The Illusion of Stocks, Prosperity, & A Master in Political Manipulation
July 28, 2025•627 words
“Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state.” - Noam Chomsky
“When the rich rob the poor it’s called business. When the poor fight back it’s called violence.” - Mark Twain
“All governments lie, but disaster lies in wait for countries whose officials smoke the same hashish they give out.” - I. F. Stone
“If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words.” - Philip K. Dick
“Politics have no relation to morals.” - Niccolò Machiavelli
“It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.” - Niccolò Machiavelli
“The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.” - Niccolò Machiavelli
Perception is crucial in the game of political power. As a master of the dark art of illusion, Donald Trump has created an artificial appearance of economic success while the underlying foundation silently deteriorates. Knowing full well that rising stock market numbers are smoke, not substance, he uses them to divert the public's attention like a seasoned con artist.
As a former reality tv show host, Trump is aware of the age-old saying, "Control the narrative, and you control reality."
He creates the impression of prosperity by highlighting a rising S&P 500, manipulating millions that the country prospers under his leadership. However, this does not represent the actual state of the economy. It is an embellished mask that conceals deteriorating infrastructure, slow productivity, and stagnant wages. The market's rise is not earned; rather, it is engineered and driven by artificial interventions rather than real growth.
There is a more calculated power move underneath this grand illusion.
The elite few, the richest 10% who control more than three-quarters of all financial assets, are the real clients of this manipulated boom, not the working class he says to support. The profits are concentrated, not distributed, and controlled by a small group of tech giants who profit from public hype and speculation rather than long-term value. This is economic feudalism disguised as a republic democracy.
The Federal Reserve acts as a silent collaborator behind the scenes.
Under pressure by Trump to keep interest rates low and add capital to the markets, it sustains the illusion by providing a never-ending supply of cheap funds. The system starts to resemble a Ponzi scheme where the illusion of growth takes the place of the actual growth, sustained by constant flow. Here, false confidence is used to hold onto power, creating an illusion that cannot be broken without upending the system as a whole.
In true fashion of an emperor, Trump's Edict or Decree of his tariffs placed on all countries of the world, which are presented as schizophrenic actions against foreign abuse.
They are a strategic diversion rather than a policy. When boldly announced, they move markets before being subtly delayed or reversed, a classic case of misdirection. However, as corporations shift the burden to consumers in order to protect profits, the true cost is passed on to the very citizens he claims to defend. Public hardship increases along with inflation, but Trump avoids accountable by shifting the blame elsewhere.
The result is a nation of appearances rather than substance, an elaborate manipulation of markets, symbols, and fear. Trump is brilliant in manipulating the truth for his own benefit, not economics. He exercises power like a true Machiavellian, concealing weakness behind performance and fostering loyalty through deception by influencing perception, creating enemies, and controlling attention.
The narrative is king.
The stock market turns into a tool of political seduction, used to blind the general public and consolidate power among a select elite, rather than an indicator of wealth.