The West

Over the past 50 years the West has embarked upon a slow path to destruction. It comes in four parts. Europe is ahead of the US in this regard and can be used as a warning. First off Europe decided to replace fossil fuels with wind and solar and this has led to high energy cost and overall economic decline. Second, they opened their borders to mostly Islamic immigrants and these people are placing pressure on social services and they are not assimilating because of cultural differences. Third, their population replacement is 1.4 which means they are running out of young people. Finally, fourth is DEI. This policy tends to give special treatment to certain groups and leads to tribalism and this is the antithesis of individualism which is what democracy is founded upon. The US has witnessed the harm caused by these policies and is trying to avoid falling into the same trap. The idea that wind and solar can replace fossil fuels has been refuted and the way around that is nuclear. Second the border has been secured and immigration will once again return to an orderly fashion. Third the concept of DEI is on the way out having been exposed as just a way to put skin color above merit. What is left is the low birth rate and that can be taken care of by allowing the non-criminal migrants to gain citizenship. These are all self-inflicted wounds that can be corrected.

College

The word fascist is in the news and sometimes not well understood. One interesting way of looking at the word is to see it as an extreme version of right wingers. This is what communism is for far-left people. As each side moves further away from the center, they approach each other and mesh together. They become authoritarian dictators. From the standpoint of governing there was not much difference between Hitler and Stalin. The misunderstanding of the word can be seen in the fact that many in the press expressed surprise at the fact that 6,000 students at the university where Charlie Kirk was shot signed a petition asking that his visit be cancelled. University students have been involved in a growing trend of trying to ban or disinvite speakers from campus since at least 2014, using tactics like protests and petitions, and a significant portion of students have become more accepting of such actions, including shouting down speakers, blocking access to events, and even using violence. In principle, colleges and universities are designed to be places where controversial ideas can be expressed and debated. This has changed over the past ten years. One question is did the professors have anything to do with this change.

Kirk

The shooting of Charlie Kirk is big news because he was a controversial speaker and his life style. He and his wife were deeply committed to Christianity and conservative values. He often said things that many people were thinking but afraid to say, shades of Rush Limbaugh. His comments on gender, race and politics often drew fierce liberal criticism. Here are some examples. If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, boy, I hope he’s qualified. If you’re a WNBA, pot-smoking, Black lesbian, do you get treated better than a United States marine? Happening all the time in urban America, prowling Blacks go around for fun to go target white people, that’s a fact. It’s happening more and more. If I’m dealing with somebody in customer service who’s a moronic Black woman, I wonder is she there because of her excellence, or is she there because affirmative action? Kirk's comments often drew fierce liberal criticism. His opposition to gun control was among issues he discussed. It is understandable why many would be offended by these remarks but that is what the first amendment is all about. He promoted family values such as marriage and having children. He encouraged young people to work hard and go after the American dream using the ideas of God, family and country. He believed that you won the lottery when you were born in the USA.

Clicks

As the various stations cover the news regarding the Charlie Kirk shooting, they all agree that all sides should cut back on divisive language and then they put on the news the most divisive people they can find. They cannot help themselves as clicks are all that count.

Migrants

Many articles are written pointing out that the Ukraine War continues because the egos are getting in the way and this is also true in domestic politics. Right now, there is an opportunity to reach a compromise on immigration that would benefit the country. Trump fancies himself as a great deal maker and the democrats could approach the situation with compromise in mind. Go to Trump and say now that the border is secure, we would like to help ICE find and deport the migrant criminals who are in the country and then work with the government to get work permits for the remaining migrants. The permits would be for five years at which time they can convert to Green Cards and in another five years to citizenship. In addition, they will cooperate with the government to find the missing children. The country needs these migrants to fill the many jobs that will be created as manufacturing comes back home.

Crime

Crime has been a problem for many years but in recent times, like most news, it is on social media and gets more attention. Statistics show that crime rates were much higher in the 1990’s and following some tough on crime legislation the rates dropped. This was the result of policies like three strikes and your out and arresting people for minor crimes, the theory being that this would reduce major crimes. After 25 years of this the pendulum swung back as people realized that the jails were filling up with nonviolent criminals and there was a racial component that came out of the surge in crack cocaine arrest. This was followed up by the oppressor/ oppressed view that also had a racial component. This led to many seeing criminals as victims and the result is that many district attorneys tend to go easy on criminals. This resulted in many jurisdictions recording crimes in ways that tend to minimize the numbers. Over the past few years, the number of illegal migrants with criminal pasts have increased and this has added to the crime problem.

Sex attacks

Many cities have instituted no cash bail. Without this change people who have the money can get out of jail while they await trial but those without the money remain in jail. This was deemed unfair and thus the law changed. In practice this has resulted in accused felons being freed the day after they were arrested with the written promise that they would show up in court on the appointed day. What has happened is that these accused have committed more crimes. Statistics show that 64% of federal violent offenders were rearrested for new crimes within eight years of release. On average, formerly incarcerated people are arrested five times within nine years of their release. For every 1000 sexual assaults, 50 reports lead to arrest, 28 cases lead to conviction and 25 are incarcerated. Seventy percent of those jailed serve less than 5 years.

Subway

Virtue signaling is a pejorative term used to describe liberals who suggest ways to provide benefits to the poor, often times people who are not working. They do this to show their compassion for those less fortunate. They are sometimes called bleeding hearts ore do gooders but for the most part they have good intentions. What is needed is to think things through and to anticipate what the results of their actions might be. Case in point is the New York City candidate for mayor Mandami. He is proposing to eliminate the charge for subways. This will encourage the homeless to spend their nights riding the rails, especially during the colder months. These are people who are afflicted with mental problems, drug problems and personal hygiene problems. In time this will cause fewer working people to take the subway and the tent camps on the street will be moved to the subway. The subways have already earned the reputation of being unsafe and this will further exacerbate the problem. On a grander scale are those who wanted to help the migrants crossing the southern border, which led to many of the problems in today’s society and most of these could have been anticipated.

Clinton

Wise people say you can learn from history. In 1994, half way through his first term President Bill Clinton lost 54 house seats and for the first time since in 40 years the republicans had a majority in the congress. Clinton then made a move toward the center and in 1996 he was reelected. He worked with the congress and balanced the budget, the first time in 25 years. He passed a tax cut and increased spending on education. He signed welfare reform limiting the time spent on welfare to five years. He passed the tough on crime bill and added 100,000 cops on the street. Democrats today are not trying to move to the center but are doubling down on the policies that have them at a 36% approval. It would be wise to consider what Clinton did.

Deportions

The current controversy concerning the rounding up of migrants is sometimes presented as a human rights violation but that depends on the details. Here is information to support this reasoning. From the National Civil Liberties Union During the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, immigration authorities deported more than 3 million people, 75% of whom did not see a judge or have the opportunity to plead their case. From NPR Annually, between 58% and 84% of these removals were so-called "summary removals" carried out through legal procedures such as "expedited removal" and "reinstatement of removal," which do not involve a hearing before an immigration judge. On average, about 74% of removals during this period fell into these categories. Trump is using “expedited removal” just as Obama did. Last week a federal judge temporarily blocked the expedited removal, a ruling that will likely be resolved by the Supreme Court. Expedited removal was challenged under the Obama administration but there were no large protests. One reason was that Obama turned around many migrants at the border so it required less rounding up.

Carney

Canada is undergoing withdrawals from Trump’s 51st state proposals. In the run up to the March 2025 election the conservative candidate was on course to win but when Trump made his remarks the situation changed almost overnight. The liberal candidate Mark Carney jumped into the lead and won. He is a strong proponent of replacing fossil fuels with wind and solar even though Canada’s climate is not conducive to either. Much of Canada’s oil wealth comes from the Western Provinces, primarily Alberta. For years Alberta has been a net GDP producer and much of their money was sent to Quebec a province that is a net taker. When the new PM was elected, he assumed the people wanted more green energy so he placed additional restrictions on Alberta. The people there did not like this and are threatening to secede and this is causing turmoil throughout the government. Carney believes that in the long run wind and solar will replace fossil fuels. Carney remains popular since 65% of the population lives in Ontario and Quebec.

IMO

The part of the United Nations that deals with shipping is called The International Maritime Organization (IMO). New rules have recently introduced that will achieve zero carbon by 2050. Much of it has to do with carbon transfer where companies pay other companies for carbon credits. Another approach is to use fuels like methanol or other bio fuels. For more than 60 years the US has been using nuclear to power aircraft carriers and sub marines but this is not mentioned in their proposals. Instead, they say to use clean energy when docking and wind sails when possible.

US Open

Trump was booed at the US Open tennis match which is just more proof of the divide in the country. When Trump goes to a mixed martial arts match, a football game or a NASCAR he is roundly applauded. The working people are at the football game not the tennis match. People at the tennis match are rich, white eastern college educated liberals. The press keeps pushing the idea that the country is divided along racial lines when in fact a Black carpenter and Hispanic electrician and a White plumber have more in common than the football fans and the tennis fans. The real divide in the country centers around jobs and income. At the football game they have tailgating parties with beer and barbecue while at the tennis match, they celebrate with cocktails and finger foods. This divide was clearly demonstrated by exit polling at the 2024 election.

Change is in the air

The world is in the midst of an economic revolution which began some 40 years ago. At that time China was just coming on the scene and they used unethical ways to gain economic power. First off, they secreted away proprietary R&D from Western companies saving them years in development. Next, they offered government assistance to new companies in the form of tax breaks and direct subsidies. This was followed up with manipulation of currency to lower export prices. Then production began with little or no worker safety, no environmental rules and low wages using children and slave labor. In time Chinese products like appliances and electronics overwhelmed the West and manufacturing jobs began to move to China. This process continued into mining, technology and pharmaceuticals and has resulted in the West becoming dependent on China. The result was the loss of good paying jobs for working people and a rise in living standards for the rich. Today the top ten percent hold 70% of the wealth and each year the gap widens. One example is that 40 years ago the CEO made 15 times what the factory worker made and today that number is 300 times as much. The first cracks in this system appeared when Trump, an outsider, challenged the status quo. He pointed out the unfair trade practices that resulted in trillion-dollar trade deficits and started demanding reciprocal tariffs. He then pushed for more equitable payments to the UN, the WTO and WHO world organizations where the US was paying far more than a fair share. Next, he asked NATO countries to start contributing their fair share while demanding that the EU start paying for their own defense. All of these things have disrupted the old ways of doing business and is the beginning of an economic revolution. These changes are just starting and can be seen by the amount of both foreign and domestic investment in the US and manufacturing jobs returning to the US. The establishment, led by the bureaucracy, is fighting to maintain the old system and they are joined by rich and powerful. Real wages for working people are increasing faster than inflation and if that continues the changes will continue. The working people have only one weapon and that is their vote.

Data centers

Data centers are popping up all across the country and they use lots of electric power. The best plan is for each center to build its own power supply and sell any unused power back to the local electric company but some are not following that plan. Instead they are making deals with the local power companies and these data companies can afford to pay a high rate for their power. This means power is diverted to these new centers and this is resulting in higher rates for consumers. This will be a mistake as consumers will object to subsidizing these big media companies.

Battle

Beginning in the middle of the last century the power given to the presidency began to increase, either by design or by fate, and has grown steadily since. Ten years ago, Trump came on the scene and he was an outsider. Many in the bureaucracy had become accustom to running things behind the curtain and suddenly found themselves face to face with an unexpected obstacle. They could not control Trump and this was very disturbing and, in some ways, threatening. All of the institutions were caught off guard. The universities, big business, big government, the media and establishment politicians found themselves losing influence which in their eyes meant losing power. In response they gathered together to fight against Trump. They had a head start since one half of the population saw Trump as a danger to all the progress they had made over the years. How this battle will end is yet to be determined.

Students

Over the years it has been a popular theme that a student who is behind can catch up using a tutor. Now that all students have their own laptops the time has come for all students to have their own private tutors. Using AI, the computer can become friends with the student and have intimate knowledge of their progress. It will be one on one teaching and the computer will send regular reports to the teacher. In line with this Microsoft is now offering, free of charge, methods for the teacher to prepare lessons and grade papers. This combination could be the way to improve student learning

DOD

The name of the Department of Defense is changed to the Department of War. So, what does that mean. If it is just changing the name, it means very little but if it is changing the philosophy of the department, it is significant. The last time the congress declared war was WW 2. That was also the last time the US went to win. Since that time there have been a series of so-called police actions. Many believe that if you are going to war you should go to win or stay home. If that is what changing the name means then it makes sense.

Supreme Court

The positions of the Supreme Court are often not popular depending. Here is a brief history. The Warren Court (1950s–1960s) was the last sustained period of a clearly liberal Supreme Court, marking a high point for judicial expansion of individual rights and liberties. The Burger and Rehnquist Courts (1970s–2000s) represent a transitional era, with the court's ideology becoming progressively more conservative, often relying on a "swing vote" to determine outcomes. The modern Roberts Court (2020s) is the most conservative court since the 1930s. The 6–3 supermajority has led to landmark conservative decisions that have dramatically reshaped constitutional law. I lived in the south in the late 60’s and early 70’s and there were bill boards saying impeach Earl Warren. Today liberals are decrying the decisions of the court some saying the court is a threat to democracy. The differences are based on philosophy. Conservatives promote interpreting the court as the founders would. They support judicial restraint leaving congress to create laws. They are more willing to overturn established precedents. Liberals believe in interpreting based on modern standards. They are more willing to expand the constitution to adapt to societal changes. They are more reluctant to overturn precedents.

RFK

Like many news stories in today’s world, the facts are distorted by politics. RFK Jr, Secretary of Health and Human Services, is questioning the science in the understanding of disease and control. He wants independent scientist to evaluate the data collected by drug companies to confirm their results. The reason is, that the CDC like most government agencies, is often times influenced by data from outside sources. Here is the report from Google AI. Studies show a significant "revolving door" between government health agencies like the CDC and the private health industry, with many CDC appointees leaving for private sector positions in the private health sector after their tenure. This movement raises concerns about potential industry influence and bias within regulatory processes, even if bias isn't proven, as government employees may be influenced by future job opportunities in the private sector There are many in and out of government who want the status quo to stay in place and see these changes as a threat.

The European Union

The European Union (EU) will implement the ReArm Europe Plan and increase defense spending by $867 billion, most of which will be supplied by US defense contractors. Here are a few examples. Lockheed Martin for F-35 jets Raytheon for air defense systems L3Harris for electrics and avionics Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics for aeronautics and cyberspace AAR maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft While Trump is concerned about the death and damage caused by the war, he is content to sit on the sidelines while Russia, Ukraine and the EU hash out their differences. This war must continue based on the original concepts that Putin can’t win or he will take over Eastern Europe and Putin can’t lose because if he is cornered, he will resort to nuclear attacks. How did so called intelligent negotiators get themselves in this untenable position. Recent polls show that 70% of the Ukrainian people want a peaceful settlement to the war but egos and profits are in the way. Hundreds of thousands have died and the death toll keeps mounting every day.

Teachers

Many schools are cutting teachers due to declining student enrollment. Since 1950 student enrollment has increased but the number of teachers and non-teaching staff has grown at a faster rate. Non-teaching staff, largely administrative positions, have increased by 700% since 1950 while teacher numbers have increased by 250% over the same time period. The dramatic increase in non-teaching staff began to accelerate in the early 1990’s, a period referred to as the modern staffing surge. Schools have justified this increase in hiring staff by taking on more responsibility beyond teaching. Some suggest that if cuts are necessary then they should look first at these extra responsibilities and not cut teachers. Many of these people were described pejoratively as paper pushers but each position can be justified by those in charge.

News today

In recent years the country has witnessed the slow demise of the national press both TV and print. In the news today is further proof of movement in this direction. Paramount, the parent company of CBS, is nearing a deal to acquire Bari Weiss's Free Press and integrate it with CBS News Bari Weiss is a former main stream journalist who worked for, among others, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and broke away to start a podcast called the Free Press. The number of people who "watch" or consume content from The Free Press (the media company) is over 1.25 million subscribers as of April 2025, with 155,000 paid subscribers. The outlet also receives over one million site visits monthly, and its podcast has over 18 million downloads. More and more people are tuning into Podcast for news and this is especially true of young viewers. At the same time the Cable TV news is watched mostly by older people.

Eugenics

Critical Race Theory (CRT) is fading as it is exposed as a selective review of history designed to promote a certain point of view. Over the three hundred years between the 16th and 19th centuries about 388,000 slaves were brought from Africa to the United States. This represents the darkest hour of US history. These people were treated as less than human until the civil war ended slavery in 1865. This war resulted in 1.5 million wounded including 700,000 who died. Discrimination against Blacks continued in the form of Jim Crow laws for another hundred years. During the 1960’s laws were passed to end all discriminatory practices but the remnants remain to this day. When the story in history class ends at this point it is CRT. If the story continues then it becomes history. Today there are 42 million Blacks in the US and 4.5 million are college graduates. There are 3.5 million Black owned businesses. The average income for Black families is $55,000. Laws like affirmative action were designed to give Blacks a leg up when it came to jobs. There are many people in modern day Africa that would like to come to the US but very few want to move from the US to Africa. The average income in Africa is $10,000 per year and there are very few opportunities to move up the economic ladder. This, as Paul Harvey used to say, is the rest of the story. Another point that is rarely discussed is the fact that if it had not been for slavery there were be very few Black Americas and most of the decedents of slaves would still be in Africa. One other point is the fact that 23 million Black babies have been aborted since Roe. If they had not been aborted the Black population would be 10 million higher. During the past 50 years homicides in the US have averaged 20,000 per year and half of those have been Black males, 90% of whom were murdered by other Black males. For some this all adds up to a type of eugenics and it is alive and well in most major US cities. Blacks are regularly murdered is disproportionate numbers but city governments seem unperturbed.

Abortions

Here is a report from Google AI. Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, total abortions in the U.S. have increased, reaching a record high of over 1.1 million in 2024, driven by factors like the rise of medication abortion via telehealth and travel to states where it's legal. While many states have banned or restricted abortion, the overall number of procedures has gone up, with some increase seen even in states with bans. Medication abortions were at 10% in 2000 and 63% today. This trend is expected to continue. The number of abortions had been declining with a low of 862,000 in 2017 but then started up and continued up after Roe was overturned in 2022. Black women at 40% continue to be the most based on race.

Courts

The constitution states that congress will write the laws. The next step is for the various agencies to write the regulations which establish the rules. The heads of these agencies report to the president and serve at his pleasure. The means they can be terminated at any time for any reason that pleases the president. The president issues an executive order and the agencies carry out that order. When a local federal judge places a hold on the order the Supreme Court has ruled that the judge does not have that authority. In the case of Trump v. CASA, Inc., the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that federal courts generally lack the authority to issue "universal" or "nationwide" injunctions. The injunction temporarily stops the order until the Supreme Court rules. Since there are 1,700 federal judges this process could interfere with the operation of governing. There have been a dozen cases recently where local judges have stopped presidential executive orders using work arounds to avoid the Supreme Court ruling. This means each of these must go to the Supreme Court for ruling.

Chicago

Trump is considering sending in federal troops to help Chicago deal with murders. For 13 consecutive years, Chicago has had the most murders of any U.S. city. In recent years in Chicago, the vast majority of homicide victims have been Black, accounting for approximately 79% of victimizations in 2020, with Latinx individuals making up another 15%. Murders in Chicago are predominantly intra-racial, meaning victims and offenders are often of the same race. Specifically, about 98% of Black victims are killed by Black offenders The Illinois governor and the Chicago mayor both object to federal troops coming into the city to help with the crime. Crime in Chicago is an example of racism. They contend they can deal with the problem without outside help.