Where does an 800 pounds Bengal tiger sleep? Anywhere it wants to! This is a comment on the mighty economic sledgehammer that is the U.S. economy. And the entire faux tariffs warfare waged by the EU and essentially all rest of the word. But for the massive value of all things traded—gained, given away, over-valued, de-valued—the whole affair would be amusing. Did anybody in the world—setting China aside for a moment—truly expect serious bargaining with the U.S.? How gracious was Trump to allow a bit of time (precious little) for self-serving serving, face-saving protests by many, with the EU leading that parade? Give honest consideration to the massive “win-win” outcome. As for China, that is a monumental task. After all, they are the best “long-game” players in history, with a penchant for making massive investments in human lives in that game.
Not entirely parenthetic, Mao was the biggest murderer of humans in history. His murder of 40-65 million of his own people was likely a skosh higher than Stalin’s, well, 40-60 million.
While critiquing my friends and colleagues in the esteemed EU, can someone explain why on Thursday, Europe’s powerhouse trio, the U.K., France and Germany (E3) initiated the process to reimpose sweeping sanctions against Iran over its “significant non-compliance” with international nuclear agreements. I know I did not miss anything fantastically reckless and stupid when the UN lifted those sanctions. But what am I missing today?
Back to another highlight of global naiveté: negotiating with Putin. Really, people! Consider the Russian playbook and its utter disregard for human lives. Again, the dipsomatic Stalin murdered tens of millions of his people in the name of his beloved Rodina (Mother Russia). And now, Putin.
Could chocking off his war-funding-machine-money-spigot, energy exports, with our sanctions on Russia and its main trading partners motivate Putin to abandon his megalomania. A starving Russian population is not far in the rearview mirror. Then there is China, again, as a buyer and the remarkably misbehaving India. Brazil? Can you spell economic suicide?
Bloodletting in U.S. cities continue unabated. Social change takes just too long, even when desired by most. It is not!
The obvious mental health crisis rages on in this incomprehensibly permissive society. It is no longer whispered about. A good start, however, many of the underlying causes are, at best, merely rationalized…
Political correctness is a cancer of society. In the U.S., assigning responsibility and blame is not socially acceptable.
Who ever thought murders in our cities would become political footballs. And so common place as to be seen by many as, well, common place.
Trump Derangement Syndrome rages on among the intellectually bankrupt. Do not confuse them with facts and figures. The more virulent, public, and loud the hatred among the hardcore haters, the more Trump’s approval ratings rise. Something about better wages, near full employment, recognition of merit, and those ancient values that resonate. “Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in this world, but it has not solved one yet.” — Maya Angelou, 1991.
Your humble scribe, Manning, writes and talks about antisemitism. I call it as the second oldest pathology in mankind, second only to misogyny, I opine. Antisemitism appears to have no bottom to go to. Rather than writing another opus on this, I have one question I demand an answer to.
Some readers and listeners of this INFLUENCER, recall the antisemitic riots at UCLA last year. I witnessed that incredible breakdown of human decency and learning firsthand. Perhaps cowardly, I stayed a mere two blocks away from the mayhem. Just too old to be handcuffed fighting those misanthropes.
Here is my demand. At this writing, the Trump administration is demanding $1 billion from UCLA for its complicity in those despicable Hamas-championing, Jewish blood-thirsty “love-ins” on campus. First: is $1 billion enough particularly that it is us, tax-overburdened California taxpayers who will foot that bill?
Just so you all know, the university provided the barricades to create the Jew-Free Zones. ON THE UCLA CAMPUS.
My question: Somewhere in the bowels of the massive data on their students, does UCLA maintain a list of Jews on campus? Students? Employees? First, I will bet my car that they do as to teaching staff. As to students? If they do, your humble scribe, Manning, will make the evening news leading the most aggressive demonstration in campus history. And likely be writing the following INFLUENCER from confinement in Los Angeles County Jail.
Good news, bad news. China’s economic slowdown continues unabated, while its military build-up accelerates to at a rapid rate. How does that math make sense, you ask? Easy, if humans have little value.
If interested, read the uniquely qualified Gordon Chang, and some, humble me, on all things China, including the immense genocide it is perpetrating.
Three hundred Israeli trucks carrying relief supplies and commercial goods, alongside sixty-eight UN aid trucks (World Food Programme) enter Gaza daily. Five hundred are needed. How about the world unites to eradicate Hamas, thereby ending the suffering of the people and, possibly, if we may daydream, bringing peace to all in the region.
Most importantly (is it?), as I write this—are you sitting down—there are 120 armed conflicts being waged around the world. Many receive no media coverage. You know: “those” people and “over there.” Oh yes: somewhere between 500 and 2,000 people will die today in those conflicts.
Nearly 8,000 children worldwide will die of malnutrition today. Yes: this is one of the reasons we put our heart and soul into MONDAYINFLUENCER®! As you know, 20% of all subscription revenue is donated to children’s causes.
A couple relevant factoids to consider, as a gauge of the downward vortex of human compassion in the world: Taylor and Travis’ engagement is what “broke” the Internet for good part of a day.
So there. The most important “thing” on millions of minds.
Thanks for reading and listening. More next week…