ts. Think Responsibly

The Balance Sheet Of War

David Reavill

April 21 2024 at 04:39 pm

President John F. Kennedy America no longer declares war; instead, we “budget.” The last war that America declared was World War II. And yet, today, we are bogged down in endless conflict. The United States has been involved in no fewer than 13 conflicts in the 24 years of the 21st century. That’s a new war every two years. This week, the US Congress reduced the pursuit of war to a mere budget. Under the yet-to-be-designated bill, titled: Making emergency supplemental appropriations to respond to the situation in Ukraine and for related expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes. The US House of Representatives rushed through a $95 Billion stop-gap appropriation principally to support the War In Ukraine but also funding the Israeli-Gaza Conflict and military aid to Taiwan. The 2024 STOU, VP Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden, Speaker Mike Johnson. It was a remarkable piece of legislative legerdemain, as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson completely switched from anti- to pro-Ukraine funding. Declaring himself a “wartime” speaker, Johnson said that we must spend $61 billion on Ukraine to be on the right side of history. “My philosophy is you do the right thing and you let the chips fall where they may…History judges us for what we do. This is a critical time right now — a critical time on the world stage..” While no one would argue that we’re living in a “critical time,” that tells us little about funding for Ukraine. It’s an assertion, not an argument. Johnson mumbles that he’s seen classified information that leads him to believe the financing of Ukraine is warranted, but he declines to reveal what those classified documents say. That’s how a “Wartime” Speaker prepares a “Wartime” supplemental appropriation, aka budget — a budget that drags the nation further into debt and further into commitment to Ukraine. Of course, Speaker Johnson is joining President Joe Biden, whom the Wall Street Journal noted six months ago: “…Looks Like A Wartime President.” It’s becoming increasingly apparent that Washington is gearing up for war. Duh! In the short three years of Biden’s Presidency, we’ve seen a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Proxy War in Ukraine, the Proxy War in Gaza, an emerging conflict with Iran, and Operation Prosperity Guardian (the war with the Houthis). No matter how you look at it, it is a remarkable display of American military aggression. It’s a roll-up of the sleeves, bare knuckles, approach to foreign policy that we’ve never seen before. The foundation for this new American militarism is based on two concepts. First, that war is good for business, and second, that war is acceptable as long as no Americans are dying. War Is Good For Business This first foundational premise, that “war is good for business,” is remarkable in that it is the complete inversion of what the American people used to believe. In the 1960s, many of us argued that the very fact that nations might enter into war to make a profit was, in itself, immoral. It has been a Western tradition going back to Thomas Aquinas’ “Just War Theory,” in which he argues that war should only be fought to defend the homeland. He would certainly not justify war as a pursuit of profit. In his famous “Day of Infamy” speech, President Franklin Roosevelt reflects this tradition when he declares: As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.” It was clear to Roosevelt that America was entering the war with Japan, and later Italy and Germany, not to make money but to defend the United States, which was at that point under attack. Within that context, millions of Americans volunteered to serve in defense of our country. The lines at the local draft boards stretched around the street. Future soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen were willing to risk their lives to protect this country. Regrettably, that’s no longer the case. Draft boards nationwide are empty, recruitment goals for all the major services are unmet, and the American military is progressively understaffed. It seems that men and women are not willing to die for the profitability of our Defense Contractors. And yet, that’s just how this latest supplemental appropriation was pushed through Congress: “It’s good for business.” “It will mean more jobs.” As Lindsay Graham, Senator from South Carolina, likes to say: “It’s the best money we’ve ever spent.” Profits, jobs, and a roaring economy for America. No American Lives Lost However, there is another side to this War-Business-Bonanza, a side that includes misery and death, not American deaths, but other’s deaths nonetheless. You see, while the US turns out the most advanced military equipment, bombs, guns, and missiles, those weapons are being used to maim and kill. It is generally accepted that there are over half a million Ukrainian casualties in the war with Russia, with more added each day. It is a demographic catastrophe for a country that, at the beginning of the conflict, only had a population of about 25 million. Ukraine is losing an entire generation of child-bearing age people. The War in Gaza. Likewise, the conflict in Gaza has seen over 33,000 Palestinians killed; almost all of these deaths were the result of US-supplied arms. In no small way, the American Defense industry has become the silent partner in Israel’s push throughout Palestine. And that’s how America has reduced war to a balance sheet — a profit and loss statement of “what’s good for American business is good for the World.” Today, the White House released a document extolling the benefits of promoting war (passing aid to Ukraine). It included a list of all the states that will have more jobs because America is making arms for the world. It hasn’t always been like this. There was a time when a US President talked of making peace, not war. In the Commencement Address at American University on June 10, 1963, President John F. Kennedy said: I have, therefore, chosen this time and this place to discuss a topic on which ignorance too often abounds, and the truth is too rarely perceived — yet it is the most important topic on earth: world peace. What kind of peace do I mean? What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children — not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women — not merely peace in our time but peace for all time. Follow me here on ThinkSpot for more stories from the ValueSide.

Joe Biden And The Back-Door War

David Reavill

April 06 2024 at 11:14 am

President Joe Biden speaks with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy days after Russia invaded Ukraine. ** President Biden has pursued the Ukraine Conflict with single-minded ferocity, spending hundreds of billions of US Dollars and costing hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian lives. Here is our perspective. ** The American Political System aims to strike a delicate “balance of power” between the electorate, “we the people,” and those who govern us. The US Constitution seeks to give “we the people” a measure of control over our representatives by providing for periodic elections. However, on occasion, that balance of power slips. Our elected officials assume powers not given in the Constitution. This has led to what Arthur Schlesinger has called “The Imperial Presidency.” Of all the powers the Constitution gives our Government, the most awesome is the power to take us to War. Only five times in our country’s history have we declared War: the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. Since World War II, the United States has been entangled in a series of conflicts, but none has been a Congressional declared War. From the “Police Action” in Korea to the Conflict in Afghanistan, the nation has committed its fortunes and often its soldiers to skirmishes around the globe. Each time, with the tacit acknowledgment that we can, at any time, bring our nuclear arsenal into play if the American homeland were to become directly threatened. Thankfully, this has all been a bluff, as we have not had to provide these ultimate weapons in a total war environment. Consequently, American presidents have been playing this “bluff” for half a century. From Vietnam to Ukraine, Presidents have committed arms and equipment in a series of brush-fire wars with the explicit understanding that while we can hit you, you can’t hit back. The battlefield has always been in the homeland of another country, not ours. Because to do so might bring about the ultimate American nuclear response. From Richard Nixon to Barack Obama, US Presidents have exercised a delicate balance between projecting America’s power and influence while risking as few military personnel as possible. These Presidents understood, especially following the Vietnam Conflict, that the one thing the public would not countenance was the loss of American lives. The Dawn of the New Century began with the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York and the subsequent declaration by George W. Bush of the “War” on Terror. Of course, like all the other modern American incursions, this was no “War” in the Constitutional sense but a series of discrete military actions as directed by the President. The War on Terror included kinetic actions in Afghanistan, the Philippines, Iraq, Libya, and Syria. Although an American military presence remained in these countries, only Afghanistan remained when Joe Biden became President on January 20, 2021. Just seven months after he was inaugurated, on August 31, 2021, Biden ordered all troops to leave Afghanistan. The twenty-year “War” on Terror was over. Many hoped these endless American “Wars” might finally end. Unfortunately, that was not to be. There was a brewing conflict in a faraway country named Ukraine. A place that Joe Biden had been intimately involved with for more than a decade. As Vice President during the Obama Administration, he had been designated as the “Point Man” in charge of US-Ukraine relations. President Biden visits Ukraine on the first anniversary of hostilities. He ascends the stairs at the Palace of Marlinsky with President Zelenskyy. ** He had seen the Euro Maidan Coup of 2014, up close and personal, when he advised the old President, Yanukovych, to leave and welcomed the new President, Poroshenko, on board. (see my article). Not only did Biden know the players, but history has shown that he helped shape the current Ukrainian Government. So, when Biden became President, this self-styled foreign policy maven saw Ukraine as part of an overall strategy to blunt any future ambitions of its neighbor, Russia. With a growing animosity toward Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Biden has called a “dictator” and an “SOB,” Biden hardened the American position, encouraging Ukraine to join NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Putin was on record saying that if Ukraine joined NATO, it would be considered an existential threat to Russia. Russia would have no defense from nuclear weapons launched in Ukrainian territory. The Ukraine/Russia border is more than a thousand kilometers long, and atomic weapons placed along that border could be within Russian territory in mere seconds. An additional flash point for Russia emerged in the Donbas region of Ukraine (located in the southeast part of the country). This region was predominantly ethnic Russians — people amalgamated into Ukraine by the old Soviet Union but identified as Russian in language, culture, and religion. A particularly sketchy military group within the Ukraine Army had been targeting the Donbas for years. Amnesty International estimated that 14,000 Donbas residents had been killed by the Azov Battalion over the decade leading up to the Russian invasion. The Russians saw both the existential threat (potential nuclear weapons in Ukraine) plus the oppression of ethnic Russians living in the Donbas as the tipping point to war. On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, and the War was on. Interestingly, on February 22, two days before the Russian incursion, Biden declared that the Russian troop build-up was a sure sign that Russia would indeed invade. At this point, Biden announced the beginning of a series of economic sanctions designed to bring down the Russian Economy. Was Biden’s speech on February 22 a final provocation or simply an acknowledgment of what was already happening? It’s a fascinating question, especially considering Biden’s prior history in Ukraine (as “point man” under Obama). Be that as it may, America was again embroiled in War. Only this time, it was a Proxy War. A War fought principally by Ukrainian soldiers using American and European arms and equipment. And now, we see, under the skilled advisement of NATO technicians, advisors, and surveillance. From Biden’s perspective, this new Proxy War would solve the old American bugaboo of avoiding American casualties. No Americans would be killed. Instead, it would be the Ukrainian boys and girls who would endure the Russian onslaught. Biden’s note to President Zelenskyy pledging his support. (February 20, 2023). ** At the same time, Biden could pursue his anti-Russian strategy, depleting its military with combat, decimating its Economy with sanctions, and isolating the Russian state by uniting NATO, the United Nations, and other multi-national organizations against Russia. It has all of the essential elements that Biden learned during his half-century in Washington that Americans wanted. As a US Senator, Biden saw the devastation that American battle losses in Vietnam had on the Presidency of Lyndon Johnson. On the other hand, Biden saw the ease with which Bill Clinton could bomb Yugoslavia — bombing the Kosovo Albanians until they were forced to leave their homes in Kosovo. Flying the NATO planes above antiaircraft altitudes, making sure there would be no American casualties. This was a perfect model for American foreign policy from the Biden perspective. The Kosovo conflict was short, lasting only two and a half months, inflicted maximum harm on the enemy, with nearly 15,000 dead and over three-quarters of a million displaced, and it achieved its objective: remove the Albanians from Kosovo. Like the similar bombings of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it had drawn few headlines and little dissent back home. However, the current situation in Ukraine has met none of these objectives. The fact that the Ukraine War lingers over two years after it began proves that Biden’s initial aim of a short, decisive conflict is impossible. Escalation after escalation has not deterred the Russians. As America placed better, more advanced weapons on the battlefield, they were matched by the Russians. Today, American supplies are dwindling; the Russians continue to out-produce and, more importantly, out-shoot NATO and the Americans in necessary artillery, drone, and missile attacks. Even the ultimate American “bluff,” the use of nuclear weapons, is more than matched by Russia. I think that most Americans will find it hard to believe, but Russia has a superior nuclear capability to America, with more warheads and likely better missiles than America’s arsenal. A Ukrainian soldier lies in the hospital, one of the hundreds of thousands of wounded in this brutal war. ** President Biden must face a bitter truth: His strategy is failing. The War in Ukraine has continued far beyond his Administration’s projections. The battles against Russia have not been quick and victorious. The Russian Economy was not reduced to “tatters,” as Ursula von der Leyen, the European President, envisioned. It’s time for NATO and the American President to negotiate for peace. President Putin has said that he’s willing to talk. Why not take him up on his offer? Why not begin to settle this conflict diplomatically? Perhaps a “Peace Time” President would be just what the American electorate would like to see. Follow me here on ThinkSpot for more stories from the ValueSide.

Iran Strikes Israel...The Rest Of The Story

David Reavill

April 14 2024 at 04:50 pm

Iran launches the Qader Missile. ** Modern information technology has put the globe at our fingertips. Today’s internet allows information to be gathered from the world’s four corners and instantly transmitted to us here in America. It has led most of us to believe we always have a complete worldview. Consequently, in a situation like Iran’s attack on Israel yesterday, many of us believe that we’re getting the whole story of the conflict. Unfortunately, I’m here to say that isn’t the case. A review of most of the American News Services shows a slight variation of the same perspective. In the American Press version of the story, it is detailed how Iran shot hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel. All of this is true, of course, and an accurate resuscitation of yesterday’s events. But few of the reports indicate that this attack was in response to Israel’s attack on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, Syria. Inevitably, the news reports quickly transition to describing Israel’s response to the attack and, many times, the statement by US President Joe Biden of unconditional support for Israel should the conflict escalate. Most Americans are left with the impression that Iran, once again, committed a wanton act of aggression without provocation. I see dozens of “comments” from other readers. Many, but certainly not all, Americans see this as an attack on the United States’ principal alley in the Middle East, Israel. With that, many call for America’s immediate retaliation, falling in line behind President Biden’s call for complete military support of Israel. If only those were the facts of the matter, I can see how that response would be justified. But there is much, much more to this story. The American reports on Saturday evening events do not provide a historical context. The immediate trigger for Iran’s attack was Israel’s missile attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria. 16 Iranians were killed in the strike, including one of Iran’s most senior Military officers, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, along with seven other officers. The attack was an effort by Israel to expand the scope of the conflict now raging in Gaza. By taking out Iran’s military leadership visiting nearby Syria, it is presumed that Israel was attempting to mitigate any support these leaders may give to Hezbollah fighting in Gaza. At least, that’s the only logical reason I can see. No matter the rationale behind the attack, it was an apparent expansion of Israel’s growing war with Hezbollah. A step toward a Regional, if not Global, Conflict. Israel is playing with fire. In International Law, an Embassy is considered a sovereign part of the country it represents. It is a place where citizens of that country can seek asylum and are safe from arrest by the host country. An attack on the Iranian Embassy by Israel was a direct attack on Iranian territory and, thus, an act of war under International Law. Universally, most expected that Iran would retaliate. Do you see now how the limited perspective of the American Press distorted reality? The Iranian drone and missile attack on Saturday evening was NOT unprovoked. Instead, it was a response to an Israeli Attack on their Embassy two weeks earlier. With this simple change of perspective, perhaps we can change how America should react. While the President’s call to unconditional support would have been warranted if, indeed, Iran’s attack was unprovoked, that is not the case today. A simple recitation of this recent history indicates that it was Israel that was the aggressor, at least regarding its attack on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus. Much of the world sees these events in this alternate way. Experts in Turkey, Pakistan, and Yemen were quick to point out that Iran was justified in launching missiles and drones precisely because of the Israeli attack on the Iranian Embassy. And that’s all understandable: allies support allies. We should expect the Muslim world to support Iran, just as the United States supports its ally, Israel. The danger arises when we refuse to look at the other side of the conflict. When lines are drawn in the sand, and positions hardened, conflicts become intractable when we refuse to see the view from the other side. Local conflicts become regional wars and perhaps even worse. That’s where we are today. Each side is digging in its heels, preparing its populations for what may follow — building the momentum for all-out conflict. Someone needs to step back and see the other side’s view. It’s time to pick up the phone and begin discussions. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening on the American side, where the US President sets the tone by declaring unconditional support of one side before the other side’s drones even reach the Negev Desert. It is a “quick-draw” foreign policy that risks World War III. Follow me here on ThinkSpot for more stories from the ValueSide.

The Repo Act: Why America Can No Longer Be...

David Reavill

April 26 2024 at 02:26 pm

President Biden signing legislation. On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden signed a massive aid package aimed at helping Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan strengthen their respective military. But it was also an omnibus bill that included much more than a mere aid package. Buried within its provisions were potential sanctions against the social media site TikTok and an extension of the regrettable Patriot Act. However, a third provision within the Bill may prove to be the most costly for you and me, the American Citizens. Initially presented as the “Repo Bill,” this piece of legislation proved to be so unpopular that it could not stand on its own. So, in the usual machinations of our Congress, the Repo Bill was attached to the massive aid package in the hope that few would notice. Now passed and signed into law by the President, the Repo “Act” is nothing less than an attack on Private Property and the latest blow against global trade and finance. With extreme irony, this part of the Act was labeled the “Repo” Act. As those familiar with finance know, a Repo is a shorthand for a Repurchase Agreement. In this sophisticated method, governments and other large institutions lend (sell) a security (generally a sovereign debt instrument) to another institution, with the provision that they will buy back (repurchase) that security at a future date. Central to the Repo transaction is trust — the trust that both parties will fulfill their side of the contract. This trust is so fundamental to this kind of financial transaction that it is rarely stated. It is just assumed. After all, those involved in Repo transactions, and in fact in any transactions of this size and scope, are presumed to be “good actors.” These are many of the world’s most significant governments, institutions, and endowments. The US Treasury is among them. On this Wednesday, the United States declared it had gone rogue. You see, part of the legislation passed by the US House and Senate and signed into law by President Biden incorporated the Repo Act, a provision that the United States could confiscate Russian assets held on deposit in US Banks. It wasn’t even a debatable case. There was no doubt that these were Russian assets. Institutions within Russia had placed these deposits with American financial institutions to provide collateral for trade and finance between the two countries. Remember, as late as last November, the United States was still purchasing Russian oil and gas. No doubt, some of these assets were a result of these trades. As one more step in Washington’s widening war with Russia over Ukraine, our nation is taking the step to confiscate approximately $6 billion (US) held in this country. This move is unprecedented. Never in our long history has the US Government so blatantly and publicly pilfered international funds held on deposit. It is just the sort of action that Fiduciary Laws across the country are designed to prohibit. Regrettably, this is just the latest step by the Biden Administration to disregard convention and strike a blow against Global Finance. America has promoted an all-out economic war in retaliation to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — from multiple sanctions to removing Russia from the SWIFT System of trade reconciliation; Washington has been determined to diminish Russia’s ability to trade. While I can understand that many in this country wish to support Ukraine, the debate needs to include how Washington is destroying our resources and abilities in trade and finance. There isn’t a day that I have yet to read about the decline of the US dollar’s status as the reserve currency. Those who write about the dollar’s decline are spot on. The decline in the Petro-Dollar is especially significant, as we’ve seen Saudi Arabia express its desire to join BRICS, the emerging competitor to US Dollar hegemony. The Eurodollar is also under pressure, as Europe’s energy purchases will increasingly be made in Russian Rubles or perhaps Indian Rupees. Historically, both the Petro-Dollar and the Eurodollar came about with the need to hold on deposit American currency to expedite global trade — the very thing that President Biden and Congress now attack. From my perspective, far more than the billions spent on Ukraine, the damage done by the incorporated Repo Act will leave a lasting legacy on America. Imagine a country, the United States, that is reliant upon foreign trade to provide many of the products we consume, that is reliant upon foreign investors to purchase nearly a third of our sovereign debt, and that encourages offshore customers to purchase our natural resources, automobiles, and high-tech products that make up our exports. We are a country built over the past half-century by international trade and finance. And yet here is a president and Congress who have thrown a “monkey wrench” into the most basic of all attributes: trust. After April 25, 2024, the world can no longer trust the United States to be a fair and impartial custodian of assets. The world leader in trade and finance no longer meets the standards of a simple fiduciary. Follow me here on ThinkSpot for more stories from the ValueSide.

How To Out-Smart Wall Street

David Reavill

April 10 2024 at 08:36 pm

Wall Street Trading Desk ** I’m writing this near the Market Close on Wednesday, April 10. Currently, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down over 400 Points, all in reaction to the report this morning that the Consumer Price Index, our most widely watched measure of inflation, advanced by an annual rate of 3.5%, up from 3.2% the month earlier. Wall Street is shocked. Stocks and bonds were hit heavily, commodities were up, anticipating rising inflation, and cryptos were higher. What made today so very interesting was an apparent large bet gone wrong. It all began yesterday when a thoroughly lackluster session had an hour left. Traders felt they might even leave early, but nothing was happening. Suddenly, a series of buy orders hit the tape. In that last 60 minutes of trading, the Dow rose nearly 200 points, and the NAS was up 120. Someone appeared to know something. And that something was undoubtedly the direction of inflation. The monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) report was due on Thursday. Someone was placing a large wager that CPI Inflation would be tame. This likely means the Federal Reserve could begin lowering interest rates, which would be a big positive for stocks. So, anyone who purchased shares yesterday would benefit today if, and it turned out to be a big IF, inflation was lower. To the whole world, it looked like someone had insider information. They knew what the rest of us did not know: the direction of inflation. Interestingly, Zero Hedge published an article later this morning confirming our worst suspicions. The title was: “Scandal Rocks Biden’s Labor Dept For Lying About Sharing Non-Public Inflation Data With Secret Group Of Wall Street “Super Users” https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/scandal-rocks-bidens-labor-dept-lying-about-sharing-non-public-inflation-data-secret-group There was one problem: whoever made this colossal bet, a bet large enough to drive the Dow up nearly 200 points, needed to be correct. That’s right. Billions of dollars were put into play in anticipation of lower inflation, and surprise, surprise, inflation rose. It wasn’t enough to cause someone to go bankrupt or out of business. But it is just the sort of thing that some fund managers would do early in the quarter to gain an advantage over all the competition. Had the manager made the right bet, they would lead in whatever sector they invest in. That kind of performance drives billions of dollars in new assets under management (AUM) into any fund that bets right. Even though they have all the tools, from analysts to AI, modern portfolio managers have incredible ways to gain economic insight. However, they’re only sometimes on the right side of the trade. And if Zero Hedge is correct, some may even use unethical means to gain an advantage. But as we’ve been telling them for months, if you want to know where inflation’s going, there is a straightforward measure: the gas pump. Follow the price of gasoline, and you’ll see the direction of inflation. CPI Inflation (blue, left scale) Price of Regular Gasoline (red, right scale) Follow me here on ThinkSpot for more stories from the ValueSide.

GDP Part II, This Changes Everything

David Reavill

April 25 2024 at 01:24 pm

President Biden's weekly economic briefing.** As we noted yesterday, today’s GDP Report is critically essential. It presages the Federal Reserve’s future actions and has tremendous political implications for the upcoming Presidential Campaign. Briefly stated, the report shows that the economy grew at a paltry 1.6% for Q1 2024, far below even the most bearish Wall Street estimate and less than one-half the growth rate of the quarter before. It’s hard to overstate just how dismal this report is. For many, the report may have come as a complete surprise following the supposed positive New Durable Goods Orders reported yesterday. While the financial press basked in the reported 2.6% gain in New Orders for March, they failed to see that this gain was in the context of a very tepid 0.3% rise for the year — a rise that was most likely due to inflation pressure rather than any real gain in the overall economy. Overall, the latest GDP numbers reveal that we’re coming to the end of the stimulative effect of Biden’s increase in Government Spending (Build Back Better). While the spending numbers remain astronomical, spending from Washington is no longer accelerating. Government spending has topped out, and the classic Keynesian stimulus is diminishing. The implications of all this are profound. The Federal Reserve will be the first to feel the heat. Its high-interest rate policy now comes into question. How long will the Fed be able to defend higher interest rates in the face of a slowing economy? And make no mistake — a GDP reading of just 1.6% is just one revision above stall speed. We’re not far from recession territory. But it will be the Biden Campaign for Reelection that will really feel the heat. One of the cornerstones of Biden’s bid for reelection has been the claim that the economy is strong. That claim just went out the window. It is now clear that this isn’t a strong economy. It’s an extremely fragile economy that relies upon increased fiscal stimulus, that is, government spending. Here, we see that as government spending has plateaued, economic growth has slowed dramatically. Biden’s last remaining claim of economic growth is the Stock Market. But even here, there are signs of danger ahead. The tepid performance of the Mag 7, those largest capitalized stocks, reveals that even the vaunted Stock Market may experience difficulty in the days ahead. When you add all this together, it’s becoming increasingly challenging for the President to defend his economic record. Follow me here on ThinkSpot for more stories from the ValueSide.

Corporate News vs The Truth

Healthy & Awake Podcast

April 29 2024 at 02:10 pm

Staying informed is crucial, yet it's becoming increasingly difficult in a world where trust in mainstream media is waning—a distrust well-earned not only by their pursuit of clicks and profit but also due to reporting biases, errors, and the presentation of conflicting information that often misleads rather than enlightens. As traditional news outlets struggle to stay relevant amidst a flood of independent voices online, many people are turning away from established anchors and towards those they view as peers. Individuals on platforms like YouTube and blogs are gaining trust by sharing news and opinions that often feel more genuine and less influenced by corporate agendas. This shift reflects a broader disillusionment with a media system more focused on maintaining influence than on providing truthful, unbiased information. Despite my reservations about corporate news, I recognize their significant impact on society. They shape the narratives that a large segment of the population absorbs and believes, which is why it's crucial for those striving to stay truly 'healthy and awake' to understand the media environment that surrounds us. This includes recognizing the narratives that permeate our society and understanding how they influence public discourse. I advocate for a healthy skepticism, particularly towards corporate media, which has repeatedly shown a disregard for the full truth in favor of sensationalism or skewed narratives. With this context, I'm curious about your approaches to staying informed: Where do you turn for reliable news? Who are the voices you trust? Are there any mainstream media outlets you believe still uphold journalistic integrity? If so, which ones and why? This conversation isn't about dictating right or wrong but about sharing strategies for navigating a media-saturated world with critical awareness. Healthy & Awake Podcast: Apple: https://bit.ly/44pEBV6 Spotify: https://bit.ly/47KVbBM Rumble: https://bit.ly/3HPzG6V YouTube: https://bit.ly/3SKeZjn Substack: https://bit.ly/3TI9Jgw X: https://bit.ly/43sR7oa Mike Vera isn't your average Board Certified Health Coach (NBC-HWC). Armed with an MS in Exercise and Health Promotion and extensive experience as a seasoned personal trainer, he's the strategic mind behind Red Pill Health & Wellness and the engaging voice of the Healthy & Awake Podcast. With a strong foundation in cognitive psychology, Mike is adept at unveiling the hidden influences that impact our health.

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