Friday, January 6, 2023

The Poison of Joe Biden’s Politics Is the Point


"The president is going to call out what he sees — that is his job as a president."

That was White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre's answer when asked this week how the White House explained Joe Biden's divisive rhetoric that hypocritically clashed with his Christmastime plea to "drain the poison that has infected our politics and set us against one another."

While the line — one of a select few Biden has delivered coherently in his nearly two years as president — might sound warm and fuzzy, it's as real as the tooth fairy — sorry, kids — or the bridge in Brooklyn many have tried to sell. Biden could clearly use a (probably frightening) look in the mirror and owes Americans he's smeared an apology.

But, of course, expecting an explanation from President Biden's spokeswoman on his hypocrisy is not a question that will get the White House press corps anywhere, especially when the poison is the point of Joe Biden's politics.

You see, when Republicans call out President Biden for his failed "build back better" policies that have wrecked the U.S. economy or warn of the consequences of his so-called "green" energy "transition" that have only made life worse for Americans, that's "poison" to Joe Biden and his friends in the liberal media. But when Biden and other Democrats divide Americans and smear patriots who are worried about the direction of the country, that's just fine. 

Somehow, the following easily recalled quotes from President Joe Biden don't qualify as "poison" politics to the Commander in Chief or the liberal mainstream media.

"Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic" and constitute "a threat to this country," Biden declared in front of Independence Hall last September while bathed in eerie red light and flanked by military guards. 

Biden later accused Republicans of working to "suppress the right of voters and subvert the electoral system itself" by "deciding whether your vote even counts" in another angry speech just before the midterms. 

"This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated — not the vaccinated, the unvaccinated," Biden stated at a CNN town hall event in December 2021. "That's the problem," Biden continued. "Everybody talks about freedom about not to have a shot or have a test. Well, guess what? How about patriotism?" he said, claiming that those who chose not to get vaccinated were unpatriotic. 

Biden also claimed that December that "we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death — if you're unvaccinated — for themselves, their families, and the hospitals they'll soon overwhelm." That is, Biden further divided Americans based on a personal medical decision by claiming some were set to be liable for killing their families and preventing hospitals from doing their usual lifesaving duties.

Those are just a few examples of Biden's divisive and poisonous-sounding smears that sought to pit Americans against each other for their health care decisions, deeply held beliefs, and party membership. But there are even more instances than can fit in this column, including demonizing successful businesses, falsely smearing brave border agents, and going after critical energy industries and the workers who keep America running. 

All this from the man who tried to position his basement-run campaign as a "battle for the soul of America." As is clearer now than it was then, Biden's goal in the battle for America's soul was to dash it on the rocks of divisive progressivism and leave it in pieces. 

Biden has spent so much of his first almost two years in office dividing Americans that it's basically his brand already. But that brand is one that is, as he's been caught doing before, plagiarized from someone else. 

Joe Biden served eight years as vice president to Barack Obama, better known as the "Divider in Chief" as rightfully labeled by author and former Republican Party of Virginia Chair Kate Obenshain Keeler. Biden learned from one of the best students of Saul Alinsky, who wrote the playbook relied on by Democrats to strategize their divide-and-conquer plan to seize more power for themselves. 

Look at what's happened in the last two years and how the Biden administration has used division to amass more power over everyday Americans. 

There are plans for 87,000 new IRS agents, and that's an agency that's definitely never been caught enacting Democrats' political will through targeted persecution. 

Then there were unconstitutional vaccine mandates on American workers. Some have been repealed, but the entire exercise was all about testing how far Democrats could force compliance with their government edicts. 

Don't forget about the also-unconstitutional EPA climate rules that sought to put coal-fired power plants out of operation, an action that would have doomed Americans to expensive and unreliable alternative energy. 

And who could ignore the Biden administration's failed "Disinformation Governance Board" — not to mention what's come to light through the Twitter Files — as Biden and his fellow Democrats sought to take control of what Americans were able to say online.

As is clear, some of Biden's efforts have — mercifully — failed. But too many have succeeded, and he will continue attempting other power grabs for his Democrat friends while continuing his campaign to divide Americans. It's because the poison of Joe Biden's politics is the point — without it, Democrats don't have power. 




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And we Know, On the Fringe and more- Jan 6

 




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How Is The Uniparty Destroying America? Let Me Count The Ways

In March 1962, JFK observed that “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” Sixty years later, his words resonate.

We are seeing the foundations laid for a revolution. Whether that revolution is peaceful or violent remains to be seen. In virtually every society, over time, a few elites accumulate most of the power. Those elites, in turn, run the nation as their personal fiefdom, where they utilize the machinery of the state to enrich themselves, accumulate more power, and use trifles to appease the exponentially larger population of serfs whom they rule.

This reality applies to monarchies, Communist tyrannies, “democracies,” theocracies, and even, as we’re coming to discover, republics. It doesn’t have anything to do with economics either, as it occurs in capitalist states, socialist states, Communist states, and mercantile states. The only difference is how long it takes for the structure to collapse. It took the Roman Republic 500 years to collapse, the French monarchy 1,000 years, the Soviet Union 70 years, and the EU is shaky after just 30 years.

Closer to home, the American Republic finds itself on a precipice of collapse after less than 250 years. We’re seeing it unfold right in front of us.

There is perhaps no better example of the disconnect between the ruling elites than last month’s utterance from the clown who runs the GOP in the Senate, Mitch McConnell. He said of America sending another $45 billion to Ukraine…. “Providing assistance for Ukrainians to defeat the Russians is the number one priority for the United States right now, according to most Republicans.” That may be the biggest lie in American politics since Bill Clinton told the American people, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”

Ukraine is not and has never been even close to the top of the list of important things to either the American people or Republicans. According to data Statista published the day before the election in November 2022, of the 15 top priorities for Americans, foreign policy came in at #15, with only 37% finding it “very important.” Inflation was #1, with 69%, followed by healthcare and jobs at 62% and 61%, respectively. National security came in #4 with 60%, but most Republicans feel like the invasion on our southern border is far more threatening to the Republic than anything going on between Russia and Ukraine. Democrats, not so much.

But that’s just one example of the elites pushing the country toward revolution. Another is the House January 6 Committee that was set up to “investigate” the “insurrection” following the November 2020 election. From start to finish, the Committee was an exercise in gaslighting half the American population, with the ultimate goal being to keep Donald Trump off the ballot in 2024. Lapdog Liz Chaney stated as much: “There’s no question: A man as dangerous as Donald Trump can absolutely never be anywhere near the Oval Office ever again.”

The Committee laughably accused Donald Trump of inciting an insurrection; ignored proof that Nancy Pelosi is responsible for the chaos that took place; barely spoke to Ray Epps, one of the few, if not the only person caught on tape actually encouraging protesters to break into the Capitol; and it is hiding and refusing to release over 14,000 hours of video from the Capitol during said “insurrection”.

Another example of the elites putting their thumbs in the eyes of average Americans is the $1.7 trillion budget that Congress passed in December. No Congress in modern history has seen an outgoing House majority pass an omnibus appropriations bill in a lame-duck session.

Had Congress articulated its priorities and passed the bill before the election, that would have been one thing, but it didn’t because doing so would have allowed the American people to vote on said priorities. Nonetheless, even without Democrats showing their anti-American hand, voters decided to deliver a GOP majority to the House.

Traditionally a short-term spending bill would have covered the holidays and given the new GOP majority the ability to influence the remainder of the FY 2023 spending. But the Democrats would have none of it and shivved the American people just before Christmas.

Of course, the GOP could have stopped it with a filibuster, but instead of giving the American people a voice, 18 treacherous Republicans voted “Yes,” forcing Americans to borrow hundreds of billions of dollars to:

These are things that most Americans don’t care about or specifically oppose, but the uniparty elites in Washington don’t care. Why should they? They keep getting sent back….

And it’s not just Congress; it’s the bureaucracy and the states that are undermining the Republic. Across the country, as businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to find employees, Washington and state capitals are working hand in hand to undermine a fundamental principle of American freedom, the work ethic, by providing benefits that are impossible for businesses to compete with, particularly small businesses.

In 14 states, unemployment, Obamacare, and welfare payments combine to generate an annual income equivalent of $80,000, and in three states, Washington, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, over $100,000. What Bostonian in his rational mind would take a minimum wage job ($15.00) generating $31,200 a year when he can sit back, and the government will simply give him $100,000 instead?

The Swamp is training Americans to be dependent on and servile to the government. Is it a surprise that the number of Americans interested in being the taxpaying suckers in this equation is dropping?

And just in case anyone missed the point, Democrats are demonstrating in real time that they can and will steal elections with impunity. In Arizona, Kari Lake’s suit laid bare exactly how the Democrats do it, without even hiding it. Machines that are programmed to fail when and where the GOP votes are expected to dominate, insecure ballots where the chain of custody is mandated, and potential judicial manipulation all combine to end with a Democrat victory for a candidate who spent more time in her basement than Joe Biden did in 2020. Maricopa County brazenly showed Americans exactly how the election was stolen in 2020 and how they were bold enough to do the same in 2022, knowing they would likely succeed. And they expect us to simply accept it….

To all of this, add the most recent Kennedy assassination files and the Twitter files, both of which make it clear that the desires, opinions, and votes of the American people are of no consequence to the Swamp.

The Uniparty cabal of politicians, bureaucrats, academics, and media doesn’t care about elections, freedom, or the prosperity of the American people. Instead, the Uniparty’s members care only about their power and their bank accounts, and they will do whatever it takes to maintain their control.

Donald Trump upset that apple cart and, as such, had to be eliminated. Thankfully they didn’t do to him what was done to JFK, but they removed him from office nonetheless. Trump has said he’s not done. We’ll see.

Will Donald Trump 2.0 turn out to be King Leonidas at Thermopylae or King Sobieski at Vienna? Will the Swamp heed JFK’s admonition? Only time will tell, and 2024 is fast approaching.




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4 Indications Andrew Tate’s Arrest Isn’t Really About Whether He’s Trafficked Women


Do the same managerial activists who support transgender mutilation and global sex trafficking really care whether Andrew Tate is a rapist?



Internationally known online pimp and social media men’s influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, were arrested last Thursday by Romanian authorities on allegations of human trafficking and rape. According to Romanian news, a Bucharest court ordered the brothers to remain in custody for 30 days. The pair’s assets have been seized, including the Tates’ car collection, home, and several other buildings.

Tate is a British-American influencer and former professional kickboxer famous for making millions pimping online prostitutes and for emitting counter-Davos spin on his hugely popular social media accounts. Prior to his arrest, Tate was banned from Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, with little to no public explanation.

The Tates have reportedly been accused by six women of sexually exploiting them to produce pornographic material for “webcam girl” sites. Tate stated he hasn’t been in the webcam business for four or five years and that when he was, the prostitutes were there of their own volition and were paid. 

The arrest last week is reportedly related to another raid of the Tate home last April when Romanian authorities responded to allegations that an American woman was kidnapped by the Tate brothers. The Tates were let go shortly after the raid. Tate claimed the raid resulted from the false allegations of an angry boyfriend.

If the current allegations are true and Tate was forcing women to create pornographic material and holding them under the threat of violence, then he should be fully brought to justice. However, so far there is no evidence the allegations are true. The case is a public he-said-she-said situation between Tate and law enforcement in one of the most corrupt countries in Europe. 

Any form of prostitution is deplorable, but so long as it is consensual it is not only not illegal but actively encouraged by the ruling class that Tate so publicly thumbs his nose at. Here are four reasons to be skeptical that the same managerial activist class that supports transgender human mutilation and global sex trafficking by border cartels really cares about whether the Tate brothers are rapists and is intent on bringing them to justice instead of shutting them up.

1. Tate Uses the Ruling Class’s Sexual Chaos Ideology Against Them

It’s no secret that Tate has some powerful enemies. In late August, Tate was banned by nearly all mainstream Big Tech platforms. He told the Recount that even his Uber, Airbnb, and Stripe accounts were suspended. Hardly any of the companies explained his banning, and only TikTok and YouTube attributed the censorship to “hate speech.” “The Matrix sent their agents,” Tate wrote on Twitter after his arrest.

It’s very difficult to believe that the same people who insist “sex work is work” and ultimately want to erase womanhood really care about “sexism,” women’s regret about casual sex, or even human trafficking. They usually cynically use these slogans as clubs to beat their enemies.

The ruling class is all about destroying human happiness by pitting men against women and destroying marriage through erasing exclusive sexual commitment and sexual complementarity. They hate Tate because he reverses feminism’s war on men, which works for the ruling class, and turns it into a male war on women, which threatens the ruling class. As I theorized in November, Tate’s massive power and popularity with young men and his viral commentary on the Great Reset, global governance, and censorship is the real reason he has been targeted. 

By exposing to his large fanbase the globalist aims of the World Economic Forum’s “environmentalist” movement, the dangers of electric vehicles, robotic law enforcement, and the brainwashing and indoctrination in public education, Tate has made many powerful enemies. The globalist thought police are deeply threatened by Tate’s social media reach, and his use of their anti-human sexual ideology against them. They focus on Tate’s “misogyny” and politically incorrect male-oriented hot takes, but it seems likely their real reason for canceling Tate is his popular and pointed commentary on globalist objectives and social control. 

When powerful globalist leaders at the World Economic Forum thrust Sri Lanka into famine with their climate agenda, spiraled Europe into a dangerous food and energy crisis with their “net zero” goals, and convinced these same struggling Western countries to redistribute their wealth to foreign nongovernmental activist organizations at the COP27 conference, is it really hard to believe that these same powerful actors could find a way to put Tate, a social media star who criticizes their evil machinations, behind bars? 

2. Global Elites Don’t Care About Sex Trafficking

The accusations against Tate purportedly cross borders. His alleged trafficking organization involves not only Romania but the United States and Great Britain, as well. If we know anything about international sex exploitation operations, it’s that they tend to go unreported and unprosecuted so long as the right people are involved. After all, they’re convenient for generating blackmail potential for anyone who goes off-reservation.

Jeffrey Epstein was allowed to prostitute minors to rich and powerful global figures for decades. To this day, none of Epstein’s elite clientele, such as allegedly Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton, have been punished. Only Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell is serving time, but notably in what many describe as a “country club prison.”  

Clearly, law enforcement is selective with the high-profile figures they chose to target. The last few years have laid bare how corrupt many domestic and international courts are. As Epstein proved, stopping sexual exploitation is not a priority for the international pink police state. Yet we are supposed to believe that the allegations against Tate are entirely honest and not at all politically or ideologically motivated.

Just ask yourself: If Tate were a Clinton or a Biden, would he be in jail right now? If you think so, I can’t help you. 

3. Romania Is a Corrupt Country

According to the United States Embassy in Romania, “Corruption is a serious problem in Romania.” Statista reports that in Romania it is socially “acceptable to either do a favor, or to give a gift or money to obtain something from the public administration.”

Bribery of law enforcement in Romania is something Tate has even talked about on many occasions. “I’ll go drive 200 miles an hour in my Lambo in Romania and you go drive 200 miles an hour in America and let’s see who gets in more trouble,” said Tate. It is not unreasonable to question whether Romanian officials and police officers were bribed into targeting Tate by his globalist opponents or anyone else he has made an enemy of, for that matter.

4. Arrest as a Pretext for Increased Censorship

On Sunday, The Guardian published an article echoing the sentiments of leftist activists pushing for tech giants to censor those who question the circumstances of Tate’s arrest, slandering them as “conspiracy theorists” and promulgators of “misinformation.” Of course, misinformation is often code for information inconvenient to the left. In recent examples, the lab leak theory, declining vaccine efficacy, and ineffectiveness of cloth face masks were labeled dangerous conspiracy theories and subsequently censored on social media platforms during Covid.  

If Tate is truly a trafficker and rapist, let the evidence speak for itself. Better yet, apply the laws against sexual exploitation equally to all. Go after the international criminal cartels mass-trafficking vulnerable women at the U.S. border. Investigate the video evidence indicating Hunter Biden had sex with an underage prostitute.

We all know that’s not going to happen, which further reinforces the perception that Tate’s arrest is not a search for justice, but about silencing Tate’s message to men that they are being exploited by global leftism and can fight back. Those who know history know that cornering young men and making them disillusioned and desperate is a very dangerous play.


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Some Invasions Don’t Require Armies

There is a limit to how much burden America can carry, and we are approaching that limit.


Amid the growing fears of many Americans that their country is slowly disintegrating, a debate about whether or not the United States is being invaded is bubbling to the surface. At stake is something far more than semantics: the future of the country as we know it may hang in the balance. 

Ducey v. Moore, currently being litigated in an Arizona federal district court, is a case that is testing states’ rights to defend themselves from invasion by Mexican drug- and human-smuggling cartels. In response to the well-documented influx of foreign nationals entering the country illegally, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey placed shipping containers along the state’s southern border to stem the flow. The federal government now claims that the shipping containers violate various federal regulations that it says apply to the Roosevelt Reservation area near the border, and seeks removal of the containers.

The case brings up the fundamental question of what constitutes an invasion. Anti-borders activists scoff at the application of the term at our border, as there are no formal armies involved. To them and others, “invasion” only applies to events like our boys from the Greatest Generation storming the beach at Normandy or Germany’s Operation Barbarossa into Russia. 

But what is the goal of an invasion? If it is to penetrate, demoralize, and destabilize a nation, then the current flow into the United States fits the definition. Cartel operatives at the border now come equipped with military-grade weapons and surveillance technology. The fentanyl and other illicit drugs they ferry across the border are the leading cause of death for Americans 18 to 45 years old.  

Like a traditional invasion, this current iteration has a devastating effect on our nation’s treasure and other resources. Just since Joe Biden assumed the presidency, illegal aliens released into the United States will cost American taxpayers an additional $20.4 billion annually. Anyone who has visited a hospital emergency room or a department of motor vehicles can witness the strain that immigration violators have put upon our already fragile infrastructure. 

There is also little debate that our country has problems separate from immigration in need of attention. Homelessness is a growing and seemingly ubiquitous problem in our larger cities. Independent business owners saw their life investments wiped out during the COVID lockdowns. Our schools are turning out graduates who are falling behind the rest of the world in math and science. Our roads, bridges, and airports are decaying. How many billions spent on dealing with our self-inflicted illegal immigration problem could have been directed at solving these and other social problems?  

As invasions go, the chaos at our southern border is tailor-made for our current era of wokeness and purported social justice. In another time, reasonable people would stand up en masse in vigorous protest against this abdication of our sovereignty. Today, however, a silent majority is largely shamed into silence for fear of social isolation under accusations of xenophobic nationalism. 

The indifference, if not outright contempt, toward immigration enforcement by our federal government today is staggering. In the Arizona case, a brief filed by Attorneys United for a Secure America, a project of the Immigration Reform Law Institute, illustrates this problem. 

The brief points out the irony that when President Theodore Roosevelt established the Roosevelt reservation in 1907, he did so to prevent smuggling from Mexico to the United States and to protect the environment from further damage that such illegal entries caused. The opposite purpose—that of facilitating illegal entries—now governs federal policy.    

There is a misconception by many in the pro-illegal immigration movement that America is a golden goose that will live forever. It can easily absorb the costs of the welfare state, social security, military expenditures, pandemic responses, and surrendered borders among other obligations and still remain solvent. This is clearly and demonstrably false. All great societies have their breaking points and can eventually crumble.

It was once written that the sun never set on the Roman Empire. Thanks in great part to its weakened borders and the influx of Goths, Huns and other groups from the 4th through the 6th centuries, the Western Roman Empire fell. 

There is a limit to how much burden America can carry, and we are approaching that limit. If we do not change course, a sustained, endless invasion will push us beyond our limit and into the abyss.




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Biden's Economy: Auto Sales Down 8 Percent, Lowest Levels Since 2011


Bob Hoge reporting for RedState 

Supply-chain issues and poorly stocked dealerships plagued US auto companies in 2022, leading to an eight percent decrease in domestic sales and the lowest number of purchases in more than a decade.

But the Biden economy’s doing great, folks.

The good news however is that General Motors was one of the few companies to report an increase and took the US sales crown back from Toyota, which earned the top spot in 2021.

The Wall Street Journal breaks down the numbers:

Industrywide, U.S. auto sales totaled 13.7 million vehicles in 2022, the lowest figure since 2011 and an 8% decrease from the prior year, according to the research firm Wards Intelligence. Sales had topped 17 million vehicles for five straight years before the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, unleashing supply-chain problems that have bogged down deliveries ever since.

Computer chip shortages plagued many companies, hobbling Toyota’s production among others. The war in Ukraine has also contributed to the problem, as sanctions and severed trade routes are making an impact.

“When we started the year off, the whole industry had projections all above 16 million,” said Jack Hollis, Toyota’s North American sales chief. Companies quickly ditched their projections as factories were forced to shut down or slow production.

Adding to Detroit’s woes: inflation and high interest rates. I don’t know about you, but I’m holding on to my six-year-old Ford Explorer till they pry it from my cold, dead hands. Not only has the rising cost of goods eaten into what little discretionary spending I had available, but the Fed’s repeated rate hikes have also left the average auto loan rate at 5.16 percent for new cars and 9.34 percent for used cars.

Hell naw.

While some auto executives are hopeful for a better 2023, a possible (probable?) recession has them concerned:

“We expect 2023 to carry a high level of risk and uncertainty as several markets could be dealing with a recession,” said Jeff Schuster, president of global forecasts at LMC Automotive.

Fortunately, if you have an extra $66,000 hanging around (the average price of an electric vehicle), you can ignore the fact that its battery is probably produced by slave labor and get a fancy new EV. Joe’s got your back:

Overbearing COVID policies and the war in Ukraine both contributed to supply chain issues, and Biden’s inflation cramped the wallets of all but the wealthiest Americans. The truth is, only those that absolutely need a new vehicle—or are just plain wealthy—will likely be looking for one this year. From the New York Times:

Analysts expect that higher rates and a slowing economy will force some U.S. shoppers to delay car purchases or steer away from showrooms altogether in 2023 even if automakers crank out more vehicles than they did last year because they can get more parts.

The reality is until the administration gets inflation under control—and the big-spending “Inflation Reduction Act” will almost assuredly not achieve that goal—many folks are simply going to hold off on big purchases for the foreseeable future.

Elections have consequences.




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Bidenomics – Amazon Announces 18,000 Layoffs, and They Are Not Alone – Imports and Exports Drop


That slow grinding creak you hear in the background; that’s the U.S. economic engine running without oil and beginning that slowdown phase just before it stutters and stalls completely.  Alas, the pretending continues…

As noted by the Wall Street Journal, an economic gaslighting institution with a central mission to maintain pretenses, “business surveys show U.S. factory activity declined in December, the Institute for Supply Management and S&P Global both said this week. Separately, S&P Global said Thursday that U.S. services-sector businesses reported a decline in output for the third month running in December.” This comes as “U.S. imports dropped more, by 6.4% on the month, as Americans cut back on holiday-related purchases, including items from other countries such as computers and autos.”

Keep in mind, November retail sales—which included consumer spending at stores, online and at restaurants—fell 0.6% from the prior month for their biggest decline of 2022, according to the Commerce Department. Manufacturing output declined in November as well, the Fed reported, while U.S. home sales fell for a record 10th straight month.

Into this mix of economic metrics, driven by a collapse in disposable consumer income and high energy prices, now we begin to see the number one business expense being curtailed.

(Market Watch) […] Amazon.com Inc layoffs will affect more than 18,000 employees, the highest reduction tally revealed in the past year at a major technology company as the industry pares back amid economic uncertainty.

The Seattle-based company in November said that it was beginning layoffs among its corporate workforce, with cuts concentrated on its devices business, recruiting and retail operations. At the time, The Wall Street Journal reported the cuts would total about 10,000 people. Thousands of those cuts began last year. (more)

Amazon is not alone, “Vimeo said Wednesday that it will cut its workforce by 11% as part of a broader effort to reduce costs, citing deteriorating economic conditions” (link).  Additionally, Salesforce Inc. is laying off 10% of its workforce and reducing its office space in certain markets, extending a brutal period for tech job cuts into the new year.”

We can anticipate more reports like this from Reuters, “Samsung Electronics Co Ltd’s quarterly profit will likely plunge 58% to its lowest in six years as a global economic downturn saps demand for electronic devices and clouds the outlook for the memory chip industry.  With consumers and businesses reducing spending and investment in the face of high inflation and climbing interest rates, smartphone makers and other clients held back memory chip orders, while smartphones sold for less as demand suffered, analysts said.”

Electronics, cars, furniture, durable goods of all types and varieties are plummeting in sales.  Consumers are being squeezed by inflation, housing, energy and food costs, and spending priorities are being reevaluated yet again.  Compare the impact on ‘real wages’ -vs- the 2007/2008 economic crisis.

From a purely fraudulent accounting perspective, however, the drop in U.S. imports will help boost calculations of U.S. economic growth in the fourth quarter because trade deficits subtract from overall output, or gross domestic product.

U.S. consumers not purchasing imported goods makes the health of the U.S. economy look less bad; but it’s an illusion akin to smiles in the bread lines.

In other economic news, I did some real estate analysis over the past several days and it’s safe to say there is a steep downward trajectory in the data I use.   Again, home values are nuanced on a regional level, but my model is pretty close in averaging.

If buyers do not absorb the seller’s loss in equity (which no one should ever do), in my SWFL area a $450k home listing is going to sell around $380k at the high side (actual value based on economic indicators and buyer ability).   That rough estimate, while slightly offset due to general inflation, should trend nationally over the next 12 to 18 months.   That means macro home prices dropping around 15 to 20% nationally over the next 12 months.

If you are a home buyer, put your offers around 15 to 20% below current asking price without any emotional attachment to it.  Don’t flinch, remain ambivalent and walk away if refused.   The recovery to current price will take around a decade.  If you are a seller and get an offer within -10% of asking, consider yourself lucky and jump on it.



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