The Grift Machine/ How Money Shapes Power, Politics, and the Price of Eggs
The Grift Machine: How Money Shapes Power, Politics, and the Price of Eggs
Behind the theater of politics lies a quiet force driving everything: money
Politics. I hate writing about it because it’s maddening. It’s like listening to monkeys scream, pounding sticks on the ground, and throwing stones. You’d like to believe your group of monkeys is winning because they share your beliefs, but the harsh truth is this: you’re just a pawn.
What we see on the surface of daily politics — the theater, the spectacle — isn’t the full story. Beneath it lies the quiet, powerful current that drives everything: money. Big, endless piles of money.
Now that Trump has won the election, he’s stocking his cabinet with loyalists. This is nothing new; every administration does this. But this time, it feels different. A slew of unqualified people is being handed the keys to power.
This article isn’t about those unqualified folks, though. It’s about the few truly qualified people being given the reins to the machine that runs it all: the money machine.
The Price of Eggs
One of my favorite resources is the St. Louis Fed’s data archive. It compiles everything from median house prices to the cost of a dozen eggs. Those two data points can reveal a lot about the economy's health.
Egg prices, in particular, are a sneaky but powerful indicator. Eggs are foundational — used in countless foods — and when their price climbs above $4 a dozen, it’s a flashing red light that Main Street — the majority of us — is suffering.
Under Biden, egg prices peaked around $4.50 a dozen. They fell briefly but started creeping up again as the election drew near. Compare this to pre-COVID prices of $1.50, and it’s clear why many Americans feel like they’ve never caught a break.
Even though prices dipped between January and August 2023, Biden got no credit for it. People only remember that things are still too expensive — and they’re right.
Trump’s top priority now? Force food prices down, at any cost, if he wants to keep control of the House and Senate in 2026. He needs to keep the American people fed and distracted. Bread and circuses — because the grift can continue as long as we’re entertained.
Why focus on egg prices? Because in our global economy, money moves everything. Whether you love capitalism or loathe it, money is the engine of the world.
Right now, Trump’s tariff threats are rattling Wall Street. Why? Because tariffs hurt business.
China will laugh them off. They’ll re-route products through tiny third-party countries, slap on a “Not Made in China” label, and sell them to us for more. We’ll pay higher prices, but slightly less than the tariff cost, and feel like we’ve won. Spoiler: we haven’t.
Money always wins, and Trump knows it. He loves money — it feeds his power, his ego, and his insatiable narcissism. Money is his only god. And who holds the most money? Wall Street.
The stock market saw a Trump win coming and rallied briefly. Traders cashed in. But Wall Street pumped the brakes when Trump’s tariff talk turned serious. Tariffs are bad for business. They’re bad for the banks.
And banks? They’re the true masters of the game.
The Soros Connection: A Convenient Blind Spot
Since 2015, conspiracy theorists have painted George Soros as the ultimate villain, financing Antifa, the deep state, and more — a narrative thoroughly debunked. Yet the myth persists.
Many miss the fact that some of Trump’s closest allies have ties to Soros. Former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin worked for Soros before starting a hedge fund that invested in Trump properties. Trump’s latest Treasury Secretary pick, Scott Bessent, spent years at Soros’ hedge fund, even being around during the infamous British Pound short that made Soros billions.
It's funny how the same “deep state” villain is connected to Trump’s inner circle. But that’s the game: keep the masses divided, hurling stones at each other, while the elite laugh their way to the bank.
The Price of Eggs Under Trump
Here’s my prediction: Trump will bow to Wall Street. He’ll dismantle the government piece by piece, selling it off to the highest bidder. For every policy he pushes, ask yourself: who benefits? The answer will always be the banks and the billionaires.
But food prices? He’ll have no choice but to act. Biden’s failure to tame inflation was his undoing, and Trump won’t make the same mistake if he wants to keep the grift alive. He’ll find a way to make it easier for Americans to afford groceries — even if it’s just theater.
Because that’s what politics is: a circus. The “Make liberals cry” crowd and the “When they go low, we go high” folks are just performers in the show.
In the end, it’s simple. Follow the money. That’s where the real power lies.
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