Monthly Archives: June 2024

The Now Visible Vulnerability

Posted on by

On Friday, The New York Post posted an article posted an article about some of the vulnerabilities America faces as a result of Thursday night’s presidential debate.The cognitive difficulties of our current President were on television for everyone to see. Some may have suspected those difficulties before the debate, but generally the public was told everything was fine. Now we know it isn’t.

The article reports:

Joe Biden’s disastrous debate is a political crisis for his campaign and his party.

It’s also a threat to national security.

There are two problems. One is that Biden, at age 81, isn’t up to the job anymore, if he ever was.

The other is that everybody now knows it.

Our allies know it. Our enemies know it. And both of them know that American voters know it.

Newspapers around the globe covered the mounting calls for Biden to drop out of the race.

If I were the leader of a country that doesn’t like America, I would be making plans to do whatever evil act I was planning for the future before January 20. If President Trump wins the election, domestic and foreign policy will rapidly be adjusted. It will not be instant, but energy independence will be back, helping the American economy and fighting inflation and deficits. Sanctions on Iran and Russia will reappear, limiting their ability to continue their wars and terrorist support. The world will be safer after January 20th if President Trump is elected because, as a businessman, he understands financial leverage. As a politician, President Biden does not. However, should President Biden be replaced by the Democrats as a candidate, remember–the policies will not be different from those of President Biden. We will have more war, more inflation, higher taxes, and continuing deficits.

The article concludes:

Politically weak presidents are also provocative. Putin invaded Georgia in August 2008, when George W. Bush’s approval ratings were in the 20s at the end of his term.

When Bush was riding high a few years earlier; he had the clout to get Congress and the American people behind assertive steps abroad — even when some lawmakers doubted him.

By 2008, that was gone, and Putin knew it.

It’s a dangerous world. Ukraine is still in deep trouble, and Israel isn’t out of the woods yet. Xi still covets Taiwan. Iran and North Korea are still menaces.

That makes the spectacle of Uncle Sam being paralyzed by an old leader who has lost his grip a lot bigger deal than just a campaign story.

Our enemies pay closer attention to American politics than many Americans do.

If Steve Bannon Is Going To Jail, Why Is Merrick Garland Still Walking Around Free?

Posted on by

Steve Bannon and Merrick Garland were both convicted of contempt of Congress. Eric Holder was also convicted of contempt of Congress. However, of these three, Steve Bannon is the only one going to jail. Oddly enough, he is going to jail for four months starting July 1st. His sentence will end November 1st. Steve Bannon is one of the major conservative media voices (and a Trump supporter). I do not think his being put in jail during the last four months of a presidential campaign is accidental.

On Friday, The Daily Caller reported:

The Supreme Court denied Friday former Trump advisor Steve Bannon’s request to stay out of jail pending his appeal.

Bannon will now be required to report to prison by July 1, as a federal judge ordered him to do earlier this month. He will serve a four-month sentence for his contempt of Congress conviction, which stems from his decision to ignore a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee.

…His attorneys also noted the last time a jury convicted anyone on contempt of Congress charges was “fifty years ago,” urging the Court to “be mindful of the government’s own conduct when it comes to congressional subpoenas.”

“Congress recently issued subpoenas to DOJ regarding Hunter Biden, yet DOJ instructed its Tax Division lawyers to refuse to comply,” they wrote. “‘Jail for thee, not for me’ is hardly an acceptable position for the government.”

Silencing the voices of opposition–one voice at a time. Is that what the Biden administration and the American government have become?

Bidenomics or Badonomics?

Posted on by

Author:  R. Alan Harrop,Ph.D     harropcrew1@gmail.com 

Biden keeps saying that his economic plan is working for the American people. Is his so-called Bidenomics good or bad for the country? Let’s take a look at the truth; something the Biden regime seems allergic to.    

Inflation is a hidden tax that never is reversed. It may slow down, but short of an economic collapse, prices will not go down and we will always have some inflation. When Biden took office, the annual inflation rate was 1.2%.  Now it is about 10%.   This rate, however, does not reflect the actual increase in prices since 2020. Food has gone up close to 80% as any food shopper can tell you. Gasoline is up from $1.87 per gallon to $3.45 per gallon which is an 85% increase. These are essential expenses that are not included in the government’s Consumer Price Index and therefore make this estimate of inflation unreliable. Housing, which we all must have, has gone up dramatically. The cost of the average home has gone up 47% since 2020 which is unheard of. Rents are up an average of 26% over the same period. Most importantly, mortgage interest rates essentially doubled to 7%, which represents an increase in monthly payments of about $1200 for the average home purchase. Insurance has also gone up substantially for automobiles and homes (30%). Utility Costs have also increased significantly since they are up about 30%. None of these items are optional and cannot be avoided. Other items like cars, appliances, clothing, etc. are also up substantially. Who is hurt the most by these increases? Well of course, the average American not the Democrat elite. 

As a result of these increases, the average family has experienced an $8,500  annual reduction in their purchasing power and standard of living. But according to Biden, his economic plans are working and you are just too blind to see it!  You are being gas lighted. 

What has caused this destructive inflation?  Excessive government spending and printing paper money is the primary cause. However, the war against fossil fuels and excessive government subsidies for so-called green energy projects are also major contributors. All of these things are part of the Marxist agenda of the Biden regime that is out to destroy this country. 

This situation threatens the traditional American Dream. This is especially true for younger Americans. There was a time when young married couples could afford to buy a new home and begin the journey to financial security and wealth. The equity in a home is the bedrock of financial security and the American Dream.  With the dramatic increase in home prices, mortgage rates, and home insurance, young people can no longer afford to buy and must resort to paying rent.  Not a good thing to do in the long run. 

So, we are back to President Reagan’s question, “ Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” The answer is a no-brainer. You know what to do. 

 

The Problem Really Isn’t President Biden

Posted on by

On Friday, The Federalist posted an article reminding us that the inflation, lack of border security, and rising crime rates are not solely the responsibility of President Biden. President Biden represents (and his policies represent) the platform of a particular political party.

The article notes:

CNN spent the hour after Thursday’s presidential debate in an emotional tailspin. But at the heart of their desperate “analysis” was speculation about whether the fumbling Biden should step down to let another Democrat jump in to carry the torch of “DEMOCRACY.”

The jig is up. Here’s what disillusioned Democrats and independents and moderates need to know. What all the blue-state refugees who now live in Texas and Florida instead of California and New York City need to admit. What all the fed-up middle-class families and forgotten nonwhite voters in the suburbs need to remember: These aren’t just Joe Biden policies that are disastrous. They’re Democrat policies.

Abortion. Economy. Crime. Immigration. Lawfare. Foreign policy. Health care. It doesn’t matter what pet issue has voters down in the dumps. Democrats are in lockstep on the losing side. And anywhere they aren’t in lockstep — like on whether Israel is a victim of terrorism or a group of oppressive “colonizers” — they tow the radical line.

The article concludes:

And our two-tiered system of justice — led by the deep state, rogue state prosecutors, and a leftist executive — wouldn’t stop just because Biden isn’t on the ticket. The same people who raided the homes of pro-lifers while seeking immunity for the Biden family; prosecuted one man for “classified documents” while letting other worse offenders go free; and made up novel legal theories and new statutes of limitations to gag, fine, and ultimately imprison their chief political opponent are beholden to a party, not just the sitting president.

So when the Democrat armchair class suddenly gets weepy about Biden’s decline, saying Democrats “‘HAVE A PROBLEM’ AFTER BIDEN’S DEBATE PERFORMANCE,” don’t buy the spin that a shiny new Democrat could bail America out.

It isn’t just Biden that’s ruined America. It’s his party.

It’s very easy to focus on personalities instead of party platforms. I suggest that voters read each party’s platform before they vote. Which platform best represents your views? The answer to that question is as important as the individual candidate.

Education Is A Major Key

Posted on by

There are a lot of things that determine success in America–where you were born, who your parents were, growing up with your two original parents, graduating high school, your work ethic, getting married before you have children, etc. A good education from grade school on is one of the most important things you can give a child. Many people in the minority communities where there are not good schools are starting to fight for their children’s education. That is good news. On Thursday, The New York Post posted an article about one example of that fight.

The article reports:

Surrounded by dozens of teachers-union officials on the steps of the Pennsylvania state Capitol this month, Democratic state Sen. Lindsey Williams excoriated a proposed K-12 education-voucher program.

She called it a conspiracy by racist, religious fundamentalists bent on destroying public education by driving “straight, white, able-bodied kids into private religious schools.”

The next day, a group of black religious leaders gathered in the state Capitol to tell Gov. Josh Shapiro to support the voucher program, called the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success.

And later that same day, Jay-Z announced he will fund a campaign to mobilize support for the legislation in Philadelphia, where voucher support among black residents stands above 90%.

One is left to make one of three conclusions: Jay-Z, Black Pastors United for Education and the vast majority of black Pennsylvania residents are secret white supremacists; they’re being unwittingly controlled by white supremacists; or Sen. Williams is not telling the truth.

Actually, these leaders love the children of their community more than they love partisan politics.

The article concludes:

Opposition to school-choice legislation and public-school spending-hike proposals by union-backed Democrats are typical politics — even Pennsylvania’s popular Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro couldn’t, or wouldn’t, overcome the status quo in a battle over vouchers last year.

But for many Democrats, the education debate has transformed into zealotry. And in Pennsylvania, it’s evident that fiction is key to their pursuit to maximize the government education bureaucracy. 

Vouchers are a good idea because they allow children access to a good education that they might not otherwise have access to. However, we need to change the culture in many minority communities to make learning ‘cool.’ Part of the challenge to educating children in poor or minority communities is convincing the children that they can succeed and that it is ‘cool’ to be successful. Children of all races live in poor communities and all of them are capable of succeeding if given the proper opportunities.

Notes On The Presidential Debate

Posted on by

I watched the presidential debate last night. I filled out my Bingo card. I took notes. Here are a few of my observations.

My first observation was the way both men walked on stage. President Trump strolled. President Biden walked on awkwardly, stiffly, sort of shuffling, and waved to an audience that wasn’t there. After the debate, President Trump walked off; President Biden was escorted off of the stage by his wife. There was also the issue of President Biden’s voice, which his campaign attributed to the fact that he had a cold.

The most egregious lies told by President Biden:

  • Misquoting President Trump about Charlottesville–the quote has been debunked. Also, what was that part about pitchforks and torches?
  • Misrepresenting President Trump’s statements during January 6th. Again, check the Twitter feed from that day and the timeline involved.
  • Inflation was high when Biden took office–it was at approximately 2 percent.
  • The economy was collapsing, he fixed it. No, the economy was recovering from Covid and moving in the right direction.
  • President Trump was responsible for the open border. No, President Biden undid all of the Executive Orders that secured the border on his first day in office.

The liberal spin on the debate is that President Trump lied and that no one corrected him, yet no one is pointing out specific lies. The obvious lies from President Biden were not fact-checked by the moderators.

I don’t think the Democrats will keep President Biden as a candidate. I believe he will step down citing health issues or wanting to spend more time with his family and then be replaced. The question is who that replacement will be. I think the three most likely candidates are Gavin Newsom, Michelle Obama, or Wes Moore. Because I believe that the Democrat party is about checking boxes, my money is on Wes Moore. Governor Moore became Governor of Maryland in 2022 and does not have a long record of policies–successful or otherwise. I know that Michelle Obama might be a formidable candidate, but I am not sure the Democrats would run her, although that might blunt any displeasure at taking Kamala Harris off of the ticket. I think Gavin Newsom is not a winning candidate because of the impact of his policies as Governor of California.

At any rate, we will probably know within a few weeks who the real Democrat presidential candidate is.

President Trump put on a good showing last night–he was controlled, logical, and spoke clearly.

 

 

What A Difference An Election Made

Posted on by

On Monday, Breitbart posted the following headline:

Argentina Logs First Week with No Inflation in Food Prices in 30 Years

This is one of many positive results of the election of President Javier Milei, who began his term as President in December 2023.

The article reports:

A study published on Sunday by Econométrica, a private Argentine consulting firm, first reported the no-inflation week. In its study, Econométrica analyzed 8,000 prices in local online supermarkets and found no change when compared to the preceding week — something that has not happened in Argentina in three decades. In addition to the lack of variation in prices in one week, the study found that the prices of food and drinks only experienced an increase of 0.1 percent in the past 15 days.

…Upon taking office in December, Milei enacted a series of “shock therapy” economic policies to restore Argentina’s economy after nearly two decades of socialist rule left it in a precarious state and on the verge of a hyperinflation spiral.

Since then, monthly inflation rates in Argentina have experienced a dramatic and continued downward trend, going from 25.5 percent in December to 4.2 percent in May, the lowest rate experienced in the country in over two years. In April, Argentina recorded a surplus of its gross domestic product (GDP) during the first quarter of the year — something that the South American nation had not seen since 2008.

Milei is in the Czech Republic on the final stop of a four-day tour of Europe that began on Friday with a visit to Spain, followed by a two-day stop in Germany over the weekend that included an encounter with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Milei is slated to meet with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala on Monday morning.

The article concludes:

Milei also confirmed that his administration would not promote a devaluation of the Argentine peso, echoing statements by Economy Minister Luis Caputo last week where he ruled out such plans. Caputo instead said he would continue implementing the current plan, which focuses on maintaining a good relationship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and upholding a currency exchange system that allows companies to sell 20 percent of their income in U.S. dollars in the financial market and settle the remaining 80 percent at the official exchange rate.

“There are professionals who, in order to justify and wash their mistakes, make unfortunate arguments, which speak more about what they want to happen than what really has to happen,” Milei said. “There are sectors that find it convenient to have low dollar salaries and more poor and indigent people, and we believe that the situation works in a different way.”

This could happen in America with the proper election results.

A New Level Of Election Interference

Posted on by

The mainstream media is not a friend of Americans who love our Representative Republic. Currently the First Amendment is under attack in order to interfere with the November election. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has chosen to be part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

On Wednesday, The Daily Wire reported:

President Joe Biden and his administration have “made a mockery of the First Amendment,” according to George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, and the Supreme Court’s Wednesday decision in Murthy v. Missouri failed to put a stop to it.

Turley made an appearance on Wednesday on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom,” where he broke down the ruling and the case for anchor Dana Perino.

“You call yourself a free speech absolutist,” Perino began, asking Turley, “What does this mean?”

“Well, it’s very frustrating for the free speech community because standing is often used to block meritorious claims,” Turley replied. “This is one of the most fundamental issues that we are facing.”

“I wrote about this issue, this case, in my recent book,” Turley continued. “You have one of the largest censorship systems in our history — if not the largest — it’s been called Orwellian by lower court judges. And what the court is saying is that ‘we won’t hear you on this issue because you’re not the right litigant.’”

The article concludes:

Two Republican state officials and five conservative social media users brought the challenge in Murthy v. Missouri, claiming that the White House’s pressure campaigns on social media companies to remove what the Biden administration deems “misinformation” amounted to censorship by proxy.

The Daily Wire is suing the Biden administration in a separate social media censorship case, alleging that the U.S. State Department is engaging with and promoting censorship technology designed to bankrupt domestic media outlets with disfavored political opinions. Last month, a federal judge rejected the State Department’s attempt to get the censorship lawsuit dismissed. The Daily Wire is joined by The Federalist and the state of Texas as plaintiffs in the case.

When I Tried To Post The Source Article For This Article On Facebook, It Was Taken Down

Posted on by

On Wednesday, The American Thinker posted an article outlining their strategy for President Trump in the debate.

The article notes:

The first and perhaps only presidential debate between presumed nominees Donald Trump and Joe Biden takes place on June 27 in CNN’s Atlanta headquarters. Home court advantage goes to President Biden.

Is there anyone at CNN, aside from the janitors and cleaning crew, that support Trump? Doubtful. The debate will be moderated by the Trump hating undynamic duo of Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.

CNN will mute the microphones, to keep Trump from objecting to Biden’s fabrications, and likely to silence Biden’s gibberish, something occurring with increasing frequency.

No live audience will watch the debates, which will run 90 minutes, two commercial breaks, time for Biden to get a shot of vitamins, stimulants, or whatever keeps him awake and coherent for brief stretches of time.

“CNN said they won’t be allowed to use any props or pre-written notes but will be given paper, a pen and water.”

This gives Biden an advantage as he won’t read instructions like “pause” off the teleprompter.

If Biden is juiced up and can speak in coherent sentences, he will win since expectations for his performance are so low.

…For Trump, if he keeps his cool and acts “presidential”, whatever that means, this will go a long way in assuaging potential voters who like his policies but have their noses out of joint over his brash personality, mean tweets, and name calling.

The question that President Trump needs to ask during the debate is the same question Ronald Reagan asked during his debate with Jimmy Carter, “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?” We all know the answer to that question.

Please follow the link to the article. It includes a list of things that were stable or beneficial to Americans under the Trump administration that are now a problem for the average American.

Dealing with China  

Posted on by

 Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D   harropcrew1@gmail.com

It should be obvious to any clear-thinking American that China is our biggest threat. During the 1930’s there were many American leaders who refused to recognize the threat posed by Nazi Germany. We cannot allow that to happen again. Just like Nazi Germany, China is rapidly building their military capability while we focus on DEI and woke ideology in our armed forces.

What makes the China threat even greater than Nazi Germany is the degree to which our country is increasingly dependent on Chinese products for our existence. A recent report showed that 75 % of items sold on Amazon are manufactured in China. Similarly, at Walmart the figure is 70-80%. What allowed us to defeat Nazi Germany in large part was the industrial manufacturing capacity of our country to not only arm ourselves, but our allies as well. We were rightfully called the Arsenal of Democracy. Now we are not only losing our manufacturing advantage over China, but we are paying for their military expansion by the profits they make on the products they sell to us. We are funding our own potential destruction.

The most glaring example of this absurdity is “Green Energy.” The Biden regime, uses government taxpayer subsidies and mandates to build solar panels and wind mills that we buy from China, and they turn around and take the profits and build coal fired plants that provide them with abundant cheap energy. Some of the morons in our military have proposed electric powered tanks to replace diesel power! Where do we get most lithium batteries? You guessed it: China.

China is expanding its influence around the world. They are funding ports and infrastructure projects in Asia, Africa, and South America. They are taking over the South China Sea by building island bases. They are threatening the Philippines and our other allies in the region. What is the Biden regime’s answer to all this? Silence.

What we should be doing is recognizing we are in a cold war with China and act accordingly. Restore our manufacturing capacity, impose tariffs as needed, and build our defense capability such as the so-called iron dome which would provide a protection against not only missiles from China, but other bad actors, like North Korea and Iran. Peace can only be secured through strength and resolve. No more allowing China to own land anywhere in the United States. Stop the admission of Chinese students and Chinese funding of our colleges and universities. The flood of single Chinese men over our southern border must be reversed, as also, the fentanyl crisis. We need an administration that recognizes the threat and has the courage to act accordingly. The upcoming election will determine whether we will get one.

 

The Fifth Column

Posted on by

As we approach this week’s presidential debate, we need to remember something that happened in the 2020 presidential debate. That was the debate where candidate Biden stated that a letter signed by 51 ‘intelligence experts’ claiming Hunter Biden’s laptop was Russian disinformation was proof that the laptop was not Hunter’s. Of course the moderators agreed with him. We now know that the laptop was Hunter Biden’s, that there is allegedly child pornography on the laptop, and that the laptop contains information about financial transactions within the Biden family that would be damning if the media bothered to report on them. Well, on Tuesday, The New York Post posted an article about that letter and the authors of it.

The article reports:

Some of the 51 “Spies Who Lie” were active CIA contractors when they claimed files from first son Hunter Biden’s laptop had “the classic earmarks” of Russian disinformation ahead of the 2020 election — a fact that was uneasily noted inside the agency, records acquired by The Post show.

Former CIA acting director Michael Morell, who previously told Congress he organized the Oct. 19, 2020, letter to give former Vice President Joe Biden a “talking point” ahead of a debate against President Donald Trump, was under contract with the CIA at the time, the agency told Congress.

Ex-agency inspector general David Buckley also was a contractor at the time of the letter, according to an interim report from two House committees investigating the matter, and records suggest that at least two other letter-signers may also have had active contracts at the time.

Even if you are not willing to go down the path of computer interference in the 2020 election, this is certainly another form of election interference. I hope that many of the people who voted for Joe Biden in 2020 are now realizing that they were tricked. Even if the 2024 candidate is not Joe Biden, the Joe Biden voters need to remember the mendacity of the Democrat party. Is that something you want to support?

The article concludes:

A May 13, 2017, email from the laptop said the “big guy” would get 10% of the CEFC deal, and former Biden family associate Rob Walker testified to Congress that Joe Biden met with the company’s chairman, Ye Jianming, before cash began to flow earlier that year.

The CIA issued a statement Tuesday night that did not elaborate on the agency contracts with “former” officeholders who signed the letter.

The agency focused primarily on defending the pre-publication review process that inspected the statement for classified information and found that there was none — allowing for its public release.

“CIA officers, as a condition of their employment, are required to sign a secrecy agreement that includes a lifelong obligation to submit any and all intelligence-related materials to CIA’s Pre-Publication Review Board (PCRB) before they are published. That process was followed in this case,” a CIA spokeswoman said.

“The PCRB reviews material to determine if they contain any classified information. The PCRB’s confirmation that information is unclassified is never an endorsement of the reviewed content or its veracity. These former officers were not speaking for CIA.”

Please follow the link to read the entire article.

What You Need To Register To Vote In California

Posted on by

On Tuesday, The Federalist posted an article about voter registration in California. The article illustrates the reason Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are trying to pass a law requiring proof of citizenship to vote.

The article reports:

In California, voters with no government ID can still vote so long as they show a gym membership, credit card, utility bill, or other low-security identification.

Individuals wishing to register to vote in California are prompted on the secretary of state’s website to provide their driver’s license identification number and/or the last four digits of their Social Security number. But both sections give applicants the option to select a box indicating they lack that form of identification.

If an applicant checks both boxes, he would later be prompted to provide other identification, the California secretary of state’s office told The Federalist. Upon further inquiry, an office representative said individuals could provide proof of identity by showing items such as a credit card, a utility bill, or their gym membership.

When I called back for additional clarification, the woman told me she had been informed not to speak to the press, and gave me an email address to try.

In response to my email, the secretary of state’s press office affirmed that if “an applicant cannot be validated [using his driver’s license number or SSN], they are required to show ID at the polls the first time they vote.”

The email directed me to a state statute that lists acceptable documents with which voters who have no SSN or driver’s license may prove their identity. The list includes a “health club identification card” or other “identification card provided by a commercial establishment,” a credit or debit card, student ID, a bank statement, a utility bill, an insurance card, or even a sample ballot, among other options.

The article notes:

Once a prior license is terminated, the prior state can also cancel the individual’s voter registration associated with that license. In contrast, gym cards, or non-photo IDs like utility bills, don’t tell election officials anything about whether that voter is already registered to vote in another state.

Remember Smokey The Bear saying, “Only you can prevent forest fires”? Only you can prevent the obliteration of our republic at the hands of those who do not want to hear the voice of the people.

Follow The Money

Posted on by

In recent years, there have been multiple efforts to turn North Carolina into a ‘purple’ state. In 2011, the Republicans took control of the North Carolina legislature. That has been a good thing for the state–we are now ranked by Forbes as Number 5 in their list of the best states to start a business in America. We had a Republican Governor from 2013 to 2016. Other than that, North Carolina has been a Democrat state. Obviously, the Democrats would like to take the state back.

In the June/July issue, The Carolina Journal posted an article about the money coming into North Carolina to fund the 2024 election campaigns. It is very obvious that the Democrats are attempting to make serious inroads in the state.

The article reports:

The balance of fundraising from in-state versus out-of-state donors starkly differs between the two parties. North Carolina State Board of Elections reports indicate that about 40% of the NC Democratic Party’s funds are coming from out-of-state sources. In 2014, only 2% of their funding was from outside North Carolina, rising to well over a third of total contributions to the NC Democratic Party so far in 2024.

A snapshot of fundraising data for the North Carolina Republican Party shows a very different picture, with Republicans sporting a higher percentage of in-state funds since 2014. Support for the NCGOP from within North Carolina has increased to 94%, while out-of-state contributions have not exceeded 12% of all state party funds raised at any point in the last 15 years.

The following chart is included in the article:

The fact that North Carolina has remained a red state is interesting when you consider all of the people from Democrat states who have moved here in recent years.

According to USAFact.org.:

North Carolina’s population grew 11.7% from the 9.6 million people who lived there in 2010. For comparison, the population in the US grew 7.7% during that period.

Many of the people who have come to North Carolina in recent years have come from Democrat states (my husband and I moved here from Massachusetts). It is interesting (and helpful) that many of them chose to leave the tax-and-spend mentality behind.

Population Bomb/Population Fizzle

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D harropcrew1@gmail.com

In the early 1970s, a writer by the name of Paul Ehrlich wrote a doomsday book (typical of the Left) called the Population Bomb, where he essentially claimed that humankind in the near future would experience mass starvation, since we would not be able to provide sufficient food for the rapidly expanding world population. Like most leftist fear mongers, he did not give sufficient credit to man’s creativity which has actually demonstrated that through technology food production has been greatly expanded. Now, thanks to other Leftist ideas, Western Civilization is facing a crisis caused by declining population.

Statistically it takes approximately 2.1 children per woman to just maintain the population. Europe’s declining birthrate is near 1.4, and ours at 1.7 is the lowest in our country’s history. Rome, in part, declined due to low citizen birth rates and having to rely on foreigners for workers and soldiers. The Biden regime is leading us down the same path with open borders, abortion, and their war against the traditional family. According to FOX News, there have been 63 million abortions in the United States since 1973 when Roe vs Wade was decided by the Supreme Court. It has been clearly demonstrated that it is better for any country that wants to preserve its culture and heritage to birth and raise their own children than to rely on immigration. This is common sense. The question is what can America do to increase its declining birth rate?

Since there are many other countries with the same problem, let’s see what they have tried. It is reported that currently, 28% of developed countries are trying to increase their birth rates. Several countries (e.g. Poland, Hungary) have started economic programs to increase the number of children per household. Poland’s program consists of monthly support payments for each child that continue until age 18. Hungary is focused on assisting young families with children, to afford a new home. Not only do they receive grants for each child, but parents are eligible for mortgages at 3% for 25 years. These programs appear to be increasing the birth rates, but the long-term impact is still to be seen. Hungary’s prime minister Orban, demonstrated his commitment by stating “Make families again the core of European politics”. This statement contains the essential problem. Western Civilization has lost its focus on the importance of the intact family to the functioning and success of the culture.

What can we do? President Trump’s tax cuts included a significant increase in the child tax credit deduction as a start. Assistance with childcare, support for homeschooling, and a return to religion and the family would all be helpful. Remember, Marxism is based on destroying the family and replacing it with reliance on the government. This is exactly what the Biden regime is doing with their Woke agenda. Stop this LGBT Pride Month nonsense and replace it with Family Pride Month. All benefits must accrue to all income levels, not just the low-income groups, as the Marxists would have us do. This problem can be solved, but it will take strong leadership that recognizes the problem and is not afraid to deal with it.

 

With Friends Like This…

Posted on by

Most of us became aware somewhere around the first of second year of President Trump’s presidency that there were those in Washington that did not want him to succeed. Unfortunately, many of those people were in his own political party. He was a threat to the status quo–a system that was very beneficial to them socially and financially, and his success might end those benefits. It was frightening to some politicians that a non-politician could be President.

On June 24th, The Gateway Pundit posted an article revealing how deep the Washington swamp that was out to kneecap President Trump actually was. It is the story of a bright young man who could have accomplished a lot, but chose the dark side.

The article reports:

The single greatest criminal fraud perpetrated by the DOJ/FBI, in conjunction with their conspirators in the mainstream media and the Hillary Clinton campaign, was the creation, utilization, and submission of the Steele Dossier for unlawful surveillance purposes.

In June 2016, the Steele Dossier was commissioned by the Hillary Clinton campaign, using campaign dollars laundered through their law firm Perkins Coie. These funds were paid to Fusion GPS, which hired Christopher Steele—a former MI-6 operative—to create this fabricated dossier.

Steele was simultaneously an FBI informant on the government payroll and on the Democratic Party’s bankroll. At the time, no one outside of the DOJ/FBI cabal knew what the Steele Dossier was or that it was used in all four Trump-world FISAs.

In the beginning of 2017, then-Speaker of the House Paul Ryan commissioned his select committee on intelligence to investigate all Russia collusion claims—what became known as the Russia Gate investigation.

Through then-chairman Nunes, we reported directly to Ryan and required his office’s consent on all steps taken; that’s what it means to be a select committee of the Speaker.

After BuzzFeed leaked the Steele Dossier in January 2017, the mandates of our investigation expanded at the direction of Speaker Ryan- uncover the origins of the Steele Dossier: to determine its truth, who created it, and who funded it.

In early 2017, we discovered that almost the entirety of the Dossier was used in the FISA warrants. However, we were not allowed to disclose this information for almost a year because it was classified.

This is the important fact:

Shockingly, Speaker Paul Ryan, who oversaw the entire investigation, knew about the Steele Dossier the entire time but never disclosed this to the committee or the public. THE PRESS REPORTED IN DECEMBER 2018 THAT RYAN’S TOP ADVISOR AND LATER CHIEF OF STAFF JONATHAN BURKS, RYAN’S MAIN INTERLOCUTOR WITH THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, GOT AN EARLY LOOK AT THE ENTIRE STEELE DOSSIER.

The Steele Dossier was used to spy on the Trump administration and thus undercut their agenda. Paul Ryan was a useful tool in this game. Sad.

Your Vote Will Determine Your Taxes

Posted on by

On Monday, PJ Media posted an article detailing changes they want to make in America’s tax code if President Biden is re-elected.

The article reports:

“The main goal here is this can’t just be a debate about the 2017 tax cuts,” Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said, completely unshy about the threat. He told Bloomberg last week, “This is going to be Tax Armageddon.”

Prepare for the end of the world.

Federal income tax revenues jumped nearly $100 billion in the first year after Trump’s signature tax cuts went into effect and almost another $40 billion in 2019. The stupid and unnecessary COVID-19 lockdowns derailed that growth in 2020. Since then, revenues have continued to surge. Much of that “growth” was an illusion created by inflation, however, and the rest was due to increased taxes on energy and corporations which, of course, got passed on to consumers. 

Reminder: Corporations don’t pay taxes; they collect them.

But Democrats are just getting started. The tax man never merely cometh for “the rich.”

Washington has a spending problem, and Democrats aren’t shy about how to solve it: tax us poor bastards back to the Stone Age.

There are two issues at play here. 

The first is that Democrats have a desperate need to wipe out the Trump tax cuts because Orange Man Bad, although they hide it under the usual guise of “taxing the rich.” 

…The second issue is the Democrats’ longstanding desire to impose an unconstitutional wealth tax.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Wa.) chairs the Finance Committee and last Thursday “revived his pitch to tax the appreciation of assets for those with at least $100 million in income,” the Wall Street Journal reported. “Wyden plans to run through the door on wealth taxes that the Supreme Court left open Thursday in its lamentable decision in Moore v. U.S.”

Please note that in the third paragraph I quoted, the article reported that tax revenues jumped after President Trump cut taxes, so why do the Democrats want to raise taxes? Because in Washington, the more money you control, the more powerful you are. Who cares about the American taxpayer or reducing the deficit when you can have power?

If the Democrats take Congress or the Presidency, we can expect at least a serous attempt at increased taxes. Remember the Laffer Curve.

Something To Be Aware Of In November

Posted on by

On Monday, BizPac Review posted an article about something that could have a major impact on our presidential election in November.

The article reports:

The so-called “conspiracy theorists” have put together an impressive winning streak and they’ve once again been proven right, this time about illegal aliens voting in the 2024 election.

Republicans are very concerned about the impact of President Joe Biden’s “newcomers” on the upcoming election, the most critical in the nation’s history, and House Republicans have introduced an “election integrity” bill to require that proof of citizenship be required to register to vote.

But despite denials and ridicule over GOP concerns that illegal aliens could vote, the truth is that nearly every state provides voter registration forms to non-citizens without proof of citizenship, according to the New York Post.

…The Biden-Harris HQ mocked Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) over the legislation but it turns out that where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

“Every state but Arizona — which recently passed a law barring the practice on state but not federal forms — gives applicants for either welfare benefits, driver’s licenses, or in some cases, mail-in ballots voter registration forms without demanding proof of citizenship,” the paper reported, adding, that even though it’s illegal to falsely claim U.S. citizen ship to vote, “millions of migrants with humanitarian parole, refugee or asylum status are eligible for benefits that would bring them to the offices where voter registration takes place.”

In November 2023, the Center for Immigration Studies reported the following:

  • In October 2023, the CPS shows that 15 percent of the U.S. population is now foreign-born — higher than any U.S. government survey or census has ever recorded.
  • The 49.5 million foreign-born residents (legal and illegal) in October 2023 is also a new record high.
  • Since President Biden took office in January 2021, the foreign-born population has grown by 4.5 million — larger than the individual populations of 25 U.S. states.
  • Based on our prior estimates of illegal immigrants, more than half (2.5 million) of the 4.5 million increase in the foreign-born population since January 2021 is likely due to illegal immigration. If adjusted for those missed by the survey, the increase would be larger.
  • The 4.5 million increase overall and the 2.5 million increase in illegal immigrants are both net figures. The number of new arrivals was significantly higher, but was offset by outmigration and natural mortality among the foreign-born already here.

If even a fraction of the illegal immigrants vote, how many of them are going to vote for their own deportation?

Vote for Biden:  Get Harris

Posted on by

Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D   harropcrew1@gmail.com

It is very clear to every honest person, that Joe Biden is in serious cognitive decline (i.e. dementia).  As expected, the fake news is oblivious to what we see with our own eyes. As a clinical psychologist, I have some familiarity with dementia, which affects approximately one third of people 80 years or older. The most likely cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, an irreversible brain deterioration. While being sympathetic to someone with dementia is humane, electing that person to be president is a different matter entirely.

There are seven defined stages of dementia. Each stage represents a definable set of symptoms of cognitive decline. It should be noted that progression through each stage accelerates as a person reaches the later stages. Based on observations, it appears that Biden is in stage three or four. It would be easier to determine the correct stage if the Biden regime was honest with the American people, which they are not. Their refusal to release the audio tapes of Biden’s interview with special prosecutor Hurr is a prime example of hiding the truth. He is too old and bumbling to be prosecuted, but he is fine to be president. Rather absurd, wouldn’t you say?

Symptoms of stage three and four include such things as being disoriented, getting lost when walking, forgetting the names of people they should be very familiar with, difficulty remembering important details from the past, and lack of knowledge of current events. Some examples from observing Biden:  total reliance on scripted teleprompter recordings, having to be led off the stage and being brought back to the group after wandering off,  appearing to blank out for seconds at a time, not remembering details of his son’s death, and making up absurdities like his uncle having been eaten by cannibals. His handlers are hiding him with a part-time schedule and excessive vacation time.   It is reported that Biden has been on vacation 40% of the days he has been in office and that his daily schedule starts at 11 AM and ends at 3 PM.  Not exactly what one would expect leading a country in the midst of foreign and domestic crises.

Here is what we can expect if Biden is re-elected. The next stage of dementia includes:  trouble organizing or planning; confusion concerning day, month or year; difficulty staying on task; inability to make decisions; and fatigue. Now, what do we expect a fully functioning president to be able to do? To start off with, he should have the energy and stamina to deal with the demands of the presidency. This is a full-time job, or actually a more than full- time job. The President must be able to absorb facts, weigh the advice from others, and make prompt decisions. This is especially true during times of crises. He must be able to communicate clearly and openly with others, especially to the American people. He must be able to project an image of strength and competence to other world leaders.

Now you have to ask yourself, “What is the likelihood that Biden will be able to meet these expectations in a second term when he cannot do it now?” Outcome? If re-elected, count on having Kamala Harris as your president.  A scary thought to most people.

Medical Marijuana In North Carolina

Posted on by

Legislation to legalize Marijuana for “medical” purposes in North Carolina is on the move again in the State Legislature. HB 563 has been added to Senate Bill 3, a measure that would establish an extensive framework of licensing for the growth, manufacture, distribution, sale, possession, and use of marijuana for a variety of “medical” purposes in North Carolina. The move came as a complete surprise to many, as the marijuana legalization measure was added to a bill designed to ban and/or regulate a host of dangerous hemp-derived consumable products that are currently marketed and sold to children and adults in gas stations, convenience stores, vape shops, and other outlets across the state.

HB 563, including the Senate Bill 3 language, was then considered and approved by the Senate Rules Committee Thursday morning (June 20) and by the full Senate on an initial vote of 33-9 on Thursday afternoon. If ultimately approved by the Senate on Monday, HB 563 will return to the House for a vote to either concur or not concur with the Senate’s changes to the bill. If the House does not agree with the Senate’s changes, the bill will be sent to a conference committee where members from both chambers will be assigned to try to iron out differences between the two chambers’ versions of the bill.

Senate Bill 3, is called the “NC Compassionate Care Act.” It originally passed the State Senate in March 2023 but was not taken up in the House. Because this year’s legislative session is technically a continuation of last year’s session, the bill remains eligible for consideration, but it has not been considered in the House. The move by the Senate to amend the SB 3 language into HB 563, represents yet another attempt by the Senate to force the issue on the other chamber.

The “holy grail” of the medical community is a non-addictive pain killer that could be used after surgery or to quell arthritis pain. Drug companies have been very active in their quest for this holy grail. Oxycontin is one result of this quest. We know how that turned out. Marijuana is the new object of that quest. Unfortunately, it has some of the same issues as Oxycontin.

The May issue of the AARP Bulletin includes an article on medical marijuana. It notes that medical marijuana is legal in 38 states. The market for marijuana gummies has exploded in recent years. The article notes that marijuana can help with chronic pain and sleep and anxiety problems, but does not seem to help with short-term pain.

The May 2024 issue of NewsMax also included an article about marijuana. The article cited a Danish study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: Psychiatry (JAMA) last year.

The article in Newsmax states that between 1995 and 2010 the percentage of Danish schizophrenia diagnoses associated with marijuana usage had nearly quadrupled, and the combination of greater usage with stronger pot is bringing down the age of first onset of mental illness. Someone who might have gotten into their late 20’s without a psychotic episode could now be faced with their first break with reality while still in their teens. The article at Newsmax concludes by stating that marijuana can make treating mental illness more difficult and can throw a person’s life off course before it has a chance to get on course. It also mentions that the marijuana of today is stronger and more addictive than the marijuana than the marijuana of the 1960’s. Neither article referenced above is willing to describe marijuana as a harmless drug.

The lessons of history tell us that legalizing medical marijuana leads to legalizing recreational marijuana. There is no indication that marijuana is a harmless drug without consequences. The push for the legalization of medical marijuana in North Carolina needs to be stopped.

Do Facts Really Matter?

Posted on by

If you are planning to watch the presidential debate on Thursday, here are a few things to keep in mind. Both men have served one term as President, so their record of accomplishments is available to anyone who is willing to look for it. There will be lies—the press will pounce on any exaggeration from President Trump and ignore any whoppers from President Biden.

These are some of the information that will be quoted during the debate if they actually deal with facts:

1.According to Investopedia:

The average yearly inflation rate under President Donald Trump was 1.9%. Inflation remained low during Trump’s presidency.

The average yearly inflation rate under President Joe Biden so far is 5.7%…. Inflation peaked at 9.1% year-over-year in June 2022, the highest increase in 40 years.33

  1. Illegal immigration has skyrocketed under President Biden through an open southern border. The open border has enabled drugs, sex trafficking, and given the cartels more money than even they can spend.
  2. Crime has skyrocketed under President Biden as the illegal immigrants coming into America broke the law to get here and have little respect for our laws and little interest in assimilation. To be fair, Americans are also quite capable of breaking laws, particularly when many crimes are not being prosecuted.

Those are just a few of the actual issues.

Now I have some advice for the candidates.

To President Biden:  Don’t talk about Beau Biden. The loss of a child is a terrible thing, but how many parents have lost a child to fentanyl or crimes committed by an illegal alien under your border policy.

To President Trump:  Don’t let President Biden goad you into an argument—be careful—if you are winning, they will cut your mike. I am reminded of the quote, “Never argue with stupid people because they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”

These are answers to some of the lies to expect from President Biden:

President Trump did not call neo-Nazis who rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia, good people. That is simply not true and can easily be checked.

January 6th was not an insurrection—insurrections usually involve guns and shooting. The only person shot that day was an unarmed civilian named Ashli Babbitt who would still be alive if proper police protocols had been followed. The other woman who was killed that day was Rosanne Boyland, who also a victim of police who chose not to follow accepted protocols.

President Biden will claim that inflation was high when he took office. That is an easily-checked lie. It was about 2 percent.

I have created a bingo card for the debate. You can easily create your own. Mine includes such phrases as Hunter’s laptop, January 6th, deep fake videos, gas prices, inflation, convicted felon, my son Beau, crimes by illegal aliens, Ukraine, fentanyl, lawfare, fake news, China, Burisma, economy, and insurrection. If you are planning to watch the debate, a bingo card will at least make it interesting.

When Green Energy Meets Practicality!

Posted on by

It’s going to be hot in Paris during the summer Olympics. Athletes need to be well-rested to perform at their best. But Paris, in the interest of global warming, cooling, or whatever, will not be air conditioning the Olympic Village. So what is an athlete supposed to do?

On Sunday, WattsUpWithThat reported:

The 2024 Paris Olympics are shaping up to be an event filled with athletic prowess and, unsurprisingly, a hefty dose of virtue signaling. The recent announcement that air conditioning will not be provided at the Olympic venues is a prime example. In a bid to flaunt their environmental consciousness, the organizers have decided to rely on “sustainable” cooling methods, leaving teams to fend for themselves in the sweltering Parisian summer. And fend they did! Teams are now bringing their own portable air conditioners, making a mockery of the original intent and highlighting the absurdity of the decision.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has been quite vocal about her commitment to making the 2024 Olympics an exemplar of environmental responsibility. The decision to forgo traditional air conditioning in favor of passive cooling techniques is touted as a major step toward reducing the event’s carbon footprint. According to Hidalgo, “These Games will be the first ones with a positive contribution to the climate” and are committed to “innovative solutions that are carbon neutral”​​.

But let’s be clear: sustainability, as currently promoted, is a nebulous concept that often amounts to nothing more than vapid virtue signaling. It’s an easy catchphrase, with no real objective definition for politicians and organizers who want to appear forward-thinking. The idea that passive cooling could sufficiently counteract the summer heat in Paris is more of a fanciful notion than a feasible plan.

Instead of applauding this so-called innovation, teams are responding with pragmatism. The U.S. teams, for instance, have decided to bring their own portable air conditioning units to ensure their athletes perform at their best. This reaction not only makes sense but also underscores the glaring disconnect between the idealistic aspirations of the organizers and the on-ground realities of hosting a global sporting event.

Common sense has overruled absurdity!

Is The Basis Of Our Laws Unconstitutional?

Posted on by

On Friday, The Washington Examiner posted an article about the new law in Louisiana requiring that a poster of the Ten Commandments be displayed in every classroom. The ‘separation of church and state’ hysteria was immediately triggered.

The article reports:

The response was predictable howling that the legislation violated the separation of church and state. The American Civil Liberties Union announced it would file a lawsuit against the new law and condemned it as “religious coercion.”

Landry, to his credit, declared he “can’t wait to be sued” and said if anyone wants to “respect the rule of law,” he must “start from the original law giver, which was Moses.”

The law seeks to overturn a 1980 Supreme Court precedent in Stone v. Graham, in which the court ruled that a similar statute in Kentucky violated the establishment clause of the Constitution. But as Justice William Rehnquist noted in his dissent, the Ten Commandments are not merely religious doctrine but the foundation for Western law.

“The Ten Commandments have had a significant impact on the development of secular legal codes of the Western world,” he wrote.

The article concludes:

At a time when a growing number of people are rejecting the basic moral truths that stealing is wrong, marital infidelity is wrong, and sometimes even that killing is wrong, the moral guidance of the Ten Commandments is needed more than ever.

If the ACLU has a problem with the Ten Commandments, it should sue to invalidate the long list of laws in force today that derive their moral foundation from the commands that God gave Moses at the top of Mt. Sinai, because clearly, any law informed by the Ten Commandments must violate the separation of church and state.

The headline of the article, “Louisiana rightly blends education and morality,” reminds us that moral education is a valuable part of education. It does no good to teach a child basic math and English skills if he does not have the moral education to use them wisely.