This is the problem. Americans are not living “affluent” lives. They may have iphones and Netflix, but they are struggling to make rent and buy groceries. Their credit cards are getting maxed out. And their wages are staying flat, certainly relative to the sharp increase in the price of everything.

See that line? That's some fine affluence. Even if the line is going up a bit.

What you're simply marking as "groceries" is actually a lot of luxuries, from lots of animal products to out of season fruits and vegetables. And don't get me started on eating at restaurants.

Here's the EU in 2021:

I'm from the "winner" country of that chart. Send help. I'm vegan, so I don't waste my money on luxury animal products. I do waste some money on fair trade coffee and dark chocolate.

Your imperial mode of living (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuFQfSRZH_o) is ending, one way or another. Trump is 100% not going to help the masses. If you want a preview of Trump's regime in terms of economics, look at Argentina and Milei.

Argentina's poverty rate this year up until March:

September: The poverty rate in Argentina reached 52.9% during the first six months of Javier Milei’s government, the national statistics agency reported on Thursday https://www.dw.com/en/argentinas-poverty-rate-soars-past-50-under-javier-milei/a-70341471

Argentina's food situation:

Two Full-Time Jobs and Nothing to Eat: Argentine Families Adapt to Skyrocketing Food Prices

edit: some nice illustrations from the last link:

This is your future under austerity policies, on average. And that's what Trump's going to bring.

These movements are sometimes led by fantastically wealthy faux populists who hoodwink gullible voters by promising to solve a litany of problems that always seem to involve money, immigrants, and minorities. The appeals from these charlatans resonate most not among the very poor, but among a bored, relatively well-off middle class, usually those who are deeply uncomfortable with racial and demographic changes in their own countries.

Hunger is reduced by eating (foods with more) fiber and proteins.

Your body can adapt to hunger by building a habit and eating on a regular schedule, and not snacking in between. For example, I've been doing TRF (7-8 hours) for the last 7 years or so, every day. I don't get hungry in the evening or at night anymore, although looking at vegan recipes at such times does raise my appetite. Obviously, more whole foods is better.

Some educational podcasts to check out: https://theproof.com/?s=weight+loss (very evidence based)

You need to think of it as building habits if you don't want to cycle weight up and down.

Extracting rent can be seen as private taxation. He's not a "career politician", so I'm trying to understand how he'd see it from the private realm.

An entry fee, a toll, a tax, a rent - whatever. In the end, the cost will be added to the products going in. It's not a usual tariff, but the outcome is the same. Maybe he thinks that this trickery helps avoid problems with "free trade" conventions.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1376620/wealth-distribution-for-the-us/

(and time, don't forget time)

It can be both. Lying is more convincing when it's felt as truth by the liar.

Usually somewhat ironic, but:

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishhook_Theory

Fishhook Theory (or Fish Hook Theory) is an idea in left-right political science juxtaposed to Horseshoe Theory. Fishhook Theory asserts that the far-right and centrists are very similar, whereas the far-left is separate from them. Fishhook Theory takes its name from the fishhook shape it assumes the political spectrum to be, where the point of the hook is pictured to be the far-right, the eye is pictured to be the far-left, and the shank is pictured to be the centre.

checks calendar

I don't get why it's hard to comprehend. By becoming (even) more conservative, more "R", they betrayed (even more of) their base. Why would timid Republicans want to vote for traitors pandering to them?

One thing that fascinates me is that Trump's definition of tariffs seems more like the definition of kickbacks.

As he was (is?) a landlord, he may also think of it as seeking rent, like how malls get rent from the stores inside.

this looks truthy