets overturned, that's when the real fun will begin. The train to "1984" is picking up speed ! ! !
Thank you Dan as always. The one takeaway here is that America is in severe debt and it’s going to get worse before the collapsing financial crisis takes hold. Everyday I thank God that we now have an America First Business Man in office, working harder than any other past president in our history to try and fix this insane mess that both Republicans and Democrats created. Thank God those two demented freaks that the democrats tried to destroy America with were not elected. Yes Dan, the world is changing very fast, but America has a much better chance for future success with a business man who is a pro at saving his assets from bankruptcy. Thank God President Trump considers America the worlds most precious asset 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
"Prepare for Rip-Off" Bonner entitles his column. Yet, I'm being ripped off every single day by reading his column. I can't stop reading because I'm curious how far Bongo Bill will go to ignore all the negative and destructive things the Democrats are doing (and yes, the fact that they've been using bad language for a lot longer) and also ignore all the accomplishments of the Trump administration, only to focus on what Bongo considers to be the bad. I don't deny that there is room for criticism concerning some of the things the Trump administration is doing or not doing, but the issue, if one wants to be fair and balanced, is to write about both. Not from Bongo. If Bongo were honest, his byline would be:
"The TDS Times" by Bill Bonner.
Everything negative compiled from the left-wing news media that is real or imagined about the Trump administration.
"The overall rate is said to be around 17%." Who said? Sure would be good to see your sources, you sound like Nora O'Donnell..... "It has been said...", such bs. Back it up MR. B
A reasonable question. The ~17% average tariff estimate comes from multiple sources depending on whether you look at nominal rates, sector-weighted averages, or effective tariff incidence on consumer goods.
A few of the commonly cited ones:
• Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE):
Their 2024 analysis estimates the effective tariff rate on total US imports at roughly 16–18 percent when accounting for cumulative Trump + Biden tariffs still in place.
• Tax Foundation (2024 update):
Their modeling shows that the average applied tariff rate rose from ~1.5% pre-2018 to the low-to-high teens on affected imports. Consumer-facing categories (appliances, electronics, furniture, clothing) run even higher.
• US International Trade Commission & Congressional Budget Office:
Both have reported that downstream pass-through to consumer prices results in tariff-equivalent burdens in the mid-teens once supply chain markups and freight are added.
So no, it isn’t “something someone said on TV.”
Bill’s number is within the range of published economic research from multiple non-partisan institutions.
If there is a different estimate you believe is more accurate, feel free to post it — but calling the number “BS” isn’t a counter-argument. Data is easy to verify.
Flier, you raise the point that I have raised a few times. I enjoy reading the comments made by other readers of Bill’s BS. Some I agree with and some I disagree with, but all of which I enjoy simply because they are well “spoken” and second because they display many perspectives that I had not considered. However, many ignore the fact that Bonner et al is a financial newsletter which is supposed to provide [drum roll] financial advice. Dan and Tom are excellent and they are the reason why I paid to join Bonner et al in the first place. I was ignorant of Bill bias toward DJT because he didn’t sound off on him as much when Sleepy Joe was captain of the ship. Fact was Bill didn’t sound off on Sleepy much at all compared to DJT. I guess the “price” we pay to get Dan and Tom’s sage advice is putting up with Bill’s BS. If Dan and Tom just ship, I’ll be the first one over the railing.
Well, Bill, I have been reading you for several year now. And like so many others, I grow weary of the doom-saying. By now those of us who can learn (or be convinced) either agree with you or stop reading after the first sentence or two. Far be it from me to tell you how to run your newsletter, but perhaps it's time to try a new tack: don't tell us what's wrong -- tell us how to make it right. Then when we go to the polls we can vote for the person who promises to do what you think should be done.
The only way a serious reformer ever makes the ballot is if they already have the money to run a campaign and the machinery to outmaneuver both parties, for it isn't going to come from within either current party.
Even if such a person did get elected, they would be neutralized or removed if they actually tried to stop the flow of money to the powerful. The people who benefit from the system do not want it fixed.
And Bill didn’t only diagnose the problem. He offered solutions back in December 2022 in the “Clowns” newsletter.
https://www.bonnerprivateresearch.com/p/clowns-and-jokers
The trouble is that no politician who wants to stay in office is willing to do what needs doing. They would rather run the grift and fade into the sunset.
Lukas, your comment exposes a naked truth, one which no one wants to hear much less act upon: our system simply isn't built to deal with a situation such as ours where the consensus model upon which the system rests is no longer functioning. It is impossible for a consensus system to work when the electorate is split roughly 50-50. We hear this all the time on TV broadcasts of football games: "Well, the problem here is that so-and-so is behind three scores, and their team is simply not 'built' to come from behind." So, that team had better not get behind, or they can expect to lose. Guess what? We got behind. Best always. PM
He has no solutions except in broad generalities. He's made it his mission to trash Trump and ignore anything that Trump is doing right - like deregulation, energy production, investment in America, etc.
When the economy crashes is it going to be Bonners fault?
Yes, Dean... it will be Bonner's fault. I thought you knew that. Didn't you know that Bongo Bill is controlling everything behind the scenes? Where have you been? Hiding under your pillow all this time?
I know John…it seems as every knowledgeable and intelligent dear reader leaves this sad site, a leftist moron takes their place. Hopefully it’s not a sign for America’s future, like the disastrous state of NY City🤔
It’s not the left or the right that’s the problem. It’s that both sides are racing each other to the basement. One blows the budget on social programs and entitlement spending, digging a deeper fiscal hole, while the other cozies up to corporations that gut environmental protections, dodge taxes, and profit from endless military spending.
Take your pick — either path ends in the same place: a crippling deficit, with our own elected representatives stripping the carcass before they fly away.
Sorry Lucas, but it’s been at least 90% the cause of the left, and that includes the globalist RINOs like the Bush family, and neocons like DICK Cheney. All globalists swamp creatures that have done their best to destroy America and our Republic. Again, I can’t stress enough how grateful I am that a Past Democrat like president Trump is in the White House now, and we don’t have to live through the horrifying rapid decline that the LEFT has caused, and enjoy the slower pace of the inevitable collapse 😊
Add these “right” features of Mr. Trump: tariffs that operate as hidden taxes on Americans, removing EPA oversight so industries can poison their own land and water, bombing “suspected drug runners” with no due process, claiming to have “fixed” wars while fueling new conflicts, stopping illegal immigration by tanking the economy and triggering the highest inflation in four decades, feeding at the trough of self-aggrandizement, and now cashing in billions through crypto deals.
I’m sure those are the accomplishments you voted for—rather than stopping the spending, cutting off lobbying, ending the grift, or doing the one thing that would actually change foreign policy: shutting down the 800 overseas military bases and forcing nations to police their own borders.
Well, Lucas, you make some points that are good, some are half-truths, and others are total exaggerations. If only things were so simple as shutting down all our overseas military bases. Unfortunately, life on this planet is a little more complicated than you indicate.
Almost 2000 years ago, something very similar happened in Rome. As the empire weakened, the elite saw the end coming. They began openly “extracting” wealth from the system. They avoided taxes, sold influence, took bribes, and debased the currency until silver coins were basically copper with a silver wash — from 98% silver to around 5% near the end.
Inflation exploded. Ordinary Romans were paid in money that was worth less every month. The rich insulated themselves by buying hard assets: land, slaves, private armies, and fortified estates. They weren’t trying to save Rome. They were preparing for what came after.
When the empire finally collapsed, those elites simply became feudal lords. The state died. Their wealth didn’t.
Sound familiar?
You overlook the fact that not only did they counterfeit the money, they counterfeited Roman citizenship for the sake of labor and taxes. Does THAT sound familiar? Best always. PM
The thesis, the level of corruption and corruptibility in Man is constant, is interesting, and likely true. What DOES change, over time, is the acceptance of corruption within a society/state, and the result is that those who can be persuaded to be corrupt for the purpose of gaining advantage, will succumb, and corruption increases and its attendant circumstance, social decline, increases as well. It's a distinction that must be drawn. The net effect is that there is more corruption and bad effects, and it doesn't really matter what the actual inherent level of corruption and corruptibility in Man actually is. Best always. PM
Exactly brother Paul! “What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.”Overton Window
Re Dan's comment it appears the govt has been working toward a "cashless" society for some time. Beginning with the state and local "SNAP" etc. benefit cards. LA provided them back in 2005 after Katrina so the move to checkless is just another step down that pathway. Sure, it is much less expensive than a physical check, and supposedly "safer." Except for the established fraud that has occurred thus far. At least for now our congressional leaders have codified in law that there will be no CBDC. When that gets overturned, that's when the real fun will begin. The train to "1984" is picking up speed ! ! !
Thank you Dan as always. The one takeaway here is that America is in severe debt and it’s going to get worse before the collapsing financial crisis takes hold. Everyday I thank God that we now have an America First Business Man in office, working harder than any other past president in our history to try and fix this insane mess that both Republicans and Democrats created. Thank God those two demented freaks that the democrats tried to destroy America with were not elected. Yes Dan, the world is changing very fast, but America has a much better chance for future success with a business man who is a pro at saving his assets from bankruptcy. Thank God President Trump considers America the worlds most precious asset 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
"Prepare for Rip-Off" Bonner entitles his column. Yet, I'm being ripped off every single day by reading his column. I can't stop reading because I'm curious how far Bongo Bill will go to ignore all the negative and destructive things the Democrats are doing (and yes, the fact that they've been using bad language for a lot longer) and also ignore all the accomplishments of the Trump administration, only to focus on what Bongo considers to be the bad. I don't deny that there is room for criticism concerning some of the things the Trump administration is doing or not doing, but the issue, if one wants to be fair and balanced, is to write about both. Not from Bongo. If Bongo were honest, his byline would be:
"The TDS Times" by Bill Bonner.
Everything negative compiled from the left-wing news media that is real or imagined about the Trump administration.
Yes John, it seems the more president Trump and America wins, the angrier Mr Bill or his deranged ghost writer becomes. I kinda enjoy it my friend 😊
"The overall rate is said to be around 17%." Who said? Sure would be good to see your sources, you sound like Nora O'Donnell..... "It has been said...", such bs. Back it up MR. B
A reasonable question. The ~17% average tariff estimate comes from multiple sources depending on whether you look at nominal rates, sector-weighted averages, or effective tariff incidence on consumer goods.
A few of the commonly cited ones:
• Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE):
Their 2024 analysis estimates the effective tariff rate on total US imports at roughly 16–18 percent when accounting for cumulative Trump + Biden tariffs still in place.
• Tax Foundation (2024 update):
Their modeling shows that the average applied tariff rate rose from ~1.5% pre-2018 to the low-to-high teens on affected imports. Consumer-facing categories (appliances, electronics, furniture, clothing) run even higher.
• US International Trade Commission & Congressional Budget Office:
Both have reported that downstream pass-through to consumer prices results in tariff-equivalent burdens in the mid-teens once supply chain markups and freight are added.
So no, it isn’t “something someone said on TV.”
Bill’s number is within the range of published economic research from multiple non-partisan institutions.
If there is a different estimate you believe is more accurate, feel free to post it — but calling the number “BS” isn’t a counter-argument. Data is easy to verify.
...convince a non-swimmer the "average" depth of the lake is only 3 feet.
-
The question is not what the average tally is.
The sum seems irrelevant as it benefits some and punishes others...
-
The crux should be "what is the advantage to the American consumer".
It's a mixed bag that in the long run is designed to benefit all Americans...
Yep, Angry time will tell all. I may not be around to see it , But time will do it's duty!
and Then the thieves take their Master card. good idea.
The US is becoming like Latin America with more corruption and less rule of law. I predict the dollar goes the way of their currencies too.
...why poke at only the 1% ?
A whopping 65% of the U.S. population has experienced substantial wealth gain since 1989;
that would be homeowners.
About the same % own stocks today.
Not sure if the lower economic folks ever had it better...
They lack education, not opportunities.
Flier, you raise the point that I have raised a few times. I enjoy reading the comments made by other readers of Bill’s BS. Some I agree with and some I disagree with, but all of which I enjoy simply because they are well “spoken” and second because they display many perspectives that I had not considered. However, many ignore the fact that Bonner et al is a financial newsletter which is supposed to provide [drum roll] financial advice. Dan and Tom are excellent and they are the reason why I paid to join Bonner et al in the first place. I was ignorant of Bill bias toward DJT because he didn’t sound off on him as much when Sleepy Joe was captain of the ship. Fact was Bill didn’t sound off on Sleepy much at all compared to DJT. I guess the “price” we pay to get Dan and Tom’s sage advice is putting up with Bill’s BS. If Dan and Tom just ship, I’ll be the first one over the railing.