Advancing Time
Sunday, September 8, 2024
Advancing Time: A Very Ugly Election Season Has Descended Upon Us!
A Very Ugly Election Season Has Descended Upon Us!
The very ugly election season has descended upon us. Undeniably, polarization is the word of the day. For many Americans, this is not a rush to pick the best President but to vote for the least worst. This has filled the internet with cheap parody songs attacking Trump or Harris depending on the entertainer's values. Examples of these parodies can be found at the bottom of this post. This post. however, is not about parodies or music.
The reality is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A big deal is being made as a slew of "Never Trumpers" endorse Harris. At the same time, even more telling is that Robert F Kennedy Jr has suspending his run for the US presidency and announced his endorsement of Donald Trump. Of course, Harris supporters have tried to spin this as "sour milk" rather than acknowledge the strong opposition Kennedy held to the current Biden-Harris agenda.
For years, Kennedy repeatedly condemned Trump, referring to him as a “bully,” who appealed to “bigotry,” “hatred,” “xenophobia” and “prejudice.” Among the chief attacks Kennedy has leveled at Trump through the 2024 campaign is to accuse him of corruption for turning his administration over to corporate lobbyists and special interests and his failure to “drain the swamp.”
It must be noted, Kennedy and Trump do share similar isolationist views on US foreign policy, government censorship, and the need to address chronic disease in America. Kennedy has, in the past, called Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election appalling and a threat to democracy. He has also argued President Joe Biden has been a bigger threat. He blames Biden for censoring political speech using as an example his Instagram account being banned in 2021 over vaccine misinformation.
On another note, one of the most open, honest, lucid, truthful, and issue-oriented political discussions I have seen in the modern age. took place in a riveting episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu. There, Nicole Shanahan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s running mate in his 2024 independent presidential campaign, dissected the legacy of Trump's first term and many other topics. Nicole openly shares her vision for government accountability, emphasizing the role of technology in enhancing transparency and productivity. It is a shame how few people will see it. It makes clear the issue of there being a monopoly on the scale of information distribution is perhaps the most important monopoly of them all.
A huge problem looms in the fact neither of America's Presidential candidates is interested in cutting the national debt and slowing our descent. Dr. Lacy Hunt, former Senior Economist to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, as well as several of the world's largest global banks, is not impressed. He takes the position both Presidential candidates will only make our debt problem worse.
Over the last few years, we have seen people working less and more people shifting towards taking some type of public support. This has been occurring at a time when productivity has not increased, Adding to America's economic woes is that consumers continue to dig themselves deeper into debt. To be honest, it is difficult to find a Politician anywhere who is advocating an economic path that deals with the problems ahead. They are instead paving the way toward stagflation or inflation.
It appears that Democrats don't get it. Rather than aligning themselves with the American worker, they have formed a coalition made up of the poor, the deep state, and the globalist elites. All these groups have one thing in common, and that is they are willing to sacrifice our future for more money and power today. This is evident in a number of policies rubber-stamped by this coalition that constantly favor big businesses such as Amazon over the far smaller companies that made America famous.
Giving people money to stay at home and order online is devastating to the brick-and-mortar stores that line the streets of our communities. These are the companies that pay taxes and provide jobs for our friends and families. The major labor shortage and a fall in productivity will have long-lasting implications in the form of future stagflation.
Today, many smaller businesses struggling under the expensive of ever-changing mandates being placed upon them by those in power. Already, statistics show that 1-in-4 Americans primarily live on government support. The idea of simply giving these people more money in the hope it will boost consumption is unsustainable because the numbers don't work.
Not only is Biden mentally impaired, but he is a liar and a crook that belongs in jail for selling political favors, and so does much of his family. The idea Democratic voters should swarm to support Harris just because she is not Biden is a bit sick, but what else does she have going for her? This election highlights the massive flaws in America's election system which was designed over two hundred years ago. A "fair update" is in order, but who would be able to design such a thing in the current political environment?
It is difficult to say how this election will play out. Most Americans are opposed to corruption, and think weaponizing the Department of Justice to attack political opponents is wrong. Expect high drama. Expect a lot of allegations of this or that party stealing the election. Do not be surprised if America comes across as a banana republic. The only guarantee I will give is that when all is said and done, a huge part of our population will not be happy.
The first three examples go after Harris, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIN5G_2e6h4
--- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIN5G_2e6h4
--- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIN5G_2e6h4
The below parodies hit on Trump --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIN5G_2e6h4
--- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIN5G_2e6h4
--- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIN5G_2e6h4
(Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)
Friday, September 6, 2024
Advancing Time: Slowing Economy In America To Result In Global Dis...
Slowing Economy In America To Result In Global Distress
America remains the world's largest economy and a slowdown here is likely to spread grief across the globe. It is amazing so many people simply don't understand the dire implications America's slowing economy will have on the world. Considering much of the global economy is dependent on exports to the US, the world should expect more problems ahead. These problems will not only be economic but take a toll on society across the world.
Other countries manufacture the goods Americans buy which makes America a key component in their economies. Without the American consumer, factories across the world will see orders slow. Any such slowing in orders reduces the need for raw goods from developing nations in both South America and Africa. This causes a lot of stress on their economies.
Since World War II, America has been the economic locomotive or engine pulling the economy forward. As we look back to the time following the 2008 financial crisis, we find China sidestepped the major slowdown by over-stimulating its economy. This resulted in a great deal of malinvestment. Currently, China is pumping money into its economy however, the law of diminishing return has taken hold.
Today any claims China was taking over the role of the world's economic engine have been tarnished by the recent revelations its economy is in shambles. Much of China's economy has been an over-hyped illusion. Its economy has proven to be more of a paper tiger built on a foundation of ghost cities, more factories than it needs, debt, and wasteful overbuilding.
In recent years, the EU has mistakenly shifted towards the East hoping China would act as a spark and revitalize growth. Instead, it has seen its trade deficit with China only grow larger. Some German observers are now saying the economy has reached crisis proportions and the reason is due to what the US economy's weakness is doing to the rest of the world. Rather than supporting a recovery, the situation in Germany, Europe's largest economy has turned ever more grim due to the growing negatives flowing out of America.
It is difficult to underestimate the role of the American consumer in the overall scheme of things and we have the trade deficit to prove it. This highlights the flaw in a system based on people buying stuff they often really don't need. What is deemed as demand tends to be a squishy area made up of waste and poor judgment. This is the first place consumers cut their spending.
Not Much Has Changed Over The Years - America Is Addicted To Imported Goods |
The fact is that America with its massive trade deficit is carrying much of the world on its shoulders. This includes not only China and Mexico but countries such as Japan, Germany, South Korea, and even Germany. These countries are sucking the wealth right out of us.
Sadly,
for those living off exporting to America, this spells trouble. When
the US consumer falls into a state of protracted economic funk their
priorities will take a hit. In times of financial duress expect American
consumers to turn towards keeping a roof over their heads, food, and basic
transportation rather than buying much of the junk we have been importing.
In a recent video, Robert Kiyosaki talks about what he sees as a looming global economic downturn. Best known for his book "Rich Dad Poor Dad" Kiyosaki's unique approach to personal finance and wealth-building has earned him a loyal following. While I believe in many of his views, I feel that Kivosaki often fails to point out that other fiat currencies are far worse than the dollar. Currencies are where many people store much of their wealth and even if they are debased and lose much of their value this is likely to continue. This is because currencies act as a primary medium of exchange in the modern world.
Short of America suffering a massive military defeat, it is difficult to see any rival ripping away the dollar's role as the world's reserve currency anytime soon. As American consumers cut their spending, the combination of more wasteful government spending, more debasing of currencies, and a slowing of global economies has the potential to usher in a major "inflationary" global slowdown. While the East and West may be decoupling, the world has not decoupled from the American consumer.
(Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Advancing Time: Revisiting "War In Ukraine And Its Expansion Into ...
Revisiting "War In Ukraine And Its Expansion Into Russia"
The war in Ukraine has expanded into Russia. This expansion highlights an unlimited amount of propaganda is being dumped upon us. Most of the media, with or without an agenda, have presented us with a rather one-sided view of what is occurring on the ground. Some claim Putin is on his last leg and about to crumble, others take the stand a desperate Ukraine's venture into Kursk is a suicide mission. Anyway you look at the situation "over there," most people would argue peace would be a better option.
From the get-go, I have taken the stand and warned pushing Putin into such a war was a bad idea in that a war in his backyard gave Russia a huge home-field advantage. To make matters worse, this war was and is totally unnecessary. As this has unfolded, I feel, the views of Colonel Douglas Macgregor probably give us a good picture of what is occurring on the ground. His take on, the mismatch of forces, the motivation, and the strategy seem to closely match reality.
In this latest update from the Kursk battlefield, Colonel Macgregor offered a detailed analysis of Russia's overwhelming counterattacks and Ukraine's staggering losses. As the 'Kursk Curse' unfolds as Russian forces are leveraging superior artillery and air power to dismantle Ukraine's offensive strategies. From the failed advances in Komarovka to the destruction of Ukrainian armored divisions, the battlefield remains a pivotal front in the ongoing conflict. It appears that Russia's elite units, like the Akhmat group, continue to sabotage and counter Ukraine's deep penetration raids.
This is leading to record-breaking casualties. Macgregor explains the brutal reality and devastating impact of Russia’s precision strikes and how the incursion into Kursk may enraged and galvanized the Russian people behind Putin. Rather than pressuring Putin to end the madness, Macgregor holds the view that more than a few Russians think Russia has not been aggressive enough and should ramp up its efforts to crush Ukraine.
Somewhere in the minds of rational people should reside the idea that warfare has proven to be a pathetic option to bring about positive change, it may change things, but to what degree and for how long. The loss of life of an individual is often insignificant except to their loved ones. One of the harsh realities of modern war is that it has become a less personal way to die. Beyond that ugly reality is the fact war carries with it many hidden costs. At this point, we can only pray that the warmongers among us do not turn this into World War III.
(Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)