May 2019 – Page 2 – Really Right

Apple Reports Tesla Fire

Apple is having a bad week. First the US Supreme Court says their app store is likely a monopoly and can be sued in lower court as such (without specifically ruling on the merits of the case) and then China and the US are at loggerheads over trade and tariffs.

Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court dealt Apple Inc. a major setback in an eight-year-old lawsuit over the App Store on Monday, but the bigger news is the big effect it could have on Big Tech.

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that plaintiffs have a right to sue Apple in a class-action lawsuit that alleges monopolistic behavior in the App Store resulted in overcharging. While the end result for Apple is uncertain for now, the ruling appears to be positive for consumers who buy services on platforms owned by Apple and other tech companies, because it gives them the ability to sue for alleged monopolistic pricing practices.

The case was filed in 2011 by four iPhone users who alleged Apple had unlawfully monopolized “the iPhone apps aftermarket” and that Apple locked iPhone users “into buying apps only from Apple and paying Apple’s 30% fee, even if ” the iPhone owners want to buy them elsewhere.

Link: Apple’s loss at the Supreme Court is ‘a big victory for consumers’ fighting Big Tech’s app and platform monopolies

Trade Wars

Apple closed down nearly 6% on Monday after news of a major escalation in the U.S.-China trade war.

China said on Monday that it decided to raise tariffs on some U.S. goods after President Donald Trump threatened to further raise tariffs on Chinese imports last week.
The trade war is affecting a lot of different stocks, but Apple seems to be hit harder than most. The Dow Jones Industrial index dropped 2.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 3.5%.

Apple is especially vulnerable to a trade war with China for two primary reasons.

First, it assembles its iPhones primarily in China. Although it has a lot of American suppliers — it spent $60 billion on American suppliers in 2018 — iPhone assembly is done in mainland China.

The other reason is that Apple, unlike other big tech companies, makes a substantial amount of its money by selling its products to Chinese consumers.

Link: Here’s why Apple is so vulnerable to a trade war with China

Apple News: Tesla Burning

OK so what does Apple have to do with a Tesla fire? Well this story is from Apple Daily. No word on whether this is a subscription service offers by Tim Cook and company but here’s the story.

A Tesla Inc electric car caught fire in a parking lot in a Hong Kong shopping mall, the Apple Daily newspaper said on Tuesday, but no one was injured in the blaze, whose cause was not immediately known.

The electric car burst into flames 30 minutes after being parked in the city’s San Po Kong district on Sunday, the newspaper said, with three explosions seen on CCTV footage.

Firemen took 45 minutes to douse the fire.

Link: Tesla car catches fire in Hong Kong parking lot

OK, so pop quiz. What is the acceptable way to fight a Tesla fire? Can you just pour water on the burning battery or would this be an environmental offence, especially here in California? Do the synthetic materials used in its construction give off cancer causing fumes? This vehicle certainly must come with a Prop 65 warning label. When fully involved, is it a Class D fire? 45 minutes to burn may be normal if water is not allowed.

Apple crashing and Tesla burning, oh, what a week (and its only Tuesday).

Tesla Drivers Starting to Feel the Burn

Yep, leave it up to Democrats to push for their “green” agenda and then screw the folks that drink the Kool-Aid thinking that they are socially responsible and saving the planet. You and I know this is utter crap, but some folks are slow learners.

Illinois drivers are learning that utopia isn’t cheap. If you own a Tesla or other electric vehicle, the Illinois legislature thinks that you can afford an annual registration fee of $1,000 per year. Why? Because electric vehicle owners don’t pay their fair share of gas taxes.

Electric car owners in Illinois could take a large hit to their bank accounts after lawmakers proposed an extreme hike in registration fees for electronic vehicles in the state.

The proposal would raise the annual registration fee to $1,000, more than 57 times the current amount of $17.50.

Illinois officials believe the legislation will raise $2.4 billion for future projects, the major one being roadway improvement, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The bill was introduced last week by Chicago state Sen. Martin Sandoval, a Democrat who says the registration fee hike is imperative to help fund necessary infrastructure improvements.

The reason for the extreme hikes are that electric vehicles don’t provide the state any gas tax revenue.

Oh, Liberals in the state are outraged:

“It’s outrageous,” Tesla owner Nicoletta Skarlatos, 56, told the Chicago Tribune. “I thought Illinois was progressive and would want to encourage EV (electric vehicle) ownership.”

“Imposing fees on EVs that are over 400 percent more than their gasoline-powered counterparts is not only unfair, it discourages promising new technology that will reduce our dependence on petroleum, reduce emissions, and promote the Illinois economy,” Rivian spokesman Michael McHale told the Chicago Tribune.

OK, learning opportunity for Liberals and low information voters…Progressive means getting financially screwed by the government because government can never really be too big, and after all it is your god and the proper way of worship is giving your all to the divine. “Green Agendas” and “Carbon Footprints” are all about centralizing power in the government by reducing your freedom. There is not now nor ever was any manmade climate crisis. It is hubris and arrogance to believe that is even possible. Oh, sorry, hubris is:

English picked up both the concept of hubris and the term for that particular brand of cockiness from the ancient Greeks, who considered hubris a dangerous character flaw capable of provoking the wrath of the gods. In classical Greek tragedy, hubris was often a fatal shortcoming that brought about the fall of the tragic hero. Typically, overconfidence led the hero to attempt to overstep the boundaries of human limitations and assume a godlike status, and the gods inevitably humbled the offender with a sharp reminder of his or her mortality.

Link: Definition of hubris

Oh, those of us using internal combustion engines are not exempt from the wrath of the legislature.

The bill would also make things more expensive for residents who drive non-electric cars. The state’s gas tax would go up 19 cents to 44 cents a gallon, fees for driver’s licenses would double and the registration fee for non-electric vehicles would go up nearly 50% from $98 to $148.

The article concludes:

Illinois was seventh in electronic vehicle sales last year and there are about 15,000 registered in the state. Over 200,000 electric vehicles were sold last year, about two percent of total U.S auto sales, according to Jenny Acevedo, an analyst with auto research firm Edmund.

“Every automaker has broadcast loud and clear that the future of automotive is autonomous and electric,” Acevedo told the Chicago Tribune. “Certainly, going from $17.50 to $1,000 in terms of registration isn’t going to move the needle in the direction the industry is hoping.”

Link: Illinois residents could be charged $1,000 a year to own an electric vehicle under new legislation

Did you note in the above that only two percent of autos sold in the country were electric, yet Tesla is now reportedly the number three US automaker. Using what metric? Sorry but production numbers do matter to us in the real world.

Prediction

If this law is defeated, look for it to be followed-up with a mileage tax. I think that is the real plan here, but you need to mold public reaction to be that $1,000 per vehicle is harsh but a mileage tax on electric vehicles is “fair”. This “fairness” is a Liberal buzz word for spreading the misery. Note that no one is disputing the premise that vehicle taxes should be increased, its just a matter of how to do it. Most electric vehicles are purchased by the wealthy so making them pay more is going to happen. I have always said the greatest so-called benefit of electric vehicles is not paying the gas tax but politicians will fix that loophole.

California Sliding Into Sea of Economic Insolvency

Some folks around the social orbit our editorial staff just don’t have a clue what economic mischief is afoot at the “Bill Mill” so I thought I would break it down for the slow learners. If you are a low information voter or a 90-Day Calendar Guy, this includes you.

Prop 13

Proposition 13 has been a protection on property taxes for Californians since Jerry Brown was governor the first time. If you have no clue who Rose Bird is then it was implemented was before your time. No one serving in the Legislature is old enough to remember the world before Prop 13 was enacted thus they have no idea what an economic benefit this has been to California businesses and homeowners.

The holy grail of many Liberals in this state is to dismantle the protections afforded by this ballot proposition. The most logical way is to bifurcate the law by separating business from residential property. Most interpretations of this arbitrary split result in rental property ending-up in the business bucket. Give our “housing crisis”, all this will do is result in even more upward pressure on rental prices. Having businesses and residential property taxed at different rates is only the first step in scrapping Prop 13. At some point, residential folks will get stripped of their protections too.

Prop 13 allows max property tax increase of two percent per year

Rent Control

Using the “housing crisis”, California voters will be given another opportunity to enact rent control in 2020. Again, if this ballot measure does not implement a statewide rent control program like the one just implemented in Oregon, it will be a big step in that direction. I think rent control is likely to pass next time. If not, it will keep showing up on the ballot until it does. Look for the ballot title and summary to be the Affordable Housing Act of 2020 or something similarly deceptive.

Sales Tax

Many services are currently exempt from charging sales tax. Since the Board of Equalization has been gutted, I see a path cleared to changing the law to get rid of most protections and subjecting virtually everyone and everything (except diapers and tampons) to sales taxes. Thus your haircut, car repair, tax preparation, attorney, etc. will cost you even more.

Summary

The above will all be sold on the basis of class warfare to economically illiterate people—mostly public school graduates—as a punishment on “the wealthy” because they believe that people can only get wealthy by screwing the “little guy”.

Ultimately, these issues will not be decided on what is best for you but on whether the Democrats are happy with the revenue stream going to Sacramento. This is allegedly a time of surplus revenue but I have my doubts. We know the long-term prognosis is bad but whether the folks at the Capitol have a clue… Oh, please don’t pin your hopes on that.

Anyway, the words quoted by H.L. Richardson keep flowing thru my mind, “But look what we let them keep”. Let’s hope the legislature keeps their hands out of our pockets but I don’t think they can help themselves.

Johnnie Does: Sal’s Kabob and Gyro House

Greetings, I decided to keep it local and hit up a Kabob and Gyro place just down the road from my office this week. Here is my review!

Sal’s is a local small family owned business who recently opened a second store in Roseville, which is a strange trend I’m seeing in the family owned business area these days. Why have 2 stores over an hour apart? They serve traditional Greek food; kabob plates, gyros, shawarma wraps, and even have a burger on the menu. I visited the place twice just to get a true feel for the food and service, as the Yelp reviews are inconsistent.

Ambiance: This is a no frills, small business. They have a counter, you can see the entire kitchen similar to a Chipotle and can see the lamb and steak roasting on a spit. Seating is very limited; call it maybe 30 people could sit between inside and outside. 3.5/5 It’s a low budget Greek place so I can’t go too low, the family works there so it’s not a bunch of hired help.

Food: So, I had the Lamb Kabob plate, it came with rice, vegetables and lamb. I thought it was decent. I ordered my plate medium spicy. At $13 after tax, it seemed a little high for lunch. Later in the week I came back, ordered a chicken Gyro medium spicy, with fries and a coke. It came to about $10 and I thought that was a decent price point. The gal behind the counter pointed to a refrigerator filled with cans of coke and said go ahead and grab one…I wasn’t in the mood for a can of soda so I passed. I guess I should have been more attentive, fountain drinks are king and have a lower cost for your business by the way. I received my gyro after about 10 minutes, but no fries, I was told they were making them fresh. The Gyro was great! Chicken perfect and spiced wonderfully, the salad was good and the tzatziki sauce was awesome…a home run. I wolfed it down…poor thing didn’t stand a chance against me…still no fries. I was ready to walk out as I was irritated at this point, because obviously I was being ignored, other people who ordered did subsequently receive their frozen potatoes thrown into a fryer and called done. She finally brought mine out and they were soggy and cold. I ate them anyway, and well, they were forgettable. 3/5

Overall: I try to support small business and this one could be good with a little better service and a soda machine. I understand in this era that cutting costs is a thing, but a can of coke and fries for an extra $3 is out of touch; especially considering the fries were cold when brought out. The Gyro was amazing and I’m going to order it again, and for $6.99 the price is great! The only other commentary I will add is the location is not easy to access so service needs to be at a premium! 3.25/5

We’re going Korean and headed to Bonchon next!

“Johnnie Does”

Warren Buffett is at it again!

The Oracle of Omaha, AKA the world’s best investor ever, AKA rich Uncle Penny Bags pulled off a move this past week that will make anyone jealous.

As always, the context of the story first…. a company called Anadarko Petroleum accepted a takeover bid by Chevron, with Chevron offering to pay to buy the entire company and merge the two together.

Another oil and gas company, Occidental Petroleum decided to join the bidding as well. Chevron being much larger than Occidental meant Occidental needed to find big pocket investors to outbid Chevron. Enter Penny Bags, stage left.

Buffett, through his investment vehicle Berkshire Hathaway, offered to lend Occidental 10 billion in return for 8% interest. In today’s world of low interest rates, why not go to an investment bank? While the oil patch had a rough go for several years, things are looking brighter, and I have a feeling someone would have lent them the money far cheaper. Just to give you an idea of how great Buffett’s return is, experts in the investment world consider 7% returns a year being good, well Buffett is getting that, plus 1% essentially risk free. I say risk free because if the corporation goes bankrupt, Buffett is in line for payback far before the shareholders are. But as the guy pitching Ronco Knives on late night TV infomercials will say, “But wait, there’s more”! Buffett added a deal any of us unwashed masses can only dream off; he gets a signing guarantee fee, meaning if Occidental does or doesn’t end up buying Anadarko, Buffett gets $50 million. That’s right folks, there you have it…literally risk-free money! Chevron got in on it as well, since they get a 1 billion breakup fee if Occidental does in deed buy Anadarko as well.

Just to summarize, when I bought my house, the interest rate I took was 4.125%. I got the best rate possible at the time. Why on God’s green earth would anyone take 8%, when alternatives were available? I’ll explain more later, but this is usury on Buffets part, and I think it should be investigated. He is essentially making a payday loan to Occidental and holding them and their shareholders hostage for a ransom, win or lose. Keep in mind that Occidental has a very clean balance sheet and could have issued more stock or even done a bond offering for quite less then Buffett’s offering but oh well.

Buffett’s imprimatur is apparently valuable to Occidental Chief Executive Officer Vicki Hollub: The 8 percent that’ll be paid out on the preferred shares is more than twice the average coupon on Occidental’s debt.

Link: Warren Buffett tosses a $10 billion bomb into Chevron-Occidental bidding battle

Now here is where Elon Musk makes Occidental look foolish. Tesla borrowed 1.6 billion in the form of a convertible bond (can be exchanged for equity in the company) issued by investment bank Goldman Sachs (one of the best in the business mind you) for 2%. By the way, Goldman is currently telling investors to sell Tesla; at least that’s what their analysts say publicly. So just to break it down here, Occidental a well-run oil company, and a good balance sheet got the money for 8%. Whether they win the bid, they have to pay 50 million. Penny Bags gets his cut up front win or lose, yet Tesla who lacks any business acumen is able to get the money from Goldman for 2%? I guess in the weird world we live in–William has done a fantastic job lighting Musk on fire–but here Musk comes off as a winner. Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub comes off as a very aloof Chief Executive. I guess in the next 90 days we will find out who won.

The Chief

Editor’s Note: Buffett’s intervention appears to be tipping the scales away from Chevron and toward Occidental Petroleum. I guess Wall Street wants Buffett to do for the petroleum industry what he has done for Kraft Foods.

Apple’s Sour Decline

For those not following Tim Cook’s tenure at Apple, things are still imploding at technology’s me too company.

5G

Remember Apple’s lack of 5G phones in 2019? The explanation finally came to light and Apple found a path forward. After being backed into the corner, Apple buried the proverbial hatchet with Qualcomm and as a result, Intel cancelled their research and development of 5G technology. So Apple will now be sporting the same Qualcomm 5G technology as Android phones only selling it for their usual high mark-up.

Apple’s settlement with chipmaker Qualcomm means it can fire up the engines on 5G iPhones.

Apple on Tuesday reached a settlement in its gnarly legal fight with Qualcomm. The dispute revolved around a royalty dispute over Qualcomm’s premium modem chips. The settlement included an undisclosed payout from Apple to the chipmaker.

Previously Wall Street analysts had voiced concerns that Apple was lagging in the race to faster 5G phones, in part due to its fight with Qualcomm.

Soon after news broke that the companies had settled, Apple’s chosen supplier for its future 5G smartphones, Intel, announced it was pulling out of the 5G modem race entirely. “It has become apparent that there is no clear path to profitability and positive returns,” said CEO Bob Swan.

Link: Apple’s blockbuster legal settlement paves the way for a 5G iPhone

Sales

Apple phone sales, year-over-year were down 30 percent. No wonder they don’t want to talk about phones any more.

Apple’s iPhone sales in China were down 30 percent during the first quarter of 2019, according to new shipment estimates shared today by Canalys.

Link: Apple’s iPhone Sales in China Down an Estimated 30% in Q1 2019, Huawei Continues to Dominate

Apple announced its financial results for its fiscal Q2 of 2019, the company’s revenue was down 5% over the previous year. Apple did not reveal how many iPhones it sold in the quarter.

According to a recent report from IDC, iPhone sales are down some 30% over the same time last year, with an estimated 36.4 million iPhones sold.

Apple’s iPhone sales estimate to be down 30 percent over last year

In its Mobile Phone Tracker for the first calendar quarter of 2019, IDC estimated that Apple only shipped 36.4 million iPhones, which it stated was a 30.2 percent annual drop, whittling down Apple’s share to just 11.7 percent of a total of 310.9 million global smartphones shipped in the quarter.

That figure put Apple in a distant third place behind Samsung’s nearly 72 million units and Huawei’s almost 60 million units. Because Apple sells only premium phones—as most analysts define as selling for about $400 or more—it’s not surprising that high-volume vendors of mostly lower-end phones would be outselling Apple in terms of unit sales.

However, IDC’s portrayal of more than a 30 percent drop in iPhone units over the previous year is nothing short of shocking. It’s also, as Cybart noted on Twitter, not just “embarrassing” but “impossible to achieve given Apple’s stated iPhone revenue.” Cybart stated that “IDC isn’t close with their iPhone unit sales estimate for the quarter that Apple just reported.”

Link: Editorial: Latest IDC estimate of Q1 2019 iPhone sales ‘highly inaccurate’ to the point of ’embarrassing’

Battery

In addition to being busted throttling battery life in their old phones, Apple has now been busted overstating the battery capabilities of their new phones.

Link: Apple’s 11 million replaced iPhone batteries demonstrates impact of iPhone planned obsolescence

Link: Apple exaggerating iPhone battery life by up to 51 percent, report says

Summary

Living for the 90-day cycle has its drawbacks and they are on full display for anyone willing to open their eyes. Clearly excellence and innovation take a backseat when you are a slave to churning-out dividends every quarter just to stay alive for the next financial report.

State Representative John Rogers of Alabama…..You’re an idiot!

First some background of this certified bozo. John Rogers represents Birmingham in the Alabama state house, but in reality, if you are the scum of the earth…congrats he represents you too! Rogers, like any other politician looking for 5 minutes of fame, went on a rant about why mothers should have access to an abortion. He said “Some kids are unwanted, so you kill them now, or kill them later. You bring them into the world unloved, unwanted, and you send them to the electric chair, so you kill them now or kill them later.” Wow, a lot to unpack there.

To be fair, he was talking about abortions, more specifically a bill that if signed into law would outlaw all abortions, unless the health of the mother (or do we call them a more binary “carriers” now?) would be impacted. Obviously this is a very highly charged issue but Rogers wasn’t done yet. He added “some children facing abortion could be retarded or half deformed.” Wow!

Despite his valiant argument for its defeat, House Bill 314 passed 74 to 3. Later, other principled Democrats weighed in too:

When HB314 passed the House only three representatives voted against it. A number of Democrats who had left the chamber have since changed their vote to no, so the updated vote is 72 to 26.

Folks think about it. Those words that you and I take offense to; namely, “killing them now”, caused 23 more Democrat legislators to join with John Rogers! Let that sink in for a moment.

But wait there is more… Donald Trump Jr called him out saying he made Virginia Governor and Blackface aficionado Ralph Northam (no friend of the unborn mind you) look like a moderate on the issue, as compared to Rogers who wants a master race.

Saying “Trump Jr. is proof that mothers ought to have access to abortion because he is evidently retarded or crazy.” And further “I know there’s something wrong with that boy,” Rogers said. “I look at him and I can tell there’s something wrong with him. That’s the best defense I have for more abortions right there looking at him.” This is sick, disgusting even.

I will say this, Trump Jr definitely lacks in moral department due to his leaving his wife and children for the former first lady of San Francisco Kimberly Newsome er Guilfoyle er Trump….I don’t know. Whatever she calls herself.

That being said, Roger’s statements are becoming far more mainstream in the Democrat Party. While the anti-abortionists are slowly winning the battle, Roger’s reaction is off the charts crazy. The scary part is not so much his opposition to the bill, which is his right, its being so out of touch.

First of all I doubt this country executes more than 100 people in a year. Truth be told, only a handful of states have the death penalty and carry it out anyway. Planned Parenthood, on the other side, aborts many times that number in a single hour in our state alone, let alone nationwide. Ironically the customers are mostly the same color as Mr. Rogers. Adding insult to injury, Rogers would rather call Don Jr a name, and an offensive one at that. However his words, when taken in full context, are cringe worthy. He talks of aborted fetuses as throwaways not fit for this earth, even going farther to correlate a stay on death row and outlawing abortion, are somehow related. Then he makes a statement that if a fetus is deformed or retarded they should be killed as well…ouch! What is more upsetting is the Democrats are radio silent on this one.

Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood must be the most frightening place imaginable.

This guy is not your father’s Mr. Rogers

The safest place a child should be is with his mother, but this guy wants it to remain the most lethal. This Mr. Rogers is all about human trafficking of the worst sort, murder for hire. The “fit” deciding who is “unfit” (to live). In exchange for reducing the black population of his state, his masters provide him with money and power.

Rogers is now serving in his 10th term in the Alabama House of Representatives, representing the city of Birmingham. He is 78 years old.

Rogers is a professional photographer and according to his bio on the state Legislature’s website, is the director of minority affairs for the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Alabama Democrat condemned for remarks on abortion bill

Lest you think his comments are out of context, try this quote:

We were looking for clarification on his remarks and his thoughts on the national response, but our political analysts say anyone who knows Rogers and Alabama politics knows his comments aren’t unusual.

“If you Google John Rogers, you’ll find a whole bunch of ridiculous statements,” said Dale Jackson.

“He’s a very colorful man to say the least,” said Waymon Burke.

Our WAAY 31 political analysts, Dale Jackson and Waymon Burke, agree that remarks like this from Rogers are nothing new.

Link: Alabama Rep. John Rogers’ ‘unwanted child’ comments gain national attention

In conclusion, this guy Rogers should star in a film about why we no longer use lead paint in this country. No word on if he was popping Tide Pods or huffing glue between sentences.

John Rogers hands out breath mints like these to his constituents

Add Roger’s comments to those made about Obamacare and what a world we would live in. Your grandmother who has a cold…sorry ma’am we have no treatment options available. But get knocked up after a night of drinking and cut to the front of the line. We’ll take care of this problem for you! Service with a smile! Heck, if we were in Washington State, we’d even compost the little rascal for you. Given more time, Democrats will probably make abortion tax deductible. If you aren’t indoctrinated by our school system or way of life…I guess you should have been aborted as well. What a harsh thing to say, but this has been going on in our country for years now so I guess this is what it has come to.

People like Rogers are the worst, enjoy your lead paint and Tide pods this weekend Rogers!!!!

“The Chief”

Kill ‘Em Now

As a kid, I was taught that honesty is the best policy. As an adult, I know that rarely is a politician honest with anyone; especially in front of a microphone. When they are it is either a breath of fresh air or the stench of hell. This week the latter occurred in the state of Alabama.

Alabama is viewed by many as a conservative state because it is in the South and part of the so-called “Bible Belt”. This perception is false. Let’s recap some facts about Alabama.

Folks the South was a Democrat stronghold for 100 years after Reconstruction and not until Ronald Reagan did any Southern States vote in mass for a Republican. The problem is this, how can you be a Christian and a Democrat in today’s world? They are mutually exclusive ideologies. No, I’m not saying that the Republican Party is all sweetness and light or always right but they usually tolerate Christianity to some degree.

Alabama, as you may recall, was the center of controversy when Judge Roy Moore posted the Ten Commandments in his courtroom. These same Commandments are carved in marble at the US Supreme Court building but somehow too hot to be in a regular courtroom. So much for the myth of the “Bible Belt”.

I hate talking about race but here are a few pertinent facts. Alabama has many folks descended from slaves living there. Most of these people are still living on the plantation of their Democrat Masters. Those on the Democrat plantation have many corrupt and bad leaders bent on keeping these former slaves in bondage.

One form of bondage is the false gospel that many hear week after week in the pulpit. These false shepherds were corrupted decades ago in many ways. Their false gospel cannot free anyone from the bondage of sin. Besides departing from orthodox theology, these fake shepherds were corrupted thru purposeful planning by the Democrat Party, KKK, and supporters of eugenics (the belief that some races are superior to others).

Enter Margaret Sanger and her Birth Control League. Sanger wanted to eliminate the poor and genetically inferior peoples from our planet. It was a logical application of the theories embraced as a result of Charles Darwin and taking seriously his axiom of survival of the fittest. The question is how do you convince the unfit not to reproduce? In part, Sanger made a concerted effort to convince black ministers that aborting black babies was a compassionate act. She knew that the way to influence black folks was thru the churches so she corrupted them. (Of course when voluntary cooperation was not enough, she and her fellow travelers pursuing eugenics would find other means such as forced sterilization and “final solutions” to balance the scales of society.)

Anyway, here we are 100 years after Sanger began her crusade to “eliminate poverty by eliminating the poor”. “Weeds” —as Sanger called black folks—voluntarily self-abort 38 percent of their children at the altar of choice. Sangers’ organization, known today as Planned Parenthood, typically locates a facility anywhere there is a concentration of black people just to make controlling their population easier. Not only that, but virtually every black in public office supports the murder of their own race as a condition of holding elected office in the Democrat Party.

Those that dare to believe that All Black Lives Matter find that there is no place for them at the table or in the public square. Such people are marginalized or portrayed as sellouts to their people.

Against this backdrop, we have politician John Rogers, Democrat representative in Alabama, this week demanding that black children be murdered now.

John Rogers wants black babies and those with handicaps to die

“Some kids are unwanted, so you kill them now or you kill them later. You bring them in the world unwanted, unloved, you send them to the electric chair. So, you kill them now or you kill them later,” Rogers said.

He continued by saying some children who face abortion could be “retarded” and “half-deformed.”

Reacting to this outrageous and evil statement, Donald Trump Jr., the President’s son, took to Twitter:

“This is stomach curling and makes Ralph Northam look like a moderate on abortion,” Trump Jr. tweeted, referencing the Virginia governor’s support for a failed abortion bill — an endorsement that critics likened to support of infanticide. “Every Democrat running for President needs to be asked where they stand on this. The extreme turn we’ve seen from Dems on abortion recently is truly sickening.”

(Ralph Northam is the Virginia Governor that recently advocated not just abortion for all nine months –which is legal now under Roe v Wade—but infanticide if the mom changes her mind after the birth of her child.)

Rogers then responded to Trump by calling for his death and doubling down of his abortion comments.

When asked by WVTM to react to the president’s son, Rogers laughed, saying Trump Jr. was “proof” that women should have a right to an abortion and called his statement “stupid.”

He even suggested that Trump Jr. was “retarded or crazy.”

“I know there’s something wrong with that boy,” Rogers said. “I look at him and I can tell there’s something wrong with him. That’s the best defense I have for more abortions right there looking at him.”

Link: Alabama Dem attacks Trump Jr. with slur after abortion comments spark outcry

Why Things Don’t Get Fixed

Government doesn’t fix things. Yes they may occasionally move around the deck chairs but to actually solve problems; especially without creating even more problems, is a rarity. Government grows both in scope and power. Both Parties agree with the premise, just not which areas that the growth should occur. Or as David Chilton once observed, politics is Rousseau’s children fighting on the playground.

A fixture in our system of government are lobbying groups. They too are dedicated to holding forth an ideal in such a pure form that they rarely will agree to incremental change, they want it all and want it right now…or else. Of course each group gives rise to either a group advocating exactly the opposite point of view or starting a cycle of dependency with no defined endpoint.

Here are a few examples.

Abortion

When Ronald Reagan was President, he wrote a book called. Abortion and the Conscience of a Nation. Reagan was proudly pro-life and viewed as a guy that had an honest chance of overturning Roe v Wade via Supreme Court appointments.

The pro-life lobbying groups at the time did not want Roe eroded but demanded the Human Life Amendment. Support of this Amendment was the Conservatives litmus test of orthodoxy. If you didn’t support it, you weren’t going to get endorsements. As you would predict, those who supported abortion on demand used all this to fundraise for their side. As a result of the all or nothing position staked-out by abortion opponents, nothing changed. Roe was still intact after eight years of Reagan.

Guns

Those wishing to outlaw private gun ownership tried during the administrations of Clinton and Obama to curtail gun rights. They used every crime not committed by Muslims or illegal aliens to put forward their narrative but were beaten back by gun rights groups. Both sides raised and spent massive amounts of money but neither won a decisive victory.

Immigration

Immigration is a similar issue. Conservatives want to stem the tide of people coming into our country while liberals see them as another dependent group that will vote for them. Voter I.D. and birthright citizenship are a part of this issue also. Both sides have purposely staked-out absolutist positions but are unwilling to fix the broke systems giving rise to this problem.

One-sided Issues

Some proposals have only one side organized to advocate for them. Sadly, many of these, once begun have no endpoint. Affirmative Action comes to mind. People say they want it but at what point will its goal be achieved? The answer of course is never. Welfare to end poverty is another. Another is Reparations. Reparations, for what Democrats like Andrew Jackson did to the Indians; reparations for slavery; reparations for Spanish exploration; reparations for Captain Cook discovering Hawaii; etc.

Thanks to Ronald Reagan, we already gave reparations to the people in Japanese internment camps, of course most of these folks were dead before this action was taken. Of course reparations are not returning property to anyone just giving them a check. In this case, $20K each.

An apology from the government is one thing, or insuring it doesn’t happen again…unless Michelle Malkin is right…is another.

Once we go down this path, there is no end point.

As a country, we’ve done things we shouldn’t but reparations is just a “shakedown” ala Jesse Jackson and the Just Us Brothers. Why stop reparations there? We never declared war in Vietnam so do we owe them money too? What about bombing Dresden or atomic bombs on Japan?

Government measures its success by the number of people dependent upon it not the number that don’t need their programs and services. Against that backdrop, what incentive does government have to fix anything?

Mankind’s Long History

Think about it, government takes but produces nothing. However, this is nothing new. You can read it for yourself in the Bible. 3,000 years ago, Israel wanted a king because they weren’t happy that God was their sovereign. See if this sounds familiar:

10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
I Samuel 8

Conclusion

The only difference that I see is that tyranny in the Bible was limited to ten percent of what you have whereas now government takes what it wants without limits. The old H.L. Richardson quotation comes to mind, “Yeah, but look what we let them keep”. Folks this is the Democrats definition of limited government, they don’t need it now so they let you keep it.

Things don’t get fixed because those in power profit by letting the problem persist or they need the issue as a talking point for the next election.

Last point is this, if government really followed the Constitution, who represents us in Washington would be irrelevant because it would have no effect on your daily life. The fact that it does is all you need to know. Our Republic is broken. The only solution that government offers is more government.

Why is Socialism/Bernie Sanders so Popular?

A question I am asked all the time is “How come young people like Bernie Sanders so much?” I guess they ask me because I am young…allegedly. The answer is actually quite simple, it just requires outside the box thinking. Yes, he is very old, and quite frankly looks so disheveled some days I wonder if he is being fed a constant flow of opioids just to stay upright! However that being said, he is offering a message that is very different from other politicians. In a sense Obama started this, (Hope and Change) then Trump had one (Make America Great Again) and Sanders has one (Socialism). People have a tendency to gravitate to something new, and all 3 drew record crowds for the most part. In a way all 3 are similar, as the premise of their campaigns were vague.

Back to Sanders, a reason he is so very popular with young people is they see him as Santa Claus. An old man with a big bag of gifts from which you know something in that bag is for you. If you’re illegal, its protection from ICE; if you’re Black, its reparations…which just to add some commentary, none of them deserve…if you’re young, its student loan forgiveness, if you’re unemployed/poor/old free medical coverage, throw in a minimum salary and voila! You have a cult following, as long as you are perceived as able to come close to delivering on said promises. As I stated earlier, there is something in that bag Bernie is holding for you, it’s just a matter of what. Bernie, much like Obama and Trump, speaks directly to the groups he wants to help the most, and they are hearing exactly what they want to hear. I’ll explain this more in depth.

Imagine you’re a 33 year old, you’re toiling away sometimes working 2 jobs just to try to make a student loan payment of which you still owe $100k. You are living at home because you cannot find an apartment to rent that fits your budget.

You hear the “jobs report” was great, yet you can’t find work and you have come to realize your degree in liberation theology, anthropology, psychology, etc. is worthless. Your parents tell you apply for more jobs…etc. but you find nothing of substance with a wage that allows you to break even. You have a car loan, but we will ignore that since you need a way to get to work. You have 2 maxed out credit cards, and we won’t talk about your frivolous spending on any and everything trying to impress your also broke friends. You go to a party with your parents, and everyone is talking about their new car/boat/house/pool or their 401k and pension or early retirement and you are embarrassed because you have none of those and retirement isn’t even in your vocabulary…enter Sanders!

Those student loans, credit cards, and unaffordable housing? He will handle it with the stroke of a pen. What compassion! Finally a guy who understands the rotten hand that you’ve been dealt. Unlike Trump, he cares. He will create good jobs…or give you a guaranteed salary a month. He will break up those evil corporations and make college free for everyone. Not only will he make rent control widespread, he will roll-back the prices to something you can afford. This guy is literally the Messiah in your eyes, you hear him speak, and you nod your head up and down so much people start mistaking you for a bobble head.

While your parents, the Republican Party, and others may try to convince you this is not sustainable….news flash to them, you don’t care! As it’s not your money, and you have been indoctrinated to believe corporations and the rich have ruined your life. Just think how much better your life would be if your debts were all gone and you had a minimum salary each month sent out by the government? Even better, the government will give you a voucher for affordable housing and free meals! Where do I sign up? As far as how do we pay for all of this? We’ll tax the rich, and corporations that’s how. They created the mess you’re in so let them fix it.

Of course, I do not support Sanders, I am just laying out a case most of our readers already know. The thing everyone ignored last Presidential primary cycle was Bernie has a major following and his base could care less about anyone else in the race. Had Hillary not already cornered the market on the “super delegates,” in a fair fight, Bernie very well could have been the nominee.

Trying to explain what things cost in the future is fruitless since the people Bernie speaks to have no assets, job or income; they simply can’t relate. Bernie people live in the now, the future isn’t worth planning for if you’re not going to be part of it.

Also notice how little coverage there is of the crisis in Venezuela right now? That is because Bernie wants us to be Venezuela; a socialist ruled, one-party country, where you get in line for your government rations and when the supplies run out you grab food from the back of the garbage truck. Even chief Kool-Aid drinker Jorge Ramos pointed out his dismay about how the country is being run.