Below is my column in USA Today on states and cities joining the “resistance” to the Trump Administration and its immigration policies. Last week, California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta joined that alliance after issuing new guidance to courthouses, healthcare facilities, universities, schools, labor agencies, public libraries and shelters on opposing federal enforcement efforts. However, the costs of the resistance will be borne by the citizens of these states and cities in a confrontation with federal authority.
Here is the column:
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston recently became the latest Democratic leader to engage in a chest-pounding call to arms in resistance to the incoming Trump administration’s plan to deport people who entered the United States unlawfully.
While a post-election poll by YouGov for CBS News shows that a massive 73% of adults want President-elect Donald Trump to prioritize the repatriation of illegal migrants, the mayor pledged to not only have Denver police “stationed at the county line to keep (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) out” but also that “you would have 50,000 Denverites there.”
Johnston said it would be like a “Tiananmen Square moment” and answered yes when questioned whether he’d be ready to go to jail.
That moment soon passed, however, as lawyers apparently explained to the mayor that armed resistance to the federal government is often called – wait for it – insurrection.
It appears that Johnston was not keen on becoming the Jefferson Davis of the left, so he backpedaled, stating, “Would I have taken it back if I could? Yes, I probably wouldn’t have used that image.”
Yet, Johnston is not alone in pledging resistance to repatriation efforts. Cities are reaffirming or adopting sanctuary city status, including most recently Boston. The cities pledge to continue their ban on any cooperation with the federal government in detaining or removing unlawful migrants. Other mayors are pledging to use city funds to pay for the defense costs of those fighting deportation.
The doubling down on sanctuary city promises will likely draw more migrants to those communities, which some mayors have welcomed despite the heavy costs of housing, education and other city services.
Immigration proved to be one of the top issues for voters in this year’s election, which brought control of both houses of Congress and the White House to the GOP. Citizens overwhelmingly supported new tough immigration measures, including deportations.
With Democratic cities joining the “resistance,” they may find the costs even higher. Congress cannot compel cooperation without triggering constitutional concerns. In Federalist #46, James Madison recognized the right of state officials to oppose federal policies, including “the refusal to co-operate with officers of the Union.”
In cases such as Printz v. United States (1997), which involved federal requirements that states cooperate on gun control measures, the Supreme Court enforced an anti-commandeering line that allowed states to refuse such federal orders.
Cities rely on federal money to pay for migrant services
However, this is a two-way street. Just as cities and states do not have to carry water for the federal government, the federal government does not have to supply the water to the states. The second Trump administration and Congress can play hardball by barring federal funds in various areas for these cities.
With their status as sanctuary cities, housing, law enforcement and social programming costs will continue to rise. Many of those budgets are heavily infused with federal funding. However, if cities resist or frustrate federal policy, there are ample reasons why the federal government might restrict funding.
Such measures can go too far. The Supreme Court has warned that financial penalties can be so coercive that they effectively commandeer states. However, the federal government is not required to spend money on services where costs are rising at least in part because of resistance to federal law.
Under constitutional law, the federal government cannot be a bully, but it does not have to be a chump.
It’s clear that elected leaders like Johnston did not think very long or well before starting a war with the incoming administration. In addition to the possible loss of federal funds, acts of resistance can trigger criminal liability if they amount to actively shielding or hiding unlawful migrants sought by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Under federal immigration law, it is a felony when anyone in “knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, conceals, harbors, or shields from detection, or attempts to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection, such alien in any place, including any building or any means of transportation.”
That is not triggered by a simple refusal to cooperate, but some officials have been accused of crossing the line, including state judges. It also could endanger private groups that work closely with these cities in housing and transporting unlawful migrants.
Obama defended federal government’s power over immigration
Moreover, as I wrote recently, Trump can cite a curious ally in this fight: Barack Obama.
During the Obama administration, the federal government largely triumphed over states in barring their interference with federal immigration policies. Back then, Democrats supported President Obama in claiming that the federal government had overriding authority on immigration in cases like Arizona v. United States.
The pressure on cities could grow if the Trump administration prioritizes members of violent gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) or Tren de Aragua for deportation. To resist those efforts would be politically unpalatable in cities dealing with crime associated with such gangs.
It could take years to hash out these efforts. However, if Denver’s Mayor Johnston is any measure of the resistance, the chest-pounding may decline when the federal funding dries up.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
For all you MAGA chucklemonkeys who complained about inflation under Biden causing the price of eggs to skyrocket.
The FTC just won its case to prevent the merger of Krogers and Albertsons grocery chains.
A top Kroger executive admitted under questioning from a Federal Trade Commission attorney on Tuesday that the grocery chain raised its egg and milk prices above the rate of inflation, a concession that came as no surprise to economists who have been highlighting corporate price gouging across the U.S. economy in recent years.
This is supposed to mean something ?
The FTC is unconstitutional. – Read the constitutions prohibition on government interference in contracts.
Further there is more than two centuries of exonomic scholarship and evidence demonstrating that not just anti-trust but government regulation as a whole is a crock that just makes things worse.
I do not personally give a crap about Kroger or Albertson’s – whether they merge or not – is not my business – nor yours, nor the governments.
Nor is it your business, my business, or governments what price Kroger charges for eggs.
If you do not like the price – don’t buy the eggs.
Frankly I am surprised at the alleged testimony as in my state the price of dairy and eggs is controlled by the state – and grocery stores want to LOWER theose prices but can’t.
I would suggest that you reveiw Coases law – Nobel winner Ronald Cose being on of the top 4 economics of the past century.
Reduce Friction – aka government interferance, and establish strong property rights and the most effivcient possible outcomes – and lowest prices will be acheived through free market bargaining.
Finally I would refer you to another of the 4 top economists of the past century – Milton Friedman.
“Inflation is ALWAYS and EVERYWHERE. a monetary phenomena”
This is actually basic logic or math take your pick.
With a fixed amount of money, if the price of one thing goes up and people pay that price, then the price of other things must go down.
Absent changes to money supply – in a growing economy, prices MUST come down. The only way you can buy MORE if money supply is fixed is if prices GO DOWN.
Not only is all of the above logically and mathematically correct – it is also 100% historically correct.
Prior to central banks – slow DEFLATION was the NORM for centuries. Mild deflation is incredibly GOOD.
Everytime you hear a politician right or left claiming that inflation is caused by price gouging, or war, or energy policy or food shortages – they are either poorly informed or lying.
One and only ONE thing causes inflation – More money chasing the same goods and services. ALWAYS.
Why have we had inflation over the past 4 years ? First because we dumped Trillions into the economy in response to Covid.
That Spending was paid for by the FED printing Money.
Next because even after Covid stimulus Biden spent trillions more – again paid for buy the Fed printing money.
As usual John Say entirely misses the point and flies off on some irrelevant tangential thought in a bizarre, incoherent, nonsensical rant.
The constitutionality of the FTC is totally irrelevant to my point.
My point is that Kroger openly admits to price gouging for eggs and dairy.
For years the MAGA mob has been whining about the price of eggs, and blaming Biden.
Now we have sworn testimony from Kroger admitting that the real reason for the high prices is price gouging.
Stop listening to the voices in your head.
Get some professional help.
All you are doing is PROVING the importance of my “rant”
No Kroger did not “price gouge” -. They raised the price of eggs more than the rate of inflation.
Sellers MUST be free to raise OR lower prices as they please.
Just as Buyers must be free to buy or NOT as they please.
No other arrangement WORKS.
I refered you to centuries of economic scholarship AND real world experience – and you just called it a rant
and by ignoring it and then yourself ranting about alleged price gouging – you PROVED it was completely on point.
There is only one correct price for ANYTHING – the price that a buyer and a seller willingly agree to.
Whenever you hear ANYONE talking about “price gouging” whether a politician or a poster like you – you KNO)W you are dealing with a moron.
All claims of price gouging means is that you do not like the price someone else charged.
Fine, don’t pay it.
Are you “price gouging” when you ask for a raise ?
Are you “price gouging” is you form a union and go on strike for higher wages ?
Or is it only price gouging when someone ELSE raises a price YOU do not like.
YOU are free to ask whatever price you want for your labor or anything else you choose to sell.
And everyone else is free to chose to pay it or not.
In the REAL world ALL Sellors – including those selling their labor want the highest possible price.
In the real world the price they will get is the price people will WILLINGLY pay.
I the real world – the cost of EVERYTHING – except those things government meddles with goes DOWN in real dollars over time.
That is literally a tautology – standard of living Can not rise unless people are constantly able to consume more.
That means that either you must CONSTANTLY produce more, or the price of things must CONSTANTLY decline.
There is not a loophole in the requirements for rising standard of living – they have been the same for the entirety of human existance.
Price anything you want – refrigerators, eggs, cars, energy in hours of your labor that you need to work to purchase it. Or hours of median labor, or hours of Minimum wage labor.
But ALL those measures everyone has to perform less labor to consume MORE than they did 10 years ago, 40 years ago.
The ONLY time that is not true is the rare instances where standard of living DROPS – such as the last 4 years.
I would further note that the price of nearly everything has dropped in REAL dollars – that has been true over nearly all decades of the past 500 years.
But it is also true that the price of many things have dropped in NOMINAL dollars.
T
BTW directly addressing your egg price claim – ALL egg prices have rising faster than inflation.
While Friedman noted the mathematically correct fact that Inflation is ALWAYS and EVERYWHERE monetary.
It is NOT however uniform – The things idiots like you think CAUSE inflation – do NOT.
But they do driver WHERE inflation is worst.
The war in Ukraine both reduced grains sales globally, and reduced Fertilizer availability globally.
The law of supply and demand means that the price of grain and fertilizer will rise until demand drops sufficiently to match supply.
Nearly EVERYONE know that food prices have risen significantly more than CPI.
But the situation with Eggs is WORSE still
“For more than two years, farmers have fought a battle with a fatal strain of bird flu that continues to disrupt the U.S. egg supply. At one point, the shortage sent the price of a dozen regular eggs soaring to almost $5. ”
And WORSE STill Eggs are one of the cheaper sources of Protein – and that when inflation effects on OTHER proteins make them less affordable – consumers shift to eggs – and that increase in demand drives egg prices up even further.
But like the typical left wing nut you are incapable of going beyond first order thinking.
Thomas Sowell credits one of his professors for moving him away for the left – NOT be selling him some conservative ideology.
But by not letting him get away with stopping his analysis of anything at the first order effects.
If 1/4 of the worlds grain is removed from the market suddenly – what will that directly effect ?
AFTER that first order effect – what is the NEXT effect that follows ? The price of things that depend on grain will rise.
And what is the effect of that ? Of all the things whose prices rise from increased grain prices – people will buy more of the cheaper ones and less of the more expensive.
And what is the effect of that ?
Anyone NOT a moron can figure out that if there is inflation – it will NOT effect all things equally.
It will effect most those things that are in short supply.
It will be higher in the things dependent on things in short supply.
It will be higher in the CHEAPER of the things dependent on what is in short supply.
If you have followed that – congratulations – you have just established that Kroger did not “price gouge”.
If you did not follow that – then you have no business commenting on anything economic.
“For years the MAGA mob has been whining about the price of eggs, and blaming Biden.”
Inflation is ALWAYS and EVERYWHERE a monetary phenomena – Noble prize winning economist Milton Friedman whose Nobel is in monetary economics and inflation.
Freidman is NOT MAGA. and died in 2006 when Biden was still a senator.
While there are stupid policy decisions by Biden that drove the prices of eggs up higher and faster than other prices – so ABSOLUTELY Biden is responsible for higher egg prices.
But much more importantly Biden massively increased deficit Financed spending, and the Fed bought all that U government debt by printing MONEY. (Technically they do not print more paper money, but they did create trillions of dollars of additional money.
You can easily check the dramatic increase in Money supply with readily available date from FRED.
And if it warms you cockles you will note that the rapid Rise STARTED with Trump during Covid.
If you wish to share the blame for inflation between Trump and Biden – you have my support.
Trump should NOT have shut down the economy – which is what necessitated the stimulus that started the rapid increase in money supply.
But the impacts of increasing money supply are exponential – it takes more of an increase to bring inflation from 1% to 3% than it does to go from 3% to 9%.
Food price inflation peaked at nearly 14% – while overall inflation peaked at just short of 10%.
Regardless, you want to clazim Trump started it – I am with you 100%
But you want to claim that the cause is NOT monetary or that it is driven by “price gouging” – and you are a moron. ”
That is NOT at asll what that testimony says. As is typical of left wing nuts – your warp words.
The Kroger executive testified ONLY that Kroger increased egg prices more than CPI -= DUH that is obvious from data – you do not need testimony to establish that.
ALL Food prises rose more than CPI – again inflation in Food was nearly 50% higher than other inflation.
Further Eggs had more inflation that food for multiple reasons.
The fact that inflation is ALWAYS monetary – which is an economic LAW evidenced by THOUSANDS of years of data.
That was expressed as an econ 101 LAW decades ago – long before Trump entered politics,
Does NOT mean that inflation will be UNIFORM.
All the testimoney of your Kroger executive did was establish that egg prices rose more than the average price.
BTW many prices rose LESS than CPI – hence the mathematical term AVERAGE.
Are you going to claim that businesses that did NOT increase their prices as much as the increase in CPI were magically altruistic ?
Or do you have enough brain cells between your ears to grasp that the monetary causes of inflation do NOT change the fact that in ANY economy – some prices rise and others drop and that does not occur uniformly.
Overlaying monetary inflation on a normal economy does not magically cause all prices to rise uniformly.
“Now we have sworn testimony from Kroger admitting that the real reason for the high prices is price gouging.”
Nope, you have testimony from Kroger that egg prices rose more than CPI.
There is LOTS of data on WHY egg prices rose faster than other prices. Kroger did not engage in price gouging.
“Stop listening to the voices in your head.”
The voices I am listening to are Nobel prize in economics winners like Coase, Friedman, Hayek – just to name a FEW.
Stop listening to voices that are MORONS and have been wrong by the numbers.
WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU !!!!!!!!
You are clearly profoundly mentally ill.
My point is very, very simple.
MAGA world has been relentless in blaming Biden for the high price of eggs.
Now we know that Kroger deliberately raised prices more than inflation to increase profits.
Conclusion:
Biden is not solely responsible for the increased price of eggs, and MAGA world is wrong.
Your incoherent rambling rants do not change this set of facts.
Your bizarre economic theorizing is completely irrelevant to the fact that Kroger increased prices more than inflation.
That is my point.
Biden is responsible for the rise in the price of eggs. Kroger did not admit to “price gouging”. All it said was that the price of eggs rose faster than the inflation rate. We already knew that. And Biden is to blame for that.
In a free market (which most states have in eggs) it is IMPOSSIBLE to “price gouge”; if you raise prices more than you have to your competition will undercut you. Always. No matter how much you collude with them and agree not to, they will do it. And if they don’t someone else will come in and do it.
Groceries operate on extremely thin profit margins. Extremely thin. There is absolutely no fat there. No “excess” profits. They simply aren’t capable of charging more than they absolutely have to, or customers will go somewhere else. And that includes eggs.
Part of the issue with egg and chicken prices is the bird flu epidemic that required that millions of birds be destroyed since there is no cure.
Yes, Gigi, I explicitly noted that to Anonymous who is still trying to pretend that testimony by someone at Kroger that does nothing but confirm measurable facts,
proves “price gouging” and lets Biden Harris off the hook for inflation.
It is incredibly rare in economics that a dingle factor is entirely responsible for whatever happened.
US inflation in the past 4 years is not 100% the fault of Joe Biden. Even more so the entirety of the increase in egg prices is not 100% the fault of Joe Biden.
That does NOT mean that Joe Biden’s policies can not be blamed as the primary agent of inflation.
It also does not mean that the fact that egg prices rose more than CPI somehow exonerate Joe Biden or democrats.
But you are absolutely correct 2 years of bird flu and the destruction of millions of chicken negatively impacted egg prices
Joe Biden and stupid democrat policies are responsible for a significant portion of inflation.
Joe Biden and stupid democratic policies are responsible for a significant portion of higher energy and food prices – on top of the increases due to inflation.
Joe Biden and Democrats are responsible for a significant portion of the higher price for eggs. But they are NOT responsible for those resulting from bird flu.
“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU !!!!!!!!”
I do not tolerate elitist morons.
“You are clearly profoundly mentally ill.”
ROFL
“My point is very, very simple.
MAGA world has been relentless in blaming Biden for the high price of eggs.”
Correct – so has the majority of the country, and they have blamed Biden for far more than eg price increases.
“Now we know that Kroger deliberately raised prices more than inflation to increase profits.”
To the small extent that is true we have ALWAYS known that.
Prices are NOT typically raised to increase profits. That generally does not work.
Prices are typically increase to cope with increased costs.
Increasing prices for profit requires either a monopoloy and cartels – I dare you to find a natural monopoloy of cartel that exists without government proping them up.
Monopolies and cartels are inherently unstable. Is it beyond you to understand why ?
“Conclusion:
Biden is not solely responsible for the increased price of eggs, and MAGA world is wrong.”
non-sequitur.
While it is CORRECT that Biden is not SOLEY responsible for pretty much anything. It is extremely rare in the real world that anything has one and only one pure cause.
Biden IS PRIMARILY responsible for US inflation – as well as specifically the high prices of energy and food.
Solely – NO! Primarily -= absolutely.
Of course MAGA world is wrong about many things. They are just far less wrong than left wing nuts such as yourself.
Only left wing nuts expect perfection – utopia. Oddly your own never come close to delivering, and those who do far better than you – but do NOT seek utiopie,
Those you piss all over – as you are doing with MAGA right now.
As I told you before – the Trigger for the past 4 years of inflation was the stupid handling of Covid by Trump – which was doubled down on by those on the left – who actually attacked Trump for not being stupid enough in handling Covid.
Regardless shitting down the economy and dumping $2T in stuimulus on a deliberately weakened economy was a recipe for Inflation.
It took time for that to develop – Inflation was only 1.4% at the end of Trump’s first term, but the seeds were already in place and many competent economists, even some from the left were already rasing alarm bells.
It is very hard to predict exactly how high inflation would have gotten had Biden not doubled down on Stupid Fed Funded Spending.
But it is not at all hard to know that it would not have gotten anywhere NEAR 10%.
As I said before inflation is driven exponentially – learn some economic history.
It terrifies sane economists because continuing stupid choices can turn 3% inflation into 9% into 25%, into 200% into 17,000% fairly rapidly.
“Your incoherent rambling rants do not change this set of facts.”
Correct, they assert ACTUAL FACTS, they do not change them.
You want to play this stupid left right nonsense. I am not sure anyone here is claiming he right or MAGA or Trump is perfect.
But unarguably they are a far sight better than the left, Biden/Harris or even Obama.
If you want an honest debate over the future of the country – drop the stupid multiply failed nonsense.
And separately let go of utopian stupidity.
As I said the right, Conservatives, Trump, MAGA are not perfect. But in 2016 and 2024 americans decided they were both good enough and the best choice we had.
“Your bizarre economic theorizing”
It is just called normal economics. You can get it from nearly any decent basic economics text. Much of it is from Adam Smith’s Opus “an inquiry into the wealth of nations” which is the foundation of all working economics since. But there are atleast thousands of other sources that amplify the foundations that Smith laid.
” is completely irrelevant to the fact that Kroger increased prices more than inflation.
That is my point.”
Close to the only thing that you have said that is correct.
But you also said they did so in order to profit – while ALL businesses ALWAYS seek profit, prices are almost never raised to increase profits. Prices arr raised primarily to avoid losses.
No business is going to increase prices unless it beleives that its competitors will do the same – otherwise it will lose marketshare and therefore profits.
Again the laws of supply and demand.
Regardless, you said much more than Kroger increased egg prices more than inflation – there was ZERO need for Kroger exec testimony to support that claim.
There is plenty of price data available – do you beleive that gravity does not exist unless you can get Newton to testify to it ?
You jumped from aqain observation of fact to false conclusions and bizzarre claims about motives, over generalizations about all kinds of things including MAGA.
AGAIN – inflation is the change in the ration of money to goods produced.
10% inflation means that there is 10% more money than last year without changing the amount produced – or the same amount of money and 10% less goods or any other combination of money supply and goods produced that alters the ration by 10% in a year.
AGAIN Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomena – that is not my bizarre economic view – that is a tautology expressed by Milton Friedman that won a nobel price in economics. Whatever you think of me, or Friedman – in comparison YOU are an economic toddler.
Your the one spraying Bizarre economic nonsense.
I would note AGAIN that the ratio of all money over all goods produced results in an AVERAGE. Is that something I actually need to explain ?
There will ALWAYS be some prices that increase more than the inflation rate and some that increase LESS.
Ranting that egg prices rose more than CPI and somehow that prove price gouging or MAGA claims wrong is pure idiocy.
All prices are determined by supply and demand. That BTW includes MONEY – increase the supply of money without increasing the the goods purchased by money and the value of each dollar – the price of money measured in the good s it can purchase will DROP – that is INFLATION.
Inflation, Avian Flu, Fertilizer shortages, Grain shortages, energy shortages all effect the price of eggs. The price of eggs rose because of inflation. It rose MORE because of OTHER bad Biden polices, and because of things like Bird Flu that biden has no control over.
The FACT is that massive deficit spending By Biden financed by the Fed Printing money is responsible for MOST inflation.
Again just a FACT.
If you wish to have a discussion of the exact ration of total inflation caused by Trump’s Fed Financed spending and Biden’s 0 we can have that discussion.
But if you are pretending that Biden’s fed financed spending was not going to cause inflation – your howling at the moon.
Next, a long list of bad policies by Biden is responsible for increased prices in specific goods and services INDEPENDENT of the fact that Biden’s fed financed spending drove inflation.
Egg prices rose because of inflation, and because of bird flu and because of bad energy policy and because of bad foreign policy that resulted in wars that reduced the supply of grains and fiertilizer and made energy problems worse still.
Egg prices did NOT rise as a result of “price gouging”
Egg prices rose MOSTLY as a result of bad economic choices by Biden – but Biden did NOT as an example cause Bird Flu which was responsible for SOME short lived increases in the price of eggs.
I do not think even Trump has blamed Biden for every bad thing that has happened in the world.
But he is MOSTLY responsible for higher prices – including eggs.
And Price Gouging is NOT
Has Trump/MAGA made some claims about Biden/Harris that are over generalizations – certainly – that is the nature of politics.
But do you really think that you win an argument over politics with an assertion that Trumps claims about Biden are only mostly true ?
Especially in a world in which the political claims against Trump are MOSTLY hog wash ?
“Biden is not solely responsible for the increased price of eggs . . .”
You’re hanging your hat on the price of eggs?! (While conveniently ignoring avian flu.)
A sixth grader would get an “F” for that childish economics.
ATS you have narrowed your point with each response to criticism until there is nothing left of it.
You have abandoned the claim of price gouging,
And have shifted to a correct but weak claim that Trump/MAGA is over generalizing
DUH – that is normal politics. you are sill making stupid covid attacks on Trump – while you are correct that Trump mishandled Covid,
You have what OBVIOUSLY needed to be done (nearly nothing) 180 degrees off.
Regardless Trump has ZERO responsibility for the epidemic itself.
He has zero responsibility for the Covid deaths. But he bears responsibility for the economic damage of bad public health responses.
That damage includes increases in suicides and drug overdoses.
There is almost nothing that Joe Biden is SOLELY responsible.
There are an enormous number of things that Joe Biden and democrats are the primary causes of.
And some of those would not have happened AT ALL but for bad policies by democrats.
“My point is that Kroger openly admits to price gouging for eggs and dairy.”
You’re lying, twice.
But with a habitual liar, it’s pointless to state the truth.
The FTC is irrefutably unconstitutional and Congress enjoys no enumerated power to regulate free enterprises, free industries, and free markets per Article 1, Section 8.
Government exists, under the Constitution and Bill of Rights, to provide maximal freedom to individuals while it is severely limited and restricted to merely facilitating that maximal freedom of individuals through the provision of security and infrastructure.
You think you live under the “dictatorship of the proletariat” of communism.
You don’t.
__________________________________________________________________________________
“…courts…must…declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void.”
“…men…do…what their powers do not authorize, [and] what they forbid.”
“[A] limited Constitution … can be preserved in practice no other way than through the medium of courts of justice, whose duty it must be to declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void. Without this, all the reservations of particular rights or privileges would amount to nothing … To deny this would be to affirm … that men acting by virtue of powers may do not only what their powers do not authorize, but what they forbid.”
– Alexander Hamilton
_________________________
The singular American failure is the judicial branch, with emphasis on the Supreme Court.
Below is Adam Smith the father of economics explaining to chuckleheads like you how the economy actually works.
ALL of us seek to improve our own lot. That is the nature of man. Of course Kroger will raise the price of eggs as high as the market will let them.
Just as YOU will seek the highest possible wages for the labor you sell.
And just as you may find that the market will not pay the price you charge – the same is true of kroger and eggs.
It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages. Nobody but a beggar chuses to depend chiefly upon the benevolence of his fellow-citizens. Even a beggar does not depend upon it entirely. The charity of well-disposed people, indeed, supplies him with the whole fund of his subsistence. But though this principle ultimately provides him with all the necessaries of life which he has occasion for, it neither does nor can provide him with them as he has occasion for them. The greater part of his occasional wants are supplied in the same manner as those of other people, by treaty, by barter, and by purchase. With the money which one man gives him he purchases food. The old cloaths which another bestows upon him he exchanges for other old cloaths which suit him better, or for lodging, or for food, or for money, with which he can buy either food, cloaths, or lodging, as he has occasion.
Amy economist that uses the words “price gouging” is NOT an economist.
Here is Walter Block’s “defending the Undefendabl” Block has a chapter on Ticket Scalpers and Speculators. I( would suggest reading those as they are closest to your idiocy on Price gouging.
cdn.mises.org/Defending_the_Undefendable_2018.pdf
Or if you rpefer someone less anarcho-cpitalist than Block
Here is Prof. Horowitz of FEE on CNN explaining why Price gouging is GOOD.
https://fee.org/articles/professor-horwitz-explains-price-gouging-in-the-midst-of-the-storm/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jKl-SgJQVc
These are only a few of the myriads of examples.
Ranting about price gouging is a violation of economics 101.
And NO that is not somehow more plausible because Someone like Krugman will try and fail to explain that things are more complicated (they are) and that because of that the basics laws of (economics do not still hold (yet the do).
We saw this nonsense with Harris’s idiotic proposals – which even she could not make sense of.
Several Left wing economists stepped in to help – and FAILED.
Because 2 + 2 = 4 – not 5. You can invent a scheme where that is not true.
But that is NOT the world in which we actually live.
There is just so much ignorance and inability to engage in simple logic that is tolerable.
All businesses ALWAYS everywhere all the time want to increase profits – that is UNIVERSALLY true.
So Why don’t businesses just increase prices all the time ?
Because the people running business are NOT stupid like you.
Raising prices has a number of effects, increasing profits is only OCCASIONALLY one of those, as often as not price increases DECREASE profits.
What happens when you increase prices ? The law of supply and demand – something even left wing nut Wikipedia says is immutable with only two exceptions – Vanity goods, Rolex watches, and the very very few things that people pay a fortune for BECAUSE they are scarce and prestigious. The other is a theoretical exception that in all of human history has NEVER occured.
When you raise prices DEMAND GOES DOWN. If Kroger raises the price of eggs – egg sales drop. Either people find someone else to sell them eggs cheaper, or people buy less eggs.
SOMETIMES lower sales at a higher margin is NET profitable – usually it is NOT. Most often when companies raise prices they LOSE money.
Througout Human history the most common way that people Profit is to produce goods more efficiently.
If my competitor sells eggs at $4.50/dozen and I can figure out how to reduce my costs so that I can sell eggs at $4.25/dozen and still profit – most of his customers will buy from me.
As I said before DEFLATION has been the historical norm throughout human history absent government playing games with money supply resulting in inflation.
AGAIN Inflation is ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE MONETARY.
If you have inflation – Government (or central banks) caused it PERIOD.
Absent government machinations Deflation is the NORM – because competitive profit driven GREEDY businesses desparately seek to produce what they sell more EFFICIENTLY,
So they can sell at slightly LESS than their competitors while still making a profit.
Greedy businesses drive prices DOWN – because that is how to profit.
The bad news for thiem is that this is a temporary gain – if you figure out how to sell eggs profitably and cheaper – So will your competitors.
AS Adam Smith noted – it is the self interest of producers that is what benefits consumers. Giving them what they want and need at the cheapest price possible at any given time.
That is universally how the economy actually works.
As I also noted – it even works that way during times of INFLATION. The US has seen near continuous inflation since the creation of the Federal Reserve.
Yet over that time period Everything costs less in REAL (inflation adjusted) dollars and many things cost less in nominal dollars.
Despite inflation – businesses STILL strive to drive prices DOWN – not up.
Greed, Self interest in MOST instances drive prices DOWN not up.
So called “price gouging” is real, it typically occurs during emergencies and other times of short supply and while it does involve usually SMALL segments of the market, where emergency conditions create supply chain disruptions allowing self interested parties willing to take a risk to charge higher than normal prices.
It is still the exception rather than the norm and more important it is NET POSITIVE.
So called price gougers raise prices on temporarily scarce goods which brings supply and demand in line.
You can see why price gouging is a necescity everytime there is a snow storm or other predicted natural disaster.
Brad, Milk, Toilet paper, bottled water all disappear from grocery store shelves.
Why ? Because people scared of shortages buy up as much as they can and anti-price gouging laws prevent stores from raising prices to return demand to levels that match supply.
This is stupid because ultimately price gouging is a NET POSITIVE.
If you are in the midst of a natural disaster and water is scarce and you go into Acme and there are pallets of bottled water – you will buy as much as you can and in a few hours it will all be gone and no one else will be able to buy any – and some people might have to go without water they need – possibly even die.
If stores raise prices – instead of buying 5 cases, you only buy 2 and more people end up with water.
I would note that MOST of the things that fly off the shelves are actually poor examples – absent transportation disruption – the markets long ago learned what people panic buy in a impending disaster and can produce far more than people actually need.
With a disaster coming – milk, bread, water, toilet paper disapear over night, and are BACK the next morning.
During covid grocery stores in LA were selling out of Toilet paper every day for weeks, and every morning they would be restocked.
The real problems come when transport is disrupted.
When there is a huricane – 800 dollar generators sell for $1300 – briefly, Until some other intreppid fellow gets by with his tralor load and undercuts you buy $100
But you left wing nuts do not seem to notice that the temporary high price of generators not only keeps people who do not really need them from buying 2 or 5,
But it also causes some guy outside the disaster area with a pickup and a trailer to go to his local Home Depot buy a couple of dozen for $800 and find a way to get through impassible roads and damaged bridges to where generators are needed – increasing the supply of generators during the disaster.
Of course this boon to guys with pickup trucks is short lived.
Why ? Because Walmart, Home Deport and pretty much every major and minor supplier i the country has nearly always prepositioned all the supplies that will be needed in the disaster – just out of the area of destruction and these will be trucked in the instant that roads are cleared and idiots like FEMA let them in.
And these businesses will absolutely positively NOT gouge customers. Not out of altruism but out of long economic experince.
All businesses that are not transitory – the guy with the pickup hauling a load of generators, KNOW that disasters have massive long term impacts on customers.
People who are desparate will remember who helped them. Whether by providing things for free – many resturants provide free food in disasters. Or at affordable prices.
If the people at Walmart, Homedepot saved your but and your house in a disaster – even if they lost money, you will remember and be back over and over.
You do not need to take my word for that – Home Depot, Walmart, Denny’s …. all KNOW that, that is why they do business that way.
Short term profits are a bad choice for long term businesses if customers think you ripped them off.
Short term profits are only a good deal for fly by nights – Who as I pointed out still do a service to communities by delivering goods – at higher prices before anyone else.
None of the above is speculation – it is well documented. It is well known.
and companies are incredibly good at knowing these things.
Walmart, Home Depot, Denny’s know EXACTLY what you are going to need in every type of disaster – they have plannd ahead and learned from past experience.
Walmart knows the most demanded foods in disasters – Pop Tarts, and the most wanted flavor – Strawberry.
Some of the people in these businesses are altruistic or they think they are.
But the FACT and Adam Smith noted 250 years ago, is that it is the self interest – greed of people that drives them to deliver what we want and what we need as affordably as possible.
You left wing nuts are not only entirely clueless about economics – you are clueless about human nature.
The reason that Free market capitalism thrives and communism fails and socialism can not compete is SIMPLE.
Free markets harness human nature to the benefit of humans inexorably.
Socialism and even more so communism would with certainty work better – if human nature was quite different.
Left wing nuts have tried to change human nature and repeatedly failed.
I doubt this is within your ability to comprehend – but prices are unbeleivably critical and complex peices of …. INFORMATION>
This is again part of the reason that socialism and communism fails. It is called the “knowledge problem”
What you call “price gouging” is a complex dynamic system of communications that goes beyond the buyer and the seler that properly allocates resources throughout the economy.
Higher prices of eggs or during a disaster for generators, water, milk, toilet paper communicate to an army of others – to small entrepeurs you call crooks who load up gnerators into pickups and trailers and negotiate closed roads and washed out bridges to get these gnerators to those who clearly need them badly – because they are willing to pay the “gouged” price, But also to FEMA and to Home Deport and to highway crews and to .. to transport the larger number of these that are needed and to clear the roads and bridges and gtet even more people these highly demanded goods as rapidly as possible.
Without prices – and necescarily price gouging – how is it that anyone is going to know what is needed the most ?
In a disaster – nearly everything made is needed. But what is most important ? And what impact will rushing what you think is most important to a disaster area have on the rest of the economy ?
You are clearly ignorant of this – but communist countries thought they could manage without a pricing system – and failed. The USSR dramatically underperformed the US over its lifetime. Standard of living rose faster in the US and remains higher today.
But even those in the west thought they would be able to do better than free markets and the administrative state started by Wilson decades later thought that the computer would reduce or eliminate the need for prices as the means to communicate economic information.
How well has that worked ?
Personally I think AI will transform the world much like the steam engine, or the computer,
but just like the steam engine and the computer it WILL NOT alter the fundamentals of how the economy actually works.
In point of fact the free market is the most complex distributed mesh computer system in existance, composed of the 8 billion brains. All the computers in the world today do not have a fraction of the computational power of the free market. And prices – including so called gouged priced as the means by which the information eneded to properly allocate resoruces among the near infinite demands for those resources is gathered calculated, and communicated.
I have said many times that I correct my own mistakes when I am wrong.
I am not wrong in my arguments with you on economics.
But I do want to clarify the requirement for corrections – both my own and those of Trump or Biden or politicians of Turley or legal scholars or …
Blog articles and blog comments are NOT scientific papers.
None of us is required to distinguish as an example between the statements,
Biden is responsible for the increase int eh price of eggs
and
Biden is mostly responsible for the increase int eh price of eggs
If you want to accuse others of lying in something that is not a published scientific paper.
the omission of “mostly” is NOT error that requires correction.
I have noted that bird flu – which Biden had no control over was PARTLY responsible for egg price increases.
That does not alter the FACT that MOST fo the inflation in food prices – including most of the inflation in eggs can be blamed correctly on Biden.
And it is NOT error to omit “most” in the context of comments here.
I am not interested in semantic or nit picking rhetorical games with left wing nuts
If a City declares sanctuary where the State does not, or a State declares sanctuary where the Federal does not, where does the responsibility for the welfare of those receiving sanctuary start or end? Do not the government bodies offering sanctuary have the duty to support and care for those receiving sanctuary, the view of the public must be in support of the issue. As Madison say’s “ …They must be told that the ultimate authority…resides in the people alone…”
Inferior governmental levels that “declare sanctuary” have committed actionable rebellion that must be suppressed by kinetic military power.
States, counties, and cities must understand their crimes from the outset.
Inferior governmental levels that “declare sanctuary” have committed actionable rebellion
No, they haven’t. They are exercising their undisputed constitutional right.
that must be suppressed by kinetic military power.
That would be a crime, and would make whoever does it worse than the illegal aliens themselves.
where does the responsibility for the welfare of those receiving sanctuary start or end?
There is no such responsibility.
Do not the government bodies offering sanctuary have the duty to support and care for those receiving sanctuary
No, they don’t. The people receiving sanctuary can fend for themselves or leave. They should be grateful that they’re not being turned over to ICE. They have no right to expect more than that.
If Democrats wish to “resist” in their own communities.
LET THEM!!!
I agree with Turley that the federal government can in SOME circumstances cut funding.
But here that should be simple – cut the funding that is specific to federal support for illegal immigrants.
Democrats claim that illegal immigrants are net positive for society – if that is true, then democrat run states, and cities should have no problems with illegal immigrants, should need no support for them from the federal government.
If the Mayor of Denver wishes to Keep ICE out of denver – that is fine.
Denver can deal without federal funds providing services for immigrants and the people of Denver can decide if they ant a different mayor.
Turley notes the polling of support for the orderly deportation of illegal immigrants.
That support is sufficiently high that “the resistance” is not likely to be popular even among democrats.
Regardless on this and many other issues the Wise thing for Trump to do is to allow “the resistance” to do as they please in Democrat run areas,
And then allow voters in those regions to decide if they wish to keep democrats as leaders.
@John
Honestly, simply trying to comprehend the levels of brain malfunction required to believe in modern leftism is like solving Pi or calculating a probable numbers of galaxies. You are not dealing with sharp cookies in this conversation, and that is probably important to understand before polemic begins – these people are not *smart*, no matter what they paid for their education receipts (AKA in 2024 – a ‘degree’). I am very grateful for your elucidations, but you are a far more patient person than I, and I thank you for it.
James, I completely agree with your assessment of modern leftism.
While I am tolerant of Turley and Derschowitz and older liberals as opposed to leftists. the same logical errors undermine the past 60+ years of liberalism as undermine the current progressive left – they are just not as blatant.
All that said. Sun Tzu’s advice that you should not interfere with your enemy when they are making a mistake is wise.
There are some specific places that the left MUST be fought vigorously and unrelentingly
Lawfare is one of those.
Censorship is another.
Securing the border another. Limiting US foreign actions to those advancing important US interests. We are not th policeman for the world.
There are issues of national consequence that must be fought at a national level.
Sanctuary cities and ICE cooperation is NOT one of those.
Where possible – and particularly where the harm will be almost entirely to those on the left. we should allow those on the left to experience the natural consequences of their own choices.
Those on the left tend to be toddlers.
And I find myself returning to the parenting advice of “Love and Logic” when dealing with them.
It is the job of parents to protect children from consequences of their choices that would have life long impact.
BUT it is also the job of parents to ALLOW children to experience the natural consequences of their choices – when those consequences do NOT have long duration negative impacts.
Children should be allowed the freedom do do things that result in sprained ankles, but NOT severed limbs.
The best teacher is the natural consequences of our actions – except when those natural consequences wreck the rest of your life.
Here is a good example of Reality kicking someone in the rear end:
Once funds have been appropriated by the congress and the bill appropriating those funds has been signed, the president / executive branch must spend those funds IAW the budget. It’s called the constitution. Read it and learn something.
Congress may tax for debt, defense, and general Welfare (i.e. security and basic infrastructure).
Congress may regulate money, commerce, and land and naval Forces.
Read it.
__________
Article I, Section 8
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian Tribes;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
In the broadest terms you are correct.
But there is not an organization in the world where the legislature or the board of directors makes ALL spending choices.
Congress delegates spending decisions to the executive who is constrained by the broad or narrow language of the budget Bills.
Do you think there was a line item in the 2023 Budget saying 152B to FEMA for services for Illegal Aliens ?
If there was – do you think that more than a handlful of democrats facing election in 2024 would have been re-elected ?
Do you think that if Sen. Baldwin had voted for 152B in spending for illegal immigrants that Trump, as well as her opponent would not have made tons of Adds on that alone ?
Or do you think that Trump and Republicans are so stupid they missed a vote by Baldwin and other democrats for 152B in spending on illegal immigrants by FEMA ?
Congress appropriated more than 300B to FEMA for emergencies – with SOME direction that Biden was able to bed twist spindle fold and mutilate into a claim that he could spend some of it on illegal immigrants.
That works BOTH ways. Trump is equally able to decide that he is NOT permitted to spend that same money on illegal immigrants.
Further I would be ecstatic to have “the resistance” attacking and even winning court cases against Trump requiring him to stick extremely narrowly to the funding allocations of congress. If “the resistance” wants to push a very narrow reading of the constitution to get their way on a SINGLE issue, with a decisions that will handcuff them on nearly everything in the future – I am fine with that.
That said – my guess is that the actual buget language almost certainly means that it is Biden that engaged in overreach in directing funds to illegal immigrants, and that Trump’s choices will be MORE in line with the budget not less.
But if that is NOT the case – “the resistance” should win and Trump should lose.
If Congress really budgeted 152B of FEMA funds for illegal immigrants – then Trump MUST spend those funds as congress appropriated them.
Do you HONESTLY think that is the case ?
Another great post, and I’m grateful for both the reminder and the documentation. You are no longer dealing with a sane left that gives one whit about law though; I suspect that indeed, this will come back to bite them, but for now, we are fighting a rabid dog in a corner. We are truly living in unprecedented times in this country, and the more we de-legitimize the modern left, the better – they are not well. They simply aren’t. I will not argue for insanity is my country, and I sure as sheet won’t vote for it. The midterms may prove to be more important than the general – do not let down your guard. We have to double beat them in 2026.
Wait, trump was using the FBI to spy on congress? I thought only democrats did that.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-doj-spying-on-congress/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=RawStory/magazine/Top+Stories
IG finds Justice Department spied on Patel and other congressional staffer without telling courts
“As a result of the probe, the department obtained phone records from two members of Congress and 43 staff members, including President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for FBI Director, Kash Patel.”
https://justthenews.com/accountability/watchdogs/ig-finds-justice-department-spied-congressional-staff-leak-probe-without
@Upstate
Thanks for sharing, and at the same time: why would anyone be surprised? The chicanery is exposed in almost real time at this point, and they just don’t care; I mean, honestly, and come on: this is not the signpost of health, on any level.
Isn’t this the exact definition of “law fare” that trump (and JT) accuse the democrats of doing?
Hypocrites much?
ATS DOJ/FBI/DHS/… were spying on congress the american people, and censoring people during Trump;s administration.
Often spying on Trump and Trump supporters.
Why do you think Trump is out to get the deep state.
Personally I do not think that government should be able to conduct any searches of US citizens without a warrant.
But that is not the law right now.
Wait!!! The commies at Raw Story say that Trump not only worked with Putin to steal the 2016 election? And then he emulated Obama’s STASI James Clapper and John Brennan and spied on Congress?
Who knew?
To be clear. It was the trump justice department that spied without a warrant on 2 members of congress and 43 congressional aids.
trumps Justice department. You know, the one that accused Biden and Obama of using the Justice department against him.
Did you get that, the trump administration spied on members of Congress.
What a bunch of hypocrites.
Yes, the Trump administration – that would be people in the DBI and DOJ like Rosenstien, Mueller, Page and Strzok, Klinesmith, and a long list of others.
These are people that were technically in the Trump administration – and the Obama administration before and some in the Biden administration now.
And the reason this came out was because Kash Patel is one of those they were spying on.
There is a reason that Trump picked Kash Patel to clean house at the FBI – so that this nonsense does not continue to happen.
During the Trump administration the DOJ/FBI/DHS/CIA, ….. were all presuring social media to censor …. Trump and Republicans.
ATS are you so stupid as to beleive that Trump directed the FBI to presure social media into Censoring HIMSELF ?
John Say,
This is the problem we are going to have going forward. Simplistic thinking as if they are proving something when they cannot understand the reality of the situation. Just, “Look!!! See!!!!”
You are incredibly simplistic in your thinking and logic. Below, John Say explains it to you in simplistic terms that even you can even understand.
But you wont.
I say the Feds shoudl wipe out any armed resistance with firepower. It would greatly increase the average IQ of Denver.
When trump supporters show up for their prison stint, the average IQ of the prison population goes down.
Do you have evidence of this ?
Most studies of IQ and politics have found that when libertarians are included as part of the “Right” conservatives have a 4pt IQ advantage over liberals.
When libertarians are excluded – liberals have a 102% advantage. Given that libertarians make up at most 20% of the population – that means that the IQ of liberatians are about 20pts higher than liberals and conservatives.
Correction
liberals have a 1-2% advantage. Even libertarians do not have IQ’s high enough to cause a 106% change. between left and right.
“When trump supporters show up for their prison stint, the average IQ of the prison population goes down”
When commies show up here to gloat that the FBI and Biden will never prosecute them for any crime committed in the last ten years, the average IQ here is left wondering how these kids off the Jerry’s Kids short bus escaped from their mental health professionals.
Why would I be showing up for prison? What law did I break?
Speaking of The Resistance – OMG!!! In re: Brown vs The Board of Good Taste!
“Kentanji Brown Jackson may not know what a woman is, but she knows what it is to go to bed one night as just an ordinary Supreme Court justice and to wake up the next day as a Broadway star. Yup, she’s hitting the Great White Way (or, maybe, in her case, the Great Black Way) to fulfill a childhood dream: taking a turn in a Broadway musical.
Interestingly, the particular musical she’s chosen, “& Juliet,” is a tawdry pro-transgender show. I think we can now guess how Jackson will vote on Tennessee’s “no ‘gender-affirming’ care on minors” law.
The Hill reported Jackson’s dream come true, including offering an anodyne description of this particular musical:
The 54-year-old justice will appear in a walk-on role in the Broadway musical comedy “& Juliet” on Saturday night, the production and a Supreme Court official confirmed Monday.
[snip]
“& Juliet” is a modern take on William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” in which the female protagonist “ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second change [sic] at life and love — her way,” according to a promotional site. The musical features ’90s and early aughts pop songs from the likes of Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys and Kelly Clarkson.
An updated take on Romeo and Juliet sounds fairly innocent, but don’t be fooled. This is yet another Broadway show that is really an homage to deviant sexuality, particularly so-called transgenderism.
Here’s my trimmed-down version of Wikipedia’s minute plot description:
This time, Juliet doesn’t die. Romeo was bisexual. Juliet’s best friend is “non-binary,” Juliet’s new love (a man) chooses the it person over her.
And if you’re wondering about the whole so-called transgenderism thing, in every product, the it person is always played by a man.
That’s the play to which Justice Jackson has committed herself. It’s a sleazy play, making it unseemly on its face for a Supreme Court justice to appear in it. However, what makes the whole thing worse—and is obviously a pointed message—is that just last week, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in United States v. Skrmetti.”
More at this link:
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/not-babylon-bee-justice-ketanji-brown-appear-pro-transgender-broadway-musical
* it’s just like Mrs. Alito flying the pine flag upside down isnt it?
Jackson is seriously ill. Are u joking?
* It might be the USA will need a new plan for government . The plan will drastically require monumental lower standards. What plan can be created to make a 3rd world nation partially functional. You’re lying to yourselves otherwise.
The territory once known as the USA is no longer functional and the federal government is a den of self interest and theft. Can a few State territories salvage something? Murder, theft, destruction of every kind is what there really is. In one California town a hofbrau was taken down and a new business opened called—> Hustler, opened. You can imagine what that is?
You need a realistic plan for convicts, mentally ill, homeless, food less, unclothed, uneducated, immoral, robbers and thieves, quacks, swindlers that can work or not?
Time for realism.
OT: Jordan Neely’s parents have no standing for a civil suit.
Jordan Neely’s father certainly has a cause of action and pehaps, his dead mother’s estate, also. As a Street Performer and Michael Jackson Impersonator, Jordan had a career stretching before him. It if foreseeable that he would have been imminently discovered and his talents made clear to the world! Therefore, when the White Marine strangled the life out of him, that nascent career was cut short, and also the income stream from his future earnings. This is compensable, and I submit that his deceased mother’s estate could be reopened, and serve as a joint plaintiff. This would bring several advantages to Plaintiffs’ side, since the dead mother could not reasonably be deposed, and could only make a monetary claim, as opposed to the father’s emotional distress claim, and monetary claim. Remember that Elvis has been worth more dead, than he ever was alive. As a Harvard grad, and lawfare advocate, I look forward to this battle! It will provide much grist to my blog mill.
Mr. Hitman,
Neely was also a mentally disturbed drug addict. A very common combination.
We can have sympathy for that. But we do not have a miracle cure and the evidence is that most with those problems alone or in combination do not get very far in life.
A wrongful death claim – presumes the death was wrongful. Neely was violent, threatening and dangerous and Penny was engaged in defense of self and others – both legal and legitimate consequences of vilent and threatening conduct.
Neely did not “deserve to die” no one deserves to die. But bad things happen in the real world. More often when you are violent and threatening.
Next Torts are supposed to require REAL damages – not speculative ones.
If Neely was an ACTUAL successful Micheal Jackson impersonator killed through no fault of his own, ACTUAL future earnings are part of damages.
But you can not speculate that Neely would have in the future been extra ordinarily successful any more than you can speculate that he would have become president.
You are correct that “speculative” damages are not recoverabe, however “foreseeable” is distinct from “speculative.” This is why I recommend that the dead mother’s estate be resurrected. Recall, that she was murdered, by strangulation also, when Jordan was but 14 years old. With her, the matter strictly becomes a matter of damages, as she can not be deposed. Thus she can not be held comparatively liable for his pitiable condition, whereas their is some question as to his father’s alleged abandonment of him.
Recall also, if you will, that some artists have never been “discovered”, until they are cold, and a-mouldering in their graves. Such as Vincent van Gogh. Or, as with another Black artist, Robert Johnson:
“Johnson didn’t leave behind a lot of recordings. There were sessions Nov. 23-25, 1936, in room 41 of the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. More recording sessions were held in Dallas on June 19-20, 1937, for the Brunswick Record Corp.
A year later, he was dead, found by the side of the road near Greenwood, Miss. Was it poison by a rival? Congenital syphilis? No one knows.
Johnson remained a virtual unknown until 1961 when Columbia Records released a compilation of those recordings on an album entitled King of the Delta Blues Singers. That record brought him to the attention of blues players and nascent rockers like Eric Clapton and Keith Richards. A legend was born 23 years after his death.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/6793552/musicians-famous-after-they-died-alan-cross/
I would suggest that the family begin circulating (selling) what there is of Jordan Neely’s performances, ASAP, while the iron is hot. This piece coud become evidence that Jordan was very talented – thus reducing speculation, and increasing foreseeabilty. (Note: I am using “foreseeability” in a large sense. Legally, if Mr. Penny had strangled an orthopedic surgeon, instead of Jordan, civil damages would be based on the doctors potential earnings, not whether or not Mr. Penny knew him to be a doctor. Additionally, I woud name NYC as a co-defendant, for both their deep pockets, and for their failure to protect a talented citizen of the city. )
* John Say, don’t respond. Look at his name.
No need – this argument is crap both legally and on any other basis.
I am not even sure that you can get into court going after someone who was acquitted of a crime on the basis of defense of self and others.
Penny did NOT claim he did not Kill use deadly force against Neely – though it appears that Penny did NOT kill Neely.
He claimed the use was justified and a Jury agreed.
In cases like the OJ case – the criminal prosecutors were NOT able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that OJ did it.
The Civil plantiffs were able to prove by the preponderance of evidence that OJ did it.
The Penny case is not even close to the same.
A wrongful death suit requires MORE than that you prove a person was killled, If that were the question Penny could lose.
But that he was Wrongfully killed. And the criminal jury already decided that issue. If Neely was killed by Penny, he was killed in defense of self or others – NOT Wrongfully.
As to Damages – Hitman ceeds that future earnings can not be speculative – and then engages in massive speculation.
There are no plausible claims for future earnings for someone who in the past had some success, but had since succumbed to mental illness and drug addiction.
You can feel sympathy for the waste of Neely’s talents and life. while still grasping that if Not Penny, someone else was going to kill Neely soon enough or Neely was going to kill someone and spend the rest of his life in prison.
Hitler was an architect, an artist, a dog lover and a vegitarian. That does not change the fact that he was a dangerous mass murderer
😂
A shaggy dog???
Congratulations Jonathan this subject matter is one which is certain for those that are a glutton for punishment.
That said, I’m not saying that we should avoid it, but rather Why(?) are we here discussing it in the first place?
By that I mean, Why were the Doors to Immigration (Legal and Illegal) flung open in these recent times anyway?
Was it because the Baby Boomers are rolling out-of-the-workforce in droves?
Was it because the ___-Generation following the Baby Boomers didn’t pick up the load and tow the Load?
It is because our Society has become addicted to Consumerism and no longer feels the necessity to work?
Is it because our Working class has become addicted to ‘black-glass and cyber heroin’, possessed & held in it’s trance?
I totally agree that this a conundrum in a state of emergency, but did the Powers-to-Be really think that Immigrants were going to fill the void?
That Immigrants were going to cure America’s ills? No one wants to be the Servant.
The Immigrants came here for what most Americans enjoy and take for granted, an American Lifestyle … Consumerism.
Why would you think that they would come here for the “Work”. They dispose of that as soon as they get here. Work is for the Old-Country, those back home that want to live that way.
Sure thing, the Powers-to-Be have created a debacle of Geo-political significance, but WHY?
Abraham Lincoln was a Great President who suppressed the “Resistance” and defeated the “Rebellion.”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Proclamation 80—Calling Forth the Militia and Convening an Extra Session of Congress
“On April 15, 1861,…President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation calling forth the state militias, to the sum of 75,000 troops, in order to suppress the rebellion. He appealed ‘to all loyal citizens to favor, facilitate, and aid this effort to maintain the honor, the integrity, and the existence of our National Union.’”
Proclamation 92—Warning to Rebel Sympathizers
“[On] July 17, 1862,…I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby proclaim to and warn all persons within the contemplation of said sixth section to cease participating in, aiding, countenancing, or abetting the existing rebellion or any rebellion against the Government of the United States and to return to their proper allegiance to the United States on pain of the forfeitures and seizures as within and by said sixth section provided.”
_______________________________________________________________________________
Now President Donald J. Trump MUST pull a full “Lincoln” and close the border, impose martial law, prosecute a war against the communist rebellion without a formal declaration, shred the Communist Manifesto and irrevocably extirpate all principles of communism in America, implement the “manifest tenor” of the Constitution and Bill of Rights including absolute freedom, absolute free enterprise, absolute free markets, and absolute private property including a fully constitutional dearth of taxation and regulation, eliminate the Departments of Labor, Education, Agriculture, Energy, HUD, and EPA, issue the “Deportation Proclamation” deporting all illegal aliens, past and present, including those who illegally pursued citizenship as criminal border crossers and “asylum” seekers who all made false and fraudulent claims of phantom, nonexistent persecution as foreign citizens with no U.S. rights, establish coherent voter qualifications by State legislatures per the Constitution, declare English the sole official language of the United States, suspend habeas corpus, smash opposition printing presses, networks, podcasts, social media platforms, etc., and throw anyone and everyone who opposes him in prison to Save the Union until America is placed squarely back on the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Lincoln was a Union Nationalist, where Trump leans more towards states rights Constitutionalism. Lincoln held the Constitution second to the Union, where Trump holds the Constitution as supreme.
“Now President Donald J. Trump MUST pull a full “Lincoln””
@George, you vicious lying Marxist thug: you hate Trump with the heat of a thousand burning suns and lie about him endlessly every day. You hate him almost (or perhaps more) than your inner racist Kluxxer hates Lincoln for not “deporting” black Americans born in America after your party could no longer own them as property, as slaves.
So weekly, you post that Lincoln was actually a fellow commie, like Marx and Stalin whose theology you worship at. And that Trump should follow the lead of Lenin and Stalin, the commies whose Pravda you style your apparatchik attempts on.
Bezmenov warned us about fraudulent “constitutionalist” commies like you, George. You are a contemptible cheap fake commie American.
At least sign an organ donor so we can hope you make some marginal contribution to this great country at some point in your otherwise meaningless failure of a life.
Yuri Bezmenov – A Brief Summary Of Communist Ideological Subversion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJnRmvqTdEQ
FULL INTERVIEW with Yuri Bezmenov: The Four Stages of Ideological Communist Subversion
“It’s the [law], stupid!”
– James Carville
___________________
In fact:
– The Constitution does not prohibit secession
– Secession is and was fully constitutional
– Lincoln must have been impeached and convicted for denying the constitutional right to secession to Southern States and committing multiple other flagrant crimes of high office
– Lincoln had no authority to commence a war of aggression (i.e. not common defense) against a legitimate and sovereign foreign nation
– Lincoln had no authority to impose martial law
– Lincoln had no authority to suspend habeas corpus
– Lincoln had no authority to confiscate private property and to “take” private property for public use without just compensation
– Lincoln had no authority to issue a “proclamation”
– Lincoln committed an egregious crime of vote tampering and fraud when he “fixed” the election of 1864 which would have ended his “Reign of Terror” against the United States.
– Lincoln had a duty to support and enforce all legislation that was duly passed
– Lincoln had a duty and legal obligation to secure the border and enforce immigration law – then the Naturalization Act of 1802 which was in full force and effect
– All subsequent acts of Lincoln and his socialist-cum-communist successors must have been and must be struck down and corrected including, but not limited to, the “Reconstruction Amendments” engendered by Karl Marx
_____________________________________________
[The workingmen of Europe] consider…that it fell to…Abraham Lincoln…to lead his country through…the RECONSTRUCTION of a social world.”
– Karl Marx Letter to Abraham Lincoln, 1865
________________________________________________
“These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in concert, to fleece the people.”
– Abraham Lincoln, from his first speech as an Illinois state legislator, 1837
_________________________________________________________________________________
“Everyone now is more or less a Socialist.”
– Charles Dana, managing editor of the New York Tribune, and Lincoln’s assistant secretary of war, 1848
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“The goal of Socialism is Communism.”
– Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
_________________________
“It’s the [law], stupid!”
– James Carville
Winner winner chicken dinner. Lincoln was a traitor and got exactly what he deserved.
..willing to bet (Seriously..) that these State / City etc. ‘Officials’ ALL of whom are Dem ‘Progressives..’ received ‘S o r o s’ related funds for their Elections.. (..I know for sure this has been the case in VA..) and either feel obligated or were prompted to ‘resist..’ per their programming..! ..i.e., the ‘Adversaries’ trying to destroy the USA as we have known it, thru ILLEGAL Immigration (one of the Biggest weapons) have not gone away…! ..most of us laughed when we saw the Denver mayor was planning to have armed citizens at the borders of Denver.. but… let’s Never Discount that Despite Trump’s Win, indeed, perhaps Because of his win.. the ‘Adversaries’ are still at work….. Look at History.. this is how it works.
Can we finally have a discussion about kicking Chicago, NYC, San Francisco, and LA out of the Union? When they’re more loyal to illegal immigrants (including criminals) than they are to the rest of us, it kind of suggests they need to leave.
It’s not like secession. It’s more like the excision of some nasty gangrene.
More loyal to Beijing’s Communist Party, too. Forgot to mention that.
Maybe we can replace those cities with Rome, Italy! Because the Italians have discovered Western Swing, and would make great Americans!
😉
Amazing, thanks!
Floyd
Thanks for the link, enjoyed the Music.
They could be the next Addormentato al Volante. They’re every bit as good.
Jonathan: In New York vs United States, 505 US 144 (1992), the SC reaffirmed that the federal government may not “commandeer” a state legislature or other state agencies to enforce federal law. That means the new DJT administration can’t force California or any other state to help round up and deport undocumented immigrants.
But DJT does have the power to withhold federal grants for state police agencies. But that would be counter-productive since state police don’t spend a lot of time stopping people to make sure they are lawfully in the US. Federal grants permit police to investigative and prosecute major crimes. Now DJT could also federalize state National Guards. He did that in 2018. DJT might also try to invoke the Alien and Sedition Act of 1798. But that would require evidence of an “invasion” by a foreign country. An argument DJT would lose in court.
There are several problems in DJT’s plan to deport millions of the undocumented. First, is the financial cost. There are approximately 11 million undocumented in the US. DJT wants to deport 1 million every year of his second term. The American Immigration Council says that would cost $88 billion annually. The DHS has a budget of only $62 billion in fiscal year 2025. DJT’s plan would also require massive expansions of the federal immigration court system and detention facilities. Where will DJT get the money when his appointees want to slash the budgets of many government agencies? Kash Patel wants to eliminate the FBI.
And then there are “sanctuary” states, like California, Oregon and others who will pushback on the massive deportation of the undocumented. California alone is setting aside money to challenge deportation orders in the courts. In addition immigration groups are also gearing up to take DJT to court. As perspective, during his first term DJT was able to deport only 111,336 undocumented from California. Today there are about over 1 million undocumented in California. Would DJT have more success this time around? I doubt it. But DJT wants to pick a fight with California and other “sanctuary states. He loves his golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes but he hates Gavin Newsom and his “woke” policies. DJT’s policies are all based on vengeance and retribution.
The other problem with DJT’s deportation plan is that he wants to deport whole families–including children born here. The 14th Amendment guarantees birthright citizenship. No doubt states and immigration groups will successfully challenge any attempts to deport citizens of the US. DJT’s answer? Abolish the 14th Amendment or get Congress to amend it. Does anyone think Congress has an appetite for that? Besides, even if both houses of Congress were to approve an amendment it would take years for three-quarters of the states to ratify.
DJT lives in a fantasy world. In the Sunday “Meet the Press” interview DJT claimed the US is the only country with birthright citizenship. That claim is FALSE. Over a dozen countries provide automatic birthright citizenship, including Canada, Mexico and the majority of S. American countries.
And who will be the real victims of DJT’s draconian immigration policies. It will not only be undocumented, many of who have already applied for asylum status, but it will be their children, born here, but who now live in daily fear. Here’s a scenario for you. ICE goes into a school room and takes out a 6r. old, a US citizen, and puts the child in detention with his/her parents. How do you think that will play in the national press? It won’t be pretty and it will be a PR nightmare for the DJT administration. But cruelty and inhuman treatment of immigrants will be job no. one for the next president!
Dennis, I had a really great day yesterday. Sunday really sucked, though. I woke up with my left foot killing me. I was in agony, and I screamed, and I cried, and I promised to build a cathedral, if only the pain would stop. Come to find out, my house shoe had rubbed a spot on the top of my foot, and that was the source of the pain. I swabbed my foot down with Vaseline Intensive Care lotion, and then later, used some Gold Bond Cream. By Sunday night, the pain had decreased, and by Monday, it was pretty much gone. I also switched house shoes, to the pair that keep falling off.
Then, it was Monday, and what a great day! It was warm outside, so I sat with Peanut on her lead. I read on my Kindle, and smoked my pipe. I mostly use my Dr. Grabow Free Hand pipes, now, and save my nice pipes for special occasions. I did break out the Lorenzen Moda yesterday late, and it was sublime! I was pretty much out of real pipe tobacco, and smoking some High Card Gold and Gambler Gold. My grandson got them for me for Christmas, four or five years ago. But in reality, they are more of a roll-your-own cigarette tobacco. You can mix them with real pipe tobacco, and that is viable, but smoked on their own, they burn quickly. Still, after 55 years of smoking a pipe, it beats not having any tobacco at all. Anyway, there I was – down to about two bowls left of Peter Stokkeby Three Cherry Tobacco, from 2019, that I found in the back of the pipe cabinet the other day. Then, Praise the Lord, my reorder came in! Twelve ounces of Super Value Peach pipe tobacco, a pouch of Walter Raleigh, eight ounces of Super Value Cherry Cavendish, and eight ounces of Lane Limited Black Raspberry! Oh, what a glorious day! I find the Super Value Pipe Tobacco quite good for the price, and while it is not my favorite, I can certainly live with it during the dregs of the Biden Economy.
Hopefully, in January, I can order some John Bull, and some Molto Dolce, and maybe even some Holger-Danske Vanilla Mango, some Seven Seas, and maybe some more Chacom! If I use the PayPal Pay in Four plan, I can stretch the payment out over three of my Social Security checks.
Then, last night, I made some stew in my rice cooker, and it was to die for! I still have a big mug of it left for lunch, maybe with three slices of French bread. I also steamed some rotisserie chicken parts that I had previously frozen, for Peanut and the cats. I figure I will get two more rice cooker pots full of stew from that one $8 package, and two meals from each pot. I usually put frozen carrots, frozen okra, frozen corn, and canned tomatoes in the stew. I prefer the carrots to potatoes, because the spuds tend to make the stew kinda mushy. I also added some canned green beans, and froze the rest of them. Maybe I will make Italian green beans, using white onions in lieu of garlic??? Anyway, as a tip to others who are in financial straits, due to Biden’s economy, I suggest that you buy canned tomatoes in the 28 ounce size can. Much cheaper than the 303 cans. Also, you can find the Aroma Rice Cooker on Amazon, and I find it to be very handy, particularly with the steamer thingy on top. I cook cabbage in the steamer, and it comes out great! Here is the model number – AROMA
Housewares 6-Cup (Cooked) (3-Cup Uncooked) Pot Style Rice Cooker and Food Steamer (ARC-743-1NG). I have a back-up one, but next month I will buy another back-up since the LED light is not working properly, But for less than $20, why not. Oh, they were $13 under Trump’s first presidency.
Chow! (That is Italian for, good bye!)
Okay stupid person with a putrid non-comical and unoriginal sense of humor.
Flyod, no likes your comments, you’re a very stupid, whatever you are. Not human.
Ciao stupid !
Everybody’s a critic!!!
Some are even literate.
Some.
Not all.
Floyd is a better person than you will ever be.
Floyd,
That was a better read than anything Dennis writes.
Thx Upstate! I figured that DeMac had opened the door to banal drivel, so I walked right in and made myself to home! 🙂
And Floyd… you didn’t engage in that banal drivel primarily through lying your commie ass off.
Of course, lacking a commie ass like the one in his middle of his face that Dennis McIntyre posts from, you couldn’t do that anyways.
Let me see if I have this right…
A bunch of paunchy, middle-aged men with cell phones in the Capitol Building–insurrection.
Over 10 million foreign nationals overrunning the border between to sovereign nations–not an invasion.
Okay, got it.
Two, dammit!
Trump lied to a reporter and/or didn’t know what the hell he was talking about? Say it ain’t so, Dennis. Trump just shoots off his mouth, the MAGAs eat it up and pundits like Turley defend it–but my question is–why? Why does he lie about eliminating birthright citizenship, which would require a Constitutional amendment? Why does he lie about birthright citizenship not existing in other countries–do you MAGAs ever question why he lies like this–or don’t you care? Have you noticed how he play acts at being sincere when he’s lying to a reporter? Just HOW MANY times did he say, in campaign rallies, that he was going to direct the AG and FBI to go after his perceived enemies, especially the members of the J6 committee, who have immunity for their work that is authorized by the Constitution? He was either lying to the faithful when he said these things, and/or he was lying to Kristin Welker when he claimed he would be hands-off. And, when the whole deportation thing blows up in his face, he will blame Democrats and mainstream media. Agricultural states like California have always relied on migrant labor to plant, pick and pack perishable vegetables and fruits. The agricultural industry WANTS Governor Newsome to protect their workers upon which it relies, and we all benefit from California agriculture–at least 50% of the fruits and vegetables we enjoy come from California. Then, there’s the meatpacking industry that also heavily relies on migrant labor–it is dirty, dangerous work that most Americans don’t want to do. Do you really think that states that have large meatpacking plants are going to just let Trump storm troopers come in and haul off their workers? And, what would happen to prices for produce and meat if Trump actually does these things? Then, there ‘s the hospitality industry that also uses migrants to do kitchen and clean up work in restaurants, housekeeping work in hotels, landscaping and lawn care and roofing, drywall and carpentry work–is Trump going to swoop in and take away their workers? I seriously doubt that he will, but he will try to find a way to blame Democrats for lying to his faithful.
@Gigi: Trump lied to a reporter and/or didn’t know what the hell he was talking about?
Gigi, are you aware that you’re featured in full frontal legs spread gaping crotch shots as one of Hunter Biden’s crack whores in the pictures available at the online version of that Biden Bribery Laptop?
Hunter Biden should have told you to throw a truck tarp over that stinking chasm, not something as ridiculous as a merkin.
Hunter Biden Laptop Online
https://bidenreport.com/#p=5
Given the explicit nature of the text and pictures of the Biden Laptop, this online version of the laptop contents is for an adult readership only.
ISBN: 978-1-7371866-3-2
@2022 by ICU, LLC
For the trolls desperately working here to prop up Biden, Harris and the rest of the Democrat perverts and groomers, there’s a website where they can go every day to get their daily fix of Biden porn and perversion, featuring Big Joe And The Kid.
Yep, the 51 Intelligence Experts Biden Laptop is now online uncensored for viewing, all 644 pages of it.
All the texts, the emails and (a nod to Arlo Guthry’s “Alice’s Restaurant’) “dozens of glossy color photographs” taken by The Kid while he was boning is dad’s daughter in law/his sister in law as well as underage Russian prostitutes. And the evidence of many, many felonies of Biden White House Crime LLC.
You know if this was a Trump laptop – or even a single verifiable fact that Trump actually DID pay Russian hookers for a Golden Shower as they all lie he did, this would be an immediate best seller with Gigi, Dennis McIntyre, and George.
Hunter Biden Laptop Online
https://bidenreport.com/#p=5
Given the explicit nature of the text and pictures of the Biden Laptop, this online version of the laptop contents is for an adult readership only.
ISBN: 978-1-7371866-3-2
@2022 by ICU, LLC
The Bidens, Obamas, Clintons, Dennis, Gigi, and George still haven’t learned that the Internet IS in fact forever.
I’ll take your word for it. I’m not shelling out $63 to find out the minute details of what is already stunningly obvious to all but the most studiously stupid.
You don’t have to purchase it to view it. Just follow the online links to the various pages and chapters, depending on which part of Biden White House Crime LLC you want to see the proof of.
Best of all, presented in the emails, texts, and voicemails supplied by the Senior and Junior partners of Biden White House Crime LLC.
Projection of their crimes and sins onto those they targeted is about the only thing that Democrats do best as former president Barack Obama recently demonstrated. This one seems to be Barack Obama’s “hold my latte and watch this shit!” challenge to Dennis McIntyre, Gigi, and George.
Obama: Republicans Rigged Election, Weaponized Justice System Against Hunter Biden
https://www.dailyfetched.com/obama-republicans-rigged-election-weaponized-justice-system/
One side tries to stack the deck and lock in a permanent grip on power, either by actively suppressing votes or politicizing the armed forces or using the judiciary criminal justice system to go after opponents.
Funding the resistance? But Trump IS the resistance.
Well Jonathan, if any state or local officials interfere with Customs & Border Protection’s removal operations, AG Pam Bondi should order U.S. Attorney’s to charge them all with 18 USC 111.
There is no reason to believe they will interfere. The Denver mayor’s threat was all bluster; he had no intention of carrying through with it because he’s not stupid.
In the entire history of sanctuary cities and states, it has NEVER ONCE happened that an official of such a city or state was found to have interfered with or obstructed ICE enforcement. The case Prof T cites from Oregon turned out not to be what was claimed; the inquiry cleared the judge of all wrongdoing. The only example known of an official doing that was a state judge in Massachusetts, which is NOT a sanctuary state.
During Trump’s first term, he tried to cut federal funds using an executive order, but the courts shot those down as unconstitutional. Only Congress has the authority to withhold funds or set conditions on them. Even if that happens, there’s really nothing in the law that says what happens if a state or city decides to ignore federal law. Republicans played this card when Obama was in office.
Congress can hold back funds from sanctuary cities or states, but there are limits to what they can do, and some ways of cutting funds are actually unconstitutional. It’s super easy to make threats, but following through on them is a whole different story. Plus, remember that Republicans only have a one-seat majority in the House, making it tough for them to back Trump’s threats. If they try, it’s going to cost them politically.
But George, you guy Biden tried to give BILLIONS to students, did you support that?
“one-seat majority??????????? Last count (today) shows Repubs with 220 and Dems with 215???????
Trump’s threats are real and able to be carried out though the form might change. I don’t care if states with sanctuary cities protest and hinder the federal government. Most people in those states aren’t as ignorant as you, and as the number of illegals climbs while the funding falls they will hang you by your innards and gradually rid themselves of illegals.
It seems Turley’s rare and wild criticism of Trump is getting a lot of attention outside the MAGA-sphere. I guess it’s news when Turley criticizes Trump and his “rage rhetoric.” Will he be more critical of Trump as president, given the fact that it’s going to be almost a fully controlled Republican congress and White House? It will be an interesting four years for Turley. If Trump lasts that long. Those fast food hardened arteries could sneak up on him.
Dear ‘George’ sorry to disappoint yr death wishes.. the fact that DT has never touched alcohol, never touched drugs, never smoked anything… limits red meat intake and has upped his salads since being with Melania are all factors contributing to his Good Health on top of obviously great genes… ask any med student who can instantly recognize in their corpse anatomy who did any of the above… so.. the Filet of Fish sandwiches (seldom red meat burgers) cannot be seen as a liability.. Last but not least, Never dismiss the power of Prayer (millions of ours..) & God’s Hand on This Man’s Life… e.g., Butler, PA……….
Yet again… fake news. Multiple accounts of Trump drinking at NYC bars/clubs in the 90s
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7189873/Life-long-teetotaer-Trump-drank-Miller-Lite-liquor-champagne-90s-New-York-clubs.html
According to one writer with no credibility.
18th hole: the typical iceberg lettuce salad that Trump eats, smothered with dressing, is low in nutritional value and the dressing is high in fat and sodium. There are other lettuces that are more nutrient and vitamin rich. Just because something is called “salad” doesn’t make it healthy. His niece, Dr. Mary Trump, in one of her books, pointed out Trump’s lack of interest in healthy eating and consistent choices of red meat, diet coke, iceberg lettuce only salads and desserts. Melania has a high school education–she is hardly someone qualified to provide nutritional advice. Trump is obviously morbidly obese and oftentimes appears confused. Filet of Fish sandwiches, with their deep fried coating and slathered in tartar sauce, are not a very healthy choice, either.
“If Trump lasts that long. Those fast food hardened arteries could sneak up on him.”
The amount of hate directed by some Americans against Trump is surprising considering all the good Trump did. George Svelaz’s hate is not amazing as he has nothing else in his mind. His mind started empty and then filled with Trump. Blog members have a choice, an empty mind or a Trump hating mind. There is no in-between.
S. Meyer,
Their hate is all consuming. It is all they have. They cannot let go of it. Ahab and his white whale.
S. Meyer: List something good that Trump did that benefitted the average American. Moving the embassy to Jerusalem was to pay back wealthy Jewish donors who want to make it look like the US supports Israel having a greater claim to Jerusalem than other groups with roots there. The Abraham Accords were nothing but a formalization of trade between UAE, Bahrain and Israel that was already taking place. How about those tax breaks—over 80% of which benefitted the super-wealthy. How about COVID—he diverted funds to go to vaccine research but had no plan for distribution–the ultra-cold freezers, PPE needed, people to administer the vaccine–nothing. Biden had to take care of these details.
You say there is hate directed toward Trump–he is a pathological liar–he just makes things up. He stole from a charitable foundation. He defrauded people with “Trump University”. He started an insurrection. He was found liable for sexual assault and defamation. He falsified financial records and loan applications. He got fake electors to falsify Electoral College documents. He brags about grabbing womens’ genitals. His incompetence and lying about the seriousness of and pushing of fake cures caused COVID to be far worse than it had to be. Saying these things is not expressing hate. There has never been anyone like him as a presidential candidate in our history. He is uniquely awful, and his latest campaign relied on lies about our economy, fake promises, misogynistic attacks against Harris, and racism.
“S. Meyer: List something good that Trump did that benefitted the average American.”
The average American had $4,000 – $6,000 more in his pocket to spend and his gas was less expensive.
“Moving the embassy to Jerusalem was to pay back wealthy Jewish donors who want to make it look like the US supports Israel having a greater claim to Jerusalem than other groups with roots there.”
Every American promised to do so but never did. It has nothing to do with Jewish donors. It has to do with sovereignty of one’s borders. Should America insist its official embassy be located in Mexico’s Acapulco instead of Mexico City. Additionally you do not know your history and prove yourself ignorant once again.
“The Abraham Accords were nothing but a formalization of trade between UAE, Bahrain and Israel that was already taking place.”
Only idiots don’t know Trump invited peace into the Middle East while Biden invited war. You and the left are the culture of death.
“How about those tax breaks—over 80% of which benefitted the super-wealthy.”
Your next class for self improvement should include math and statistics. This was explained to you previously but you don’t seem to be able to add or subtract. The highest per cent increase in gains was the average taxpayer. Additionally, why would a person who pays no tax would get an equal or better refund than a taxpayer who pays millions?
“How about COVID—he diverted funds to go to vaccine research but had no plan for distribution”
Trump knew how to deliver the vaccine but if you remember in collusion with Democrats Pfizer held up distribution of the vaccine to benefit Democrats. Neither cared about the American people.
I do not wish to spend more time correcting the foolishness of a goldfish trying to walk on land. You are unhinged and cannot deal with reality.
To simplify things for Gigi because she is unable to do the math I copied the following.
The Restaurant Bill Parable
A group of 10 friends go out to eat at a restaurant. The total bill comes to $100. They decide to pay the bill in a way that mirrors how taxes are paid in society.
The first four friends (the poorest) pay nothing.
The fifth pays $1.
The sixth pays $3.
The seventh pays $7.
The eighth pays $12.
The ninth pays $18.
The tenth (the richest) pays $59.
One day, the restaurant owner decides to give them a $20 discount, so now their total bill is only $80. The friends still want to pay in a way that reflects the tax system, but they argue over how to split the savings.
The owner suggests that since they’re all already paying different amounts, the discount should be distributed similarly. Here’s how it works out:
The first four friends still pay nothing (they didn’t pay before, so no savings for them).
The fifth friend now pays nothing (saves $1).
The sixth friend pays $2 instead of $3 (saves $1).
The seventh friend pays $5 instead of $7 (saves $2).
The eighth friend pays $9 instead of $12 (saves $3).
The ninth friend pays $14 instead of $18 (saves $4).
The tenth friend pays $50 instead of $59 (saves $9).
After the meal, the friends start to compare their savings.
“I only saved $1,” says the fifth friend.
“I only saved $1 too,” says the sixth friend.
“Well, I saved $2,” says the seventh.
“I only saved $3,” says the eighth.
“Hey, I saved $4,” says the ninth.
“But he (the tenth friend) got $9 back! That’s not fair!”
The other friends agreed and began to criticize the richest friend. “Why does he get more back than any of us?” they asked.
Feeling unappreciated and attacked, the tenth friend decided to stop eating with them altogether. The next night, only nine friends showed up. They split the bill according to the same system, but now they were $59 short.
S. Meyer: you just throw out what you claim to be “facts”, and like all MAGA disciples, you include no citations to source. Because you are a MAGA, I discount everything you write. You claim you are “correcting foolishness”–but you are just repeating the MAGA slop you believe to be true. Trump is the one who has proven, over and over again, that he couldn’t care less about the American people, which is why he lied, over and over again, about the seriousness of COVID, pushed fake cures, and did nothing to marshal the assets to get vaccines delivered–COVID made him look bad and he has no leadership skills or altruism whatsoever. This is the first time I’ve heard the conspiracy theory about Pfizer colluding with Democrats–where did you come up with that one?
“S. Meyer: you just throw out what you claim to be “facts”, ”
Gigi, you are lying. I provided facts and links to accepted facts, many from government sources. Here is one example. When we discussed Israel, not only did I provide you with the truth, but I also provided you with timelines, treaties, and explanations acceptable to almost everyone. You could not deal with the truth, so you ran away, only to repeat the same nonsense later. I can’t count the number of times, when dealing with others, you did the same while they corrected your numbers on inflation, employment, tax cuts, etc. You ran away from them as well and then repeated the errors. (The other post below, explains the numerics problem you are having with the tax cuts. If you fail to understand the relationship, you are in serious intellectual decline.)
“This is the first time I’ve heard the conspiracy theory about Pfizer colluding with Democrats–where did you come up with that one?
The MSM including the NYT..
You have yet to learn that debate requires honesty and replying to the things you don’t believe. If you need a list of the treaties and other things regarding Israel, I will provide it again, but only if you are interested in the discussion and willing to put in the time to find the truth.
“Those fast food hardened arteries could sneak up on him.”
Behold the repulsive Left:
Hopes that its opponents die. Cheers a cold-blooded murderer as a “justice” warrior. Condemns and tries to jail a good Samaritan as a “vigilante.”
Tranny influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who achieved stardom by flouncing about as The Chick With A Dick on a beer can while claiming to be a girl, is celebrating his 1,000th day of misogynist cosplay.
That was yesterday, actually. How the hell did Jonathan’s friend Dennis McIntyre – or George – forget to remind us of that and command that we celebrate beside the three of them on that anniversary?
TV Host Caroline Di Russo Mocks Dylan Mulvaney For Celebrating His 1000 Days “As A Girl
https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/tv-host-mocks-dylan-mulvaney-for-celebrating-1000-days-as-a-girl/video/d15d9d25071a192b7a747ff76629b01b
When is your one year anniversary? You seem to be fishing for compliments.
* Anon, ever watch the movie All of Me with Steve Martin and lily Tomlin?
Dylan is in reality a eunuch with secondary sex traits caused by MASSIVE doses of hormones. He’s also delusional. Poor fellow…I’m sure his life span has been cut short. I sincerely hope he finds some happiness.
Every American needs to have a plan for living in a VERY dangerous 3rd world.