64.1 F
Chicago
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Home Blog Page 2897

Air Canada Says Freight Demand Beginning To Improve

0
Air Canada Says Freight Demand Beginning To Improve

By Eric Kulisch of FreightWaves

Air Canada expects the slow recovery in cargo volume that began in the fourth quarter to quicken in 2024, aided by the addition of two more freighter aircraft, but doesn’t anticipate gains in pricing power, Mark Galardo, executive vice president for network planning and revenue management, said Friday.

The cargo division within Air Canada (TSX: AC) currently operates five converted and two factory-built Boeing 767-300 freighters. It is scheduled this year to receive two cargo jets converted from passenger configuration, but delivery of a third plane has been delayed until 2025 because of lingering supply chain and labor challenges faced by aerospace manufacturing companies, said Galardo on the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call.

The company nonetheless expects cargo capacity to increase 6% to 8% this year with the addition of the two freighters and more passenger aircraft that also carry cargo. The converted freighters are retired Air Canada passenger jets that are being retrofitted by aftermarket aerospace firms for carrying large containers in the main cabin area.

Cargo revenue fell 15% year over year in the fourth quarter to US$181 million on soft demand and lower yields, Air Canada reported. The three-month period represented an improvement from prior months as the downturn in freight transportation that gripped the air logistics industry for nearly 18 months began to ease. Full-year cargo revenue fell 27% to $253.7 million.

At the end of 2023, Canada’s flag carrier operated four more 767 freighters than at the end of 2022. Freighters were reintroduced at the company two years ago. Increased freighter operations to Central and South America and to Europe partially offset the year-over-year decline. Air Canada also enhanced its interline cooperation with Emirates SkyCargo, which allows customers to book interline cargo shipments through the Emirates SkyCargo flights, including between the Americas and Southeast Asia and India, through key European hubs. 

“We had a bit of a slower start in January, but as we look into February and beyond we’re starting to see volumes pick up and yields also pick up. And our 2024 assumption on cargo is more volume-driven than yield-driven. So we’re starting to see some positive indicators,” Galardo told analysts. “We’ve taken all the necessary measures to position ourselves to take advantage of the recovery. This includes strategically adjusting our freighter plan so that we can keep focusing on proven overall results for the long term and on maximizing cargo network value for our entire fleet.”

Air Canada in late September canceled an order with Boeing for two 777-200 production freighters because of the reversal in airfreight demand following the pandemic-fueled boom for air transport that lasted until early 2022. It then ordered 18 787-10 Dreamliners, including two that were swapped for the 777 freighters. Management, at the time, reiterated its commitment to operating freighters, saying that it needed to take a more measured approach to fleet expenditures and keep more cash available for other purposes.

Air Canada expects another leap in cargo business when the 787-10s begin entering the fleet in late 2025. But ongoing safety and manufacturing problems at Boeing could upset the delivery schedule. Production flaws have previously prevented customers from receiving Dreamliners on time.

“As we eventually receive the larger 787-10s, taking advantage of global cargo flows through our hubs will become an important lever for further diversifying revenue streams,” said Galardo. 

Air Canada performed well on cargo against its peers during the fourth quarter. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines saw cargo revenue slide 24% during the period, and Korean Air said its cargo sales fell nearly 29%. The percentage change in revenue at Air Canada was on par with the 14.8% decline at United Airlines. On a total dollar basis, Air Canada cargo revenue was less than that of the other carriers. The three major U.S. airlines are much larger than Air Canada but also do not have a dedicated cargo fleet. Delta was the closest to Air Canada at $188 million in revenue.

Overall, Air Canada generated $3.9 billion in revenue, up 11% from the prior year, during the final three months of 2023. But earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $386.4 million came in below expectations. On an adjusted basis, the company lost $32.6 million versus a loss of $162 million the year before. Higher wages, maintenance costs and flying volumes pushed expenses up 8%. Inflation is expected to increase costs another 4.5% to 5% in 2024, offset in part by productivity gains.

Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/20/2024 – 06:30

Ozempic Users Slash Snack Buying At Supermarkets, Survey Finds 

0
Ozempic Users Slash Snack Buying At Supermarkets, Survey Finds 

America’s anti-obesity craze, courtesy of GLP-1-based weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, produced by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, continues to create anxiety among the food-industrial complex after a new study cited by Morgan Stanley shows households on the weight-loss drugs are spending less at the supermarket. 

Market research provider Numerator’s new survey shows households using GLP-1 drugs decreased monthly supermarket spending by 6% to 9% versus non-GLP-1 households. 

Many GLP-1 households increased purchases of fish, vegetables, and yogurt while sales of snacks, pastries, and ice cream fell. 

MS noted the Numerator survey from January used data from more than 90,000 households, with 12.3% of households indicating they were on GLP-1 drugs, up from 11.4% in October. 

The main driver of GLP-1 has been weight-loss treatment, and MS pointed out more and more consumers are paying out of pocket for the drug. 

Last year, we asked if America’s anti-obesity craze courtesy of GLP-1 drugs would trigger a “food revolution.” And quickly, Wall Street analysts took notice by downgrading some junk food companies, such as Krispy Kreme, citing GLP-1 impacts

Last August, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said shoppers who pick up appetite-suppressing medications at in-store pharmacies are spending less money on food:

“We still expect food, consumables, and health and wellness primarily due to the popularity of some GLP-1 drugs to grow as a percent of total in the back half.” 

And portion sizes at Thanksgiving 2023 were much smaller for the folks who could cough up $1,000 per month for the weight-loss drugs. 

In a separate note, Bank of America analyst Geoff Meacham recently said weight loss will trigger a “wardrobe replacement cycle.” 

Despite the decline in GLP-1 mentions on earnings calls… 

Wall Street is still piling into Goldman’s GLP-1 Obesity drug basket to capitalize on slimming down Americans while trimming companies with potential downstream risks related to obesity drugs, as indicated by the Goldman Sachs Global HLC GLP Risk index. 

Make America Skinny (again). 

Hmm. 

Maybe consumers should ditch vegetable oils.

Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/20/2024 – 05:45

German Govt’s Witch-Hunt Against AfD Paves Way To Dictatorship

0
German Govt’s Witch-Hunt Against AfD Paves Way To Dictatorship

Authored by Magyar Hírlap columnist Péter G. Fehér via ReMix News,

In Germany, the liberal government is in a relentless pursuit of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The government is working hand-in-hand with the media, which always prefixes the right-wing label with “extremist,” thus alarming decent German citizens who desire stability and calm.

Alternative for Germany, AfD, parliamentary leader Alice Weidel speaks during a general debate on the budget at the German parliament, Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

After an AfD meeting near Potsdam, at which the deportation of some illegal migrants was allegedly discussed, was made public in January, the governing parties – the Socialists, the Greens and the Free Democrats – launched a professionally organized hate campaign against the party. Nobody with a particularly high profile was present at the meeting, although an influential member of the AfD, who has no party function whatsoever, was present in a private capacity.

Now, the banning of the party entirely is on the agenda.

Early on, the government’s campaign against the AfD seemed to be a success. The anti-immigrant party’s popularity saw a slight decline, but the trend has quickly come to a halt and the AfD is back above 20 percent nationally.

This situation can no longer be tolerated by the liberal government, so it is now resorting to a variety of legal means that will put the principles of the rule of law to the test. The highly controversial Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has trodden on legally shaky ground and gone to a level of extremes not seen in Germany since the end of the Second World War, warning that “no one who donates to a right-wing extremist party can go unnoticed.”

The package of measures is therefore politically motivated and designed to provide a tool for the ruling parties to take action against the political opposition. In the end, the question is which parties will be deemed “right-wing extremist”? It is not publicly known what the criteria will be for determining this, and as a tool to be used, it is best to leave the specifics vague.

There is no mention of what will happen to the far-left parties. That is to say, if we understand the content of the measures to be introduced correctly, then far-right parties cannot be supported financially, while far-left political groups can be supported financially without any risk.

With a little logic, we can see where the dividing line is between the parties that can and cannot be funded. The relationship to illegal migration determines which party avoids the full weight of the surveillance and intelligence state. Those in favor of the resettlement of foreigners are either labeled extremist or not labeled at all.

The fact that the Left Party in Germany — the successor to the communist party of the GDR era — has not been given this label is because it fell into bed with liberal and globalist ideologies. From then on, it became presentable. If the situation after next year’s parliamentary elections is such, it could even become a coalition partner for fellow globalist parties, as has already happened. After all, the mainstream parties have no problem with the Left. The mantra is: “Let the migrants come.”

In other words, the government has made the intelligence services a tool of its own party’s political interests, subordinating them to the political goals of those in power. The consequence of this is that under the new law, a party, in this case the AfD, no longer needs to have committed a specific offense to be monitored.

It will be enough for the Office for the Protection of the Constitution to make a subjective judgment and see a risk in the functioning of the party in question.

Read more here…

Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/20/2024 – 05:00

26 EU Countries Call For Immediate ‘Humanitarian Pause’ In Gaza (But Not In Ukraine)

0
26 EU Countries Call For Immediate ‘Humanitarian Pause’ In Gaza (But Not In Ukraine)

Almost all European Union countries issued a joint call for an immediate ‘humanitarian pause’ of fighting in Gaza on Monday. Hungary was the only country that didn’t sign on to the statement. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced that 26 of 27 EU states had agreed to call for “an immediate humanitarian pause that would lead to a sustainable ceasefire.”

It followed some ten hours of intense talks among EU foreign ministers on Monday. The bloc has long struggled to gain consensus on the Gaza crisis, and once again Hungary’s Péter Szijjártó remained resistant to going along with the overwhelming majority.

Via Associated Press

The statement further urged Israel to halt its planned assault on Rafah, which would “worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian situation and prevent the urgently needed provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance,” according to the statement.

In a perhaps indirect swipe at Budapest, Borrell said “I know very well that if there is no unanimity, there is no common EU position, but there can be a sufficiently majority-backed position” before adding: “Naturally, this doesn’t strengthen our position. Europe can only play a role when it is united.”

But there was much more resistance on efforts to sanction Israeli settlers:

A handful of member states – notably the Czech Republic and Hungary – had rejected targeting settlers under the same sanctions framework that applies to Hamas, designated a terrorist organization in the EU, fearing it would send a misleading political message.

“It is not a good political signal for terrorists (…) to be more or less in the same package as persons who commit extremely politically motivated acts, but that cannot in any way be compared to terrorism,” Czech foreign minister Jan Lipavský said ahead of the meeting on Monday, emphasising that his country had not been blocking the sanctions package entirely.

Germany signed on to the Monday statement, has so far not backed efforts that call for an “immediate” cessation of all hostilities, and has backed Israel’s “right to defend itself”. 

The UN Security Council has also been scrambling to get all members on board a formal call for ceasefire, which has thus far been elusive…

As for the settler issue, Borrell has said the EU will continue to “study how to proceed” on sanctions targeting settler violence against Palestinians. He also said the same will be done for Hamas members who have committed “human rights violations and sexual violence.”

Interestingly, while there’s been near total unanimity in this new call for humanitarian pause, the same has not be done for the Ukraine war, which has been raging for close to two years.

Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/20/2024 – 04:15

University Hospital: Trans-Women’s Breast ‘Milk’ Just As Good As Biological Women’s

0
University Hospital: Trans-Women’s Breast ‘Milk’ Just As Good As Biological Women’s

Via The College Fix,

A UK university hospital system has claimed that milk produced by trans-women “is as good for babies” as biological women’s breast milk.

The Telegraph reports a University of Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust’s (USHT) “letter to campaigners” noted that “after a combination of drugs,” trans-women’s milk is “comparable to that produced following the birth of a baby.”

Trans-women – biological men – must take the hormone progestin in order to develop milk-producing glands. Drugs such as domperidone (which can be prescribed for biological women who have difficulty breastfeeding) are then needed for lactation.

But even domperidone’s manufacturer warns the drug “was not intended for this” as it can cause heart issues in newborns. The drug’s patient leaflet warns domperidone “should be used during breastfeeding only if your physician considers this clearly necessary.”

Nevertheless, the USHT believes domperidone is safe for trans-women, but does note hospital staff should advise those using it on the possible implications.

Oddly, the USHT’s guidance for the drug no longer exists on its own website; in its place is a link to “La Leche League” which claims it “supports everyone who wants to breastfeed or chestfeed in reaching their goals.”

From the story:

The hospital trust, which runs Royal Sussex County Hospital, Worthing Hospital and Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital among others, was also the first in Britain to use the term “chestfeeding” in place of breastfeeding because it is considered by some to be more inclusive. …

Lottie Moore, of the Policy Exchange, which uncovered the letter, said the trust “is unbalanced and naïve in its assertion that the secretions produced by a male on hormones can nourish an infant in the way a mother’s breast milk can”.

Maya Forstater, the director of campaign group Sex Matters, said: “For a chief executive and medical director of an NHS trust to prioritise trans identities over what is best for mothers and their babies is deeply disturbing.”

The USHT said it “stand[s] by the facts of the letter” and its supporting evidence.

Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/20/2024 – 03:30

Russia Says NATO Troops, Disguised As Mercenaries, Control Air Defenses In Ukraine

0
Russia Says NATO Troops, Disguised As Mercenaries, Control Air Defenses In Ukraine

The Russian military has made the accusation that NATO troops are actually manning and directly overseeing Ukraine’s advanced anti-air defense systems which were provided by the West.

The charge comes after weeks of the Kremlin saying that French mercenaries have been positioned in the city of Kharkiv, which sits across from Belgorod – a Russian border area subject of persistent mortar and rocket attacks.

MLRS system, via Sky News

The statement was issued by a high-ranking Russian officer in a command post and was amplified in Russian state media, however wasn’t stated directly as an official defense ministry press release, but is still significant.

“Military personnel from NATO countries, under the guise of mercenaries, operate air defense systems, multiple launch rocket systems, and tactical missile systems in Ukraine, Colonel General Sergey Rudskoy, chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff and First Deputy Chief of the General Staff, said in an interview with the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper,” according to TASS.

Rudskoy said, “NATO military personnel, under the guise of mercenaries, participate in hostilities. They control air defense systems, tactical missiles and multiple launch rocket systems, and are part of assault detachments.”

While no evidence was provided for the claim, it has been well-known that Western advisers train the Ukrainians on these systems, likely in neighboring countries like Poland.

MLRS and HIMARS have played a huge and crucial role on the battlefield. In 2022 it was even being reported that these weapons were tipping the scales in Ukraine’s favor.

The MLRS stands for “Multiple-Launch Rocket System” and rapid fires several surface-to-surface missiles. It is highly mobile and must be operated by a crew of three.

One month ago, on January 17, Russia said it targeted “French mercenaries” during a long-range missile strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. The Ukrainians at the time reported over a dozen civilian casualties, but rejected the claims of French fighters. 

Video clips like the below have widely circulated at various times over the course of the war. In the below is heard a fighter along the Ukrainian front lines speaking English with what sounds like a British accent…

The Russian defense ministry said at the time, “On the evening of 16 January, the armed forces of the Russian Federation carried out a precision strike on a temporary deployment point of foreign militants in the city of Kharkiv, the core of which were French mercenaries.”

Kremlin leaders, including President Putin, have frequently cast the war as one where the ultimate enemy is the United States, the UK, and all of NATO. Moscow has vowed to directly attack any foreign fighters or equipment found on the battlefield and will hold external nations responsible, according to repeat prior warnings.

Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/20/2024 – 02:45

CCP Tightens Exit Controls Amid Sharp Increase In Citizens Fleeing China

0
CCP Tightens Exit Controls Amid Sharp Increase In Citizens Fleeing China

Authored by Alex Wu via The Epoch Times,

The sharp increase of Chinese citizens joining the “run” movement—fleeing China by both legal and illegal means—has attracted international attention since the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) three-year draconian “zero-COVID” lockdowns that caused countless humanitarian tragedies.

Most of them have taken various routes to the United States, their ideal destination.

Meanwhile, the CCP is reported to have tightened control over Chinese citizens’ overseas travel to save face as so many citizens are fleeing, in contrast to the CCP’s claim of “confidence” in its system.

Different Routes

According to media reports and what fleeing citizens told The Epoch Times, Chinese nationals at various economic strata take different routes into the United States.

People with sufficient funds can enter Mexico through a Schengen visa or a short visit visa. Some use a Korean visa to enter Panama without a visa, and some people directly obtain a Mexican visa under the arrangement of an agency and cross the U.S. southern border via the shortest route.

Other Chinese have taken longer routes, first flying to Thailand, then to Turkey, then to Ecuador. Others fly to Turkey via Hong Kong.

Mr. Lu, who is doing business in Thailand, told The Epoch Times that the Chinese regime has tightened its exit controls. His full name, along with others mentioned in this story, is being withheld for his safety.

If people join a tour group, they won’t be bothered by border control agents. But people traveling independently will most likely be interrogated for extended periods by customs about their reasons for going to Thailand.

“The authorities are worried that after people go to Thailand, they may go from Thailand to Turkey, South America, and then enter the United States,” he said. “Some people from Chengdu, Luoyang, and other parts of China told me that when they were leaving China as individuals, they’re all interrogated, the shortest questioning time was 25 minutes.”

Mr. Lu believes that the reason why customs have interrogated people like this was that they must have received orders from above to probe people’s reasons for leaving.

Mr. Zhang, who just fled China, told The Epoch Times that when they left China via Turkey in September 2023, it was relatively normal and there were not many restrictions. But since early December last year it started to tighten restrictions.

Migrants walk along the US side of the United States border wall after crossing through an open gap in Jacumba, Calif., on Dec. 6, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Mr. Zhang said that one of his friends went to Turkey in December, but the situation was different.

“He bought a ticket that required a layover in Chengdu in China. That is, he flew from Bangkok to Chengdu and then to Turkey,” he said. “When he entered Chengdu Airport, the Chinese airport staff stopped him and tried to drag him to the Chinese domestic area, preventing him from leaving. Fortunately, he stayed with another passenger who is Turkish in the international area in the airport and didn’t cross to the Chinese side at the airport. Once he enters the the Chinese area at the airport, he will definitely not be able to get out of the country. He thought about it now and felt it’s rather scary.”

CCP Tightens Control to Save Face

Mr. Yang, a Chinese expat in Thailand, told The Epoch Times, “Those Chinese who have the means to flee, most of them have already left after the CCP abandoned the COVID-19 controls. There are still more people leaving now because they needed time to take care of families, children, real estate, and businesses in China, so they are leaving slowly.” He said that it is certain that the communist regime is trying to suppress this, because there are too many Chinese people fleeing now.

“Many Chinese people haven’t been interviewed by the CCP’s national security. They haven’t attracted the attention of the CCP, or were not its focus, so they were able to leave. Those people who have been interviewed by the national security are restricted from leaving China, so they have to find ways to leave the country illegally,” he said.

Mr. Wei, who just came to the United States last year, told The Epoch Times, “I learned from many people that the exit control at many ports in China is currently being tightened.”

Li Beixing, who traveled to the United States last year, told The Epoch Times, “The CCP’s customs staff asked me to take out everything from my bag, and then they took my cellphone to check my communication records. They interrogated me for at least two hours, asking every question they could think of.”

Lawyer Liang Shaohua, former chief compliance officer of a mainland asset management company, told The Epoch Times that everyone in mainland China could apply for a passport before, but that seems to no longer be the case. Those who have a passport are also not allowed to renew it.

A post on Chinese social media has attracted wide attention in recent days. It shows that Lianjiang County in Fujian Province was having a meeting titled “Lianjiang County’s deployment meeting to crackdown on smuggling to the United States and the control of key personnel involved in fraud” to focus on the “run” movement in the county.

Mr. Wu from Fujian told The Epoch Times that what happened in Lianjiang is true. “If someone is caught there, they will be fined into bankruptcy,” he said.

Mr. Wu said that Lianjiang County is the hometown of overseas Chinese, and is a place known for smuggling people out of the country. After three years of COVID-19 lockdowns and strict controls, a large number of people have begun to flee again, and many people are being smuggled out to other countries, with most fleeing to the United States.

“Why [does the CCP] need to crack down on it? People are all gone, there is no one here anymore, and it sounds bad in the international community,” Mr. Wu said.

Mr. Li in Lianjiang also confirmed with The Epoch Times Lianjiang’s supression notice, saying that it’s been particularly strict recently. “It is because the CCP is afraid of losing face, so the higher-ups are suppressing local officials, and now people are caught for smuggling out they will be sentenced to prison.”

A Border Patrol agent apprehends a Chinese couple that just waded across the Rio Grande from Mexico into Eagle Pass, Texas, on Jan. 25, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

International human right group Safeguard Defenders published a report in last May that the CCP “is increasingly resorting to exit bans to punish human rights defenders (HRDs) and their families, hold people hostage to force targets overseas to come back to China (a practice called persuade to return, a form of transnational repression), control ethnic-religious groups, engage in hostage diplomacy and intimidate foreign journalists.”

The CCP’s exit ban and others are “illegitimate and violate the Universal Declaration of Human Right’s principle of Freedom of Movement,” the report pointed out.

Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/20/2024 – 02:00

The Rise And Fall Of The Second Amendment

0
The Rise And Fall Of The Second Amendment

Authored by Donald Jeffries via I Protest,

Everyone has undoubtedly heard about the shooting during the Super Bowl victory parade in Kansas City. These victory celebrations always bring the potential for trouble, what with all those young males consuming prodigious amounts of alcohol. And they draw the worst elements; the seemingly perpetually armed gang-bangers.

The shooting has triggered the yawningly predictable response from the “Woke” crowd. Which at this point means nearly our entire government and corporate leadership. One marvels at how many times clueless celebrities can breathlessly tweet out, “We have to do something about this!” or “We are failing the children!” It’s odd how the inanimate object- the gun- is always the Oswald-style patsy in these incidents. Often the names of those wielding the inanimate objects for no good are barely mentioned. Quick; name the Parkland school shooter. The Pulse gay night club shooter. It’s the guns, racist! The tweets in response to this most recent shooting, especially those emanating from the dying embers of Hollywood, are examples of insipid mindlessness. Digital postcards from the Idiocracy.

The text of the Second Amendment itself reads, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” In my book Crimes and Cover-Ups in American Politics: 1776-1963, I devoted a section to the very clear comments by all the Founders, regarding what the Second Amendment actually meant. It would have been nice if they’d worded it better, so there wouldn’t be an opening for the usual suspects to interpret it to suit their agendas. But each and every one of those who ratified it, even the odious, bankers’ stooge Alexander Hamilton, left no doubt in their public comments, that the Bill of Rights protected the individual’s right to keep and bear arms.

It’s ironic that the word “militia” is in there, seeing as how that term has come to be demonized, especially since the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, when Bill Clinton exploited it like a poster child for muscular dystrophy. All the state controlled media has to do at this point is claim some poor sap was associated with some “militia,” and its de facto evidence of guilt. Of something. Anything. James Madison, considered the father of the Constitution, noted in The Federalist Papers that “a standing army….would be opposed [by] militia.” He wanted State governments to have the ability to “repel the danger” of a federal army. You know, like the Military Industrial Complex, which he could not have foreseen in his wildest dreams.

Thomas Jefferson in particular was vehemently opposed to a standing federal army. Like the rest of the Founders, he believed it was the responsibility of a citizens militia of ordinary Americans to defend their state, or in the rarest of circumstances, the entire country from an outside threat. He also made it clear that an armed citizenry was the best defense against government tyranny. As president, Jefferson slashed military spending. He noted, “Standing armies [are] inconsistent with [a people’s] freedom and subversive of their quiet.” In 1789, the author of the Declaration of Independence wrote, “There are instruments so dangerous to the rights of the nation and which place them so totally at the mercy of their governors….Such an instrument is a standing army.” No wonder he’s now a hopeless dead White “racist.”

By the time of Lincoln, our first imperial president, a national military was an unquestioned reality. No more fears about a standing army. Honest Abe instituted the first unconstitutional military draft, resulting in the bloody riots in New York. The immigrants du jour of the day, the Irish, quite naturally objected to being forced to participate in a senseless slaughter they had no historical or cultural association with. Lincoln’s federal army cut a deadly swath through the south, raping, destroying crops, burning homes, and engaging in the boldest larceny in the history of warfare, as they stole every valuable that wasn’t nailed down. For this, all Americans pay homage today. They were great American heroes.

The power of the national military grew, and we eviscerated George Washington’s warnings about “no entangling alliances,” and John Quincy Adams’ admonitions that we not “go abroad in search of monsters to destroy.” World Wars I and II were something Jefferson and the other Founders would have mortified by. They would have led chapters of the America First Committee. Another modern hero, Franklin Roosevelt, would have had them “cancelled” and perhaps imprisoned. That precedent had been set when Lincoln imprisoned his dissenters without any due process. Once the Pentagon was built, and the unconstitutional intelligence agencies established, we had something more than a standing army. We had an Occupying Force.

So this clash between individual firearm owners and a national military was inevitable. Individuals were not necessarily going to agree with the policies and actions of this national army, especially when it was given authority to run roughshod over American citizens. Look at what happened to the World War I “Bonus Army,” veterans of that senseless conflict, who naturally objected when their promised “bonus” was denied them. They set up tents on the Capitol, and U.S. forces, led by future superstars Douglas MacArthur and George Patton, defeated them as easily as William Sherman defeated the women and children of the Confederacy. So if you’re in our glorious federal military, don’t complain if they break a promise.

The distinction between Jefferson’s vision of a well armed citizens’ militia, and the modern Military Industrial Complex couldn’t be more obvious. Conservatives, however, generally adore this federal army, and the intelligence agencies that accompany it. They also worship our militarized police forces, and were ecstatic over the implementation of no-knock SWAT team raids on private homes. Until they raided Mar-a-Lago, that is. But all that’s been forgotten. The FBI was not abolished, and the Right seems cool with the Occupying Force again. Exactly how different is a gun aficionado saying “Thank you for your service” from a masochist saying “Thank you, may I have another?”

The individual right to bear arms conflicts with armed (and militarized) police officers, and certainly with the armed forces of the United States, the largest military the world has ever seen. When a citizen has an encounter with a law enforcement officer, regardless of the nature of the “law” they’re enforcing, the Second Amendment disappears. You’re not going to find a case where an armed citizen shot a cop in self-defense, without being prosecuted. It doesn’t matter how unjustified the officer was, the officer is by default considered to be in the right. If you don’t like it, take it to court. Where you will unquestionably lose. The courts are always going to be the final arbiter in any battle between armed citizens and the Occupying Force. And you know what side they’ll be on. Every single time.

It wasn’t until 2008 that the Supreme Court first ruled that the Second Amendment protected an individual’s right to self-defense in his own home. This hasn’t stopped some unfortunate homeowners, like Byron Smith of Minnesota, from being convicted of murder; he shot two home invaders who proved to be unarmed. Others in similar situations have been charged as well, while in some cases reason still prevails and the homeowner is considered to have acted understandably. From what I’ve heard, you are always considered justified in shooting someone if they are setting fire to your home. How this differs from robbery is something only our esteemed judges can fathom. So if you have a home invader, throw him some matches, and urge him to commit arson. Maybe he won’t understand the nuances of the law.

So here we are today, in America 2.0. The battle lines have been drawn. In this corner, you have the challenger, the Second Amendment. An antiquated notion dreamed up by long dead White “racists.” And in the other corner, you have the Occupying Force, hailing from Washington, D.C., undefeated and untied. Second Amendment activists today concentrate on simply keeping their own weapons. Being able to hunt legally. To go target shooting. There is no emphasis on protection from government tyranny, which was the motivation behind the amendment in the first place. The Occupying Force knows it has nothing to fear from “gun nuts.” They remember the victories at Ruby Ridge. And Waco. And the Bundy ranch, to mention just a few examples.

If all the gun enthusiasts that Hollywood frets over really had government tyranny in mind, like the Founders did, they would have reacted differently during the unconstitutional COVID lockdown. I must have missed all of the standoffs between armed small business owners and the Occupying Force, which was denying them the right to earn a living. Or between concealed carry owners and authoritarian officers demanding they wear a mask, or stop letting their children play in a park. Presumably, the vast majority of those who came to the January 6 Stop the Steal rally in Washington, D.C. were gun owners. And yet, the authorities couldn’t find a single gun anywhere. That’s not only an odd way to conduct an “insurrection,” it’s indicative of the mindset of most gun activists. Just let me hang my weapons on the wall.

Now, please don’t think I’m suggesting that gun owners take up arms against the government. The military industrial complex would make such a thing impossible, regardless. But if your primary issue is the Second Amendment, you ought to at least acknowledge that its purpose was not to protect your right to hunt, or to target practice. It was as a safeguard against an encroaching, corrupt government. I think that, if enough small business owners had let the authorities know they were armed and ready to defend their livelihood from an out of control Occupying Force, that perhaps the lockdown wouldn’t have been quite as successful. How about armed pastors, defending their right to conduct religious services? You had one half-assed protest in Michigan, which was demonized over a Confederate flag or something.

While the Left wants citizens to be subjected to the mercy of kind-hearted, well-armed police and soldiers, some on the Right want to arm teachers, for instance. Now, having looked at enough TikTok videos to see just how many teachers today are fortunate that the mental institutions have mostly closed, these are the last people on earth I want to be possessing firearms. In school. While my kids are compelled to be there. Can you imagine an unstable, purple haired “educator” becoming irate at a MAGA hat or something? Do you really want that person to have a gun handy? Somehow, I don’t see more guns in schools making things safer.

As always, we didn’t reach this stage overnight. That’s why I focus so much on hidden history. The “loyal” unionists should have realized that by permitting a despot like Lincoln to suspend the writ of habeas corpus, and shut down over two hundred newspapers, they were paving the way for future government tyranny. The people who sat idly by while Eugene Debs and the other WWI protesters were ludicrously portrayed as “yelling fire in a crowded theater,” made possible the Orwellian concept of “Hate Speech” which we know and love today. That same generation accepted the ridiculous, anti-liberty figure of “Uncle Sam,” and allowed it to symbolize the growing unconstitutional federal government. The Occupying Force. Really, how different is our Uncle Sam from Oceana’s Big Brother?

World War II- the “good” war. The “greatest generation.” Read what I wrote about their true conduct in Crimes and Cover-Ups. The Korean “conflict,” like every nonsensical American interventionist escapade since then conducted without a declaration of war by Congress, as they’re constitutionally required to do. Now, we’re permitting billions to flow into a Zionist dictator in Ukraine, while American citizens are living in tents and shitting in the street. But all this was possible because the government- through its military industrial complex and its localized police forces- has “the meat,” to quote the Arby’s commercial. There is no limitation on their firearms. No one will accuse them of “stockpiling” weapons, or possessing “illegal” weapons. And our brave police officers must be able to protect themselves. It’s an “officer safety” thing, you wouldn’t understand.

Any discussion of “gun control” from todays Left begins and ends with individual ownership. They don’t talk about “responsible” gun ownership on the part of police forces. Like shooting deaf people in the back when they don’t respond to your orders. Or our increasingly “Woke” military forces. Like killing that wedding party in Yemen was pretty irresponsible, I think. If some lone, deranged individual plowed down a wedding party, do you think he’d ever see the light of day again? But military atrocities are rarely acknowledged, let alone prosecuted. Look what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nothing to the brave soldiers who played soccer with decapitated heads, or killed a family of civilians. Instead, it was then Bradley Manning, who exposed the atrocities through Wikileaks, that was punished. Along with Julian Assange, who will still probably feel the wrath of a justice-free legal system.

Hollywood doesn’t really have anything against guns. After all, every blockbuster action movie throughout history has featured guns of all varieties front and center. The hero- often played by a hypocritical “liberal” that pontificates about gun control while being protected by armed personal security- can’t beat the armed bad guys without arms of his own. I think that’s kind of what Thomas Jefferson was talking about. If the police and the military are going to have guns, the citizens should be allowed to have them, too. Must be allowed to have them, as all the Founders carefully noted for posterity. That’s one of many reasons the Founders are ignored today, other than to be castigated as worthless, “racist” relics from the stone age.

I would love for there to be a way to destroy every gun in the world, starting with all those controlled by governments. But that isn’t possible. We can even create them on our own now, with those incomprehensible 3-D printers. And how many gun control laws are already on the books? The big cities, where the most gun violence occurs, have the strictest gun laws. As the conservatives accurately point out, the criminals aren’t buying guns legally, and will always find a way to get them illegally. So any restrictions on firearms impacts law abiding citizens exclusively. You know, the ones who are no threat to ever commit a violent crime. And yet, the “Woke” mantra, from Democratic Party politicians to their sycophants in the entertainment world, is that something must be done. For the children! Who they are in favor of aborting or “transitioning.” That’s the only kind of “choice” they support.

That something, of course, is to ban individual ownership of firearms. These “Woke” activists want only the police and the military to have them. Not you. If that doesn’t reflect the most naive trust in authority imaginable, I don’t know what would. And it contradicts the whole spirit of our own fight for independence. The Minutemen. Give me liberty or give me death. Obviously, we could never have seceded from British rule (and yes, that is the proper term), without the possession of firearms. The Shot Heard Around the World couldn’t have happened without a weapon to fire it. King George could have decided to enslave all the colonists, not just the Black ones. And without guns, what exactly could the colonists- our ancestors- have done about it?

I’ve never been a violent person. I don’t understand violence, so I certainly can’t comprehend gun violence. I love peace. Give me the Summer of Love again, without the drugs and the government infiltrators. But the gun “debate” isn’t going to go away until either the Second Amendment is officially abolished, or a majority of the citizens make it known that they will accept no more restrictions on their constitutional right to bear arms. If nothing else, having a well-armed citizenry makes the criminal government think twice before launching yet another unconstitutional act. It’s bad enough living under an Occupying Force when millions of Americans do own firearms. Consider what it would be like without them. Again, I am not advocating violence of any kind. But we must speak out while we still can.

Subscribe to “I Protest” by Donald Jeffries

Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/19/2024 – 23:30

Tucker Carlson Goes Shopping: Russian Economy Well Intact Despite Sanctions

0
Tucker Carlson Goes Shopping: Russian Economy Well Intact Despite Sanctions

Western populations have been hearing for the past two years that NATO sanctions would have a devastating effect on the Russian economy, so much so that Vladimir Putin would be forced to back out of military operations in Ukraine almost immediately.  The removal of Russia from the SWIFT network and the suffocation of its exports was going to cripple the nation’s banking sector and send it into an economic death spiral.  Corporate media economists and Biden Administration representatives alike compared the financial warfare strategy to a kind of “cancel culture” action on a global scale.  The very first modern cancellation of a country.

Well, needless to say, sanctions did not turn out the way the establishment expected.  Initial reports in US and European media claimed that Russian businesses were struggling to stay afloat and some argued that the Russian populace might even revolt against the Kremlin in anger.  But this was all a farce, much like the majority of reports suggesting Ukrainian victory was imminent. 

Rather that imploding, Russian exports and imports are thriving.  The nation printed an oil export surge at the end of 2023, as well as increased exports on a number of raw goods from oil seeds to grains in 2023.  Most of the export rise can be attributed to closer trade ties with Asia, a move which western government should have expected.  In fact, the NATO tactic of using Ukraine as a proxy battleground has only driven eastern governments like China and India closer to Russia.  

Tucker Carlson, one of the few western journalists reporting on the conflict without anti-Russian bias, took the opportunity while visiting the country to go shopping in a local retail mall.  The experiment was meant to examine how much inflation and economic hardship was punishing the Russian public.  What he found, in fact, was relatively low inflation and stable price averages compared to the US. 

   

If you thought the warhawks on social media had a meltdown over Carlson’s interview with Putin, the response to the above segment was absolutely rabid.  Critics attacked Carlson, accusing him of “trying to argue that Russia’s economy is better than the US economy.”  They also ridiculed him for not taking Russian wages into account vs American wages in his analysis. 

But, as usual, the mainstream media has missed the bigger picture. 

While it is true that average American wages are substantially higher than Russian wages and the dollar has greater international buying power due to it’s world reserve status, the greenback is decidedly weak in its home country and this is a factor that many in the public do not yet realize.  

The cost of living in dollars for one person in the US is approximately 400% higher across the board compared to one person living in Russia.  Individual items vary – For example, a loaf of bread is 500% more expensive in the US than it is in Russia, while a bottle of coke is only 164% more expensive.  A one bedroom apartment is 500% more expensive in the US, while a beer is only 233% more expensive. 

Most of Carlson’s critics used the inflated average “household income” numbers in the US and compared them to single income numbers in Russia.  This is an inaccurate methodology.  US household wages average at $76,000 per year, but this involves multi-income families.  The average US single earner makes only $40,000 per year.  The point is, though Tucker Carlson may have overlooked the wage gap between Russians and Americans, the cost of living exercise in US dollars still showcases two things:

1)  Americans have the world reserve currency at their disposal, yet, it doesn’t do them much good in America.  The value of the dollar isn’t evident to most people in the US until they travel overseas.  This is due to expansive monetary stimulus by the Federal Reserve, which has greatly diminished the dollar’s buying power within the US economy and caused 30%+ higher prices since 2020 alone.

2) The more important takeaway from Carlson’s experiment is the lack of chaos in Russian markets.  Despite the global sanctions leveraged against them, Russia has proven increasingly resilient.  With their overall inflation rate expected to fall to 4.5% in 2024, it would seem the economic war against the nation has failed. 

For the people who were expecting the Kremlin to be reduced to smoking ruins after a financial Apocalypse similar to Weimar Germany, this must be a disappointing realization.  What we can learn from this outcome is that trade finds a way, and cancelling an entire country is not as easy as some might think.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/19/2024 – 23:00

China Supercharges Stimulus With Biggest Cut In Mortgage Reference Rate On Record

0
China Supercharges Stimulus With Biggest Cut In Mortgage Reference Rate On Record

After the relentless jawboning in recent days, many were expecting some further easing today from the PBOC, and Beijing did not disappoint when China cut the 5-year loan prime rate (LPR) – which influences mortgage rate pricing – and is also known as China’s Libor (or rather SOFR since Libor no longer exists) by 25bp to to 3.95% on Tuesday, while holding the 1-year rate at 3.45%. The LPR cut is the largest since China revamped its loan pricing mechanism in 2019. China last trimmed the 5y LPR by 10bp in June 2023.

As UBS notes, market sentiment should get a boost from the larger-than-expected 5y rate cut, with a Reuters poll estimating 5-15bp after the PBoC-backed Financial News reported Sunday that there’s downside room for LPRs, especially for 5y as it will support the real estate market.

Furthermore as noted earlier, Premier Li Qiang had called for “pragmatic and forceful” action to boost confidence in the economy on Monday.

Elsewhere, the PBoC kept the medium-term lending facility (MLF) rate on hold Monday. LPRs and MLFs usually move in tandem, but UBS Economist Ning Zhang had noted that a LPR cut should a bit earlier and more than MLF rate cut, thanks to previous cuts of reserve requirement ratio and deposit rates.

Commenting on the larger than expected cut, Derek Tay, head of investments at Kamet Capital Partners said that Chinese banks’ cut of a key reference lending rate for mortgages is “deeper than expected and shows that authorities are following through on their vows to boost the market and the economy.” It’s “also a relief that the authorities are proceeding as they have been foretelling regarding support for the economy and the market.”

Others were a bit more skeptical:

Hao Hong, an economist at Grow Investment:

  • Loan demand is very weak. So even if there is a large cut it won’t stimulate new demand plus the existing loans are still on the old rate
  • Now the problem is not about interest-rate levels. The real estate sector continues to ail. It is the sector that used to generate much of the loan demand. New home sales in January tanked

Willer Chen, an analyst at Forsyth Barr Asia:

  • It’s a “good gesture from the commercial banks but now the property problem is not about the mortgage rate”
  • The move may “slightly boost the property demand but would not expect much”

In kneejerk reaction, China rates are largely unchanged so far; 5y yield is down 0.5bp on the LPR cut. USDCNH is a touch lower as optimism builds. Funding remains tight with local paying interest; tom/next is around +1. The curve should continue to flatten given elevated funding which would support the front-end points while the back end should head lower.

The Shanghai Composite is fluctuating with an upward trend so far this morning, while China properties are trading higher after banks cut the key reference lending rate for mortgages by the most on record.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/19/2024 – 21:54