Kamala has Democrats in Real Trouble

Every now and then, politicians allow the truth to seep into their carefully crafted talking points.  That’s exactly what happened when Nancy Pelosi went on the record to confirm that Kamala Harris was not the Democrats’ original choice to be their presidential nominee in 2024 when Joe Biden was ousted in an orchestrated coup back in July.

This is what Pelosi told Ezra Klein of The New York Times, as it appears in the interview transcript:

Yeah, well, I think here’s the thing.  The thought was that if this were to happen, but it happened fast, we … none of us had any idea he would do it that Sunday.  Well, I didn’t have any idea.  Most people didn’t.  So when he did that and endorsed [Kamala Harris], then the thought was everybody wanted an open process.  Let’s see the talent, let’s see the bench of the Democrats and let them come.  And see what they can attract.  But when he endorsed her, then it was, “Are you with me or not?”  And she moved quickly. 

This was a bombshell confession.  On the one hand, we all know that Pelosi had been conspiring with Chuck Schumer and Barack Obama to get rid of Joe Biden on the ticket after recognizing the polling damage that his obvious senility and terrible performance as president had caused.  On the other hand, she admits to being blindsided by the timing of Biden’s withdrawal and also admits to have been blindsided by his simultaneous endorsement of Kamala Harris, suggesting that “everybody wanted an open process” to identify the party’s candidate.

…everybody, that is, except Joe Biden.  Biden’s endorsement of Harris effectively bound the DNC’s hands, as the exhilarating prospect of having an ethnically diverse female president quickly spread through the party ranks and social media on that Sunday afternoon.  There was simply no time to consider the entirely practical idea to initiate an open and democratic process to identify the Democrats’ best and most electable candidate.

As I observed immediately after the announcement, the Kamala Harris endorsement was Biden pulling the pin of a political grenade inside the party tent.  He knew that conspirators were pushing him to resign, and the promise of a cackling and communist-adjacent Kamala Harris candidacy was his parting gift to the conspirators.

Although it’s arguable that Harris had some success with voters in deep blue San Francisco and California, she has always been extremely unpopular at the national level.  In 2019, she was eviscerated in the Democrat primary, withdrawing before a single state primary vote was cast.  The bulk of the credit for this incredible failure must go to the almost incomprehensibly dislikable and phony Kamala Harris, but a certain modicum must be given to Tulsi Gabbard, who landed one of the most devastating debate moments against any candidate in my lifetime.  This might have ended any potential for Harris to get near the presidency in any other sensible moment in American history. 

But we don’t live in sensible times.  Kamala Harris is a woman, you see, and though many Democrats can’t readily define what that word means, they’re steadfastly sure that it’s a good thing and worthy of their votes for some reason.  She’s also not white, and that confers additional merit somehow.  Therefore, her incredible unlikableness was ignored when Joe Biden faced “tremendous pressure” from Democrats to pick a woman “of color” for his running mate in 2020.

Harris did have a bit of a honeymoon with Americans in early 2021.  Though she’s never had more than 50% approval, there were fewer people who disapproved of her at that time.  But her disapproval rate ramped up quickly that summer, when Joe Biden set her up for failure by assigning her the daunting task of addressing the illegal immigration crisis at the border and she had an embarrassing interview with Lester Holt where she appeared entirely inept at her job.

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She never recovered.  Kamala Harris had largely maintained a double-digit negative net approval rating since that time.  But Democrats are emboldened by the pronouncement that she is now their preferred candidate, absent any sort of voter input.  Today, she is suffering only a high-single-digit approval deficit of 7.1%, with roughly 49% of Americans disapproving of her and 42% approving.

That gives a reason for the optimism among Democrats.  Their representative president is a walking corpse, and Donald Trump has been plagued by high disapproval ratings that have also been consistently in double-digits.  Pelosi, who never wanted Kamala Harris as the nominee because Pelosi still has a few brain cells to rub together that aren’t infected by DIE-think, might actually see some path to a presidential victory here.

The problem for Democrats, however, is that Kamala Harris is still Kamala Harris. 

Harris humiliatingly resigned from a presidential campaign in 2019 because she was extremely unlikable and was too much of a radical leftist for the party.  The party had room for only so many outright socialist candidates, and Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren were stealing all the oxygen in that lane.  The Democrat party then conspired to anoint Joe Biden on Super Tuesday in 2020 by orchestrating withdrawals by Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar.

Democrats sabotaged that primary for the simple reason that radical socialist policies, like a federal wealth tax and rent and price controls, were considered a bridge too far for Democrat voters in the swing states.

Here we are in 2024.  Kamala Harris is running on the platform of government price controls in the form of a nationalized price-fixing campaign.  She’s openly suggesting that American taxpayers should subsidize the first $25K of a first-time homebuyer’s purchase, for example, and somehow imagining that this would result in something different from home prices climbing due to increased demand in a market with limited supply.  And by capping rents, we can expect that supply to dwindle further, as there will be far fewer people building homes and apartments when the potential profits for having done so disappear via government price controls.  And what could go wrong with letting politicians in Washington set the prices of food at your local grocery store?

These are the stupid ideas that only an expensive college degree and zero experience in the private sector can buy.  Kamala Harris has both of those things in spades.

She’s not our best and brightest, to say the least.  And the party is so infected by rabid anti-Semitism that Josh Shapiro, who could have been positioned as a moderate to balance the ticket and potentially deliver must-win Pennsylvania, was passed over as the V.P. nominee.  Instead, the party tapped Minnesota governor Tim Walz, who has lied about his military service record, who equates socialism with “neighborliness,” and whose most notable accomplishment is promoting race riots in his state and ensuring that Minnesotan boys in the fourth grade have taxpayer-funded tampons in their school bathrooms.

Democrats have a real problem with this Harris/Walz ticket, though Nancy Pelosi and the old DNC guard may cast unconvincing smiles about the current situation. 

Perhaps first and foremost among those problems is Kamala’s unavoidable proximity to Joe Biden.  Joe Biden is so unpopular with Americans that his own party orchestrated a coup against him, and in large part, this is due to his tremendous failures regarding the economy and illegal immigration.  As a key figure in his administration, and particularly as Biden’s “border czar,” Harris shoulders that blame along with him.

Sure, there is ample poll-bombing to suggest that there’s been huge movement in Kamala’s favor.  Much of this is bunk, as head pollster for Rasmussen Mark Mitchell handily explains here, and we should all be used to this by now.  But there are other massive cracks in that façade.            

On July 1, according to Nate Silver’s 538, Kamala’s approval rating was 39.4%.  As of August 11, her approval rating was 41.9%. 

And as Ben Shapiro observes,

here is the big stat for Kamala Harris: On June 27, only 25% of Americans thought America was moving in the right direction. Today, 25% of Americans still think America is moving in the right direction.  That is the number that should be dispositive for the election.

Those lackluster results are all that was purchased by the Democrats’ fanfare about her historic candidacy and the orchestrated onslaught of positive media gushing.  Add a chaotic convention and more face time with the American people, and we should expect that Americans will become every bit as disapproving of Kamala Harris as Democrats did in 2019 when they sent her packing in the primary.

Image: Mobilus In Mobili via Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped).

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Iran’s Ticking Time Bomb

Is Pezeshkian the Last Hope for Khamenei’s Regime Amid Rising Protests?

With his new cabinet, Pezeshkian has entered a complex political maze, far from the easy days of his candidacy supported by a few reformists. Now, he faces the indifference of old allies and the smiles of new enemies.

The big question is: Can Pezeshkian save Khamenei from a likely downfall, or at least buy him some time? Khamenei only accepted him reluctantly, hoping Pezeshkian could extend the regime’s survival.

But the real issue is: Does Pezeshkian and his team have the strength, power, and determination to tackle the many societal challenges? Can they do anything to delay the expected uprising?

A Closer Look at the Overwhelming Crises

This week, with the introduction of Pezeshkian’s cabinet, protests from various sectors of society have intensified. Over the past week, these protests have been widespread:

Protests in Iran

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Pezeshkian’s election could become a burden for Israel

  1. In August 2024, Iran saw widespread protests across various sectors and regions. Farmers in Isfahan protested water shortages, while factory workers at the Wagon Pars plant in Arak and staff at the Pars Oil and Gas Company in Assaluyeh also demonstrated. Truck drivers in Golpayegan, dismissed workers from the Kahnuj titanium mine, and defrauded investors in Tehran joined the protests. Additionally, there were protests in Soughan over forest destruction in Kerman, and Social Security retirees in Shush and Kermanshah voiced their grievances.
  2. On Sunday, August 11, 2024, Social Security retirees held demonstrations in several cities. Workers at Pars Tire Company in Saveh, along with medical staff and nurses in Shiraz and other cities, also took to the streets.
  3. On Monday, August 12, 2024, telecommunications retirees protested in cities like Isfahan, Kermanshah, Tabriz, Bijar, Urmia, Ahvaz, Rasht, Sanandaj, Shiraz, and Sari. The same day saw protests by workers at the Wagon Pars plant in Arak, buyers of imported Changan cars, vegetable truck drivers in Karaj, contractors in Rasht, and nurses at three hospitals in Yazd. Literacy movement workers in Tehran and farmers in Isfahan also held demonstrations.
    On Tuesday, August 13, 2024, nurses protested in cities such as Yazd, Arak, and Islamabad-e Gharb (Western Iran), Tafresh (Central Iran), and Kangan (Southern Iran), demanding their rights. Protests also continued by the literacy movement workers, and the dismissed workers from Khuzestan Cement Company (Southwestern Iran) resumed their protests.
    Energy Crisis in Iran
  4. Iran is facing severe energy, electricity, and water crises. Despite having the world’s second-largest natural gas reserves and fourth-largest oil reserves, the country is struggling with a massive energy shortage. During these hot summer days, electricity and water shortages are particularly severe, causing many government offices to close due to power outages.
  5. This year, Iran faces an 18,000-megawatt electricity shortfall. To address this, the regime would need to build 25 power plants the size of Bushehr’s nuclear plant, which is unrealistic.
  6. Despite its vast resources, Iran produces only 4,071 kilowatt-hours of electricity per capita, while Bahrain produces over 24,000, Kuwait produces 21,000, and the UAE produces 17,000 kilowatt-hours per capita. Last week, government offices in 13 provinces had to shut down for several hours due to power outages.
  7. Additionally, the Oil Minister admitted that Iran is importing 300 million cubic meters of gas daily from Russia. The regime has signed a 30-year contract with Russia, paying 25 cents per cubic meter of gas, totaling $27 billion annually. This is the reality for a country rich in oil and gas, yet its refineries still waste gas through flaring.
  8. In 2022, Oil Minister Javad Owji warned that without a $240 billion investment in the oil and energy sectors over the next eight years, Iran could become a net importer of oil and gas. However, it is clear that the regime neither has this budget nor plans to allocate such funds to the industry.

    Rising Inflation and Prices
  9. While the regime focuses on political games, the cost of basic necessities has soared. Prices for essential goods, like fruits and meat, have risen by up to 200%. Bread prices have increased by 25% in various provinces. The Deputy Governor for Economic Coordination in South Khorasan stated that bread prices are set to rise by up to 25% in over 10 provinces. The value of the Iranian rial has plummeted, and the stock market has become a scene of capital erosion for ordinary citizens. Official statistics show that capital flight reached a record-breaking $20.193 billion in the first nine months of 2023, adding to the country’s crises of unemployment, industrial struggles, and environmental challenges.
    Budget Deficit
  10. Despite U.S. President Biden easing sanctions and providing the regime with $100 billion to $150 billion in oil revenues, the money has been squandered on repression, warmongering, and corruption. As Pezeshkian’s cabinet forms, it is clear that the treasury is empty, with the regime struggling to pay employees’ salaries. Pezeshkian has inherited a government with a staggering 556 trillion-toman budget deficit and is currently unable to pay retirees’ pensions. In 2024, the government will need 450 trillion tomans just to pay pensions. Additionally, resolving the banking sector’s imbalances and preventing bankruptcy requires another 1 trillion tomans. In total, the government needs an astronomical 1.756 quadrillion tomans, far beyond the most optimistic dreams of Pezeshkian and his administration. On top of these challenges, the regime faces ongoing regional conflicts and an internal legitimacy crisis, making the prospect of a new uprising likely.

See also

Iranian President Pezeshkian Faces Global Backlash Over Ceremony Guests

What Lies Ahead for the Iranian People?

The truth is, Pezeshkian’s administration, expected to inherit a “well-prepared horse” from Raisi, has instead received a “four-legged donkey” stuck in a crisis.

Neither Pezeshkian nor his team have the courage to claim they can save this troubled situation. All they can do is take the last scraps from the looted table before facing their fate—a fate that will be decided by the uprising of the Iranian people.

An uprising is inevitable for the oppressed and awakened masses, who have no weapon left against this brutal regime but force. Both Khamenei and Pezeshkian know that the next uprising will not be like the protests in 2022. It will aim to end all forms of tyranny and oppression. And that day is not far off.

Iran News

The Government’s Plan to Seize Patents, and it will hurt Innovation

Over the weekend, I took my daughter and her best friend on a day trip from Northern Virginia to Hico, West Virginia. In a matter of 120 minutes, you pass from one of the statistically wealthiest areas in the United States to some of the most destitute roadside neighborhoods you’ll see in the region. The friend asked why it’s like this in West Virginia, and all I could think to say in response was, “All your friends back in Northern Virginia, what do their parents do for work?” It didn’t take her long. She responded, “Oh like mostly the Pentagon, Boeing, and I know a few kids whose parents go out to Quantico.” That’s not an answer to why West Virginia is more poor, but it does explain the wealth of Northern Virginia. Connection to the federal government is an economy of its own, and the tentacles of federal money cover 61 square miles and ten counties known as the DMV.

Billions of dollars float through Virginia and Maryland in the form of federal grants for research and development related to technology, medicine, education, and much more. What that means is that there is seldom a microchip, vaccine, weapons system, satellite, or AI tool that hasn’t benefited directly or indirectly from taxpayer dollars somewhere in its development. Government funds have strings attached

While this arrangement between the public and private sectors has historically been a boon to the United States in a global economy, there is a real risk to American innovation if certain norms are busted by lawmakers looking to score political points. The federal government could seize control of most patents in AI, microchip tech, and pharmaceuticals using a legal tool known as “march-in rights.”

As recently as last week, the Biden administration is under pressure from Democratic lawmakers to use march-in rights to lower pharmaceutical drug prices. This authority, granted by the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980, empowers the government to take over patents on products developed using federal funding if those products are not reasonably available to the public.

Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Angus King (I-Maine), along with Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, urging them to quickly finalize the guidance on federal “march-in rights.”

These Democrats think the use of march-in rights is a straightforward way to lower consumer drug prices and would have observers believe the political upside is a mere coincidence in an election year. The norms around “march-in rights” are essential.

This power exists but has never been used before, despite several petitions for the government to do so in recent decades. Like most powers the federal government acquires, there are good reasons it came to pass. The Bayh-Dole Act was originally designed to encourage the commercialization of technological innovation by allowing universities and small businesses to retain patent rights on products developed with federal funding.

This led to the development of many new technologies and medicines ranging from a chemotherapy drug for cancer patients called Taxol to the common allergy medication Allegra and even next-generation firefighting drones.

A federal agency can theoretically leverage march-in rights and grant licenses for a product funded by taxpayer dollars if these four conditions are met:

The current licensee has failed or is unlikely to achieve the “practical application” of the invention. Action is required to address “health or safety needs.” The product is needed to fulfill “public use requirements” as stipulated by federal regulations. The product is not being predominantly “manufactured” within the United States.

It should come as no surprise that the Biden administration is not keen on letting the market determine drug prices. The Biden administration recently debuted a framework for how it might make use of the Bayh-Dole Act to start setting prices on a narrow subset of drugs. What could go wrong? (Everything.)

Most consumer drugs on the market are the result of multiple patents held by developers rather than researchers funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. The latter scenario is one with the ever-present potential of government intervention and seizure of the patent.

That potential is what spooks innovators across the most vital sectors in the American economy. In ventures where the risk is high, firms are less inclined to make major investments. A fine example of this is when the Federal Communications Commission introduced regulatory uncertainty into the broadband sector, which led to a 10% decline in private-sector investments toward broadband. Consumers nationwide saw reduced network coverage and reliability.

This can happen in the artificial intelligence space, microchips, and cloud computing. Federal dollars are everywhere in these industries. Large companies like AMD, Intel, and Nvidia receive federal funding for AI or semiconductor research and could be subject to march-in rights once the dam breaks on its use. The government might justify seizing patents if it determines that the public interest or national security is at stake.

Consider the situation if China were to finally invade or blockade Taiwan, a small neighbor that produces 90% of the global supply of advanced chip technology. This would be a real emergency for consumer products and sensitive government tech used for national security. The same goes for the global race to develop AI technology using federal funds for R&D. If AI is produced and isn’t being deployed in a way that benefits the United States during a potential foreign war, the government could step in using march-in rights on products created through the Bayh-Dole Act.

In these scenarios, with all the norms restricting the government’s use of march-in rights to seize patents shattered, you could see a dramatic decline in the vitality of American tech innovation. Even worse, you could see the government attempt to actively control these patented technologies and award them to domestic partners who will be the most cooperative with the government when pushed.

Say what you will about Apple, but it’s a company that frustrates the U.S. federal government with its dogmatic approach to consumer privacy and walled garden systems. We need more of that, not less.

With so much next-generation technology being developed in the D.C. area with government dollars as a subsidy, we must strongly resist calls in Congress to wield march-in rights inappropriately. Drug prices should be lower, but in market economies, there are better paths to take such as streamlining the approval of generics, expanding the use of Health Savings Accounts, and importing prescription drugs from foreign competitors.


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Pelosi Threatened Biden if He Didn’t Quit

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., threatened to go public with her concerns about Joe Biden’s candidacy, forcing the president to end his reelection bid, according to a new report.

On July 21, Biden stunningly announced he would end his campaign seeking four more years in the White House. Until then, he had insisted he would remain in the race against former President Donald Trump.

Biden’s surprising withdrawal came after Pelosi sent word that she prepared to go public with her concerns that he could not defeat Trump in November, several sources told DailyMail.com.

Pelosi, 84, actually called the 81-year-old Biden to say she would publish harsh polling figures to support her decision, one source told the outlet.

Biden’s disastrous June 27 debate performance against Trump had turned many Democrats against the president.

Pelosi’s demand was so forceful that it sparked a “come to Jesus moment” for the president, who then ordered the drafting of his withdrawal announcement letter, DailyMail.com reported.

The two Democrat leaders have not spoken since.

Pelosi, who has been promoting her new memoir, has said, “I didn’t call one person” after being asked whether she helped apply pressure on Biden.

However, the former speaker told the New Yorker magazine last week that she had been losing sleep over her rift with the president and was “praying” their friendship could survive.

“He knows I love him,” she told CNN.

Politico reported Wednesday that Biden remains bitter over how he was replaced atop the Democratic Party’s national ticket.

His anger is most directed at Pelosi, Politico reported.

First lady Jill Biden, known to hold a grudge, and first son Hunter Biden reportedly are furious with Pelosi over what they see as a betrayal, DailyMail.com reported.

In his first interview after withdrawing from the race, Biden said fellow Democrats pushed him off the ticket.

“A number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was going to hurt them in the races,” Biden told “CBS News Sunday Morning.

“I was concerned if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic — you’d be interviewing me about why did Nancy Pelosi say [something] … and I thought it’d be a real distraction.”

How the Biden-Harris Economy Left Most Americans Behind

A government spending boom fueled inflation that has crushed real average incomes.

Kamala Harris plans to roll out her economic priorities in a speech on Friday, though leaks to the press say not to expect much different than the last four years. That’s bad news because the Biden-Harris economic record has left most Americans worse off than they were four years ago. The evidence is indisputable.

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President Biden claims that he inherited the worst economy since the Great Depression, but this isn’t close to true. The economy in January 2021 was fast recovering from the pandemic as vaccines rolled out and state lockdowns eased. GDP grew 34.8% in the third quarter of 2020, 4.2% in the fourth, and 5.2% in the first quarter of 2021. By the end of that first quarter, real GDP had returned to its pre-pandemic high. All Mr. Biden had to do was let the recovery unfold.

***

Instead, Democrats in March 2021 used Covid relief as a pretext to pass $1.9 trillion in new spending. This was more than double Barack Obama’s 2009 spending bonanza. State and local governments were the biggest beneficiaries, receiving $350 billion in direct aid, $122 billion for K-12 schools and $30 billion for mass transit. Insolvent union pension funds received a $86 billion rescue.

The rest was mostly transfer payments to individuals, including a five-month extension of enhanced unemployment benefits, a $3,600 fully refundable child tax credit, $1,400 stimulus payments per person, sweetened Affordable Care Act subsidies, an increased earned income tax credit including for folks who didn’t work, housing subsidies and so much more.

The handouts discouraged the unemployed from returning to work and fueled consumer spending, which was already primed to surge owing to pent-up savings from the Covid lockdowns and spending under Donald Trump. By mid-2021, Americans had $2.3 trillion in “excess savings” relative to pre-pandemic levels—equivalent to roughly 12.5% of disposable income.

So much money chasing too few goods fueled inflation, which was supercharged by the Federal Reserve’s accommodative policy. Historically low mortgage rates drove up housing prices. The White House blamed “corporate greed” for inflation that peaked at 9.1% in June 2022, even as the spending party in Washington continued.

In November 2021, Congress passed a $1 trillion bill full of green pork and more money for states. Then came the $280 billion Chips Act and Mr. Biden’s Green New Deal—aka the Inflation Reduction Act—which Goldman Sachs estimates will cost $1.2 trillion over a decade. Such heaps of government spending have distorted private investment.Consumer Price Index, Jan. 2017-July 2024Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

While investment in new factories has grown, spending on research and development and new equipment has slowed. Overall private fixed investment has grown at roughly half the rate under Mr. Biden as it did under Mr. Trump. Manufacturing output remains lower than before the pandemic.

Magnifying market misallocations, the Administration conditioned subsidies on businesses advancing its priorities such as paying union-level wages and providing child care to workers. It also boosted food stamps, expanded eligibility for ObamaCare subsidies and waved away hundreds of billions of dollars in student debt. The result: $5.8 trillion in deficits during Mr. Biden’s first three years—about twice as much as during Donald Trump’s—and the highest inflation in four decades.

Prices have increased by nearly 20% since January 2021, compared to 7.8% during the Trump Presidency. Inflation-adjusted average weekly earnings are down 3.9% since Mr. Biden entered office, compared to an increase of 2.6% during Mr. Trump’s first three years. (Real wages increased much more in 2020, but partly owing to statistical artifacts.)

Higher interest rates are finally bringing inflation under control, which is allowing real wages to rise again. But the Federal Reserve had to raise rates higher than it otherwise would have to offset the monetary and fiscal gusher. The higher rates have pushed up mortgage costs for new home buyers.

Three years of inflation and higher interest rates are stretching American pocketbooks, especially for lower income workers. Seriously delinquent auto loans and credit cards are higher than any time since the immediate aftermath of the 2008-09 recession.

Ms. Harris boasts that the economy has added nearly 16 million jobs during the Biden Presidency—compared to about 6.4 million during Mr. Trump’s first three years. But most of these “new” jobs are backfilling losses from the pandemic lockdowns. The U.S. has fewer jobs than it was on track to add before the pandemic.Change in Jobs, Jan. 2020-July 2024Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

What’s more, all the Biden-Harris spending has yielded little economic bang for the taxpayer buck. Washington has borrowed more than $400,000 for every additional job added under Mr. Biden compared to Mr. Trump’s first three years. Most new jobs are concentrated in government, healthcare and social assistance—60% of new jobs in the last year.

Administrative agencies are also creating uncertainty by blitzing businesses with costly regulations—for instance, expanding overtime pay, restricting independent contractors, setting stricter emissions limits on power plants and factories, micro-managing broadband buildout and requiring CO2 emissions calculations in environmental reviews.

***

The economy is still expanding, but business investment has slowed. And although the affluent are doing relatively well because of buoyant asset prices, surveys show that most Americans feel financially insecure. Thus another political paradox of the Biden-Harris years: Socioeconomic disparities have increased.

Ms. Harris is promising the same economic policies with a shinier countenance. Don’t expect better results.

Wall Street Journal

Life Lessons for Kids

It’s often hammered into our heads from childhood: “Money is the root of all evil,” or, “Money can’t buy happiness.” If that’s the case, then how come it’s such a major part of our lives? Couples fight over it so much that it’s one of the top reasons for divorce.

Money makes a statement about our priorities. How much we spend, what we buy, and whether we succeed or fail at living within our means reveals much about our character and values.

Years ago, I had a paper route. Because most papers are now delivered by professional services, it’s a shame that none (or a tragic few) of today’s young people have the experience I did. At the age of 12, I was responsible for counting, managing and collecting money from just about everyone in the neighborhood. This led me to understand something that a young person can’t grasp from just hearing it preached: Money does NOT grow on trees.

Constant bombardment from the media and the Internet ensures that today’s young people have a greater desire for money, or more precisely, the things that money can buy. Neither a strength nor a flaw, mind you, but it is a reflection of the fact that the Western world still enjoys more wealth and prosperity than ever before. So it makes sense to teach children how to handle money at the earliest age possible.

Before the paper route, I had an allowance. Seems old fashioned, doesn’t it? I wonder how many children receive allowances nowadays. My experience indicates that a lot of parents just resentfully hand over money on demand. Then they wonder why the kids don’t appreciate it. How in the world is somebody supposed to appreciate something when it’s handed to them unconditionally? We have no business criticizing kids for problems we enable.

Though it’s a handout, an allowance reflects the obvious fact that the child cannot yet earn money in the adult world. But the way a parent goes about it is important. Allowance implies a limit. It communicates that, “I’m giving you money, but only so much. You have to figure out how to make it last.” This is superior to doling out cash on demand, and then wondering why it’s not appreciated. (Or worse yet, wondering why he or she moves back into the house at age 30 and refuses to pay bills, work or leave! I see it in my office all the time. But that’s another column.)

My experience suggests that before parents mindlessly hand over money to children, they should first talk with them about it. A basic discussion about saving, investing and donating, as well as spending, can help kids understand that money gives them the power to make choices. If you want your kids to appreciate money, show them how difficult it is to hold on to! Let them experience the frustration when it runs out. You’re not harming your child’s self-esteem by doing this; in fact, you’re helping him or her cope in the real world — where one day you might not be around as a safety net.

Encourage your child to spend the allowance on things you would normally buy, such as clothes or school supplies. Of course, you’re paying either way, but letting the child play consumer is effective practice for adulthood. I don’t believe that allowances should not be tied to behavior or chores, and shouldn’t be withdrawn as punishment. If the chore is something the child is obligated to do anyway, such as making the bed, etc., then don’t engage in bribery for these obligations. At the same time, if the child does extra jobs, you can work out arrangements for bonuses. Sounds like the real world, doesn’t it?

The subject here is spending, but it’s ultimately about thinking. Children have to grow up into thinking adults, with true self-esteem and a sense of responsibility. The need for money, and the potential for shortage, requires us all to be good thinkers, and it’s never too early to learn how to think.

Michael J. Hurd

Why Reason, Logic & Facts are Not Working with Socialists or anti-Trumpers

Trump supporters keep using reason, logic and facts to persuade people to vote for Trump. It’s rational to do so; but reason is not working. Minds are made up — have been for years — and are not budging. Many voting Democratic are already Communists or socialists, and view any Republican as a monster. By definition, they’re outside the realm of reason. The independents and Republicans voting for the Democrat (Biden, Kamala, anyone) have just one reason: IT’S NOT TRUMP. Not voting for Trump is all that matters to them. Nothing whatsoever can or ever will change their minds. WHY do they hate Trump so much? They cannot give a reason. Asking them for a reason seems to make them angrier. Aside from election fraud and a ridiculous propaganda machine media, this is the biggest problem. What happens when reason and facts no longer matter to huge numbers of people? Civil breakdown or even civil war. It’s sad, but it’s where we seem to be. Because if Trump wins, there will be massive hysteria in the media and the government, followed by a tyrannical crackdown. It’s going to happen whether Trump wins or loses. I urge you to be ready. How? FIGURE IT OUT. You are not children. And life is not a child’s game. The government is not your friend. Like it or not, we are now on our own. Actually, we always were. It’s just now the illusion is over. I am stunned by the idea (advanced by even some patriots/Trump supporters) that, “What you’re saying is true, but it’s not positive, so we should just pretend what you’re saying ISN’T true because it’s all a matter of faith anyway.” To think that there are people who oppose the bad guys, but think that rather than fighting, it’s better to lie down and take everything–now THAT’S depressing. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT means accepting facts. The fact is that we’re up against sociopaths who cheat in elections and use the media to manipulate ignorant millions. These are FACTS. Evading all of them and pretending those facts don’t exist is NOT FIGHTING.    

Follow Dr. Hurd on Facebook. Search under “Michael Hurd” (Charleston SC). Get up-to-the-minute postings, recommended articles and links, and engage in back-and-forth discussion with Dr. Hurd on topics of interest. Also follow Dr. Hurd on Twitter at @MichaelJHurd1, drmichaelhurd on Instagram, Michael Hurd Ph.D. on LinkedIn, @DrHurd on TruthSocial  

Democrats Abandon FDR, JFK for Freak Show

One of the sharpest political columnists and media commentators, in my judgment, is Joe Concha. Unlike many political analysts who monopolize the airwaves, Concha is well-versed in America’s political history, can think outside the box, and doesn’t rely on talking points or cue cards.

And unlike the dour, doom and gloom commentators, Concha possesses a sense of humor. He’s naturally funny and has a keen sense of the absurd.

Concha’s new book Progressive Worse: Why Today’s Democrats Ain’t Your Daddy’s Donkeys, confirms my impressions of him. The work is a treasure trove of observations and anecdotes on the nation’s body politic.

Concha’s thesis: “Over the past few decades, Democrats have swung so far left that they have little in common with past generations of progressives.”

Yes, the party of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and John F. Kennedy has become the party of leftist lightweights — Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Congresswoman AOC, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and Pete Buttigieg, to name a few.

A recent Rasmussen poll reveals the mindset of today’s radical Democrats: “Fifty-seven percent of Democratic voters agree [the Constitution] ‘is a document rooted in racism’ and 64% think the Constitution ‘is a sexist document that gives men advantages over women.’ Nearly half (49%) of Democrats believed the Constitution ‘should be mostly or completely rewritten.’”

These beliefs, among others, help explain why Democrats in recent years have been expelling longtime party heroes.

First Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, founders of the Democratic Party, were booted out because they owned slaves. Then the name of Woodrow Wilson was stripped from institutions because, as New York Times columnist Bret Stephens pointed out, “he sinned against the more recent commandments of progressive dogma.”

I will not be surprised if the next one to be excised from the party rolls will be John F. Kennedy — the hero for many in my generation. (I’m 71.)

Concha contends that JFK, one of the most popular presidents in the history of polling, is the original MAGA president.

And I agree.

As a young congressman from Boston in the post- World War II era, Kennedy’s congressional voting record reflected the anti-communist, socially-conservative views of his blue-collar street-smart constituents.

Believing that the U.N. was a paper tiger, Kennedy publicly complained: “We should never have yielded to Russia and allowed the U.N. charter to embody the principle that a single veto by one of the big powers can stop actions by the United Nations.”

In a speech he gave in 1950 at Notre Dame University, Kennedy cautioned the graduates about “the absorbing hands of the great Leviathan,” and warned against the “ever expanding power of the federal government.” He even made a lucid statement on the Catholic principle of subsidiarity when he said that “control over local affairs is the essence of liberty.”

JFK also opposed affirmative action. On one occasion he said: “I don’t think quotas are a good idea.” He added, “We are too mixed to begin to divide ourselves on the basis of race or color.”

Unlike Biden and Harris, JFK argued for tax cuts. “It is a paradoxical truth” he said, “that taxes are too high today and tax revenues are too low and the sound way to raise revenue in the long run is to cut tax rates now.”

The cut in the marginal personal income tax rates from 91% to 70%, that were implemented shortly after Kennedy’s death by a Democratic controlled Congress, were hugely successful. By 1965, “the federal deficit began to shrink. Annual GDP growth went from just 2.6% to 6.6%. Unemployment dipped from 6.7% in 1961 to 3.8% in 1966.”

When JFK was struck down by an assassin’s bullet on November 22, 1963, Concha notes, he “was just getting started with the original American first agenda — low taxes to grow the U.S. economy, an expanded and stronger military, opposition to racial quotas…”

If views similar to Kennedy’s were to be voiced by a Democrat today, the party would cancel that person in a heartbeat.

Joe Concha gets it right; the Democrats are no longer the party of my parents and relatives — Catholic union workers — but a party of privileged Ivy Leaguers, Davos elites, antisemites, and people with purple hair.

George J. Marlin, a former executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, is the author of “The American Catholic Voter: Two Hundred Years of Political Impact,” and “Christian Persecutions in the Middle East: A 21st Century Tragedy.” Read George J. Marlin’s Reports — More Here.

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The Trump-Elon Musk Interview Uncensored (While It Lasts)

The Trump-Elon Musk conversation was less enlightening than interesting. Definitely worth a listen. Two of the world’s wealthiest movers and shakers who are NOT Communists, talking about our future … largely, it seems, with accuracy and sincerity. It leaves you kind of hopeful, but still without an idea of how to topple these monsters in power, especially with so much of the country frozen and stuck.

Elon Musk says caring about the environment need not lead to suffering. Not true. Outlawing fossil fuels — before technology and business have created viable alternatives — will cause suffering, despair and even death for millions. The connected and the wealthy (who support the Party) will not suffer. The rest of us will have to contend with a world that is unsustainable for human life as we’ve known it, since the industrial revolutions of the 1800s.

Environmentalism is a depopulation movement. As of now, it’s winning everywhere, including in America.

Musk and Trump also discussed the need for deregulation. Deregulation does not work. The Reagan and Trump administrations tried deregulation, but when they left office regulations grew exponentially. Regulatory agencies will not curb their own power. The only solution is to DEFUND the agencies.

A recent, insightful opinion piece reveals the magnitude of the absurdity merged with toxicity we’re now facing in what used to be the free world:

The Republican nominee, a former president, was almost murdered in front of children. The sitting president, ill for the second time just days apart, was browbeaten by his own party into abandoning his campaign only three months before Election Day. His vice president was anointed the party’s new nominee without having earned a single vote. Now she’s campaigning like she’s not currently in the White House and like the past three years of her shockingly poor performance didn’t happen.

And just like that, we’re told Kamala Harris is wildly popular and Donald Trump’s clear electoral advantage has evaporated. Politico on Tuesday even ran the headline “Could Harris’ Momentum Put Florida In Play?”

A news media interested in thoroughly explaining, contextualizing, and documenting current events would be running headlines to the effect of “WTF, THIS ISN’T NORMAL!”

That’s unfortunately not the news media we have. Instead, our news media have offered no indication that there’s anything at all to be alarmed about. Well, except any remaining possibility that Trump could win the election.

No, this is all apparently just fine and the way things run per usual. Kamala has done no legitimate interviews or press conferences, has not articulated a single policy proposal — though she did just steal the no-tax-on-tips idea from Trump — and her Democrat peers are admitting there’s no need for any of that anyway. They’ve got the media to reliably, steadfastly attack Trump and his running mate while calling every provable claim against Harris a lie (or just racist).

Up until Biden officially dropped out, Democrats were dreading the possibility that Harris could end up as their nominee. It was virtually out of the question. Not anymore! Didn’t you hear about the enthusiasm? Everybody loves her. America can’t get enough of Kamala. She’s got nothing to worry about. The media will take care of everything.

from The Federalist 8/13/24

Trump’s Social Security Proposal Could be His Best Political Asset

With Kamala Harris becoming a rock star by inviting rock stars to open her act, it’s clear she’s focused on generating excitement through pure fluff.  But whereas Harris captures headlines with showmanship, Donald Trump has an opportunity to resonate deeply with a far more substantial and often overlooked voting bloc: those who have paid into the Social Security system.  If Trump zeroes in on this group, he can unlock a political goldmine that could propel him back into the White House.

In what even the New York Times admits could be a game-changer, Trump has proposed ending income taxes on Social Security benefits.  This proposal speaks directly to millions of Americans who feel the sting of being taxed twice on the money they’ve worked their entire lives to earn.  It’s a commonsense policy that cuts through the noise of partisan bickering and addresses a core issue that affects a massive segment of the population.

The Democrats now find themselves in somewhat of a pickle, wrapped in a conundrum in the midst of a riddle.  They can’t win for losing on this.  If they oppose Trump’s proposal, they risk alienating retirees — a group that’s already feeling the pinch of inflation and looking for relief.  Moreover, they would have to explain why a tax break for Social Security was acceptable when proposed by Democrats in the past but suddenly becomes unpalatable when Trump suggests it.

Critics argue that eliminating the tax could reduce government revenues by $1.8 trillion over the next decade.  But this perspective ignores the fundamental unfairness of taxing Social Security benefits in the first place.  This money isn’t new income; it’s a return on years of hard work and contributions.  For the government to tax it again is not only unjust, but also counterproductive, as it erodes trust in the Social Security system itself — and since the government stole the money in the first place, it shouldn’t tax it in the second place, regardless of if it’s decades later.

By focusing on this issue with the intensity and drive that have characterized much of his political career, Trump can differentiate himself from his opponents and appeal to a broad coalition of voters who are eager for a leader who prioritizes their economic well-being.  The idea is simple, the impact profound, and the political payoff potentially enormous.

If Trump pursues this strategy with vigor, he may find that the road back to the White House is paved with the support of millions of Americans who just want what they’ve rightfully earned — without Uncle Sam dipping into their pockets yet again.

Hat tip to Mike Huckabee, who opined on this topic before me.

Gerald McGlothiln