Jester,

That's a pretty sobering chart, given the disconnect. Still, the reason I often state that I used to be good trading the market, that stopped around 2009 or so when QE was put into effect, and distorted things beyond my ability to connect cause and effect. Or, put another way - somehow (well, it's been the fed, as well as fiscal policy) they've been able to

do this high -wire act that keeps the stock market disconnected from underlying realities - hence, as we all have said, the further enrichment of the 1% while the 

poorer you are, the less good things have been for you, financially, job-wise, etc. Probably showed up to a noticeable degree in white lower class folks abandoning

the Democratic party.  

Printing worthless $, doubling+ the debt, no discernable terrible predicted consequences (the govt figures of employment, wage increases are all positive,alto we 

know them to be often maniputedl) so far. As with everything else, how long do the plates stop spinning? Or is the can so durable that it can just get kicked

down the road forever. I believe the US is still seen as the 'safest haven' for investments. My idea of Trump's effect may be the real beginning of the economic decling of the West, and the shift of economic axis being China. When the dollar stops being the reserve currency of the world, I figure we're pretty much cooked. But I've been wrong on so many things, I proablby would question my own judgement.