And So It Ends

I hope to live long enough to read the definitive book explaining how the powers in the Democratic Party brilliantly executed their plan to win the 2024 presidential election up to the end game. Faced with an administration with failing policies led by an increasingly physically failing President, the plan was to secure the weakest opponent. Once accomplished, replace Biden with a bright new face unattached to the administration to carry them to victory. A complaint media would partner in the endeavor.

The planners secured the Republican nomination for the weakest possible opponent, Donald Trump. They focused media attention on Trump by hitting the former president with several novel indictments. It is suitable to punish even political opponents if they break laws; we punish other citizens.

However, most of the cases were questionable rather than airtight. Republicans reacted as intended, with anger and sympathy for their former president. The planners also tried to keep him off the ballot in several places. The obvious unconstitutionality further enraged many in the G.O.P. All the focus on Trump’s court cases sucked all the air out of his primary opponents. Only Nikki Haley lasted through Super Tuesday.

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Almost Over

We’re approaching the end of the strangest election season of my lifetime, and I’ve been around a long time. The majority of Americans would never pick either of the presidential candidates. One of which they never even had a chance to express themselves. One bad debate and the powers in the Democratic Party dumped a sitting president and appointed a new candidate. Why spend all that money and time on primaries, when you can just anoint someone who never won a single primary vote?

The other candidate won the nomination because the Democrats kept him in the limelight with constant lawfare. The cases were so bad they made Trump an object of Republisn sympathy, while preventing others having any space. As I have pointed out, the Democrats picked their opposition.

Instead of a thorough discussion of all our pressing problems, we get superficial jabs about the border, the economy, and abortion. Wars abroad continue to expand, a budgetary meltdown gets closer, and our kids fall further behind without any plans offered by the candidates.

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Time Waits For No One

While we await the election, the world moves forward. Wars keep spreading. The administration continues its mission to prevent this, but we have the opposite. Ukraine seized Russian territory. In the Middle East, Lebanon is aflame, and Iran is taking blows.. Now, North Koreans have entered Russia, apparently to bolster the Ukrainian front. The conflict containment policy has failed.

Kamala Harris says she wouldn’t change anything. Are we looking at the same wars? While we wait for direction from whomever wins the Presidency, our friends have suffered. At every step of the way, the U.S. put obstacles in the way of the Ukraine, and Israel to deal their foes attitude changing blows. Aggression is best met by a solid and painful response. If it isn’t, the attacker has no reason to desist. When we forget this simple fact, we promote more bad behavior. Lawbreakers paying little price or no price leads to more crime.

Now we have Turkey bombing the Kurds. Remember them? They are the ones who filled the combat role in our victory over Issis. A terrorist attack on military base caused the Turkish action, even though there is no proof it was the Kurds.

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Some Thoughts Two Weeks Out

Other than a chance to blame Donald Trump for anything negative in the past decade, Kamala Harris’ appearance on Fox News with Brett Baier brought home how difficult it is to be a former Republican endorsing her. She has always been on the far left of her party. One has only to look at her stands running in 2019 for verification. Harris is right at home because the Biden administration is the most progressive in recent history. Given several chances to distance herself from Biden in several venues, including Brett Baier, she hasn’t found anything substantial where she differed from her boss.

You may detest Donald Trump, the person, or feel he is not your type of conservative, and I can see where you are coming from. I, too, have been critical of Trump, as readers are well aware. If you find the former president abhorrent, don’t vote for him.

What I don’t understand is why you crossed over to the Progressive side. You can’t be much of a Reagan conservative if you support one of the most progressive, if not the most progressive major party presidential candidate ever.

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Working Towards Decline

Two happenings this week show how far we’ve traveled from reality. The vice-presidential debate and the East Coast Longshoreman Strike may have little in common, but both evidence an archaic way of thinking. The idea that we can stand in the way of progress in a way that saves everyone’s present job has never worked out in practice. Pursuing such a program with an expanding wage scale is madness.

From Diocletion’s Roman Empire to China’s Qing Dynasty, stopping time by government fiat only resulted in decline. Yet both vice presidential candidates claim they can preserve and bring back manufacturing jobs. J.D. Vance hews to Trump’s tariffs to protect otherwise unprofitable businesses. At the same time, Tim Walz would continue massive subsidies and tariffs to do the same.

The East Coast longshoreman demanded a considerable wage increase and banned further automation. With its potentially severe economic consequences, this strike is a stark reminder of the dangers of resisting technological progress. The Luddites in the U.K. in the early 19th century, who violently opposed technological change and rioted over the introduction of new machinery in the wool industry, would seem to be a strange model to follow. There appears to be a settlement with a significant wage increase, but we don’t know about automation. It’ll be interesting to see the final draft.

Both presidential tickets employ industrial policy methods of protection and subsidies, disregarding the fundamental economic concepts of “Comparative Advantage” and “Opportunity Cost.” Some countries possess advantages that enable them to produce goods more economically. Understanding these concepts is not just important; it’s empowering. It’s the key to making informed economic decisions and fostering growth.

Understanding and applying the principles of comparative advantage is crucial for economic growth; it’s a beacon of hope. Canada could grow dates in greenhouses, but countries with a favorable climate can send them to Canada at a much lower price. On the other hand, wooded Canada has lumber unavailable in date-producing desert nations. Dates for the lumber trade leave everyone with more. Adhering to these principles has allowed billions of people to live better than ever, and continuing to do so can lead to even more prosperity.

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