Power Grid Failure Remains A Game-Changer

When the power grid fails, modern life rapidly grinds to a halt. This game-changer is an issue we must seriously recognize. Whether we are talking about the grid or soaring electricity cost one thing is very clear, we are very dependent on electricity. This article should be considered a reminder of the fragility of our codependent modern society and how the things we have come to depend on could vanish in a heartbeat. By highlighting some of the vulnerabilities we face, even if they have been voiced by others in the past, at least we raise awareness of some of the dangers we face. 

News of blackout and energy shortages also raises the question of what is going on and whether we are being "toyed with" by those pushing us towards what they see as a greener future. It could be argued these "outages" are why we need to rapidly, "build back better" the whole grid. Of course, the flip side of that argument is that overzealous environmentalists are causing most of the problems that have resulted in outages. Electricity remains the lubricant of modern life, without it society cannot function. A great deal of damage occurs to the economy when a  power outage takes place. People can't work, food supplies are damaged, and in times of inclement weather, people suffer greatly. Most Americans remember the power outage that gripped much of Texas in February of 2021. It resulted in pipes freezing and bursting and a great deal of suffering.

Blackouts have long been a thing of the past in most major cities but that has started to change. According to Bloomberg, the energy crisis that is rippling through Asia and Europe could unleash similar electricity shortages and blackouts in the United States. Soaring natural gas prices are forcing U.S. utilities to quickly turn to more coal. This is expected to cause huge price increases for consumers of electricity in the future. The soaring natural gas, coal, and oil prices are a clear signal the green energy transition will not be fast or cheap. Supply chain problems and a lack of workers are rapidly adding to concerns.  Due to a combination of these factors, several areas of the world are experiencing electricity disruptions. People in China, the UK, Continental Europe, and now India are currently seeing power outages.

The reality we face is that labor shortages and a COVID-related collapse in global supply chains have made a mess of things. All this has left several countries desperate for badly needed fuel supplies from LNG to coal to unrefined crude oil. While this has taken the focus off financial issues such as the failure of Evergrande, the power cuts are causing real and immediate pain. With areas forced to adopt rolling blackouts, we can expect the temporary loss of power to factories to further weaken supply chains. At least two factory owners in southern Guangdong province confirmed to the ABC that they have had to partially halt operations as power plants struggle.

Years ago, Ted Koppel the veteran newsman and the former anchor of ABC’s Nightline wrote a book that delved into how we have grown accustomed to cyber-attacks and makes the point that we have never had a cyber-attack that amounts to a weapon of mass destruction.  The secretary of defense at the time, Leon Panetta, called the threat of a cyber-attack on the power grid potentially a cyber-Pearl Harbor. An attack that would bring down our nation's power grid would be devastating. There is no question that the moment the lights go out everything would change and both our country and economy would immediately be forced into survival mode.

Devastating Power Outages Happen

If you want a vision of real "gloom and doom" take a moment and ponder the possibility of a devastating cyber-attack on America's power grid. Being a believer in several of the ideas and theories presented by writers like Nicolas Taleb, author of the best-sellers "The Black Swan" and later a book titled "Antifragile" it is not unusual that I find Ted Koppel's book interesting. The book titled "Lights Out", points out that a cyber-attack on America's power grid is not only possible but likely and that we as both a country and as a culture are shockingly unprepared for such an occurrence. 

In fact, our whole society has become based on what we consider an unending flow of current that allows us to live lives of comfort. In the past when the lights go out it is usually because of Mother Nature and we have always managed to get through it. But what if the power went out in several states affecting millions of people for weeks, even months?  In "Lights Out," Koppel  does not pussyfoot around, he paints a grim picture of a paralyzing power outage in the form of an all-out cyber-attack on the nation's electrical grid. This is a grim possibility few Americans are willing to consider or face. When Americans can no longer check their food stamp balance on their $800 cell phone, it means reality has come home to roost. 

 

 (Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)

Like The Dance Band On The Titanic, The Band Plays On

As The Ship Goes Down The Band Plays On

It is said the dance band on the Titanic played on as the ship went down. This was all done as a grand effort to reassure the passengers and ease the panic in their hearts. Consider the possibility that behind all the noise we hear today a similar effort is being made to comfort us and take your attention off the hopeless feeling that comes when things sink away beneath your feet. For the last several months I have come to feel a similar story is playing out here. The Biden-Yellen-Powell economy is less than inspiring. 

Looking back, it is clear the Fed's policies have hurt savers, It has caused savers to flee towards riskier investment in search of higher yields, driven speculation, increased equality, and added to inflation. Rather than using the bully pulpit and warnings of higher interest rates to keep government spending in check, the Fed has acted as an enabler to the crowd in Congress that loves nothing better than to sending taxpayer money back home claiming it is a gift and proof they are "working hard for their district."

With historically low-interest rates, rising inflation, and many consumers struggling to make ends meet. The economy is at a place where there is not much capability to increase consumption without throwing money from a helicopter and massively increasing the national debt. The problem with that is such stimulus programs are poorly focused. As we look about in this post-pandemic covid-lite era we see supply chains crumbling, stagflation mounting, and jobs being lost to automation. These are all immense problems even in the best of times.

With this in mind, the president has thrown his weight behind a huge infrastructure bill at the worst possible time. These type of bills coming out when employers are already having difficulty filling jobs because many workers have lost their motivation to work will only add to the labor shortage and cause inflation to soar. While he mumbles phrases such as "the buck stops here," and "I take full responsibility," Biden has a way of resorting to finger-pointing and leaping into the blame game at a second's notice. 

President Biden on Monday blasted Republican lawmakers’ approach to raising the federal borrowing limit and warned about the dangers of failing to do so. “A meteor is headed to crash into our economy,” Biden said during a White House speech. “Democrats are willing to do all the work stopping it. Republicans just have to let us do our job — just get out of the way.”

Money Supply Growth Indicates A Problem

It appears that Biden simply doesn't get it. Rather than aligning himself with the American worker, he is part of a larger 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 American famous. Giving people money to stay at home and order online is devastating 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 and become evident in the form of stagflation.

Amazon is the poster child of a failing America. In an ever changing economic environment, the government has aided Amazon in destroying America. Things like the USPS slating the company for special services and pricing. Approving Amazon to participate in delivering home grocery delivery on the SNAP program, and locking people in their homes while forcing many small businesses to close during the pandemic have all played to Amazon's advantage.

Not only have small companies lost sales, but they also cannot afford to automate and replace workers with robots like their giant competitor Amazon. Small companies don't have access to the cheap money flowing from Wall Street. This means small companies cannot compete and often cannot pay the same wages as large companies. Instead, small companies across America are forced to cut hours or even close at times because they cannot get employees. When customers find them closed they tend to develop the habit of looking somewhere else to buy things.

Adding to the woes of many smaller businesses are the expensive and ever-changing mandates being placed upon them by those in power. After the ship goes down, do not expect things to be pretty. 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. 

As the band plays on and water laps at our feet, most Americans ignore the signs we are in real trouble. Do not be surprised when we enter what will likely be a more protracted, deeper, and more damaging recession than what we saw in 2008. We would already be there if it were not for the crazy deficit spending going on in Washington. In fact, expect a depression, defaults and bankruptcies are only in the very early stages. The Fed has added a tremendous amount of liquidity to the system in order to repair credit spreads and mask over the flaws in the financial system but this will only delay the ugliness ahead.

Because so much is going on, current events have been drowning out reality making it hard to stay focused on the crux of financial and economic issues. That music coming from the dance band is a distraction that is difficult to ignore. There is no playbook for what is about to unfold when the ship goes down or anyone to turn to that has all the answers. Each of us must be aware of the risk and manage our finances accordingly. 

The one thing we do know is that in such a situation, the poor have little to lose, the rich often have ways to skirt much of the pain or, a reservation in the lifeboat. It is the so-called middle class that will be cast into the cold icy water to die when reality finally hits. An economy based on consumption and huge deficits is unsustainable. We need an economy where people produce and that appears to be slipping away.  

 

 (Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)

Biden's Infrastructure Package Is Poorly Timed

Like many Americans, I'm concerned and put off by the size and goals of President Biden's infrastructure package. Even the scaled-down package is unnecessary. Part of the problem is the timing of this massive spending bill. Such packages are often introduced at a time when unemployment is high and people can't find jobs, currently, that is not the case. We certainly do not need to stimulate demand at a time suppliers are suffering huge supply chain disruptions.

While many people and politicians see government spending on infrastructure as a job creator and a silver bullet for our ailing economy I would like to raise a word of caution, things are not that simple. Several reasons why the timing of this bill is horrible are staring us in the face, the most notable is that currently, no shortage of jobs exists. In fact, employers are having difficulty finding workers due to the fact many people have dropped out of the workforce and lost interest in returning to work in the current era of "covid-lite."

People are ignoring that a great deal of money already in the pipeline for states and local governments has yet to be spent. Much of this money could be used for infrastructure is being sent to governments based on a "use it or lose it" system of distribution.  Politicians often view this as "free money" allowing them to use it as they please. With this attitude, it is little wonder so much of it is squandered on stupid programs such as allowing people to ride free on public buses or putting in walking and bike lanes in areas where they will see little use. 

Many people have come to think that the money flowing from Washington does not cost us anything because often such bills are shrouded in the message the project will more than pay for itself over time by creating greater growth. The devil is in the details when it comes to such spending. Sadly, politicians often prefer to use such funds on what they view as legacy projects that will shape the future of their area or shiny pet projects that will enrich their cronies. Many of these tend to be rather wasteful and controversial and it is not uncommon to see them plagued by cost overruns.

Already Cones Galore But No Workers!

When recently driving the highways of America, I constantly encounter miles and miles of lanes coned off and in the middle of being resurfaced. 

Still, I often find there are no workers and little equipment present. Blame it on the way road work contracts are granted of work overseen but this indicates the companies performing the work are already stretched thin. Unfortunately, this tends to result in traffic jams. Having employees trapped in 

slow-moving traffic costs businesses a great deal of money and reduces productivity.

Throwing more money at companies already overextended is just asking for shoddy work at a higher price is hardly a formula for economic success. Expect no bargains for taxpayers when this bill gets passed. What it will do is push higher the cost of materials and labor which drives inflation. Ironically, it will also encourage the "premature replacement of good infrastructure" that still has years of useful life. This directly conflicts with the idea of pursuing a "green path forward" which those endorsing the bill claim gives it merit.

An example of this pops up in a recent study about how trading in your old car for a brand new electric vehicle may be doing more harm to the environment than good. Researchers in Japan say choosing to keep and drive your older gasoline-powered car longer is better than crushing it and going new when considering all the energy used to build a new vehicle. In short, research shows keeping older fuel-efficient cars on the road longer reduces CO2 emissions significantly more than speeding up the global transition to green technology. A team from Kyushu University says most of the debate over gasoline and electric cars focuses on fuel efficiency and the CO2 emissions they produce rather than the fact a rapid transition shoots up "manufacturing emissions."

Building Bridges Creates Jobs But Is Not Free

Since we are already suffering from supply chain disruptions and soaring prices, the cynical part of me thinks the timing of this bill is lousy and the American people should get ready to get bent over and taken advantage of. America's national debt is exploding, this means it might be a good time to revisit the idea a country can create the illusion of economic prosperity by spending while at the same time not accomplishing its goals of long-term growth. History shows that while a country can kick its gross domestic product into high gear by building a false economy based on infrastructure or war, this does not translate into sustainable growth. 

When a country gorges at the trough of deficit spending it can easily manipulate a big temporary boost in its GDP but solid growth is often the result of a slower well-planned approach. When Washington begins to talk about infrastructure spending hands go out across America as politicians and businesses  rush to endorse such programs claiming they should be administered on a local level so the money is not squandered by the inefficient minions of  Washington that do not understand the priorities we face.

As for the number of jobs we claim are created from such spending are often only temporary and can be easy to overstate. While infrastructure spending brings the illusion of solid growth it is generally a long-term investment financed by creating debt, this debt often lasts for decades and long after the project is completed. Often the jobs such projects create quickly fade away. This makes it important the money is well spent or the bill will come back to haunt society and the economy over time. 

 

This Is Third-World Infrastructure!

Those promoting such massive spending often claim America has a third-world infrastructure, this is poppycock. While things may not always be perfect, it is far from what much of the world has to deal with. The picture to the right is reflective of a "third world" infrastructure. When things don't work as planned in America, a lot of other factors are often involved such as a lack of accountability or the people in charge having no skin in the game. As stated before, solid growth is often the result of a slower well-planned approach. This means creating clear smart prudent well-defined goals and long-term strategies on how to meet them.  

 

In the long run, a country's economic policies and its system of taxation are far more important to the economy than government spending. It is pure folly to think in our age of crony capitalism that infrastructure spending that tends to be poorly spent during the best of times, will be able to rapidly transform our economy in the way politicians are promising.  Already, people are lining up to steal this money. In the current environment, the one thing we can count on is that when all is said and done, the family members and friends of government officials and business leaders are about to benefit greatly from this poorly timed bill.

  

(Republishing this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)

The American Work Ethic Is In Rapid Decline

The attitude our society has towards work has become rather blase. A slew of government mandates to stay home and cash giveaways have dampened the enthusiasm of many people to return to work. If you don't need to, why subject yourself to something most people find rather unrewarding and often unpleasant.

This has begun to be reflected in our youth becoming less interested in rushing off to get expensive college educations. Adding to this is the notion many careers may not exist or are not worth the cost or investment to get them. Many people think, for example, by simply being a doctor you are going to rake in the dough. however, when you think about it, it is a career with many drawbacks. How many people want to constantly deal with the weird problems demanding patients have and endless paperwork in an environment where they can be sued at any time.

This casual indifference to work is growing in people of all ages. The days when people were inspired to work and save for the future may never return. The general consensus is that when you work your fingers to the bone is all you get is bony fingers. Part of the blame falls upon the government's effort to eradicate poverty at the expense of the middle class. One of the side-effects of Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act if you prefer, is that by working less, it is possible to drop your income to where your health insurance is paid by the government saving the average American thousands of dollars a year and making those forced to pay the higher rates angry. 

The idea of hard work and savings for the future has also been undermined by savers getting paid next to no interest on the money they save and then being forced to pay taxes on the little they are paid. Adding to their pain is the fact that inflation is destroying the buying power and value of the money they worked so hard to save. It does not help that many taxpayers see the government simply pissing away the money they pay in taxes, a glaring recent example is the billions and billions of dollars worth of equipment left behind in Afghanistan. 

The dropping participation in the workforce is not entirely driven by the pandemic. Compounding the problem is the growing perception that working any harder than absolutely necessary makes you a chump. The strong socialist vibe coming out of Washington is enough of an indication that "getting ahead" in life is becoming less possible so why swim against the current. When coupled with demographics and our culture that almost encourages people to grow ever more self-centered. Emphasizing the individual as more important than the big picture has big ramifications.

People want to retire younger and enjoy living rather than working, especially if by working harder and longer, in the end, you find you are in the same place as someone who lived on the dole. We have reached the point where those dedicated to their careers are often ridiculed as greedy or unable to balance priorities. Saying such as, "few people on their death bed find themselves wishing they had spent more time at the office" diminishes the importance of work.

The feelings about work that seem to be filtering through society have a corrosive and damaging effect. Yes, there is a difference between work and a job which many people seem to forget. Work is an activity involving mental or physical effort done to achieve a purpose or result. A job often has more to do with where you work and who benefits from your labor. Workers often do not understand that if they only put in a minimal effort they may actually be a money-losing liability to their employer. Using the definition above removes many of the things people do because it brings them true enjoyment or a sense of satisfaction, in short work is often work and in many cases boring drudgery.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects workforce participation to continue falling

The lack of a motivated workforce hurts productivity and helps drive inflation it also feeds back into reducing the formation of new small businesses. If you want people to work and work hard, you need to provide them with an incentive rather than bash them. The current amount of paperwork, financial risk, and other factors such as being able to find people willing to work massively reduces the probability of most new businesses succeeding.

While Americans seem unconcerned and nonchalant about this shift in priorities and praise it as a good thing, it is important to remember too much of a good thing can be detrimental to your health. While America is "ramping down" other countries are "ramping up" and when all is said and done, it is more difficult to get jobs back than to lose them. Oddly enough, the desire to work less seems to have resulted in some Americans having to work far more to take up the slack. This is causing resentment to build towards those unwilling to carry what is seen as their share of the burden.

Even as I was writing this Bernie Sanders was on, Face the Nation talking about how America needs the immigrants flooding into the county, his reasoning is we need workers. In my opinion, Bernie is wrong and we should be wary of his argument, more open immigration does not get you significantly more "hard workers" just more people. More immigration does not solve the issue of a declining work ethic. The bottom-line here is that hard workers get far less credit and kudos than they deserve, expect this to continue in coming years.

(Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)

The War On Cash, Is It A Real Thing? The Answer Is Yes

In our bizarre economy, we hear many things, and ideas are constantly being thrown out to us. This all tends to flow together and help us develop a strategy as to how we should cope with the changing times. One thing we continue to hear is that a war is being waged to eliminate cash. Not only are most people going along with this but many have embraced the notion. 

Some people view carrying cash as dangerous or burdensome. This also dovetails with their desire to spend more than they can afford, when using a credit card it is far easier to continue spending money you do not have. All things considered, when asked, is the war on cash a real thing being directed from those on high, sadly we must answer yes. Cash reflects "options for the people" and it appears those in charge of such things want in gone.

Currencies were developed to facilitate and ease transactions between individuals and businesses. The war on cash is simply another way Washington can continue to show its favoritism towards big business. Small businesses often rely more on small cash transactions and often lack the ability to process other forms of payment. It is ironic that while big businesses and companies like Amazon flourish with each move government makes, the small businesses on Main Street are left worse off.

Your Wealth Will Be Locked In A Computer

A cashless society where records are made and kept reflecting every transaction we make even down to buying a candy bar also allows the government to monitor our every move. This is something Big Brother-type governments strongly aspire to under the guise it will extend its ability to protect us or tamp down on crime, tax evasion, and corruption. For some reason, they seem to think this will allow them to collect more taxes, yet it comes at the same time they continue to tilt the tax code in favor of massive companies.

The way the government has handled coins during the pandemic is a clear indication of its unconcern over the role cash plays in our economy. When coin shortages developed, little or no effort to straighten out the mess was instituted. Considering the massive number of coins sitting unused in jars and cans across America it is a situation that could easily be resolved. In fact, coinage has yet to return to full use following the pandemic, and claims of coin shortages persist. 

This Is Far Too Common

Another place this "war on cash" is showing its head is that as of July 1st my bank started to charge a "cash handling fee" of 13 cents per hundred dollars. Simply put, banks want and feel they are in a position to charge customers for the "inconvenience" of having their employees handle cash. 

Let me be clear, banks, saving accounts, and other vehicles designed to hold cash are paying little or nothing in the way of interest. With the numbers just out that the CPI is up for the 15th straight month, cash is under assault.  this reflects the fourth straight month above 5% on a year-over-year basis. 

While this is the first time the month-over-month CPI has come in below expectations since November 2020 that is not something worthy of celebration. The CPI is routinely criticized for understating and not accurately portraying the true rate of inflation. Another issue is this could be merely the Delta variant's impact creating the illusion inflation is not rising as rapidly as some people think. 

We Should Be Concerned

Inflation, currency debasement, and a slew of other problems have always haunted those holding fiat currencies. This does not mean placing your wealth into one of the new cryptocurrencies is the solution. It does not help that in our world where everything seems to be manipulated, central bankers and their ilk all seem to be moving in the same direction. The masses are trapped in a box and the sides are slowly being moved inward.

Because central banks must keep a lot of liquidity in the system in order to keep it functioning, we have the potential of reaching the place where we drown in paper money and inflation soars. This would signify the end of this war on cash and that cash had lost. It is difficult to justify leaving your wealth in cash that is rapidly losing its value. As we stare into the face of rising inflation and possibly lower negative interest rates the reality that all fiat currencies are in trouble and this is just one big Ponzi scheme becomes very apparent. 

How fast events unfold is impossible to predict. Just as important is the order in which the four major currencies fail. We have good reason to be concerned about this because it has the potential to strip us of our wealth and cause major disruptions throughout society. Until then, which may be years away, cash has value and plays a very important part in our lives. 

(Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)

"Nothing To Hide," A Poor Excuse To Justify Surveillance

Many people claim they have nothing to hide and use that as the reason they don't object to the expanding web of surveillance being weaved over them. These people ignore the fact we are surrendering our right to freedom when we as a society go down this path. The reality is that when someone knows all about you and your deepest thought they gain tremendous power over you. This is directly linked to the ability to control you.

This weekend on a short trip I came across a couple of annoying examples of the government dirtying the waters and making our lives more difficult and less free. These include turning parts of the interstate system into a toll road then not taking cash as payment and so-called "photo enforcement" of traffic laws. While many states have gone to using cameras to some extent for enforcing traffic laws, the practice remains highly controversial. Whether it is incorporated in the notion of reducing labor, streamlining the system, or ending counterfeiting or money laundering, the above can complicate our life. Tech is not the gift of freedom many people think. It could be said we are being boxed in and many of our options are not being preserved. 

Some People Remain Optimistic

The picture to the right is one of many that appeared when searching for images showing people stand up and fighting. The idea of resisting new rules and mandates placed upon us conflicts with the idea we should all try to go along with what we are being told to do. Some people have even suggested and claimed those resisting the changes fostered upon us be labeled terrorists. 

This has drastically increased the fear of speaking out, which, was at one time considered a mainstay of a free society. The more I know and learn, the more appalled I have become concerning the direction society is taking mankind. Rather than making us freer, modern society is slowly squeezing and tamping down our right to go about life unimpeded and with a minimum of barriers blocking our ability to, shall we say, "freely move about the cabin."

This has gone to the point where our government thinks it should supply the poor and indigent with free computers and the internet to level the playing field. This in turn forces the rest of us to move in the direction of being "connected" or becoming irrelevant. Of course, being connected means it becomes easier for big brother to watch your every move and allows those in power to exert more control over those under their watchful eye.

The number of forces limiting freedom is on the rise. A new bill has been introduced that would specifically ban all unvaccinated individuals or only one injection from flying. H.R. 4980 that has been posted on Congress.gov, directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that any individual traveling on a flight that departs from or arrives at an airport inside the United States or a territory of the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 

This comes at a time when many in mainstream media are calling for more restrictions on the movement of unvaccinated people. It also dovetails with other stories coming out during the pandemic involving drones equipped with thermal optic sensors and artificial intelligence to detect if a person was feverish. According to RT News, this dystopic technology has been deployed over Italian beaches. Local Italian media reports such "medical drones" will hover over the beaches of Ostia, a neighborhood of Rome, using thermal optic sensors to measure the temperatures of those on the shore to identify if they could who may be infected with COVID-19.

Officials denied the pilot program which was scheduled to begin was part of an effort to hunt for infected visitors to the beach. Wrapping it in the clock of  "this is all being done, for the greater good" Marta Branca, the head of the public health authority covering Italy's capital said, "It's just a way to make sure that an illness or an accident on the beach or at sea is detected immediately and not a single moment is lost in the rescue efforts." While we do not know if the drone had facial recognition software officials promised to respect privacy. 

In a recent article authored by CJ Hopkins via The Consent Factory, he characterized the so-called “New Normal” as a “global totalitarian ideological movement.” He claims that more and more people have come to see it for what it is, not “insanity” or “an overreaction,” but, in fact, a new form of totalitarianism, a globalized, pathologized, depoliticized form, which is being systematically implemented under the guise of “protecting the public health.”

The problem we now face is, how do we close the Pandora's box that has been opened? A good place to start might be to focus on freedom. We must start by recognizing the claim you have "nothing to hide" is a poor excuse to justify surrendering your freedom to those that care little about you. Drones flying around with thermal optics or facial recognition powered by artificial intelligence are simply part of the growing surveillance state that is increasing worldwide. 

Making this even a greater assault on our freedom is that unbeknownst by many is that we are paying for this. Talk about absolute power, imagine the potential to control people down to their simplest movements. A YouTube video on why people hate Jeff Bezos  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTOFrg2EAQs delves into Amazon's huge surveillance network starting at around the 11:55 mark. This highlights just how pervasive this spy network has become. 

Mainstream media continues to condition people to accept public surveillance and a Big Brother state under the umbrella of COVID or the greater good. Tax money has and continues to be diverted from more important venues to fund spying on the innocent and taking attention away from the guilty. This has created a scenario in which the noose will only continue to tighten around the neck of mankind. We must consider all the little changes we encounter during our day as part of the powers to be chipping away at both our freedom and our ability to defend our rights.

 

 (Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)

What's Happening In Afghanistan Has Made Us Less Safe

History shows an aggressive vocal minority can ride herd over a docile majority more concerned about getting on with life than controlling others. What Is Happening In Afghanistan is a good reason to not invite people into your country unless you are sure they embrace your values. Americans seem split down the middle on many issues and the carnage that is about to unfold in Afghanistan will prove that mixing people with different beliefs and values is not a recipe for social cohesion. The Taliban returning and taking control of Afghanistan appears to be a situation where a small group can rule by creating fear.

It Is Done, America Has Left

 Some people argue that overall, the average Afghan being conservative and religious has little problem with this. That is one way to explain how the government supported by America fell in 11 days. I tend to think a combination of other factors led to our Afghan effort dissolving before our eyes. 

Whether America was viewed as an interloper and outside force trying to exert its force upon Afghans, corruption and our arrogance certainly played their part. Then there were all the signals we would leave behind and betray those that helped us, which we did. Those signals did little to instill confidence in those wanting to bring about change. Last but not least the Taliban were willing to bring to the table a brutal reality many people find unacceptable, that is, join us or die.

Many sayings apply to what we seeing happening before our eyes. Things such as success has many fathers and failure is an orphan. Even the proverb you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. It would be wrong to say the story ends here, we, meaning the people that do such things, will spend countless hours and a great deal of our money "looking into" and "studying what went wrong" expect no one to be held accountable.

The President Decided But Didn't Plan

Have no doubt, fingers will be pointed at those involved for not years but decades. The President who ultimately created the withdrawal of our troops had a plan which amounted to, "just do it and hope for the best." This means he will forever carry the shame for what has and is about to happen. Standing before the American people defiantly saying the buck stops here and promising ISIS K will pay for its actions does nothing to lessen his blame or make him appear competent.

While it is difficult to predict how events will unfold we should expect the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan has Long-term ramifications. Whether we are talking about the Taliban, ISIS, or Al-Qaeda which remains a militant Sunni Islamist multi-national organization, we are talking about people most of us view as America-hating terrorists. One of the most mind-blowing parts of all this is President Biden in an act of massive stupidity has left billions and billions of usable US military hardware and explosives in the hands of these people.

 

Like the rings flowing from a stone landing in a pool of water what is occurring in Afghanistan is likely to spread. An emboldened Taliban with its estimated 75,000 fighters now have the courage to flex their newfound muscle. Over time this may mean millions of people are killed by those sharing their beliefs. The inspiration and justification for acts of war come in many forms. Religion has always ranked high on this list. It is also a key reason things may not remain contained. 

Taliban Parade Of "Captured" Weapons

Efforts to muddy the water with a feeble and pathetic defense by the President claiming he decided on the wise course does not make it so. His decision to trust the Taliban is filled with danger. Like many people looking at this mess, my big problem is how this was done. President Biden can only hope hurricane Ida, wildfires out west, and Covid-19 news may distract Americans from the wheels now set in motion. 

The ugly reality we face is that with new confidence flowing from their victory over America and the huge arsenal listed above our enemies stand rejuvenated. It is silly to think they will not expand their goals or that this is truly over. While many people will argue letting these weapons fall into enemy hands was part of the Military-Industrial Complex's goal to continue an "endless war" that only makes it worse.   

 

 (Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)