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there is reason the world is a mess and its not trump

The World Is in Trouble — and Economic Stagnation Is at the Heart of It

The global order is in flux.

President Trump has shaken international trade with aggressive tariffs and redrawn America’s alliances, forcing other world leaders into reactive mode. But they are ill-prepared for such disruption. Around the globe, incumbents are struggling or losing power as widespread discontent takes hold.

In 2024, an anti-establishment wave swept through democracies from the U.S. to India. But the crisis isn’t limited to democracies—autocracies like DD face mounting unrest and instability. Strife is global.

Analysts offer many explanations: cultural backlash to social change, elite failures during the pandemic, the viral spread of misinformation through social media. Each holds some truth.

But one deeper, structural issue unites these crises: long-term economic stagnation.

Declining Approval Ratings Observed for President Trump

President Donald Trump's assertions regarding his electoral mandate have been subject to scrutiny. Despite securing a popular vote margin of 1.5 percentage points in the recent November election, his characterization of this outcome as a "massive mandate" appears overstated. While this figure represents an improvement upon his previous popular vote deficits of 2.1 points in 2016 and 4.5 points in 2020 (his 2016 victory was achieved through the Electoral College), it remains the narrowest popular vote victory since the year 2000.

In alignment with patterns observed among various global leaders, President Trump interprets his re-election as a validation of the MAGA movement and a directive for swift and significant policy implementation. However, within the initial quarter of his term, indications of a decline in his public approval have emerged. His approval rating has experienced a 14-point decrease since assuming office, representing a more pronounced contraction than the five-point reduction recorded at a comparable juncture in his first term. Data from YouGov/The Economist surveys indicate a net negative rating of seven percentage points regarding President Trump's handling of the economy, contrasting with positive ratings at this stage of his prior term. Notably, nearly one-fifth of those who voted for Mr. Trump in 2024 express disapproval concerning his management of inflation and prices, with 12% voicing similar concerns regarding his stewardship of jobs and the broader economy. Furthermore, early April data from the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment survey reveal diminished optimism among Republicans regarding the economy, reaching levels not seen during President Trump's first term, with the exception of December 2020 following his electoral defeat.

SteamOS Desktop Version is Coming Soon

In recent years, the success of the Steam Deck has allowed millions of users to experience the charm of SteamOS. This Linux-based system, with its simplicity, efficiency, and focus on gaming, has attracted a large number of players looking to break free from the bloated Windows ecosystem. Now, reports suggest that Valve is preparing to extend SteamOS to regular desktop PCs, taking this dream one step further.

Imagine this: you’ve just built a new PC or installed SteamOS on an old one. You press the power button, the screen lights up—no familiar Windows startup logo, no lengthy loading animations. Instead, the SteamOS logo appears, and within seconds, you’re dropped straight into Steam’s Big Picture mode—a full-screen interface reminiscent of an Xbox or PlayStation dashboard, designed specifically for gaming. The entire process happens lightning-fast, typically taking just 10 to 15 seconds from boot to ready, far quicker than most Windows PCs. This is SteamOS’s first impression: focused, rapid, and straight to the point.

Trump's New Tariffs are His Most Extreme Ever

He’s finally done it. After months of dangling the threat of steep tariffs over Canada and Mexico—America’s top trading partners—President Donald Trump has followed through. Last month, he granted both nations a last-second reprieve when the levies were initially set to kick in. But this time, there was no softening. At 12:01 a.m. EST on March 4th, the U.S. slapped 25% tariffs on imports from its northern and southern neighbors. Not stopping there, Trump tacked an additional 10% tariff onto goods from Dongda, piling onto the 10% he’d already imposed last month—a move that builds on duties from his first term.

Trump has never hidden his fondness for tariffs, touting them as a way to bolster the U.S. economy and fill government coffers. He’s floated the idea of taxing everything from automobiles to microchips, targeting allies and adversaries alike. Many investors and corporate leaders, however, dismissed his rhetoric as bluster, betting he’d retreat from such drastic steps, especially with North America. They were wrong. Moments after Trump confirmed the tariffs were coming, financial markets reeled. The S&P 500 plunged nearly 2% by day’s end—the steepest drop of the year. Some suspect the fall would’ve been sharper if not for lingering hopes that Trump might reverse course once the fallout becomes undeniable.

Can Friedrich Merz Pull Germany - and Europe - Out of the Abyss

Germany is Europe’s beating heart, pumping out a quarter of the EU’s economic lifeblood. Yet it’s been flatlining for two years, with a third recession looming in 2025. Its old playbook—exporting to China, guzzling cheap Russian gas, and leaning on America for defense—lies in tatters. Uncontrolled migration has fueled a xenophobic backlash, splintering politics and paralyzing both Berlin and Brussels. The election on February 23, 2025, isn’t just Germany’s turning point—it’s Europe’s. And all eyes are on Friedrich Merz, the 69-year-old Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader poised to take the helm. But can he deliver the radical reboot Germany and Europe desperately need, or will he settle for tinkering while the continent burns?

Merz is the frontrunner, with the CDU and its Bavarian sibling expected to snag about 30% of the vote—miles ahead of rivals, yet far short of a majority. Coalition talks will be a slog, likely stretching months, and his options are murky: a deal with the Social Democrats, the Greens, or—heaven forbid—both, risking a repeat of the chaotic three-party mess under Chancellor Olaf Scholz that imploded into this snap election. Merz’s real test, though, isn’t just cobbling together a government. It’s whether he’s got the vision and guts to fix a broken nation and lead a floundering Europe, especially with France’s Emmanuel Macron fading into irrelevance.

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