Tag Archives: Unemployment

Current Events

Making America 1979 Again

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Good Morning Gang, it’s Saturday, the day before the traditional Memorial Day, initially referred to as Decorations Day by MajGen Logan after the Civil War. Personally, I celebrate on the traditional Day, 30 May. So, I will lower my flag tomorrow morning and raise it back up at noon. Changing the day so federal workers could get another day off with pay didn’t impress me since my experience with those snakes in the grass (in the Corps, we called them “Sand Crabs”) has been  most don’t earn a day’s pay anyway. But then that’s my personal opinion and preference.

So what are the swamp creatures up to as they begin their long weekend cook out? Well, the big talking point this week has been inflation. What is that? Well simply, it is the rising cost of goods and services.  There is cost-push inflation where the cost of goods is caused by a rise in the cost of production e.g., gas. Then there is demand-pull inflation where the rise in prices is caused by an increasing demand and firms push up prices due to the shortage of goods e.g., toilet paper. LOL.

The swamp doesn’t fear inflation, just like Peanut Jimmy didn’t in the 70s, but beware folks, the signs are there, they are just being ignored.

By: G. Maresca

You do not have to be a scholar with a dollar to notice how prices are increasing. The Consumer Price Index that measures costs for goods and services increased 4.2% in April. Gas jumped 9%, while housing prices rose 17%.

The Powerball Lottery jackpot is now a tank of gas, a bag of groceries and a sheet of plywood.

A late seventies ambiance has returned with the cyber-attack on the Colonial pipeline cyber-attack and its resulting gas lines. Add to it emboldened Iranian Ayatollahs in a cooking Middle East; an increasing U.S. crime rate; a refugee crisis at the southern border, and a simmering Cold War II. The recent visit Joe and Jill Biden had with Jimmy and Roslyn Carter makes it official that the torch has been finally passed. Their photo op, if you have not seen it, is one for Ripley’s Believe it or Not.

The Carter’s even gifted to Hunter Biden their home-brewing recipe to Billy Beer.

It is time travel Democrat style and for those 41 and younger, welcome to 1979.

At least back then the music was better, and you didn’t need a second mortgage to attend a major league baseball game. Kids went to school and actually played outside, and mask wearing was strictly for Halloween.

It was also in the summer of ‘79 that Carter gave his infamous “malaise speech” about “the erosion of our confidence.” Today, Biden successfully dismantles the myth of white privilege and primacy every time he comes in contact with a microphone.

The Labor Department’s latest jobs report had employers adding only one-quarter of an anticipated one million jobs, while unemployment claims actually increased. Many are choosing not to work since being paid to stay home is now an option. Such a major disincentive to work is unprecedented and brings with it the predictable consequence of labor’s availability. With jobs plentiful combined with escalating unemployment benefits only serves to grease the rails for socialism.

Former Treasury Secretary under Bill Clinton and former head of the National Economic Council for Barack Obama, Larry Summers spoke truth to power when he warned against too much stimulus.

There is no true stimulus, only irrational leftist reasoning that justifies increased deficit spending that is endorsed by bogus good intentions that leads down a path to fiscal ruin.

No one on either side of the aisle gave Summer’s reasoning a second thought.

Biden and his Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen actually claimed, “there is no significant inflation.” Record-low interest rates coupled with a rise in prices is what happens when central banks have a surplus of money that outstrips demand. As we stifle the supply side with handouts, while printing dollars by the trillions the result is Inflation. Prudent advice to any weather forecaster is to look out the window first. Perhaps this dynamic economic duo needs to go grocery shopping and fill the gas tank before making their next inflation forecast.

In a recent press conference, Vice President Kamala Harris ignored a question about inflation with her infamous laughing crackle as she quickly walked away. Perhaps she was on her way to the southern border?

The fear of inflation is why the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield is up 80%, and the 5-year U.S. Treasury yield is up 123%.  Spending and printing comes with consequences as you cannot print your way to prosperity.

Perhaps Biden should consider surrounding the White House with an orchard since he and his economic team believe money grows on trees. The only problem would be when Biden ends up chopping down all the trees for the paper to print even more money.

When the Federal Reserve finally admits that there is too much inflation, interest rates will rise and polarize the economy followed by a toxic bout of stagflation. Such economic malaise hurts the same people that the spend and tax Biden Democrats say they want to help.

Moreover, any stock market gains will be deceiving thanks to inflation where any capital gains taxes will be a direct result of the dollar’s decline.

In 1979, the Carter coast-to-coast malaise paved the way for Ronald Reagan’s conservative reform.

History would do well to not only rhyme but repeat itself.

 

Happy Memorial Day everyone. While cooking steaks, burgers, dogs, and drinking your favorite libation, please remember the nearly 1.1 million Americans who gave their lives  so we could celebrate this day! And remember to lower you flag to half mast on which ever day you traditionally celebrate and raise it back to full staff at noon.. Semper Fi, Jim

 

 

Originally posted 2021-05-29 11:23:49.

Recent Posts

Jumping the Stimulus Turnstile

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Another very informative article from my good friend and strong contributor to the blog, Greg Maresca. To add to his great discussion, let me remind everyone that consumer spending makes up 70% of our country’s GDP. There many other ways to stimulate the economy and increase consumer spending at the same time i.e., tax cuts, which do not increase the deficit, but always bring in more revenue. Remember Reagan and his “Trickle Down Economics”?

 

 

 

By: G. Maresca

The COVID stimulus train has added another $1.9 trillion to its ever-growing caboose. Uncle Sam is running the nation’s treasury like a Parker Brothers’ board game. Through continuous stimulus spending, Congress, who controls the nation’s purse strings, has dismissed the burgeoning federal deficit outright.

The numbers throughout this COVID cash craze are astonishing: In just 16 months, the Federal Reserve has pumped over $9 trillion into the economy. According to Forbes, last June the U.S. accumulated more debt than in the 200-plus years from America’s founding in 1776 through 1979.

The stimulus bills have provided temporary relief but are toxic over the long-term. Nearly half of the unemployed will be paid more to stay home, while keeping unemployment artificially higher which will result in calls for more stimulus.

Economic incentives matter but handouts?

History will look back on this COVID era with disbelief that so many were bamboozled into believing that freebees were a good idea or even sustainable.

There is no real stimulus. Such semantics masks (pun intended) what is happening to the economy that resembles a Bowery wino. Government giveaways and money-printing have their inevitable effects. Stimulus checks will not grow the economy, but it will stimulate the federal debt and cause inflation.

Chetan Ahya, chief economist at Morgan Stanley, “The driving forces of inflation are already aligned, and a regime shift is underway.” Perhaps forgotten is that inflation is the most universal tax of all.

Bestowing money on those who work is scandalous because it steals from their children and grandchildren. Such fiscal policy only grows government and restricts liberty, while handcuffing small businesses – the economy’s driving force. Future generations will face burdensome taxation and cut services thanks to this intergenerational redistribution of wealth.

Stimulus spending has resulted in a higher national debt percentage of GDP than at the end of WWII and both political parties are to blame. They seem to believe that zero interest rates will last forever.

Politicians have not missed a paycheck, nor have they read the 5,600 pages of latest bill that is the handiwork of an army of aides acting on behalf of lobbyists and interest groups.

Some highlights have $750 million for border walls in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Oman and Tunisia. Apparently, the only country that Congress feels should have open orders is our own. Other pork chops include $1.3 billion for the Egyptian military, $130 million for Nepal; $135 million for Burma, $34 million and $85 million for Cambodia, and $231 million to pay down the national debt of Sudan, where apparently Sudan’s debt matters more than our own.

Ten million has been allocated for gender programs in Pakistan. Rather than cash, we should send the Pakistanis the annual army of leftist gender studies graduates. Don’t forget $600 to non-American citizens and the $40 million to the closed Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In an insult to fiscally responsible states, $350 billion is allotted to bail out states like New York and Illinois, who run yearly deficits.

For all their self-aggrandizing rhetoric about helping those in need with additional stimulus spending, the reality is that both parties are helping themselves to excess at the expense of future Americans.

Considering what has taken place over the course of less than a year, it begs the question: Will there ever be a time when politicians won’t be “stimulating” the economy? Tax, spend, regulate, then “stimulate,” which is just another synonym for more spending.

You cannot spend yourself into prosperity.

If history tells us anything the forgotten 1920-21 economic crisis taught that sometimes the best stimulus is none at all.

Rather than expanding government, a true fiscal “stimulus” initiative would promote and support the private sector. One of the best ways of doing that would be to reduce the regulatory and tax burden on U.S. corporations and small businesses.

Paying customers are the best stimulus for any enterprise, while allowing them to keep more of the money they earn would also underscore that it is their money, not Uncle Sam’s.

Instead of forcing businesses and schools to close, while restricting our civil liberties and bribing the masses through federal handouts, open up the economy, tax less and invest our taxes into America.

Watch inflation, it’s like Murphy, always waiting for a misstep, which Trader Joe will certainly provide..

 

 

Originally posted 2021-01-30 10:50:45.

Recent Posts

Send in the Clowns

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Remember the song “Send in the Clowns” written by Stephen Sondheim for the 1973 musical A Little Night Music? Numerous artists sang the song e.g., Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, and Judy Collins to name only a few. I personally liked old Blues Eyes’ version.

Anyway, a retired Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant who taught me how to spell recruiting forwarded the following to me from one of his friends. I loved it it so much I thought I’d share it with you. 

Outdated due to being “post-election”, but still on-point with accomplishments that are grossly under-appreciated.  Never did plan to invite him over for brunch, but always did plan to live in a better USA, which we had the last 4 years.  Didn’t vote for the personality, just the sound policies of a successful president.

Hey, anyone starting a pool as to the date Biden steps down, for the pre-planned entrance of Kamala into the white house?  A charade I fully expect will take place in the next 4 years as sleepy-Joe isn’t remotely qualified or physically able for the job.  I’ll bet he does not last a year before the Ho replaces Joe

Subject: Fwd: The Resume of a Clown

The clown in the White House just brokered four Middle East Peace Accords, something that 71 years of political intervention and endless war failed to produce.

The buffoon in the White House is the first president that has not engaged us in a foreign war since Eisenhower.

The clown in the White House has had the greatest impact on the economy, bringing jobs, and lowering unemployment to the Black and Latino population of ANY other president. Ever.

The buffoon in the White House has exposed the deep, widespread, and long-standing corruption in the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, and the Republican and Democratic parties.

The buffoon in the White House turned NATO around and had them start paying their dues.

The clown in the White House neutralized the North Koreans, stopped them from developing a further nuclear capability, sending missiles toward Japan, and threatening the West Coast of the US.

The clown in the White House turned our relationship with the Chinese around, brought hundreds of businesses back to the US, and revived the economy. Hello!

The clown in the White House has accomplished the appointing of three Supreme Court Justices and close to 300 Federal Judges.

This same clown in the White House lowered your taxes, increased the standard deduction on your IRS return from $12,500 for Married Filing Joint to $24,400, and caused your stock market to move to record levels over 100 times, positively impacting the retirements of tens of millions of citizens.

The clown in the White House fast-tracked the development of a COVID Vaccine – it will be available within weeks – we still don’t have a vaccine for SARS, Bird Flu, Ebola, or a host of diseases that arose during previous administrations.

The clown in the White House rebuilt our military, which the Obama administration had crippled, and had fired 214 key generals and admirals in his first year of office.

This clown in the White House uncovered widespread pedophilia in the government and in Hollywood, and is exposing world wide sex trafficking of minors and bringing children home to their families.

The clown in the White House works for free, and has lost well over 2 billion dollars of his own money in serving – and done all of this and much more in the face of relentless undermining and opposition from people who are threatened, because they know they are going to be exposed as the criminals that they are if he is re-elected.

I got it, you don’t like him. Many of you utterly hate and despise him. How special of you. He is serving you, and ALL the American people. What are you doing, besides calling him names and laughing about him catching the China virus?

And please educate me again as to what Biden has accomplished for America in his 47 years in office?

I’ll take a “clown” any day, versus a fork tongued, smooth talking hypocritical, corrupt liar. Please let it be known, I am not sure I would want to have a beer with him (if he drank, which he doesn’t), or even be his friend. I don’t care if I even like him. I want a strong leader who isn’t afraid to kick some ass when needed. I don’t need a fatherly figure – I already have one. I don’t need a liar – that’s what Hollywood and CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS and the New York Times are there for.

I don’t need someone to help me, but I also don’t want an obstacle or a demented, senile washed-up Swamp Monster.

God bless Donald Trump – the most unappreciated President in history. And, in the immortal words of Yosemite Sam, “Forget Hell.”

Pass this on if you agree.

Besides President Donald J Trump, who do you think was the last Clown? I’ll vote for Ronald Reagan.

Yes, PLEASE “Send in the Clowns”! The more the merrier.

 

Originally posted 2021-01-18 09:56:40.

Current Events

Shared? With Who?

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Okay, so that was on 24 September, Have any of you seen this? I doubt it. Personally, I do not see anything on this list that I or any other true-blue, seriously  dedicated American  I could disagree with — do you?

 

President Donald Trump Releases Second-Term Agenda

24 Sept 2020

President Donald Trump released his second-term agenda on Monday, sharing it in an email to journalists; promising more of the same policies he pursued during his first four years as president.

Trump wants to create more jobs, end Covid-19, defend police officers, end illegal immigration, and stop endless wars. The president also calls for passage of congressional term limits, school choice, and ending America’s economic reliance on China.

Here is the full list:

JOBS

  1. Create 10 Million New Jobs in 10 Months
  2. Create 1 Million New Small Businesses
  3. Cut Taxes to Boost Take-Home Pay and Keep Jobs in America
  4. Enact Fair Trade Deals that Protect American Jobs
  5. “Made in America” Tax Credits
  6. Expand Opportunity Zones
  7. Continue Deregulatory Agenda for Energy Independence

ERADICATE COVID-19

  1. Develop a Vaccine by The End Of 2020
  2. Return to Normal in 2021
  3. Make All Critical Medicines and Supplies for Healthcare Workers in The United States
  4. Refill Stockpiles and Prepare for Future Pandemics

END OUR RELIANCE ON CHINA  AMEN

  1. Bring Back 1 Million Manufacturing Jobs from China
  2. Tax Credits for Companies that Bring Back Jobs from China
  3. Allow 100% Expensing Deductions for Essential Industries like Pharmaceuticals and Robotics who Bring Back their Manufacturing to the United States
  4. No Federal Contracts for Companies who Outsource to China
  5. Hold China Fully Accountable for Allowing the Virus to Spread around the World

HEALTHCARE

  1. Cut Prescription Drug Prices
  2. Put Patients and Doctors Back in Charge of our Healthcare System
  3. Lower Healthcare Insurance Premiums
  4. End Surprise Billing
  5. Cover All Pre-Existing Conditions
  6. Protect Social Security and Medicare
  7. Protect Our Veterans and Provide World-Class Healthcare and Services

  EDUCATION

  1. Provide School Choice to Every Child in America
  2. Teach American Exceptionalism

DRAIN THE SWAMP PLEASE!!!!!!!

  1. Pass Congressional Term Limits
  2. End Bureaucratic Government Bullying of U.S. Citizens and Small Businesses
  3. Expose Washington’s Money Trail and Delegate Powers Back to People and States
  4. Drain the Globalist Swamp by Taking on International Organizations That Hurt American Citizens

DEFEND OUR POLICE

  1. Fully Fund and Hire More Police and Law Enforcement Officers
  2. Increase Criminal Penalties for Assaults on Law Enforcement Officers
  3. Prosecute Drive-By Shootings as Acts of Domestic Terrorism
  4. Bring Violent Extremist Groups Like ANTIFA to Justice
  5. End Cashless Bail and Keep Dangerous Criminals Locked Up until Trial

END ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND PROTECT AMERICAN WORKERS

  1. Block Illegal Immigrants from Becoming Eligible for Taxpayer-Funded Welfare, Healthcare, and Free College Tuition
  2. Mandatory Deportation for Non-Citizen Gang Members
  3. Dismantle Human Trafficking Networks
  4. End Sanctuary Cities to Restore our Neighborhoods and Protect our Families
  5. Prohibit American Companies from Replacing United States Citizens with Lower-Cost Foreign Workers
  6. Require New Immigrants to Be Able to Support Themselves Financially

INNOVATE FOR THE FUTURE

  1. Launch Space Force, Establish Permanent Manned Presence on The Moon and Send the First Manned Mission to Mars
  2. Build the World’s Greatest Infrastructure System
  3. Win the Race to 5G and Establish a National High-Speed Wireless Internet Network
  4. Continue to Lead the World in Access to the Cleanest Drinking Water and Cleanest Air
  5. Partner with Other Nations to Clean Up our Planet’s Oceans

AMERICA FIRST FOREIGN POLICY

  1. Stop Endless Wars and Bring Our Troops Home
  2. Get Allies to Pay their Fair Share
  3. Maintain and Expand America’s Unrivaled Military Strength
  4. Wipe Out Global Terrorists Who Threaten to Harm Americans
  5. Build a Great Cybersecurity Defense System and Missile Defense System

Send to everyone because the so called journalists haven’t shared this news!

 

Originally posted 2020-10-29 16:33:27.

Recent Posts

Mark Levin

5 Comments

You just gotta love this guy. Please listen to this tape as he has a “discussion” with a guy who “thinks” he knows what he’s talking about. It’s great, unless of course you agree with the fellow Mark is talking to. And BTW, if you agree with him, what the hell are doing on my blog? Get off!

 

Questions?

 

Love this quote from the master of quotes.

Originally posted 2020-03-10 15:58:40.