It seems like every time there’s a big meeting with world leaders, someone rings the alarm bells about our economy. They’re like the village crier who’s perpetually stuck in a loop of, “The sky is falling!” But this time, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sauntered into the G-20 meeting in Asheville, NC, and gave a different kind of speech. With his ER doctor analogy, he painted the grim picture of an economy backed over by the so-called “Biden Mack Truck” but quickly reassured everyone that the patient—our economy—is now on the mend.
Yes, there were shrieks about economic doomsday following the Trump tariffs, but look what’s happened. The S&P 500 companies are not just surviving; they’re thriving. Earnings jumped by a whopping 53% in the second quarter from a year ago. It’s like those experts keep predicting rain, but we’re dancing under the sun with record-breaking economic growth. So much for the experts and their crystal balls. They’re probably the same folks who can’t seem to spell “tariff” without breaking into a cold sweat.
As for the Canada kerfuffle, Secretary Bessent gave Prime Minister Carney a gentle but witty smack on the wrist for turning trade disagreements into his own personal drama fest. Bessent quipped about Canada’s mighty naval forces—or rather, their two submarines presumably docked at the Edmonton Mall. It seems Carney came to power with a strong anti-Trump agenda, but it looks like America isn’t losing sleep over it. The U.S. isn’t planning a remake of War of 1812 anytime soon, despite whatever tensions Carney wishes to fan.
Back to the home front, the gripe about gas prices is hard to miss. Yes, climbing prices at the pump are frustrating, but Secretary Bessent reassures everyone that volatility doesn’t mean we’re heading toward long-term economic despair. Besides, there’s more to celebrate than worry about. Real wage growth is actually on the rise, which means folks are getting to keep a little more of their hard-earned cash at the end of the month. And despite what the naysayers might want to believe, the American consumer isn’t going anywhere. People are spending, businesses are booming, and investment is flowing strongly into AI and infrastructure.
Let’s not forget the revolving door between Canada and the U.S. Apparently, about 10,000 Canadians jump ship to the U.S. every month because, well, running a business in Canada has become a bit of a nightmare. Their high taxes and bureaucratic red tape are like trying to sprint through quicksand. Canadians might grumble about Donald Trump, but with interprovincial trade barriers tying their own hands, perhaps they ought to look in the mirror.
At the end of all the dire predictions and chicken-little impressions, one truth remains steady: America owes no apologies for putting itself first. We don’t need a permission slip from the G-20 to prioritize Americans. Bessent knows this well—after all, he’s a seasoned hand who’s played the high-stakes game of global finance and come out on top, unlike those mere textbook economists. So maybe, just maybe, it’s time to stop wringing hands and embrace the boom with a bit of confidence. The sky, it turns out, might just be the limit after all.
