The Drum Report

Markets, Tariffs, and the Man in the Basement

The Drum Report follows Cassius Drum, a brilliant market analyst whose AI-powered hammock jolts him awake when President Trump launches the shock “Liberation Day Tariffs.” Sensing deeper chaos, Drum embarks on a global journey to interview top economists—Krugman, Sachs, Duflo, Stiglitz, Gopinath, Banerjee, Rajan—uncovering how trade myths, inequality, and misinformation drive policy. His investigation leads to the discovery of a shadowy White House figure—the “Economist in the Basement”—who crafts pseudo-economic narratives to provoke collapse and consolidate power. The novel explores how emotion, not data, drives public belief, and how bad economics becomes dangerous politics. In Part 2, Bhagat offers visionary essays on reforming global governance, abolishing UN veto power, and building a just trade system. Blending thriller, policy critique, and economic philosophy, The Drum Report is a powerful call to rethink globalization, democracy, and truth in an age of disruption.

©2025 Paramendra Bhagat (P)2025 Paramendra Bhagat