Video: Idiots React to Coronavirus

This….is….excellent: via Paul Joseph Watson on YouTube:

 

Video: Tucker Carlson says, “War with Iran will end Trump’s Presidency”

Looks like me and Tucker Carlson think much alike.

Tucker is right, if we move against Iran, it’s over for Trump and possibly even America.

Results of Michigan’s economy

I’m sitting here in my Dad’s truck right now near my house at Wendy’s and I wanted to show you a picture of something:

Empty Wendy’s Parking lot

This is of course a parking lot in a Wendy’s near my house. This restaurant has been a Wendy’s since the early 1990’s. when it was a Hardee’s prior to that.

I can honestly tell you back in the 1990s that the parking lot that I’m sitting in now around this time of the day, between 12pm and 3pm, this parking lot would literally almost be full and the restaurant packed.

Nowadays, it sets half empty, all the time. This is what the Democrats did the folks right here, what you’re looking at it that picture above, is the decimation of our economy.

To his credit, Governor Rick Snyder has done what he could do to fix it and to bring Michigan back.

But the truth is folks were into a recession deep and I think it’s going to take maybe 20 to 30 years, before were are actually able to fix what the Democrats broke, this is why we need to vote differently and I pray that Trump makes it through the primaries and gets to the general and decimates the Democrats.

They should pay for what their policies caused in this country. 😡

Just thought I’d share that.

This might be why the world economy is in the pooper

As I just wrote, the world economy is in the dumper.

Well, this here might be why; via HotAir.com:

Looks like the 2015Q4 GDP results told a broader story than some credited. The Associated Press called the results from today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics report “a sharp deceleration from recent months” (later removing “sharp” from that description), paralleling the sharper deceleration of production. The US economy added only 151,000 jobs, a miss on expectations and barely enough to tread water on population expansion:

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 151,000 in January, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 4.9 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in several industries, led by retail trade, food services and drinking places, health care, and manufacturing. Employment declined in private educational services, transportation and warehousing, and mining.

Numerous news services heralded the a drop in U-3 rate of unemployment to 4.9%, but the number of people not in the workforce also rose by 360,000 people from last month (table A-16). That follows an increase of 284,000 the previous month. Those not in the labor force who want a job increased by 461,000, and that follows an increase of 379,000 in the previous month. The latter measure had been falling in 2015, but has reversed itself by 840,000 in two months — both in the 0.7%-growth-rate Q4. [see update above]

Needless to say, this leaves the workforce participation rates near their historic lows:

After accounting for the annual adjustments to the population controls, the civilian labor force and total employment, as measured by the household survey, were little changed in January. The labor force participation rate, at 62.7 percent, was little changed. The employment-population ratio (59.6 percent) changed little over the month but was up by 0.3 percentage point since October.

The U-3 rate dipped down to 4.9%, but that appears to be a rounding issue more than a significant shift. The broader U-6 rate remained at 9.9%, where it has been for three straight months after briefly dipping down to 9.8% in October. For comparison, October was the first time since May 2008 that U-6 scored under double digits, and the U-3 rate in May 2008 was 5.4% while the workforce participation rates were 66.1% and 62.5%, respectively.

My apologies to the gang at HotAir.com for quoting the crap out of their article. But, this is warranted. There’s more:

Update (Steve Eggleston): I have a couple quick points. First, on the “not in labor force” front, it is a seasonal phenomenon related to year-end retirements, and in the case of January, the implementation of new population controls. While the 360,000 additional people not in the workforce compared to December (on a not-seasonally-adjusted basis) is a larger add than the last couple years, it is actually lower than the average December-to-January change since 2000.

The future isn’t very bright. The January Challenger report released yesterday noted that announced job cuts surged to 75,114, the highest monthly total since July 2015 and the highest January total since 2009. The report also noted that there were 8,362 announced hiring plans last month, the 2nd-lowest January total going back to 2011.

Donald Trump might be a bit too populist for some and might be seen as a loose cannon by many. However, there is one thing that he is absolutely right about and that is that we are not on a good path as a Nation and because of that, we are dragging the World economy down with us. Something has to change and there are many disagreements about what is to change and how it is to change. However, the one clear fact that I believe everyone can and will agree on is that the path that we have been on, in this Country, for these may years, dating back to the beginning of the George W. Bush Administration and maybe even the Bill Clinton Administration; cannot continue. Otherwise, the United States of America is going to find itself in a very bad place.

Here is hoping that there are people elected that can figure this out and make the needed changes, without causing many innocent people to suffer as a result.

U.S. adds 173,000 jobs in August, unemployment at 5.1%

I guess this is supposed to be good news:

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) – The U.S. economy created a modest 173,000 new jobs in August to mark the smallest gain in five months, but the unemployment rate fell to 5.1% from 5.3%, the government said Friday. That’s the lowest level since April 2008. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected a gain of 213,000 nonfarm jobs. On the more positive side, employment gains for July and June were revised up by a combined 44,000. The Labor Department said 245,000 new jobs were created in July instead of 215,000. June’s gain was revised up to 245,000 from 231,000.

Source: U.S. gains 173,000 jobs in August; unemployment 5.1% – MarketWatch

To be honest, until I see massive hiring everywhere, for good paying jobs and some protection for people like me; who haven’t had a job in ages — I really do not feel this news to be of merit. I haven’t worked since 2003 and had a long term job since 2000. So, this news means nothing.

Not to mention that the growth is paltry.

 

So much for that economic recovery! 

So much for the recovery promised by President Obama eh?

The economy got off to an even weaker start this year than first thought, the government reported Friday, as economic activity contracted amid a disappointing trade picture and continued caution on spending by businesses and consumers alike.The 0.7 percent decline in economic output in the first quarter of 2015 was a reversal of the initial 0.2 percent advance for the period reported last month by the Commerce Department.While statistical quirks and one-time factors like wintry weather in some parts of the country played a role, as did a work slowdown at West Coast ports, the lackluster report for January, February and March underscores the American economy’s seeming inability to generate much momentum.Source: U.S. Economy Contracted 0.7% in First Quarter – NYTimes.com

One thing I feel the need to write about and correct is this; Ed Morrissey over at the neoconservative blog, HotAir.com says the following:

Get ready to hear a lot about supposedly harsh winter weather in supposedly the warmest year on record, and port closings in a period where imports seemed to have no trouble coming on shore.

 Allow me to share something with you; I recently applied for a got my sales tax ID. I am back in the business of selling 12 volt electronics, mainly for cars. One of the other things that I can get are 10 meter mobile amateur radios. Well, one of the brands that I can get are the Ranger line of 10 meter radios. Well, this is what I see, when I log on to one of my many supplier’s website; they’re all out of stock:

rangeroutofstock
Because of a labor dispute, the radios for this company are super slow about coming off of the ships. If Ranger has product on these ships; so do others too. So, the story about import slow downs due to labor disputes is very true; despite what some neocons want you to believe. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The problem is, it is not just this supplier; it is all of them and I am told the next time that Ranger is going to try to ship any, is in July. Now, this really does not bother me; because this stuff is not my main line of sales. I am more into the car stereo end of things. But, could you really imagine being heavily invested into the CB/10 meter end of things and have a huge customer base and then find out that you cannot get this stuff? Ouch.

So, Ed is wrong about the part about imports, there is a labor dispute going on. They are working without a contract and thus the slowdown. This all plays into the status of the economy. Also too, inflation and globalism all play a part into as well.

Others:  Wall Street Journal, White House.gov Blog, Truth Revolt, Outside the Beltway and The Week (via Memeorandum)

 

 

Is the collapse of China’s economy beginning?

I have written and posted videos of the situation of China’s economy.

Now, it seems that the real estate bubble in China is finally starting to pop.

Gordon Chang over at Forbes reports the following:

Nothing is going right for Hangzhou at this moment.  Walmart will be closing its Zhaohui store in that city on April 23 as a part of its overall plan to dump marginal locations—about 9% of the total—in China.

Thanks to the world’s largest retailer, another large block of space in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, will go on the market at a time when there is generally too much supply.  The problem is especially pronounced in the city’s premium office market. Hangzhou’s Grade A office buildings at the end of 2013 had, according to Jones Lang LaSalle, an average occupancy rate of 30%.

The real weakness, however, is Hangzhou’s residential sector.  The cause is simple: massive overbuilding. Sara Hsu of the State University of New York at New Paltz writes that Hangzhou faces “burgeoning swaths of empty apartment units.”

Hangzhou’s market has not yet collapsed.  There are still secondary sales, for instance.  Singapore’s Straits Timesreports Allen Zhao, a businessman, has been looking to sell his two-bedroom flat in Hangzhou for 2 million yuan.  His neighbor just let go a similar unit for 1.7 million.  If Zhao also sells for that amount, he will make a profit, but he will be disappointed.  “That is not much more than the price I paid in 2012,” Zhao told the paper.  “Now I’m regretting not selling earlier—more bad news about the property market keeps coming in every day.

[…]

The People’s Republic in the “reform era” has not suffered a nationwide property crash.  Analysts say the problems in Hangzhou are “regional,” but now fundamentals and market sentiment either are or will be pushing markets down across the People’s Republic.

“The banking system and the shadow banking system are becoming concerned about exposure,” says David Cui of Bank of AmericaBAC +1.46%.  “Once people refuse to provide credit to developers, their balance sheets will be under pressure, forcing them to cut prices.  Once enough of them cut prices, fewer people would buy because most people buy property only when they think the price is going up.  If this persists, it will turn into a vicious loop.”

Premier Li Keqiang has a few tools at his disposal, but they look insufficient to stop a general collapse of property prices across the country.  The problems, deferred from late 2008 with massive state spending, have simply become too large.  And we must remember that he works inside a complex, collective political system that is generally unable to meet challenges swiftly.

But that does not matter.  There is little any leader can do.  Collapses occur when people lose confidence.  That is now happening in China.

Whether anyone wants to admit it or not; China’s economy is directly tied to ours. If their economy tanks, so will ours. You think 2008 was bad? China’s collapse will trigger a Worldwide panic and a massive, and I mean MASSIVE Worldwide economic meltdown that has never been seen in the history of mankind. As of 2012, we were borrowing 3.4 Million from China, a day.

Could you imagine, if China saw that things were getting rough and decided to sell off all of their bonds of ours that they hold? The so-called “experts” say that it would not happen; personally, I would not want to tempt fate.

There is but one solution to this — well, actually a few. We need to do away with these free trade agreements and put back into place tariffs on all imports from overseas. Then penalize any and all businesses who continue to manufacture products overseas. Then we need to elect a President that will stand up to the Federal Reserve and order them under full congressional oversight; and then order them to cease all printing of money; until further notice.  This would help pay down our debt and fund our social safety net.

Then we need to do away with this idiotic progressive tax system that we have in this Country, which basically punishes those who are successful in business. We then need to replace it with a flat tax or a consumption tax system. This would free up the hands of entrepreneurs to create businesses and also create more jobs in this Country.

However, if what this report above that I quoted is true; we are not going to have time to do all of this. Because if China is about to crash; we are going to find ourselves in massive rock and a hard place. We are going to have massive social safety net and no way to pay the people in the net. For the record, Patrick J. Buchanan and Ron Paul; and some very other well known Conservatives have been warning that this was going to happen. Now, it seems that their warnings are about to come true.

I believe it would be a good time, for all of God’s children to pray; because things are about to get interesting….very interesting.

Some good economic news for a change

The economy is recovering, albeit at a very slow pace.

Here are two stories on the recovery:

Via Market Watch:

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Private-sector employment picked up in November, as employers added 215,000 jobs, Automatic Data Processing Inc. reported Wednesday. Economists had forecast that private-sector employers added 178,000 jobs, up from an originally estimated gain of 130,000 jobs in October, according to a Dow Jones Newswires survey. On Wednesday ADP revised October’s gain to 184,000. Economists use ADP’s data to get a feeling for the U.S. Labor Department’s employment report, which will be released Friday and covers government jobs in addition to the private sector. Economists polled by MarketWatch expect the government’s report to show that nonfarm employment rose by 180,000 jobs in November, compared with an increase of 204,000 in October. Markets are searching jobs data this week for clues about when the Federal Reserve will deem the economy healthy enough to start paring its massive asset-purchase program, which officials crafted to stimulate growth by keeping downward pressure on long-term interest rates.

There are some, like on the neoconservative right, that would say that this is simply not enough. To that I say, it does not happen overnight. The economy can be destroyed in minutes; but it does take a long time for it to build back up. Obamacare aside, this is good news. I just wish the numbers were higher. 

And another via Market Watch:

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) – The nation’s trade deficit fell 5.4% to $40.6 billion in October, as the U.S. exported more petroleum, soybeans and collectibles while buying foreign-made goods at a slower rate, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had projected the deficit would decline to $40.4 billion in October on a seasonally adjusted basis. Exports rose 1.8% to $192.7 billion. Imports climbed a smaller 0.4% to $233.3 billion, but that still marked the highest level since March 2012. American exports of petroleum jumped nearly 16% to lead the way. Exports of soybeans, which are down sharply so far this year, increased by nearly 22%. The U.S. also sold more artwork, gold and diamonds. On the other side of the ledger, the U.S. imported more crude oil, petroleum-based products, toys and pharmaceutical drugs. Over the past three months, the trade deficit has averaged $40.9 billion, little changed from $40.2 billion September and down just slightly compared to one year ago. In September, the trade gap was revised up to $43.0 billion from a preliminary reading of $41.8 billion.

As an American, as someone who is not too keen on globalism, this is very good news. The United States has the ability to produce its own goods, without relying on import, we just have not had the chance to do it. Now, if we could just stop relying on China for cheap electronics, we would be in very good shape.

Census ‘faked’ 2012 election jobs report

This is not a terribly big shock to me; just look who is in the White House. This administration and Government is rife with corruption. I believe if this Government released the true numbers of unemployment in this Country; this stock market would crash and there would be a run on the banks of epic proportions.

The Story:

In the home stretch of the 2012 presidential campaign, from August to September, the unemployment rate fell sharply — raising eyebrows from Wall Street to Washington.

The decline — from 8.1 percent in August to 7.8 percent in September — might not have been all it seemed. The numbers, according to a reliable source, were manipulated.

And the Census Bureau, which does the unemployment survey, knew it.

Just two years before the presidential election, the Census Bureau had caught an employee fabricating data that went into the unemployment report, which is one of the most closely watched measures of the economy.

And a knowledgeable source says the deception went beyond that one employee — that it escalated at the time President Obama was seeking reelection in 2012 and continues today.

“He’s not the only one,” said the source, who asked to remain anonymous for now but is willing to talk with the Labor Department and Congress if asked.

The Census employee caught faking the results is Julius Buckmon, according to confidential Census documents obtained by The Post. Buckmon told me in an interview this past weekend that he was told to make up information by higher-ups at Census.

Ironically, it was Labor’s demanding standards that left the door open to manipulation.

Labor requires Census to achieve a 90 percent success rate on its interviews — meaning it needed to reach 9 out of 10 households targeted and report back on their jobs status.

Census currently has six regions from which surveys are conducted. The New York and Philadelphia regions, I’m told, had been coming up short of the 90 percent.

via Census ‘faked’ 2012 election jobs report | New York Post.

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