By Riley Donovan of The Epoch Times

Amid the threatening specter of tariffs and trade tensions after Donald Trump’s re-election, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says all premiers are aligned in calling for Mexico to be kicked out of the Canada-U.S. free trade deal because it functions as a “backdoor” for Chinese goods.

“If Mexico won’t fight transshipment by, at the very least, matching Canadian and American tariffs on Chinese imports, they shouldn’t have a seat at the table or enjoy access to the largest economy in the world,” Ford said in a statement on Nov. 12.

He added on Nov. 20, “All the premiers, we know Mexico is bringing in cheap Chinese parts, slapping made-in-Mexico stickers on, shipping it up through the U.S. and Canada, causing American jobs to be lost, and Canadian jobs.”

According to a report by the Descartes Systems Group, Mexico increased its exports to the United States by 54 percent from 2016 to 2022. During this same six-year period, Mexico’s imports from China skyrocketed by a whopping 138 percent.

In 2022, Chinese goods accounted for a significant portion of Mexico’s exports to the United States: an estimated 15.7 percent of furniture and related products, 28 percent of electronics, 35.7 percent of plastic products, and 32.6 percent of rubber products.

While those figures are striking, the ramping up of trade between the two countries was only just getting started in 2022. From January 2023 to January 2024, Chinese container exports to Mexico rose nearly 60 percent. Mexico-China trade is increasing at a dramatic rate, with annual growth rate reaching 34.8 percent in 2023—up from just 3.5 percent the year before.

The concern among critics is that Mexico can be used by China as a loophole to avoid high American tariffs. This trade practice is known as transshipment: producing goods, sending them to an intermediate destination, and then presenting the products as having come from that second country.

“They’re slapping a Made in Mexico sticker on and shipping it up,” Ford said.

China has faced allegations of transshipment in many cases before. This includes, for example, China cheaply producing honey cut with cheap sugar like corn syrup or rice syrup in the eastern province of Zhejiang and exporting it to neighbouring countries before sending it onward.

Transshipment of goods allowed China to avoid the tariffs slapped on thousands of products by the first Trump administration, which were largely left in place by the Biden administration.

As long as Chinese goods undergo “substantial transformation” after they are brought into Mexico, they qualify for the preferential tariff rates of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, or CUSMA in Canada). This barrier is not as high as it sounds. Qualifying as substantially transformed can be as simple as bringing in component parts and then assembling them. It’s not as easy as slapping on a new sticker, but it’s not all that much more difficult than that.

The “backdoor” described by Ford includes a major source of worry for the auto manufacturing industry in both the United States and Canada: a surge in Chinese car assembly plants in Mexico.

The USMCA waives tariffs on cars in the North American market provided that at least 75 percent of the parts are made in North America. This is up from 62.5 percent in the previous North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The concern is if China is making use of this provision by ramping up auto manufacturing in Mexico. From 2019 to 2023 alone, 12 new Chinese auto part companies set up shop in Mexico.

A report from the Alliance For American Manufacturing published in February of this year warned that China’s routing of cars through Mexico constitutes an “existential threat to America’s auto industry.”

The report argues that the import of large numbers of remarkably cheap Chinese cars—some selling for as low as US$14,000—“threaten the jobs of millions of American manufacturing workers” and bring about “an extinction-level event for the U.S. auto sector.”

The threat of China routing goods through Mexico has been written about by analysts for several years, but Trump’s re-election on Nov. 5 provided the impetus for premiers to start ringing the alarm bells. In Canada, worries are starting to swirl over the prospect of the new Trump administration enacting an assertive economic policy that may even feature a 10 percent across-the-board tariff on all products, including American imports from Canada.

Canada joined the United States earlier this year in imposing 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, and 25 percent tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum. Mexico has so far not followed suit.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland said last week that she shares Washington’s concerns about whether Mexico is “aligned” with the other two North American partners when it comes to the issue of China’s unfair trade practices.

“I’ve heard … some real concerns about whether Mexico is fully aligned when it comes to its policies vis-a-vis China,” Freeland said on Nov. 13. “I think those are legitimate concerns for our American partners and neighbours to have. Those are concerns that I share.”

‘We’ve Got to Stand Up’

Ontario Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli affirmed in an interview with CBC News that Trump’s re-election was the reason why Ford chose this moment to call for Mexico to be cut out of the USMCA.

“We know that the president-elect talks about China and the transshipments, and so we’ve got to stand up,” he said.

By taking a firm stance against Mexico’s rerouting of Chinese goods, the premiers of Ontario and Alberta are aligning themselves with the new Trump administration’s economic worldview, thereby seeking to ensure that Canada is seen as a friend of the Americans with mutually beneficial economic interests.

The potential goodwill from this alignment of interests will be particularly relevant when the USCMA comes up for review—and potentially for renegotiation—in 2026. At that time, Ontario, which has a major auto manufacturing industry, will benefit immensely if Canada is shielded from tariffs on cars. Alberta’s government, for its part, will be lobbying against tariffs that may hurt its extensive energy industry.

Besides setting up Canada as an economic ally of the United States, Ontario’s government in particular has a direct interest in stemming the flow of Chinese goods through Mexico. Fedeli expressed particular concern over the backdoor import of Chinese cars.

“This tariff-jumping that they’re doing is really going to hurt Ontario, and it’s going to hurt Canada, but it’s primarily going to hurt Ontario because we are the only automaker,” he said in the CBC interview.

Ontario’s automotive industry employed an estimated 160,800 workers in 2019. Ford’s government is aiming to maintain the support of these workers, their families, and the communities in southern Ontario that depend on the industry—especially if rumours of an early provincial election are true.

Given Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s views on China, it’s not surprising that she was the first premier to echo Ford’s concern that Mexico has become a backdoor for Chinese goods.

Smith has expressed strong suspicion of the Chinese Community Party (CCP), including in an interview with The Epoch Times where she warned against putting too much trust in China as a geopolitical partner.

“I think we now have to make sure that we understand what an adversary China is, and make sure that we’re not playing into our own demise,” she said.

She went on to warn against becoming too economically reliant on China.

“Chinese cheap production has hollowed out our manufacturing sector, not just in the United States but also in Canada,” she said.

Continue reading on Epoch Times

After Trump appointed Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary and Kevin Warsh was clearly being groomed as Powell’s replacement at the Fed, it was just a matter of time before the most important appointment in the Trump admin was made. That happened late on Friday when president-elect Donald Trump nominated Scott Bessent to lead the Department of the Treasury, ending days of speculation after other names emerged as competitors to the reported favorite.

“Scott is widely respected as one of the world’s foremost international investors and geopolitical and economic strategists. Scott’s story is that of the American Dream,” Trump said in a statement on the nomination.

Bessent, 62, is a Wall Street veteran who once worked for George Soros, and founder of international macro investment company Key Square Group. He served as a key economic adviser to Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Others contenders for the role included Howard Lutnick, the chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Partners. He co-chairs the Trump–Vance transition team, which is in charge of selecting administration candidates, vetting personnel, and crafting policy. Lutnick was ultimately chosen on Nov. 19 to lead the Department of Commerce.

In his statement on Bessent’s nomination, Trump said that economic policy under his administration would maintain the U.S. dollar’s reserve currency status, fortify the United States’s position as the world’s strongest economy, and invigorate the private sector.

“As a lifelong champion of Main Street America and American industry, Scott will support my policies that will drive U.S. competitiveness, and stop unfair trade imbalances, work to create an economy that places growth at the forefront, especially through our coming world energy dominance,” Trump said.

The president-elect also noted Bessent’s deep family roots in South Carolina, saying that he belongs to a historic French Huguenot Church, which members of his family founded in the 1680s, in the port city of Charleston.

Like his predecessors, Bessent will now oversee a vast portfolio to employ the president’s economic agenda.

As the Epoch Times notes, the two immediate issues Bessent will grapple with will be averting a default as the national debt ceiling limit will expire on Jan. 1, 2025, and extending the Trump-era Tax Cuts and Jobs Act due to expire at the end of next year.

More importantly, Bessent will also be tasked with the delicate, if not conflicting, job of championing Trump’s trade proposals, including across-the-board tariffs, on one hand, while keeping the debt and deficit in check and preventing bond yields and the dollar from rising too high, too fast, as an even more rapid tightening in financial conditions will surely tip the US economy into recession.

Bessent previously told CNBC he preferred trade levies to be imposed gradually to ensure higher prices appear over time and allow disinflationary policies to offset tariffs. Additionally, the hedge fund manager has professed support for broad-based tariffs that he believes are “more effective than microeconomic interventions like industrial policy that generally rely on the government to pick winners and losers,” as he wrote in an opinion published by The Economist in October.

Cryptocurrency could be another area that Bessent – and Trump who has transformed from a rabid crypto skeptic into one of the most ardent fans of bitcoin – will home in on.

“I have been excited about the president’s embrace of crypto and I think it fits very well with the Republican Party, crypto is about freedom and the crypto economy is here to stay,” he stated in an interview with Fox News earlier this year.

Here are the full comments on #crypto and #bitcoin Bessent made on @FoxBusiness in July. https://t.co/3O09jKZLJD pic.twitter.com/ggeLHs5JVc

— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) November 12, 2024

If confirmed by the Senate in January, Bessent will succeed Janet Yellen. Steven Mnuchin served as Trump’s Treasury secretary during his first term.

Following Trump’s victory earlier this month, Bessent wrote in The Wall Street Journal that the financial markets were celebrating “the Trump 2.0 economic vision.”

“Markets are signaling expectations of higher growth, lower volatility and inflation, and a revitalized economy for all Americans,” Bessent wrote.

Bessent has received support from several prominent Wall Street individuals, including Kyle Bass, the founder of the Dallas-based Hayman Capital Management. “He has a masterful knowledge of the architecture of the global financial system and its players,” Bass told The Epoch Times.

The hedge fund investor, Bass said, has invested across the globe, formed relationships with global finance ministers and central bankers, and understands financial markets. “Scott is by far the best candidate for the job as Secretary,” Bass said.

Billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller recently told Axios that Bessent is “not only a market participant but very fluent and comfortable in academic circles.”

The announcement of the Treasury secretary role was one of the most eagerly awaited decisions among Trump’s cabinet picks, sparking a wide range of reactions on social media platform X.

Eric Wallerstein, chief markets strategist at Yardeni, praised Scott Bessent, stating, “Bessent is the only candidate who specifically addresses Treasury’s faulty debt management strategy. the best candidate for the job.”

Even warhawk neocon Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) expressed support on X, saying, Trump’s economic agenda is “in good hands with Scott Bessent.”

“He is a great combination of being academically gifted and real world tested,” Graham wrote.

A “bombogenesis,” commonly known as a “bomb cyclone,” pounded the Pacific Northwest earlier this week with destructive winds and torrential rain. At higher altitudes, heavy snow and strong winds unleashed blizzards. This once-in-a-decade storm caused widespread power outages across the Seattle metropolitan area, leaving electric vehicle owners in a panic.

At the peak of widespread outages, more than 600,000 customers across Washington State lost power due to the powerful storm; most outages were in King County and Snohomish County. 

The ongoing power outage map for the Eastside of Seattle is just brutal. 🙏 https://t.co/AmO7NcE6Pn pic.twitter.com/9V9eX9X0p9

— Steven Sinofsky (@stevesi) November 22, 2024

GeekWire reports that in the last several days, EV drivers who lost power at their homes flooded public EV charging networks across the metro area.

“We’ve seen some chargers that are almost never used that are fully being used,” FlexCharging CEO Brian Grunkemeyer told the tech media outlet. The startup provides charging software services for EV charging operators, including Electrify America. 

Grunkemeyer provided a screenshot showing that Electrify America stations on Wednesday were all full, and long lines continued into Thursday. 

A video shared on X showed the panic… 

Byproduct of the wind storm’s power outages: Nick Abrams said “dozens of Teslas” were lined up trying to get a charge in the Northgate parking lot tonight. 🔌 #WAwx pic.twitter.com/XACClNY0vG

— Shannon O’Donnell (@ShannonODKOMO) November 21, 2024

The lesson for EV drivers in an apocalyptic situation is very clear: have a full-house natural gas or diesel-powered generator system or a lightweight 8kW portable generator with 220V capability.

According to the latest supercomputer ranking from TOP500, El Capitan is the world’s most powerful system, capable of achieving 1,742 petaflops.

In this graphic, Visual Capitalist’s Marcus Lu visualizes the performance and power consumption of the world’s top 10 supercomputers.

Data and Key Takeaways

The data we used to create this graphic is listed in the table below. Figures come from TOP500’s November 2024 ranking.

This ranking highlights America’s position as a global leader in computing power. For instance, the top three supercomputers are located in the U.S., and all of them are classified as exascale systems.

This is a significant change from the 2021 ranking, in which Japan’s Supercomputer Fugaku held the top spot.

The winner of this year’s ranking is El Capitan, which became operational in 2024 and is the third exascale system deployed by the United States.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, El Capitan was manufactured by HP Enterprise Cray and features an unknown number of AMD Instict MI300A accelerated processing units (APUs).

What’s An Exascale Computer?

An exascale computer is capable of performing at least 1 exaflop (1 quintillion operations per second).

Note that in this ranking, performance is measured in petaflops (1 quadrillion). 1,000 petaflops is equal to 1 exaflop.

In realistic terms, exascale computers can handle massive datasets and solve problems at unprecedented speed. Use cases include:

• Simulating molecular interactions
• Predicting climate change
• Advancing nuclear research

China’s Exascale Systems Remain a Mystery

Since 2021, reports have suggested that China does indeed have its own exascale systems, but is simply withholding information about them from global rankings such as the TOP500.

It’s a well known situation that China has these computers, and they have been operating for a while. They have not run the benchmarks, but [the community has] a general idea of their architectures and capabilities.

– Jack Dongarra, co-founder of TOP500

China’s silence is likely related to its geopolitical strategy. Publicly announcing it has built its own exascale systems could result in further U.S. trade restrictions.

Want to learn more? Check out the Technology category on Voronoi to see more data visualizations like this.

Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The commissioner of a Pennsylvania county at the center of a weeks-long ballot-counting controversy issued an apology on Wednesday after the state’s Supreme Court ruled to block the counting efforts.

At a Wednesday Bucks County Board of Elections meeting, Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia—one of two county commissioners who had voted to count undated and misdated ballots for the Nov. 5 election—issued a public apology on a comment she had made last week. Their decision had gone against a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling.

Last week, Ellis-Marseglia said that “people violate laws any time they want,” drawing controversy and criticism from local Republican officials.

“I think we all know that precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country and people violate laws anytime they want,” she said in last week’s hearing. “So for me, if I violate this law, it’s because I want the court to pay attention to it.”

A week later, on Wednesday, the commissioner said that her comment was taken out of context. However, she also apologized, saying, “The passion in my heart got the best of me, and I apologize again for that.”

“That was a hearing, and we were talking about provisional ballots. We were specifically talking about the fact that there were certain provisional ballots where a judge of elections did not sign and did not make sure that a voter signed on the outside envelope,” Ellis-Marseglia, a Democrat, said according to a video feed of the Bucks County commissioners’ meeting.

Elaborating, the official said that, to her, it is “frustrating and unconscionable that we would have to take away somebody’s vote” after an employee “didn’t know what to do or forgot or made a mistake.”

“That issue that I spoke on has now gone viral from my comments. It was genuinely not the best words. I would do it all again. I feel terrible about it. I should have been more clear, please, I will be more clear in the future,” she said.

Her county was one of several across Pennsylvania that voted earlier this month to count the ballots. On Monday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reiterated its ruling and blocked Bucks County, a Democrat-controlled suburb of Philadelphia, from counting those votes.

“This order shall be deemed authoritative and controlling in all such matters and as to all county election board members,” the court wrote.

The order stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee and the Pennsylvania Republican Party on Nov. 14 that sought to block officials from counting those ballots.

The order has significant implications for the U.S. Senate race. The Associated Press and Decision Desk have called the race in favor of Republican candidate Dave McCormick over incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), whose votes differed by only a few thousand ballots.

The state Supreme Court responded on Nov. 1 with an order that halted the appeals court decision while clarifying that its decision didn’t apply to the general election on Nov. 5.

Multiple Republican groups were critical of Ellis-Marseglia’s comments, with some calling for her resignation or impeachment.

The Pennridge Area GOP called for locals to sign a petition to impeach both Ellis-Marseglia and Commissioner Robert Harvie, who also voted to count the ballots, accusing them of civil rights violations, contempt of court, and negligence.

Earlier this week, Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued a statement siding with the state Supreme Court in its decision to halt ballot counting, emphasizing upholding the rule of law.

“The court has now ruled on the counting of these ballots specific to the Nov. 5, 2024, election, and I expect all county election officials to adhere to this ruling and all the applicable laws governing our elections,” he said.

As of Thursday morning, Casey has yet to concede to McCormick in the Senate race.

Authored by Kyle Anzalone via The Libertarian Institute,

Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared on X that Edmundo González won the Venezuela presidential election several months ago. It is unclear if Washington’s position will make a difference as González lives outside Venezuela. 

On Tuesday, Blinken posted, “The Venezuelan people spoke resoundingly on July 28 and made [González] the president-elect. Democracy demands respect for the will of the voters.” González is currently living in Spain. 

In August, about a week after the election, Blinken made a similar statement, saying that González won the election by an “insurmountable margin.”

The Secretary based that conclusion on a report by the Carter Center. Blinken claimed the institution is “independent.” That claim is false as the Carter Center is funded by multiple US government agencies, including the State Department.

At that time, it was not clear if Blinken’s statement represented administration policy as NSC Spokesman John Kirby said the White House would withhold judgment until “the electoral authorities publish the full, detailed tabulation of votes.” Additionally, a State Department spokesman said Washington was not ready to declare a winner of the Venezuelan election. 

The US has attempted to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and his predecessor Hugo Chávez, several times. However, Caracas foiled Washington’s coup attempts. 

During the first Donald Trump administration, Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams led a similar effort to overthrow Maduro by recognizing Juan Guaido as president. That scheme also failed.

The second Trump administration may make a similar attempt at regime change in Caracas as Marco Rubio, the nominee to be Secretary of State, is a long-time supporter of overthrowing Marduo.

The Venezuelan people spoke resoundingly on July 28 and made @EdmundoGU the president-elect. Democracy demands respect for the will of the voters.

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 19, 2024

Following the July election, Rubio called for the military to overthrow the sitting president. “The military must stand up and defend the people against the regime,” he posted on X. 

CNN reports, “Gonzalez, who fled to Spain in September fearing for his safety, has previously said he intends to return to Venezuela in the coming weeks for the presidential inauguration set for January 10.”

Update(1830ET): Soon after warning that Russia’s newly deployed ‘Oreshnik’ nuclear capable hypersonic missile is able to reach any European capital, at a top speed of Mach 10+ —which is significantly faster than a bullet—Russian state media issued the below ominous infographic.

It touts that Eastern European capitals could be hit in a matter of a few minutes, and that Berlin is reachable in only 15. It lists capitals as far away from the Kapustin Yar rocket launch complex like London and Paris as reachable by the Oreshnik in just 20 minutes. This means if proverbial all hell broke loose and WW3 came to Europe, these populations would have very little time to reach shelter.

Russian media released a new graphic showing Oreshnik missile flight times to major cities in Europe pic.twitter.com/Ry7yLymK2n

— Preston Stewart (@prestonstew_) November 22, 2024

On Thursday Moscow had shocked the world after six independent war heads of a new intermediate range ballistic missile were launched on the Yuzhmash missile plant in Dnipro Ukraine. Thus Putin has demonstrated that the West has crossed his ‘red lines’ after its long-range attack authorization granted to Kiev.

According to more via a war monitoring site:

Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) provided further details, stating that “Oreshnik” refers to a research project, while the operational missile system is named “Kedr.” Its known specifications include:

• Six warheads, each carrying six submunitions.

• A terminal phase speed exceeding Mach 11.

If this is indeed a medium-range ballistic missile, as Putin suggests, its range could extend up to 5,500 kilometers. This would violate the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, signed by the US and the Soviet Union to eliminate such missiles. Developing Kedr would thus signify Russia’s breach of this agreement.

Vladimir Putin warned back in July, “Today, the development of such systems in Russia is nearing completion. We will take mirror measures to deploy them, taking into account the actions of the United States, its satellites in Europe and in other regions of the world.”

* * *

A day after Russia’s attack on Ukraine with what were clearly big, very fast and new intermediate-range missiles, which many outlets initially reported to be an ICBM, the Kremlin is touting that it launched a cutting-edge hypersonic missile for which there is no defensive intercept capability.

Russia says that Washington has now understood and been able to grasp Putin’s warnings and red lines more clearly following the missile strike a Ukrainian defense industry facility in Dnepropetrovsk Thursday morning. The new hypersonic weapon, dubbed ‘Oreshnik’ is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.

“We have no doubt that the current administration in Washington has had the opportunity to familiarize itself with this announcement and understand it,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Putin had said the West’s escalation, seen this week in authorizing Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russia with US/UK-made weapons, makes Ukraine a “global” conflict.

He strongly hinted that this global aspect to the war means attacks on Western targets can’t be ruled out. The same day, the foreign ministry said a US missile base in Poland is a prime target.

Peskov further called Putin’s message following the hypersonic attack “comprehensive, clear and logical.” The Russian leader has authorized the new missile to enter mass production.

“The key message is that the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries — which produce missiles, supply them to Ukraine and subsequently take part in carrying out strikes on Russian territory — cannot go unanswered,” Peskov continued.

On Friday Russian state media sources have begun publishing specs for the Oreshnik missile, claiming it flies at Mach 10, and can reach 5,500km in distance, or 3,400+ miles (as a medium-range weapon).

Russia’s missile command has also informed Putin that the projectile is capable of reaching any European target…

❗️‘Oreshnik’ IRBM is capable of reaching any European target – Russian missile forces chief pic.twitter.com/v50HHAafIc

— RT (@RT_com) November 22, 2024

“The unique feature of the Oreshnik missile system is that, firstly, it is a medium-range missile – it flies to a distance of 1,000 km to 5,500 km – and secondly, it is hypersonic, flying at a speed of Mach 10,” a retired Russian Army colonel and military analyst, identified as Viktor Litovkin, told Sputnik.

“The West does not have missiles that fly at such a speed or hypersonic missiles at all,” he continued. “Although the US has repeatedly boasted that it has such missiles, it has never demonstrated a missile flight. They appeared to show missiles that flew at a supersonic speed of 5.5 times the speed of sound or Mach 5.5. However, hypersonic speed begins at Mach 6-7.”

Independent geopolitical site Moon of Alabama agrees, and calls it a huge game-changer [emphasis ZH]:

Launched from Russia the missile can reach any target in Europe in less than 20 minutes. On reentry into the atmosphere the warheads of the missile reach hypersonic speeds of 3-4 kilometer per second. There is no air defense system in the world that could stop them.

The surprising and successful demonstration of such an enormous capability is a wake-up call for European strategists.

Lulled in by neoconservative talk of western supremacy and presumed Russian inabilities the Europeans were eager to connect their fate to a proxy war against Russia. Having been defeated in the fight for the commodities of the Donbas region they have pushed for extending the reach of their weapons into Russia.

The results are now in. Europe is defenseless against new Russian weapons which can reach every political and industrial center of Europe with devastating power and with just minutes of notice.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Thursday’s strike against a weapons factory in Dnepropetrovsk was an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), dubbed Oreshnik (‘Hazel’). Oreshnik flies at Mach 10 and carries multiple warheads, making it impervious to air defenses. pic.twitter.com/awK9at6lwh

— RT (@RT_com) November 22, 2024

via Financial Preparedness substack,

The re-election of Donald Trump was the largest political revolution of my lifetime. As I’ve listened to him and his nominees talk about their priorities and plans since the election, I have realized that his administration will bring about dramatic and fundamental changes that will have profound effects in many domains, both globally and through time. I now understand why the Left and Deep State were so obsessed with stopping him “using any means necessary” since 2016.

If he can get the Senate to confirm his nominees, I predict that the following will soon be over:

Perpetual War and the Military-Industrial-Complex: In 1961, outgoing president Eisenhower (no peacenik himself) warned about the MIC: “…we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions….This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience….Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications….In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”

Trump will quickly bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end and prompt Iran and its proxies to go dormant. China, Russia and North Korea will behave themselves and the U.S. won’t enable NATO’s recent reckless military adventurism. Many American troops will come home and the U.S. will only get involved if its vital national interests are at risk.

Illegal Immigration: ICE will deport many millions of illegal aliens (queue lots of sob stories by what’s left of the Legacy Media), starting with known criminals. The Trump administration will immediately stop the secret flights of aliens into the U.S., defund the many NGOs that facilitated the Soft Invasion, enforce existing immigration laws, and probably complete the border wall. But I think undocumented people who have lived in the U.S. for many years and are contributing to society will be left alone.

The Deep State: Since 2016, hundreds of high level government officials have abused their power in many ways to prevent the American people from having the president they voted for (also known as democracy). Most of these people are guilty of crimes. At a minimum, they will be fired and stripped of any security clearances and will have to find an honest way to make a living. Some will write books about Orange Man Bad.

The Intelligence-Industrial-Complex: This is who have really run the country to an increasing degree since 1963. This is probably the greatest current threat to our (dying) republic. Since 9/11, with the collusion of Big Tech and the governments of allied countries, it has vacuumed up every possible bit of communication and information about American citizens (a flagrant violation of the Fourth Amendment) and stored it for perpetuity (for who knows what purposes in the future) at the Utah Data Center. It also sponsors coups against democratically elected foreign governments, conducts disinformation and false flag operations to sway public opinion, runs secret prisons in foreign countries where people are tortured, etc. Wresting power away from this beast will be one of Trump’s greatest challenges.

The Administrative State: The vast majority of federal bureaucrats serve no useful purpose, yet enjoy compensation packages and job security that far exceed what’s available in the private sector. Entire departments (such as Education), bureaus, offices and commissions will be eliminated. Thousands of regulations will be repealed, rendering millions of bureaucrats suddenly redundant. Those whose jobs aren’t eliminated will have to come in to the office every day after a four-year “work at home” vacation.

The Democratic Party (in its current form): The party is in disarray, with no current leaders (after their failed coup, the Obamas are finished) or good potential future leaders and virtually no policy proposals that appeal to the average voter. Their platform consisted of two planks: Get Trump and Abortion on Demand. Ironically, their presidential candidate wasn’t even elected in a Democratic process, and their presidential primaries have been rigged for years.

As they’ve lost touch with Americans in Flyover Country, the party has largely become one of university-educated bicoastal elites and the lowest of Low Information Voters. After years of demanding censorship, de-monetization, de-platforming, doxing and canceling of people they disagree with, it’s no surprise they show a remarkable lack of self-awareness, introspection, empathy and curiosity about the “garbage.” They will wander in the political wilderness until this changes. Congressman Seth Moulton (D, MA) bravely pointed out some of his party’s insanity after the election but was quickly condemned. Ironically, he represents Salem.

The Legacy Media: The sudden post-election implosion of the Legacy Media is the most stunning and far-reaching since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since 2016, the media has become increasingly apoplectic about the “racist,” “fascist,” “existential threat to our democracy” Trump, making the case for the Thomas Matthew Crooks and Ryan Wesley Rouths of the world to save humanity from the “literal Hitler” before the world suffered the same fate. Yet their ratings tanked even as their warnings about a dictatorial Trump became more shrill and frantic. Why? Because after promoting hoaxes (such as Hunter Biden’s laptop, Trump’s collusion with Russia, the COVID “pandemic,” an armed insurrection on January 6, etc.) for years, they have no credibility left. Americans trust the media less than any other political or civic institution.

This rotted out tree began to fall even before the election. Editors and employees at The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times freaked out when their editorial page was not allowed to endorse Kamala. Because otherwise, how would readers know that these papers supported her, right? The most stunning development was how after years of trashing Trump perhaps more than anyone else, the hosts of “Morning Joe” went to Mar-a-Lago to make up with him (he was gracious enough to meet with them). They did so for economic survival, to remain relevant, because their show is at risk of being canceled. Comcast is about to spin off MSNBC and CNBC. CNN is also on the ropes, and “The View” is planning to add another conservative commentator. Elen DeGeneres has fled the country, vowing never to return.

Censorship: The publication of the Twitter Files (for which some Democrats threatened the reporter with prison) helped expose how Big Tech and the Legacy Media have colluded with the federal government in recent years to censor facts “misinformation” from the American people. Ironically, at this time in human history when it should be easier and faster than ever before to discover the truth, we have to deal with this bullshit. Tyrants have no need to censor falsehoods, which can easily be disproved. It’s the truth they fear. And the way to get to the truth is for everyone to be allowed to say what they want, even though some of it will be uninformed or false. The truth will always out itself eventually. This is the essence and beauty of the Scientific Method. No one person, government, website or group of “fact checkers” could possibly know what the Truth is. So let’s have an open, ongoing debate where everyone is allowed to make their case, which will allow us to avoid error and prevent tyranny. The Free Speech party won the election, and the Season of Reveal is about to ramp up. Expect the release of files related to JFK’s assassination, the CIA, UFOs, Jeffrey Epstein and Diddy’s parties.

Lawfare: As far as I know, all of the lawfare cases against Trump are dead, though Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and Judge Juan Merchan are threatening to delay his sentencing until 2029, leaving a Sword of Damocles hanging over his head. Using the justice system to target a political opponent simultaneously (and obviously) with a number of absurd charges in politically hostile jurisdictions is profoundly un-American. It’s something that a desperate tyrant in a Third World country would do. This strategy backfired on Democrats, as it made many voters even more likely to vote for Trump. Lady Justice is blindfolded for a reason.

Identity Politics and DEI: (Marxist) Critical Race Theory is out and meritocracy and a colorblind society are back. Tens of millions of people (including blacks, Hispanics and women) voted for Trump not because of his race or gender but because they thought he was the best candidate. Ethnicity-based tribalism is toxic to society and inevitably leads to an outcome like what happened in Rwanda between the Hutus and the Tutsis. Now corporations and even the Pentagon are scrambling to shutter their DEI programs. Americans generally want the best; they will figure out who should do the job.

Big Pharma, Big Food and Medical Tyranny: As the secretary of Health & Human Services, RFK Jr. will (hopefully) dramatically change the direction of the FDA, CDC, NIH, etc. away from processed food and pharmaceutical products towards natural (and often low-cost) food and health remedies. A ban on advertising by Pharma will hasten the demise of the Legacy Media and end their symbiotic relationship. Watch for a number of long-overdue investigative reports about the Pharma industry. Due to the obvious ineffectiveness of and many injuries and deaths due to the unproven COVID vaccines, I would imagine Americans’ faith in vaccines has never been lower. They now realize that the government doesn’t have all of the answers and one must remain an independent, critical thinker.

ESG: I would expect that in the Trump administration, the SEC will require investment managers (including Blackrock, State Street and Vangaurd) to explain how forcing the management of publicly traded companies to pursue ESG policies fulfills their legal fiduciary duty to maximize the return of their customers. I look forward to hearing that explanation. There will be much more of a focus on profits, free cash flow and dividends, which will help boost returns and reduce risk.

The Great Reset: If a major country such as the U.S. refuses to participate in Klaus Schwab’s tyrannical fantasies, it more or less pulls the rug out from the whole program, because the countries that do participate won’t be able to compete, and their citizens will be able to see that life is better in a freer and more decentralized country. Trumpism is a global movement, because people are sick and wary of people like Schwab, Bill Gates, George Soros and the rest of the .01% ruling elite.

Closet Trump Supporters: One reason Trump’s victory in 2016 was such a surprise to nearly all pollsters is because many voters were embarrassed or fearful to admit that they supported Trump. Not any more. Trump has never been more popular. MAGA hats now top Amazon’s best seller list. I’ve seen athletes in several sports celebrate by doing a Trump dance. Part of Trump’s genius (I’m sure his decades of experience in hospitality and entertainment helped with this) is that he made politics fun and funny. Americans want to laugh and be of good cheer after years of having to sit through mandatory DEI training and being told that they’re inherently and irreversibly racist because of the color of their skin. The Silent Majority have spoken, and instead of being identified by their race, gender, etc. now just want to get back to being Americans.

Despite all the recent talk of a potential ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in the works, regional reports say that some of the fiercest ground fighting is currently taking place in southern Lebanon on Friday.

Heavy Israeli aerial bombardments of the southern suburbs of Beirut have also continued with intensity. On Friday an Israeli missile completely leveled a residential multi-story in the neighborhood of Chiyah. Israel’s military reportedly issued a civilian evacuation alert shortly before, and terrifying video from the scene suggests locals knew it was about to be struck.

More strikes by #Israel‘s IDF against #Hezbollah positions today after it issued an evacuation warning in the southern suburbs of Beirut. pic.twitter.com/G9xGxisfMR

— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) November 22, 2024

In the south of Lebanon, near the border, UN peacekeeping forces say they are monitoring “heavy clashes” on Friday, saying most of the fighting is centered in the coastal town of Naqoura as well as the village of Chamaa.

There are also emerging reports which say four Italian soldiers were injured after two rockets hit a UNIFIL base in Chamaa. Italy’s deputy prime minister has said Hezbollah was likely behind the rocket firing: “There were believed to be two missiles, from what it appears, they are believed to have been launched by Hezbollah.”

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued a statement of “deep indignation and concern” over “new attacks suffered by the Italian headquarters of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon.”

“These attacks are unacceptable,” she stated, adding that “the parties on the ground to guarantee, at all times, the safety of UNIFIL soldiers and to collaborate to quickly identify those responsible.”

“We are aware of heavy shelling in the vicinity of our bases,” UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti has said, saying that since the incident all UN troops appear to be safe “for the moment”.

Up until now, the UNIFIL has claimed its command posts came under attack by Israeli forces, including IDF tanks, several times. This appears to be the first time that Hezbollah fired on UN locations.

IDF forces earlier this week reached their deepest point into Lebanon since the ground invasion began, in the countryside vicinity of the port city of Tyre, which has been pummeled by airstrikes.

Israel has repeatedly demanded that the UNIFIL troops withdraw – requests which have been refused. This puts the UNIFIL outposts in the direct line of fire as the war encircles their positions.

“UNIFIL strongly urges combating parties to avoid fighting next to its positions. Inviolability of UN premises and personnel must be respected at all times,” a Friday statement said.

Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times,

Colorado has agreed to pay $1.5 million in lawyers’ fees to a Christian website designer after she won her case over a state anti-discrimination law at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The payment agreement dated Nov. 19 comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in June 2023 in favor of Lorie Smith, who said Colorado’s law requiring her to create websites to celebrate same-sex weddings infringed on her constitutional rights.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the majority that Colorado tried to compel “an individual to speak in ways that align with its views but defy her conscience about a matter of major significance.”

“The First Amendment’s protections … belong to all, including to speakers whose motives others may find misinformed or offensive,” he wrote.

Smith complained she was being singled out by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission because her religious faith does not support nontraditional marriage. Smith said she won’t promote messages that condone violence or encourage sexual immorality, abortion, or same-sex marriage.

Smith took legal action when she discovered she was forbidden under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act to post a statement online explaining what content she was, and was not, willing to create.

After the Supreme Court reversed the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, the case found its way back to the federal district court in Colorado.

On Nov. 19, Smith and the state filed a notice of settlement in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis with the district court.

The notice did not specify how much the state agreed to pay Smith, but the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which represents Smith, said the amount was more than $1.5 million to cover attorneys’ fees.

“The government can’t force Americans to say things they don’t believe, and Colorado officials have paid and will continue to pay a high price when they violate this foundational freedom,” ADF CEO and President Kristen Waggoner said in a statement.

“For the past 12 years, Colorado has targeted people of faith and forced them to express messages that violate their conscience and that advance the government’s preferred ideology,” she said.

The Supreme Court’s ruling in the case has been cited almost 1,000 times in court opinions, legal briefs, and in legal publications, according to the law firm.

Colorado lost a related case before the Supreme Court six years ago.

In Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (2018), the justices sided with Jack Phillips, a Christian baker whom a gay couple had asked to create a custom cake to celebrate their union, finding the state commission had violated his First Amendment right to free exercise of religion.

Smith said she was pleased with the monetary settlement.

“This is a win not just for me but for all Americans—for those who share my beliefs and for those who hold different views,” she said in a statement.

“For me, it’s always about what message is requested, never the person making the request. I hope that everyone will celebrate the court’s decision upholding this right for each of us to speak freely,” she said.

The Epoch Times reached out for comment to Colorado Attorney General Philip Weiser but had not received a reply as of publication time.