LeBron James Changed My Mind

File Photo – LeBron James

Dear Reader, I have been remiss in my support of the Hong Kong protestors.
I am typing this today to admit that after hearing LeBron James explain it all to me I have changed my mind. We have all been there… when confronted with a superior argument one has no other recourse but to admit one’s error and adopt a new position. So you can understand what I’m talking about, Mr. James’ explanation regarding His and the NBA’s position on not supporting the Hong Kong protestors is below.  (Full link here.)

“I don’t want to get into a [verbal] feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke,” James said before the Los Angeles Lakers played the Golden State Warriors in a preseason game at Staples Center. “And so many people could have been harmed not only financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually. So just be careful what we tweet and say and we do, even though, yes, we do have freedom of speech, but there can be a lot of negative that comes with that, too.”

– LeBron James

It’s fair to say that I occasionally fall on my sword for Freedom, Free Speech and Individual Diversity when I should be more considerate when it comes to profiting off of the systematic oppression of others.  After hearing LeBron, I realize I am the problem.  I am insensitive.  I lack empathy.

I apologize.

With that in mind, compounded with my desire to repent my uneducated, naive and misguided ways, I will capitalize on my extensive background in media and marketing. I would like to offer the NBA coaches and players a few tag lines they can apply while speaking/tweeting on this issue.

1.  Assimilate Hong Kong!

2.  Oppress Hong Kong!

3.  Enslave Hong Kong!

(Runner up: 4.  Shut up and Buy Our Shoes!)

All of the above meet the “Simple, Powerful, Direct” requirement of a solid information campaign meant to clearly communicate intent and purpose.  All three may be employed so long as they are repeated at least once at every given opportunity.  You’re welcome.

I also have a few suggestions for Tibet…  but it involves renaming the region and some of it’s inhabitants “Nike”.  The Nike Lama… The Dalai Addidas… seriously… it could work.  This pitch could also be applied to Taiwan and the Senkaku islands with minor adjustments saving China the cost of creating a fresh new campaign.  Kerrwan and the Popovich Islands has a nice ring to it…

 

 

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Is Reality Optional?

Apologies to doctor Sowell regarding the Title, but it does apply to his overall thesis.  If you want to know what that is just click here.

This, however, is a little diddy about Climate Apocalypse.

Of the three people who read anything here, I suspect we all have lived through each and every one of the scheduled End of World scenarios beginning with Global Nuclear War.  But for the sake of time, I want to present a bit of what is found, and linked to here, for your consideration.  (H/T to John Nolte.  Full Article HERE.)

1. 1967: Dire Famine Forecast By 1975
2. 1969: Everyone Will Disappear In a Cloud Of Blue Steam By 1989 (1969)
3. 1970: Ice Age By 2000
4. 1970: America Subject to Water Rationing By 1974 and Food Rationing By 1980
5. 1971: New Ice Age Coming By 2020 or 2030
6. 1972: New Ice Age By 2070
7. 1974: Space Satellites Show New Ice Age Coming Fast
8. 1974: Another Ice Age?
9. 1974: Ozone Depletion a ‘Great Peril to Life
10. 1976: Scientific Consensus Planet Cooling, Famines imminent
11. 1980: Acid Rain Kills Life In Lakes
12. 1978: No End in Sight to 30-Year Cooling Trend
13. 1988: Regional Droughts (that never happened) in 1990s
14. 1988: Temperatures in DC Will Hit Record Highs
15. 1988: Maldive Islands will Be Underwater by 2018 (they’re not)
16. 1989: Rising Sea Levels will Obliterate Nations if Nothing Done by 2000
17. 1989: New York City’s West Side Highway Underwater by 2019 (it’s not)
18. 2000: Children Won’t Know what Snow Is
19. 2002: Famine In 10 Years If We Don’t Give Up Eating Fish, Meat, and Dairy
20. 2004: Britain will Be Siberia by 2024
21. 2008: Arctic will Be Ice Free by 2018
22. 2008: Climate Genius Al Gore Predicts Ice-Free Arctic by 2013
23. 2009: Climate Genius Prince Charles Says we Have 96 Months to Save World
24. 2009: UK Prime Minister Says 50 Days to ‘Save The Planet From Catastrophe’
25. 2009: Climate Genius Al Gore Moves 2013 Prediction of Ice-Free Arctic to 2014
26. 2013: Arctic Ice-Free by 2015
27. 2013: Arctic Ice-Free by 2016
28. 2014: Only 500 Days Before ‘Climate Chaos’
29. 1968: Overpopulation Will Spread Worldwide
30. 1970: World Will Use Up All its Natural Resources
31. 1966: Oil Gone in Ten Years
32. 1972: Oil Depleted in 20 Years
33. 1977: Department of Energy Says Oil will Peak in 90s
34. 1980: Peak Oil In 2000
35. 1996: Peak Oil in 2020
36. 2002: Peak Oil in 2010
37. 2005 : Manhattan Underwater by 2015
38. 1970: Urban Citizens Will Require Gas Masks by 1985
39. 1970: Nitrogen buildup Will Make All Land Unusable
40. 1970: Decaying Pollution Will Kill all the Fish
41. 1970s: Killer Bees!

For the record, I believe Climate Changes.  Were we not taught that the Appilacian Mountains were carved out by Glaciers?  Have we not accepted that the Earth has been everything from a hot gaseous ball, molten material and a world of Ice?  The question is do Humans effect it?  The answer is possibly.  But as it stands we cannot define a problem.  And, if you cannot define it then you cannot offer a cogent solution should there be one.  Additionally, if you buy into Humans killing everything they touch then there are only two solutions.  Kill all humans or Kill those humans refusing to change their behaviors in a fashion as we mentioned above has no definition.  But let’s pretend you think such beneficial behavior can be defined, like buying brand new light bulbs instead of using the ones you have until they burn out then buying ones you’re restricted to because you’re too stupid to see the benefit of cost savings over the long run… and it must be imposed upon countless millions of humans right damn now… or else.  Working from that point of view we must do three things.  1.  Convert immediately to Nuclear Power.  2.  Immediately Destroy China.  3.  Immediately Destroy India.  (Russia would be ‘on deck’ as would countless other 3rd World countries.)

Sounds fun.

The truth is that modern Socialists have co-opted the environmental movement and are using Climate Change Horror (No science, just simpathetic scientists who are conviced you’re stupid and they are not.) as a tool to convince useful idiots that the World would be a better placed if everyone just surrendered to Socialism and put them permenantly in control of Everything.  Just ask Patrick Moore, the Founder of Greenpeace.  (Better yet, read his book linked here.)  Socialism is, of course, the ideology of Force and Acceleration, not to mention Class Stasis…Call it what you will, Democratic, Progressive, Liberal, Communist, Fascist or whatever name they want to call themselves once one of the previous is assigned the appropriate stigma.  This is what we are facing, whether it’s being regurgitated by a 14 year old girl from Demark or an octigenarian ex-president of the United States.

That’s the Reality.

Is that an Option?

 

The Horror’s of the dreaded Yield Curve Inversion!

The Treasury yield curve has inverted because of massive amounts of wealth being moved into US Treasuries… from Hong Kong… in what would be traditionally called a “flight to safety”. This is distorting the treasury market.

The people of Hong Kong are far from stupid.

Although I wonder about the talking heads in the US.

For the record, of course, there will be another recession.  Why?  Because there is always another recession.  When?  Who knows.  But the famous indicator is currently subject to large external forces such a Chinese Military massing in the Shenzhen province just outside of Hong Kong.  It’s called “Market Distortion”.  One which is being created by the profound uncertainty of the future of Hong Kong due to the expected Communist Chinese invasion/crackdown.

We talked about this being worthy of your undivided attention almost 8 weeks ago.

It remains an event of greater importance than whether a Pedophile Auto-Erotically Strangled himself from the top bunk of his jail cell or was hit by the CIA… seriously… who gives a sh*t?

And Frankly, I always loved Recess.

China Needs Hong Kong to just keep doing Hong Kong

Now more than ever China needs Hong Kong to remain an engine of Capitalism.
We’ve talked before about Socialist Countries existing at the teat of Capitalist Countries. Socialism cannot create wealth.  Nothing has changed.
When China took control of Hong Kong in 1997 it was widely thought the Socialist country would quickly destroy all that made Hong Kong prosperous. Many believed, with good reason, that the oppressive, individual hating, top-down governing ideology would not be able to tolerate the freedom and individual liberty associated with Hong Kong.
Surprising the world, China instead chose to isolate Hong Kong from the rest of the country. It was a brilliant move by horrible people.  China held Hong Kong as an asset in its ‘portfolio’ with the realization that the prosperity Hong Kong created was essential to the perpetuation of China’s oppressive Socialist Ideology.
Don’t be fooled… Hong Kong remained an irritant to many of the Elitist Chinese Politicians. But economically it was a sound decision if it was the life of the oppressive, human hating, Chinese Socialist ‘Utopia’ which ultimately mattered. Those 1997 Autocrats in waiting were on the precipice of unimaginable wealth to be gleaned from a relatively new trade partnership with the United States. The full absorption of Hong Kong could wait a little while until a new engine of wealth was fully realized…
Fast forward to 2019…
The overt move to bring Hong Kong ‘into the fold’ of China’s Democratic Socialist Dictatorship has been underway for a little over a decade.  But a disruption, an Orange Swan if you will, occurred which turned the finely set table over.

Suddenly something changed.

The people of Hong Kong rediscovered their value when the prettiest girl in the room decided she ‘ain’t got no sugar’.
China’s ‘new’ engine of wealth, the United States, decided not to play anymore.  Hong Kong was back!
This move alone has thrown China’s long term plans into question.
Why?

To reiterate…

The resistance from the United States to the contemporary trade agreements with China has provided Hong Kong with the ability to resist… making Hong Kong important once again. China once again needs them… badly…

China’s long term existence is questionable, at best, without the United States and is certainly headed for a catastrophe without both the United States and Hong Kong combined.

This is an important Global event and deserves all of our attention.

Awake… Arise… Or Be Forever Fallen!

So there I was, Minding my own Scotch… and I get a message from X.  In the most perfunctory way possible he made clear it was time for me to dig myself out from the secure comfort I’ve been enjoying and return to the fray.

Well… Fine!

Who am I to disagree?

I have to say right up front, it has been an exciting few months.  From the ANTIFA-Facists to the complete fabrication of accusations used to slime a man who is far better than I, the Theater of the Absurd never ends.

The timeliness of X’s prompt is exquisite.  It just so happened that I was struck by something so profoundly stupid that I was seriously considering putting my drink down.  So let’s go there first…

A Gentleman by the name of Ruchir Sharma said the following on what used to be a go to network for business news;

“We may or may not believe in [American exceptionalism], but the financial markets have never believed in it to such an extent,” added Sharma, head of emerging markets and chief global strategist at Morgan Stanley Investment Management.”

Please read that again real quick.

So…

I would ask Mr. Sharma what American Exceptionalism has to do with a booming economy?  If he is speaking to Property Rights and the influx of foreign investment which is recognizing the United States as a Safe Haven for their wealth, then okay… maybe… but I’m not sure he is.  I believe he is conflating the financial success of the current economic reforms, which are returning the United States to its position as the World Leading Economic Engine, with Freedom and Liberty of the Individual.  I would then remind Mr. Sharma that it is the latter which constitutes “American Exceptionalism”.

Why is this such a big deal?

It’s a big friggin’ deal because the Socialist Democrats have been diligently dumbing down our population for decades in the hopes ‘educated’ individuals like Mr. Sharma will intentionally or unintentionally continue to do their work for them.  Sadly, they have been very, very, successful.

However, in his defense let’s assume Mr. Sharma knows what American Exceptionalism is.  Now let’s take the beginning of his assertion… “We may or may not believe in [American Exceptionalism]…”.  I then have to ask who it is that does not believe in Freedom and Liberty of the Individual?  You speak as if you know or this opening qualification would not be necessary.

Yes, yes… I know these people are out there Hammering away at the Malleable Proletariat but I like to have them on the record so we all know who they are which is why I ask.  (One of the reasons I’ve been hiding out around the Barnes and Noble in Tyson’s Corner, aside from all the TOTALLY COMMON and super awesome Gang Rape Parties that EVERYONE has ALL THE TIME around the short hop to Bethesda, is watching how Trump’s mere existence is bringing these Socialist Democrat A-holes out into the open.)

So Who is it, Mr. Sharma, that does not believe in American Exceptionalism?  Who is it exactly that does not believe in the Freedom and Liberty of the Individual and the power inalienable rights has unleashed upon the World propelling the United States to the most powerful country on Earth in just a short few hundred years?  Who are these people who believe a person’s rights are bestowed upon them by Government made up of fallible, elitist, narcissistic beings and not God… or the Universe… or simply because they Exist?

Who?

Name names…

It’s okay, Mr. Sharma, I know you can’t do this for several of reasons.  1.)  You may be one of those people.  2.)  You like your paid gig and wish to keep it by specifically not offending those fallible, narcissistic elitists who employ you.  3.)  Both 1 and 2.

So allow me to say what I’m hoping you meant to say.

The Current Economic Boom occurring in The United States is substantially due to the removal of barriers upon the Engine of Capitalism which were erected by Socialist Scum as they believe it’s not ‘Fair’ that Free (er) Markets are so damned successful and restraining them is the only hope for their foolish Command and Control Economic Idiocy to catch up.

Giving you the benefit of the doubt, I’m sure that’s what you wanted to say…

You’re Welcome.

Now we wait for Ruth Buzzy Ginsberg to retire and the ensuing melt down.

The Left is the proverbial ‘drowning man’… it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

Next!

The Default State of economics…

Many years and countless hours of studying Socialist countries has presented me with two absolute and demonstrable facts.
First, Socialism never works no matter how much your local Socialist wants or wishes it too.  Or for that matter, tells themselves it does.
Second, Free Market Capitalism is the default state of economics.

Without fail, once established and entrenched, a socialized economy gives birth to a separate and “unequal” system of trade.

A system of trade that is not controlled by the state. It has many names such a black, grey, underground and illegal… but those in charge never call it “free” which is exactly what it is.  (In Russia there was a simple rule everyone lived by… if you see a line get in it.  They knew that whatever was at the other end, whether they wanted it or not, could be traded for something they did want.)

The Socialists have attempted every imaginable idea to stop Capitalism in its tracks but  have succeeded only in slowing it down and creating distortions which they then blame on the very free market they distorted.

They stare dumbfounded at a system of trade that does not require their genius, planning or input, to be successful.

So, Throughout history the Free Market has ruled unmatched in it’s success and durability as the premier economic system.
(An aside: I’ve encountered a school of liberalism (a poorly educated one) that has labeled Free Market trade as “Smithian Capitalism”. I would remind these Elitist Know Nothings that Smith was simply an observer and recorded what had been evident for millennia. Just because he was the first to organize it on paper does not make him the architect of voluntary trade.)
Free trade has flourished under monarchies and Marxism alike.

It cannot be stopped… but that seems to be one of the tenets of our present day, home-grown Socialists. There is an ongoing effort to slow Capitalism down with policy issues like global warming which then lead to ideas like cap-and-trade etc. Ironically it is the resistance from the rest of the socialized world which stands in the way of these ill-founded ideas… the Communist Chinese understand the value of free market trade which is why Hong Kong has been left alone.  But they also recognize the inability to control a population enjoying a Free-Market, which is why they have not officially adopted the economic system for China proper.
But the point is, when the superiority of Free Market Capitalism is recognized even by those who wish to see it go away, you have to ask yourself why are we still fighting with these same types of people at home?
I have and will continue to offer it is about Power and Control… it is about a mindset that see themselves so superior to you that the concept of not making your decisions for you is unthinkable. In their minds, It is about keeping you from always making the wrong choice because you’re too stupid to know better.
We finally have a single country, in the United States of America, founded on the beneficial evidence of  individual rights, voluntary trade and property rights.  And the Left can’t leave it alone.

I’m tired of placating these people and their oppressive ideas coated with a candy glaze of “fairness”.  Simply being born in a country doesn’t make it “yours”. If we are not racists then we should surely not be “Geographists” either. We should organize ourselves according to ideas on  Individual Freedom and Liberty.  Those who do not believe in how this country was founded need only find a country where their ideas fit in.

Socialists already own most of the planet… how is that working out for them?  Surely the EU could use the brilliance of our modern day Left to help them put their Socialist Utopia back in order.

(042812)

“If you destroy a free market; you create a black market.” – Winston Churchill

Is Trump Serious?!

This must also be what the Chinese are thinking right now.
If Trump is genuine regarding Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum coming from outside the United States it must be considered Economic War.
The debilitating effects of Tariffs are well documented following Smoot-Hawley.

I am guilty of under estimating the negotiating skill of this man… and I must remind myself that he is a graduate of Wharton School of Business.  I must remind myself that he Knows where this will go.

So let’s assume this is the opening shot across the bow of an international trade war.

The White House is desperately trying to keep the focus of proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum on the increased cost of goods which will be directly passed to the consumers.  (This is also how corporate taxes work… but that’s for another day.)  The Maison Blanc is currently sending Peter Navarro out to sell the tariffs with talking points implying there will be ‘only a penny increase on the cost of a six-pack of beer’ and ‘only $45 to the cost of a new car’… I sh*t you not.  Navarro knows better, too.

Why do I find this an amazing point in time? Because once you read a bit about the Smoot-Hawley Tariffs (linked above) we imposed with only the best of intentions during the 30’s and the resulting consequence of extending the duration of the Great Depression you quickly realize it’s not the direct impact which hurts the most.

It’s the Indirect Impact.

It’s the Retaliation.

It so happens that we American’s have had our productivity and living standards vastly increased by our ability to access inexpensive goods from… China.

Chew on that for a second.

Now think about the fact that China is a poisonous concept based in Communism/Socialism that exploits its population as life is cheap under such a horrid Governing Theory.  It is also an open secret that China must… must… create a quarter of a million new jobs every month or they risk a full-out pitchfork rebellion… not just the condemnation of a pathetically partisan Socialist Press as we endure here in The United States.

Which of us can weather  the economic impact we both know will result?

This is nothing short of War.

I’m not sure it’s not time… but I’m not sure it is.

You can’t get Here from There.

Here’s a riddle.

Where does the sun go down while the sun comes up and has 25% of all the stuff we need?  (Like Moskovskaya wrapped in a sleeve of ice.)

At the peak of Soviet supremacy there were over 126 different languages spoken within its borders in addition to over 30 dialects of Russian.  The country existed within 12 time zones.  The sun really did come up as it is going down.  The Soviets also possessed an estimated 25% of all the worlds obtainable resources.  This was the tapestry on which a revolution was painted and the ultimate failure of Socialism illustrated.

The Socialists/Communists took control of this potentially unstoppable world power and in 72 years ran it into the ground.  They couldn’t help it.  Socialism required a top-down, command and control, economy… which always leads to failure in the end.

Fast forward to the early 2000’s…

The Soviet Union/Russia is still built on a “top down” model of government.  What I mean is that edicts are pushed down upon the citizens from above rather than what we (supposedly) have here in the U.S. where edicts are pushed up to the government from below.  This is an enormous and fundamental difference which explains what is going on over there as of this typing.

Russia (and soon China) are perfect examples of the “if we just tweak the system we can retain our control” mentality.  It will not end well, because it never ends well.

You must remember that those in power are always loathe to give it up.  The leaders in those countries recognize the benefits that free-markets provide but refuse to embrace the required transitional government, individual liberty and property rights which enable free-market capitalism to work.

They are not stupid.  They are certainly misguided… absolutely elitist… but not stupid.  So, to keep the peasants quiet they keep “tweaking the system” hoping that will enable them to stay in power.  But history has provided us with myriad examples to the contrary.  Not to mention the oppression, death and destruction resulting from such an approach leading up to the end.

Without question, Socialism is corrosive.  It destroys everything it touches.  (Look at the U.S. and see what Social Security and Medicaid/Medicare have done to this country.  The evidence is there for all to see… we may not want to talk about it, but it’s right there in front of us.)

Putin understands that short of completely changing the government structure in Russia they will return to totalitarianism.  But that’s not what he wants.  (Stalin taught us that you can even get the public to cry out for it if their lives are bad enough and they are kept in the dark as to why.  To this day there are fresh flowers placed by common Russians on his grave.  I’ve seen it first hand.)  Putin just wants to be in charge when it happens.  He’s doing a good job.

This is always the problem with “adjusting” a top down model of government.  A little less poison is still poison.  Socialism will never be conducive to freedom and the productivity that our system promulgates.  This is what makes the United States special, and unique, in the world.  The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights were crafted to protect those individual liberties from an all-powerful state with the ability to force edicts upon the population. (Like Obama Care)  Because of this, the U.S. catapulted from a commonwealth to a hyper-power in a short 250 years.  It is why the rest of the world, from the pacific rim to Western Europe, is having to “tweak” their systems in the hope of staying relevant by comparison.  It’s also why they don’t like us for the most part.  (The only hope they have is having our system fail…  they should find comfort that our home-grown Socialists are working on it right now.)

The writing on the wall Russia and China are refusing to read is “You can’t get here from there”.

Let me leave you with a question;

Why are we chasing the bankruptcy which Socialism always delivers in the form of socialized medicine and the perpetuation of Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid in their present forms when there are free-market alternatives?

Pour yourself some of that cold vodka and ponder this…

(Originally posted 022312)

Progressive Solutions at Work

Taking a page from The United States’ handling of Illegal Immigration, China has found a solution to their Smog Problem.

Chinese Authorities tell local weather forecasters to Stop Issuing Smog Alerts.

Problem Solved.

It is no wonder why Democrats admire the problem solving efficiency of Socialism.

Almost immediately after the directive was issued, China’s smog ‘problem’ had been solved. Coinciding with the disappearance of Smog throughout China, certain members of Politburo have moved to rename the dense poisonous haze as “Very Fine Particulate” as some government officials feel the term “Smog” is offensive.  Other terms considered were “Very Special”, “Very Special Old Pale” and “Extra Old”.

One Chinese Diplomatic Source we contacted stated, off the record, that any discussion about offensive terms is irrelevant as Smog, or whatever Western Countries might want to call it, no longer exists in China.  It was offered that the idea for the solution came from how the United States solved the Immigration Problem by ceasing to enforce Immigration Law.  The source also said that China’s focus has been, and remains, the Chinese role in controlling the New World Order. Our source then returned to his meeting with Vice President Joe Biden.

She’s a Girl.

Please allow me to explain something…

It’s unreasonable to believe Hillary Clinton could understand all the extremely complicated, dare I say convoluted, rules and requirements associated with holding the office of Secretary of State.  She did the best she could.

She’s a Girl.

To think Mrs. Clinton is capable of operating more than one electronic communication device for Official Business and a separate such device for Personal use is foolish.

She’s a Girl.

If you’re appalled that the people she surrounded herself with did nothing to aid her in complying with security measures being practiced by all Government Employees holding a Secret clearance and above, then you must not be taking into account their fear of sudden irrational bursts of anger and acts vengeful retribution.

She’s a Girl.

Taking into consideration a natural disposition to be flighty and irresponsible it is no mystery why Hillary could decide to create a private server outside of secure Government channels in order to communicate with the State Department, friends and family simultaneously.

She’s a Girl.

To be surprised at this level of incoherence, incompetence and unaccountability only illustrates your personal level of denial.

She’s a Girl.

Finally, the ease of which she ‘misrepresents the truth’, regarding all the above matters, when it appears to suit her… demonstrates…

She’s a Girl.

And, She will get away with it… because she can’t be expected to know what’s she’s doing.

(Feel Free to substitute “a Girl” with; “Old”, “Senile”, “Socialist”, “Leftist”, “Enemy of the State” or “Smartest Person in the World”.)