Every economic indicator says it should collapse but it keeps going. Even the VIX has dropped.

I believe the billionaires are gaming the system because there is no other valid rationale.

I don't believe it's possible to infer the strength of the economy based the performance of the stock market.

The economy is a rational construct.
The markets were close to rational for a large fraction of their existence, but not the last 15 or so years.
Applying an irrational metric to a rational system is, well, irrational.
In 2025, TSLA had a market cap of a trillion dollars. They made around $3.8 billion in pretax net income, which a 46.5% decline from 2024. But, the stock price doubled over that time period. If that doesn't display irrationality I can't imagine what does.

And I 100% agree with everything you say. 😊

United States is a resilient population

After the beat down, it would seem people are buying back in based on anticipation of earnings, which will be...IDK tech earnings might be decent. Sell in May and go away would feel like good advice this year

The Captain approves.

... it will be a big win for the world. That may be happening. As a liberal, I'm obviously completely on board with a total beatdown of the Islamic Republic, purely on moral grounds. They are slimy, murdering bigots and thieves. As a retiree, I'm delighted if the Islamic Republic disappears from the news forever, especially if it's because they disappear from the planet.

If we end up with a stronger Russia, it will not be a big win for the world. Stability and freedom around the world is already almost as bad as the job market, it will only get worse if Russia continues to be a beneficiary of Trump's actions.

The Russians are getting the shit kicked out of them in Ukraine.
NATO might not officially be in the war, but is definitely helping Ukraine in so many ways.
They have lost so much in men and war material that they’ll be impotent for a long time, especially if the conflict drags out.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the give up trying to capture Ukraine soon.

I agree that the world is a better place without Iran being a regional bully, but I’m afraid of what comes after our intervention