Summary

Reflecting on the phrase 'it's the economy, stupid,' coined by Democratic strategist James Carvel in 1992, it reminds us that the economy is a crucial aspect of our society. Despite the humorous context of the phrase, it serves as a vital motto, slogan, catchphrase, and motivating chant, just as it did when it was first uttered.

The economy was close to a systemic meltdown into an inflationary depression. While society was crumbling around us, our head leader said that the economy was booming, the borders were secure, our communities were safe, and inflation was controlled. Mismanagement, extreme incompetence, and sheer evil are better explanations.

Article:

Our economy is currently grappling with many urgent challenges that demand immediate attention. Unfortunately, our leadership seems preoccupied with politicizing every issue and applying superficial, short-term fixes. This unsustainable approach, which includes weaponization and persecution of adversaries, underscores the urgent need for us to address these challenges head-on. It's high time we took action, as anyone who speaks the truth is often viewed with suspicion.

Mainstream media is the designated puppet to promote everything and spread false narratives and propaganda. Please pay attention to us because we are much more intelligent than you and deserve to control the narrative. Wazoo, through arrogant superiority, spew propaganda; all is good temporarily and beautifully.

As the character Forest Gump famously said, 'One Less Thing.' This quote highlights the aimlessness that can be felt when the government, which is meant to represent the people, lacks clear intentions, purpose, or direction. However, it's important to remember that the government is transparent; we, the people, represent ourselves and our best interests.

That would be the case, but everything in this country is done on purpose to accomplish the goals of a tiny fragment of society and to transfer wealth, power, and influence into their coffers. This stark reality underscores the urgent need for systemic societal changes. We must come together and demand a fairer, more equitable system, as individual actions alone cannot bring about the necessary transformation. It's a call for collective action, a reminder that we are stronger.

Money, power, influence, and access are always the goals.

Systemic societal changes are constantly present, and staying informed about them is crucial. Global manufacturing trends, for instance, are significantly impacting our economy, and understanding these dynamics is critical to navigating the current economic landscape. The 'made in China' label still holds sway, but 'Made in America' is losing ground. Manufacturers find it hard to compete when taxed, regulated, and sued to death. The need for systemic changes is clear; we must stay informed and engaged.

Let's list a few changes:

The Banking system has monopoly powers. A perverse crony relationship exists between Wall Street, the administrative state, and the banking system. Systematic monetary manipulation provides unimaginably significant financial gains to the 1% (wealthiest people). The Federal Reserve System has become a subordinate captive to Wall Street traders, gamblers, and the powerful. The system ensures that the rich profit handsomely using highly leveraged derivatives bets. If there are substantial losses, they are bailed out with a profit, and the losses are dumped on the taxpayers' backs. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 is their insurance policy for protection against highly leveraged financial bets gone wrong.

• Everything that the Federal Reserve does is unnecessary and perverse. From issuing fiat currency, manipulating interest rates, buying and selling bonds, passing laws, and continuously increasing the national debt and regulations to ensure the status quo. Everything is juiced and brought back down occasionally like an addicted druggy. Political expediency is their insurance policy.
• The presidency and senior members of the government complex are chosen as placeholders or gatekeepers for the cabal of corporations, the administrative state bureaucracy, institutions, and the banking system. Any applicant is well vetted to ensure that they will represent their particular partisan interests. The usual suspects want to ensure they receive preferential treatment or the status quo.

The consumer, driving 70% of the economic engine, is facing a crisis. Consumer debt delinquency, including credit cards and auto loans, is rising. Since consumer spending accounts for most economic activity, a halt in spending due to stressed-out consumers running out of hard cash and available credit could lead to a finance death spiral downward into bankruptcy. The high interest rates, sometimes reaching 30% or more, are pushing many consumers to the brink, with some even becoming homeless or living in their cars due to delinquent payments.

Consumer confidence continues to be revised downward by the Conference Board.

Inflation is up to unsustainable levels; in just three years, household purchases are up over $1,000, rental rates are up 30%, homeowner insurance is up 38%, 61% of renters cannot afford a median-priced apartment, gas is up 46%, fixed-rate mortgages up 148%, mortgage payments are up 100%, 44% of retired folks are returning to the workforce, retail stores are being crushed closing by the 1,000s, 46% of the people do not have even 500 dollars saved, and in California alone 20% of the people live in poverty. In the meantime, we pursue imperialistic failures like spending 175 billion on the Ukraine/Russian war that Russia is undoubtedly winning.

• Housing has become unaffordable for all except the top 14% or so of income-producing earners. Housing prices have increased by 47% in the last four years. Production costs are up, home repairs are up, and rents are up, in some cases dramatically. City shelters and people living on the streets in major cities like Chicago have tripled between January 2023 and January 2024
• Commercial real estate, with huge offices, continues downward. Banks are offloading their portfolios to cut losses. The double punch of vacancy, a byproduct of the COVID hangover, and higher interest rates had hammered the subset of real estate. There is no short-term solution in sight. Cash-on-cash yields disintegrated, and capitalization rates became nonexistent because there was little or no income.
• Most significant banks are insolvent because they hold many U.S. Treasuries they cannot eliminate. If they were to dispose of the securities at a mark-to-market valuation, as the law requires, their capital would be wiped out, and an economic meltdown would instantly occur. To hide the problem, the government changed the rules so they could report valuations as held to maturity. This is a quick fix and prestidigitation (sleight of hand magic trick). In the meantime, banks are stuck with securities yielding one to two percent when current replacement securities are 5% plus.
• Society has changed. A tremendously large portion of middle-class workers have given up. Far too many people in America no longer want to work in a productive enterprise. After the free lunch provided by all the money handouts, they got used to it and assumed that the benefits were entitlements. Many believe they are entitled to everything for free, including debt forgiveness.
• Though theft has been sanctioned as acceptable behavior, prices are increased for productive people to offset shelf pilferage. Dependency and entitlement in the economic system have taken on a new meaning.

Another concerning trend is the prevalence of quiet quitting in today's labor force. This behavior, where individuals avoid stressful confrontations and work-related tasks, is a symptom of a more significant issue. It indicates a societal shift in which many are no longer willing to try to achieve a successful outcome.

Quiet quitting is a term used to describe a situation where a person does not outright quit their job but regularly shuffles their daily activities to avoid stressful confrontations, outbound calls, and sales rejections. Instead of focusing on business-related tasks, they may spend their time on social media or commiserate with others about work-related issues. Going the extra mile or any mile at all is not part of the equation for those with a tidy paycheck, no matter how temporary or short-lived.

Quitting, also known as the Great Resignation and the Great Reshuffle, is an economic trend in which employees are unsatisfied with their jobs but find a way to avoid action by becoming parasitic on their employers' payrolls. Most employers will only pay salaries for so long. No results, sorry Charlie, no pay, no job! Then what?

How about a very inexpensive gadget, a mouse jiggler, which artificially simulates keyboard activity and mouse movement, creating the impression of active work. Taking advantage of your employer is so simple today. Some who work remotely have attempted to outsmart their management while engaging in fake work activity. Management may use productivity monitoring software as a surveillance mechanism to ensure compliance with company work requirements while the parasitic quiet quitter engages in fraud. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, significant corporations estimate that 8% to 10% of their remote workers engage in fraud. Of course, that could eliminate the entire annualized profit for a company. More companies are turning to electronic worker surveillance systems.

• Many human parasites today happily develop, exploit host organisms, and live on their backs while contributing nothing. These people are sometimes referred to as useless eaters.
• Reduced individual productivity, lower profits, and competition with foreign workers are all factors that disadvantage the U.S.A. However, these challenges can be overcome with a strong focus on individual productivity and self-motivation. By countering the trend of 'quiet quitting' and embracing a proactive work ethic, we can navigate these challenges and contribute to a more productive economy.

Made in China is not going away. Some manufacturing may be transferred to other countries like Thailand, India, Indonesia, or Vietnam. Low cost and productivity dictate the market. These countries promote accountability and self-sufficiency. And cheap labor is hard to counter. Advancements in technology and innovation are the likely offset.

• Large and small companies are laying off workers across the nation. Truckers, retailers, restaurants, manufacturers, and others are laying off 10 s thousands of workers. When you read about employment being up by 300,000, you will find that 75% of the workers are foreign workers and 25% are government workers. Private enterprise workers looking for a job find themselves at a disadvantage for stuff like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) or because companies have been given the directive not to hire white males, a clear sign of reverse racism.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is part of the contrived tapestry of social justice warriors pushing progressive movements that are Marxist in disguise. Many states, such as Florida, Texas, and Utah, have banned DEI initiatives in corporations and state-funded colleges and universities.
• Homelessness, poverty, hunger, and theft are all rising. Still, the only solution seems to be to continue taxing the productive people and throwing money at the problem as the easiest solution.
• Government solutions are just dancing around the periphery as conditions deteriorate. Real solutions would get in the way of government objectives, resulting in more dependency, government regulations, and taxation while confining the people to their ward a small circumference with limited options.

So, how do we overcome or work around all these barriers?

• Become a Self-Starter and reject parasitism and mediocracy:

Becoming a self-starter is not just a destination but a fulfilling journey of proactive achievements and empowerment. It's a plan, the execution of the plan, a series of actions, accomplishments, and many interruptions. It's about self-motivation to learn competencies and skill sets and repeatedly complete incremental small successes over time, not inherited abilities. The process involves developing an attitude, motivation, enthusiasm, self-confidence, talent, tenacity, and flexibility through repeated experiences and, in many cases, redundant actions to accomplish your goals.

Remain active, accept responsibility, lead with courage, and be patient. Please don't expect immediate gratification. If you work for a company, your responsibility is to be productive enough that the company makes a profit from your efforts above your costs. As you become more valuable, you will advance and make more income and gratification. You bring intellectual and human capital to the company through information, competency, knowledge, expertise, and productivity.

This accumulation of experiences and successes sets you apart, earning distinction in the top 10% of your field.

Focus on yourself, your family, and your career. The remainder of societal problems will take care of themselves.

• Be charitable, willingly sharing your knowledge with others when possible, but not foolish.
• We should advance our knowledge base and careers, protect our families, show dignity and respect to others, and essentially wear blinders as we fight through a forest of deception.
• We must continue our personal growth, development of intellect, keenness of memory, and awareness of societal obstacles and refuse to give up or allow others to infringe on our person. Investing in ourselves has many rewards.
• Stay physically active.
• Spending well-earned time in your mental hobby shop is essential. It will help you escape the pressure and recharge your focus.
• Learn to live in uncertainty and not become a victim of anxiety and fear.
• Fear is a wasted emotion. It does not produce any actions, solutions, or results.
• Eliminate consumer debt. Business-related debt designed to leverage your enterprise to achieve higher profits is still acceptable.
• Hard cash is king. Keep some handy.
• Keep your close relationships near and dear to your heart.
• Keep positive people in your life and eliminate those who do not subscribe to your attitude and enthusiasm.
• Regardless of the strife, antagonism, and insanity surrounding us, we all should rise in the morning to be productive.
• Become more productive and work harder than those around you.
• Please fill your days with action items characterized by effective time use and accomplishment.
• You can quickly expand your marketing outreach program. This is a dominant flaw in most business people who have been successful despite themselves.
• Eliminate operational redundancies and marketing strategies that do not work or have limited effectiveness.
• Technology will drive much future success, wealth accumulation, and innovation. Would you be willing to adapt and join the revolution?
• Have the attitude of being ever-present and the last man (person) standing if necessary. Those with tenacity will be successful.
• Relying on your intuition and the 80/20 rule. You earn 80% of your income from the most productive 20% of your activities.
• Attempt to eliminate clutter in 80% of activities, which will get 20% of the results.
• America cannot compete with cheap labor; robotics and technological advances will sharpen our competitiveness.
• Could you discuss possible offensive and defensive measures with friends, business associates, and neighbors and ask them to do the same?
• Please don't assume that social media is your friend. It is about steering the narrative and advertising dollars for corporate media enterprises. Do not become enslaved to likes on your phone.
• Trust nothing from mainstream or social media without independent verification. Eliminate unlikely opinions or explanations and keep isolating the discussion until the likelihood of truth becomes apparent. Trust your instincts. Your real-life experience becomes paramount. This call for independent verification empowers us to take control of our understanding of the situation.
• Question the validity and purpose of every action taken by Big Tech, Big Pharma, Big Agriculture, Big Banks, Wall Street, Big Media, the military-industrial complex, and the various Big Government Monopolies. Their agenda is not about representing your best interest. It is about profits and the status quo. The spin doctors work 24/7 to keep the public isolated from truth and reality.
• Government-manufactured statistics, biased polling data, ideologically polarized scholars, and spin-doctor research intentionally keep the public ill-informed about actual conditions.
• One of the primary reasons people are being informed of the truth is that they can now circumvent mainstream media and spend their time being educated on alternative news sources. They are no longer required to be subjected to 24/7 propaganda.
• Protect the family's inalienable rights and personal sovereignty.
• We must work to change our leaders to represent the people rather than themselves. That is a tall order.