Peak Stupidity's review of Tucker's interview with Vlad
Posted On: Friday - February 9th 2024 6:57PM MST
In Topics: The Russians Pundits The Neocons World Political Stupidity
Yes, I watched the whole thing. Tucker Carlson "warned" us in this 4-min preview, in Mr. Tucker's inteview, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave some long answers to his questions, with the longest being a treatise on Russian history going back to the Rus in the 9th century. That link goes to tuckercarlson.com*, but I am glad to have found the whole interview on Rumble, so I could embed it here.**
Much of Mr. Putin's soliloquy on the history of Russia and the Ukraine is over with by 48 minutes in, where I stopped last night. The timeline here, straight off of Mr. Carlson's site, kind of smears over a lot of the first 1 1/2 hour, and sorry that I don't have the times as links. My review follows the video below, since I watched the rest today.
TIMESTAMP HEADLINE:
00:00:00 - - Introduction
00:02:00 - - Putin gives a history of Russia & Ukraine
00:25:04 - - NATO Expansion
00:30:40 - - NATO & Bill Clinton
00:41:10 - - Ukraine
00:48:30 - - What triggered this conflict?
01:02:37 - - A peaceful solution?
01:11:33 - - Who blew up the Nord Stream pipelines?
01:24:13 - - Re-establishing communication with the US
01:36:33 - - How powerful is Zelensky?
01:48:36 - - Elon Musk & AI
01:51:07 - - Imprisoned American journalist Evan Gershkovich
Firstly, to me it's a shame that the bulk of the interview was a discussion of the Russia/Ukraine war. No doubt, I'd feel different were I Russian or Ukrainian. However, Peak Stupidity's position is that America has NO BUSINESS being involved (as President Putin would agree), so the whole thing should not be a concern, as in, what else do we want to learn about or from the President of Russia?
Mr. Carson was very respectful, so even if he hadn't wanted to keep talking about this, and the possible world-wide escalation of it, he wouldn't have wanted to interrupt, it seemed, to get to any other subjects. That brings up the fact that Tucker Carlson acted like an ACTUAL JOURNALIST here. At the many points I would have been so tempted to answer "Hey, not me, man! That's the Potomac Regime, not the average American you're talking about.", Mr. Carlson stayed mum. I doubt he talked even 1% of the time in this interview. He gave none of his own opinions, and just asked the short questions. You NEVER see that from the ctrl-left talking heads on TV, and even lots of those on the right. "Journalists" want to argue, not interview, these days.
Going along with these thoughts, I was also surprised that Mr. Carlson asked the type of questions that could easily have come from a Neocon "journalist", except, again, without the opinionating. Though asked very respectfully, when it came to the war, the questions were on the hostile side. I was surprised by that. I wonder whether Mr. Carlson is more worried about this war than I thought or that he wants to appear unbiased to show up those in America who have given him grief for, GASP!, interviewing a foreign leader whom the Regime doesn't get along with. (One of the big newspapermen interviewed Adolph Hitler in the mid-1930's. You do want information, don't you? Or is that not the idea?)
As for the war, I agree with President Putin that the expansion of NATO since the end of the Cold War has been a provocation. You don't box animals into corners, especially not bears! NATO should have been disbanded in 1990. It's been obsolete (President Trump agreed, meaning exactly squat), but mission creep started. The events of '14 are not what I've followed, but President Putin described it all, and the reader can argue - I can't.
With all that talk about the causes of the war by President Putin, I did detect a bit of trolling with his talk about the "Nazification". Yeah, there are Ukrainians that are Nazis of sorts. That is not at all the reason the Russians invaded the place. I think Putin said this in order to trap the NeoCons. They wouldn't like to be thought of as supporting Nazis. Was this a way of shutting them up a bit? I think so.
That trolling and a couple of other statements made me not trust Vladimir Putin so awfully much. Those 2:
1) President Putin's contention that the Soviet leaders supported the indigenity*** of the other ethnic groups in the USSR. When you go Communist, everyone's a Commie. That's all the ethnicity you need to think about. For more, not for sure supporting my doubt of President Putin, see this paper.
2) "Diversity is our strength!" - Putin didn't say this in these exact words, but that's what he meant in a couple of sentences about the various other religions in modern Russia. Hmmm, what about those Chechens?
I guess every one of these leaders, as with the Chinese gov't and their pretense at greenness, want to appear a little bit woke in the national spotlight. Yet, we actual Americans like to see the opposite, President Putin's derision of the Regime flag, the genderbending, and all of it. I was hoping for more that in this interview. I think Tucker would not have been able to help breaking into a smile, if Putin had gone there. Why didn't he ask questions about Putin's views on this side of America? I, for one, would have enjoyed a lot more of that.
President Putin talked world economics for a spell. His view that the Potomac Regime has screwed the US Dollar over (IMO, it was going to go down anyway, maybe more slowly) with the sanctions, hence the American economy, is one I also agree with. His talk about the BRICS and Russian great relations with China (yeah, no mention of the 1950 and '60s) also had a big dose of BS though. I got the feeling he's not a big Economics guy, one I would want to take advice from in this realm.
I am disappointed that, as important as it is to Vladimir Putin, the interview was heavily focused on the Ukraine war. There was a re-hash near the end, and I dozed off 3 or 4 times, just trying to get to that 2:07. The stupidity of the Climate Calamity™ and other Western or particularly American flavors of stupidity are subjects I wish Tucker had asked him about.
Finally, just a few small details, not in order. If you don't have the 2 hours, if nothing else, go to the 01:11:33 mark to see the humorous exchange between these two regarding the destruction of (most of) the Nord Stream pipelines.
Just before that, at about 01:10:50, President Putin had a very nice rant. "Don't you have anything better to do?" bringing up the US border invasion and other major problems. (Because of English's lack of a difference in plurality for that 2nd-person pronoun "you" - the translator didn't know "y'all", I would just have to tell him that it wasn't ME!) His point was we have better things to do than spend in the 100 Billions of dollars supporting the Ukraine.
Interestingly, Putin knew some detail about Tucker having applied, I gather, to work at the CIA at some point. (For a friend of mine, it was just so he could carry a gun more easily.) That's some KGB-like behavior, showing he had someone dig up something on Tucker. You can take the man out of the Intelligence Community, because it's gone when the country falls, but you can't take the ... whatever...
The last detail I'll bring up was just weird and unexpected for me. Note the last timestamp (not actually the last subject) about Evan Gershkovich. This guy is apparently a prisoner in Russia. Tucker started off by telling President Putin that we all know of this guy, or something to that effect. Whaaaa?? I've never heard of the guy. I hate to see an honest journalist, if Mr. Gershkovich is one, get imprisoned, but, what was bringing this up all about? I really think that Mr. Carlson was put on some sort of mission to help out the guy. He pushed the subject hard and basically pleaded for the Russian government to see this WSJ guy as innocent. I don't know. We have over a thousand Political Prisoners in the Washington, FS dungeons. That's what I care about much more. Tucker does too, so ... whatever - that part was just weird.
To summarize quickly, this was not a waste of 2 hours, but my excitement about watching this important interview had been unwarranted.
* I watched on his site, if nothing else, so support Mr. Carlson via a view. My wife went and donated $72 for a year of Tucker video access. I told her he doesn't need the money, but that I may do the same in order to show support as a "subscriber" or what-have-you. However, I also see that to watch a video by Mr. Carlson with some after-thoughts, one needs to pay up. That's more incentive... or my wife and I will watch it together, and I'll be the cheap-ass.
** You can watch it on Tucker's site here. Commenter Hail has left us the link to "Tucker Carlson: After the Vladimir Putin interview", here. I haven't watched it yet.
*** Spell-check doesn't like it, but that's the term the translator used, and I can't think of a better one.
Comments (18)
Senile Joe relives the 1970s
Posted On: Friday - February 9th 2024 9:32AM MST
In Topics: Elections '16 - '24 Economics Inflation Zhou Bai Dien
... trashes opponent Strom Thurmond.... (I kid, but ...)
This guy's pretty far gone, but that's another post. I noted some of old Joe's stupidity, maybe lies, maybe both, as described by Gateway Pundit Cullen Linebarger: Shameless Joe Biden Blasts Grocery Stores for “Ripping People Off and Vows to Pressure Them on Pricing During Speech in South Carolina - ....
This is a Peak Stupidity "I told you so" moment. That is, we told you so, 2 months back, that the 1970s erroneous excuses/explanations for inflation would be brought back across the half century, in our post That old Wage-Price Spiral phenomenon. Yep, President Biden remembers the 1970s, better than he remembers last Tuesday. He was already in the US Senate right BEFORE inflation got big, starting January of 1973.
I think those memories of the BS spouted in the 1970s is coming back to the President, fresh in his mind, like it were yesterday.:
But for all we’ve done to bring prices down, there are still too many corporations in America ripping people off: price gouging, junk fees, greedflation, shrinkflation.Yes, keep on those guys, Joe! Keep fighting for us - bring Big Mac meals back down to $3.89!
Well, it’s going to stop. Americans, we’re tired of being played for suckers. And that’s why we’re going to keep these guys — keep on them and get the prices down.
Now, Peak Stupidity does rag on shrinkflation - we call it "inflation by deflation"*. However, we just don't like the sleazy way the Big Biz marketing people avoid directly raising the package prices. The underlying problem is not mean greedy people in these companies, but it's the creation of currency out of thin air by the FED. No, Joe, it's not going to stop. Prices in general will not go down - they can only go up, which is in accordance basic laws of Economics.
Yes, though. We ARE being played for suckers. He got that right.
* You'll see a number of posts with our thoughts on this using the Inflation topic key.
Comments (11)
California customer care call
Posted On: Thursday - February 8th 2024 4:40PM MST
In Topics: California Big-Biz Stupidity Customer Care
(I didn't get to talk to the cutie in front. I figure it was the guy next to her.)
Peak Stupidity normally attaches the tag to these anecdotes about the world of dealing with customer service, errrr "customer care", it is now. However, this call wasn't half bad and ended on a fun note.
After having paid ahead on the cable bills to avoid extra check/postage/time expenditures, I was left with 92¢ on the bill. I had rounded up when I paid for 4 months, but these people must have had some new very small charge added. I'd normally have waited till next month to pay, but my experience recently with other Big Biz billing told me that these people may just pop on a $10 late charge on those 92 cents - you just don't know what they'll pull when they think you have no options.
I was ready to send in 4 months worth + $10, but there was no slip with the return address to show through the envelope window. I looked for 5 minutes, but there was no address to be found. Ahhhh! Gotta make a phone call - I dread this stuff. Well, OK, you mash "0" enough times, and the software cries "uncle" and hooks you up with a human, this time named Ron.
Ron spoke clear English, after I told him this one should be easy. All I wanted was the address to send MONEY in - they want money, right? He needed my PIN. Why? Holy crap, I had no memory of having one of those, but then "look, this isn't any kind of security worry, man. I just want to send in some money". Ron actually told me flat out that he kinda had to stick with the script*, so we needed that code.
He gave me some clues on that PIN. I tried one. "OK, we're talking 4 digits." Hmmmm.... I tried another. We got lucky. It was fun, like some sort of parlor game. He could give me the address to send in money now. As I told him, this would be an easy one.
Finally, I just had to ask where his call center was. He was in California, of all places. "Good to hear! I'm glad they're keeping some of this work in America ... well, I mean sort of ... at this point ...." Ron was greatly amused by that.
PS: OK, back to the Tucker/Vladimir interview. I'm learning some ancient history of the Rus people. Thank you, Vlad.
* He used another term, and dang if I can remember it now.
Comments (7)
Dispatches from the Middle Kingdom: Exit Tracking
Posted On: Thursday - February 8th 2024 11:13AM MST
In Topics: Immigration Stupidity China
We are trying to get all these China posts out of our system before the New Years resolution imposed deadline of ours. This post works as a contrast to all the posts on American Immigration Stupidity (yeah, or Evil) we've written lately. No matter what you think of the Orwellian and Totalitarian behavior of the Xi Regime or just the ways of the Chinese in general, at least the Chinese government is not running a Population Replacement Program. The situation is far from it.
Upon leaving China for America out of Shanghai Pudong airport, we went through the Chinese version of what’s is called Exit Tracking. I didn’t see it coming, as we’d already had our passports looked at by security (then, later on, BTW, 3, yes, THREE times by the departure gate).
The idea is to keep track of people leaving your country, China, in this case, by scanning passports, taking facial photos and even looking at the visas we had for entry. The point is, if it’s known who enters and who leaves, then the small amount of accumulation of non-immigrant entrants* can be determined. Your country can be considered a control volume, in the engineering sense, so ΔP = Pin - Pout + Pgeneration (births - deaths). In the case of people, they aren’t just numbers but specific individuals who can be found and deported for illegally overstaying their visas, with the likely threat of being banned from further entry in the future.
It took me a second, but when it came to me what this checkpoint of sorts was about, I remarked to people next to me in the short line, ”This is exit control*. This is what you do in a serious country.”
There was a little bit more involved. Though there was some sign with a QR code about the health app, I reckoned "we don't need no steeenking health code, Guanyuan!" I inserted a paragraph in the postscript of this post (one of the first coming out of this trip) regarding the pure silliness and uselessness of the Chinese health app for entering China. The Kung Flu stupidity had abated by Summer '23, so we shouldn't have needed this going to the US.
Well, see the guy in the picture above? That was approximately 2 seconds before he yelled at me. What exactly he yelled is lost to history, what with the face mask... and the fact that I hardly know any Chinese. What I figured he yelled was something along the lines of "go back and use the Kung Flu app, and what are you doing taking my picture?!!"
We came back, and, for the sake of my readers, I was worried enough about this guy's asking me to delete this picture that I deleted it knowing I had a month to recover it from the Deleted area. Faux pax aside, I give the Chinese credit for preventing the massive visa overstaying that is another source of illegal aliens for America.
Not only are they serious about who resides in their land of over a billion Han people, the Chinese have it good when it comes to rooting out visa overstayers once they easily determine who they are. Because they don’t have masses and masses of unassimilated foreigners, finding some ”White ghost” who was supposed to have left is much easier than it would be for American authorities, even if they made an effort, to root out some illegal Chinese guy working at a restaurant along with a million others in one of the New York Chinatowns, or even in Anytown, USA. (The number of Chinese illegal aliens in America is big.)
You can learn a lot from a pissed off Chinaman.
* Exit control is, I suppose, a step beyond this. This was tracking of foreigners, though I'm sure China also looks for Chinese citizens who were up to no good leaving the country. They probably encourage this and get the airlines to give them upgrades.
** And China doesn’t allow very many immigrant entries, best I can see.
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Nikki Haley is second to none in Nevada
Posted On: Wednesday - February 7th 2024 6:36PM MST
In Topics: Elections '16 - '24 Music Humor Trump The Neocons
Though there will be a caucus tomorrow to pick Donald Trump anyway, the Nevada government required a primary. For some reason, Donald Trump was not on the ballot, but then this "None of these candidates" guy, who ought to be on all of them, was, and he won handily.
I have my problems with him, but Trump's ability to fight using his mouth is also second to none. This was highly amusing.
We hear you're leaving, that's OK... Perhaps, darling Nikki (no, don't get me thinking about the Prince song*, please) could find a nice high-paying cushy job "consulting" for Offense Contractors as, you know, just a private citizen making a buck. Perhaps she could "work" from home. I would if I had that 2 1/2 million '19-dollar house on Kiawah Island.
Hopefully, someone's already given her a business card or contact...
Nikki don't lose that number.
You don't wanna call nobody else.
Send it off in a letter to yourself.
Nikki don't lose that number.
It's the only one you own.
You might use it if you feel better
when you get home.
Wheewww! That's some great lead guitar by Jeff "Skunk" Baxter who later became a Doobie Brother. This hit song (the biggest commercial hit for this un-commercial style group) was from Steely Dan's 3rd album, Pretzel Logic. Whichever other studio musicians that had play with them, Steely Dan was Donald Fagen and Walter Becker.
PS: Big hat tips to clever Gateway Pundit commenters TedSam and Mike Ghost somewhere here for our title and the music suggestion, respectively.
* Whatever you think about that particular song, that guy could sure play guitar too.
Comments (9)
Meanwhile, over in Europe ...
Posted On: Wednesday - February 7th 2024 10:17AM MST
In Topics: Global Climate Stupidity Globalists World Political Stupidity People's Revolt
Peak Stupidity has a few known European readers and probably some number between 0 and a few thousand unknown European readers too. We do realize that stupidity happens in locations outside the US. Stupidity, and sometimes lack thereof, in China has been a particular focus. Let me at least mention what's been going on in Europe lately under the (now more general) topic key People's Revolt*.
The resistance by farmers in Europe to the tyrannical dictates out of Brussels (heart of the E.U. Regime) is not on most Americans'
Name notwithstanding, my John Birch Society magazine, The New American does a pretty good job reporting on the new onerous restrictions being laid down on the agriculture industry in Europe (they imagine, correctly, that the same will happen here). Another source is The Gateway Pundit, such as these posts on the situations in Germany, France, and Spain.
Highways and roads have been blocked, manure has been sprayed on buildings, and lots of fun mayhem has been enjoyed by the (regular) people of the earth. Very much as with protests by truckers, this stuff is hard for the Globalist elites trying to
Yesterday Gateway Pundit said EU FOLDS, FARMERS WIN: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Will Scrap Green ‘Sustainable Use Regulation’ Aiming To Halve Fertilizer Usage. That IS good news, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
These people don't just up and give up or even say they've been wrong. Here's this piece of work named Ursula:
"Our farmers deserve to be listened to", Von der Leyen told the European Parliament.More:
"I know that they are worried about the future of agriculture and their future as farmers. But they also know that agriculture needs to move to a more sustainable model of production so that their farms remain profitable in the years to come."
"The EU Commission finally acknowledges that its approach was not the right one, and so strengthens the credibility and importance of the current strategic dialogue", the lobby’s president Christiane Lambert said in a post on social media platform X.No, see, that's not the ... look, it's not that the farmers don't understand why you EU Overlords want new regulations in place. It's not your presentation. It's the WHOLE! DAMN! PROGRAM!
The EU folks try to revert in their lecturing to the old standbys of normal ACTUAL pollution or harm, degraded soil, pesticide run-off, etc. BULL. Those problems have been worked on, if not solved, for a century.
Belgian’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo welcomed the proposal in a post on X, saying it was "crucial we keep our farmers on board to a more sustainable future of farming, as part of our determination to get the Green Deal done."See? It's about using the completely bogus - unless you have a working mathematical model of the entire Earth's climate, it most certainly is! - Climate Calamity™ excuse to take over another huge part of the economies of the Western World, Agriculture. People are getting wise to this. Even if they DO believe that this theory about man-made Global Warming is a certainty, most people have kind of gotten the idea that it's still a lot of hype. After all, climate predictions made decades ago don't seem to have come to fruition. You don't ruin the economy over it. That's what the farmers in Europe know.
Most of the Globalists in EU headquarters in Brussels undoubtedly know this too, but just in case the reader doesn't get it, they WANT to ruin the economy. They've got their own 15-minute city and eat-zee-bugs plans to implement to replace it.
Bravo, European farmers! Just remember, what might seem like a backing down by the elites is just their way of humoring you for a spell. As the Instapundit says regularly, "don't get cocky, kid."
* This is the topic key formerly known as People's Revolt of '22, named when I thought the Canadian trucker's protest and other resistance against vaccine mandates might turn into something a lot bigger. Hopefully, just our time-line was off - this post is hopeful, at least.
** WARNING: That link goes to X-twitter. I cannot find the guy's actual blog other than one back from '05.
Comments (12)
Invade the World/Invite the World: Cause & Effect
Posted On: Tuesday - February 6th 2024 6:44PM MST
In Topics: Immigration Stupidity Pundits US Feral Government The Neocons World Political Stupidity
(Thanks, E.H. Hail for the image and also for the interesting background commentary below.)
I don't think the name Steve Sailer is unfamiliar to Peak Stupidity readers, at least, we are sure, to those who comment here.* It's not even just from the direct reading of his words, but the Invade the World/Invite the World idea of his clever thinking has gotten "noticed" elsewhere too. We are glad of that, because it's an expression that may wake people up who sorely need to be woken up.
In all of Mr. Sailer's writing that could be considered expounding on that theme, I don't recall ever having read his explaining the relationship between the two parts, but just that both parts of this dastardly policy are big with American politicians, the Deep State, and the Regime in general. Has he explained more, and I missed it? Is the "Invite the World" policy an effect of the "Invade the World" policy, does the arrow of causation go the other way, or is it just that the same people push for both policies?
Though I won't get to it until the end of it, it's that loyal (no kidding!) CongressMusselman outta Minnesota we were truly shocked by last week who instigated this post.
Let's consider the possibilities. The first is that the American "Invade the World" policy seen since the end of the Cold War has caused the "Invite the World" policy. Invading the World at will was enabled by America's now-quickly-fading sole superpower status. The Neocons of the Regime have had the hardware, the amazing air-powered supply chain, enough capable personnel, and the economic might to bomb and otherwise make war on any minor foe anywhere around the world with minimal losses.
War creates refugees. I've read from a number of different "parties" the explanation that, yes, it's these large masses of refugees that American has created via warfare that require us to "Invite the World". I can think of 3 different groups that use this explanation:
1) Those who are supportive of the Population Replacement Program - they like this excuse to bring in masses of foreigners. Additionally, since the end of the Cold War, many of the ctrl-left are not particularly opposed to the US warmongering anymore, as they don't need to protect the Commies anymore. (They are long gone... so we are to believe. Actually, they are HERE, and for the ctrl-left, "we have met them, and they are us.")
2) The often-nominally-Conservative Big Biz money donors who want continual importation of cheap labor and the D-squad rank and file who want more voters. They may not believe in "Invade the World", but that there are refugees around the world who can be invited to work for cheap and/or vote (or just be counted in the census), makes this cause & effect story a good excuse.
3) Deluded people who can't count or remember recent history. I've heard that the "Invade the World" policy causes us to have to "Invite the World" from people who should damn well know better.
What should they know better? Well, when was America's last war with Mexico (there will be a quiz later), OK, two-sided war, that is? Mexicans HAVE been the bulk of the illegal influx, though that has changed since last century. How about our recent wars with China or India? These countries have been the source of a large bulk of the LEGAL immigration this century**, but where was the war? Show me the war.
Perhaps this idea started with the aftermath of the Vietnam war. Yes, Americans did see good reasons to take in the boat people and other refugees from the Communists. Right at the end of the war there were about 150,000 who came, but from 1979 to '99, a half million more did. I would posit that only the first group were true refugees. Then, any numbers from the 1980s on, and especially those coming this century, are more like part of family reunification, mail-order bride programs.
No matter, as many countries as America HAS bombed or invaded since the Cold War, there are an overwhelming number of countries it has not from which come plenty of immigrants, legal and illegal. No,the invading of the world has not caused the inviting of the world.
Perhaps there is no cause & effect relationship. It is just that the same people that gravitate toward support of the first policy also gravitate to support of the second.
The Neocons are, by (my) definition***, in favor of America's invading the world. What about their views on the Population Replacement Program? There's some overlap, from the portion of the Neocons that evolved out of the ctrl-left. They may like destroying other countries, but destroying traditional America is Job 1. They are completely down with the PRP.
Some of the Neocons are nominally "conservative", acting as if it is still the era of the Cold War, with a big militarily presence required around the world to contain Communism.
The Potomac Regime itself is down with both parts of "Invade the World/Invite the World", whether they can come up with any BS correlation or not. "War is the health of the State", it's been said.**** What about the other part? That's pretty simple: If the Regime is to be allowed to stay healthy by liberal application of warfare, they cannot have a White Middle Class population who may form opposing organizations and may not be down with this program. Going 3rd World in the manner of 2% elites and 98% peons, in the sole superpower (as they envision it), is beneficial when you just don't need any damn feedback on foreign policy. Therefore the Population Replacement Program is also good for the health of the State. It's just more of a preventative medication than an acute one.
There could be no cause & effect relationship between "Invade the World" and "Invite the World", but it's just the same evil human beings who promote both.
Now, as to how loyal (to Somalia I mean... or is that Somaliland, WHO CARES?!) Representative Ilhan Omar instigated this post, I can see a new take on this. The large masses of groups of immigrants that have been "invited" result in a lack of assimilation. What this means is, rather than become American politically and thinking of American concerns, they do not leave the politics of their old countries behind.
Peak Stupidity noted the stupidity of Importing a civil war, in Sweden. Yeah, they imported roughly equal numbers of Iraqis and Iranians - gotta be fair, ya know. More recently, in our post The Falun Gong Gang does Toronto, we reported on the Chinese Communist Party having their own freaking police stations in Canada. Canada may easily have larger proportion of Chinese people than we do here, but the main point is that the large groups will hold onto their politics from the old world. That includes Communists vs non-Communists (Taiwanese people live here too), as if we don't have these battles among our own people already?!
Nothing is different in this regard with American immigration. The reader may see that I'm getting to the point about the differently-headgeared Omar. What her politics in the US House o' Representin' are about is using American military might to serve her aims over there in the horn of Africa, her ACTUAL country. There's a constituency behind her up there in Minneapolis that thinks it's important foreign policy for there to be an American-led war against Somaliland, or Ethiopia to free Somaliland, or some bullshit that real American could not imagine fighting, much less dying, for. Let me remind any readers who are not as astute as our average that America WAS already involved military in that shithole in the woods, just a few months over 30 years ago. It didn't end well.
Ilhan Omar was 11 years old at the time. She may have liked the way it ended for Americans. Per Wiki, the reason American relief aid was sent there was due to the actions of President Mohamed Siad Barre a few years earlier, the man Ilhan's Dad***** worked for. President Barre had split the Somali army into factions to retain power. African-style madness ensued, including a huge famine, resulting in the relief effort and military operation defending it.
Lucky for her, little Ilhan made it to America, where she made the big-time so she could push the "Invade the World" policy. That is purely a result of the "Invite the World" policy. Is that the new causal relationship?
A final thought is that the cause & effect relationship may go different ways at different times, each part of the "Invade the World/Invite the World" policy feeding on the other. Round and round she goes, where it all ends, I'm pretty sure I know ...
* I used to look at the stats from the hosting company to see which sites and pages had visits resulting in views here. Of course, unz.com is the site on which I put 99% of the links to here, but I could see that, say, one Fred Reed page resulted in n many views. I haven't looked in a long time, but my withdrawal from unz.com may have changed the stats. That's something I will wait for a few more months to see.
** This has also been changing, especially in regards to the Chinese. I have had experiences that tell my refu-dar that there are plenty of illegal alien •Indians .
*** See also Part 2
**** Quote is by American Randolph Bourne, it is said, from 1912.
***** This man, originally named Nur Said Elmi Mohamed, illegally immigrated to the US, making the Rep from Minnegadishu a true Bug-out Baby.
Mrs. Omar says her Dad died of the Kung Flu in '20. Even if he actually died FROM it, well, I can tall you that I have seen no sympathy cards being handed around for best wishes by any of the Peak Stupidity staff.
Comments (14)
Ron v Micky: Last Round
Posted On: Monday - February 5th 2024 4:29PM MST
In Topics: Political Correctness Big-Biz Stupidity President DeSantis
That there even was this last round is due to that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is a fighter, not a bullshitter, cough, cough, as opposed to certain ... cough cough ... (A guy named Ken Cuccinelli explained here.)
The Red State site discussed this likely last round in the year or two long fight between the good Governor and the Woke World of Disney. As it's been a tourist State since the selling of swampland to suckers petered out, Florida long ago let the Disney Company basically run their own government on a huge piece of land called Reedy Creek - it's 47 mi2 in central Florida (around Orlando, of course) - in return for all the tourist spending that could be taxed. Disney has taxing powers above and beyond local and State taxation in the district.
In Disney's own words:
In 1967, the Florida State Legislature established a special district in Orange and Osceola Counties known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District (recently renamed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District). Encompassing 25,000 acres, this special district provides and manages municipal services for the 47-square miles of the Walt Disney World Resort.Yeah, from that article it sounds great, but here's a less biased view from The Tallahassee Democrat.
For more than 55 years the special district fulfilled its legislative intent as outlined in its original charter – the advancement of economic progress and well-being of the people of Florida by facilitating the development of a world-class tourist destination and was a model of efficient and well-run local government.
The thing is, money's not everything, and Ron DeSantis' stance against the extreme Woke politics of Disney and Disney World, where the kids can experience it, encompasses this thought. Those politicians that have been against his fight either have more greed than Conservativism (the local ones), are envious of DeSantis' success, or they (on the left) simply want the Cultural Rev. 2.0 to continue.
Well, I'll keep the suspense down by keeping this short, simple, and sweet. this Red State article says:
Gov. Ron DeSantis earned a victory lap on Wednesday after Disney's last-gasp lawsuit against him failed in federal court.I'd say those critics on the right were the envious ones.
The judge in the case dismissed the much-ballyhooed move against the governor based on a lack of standing and the plaintiff's failure to state a claim. With that, total victory against "The Mouse" has been secured.
Gov. Ron DeSantis earned a victory lap on Wednesday after Disney's last-gasp lawsuit against him failed in federal court.
Every step of the way, DeSantis has bested Disney, though some of his critics on the right boasted that this particular lawsuit proved the governor had "lost to Mickey Mouse." That was always ludicrous, and there was always a good chance it would not prevail.
Winner by a knock out punch to the nose and ears: Ron DeSantis!
Comments (12)
Babylon Bee reporting clears things up for us
Posted On: Saturday - February 3rd 2024 6:43PM MST
In Topics: Immigration Stupidity Humor
There's a lot of humor to be found by actually using the true meanings of words. I had 3 other different Babylon Bee headlines to put up, but these 2 fit together nicely.
Yeah, and while you're at it:
That's all I've got to say, besides the usual thanks, goodbye for the blog-week, and preview.
This has been a hellacious Immigration Stupidity week here. I've felt like covering every story, but I've touched on only a little. We'll have some necessary follow-ups next week, along with a financial stupidity update straight outta the IRS, 1 or 2 more China posts to meet our New Year's resolution, more music, and MUCH MUCH more stupidity!
Have a restful Sunday, Peakers!
Comments (6)
Dispatches from the Middle Kingdom: Leveration 13:17?
Posted On: Saturday - February 3rd 2024 10:16AM MST
In Topics: AntiChrist China Economics Orwellian Stupidity Bible/Religion
Long-term Peak Stupidity readers know that one hill I am continually fighting for personally is, to put it simply, cash. That is, I don't see any good coming out of the trend toward a cashless society. Our anecdotes and rants on the subject, often titled something about "cash is King", can be found usually with the Economics topic key.
Before our Peak Stupidity road trip this past summer to the Middle Kingdom, I mentioned that I did not really have to go on this trip. I've been there either 11 or 12 times (may have lost all evidence of one of them). However, after reading Kai Stittmatter's We Have Been Harmonized: Life in China's Surveillance State* in late '20, and having not been there 3 years already by then, I really wanted to go back just to see with my own eyes how far the Orwellian practices described in that book have actually gone. Otherwise I would have stayed home.
Well, that mission was not a complete success. Even with trusted Chinese help, I was not deep enough into Chinese society to check on all the matters that Mr. Strittmatter described. A bit confusingly, my Part 3* of the review describes what's not officially, but basically, Section 2 of the 3 sections of the book - the reader may want to read that Review - Part 3 to get the BeJesus scared out of him. That is, even if he is not Chinese, if he's worried that this stuff spreads thanks to wonderful Globalist overlords.
I will concentrate only on the money then. Per, in non-Chinglish this time, Revelations 13:
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:Well, we missed the 1-D bar code era, predicted by a guy whom I though was nuts 4 decades ago. We likely won't need QR codes (2-D bar codes, basically) on our person due to nice, can't really say "non-invasive" here, micro-, maybe even nano-, electronic chips of various sorts.
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Functionally, any modern society can be there. "We HAVE the technology"?, as they say.** In China, 6 is nothing like 8, but it's a slightly lucky number is all. I don't know where verse 18 fits into the scene in China (maybe 666 is in every QR code), and if Chairman Xi is one of the AntiChrists, with a Mandate straight outta' Hell, (hash tag: 1984WithChineseCharacteristics), nobody's talking about it.
So, I just observed and took pictures for a week or so.
That scene was in a small store. Both parties were using their phones to do this transaction. I paid with cash however.
In this village, I took this scene especially to capture the look of the old China. This would have been nearly the same looking 15 years ago. That, however, is in contrast to the new areas, which comprise most of the place now. As for this subject, many people generally live as they always have, and I'm sure the lady paid cash for her veggies.
Cash aside for a second, the Orwellian ubiquitous camera placement - with AI behind it, per author Strittmatter - is even in this village. I don't know whether I can find the picture I took of a big pole with 10 or more obvious cameras. As small and hidden as they can be now, I wondered whether this pole full of them was a legacy from a few years back or more of a blatant warning...
Yes, I noted the face mask. I'd say that the
That was in one of the BIG railway stations, as we went through the line to pay for tickets.*** Indeed, you can still pay in a wad of Mao 100's**** - each is ~ 15 bucks. That doesn't mean most people do. #Convenience! I cannot say that facial recognition and eye scans were not part of the cash transactions though. That equipment is all over the place.
This thing looked like it MIGHT still take cash. As for a card reader, I didn't see much credit/debit card usage in China. (There must be some sort of "cash cards" though.) Much of the population has nearly missed that whole era of payment style, in the same way that most Chinese people missed the land-line phone era*****, their Chinese schoolteacher's lesson about land-line phones being invented by Chinaman Ai li xian de Gaim Baol having gone, whooooshhh, right over their heads.
Yet, one can use his phone to get a bottle of colored sugar water, as long as this thing is connected to the internet. That gets to the basic point here. The Chinese government, as about all of them, wants everyone connected. That allows control, as everywhere connections - phone or old-timey cable - are allowed, one must show his identity to be connected. You can still pay cash, but for places where it matters, ID is ascertained with cameras that are hooked into the big network to check if it's OK for you to buy or sell.
Without that, one can try to live off-the-grid in China too, but that's going to get harder and harder. The policy is to get everyone into the cities (this village realistically is one), living in those 30 story high-rises, and using apps for their very lives.
So, in conclusion, Orwellianism in China is not as bad as I'd envisioned from that book (well, either of them), but things are set up to where The Beast can clamp down at any time.
* Our long 4-part review of the book appears here: Part 1 - - Part 2 - - Part 3 and Part 4.
** Any 1970s TV fans want to chime in...?
*** There were multiple lines to get through though, security, getting tickets confirmed (or something), then actually using them, then there was a line to board... "It's all so tiresome", as the man said.
**** As far as I could see, Mao is still on all the bills. (I'v got an old one, a small denomination with some women on it, but I was told it was of numismatic value at this point.) Will Mao be the last guy on the currency?
***** It's not like they would have never seen one, but, until just about the time cell phones came into wide use, most Chinese people were too poor, so they'd seem them only in government offices.
Comments (6)
Naperville, Illinois Councilman's expert "migrant" welcoming troll job
Posted On: Friday - February 2nd 2024 12:50PM MST
In Topics: Immigration Stupidity Humor
Though I found this short story elsewhere, since VDare is THE site to go to for immigration invasion news - Peak Stupidity is a close 2nd recently - I will link here to a post by Former (Border Patrol) Agent in which he presents and discusses a video clip containing a nice troll job by one Josh McBroom. See Make Immigration Enthusiasts Live Up To Their Own Words—Quarter Illegals In Their Houses.
Josh McBroom is a Councilman for the City of Naperville, a tony suburb of Chicago. Naperville* is 28 miles southwest of the city of Chicago (usually goes from city center), straddling DuPage county on the north and Will country on the south. "Tony" is not a term I've used before. It doesn't mean an Italian area. Instead it means an affluent one (as per Mr. McBroom below) and going along with that, Naperville, though only 62% White, has black and hispanic proportions of 5% and 7% respectively. (Well, on that latter, SO FAR) There is a small proportion of "mixed race", but over 22% Asian**.
In a meeting discussing the issue of the recent migration of
Now, look, I'm not the least naive guy in the world, but I could tell, and would have bet you a grand if you'd wanted, that this guy was trolling the first time I watched this. Former Agent, in this post, leaned the other way, but I believe he figured it out as per a different post of his.
Here's the thing: Josh McBroom had to talk a fine line there. If he were in the least way obvious about his trolling, with different wording and/or a smirk on his face, then the whole council and later all the yard-sign placers of Naperville would call him names and shut him down. No, he had to provide plausible deniability that he was trolling. He kept a straight face and gave no obvious clues that this sign-up sheet idea was a slap in the face of the virtuous hypocrites of Naperville. Nice job, Josh McBroom! Peak Stupidity salutes you.
Really, the much bigger and more basic troll job behind all this has been the actions of the Governors of Florida and Texas by which these foreign burdens on society were shipped up to northern cities to begin with. It's Illegal Alien Hot Potato. Governors DeSantis and Abbott say "thanks for playing".
* The History section of that Wiki page starts with the usual talk about the Indian tribes, the Potawatomi having taken the land from Iliniwek (the future State mascots, if you will) by force. Of course, they were all indigenous, mind you. The White man will never be. All he did was take over and build farms roads, houses, and villages... like Naperville... oh, and lawn signs, yeah...
** Yeah, I know. It's a BIG continent, the BIGGEST, in fact. Why not break out Oriental and Indian (neither the Iliniwek* nor the Potawatomi ones though) at least?
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[UPDATED 02/06:] Youtube no longer has the long version, which is necessary for the viewer to really see the troll job here. I found it on rumble though. Thanks, Rumble!
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Comments (3)
No more Dual Loyalties - The latest from Omar Tyler Moor
Posted On: Thursday - February 1st 2024 9:47AM MST
In Topics: Immigration Stupidity US Feral Government World Political Stupidity President DeSantis
Who can take a nothing day, marry her gay brother for the Green Card file?
Well it's you, girl, and you should know it.
With each rant and every bit of treason you show it."
In the US Congress, I've seen corrupt sumbitches, I've seen greedy ones who care nothing about this nation, I've seen nation wreckers aiding and abetting the Population Replacement Program. However, I've never actually quite seen a foreign agent there, working openly for his own country, having infiltrated via the welcoming immigration system. (Perhaps I haven't been paying enough attention.) This piece of work called Ilhan Omar, up in Minneapolis, Minnesota is just that though, a foreign agent established in the US Congress.
Ilhan Omar "represents", in some way, the 5th Congressional District of Minnesota, which covers pretty much the city of Minneapolis. The 5th district hasn't voted Republican in 64 years, and has been overwhelmingly in support of the DFL (Democrat-Farmer-Labor) Party in the Congressional races and Democrat for President for 25 years, at least. Well, since the nice Church ladies have been welcoming in masses of Somalians to their nice White city this whole century, maybe longer, they ended up with a voting bloc there. Who would one expect this bloc to support?
So you end up with a hard-left anti-American Somalian lady representing the good, nice people of Minnesota, don'tcha' know.
There's a bit more to the story of Ilhan Omar than just her being another "refugee" from bad economics and tragic dirt. No, Omar's family were big cheeses back in the old country till, per the illustrious Steve Sailer's reading of the NY Times to us - Was Rep. Ilhan Omar's Putative Grandpa Really a Devout Believer in Democracy? - her family had to get out. Her GrandDad was a Colonel under President Siad Barre, but he was ousted in the early 1990s and Omar and clan had to high-tail it out of there. But, of course, once you get to America, you forget all of that nonsense and assimilate, right? Ilhan was 9 years old, as I recall (also from Steve Sailer's blog posts).
Yeah, right. It's not that I wouldn't have expected Ilhan Omar to have a bias and be ctrl-left, simply because she has no reason to be loyal to traditional America. Also, there's the usual MOAR FREE STUFF for MY people! What I wouldn't have expected is that this ragheaded infiltrator would say the
Let me get to the current event here, which is Rep Omar's speech in front of a "Somalian American" crowd. (See, there's that dual loyalty thing - more on that.) From the site Red State: Ilhan Omar Rips the Mask Off and Pledges Her Allegience to Somalia in Disturbing Video. First part:
Rep. Ilhan Omar, an evidenced antisemite, has often suggested in various ways that anyone who supports Israel has "dual loyalty" and is somehow being paid off by Jews. Ironically, she's the one who has a real dual loyalty problem, or worse, a singular loyalty to a foreign nation.Now, I don't take the pro-Israel side with the bias of Red State here. Anyone who supports the involvement of the US military in Israel's business has de facto dual Loyalties. Any American citizen or "national" who has a passport from another country has de jure dual loyalties. When a real country gives citizenship or a passport, it shreds the old stuff.
Here's the video:
From the Red State article, here's the translation of the truly illuminating parts of "American" Congresswoman Omar's speech:
There are areas of friction and that led us to kill each other, but in reality, we are an organized society, brothers and sisters, people of the same blood, people who know they are Somalians first, Muslims second, who protect one another, come to each other's aid and to the aid of other Muslims too.Then, the Minnesota 5th District Rep gives some details:
(...)
The U.S. would not dare support anyone against Somalia to steal our land or oceans. Sleep in comfort, knowing I am here to protect the interests of Somalia from inside the U.S. system. The woman you sent to Congress is working day and night to protect your interests. She knows your plight and that of Somalia. I am as concerned about Somalia as you guys are. Together, we will protect the interests of Somalia.
OMAR: Somalia is for Somalis only as over 45 percent of Somalia's population are not even ethnic Somalis. Somalia is one nation. We are all brothers and sisters. Our land can not be divided. Ethiopia and Kenya have stolen and continue to occupy the Somali region state, which belongs to Somalia. We will liberate the occupied territories stolen from Somalia...Who knew there was a Somalia and a Somaliland?
Peak Stupidity: I don't give a rat's ass what you ragheads are up to in the horn of Africa. It's not Americans' business, so go there and take care of it yourself!
I really don't think that, at 9 years old, little Ilhan had a whole plan figured out, but when did she decide that her job as an American politician is to work for the good of Somalia? Wait, that's not Somaliland but Somalia, in its efforts to take back Somaliland, or something ... It's bad enough being a private citizen and having loyalties to foreign lands over America. It's worse yet being in Congress and ranting about your old loyalties. Worst, and what I see here, is being in Congress and working to get America involved on YOUR side in the feud in your old lands.
So, as per the good comment way above by the Red State writer, no, this is not a matter of dual loyalties. This is an example of SINGLE loyalty, to the old land that you fled, over the interests of your supposed new nation and countrymen. We'd be lucky to get dual loyalties out of these people.
Conservatives in Congress want to get this Somalian instigator expelled from that esteemed body. Ron DeSantis says deport her too. Were this a serious country, that would happen, and Ilhan Omar could still consider herself lucky. Traitors used to be hanged. (They didn't make it so easy back then, by openly giving traitorous speeches in public.)
BTW, when searching for images, I got one that linked to a video titled Omar makes impassioned speech about George Floyd. Interestingly, nobody's all impassioned and shit about the millions of slaves taken by the Moslems over the Millenia, such as Ilhan Omar's own ancestors. I guess they don't count because they didn't OD on Fentanyl and could breath.
You can have the town, why don't you take it?
You're gonna make it after all.
You're gonna make it after all.
PS: If you've got a few days (not hours) and really want to learn about the background and mindset of this foreign operative Omar, Steve Sailer has lots of great writing and there are over 3,000 comments in total of discussion by very good commenters - start here.
Here's a favorite title, and NOT iSteve-generated either. It starts with another immigrant but moves on to Omar: Washington Post: "I am an Uppity Immigrant. Don’t Expect Me to be ‘grateful.’" Again, I hope you've got lots of time.
Comments (12)
City of Denver has 2nd thoughts about Sanctuary City Status
Posted On: Wednesday - January 31st 2024 6:11PM MST
In Topics: Immigration Stupidity Lefty MegaStupidity ctrl-left
It's been 3 decades or so since the nuts in California brought this problem to their State, with all the unfortunate residents having to suffer. Now, it's all over the Sanctuary cities, and the good virtuous folks in Denver, Colorado may be having 2nd thoughts about their virtuousness, compassion, and welcoming yard signs.
A couple of weeks back The Gateway Pundit, who is all over the immigration invasion story, posted the article Denver Hospital In Financial Crisis: Surge of Illegals Contributes to $130M in “Uncompensated Care”. This is not news for most of us.
Yeah, you tell me about it, Denver residents. A decade ago I refused to pay 3/4 of an (uninsured at the time) emergency room bill for my wife being behind the counter for 1/2 an hour, telling the bill collector, "Yeah, I don't mind paying for our share - 300 bucks - but I can't be paying for the 5 illegal aliens in there too, man."* The best expression to describe this and other expected results of an open border under the Welfare State is: Privatize the profits - Socialize the losses.
“It’s a difficult dilemma of how we best meet their health care needs when health care has not been part of the equation,” Federico said.It's FREE, Senors and Senoras! "(let me tell ya') It's More Fun, Bein' An Illegal Alien."
The surge in new immigrant patients from South and Central America equates to roughly 8,000 people and 20,000 visits, Federico said.
FAIR, the Federation for American Immigration Reform - been around a long time and doesn't like this stuff either - compiled this Top 10 List of Sanctuary Cities. Denver is #10, but this is not based on virtuousness, just population. Here's Denver's blurb:
The City and County of Denver – the capital city of Colorado with a population of 727,000 – became an illegal alien sanctuary on the basis of an April 2014 Sheriff Department memo stating that Denver no longer honors immigration detainers. This was codified into law by a City Council ordinance from August 2017.OK, first of all, I'm amazed at how many Siamese Twin attacks occur in this country!** That aside, I wonder how long the yard signs will stay in place there in Denver, especially on the lawns of homeowners with kids who fall out of trees and step on glass.
Also in 2017, the city stopped sending federal officials its daily booking sheets in order to limit immigration officials awareness of criminal alien activities.
On August 18, 2019, Mexican national Jose Armenta-Vazquez was attempting to burglarize a house in Denver, Colorado, but ran into the homeowner, who was identified as Magistrate Judge David Blackett, and nearly-fatally stabbed them. A month before, the illegal alien had been released by the Denver Sheriff’s Department for the third time despite active immigration detainers. He was arrested for the stabbing in October and, once again, released – despite yet another ICE detainer. He was eventually re-arrested in December and charged in January 2020.
Back to the Gateway Pundit article:
The overload on the medical infrastructure in the U.S. is exacerbated by the lack of testing by the Border Patrol for dangerous infectious diseases.Yes, let's socialize the losses a little farther away. We may also need another few hundred billion for a new war on Tuberculosis.
In November, the far-left mayors of several sanctuary cities, including Denver Mayor Mike Johnson, sent a letter begging for a staggering $5 billion in federal aid from the Biden regime.
Yes, readers, Peak Stupidity has been all about the immigration invasion this week, for half the posts, anyway. As we noted early on, if you don't like that stuff, Get off our lawn! Oh, and don't knock down our sign either.
I'm gonna have to come out with one massive "We told you so!" rant about Sanctuary Cities and end this for a while. Has anyone got a great song that goes with it? (There's a Madonna song, but ... nah....)
Finally, rather than make a separate "READ THIS" post, let me link to the latest by the great Immigration Patriot Ann Coulter: Which Kills More American Citizens—Islam Overseas, Or Immigration Here At Home?
* He sounded quite offended, but, you know, when your credit score reads "----- (N/A)", you just plain don't care.
** I mean, I'm just going by what I read: Mexican national Jose Armenta-Vazquez was attempting to burglarize a house in Denver, Colorado, but ran into the homeowner, who was identified as Magistrate Judge David Blackett, and nearly-fatally stabbed them. Hey, don't be a bigot. Magistrates can be Siamese Twins too. They just have to both be appointed simultaneously is all.
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[UPDATED 02/01:] Added link to another great Ann Coulter column.
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Comments (4)
Car Batteries: Apples to apples
Posted On: Wednesday - January 31st 2024 8:26AM MST
In Topics: Cars Inflation
... acid to acid, lead to lead, dust to dust.
Speaking of the lead, I used to empty these out and keep them for lead, just in case, you know... A decade ago, they didn't WANT your old battery back. Now, they charge you a $15 core charge if you don't GIVE IT to them.
The battery in one of our vehicles was getting weak, even before the recent very cold weather. I looked at the circular cut-outs on the sticker-label. Yep, this 6 year battery had 6 years and 9 months on it. Back in the day, I know that my car batteries would last a decade easily, without special handling. That's not so now, but at least these Interstate Battery folks kept their promise, and they were much more accurate than the weathermen ... and weather ladies... except, in the latter case, who cares?
As a slight digression toward some car talk, this 1980s* vehicle was a little weird about battery weakness. About two months back I noticed that the battery was obviously weak so I figured it wasn't long for the world, but I started cranking it up more frequently to charge it. Then, in the warmer weather even, there in the driveway, it just gave me nothing. I heard not even the slightest effort by the starter and not even the starter solenoid click. However, the annunciator lights were bright, and the headlights were bright enough to reflect off things even in the bright daylight.
This stick-shift drive vehicle has an interlock on the clutch pedal, as I guess most do, which has not worked so well a few times. (I just had to be right down to the floor on the clutch.) Was that the problem? It wasn't, luckily (probably not a very hard job though), as I was able to start with a jump. However, I wonder if there's some relay that limits any power to the starter based on battery voltage(?) It was just weird how there is this hard limit - nothing at all happens below it.
Car talk nearly aside, I was going to buy a battery even before knowing for sure that was my problem. After all, if I milked this one for 6 months or a year, a new one would be enough higher in price to negate any savings.
That's how you have to think now, bringing us to the topic at hand. This post will now be a simple inflation calculation. Peak Stupidity has done dozens of these, which can be perused under our Inflation topic key. We've even done car batteries already here. Why the duplicate post? Well, the early price number in my head last time was only good to 10% or so last post, and my duration of 15 years was approximate. This time it will be purely apples to apples with prices known to the dollar** and duration to the month. Also, I replaced my battery with the exact same model number this time. I had a 650 cold cranking amps rating, and that's what I wanted again.***
Here we go:
April '17 price - $137 ****
January '24 price - $218
Thanks again to Money Chimp, I get a compounded inflation rate of ... drum roll please ...
6.9% average over the last ~ 7 years!*****
Last time, a period roughly from the early/mid 00's to '19, I got 5-6% (a range to show my uncertainty).
Yes, inflation is and HAS BEEN a thing. Anything with a very long shelf life - if you've got the extra cash and the room, just buy it.
* That's as far as I'll go for anti-doxxing reasons, haha. Will they track me by our vehicle fleet "footprint", as computers are tracked by their software version/plug-ins footprints? It usually doesn't hurt to be overly paranoid. (One time it did - long story...)
** This was easy, as I went to the month in question from the cut-out circles (Year and Month) on the battery and went to my records there. Also, 7 years back I had bought a battery and nothing but a battery.
*** For another vehicle, I had to buy a battery almost 2 in. wider to get the same rating I'd had previously. It barely fits in the car - not gonna be fun taking it out.
**** In my world, expenses are rounded up to the nearest dollar and income is rounded down.
***** This time, instead of compounding yearly, which doesn't really mean much in these calculations, in the "Compound interest time(s) annually" box I put a large number, 100. It's not like the difference is much (a couple of percent - NOT percentage points - difference in the rate), if you put "1" there, over many-year durations. Inflation doesn't happen monthly as do interest payments by the bank - it's continual. Shorter calculation periods go asymptotically to one number.
Comments (7)
No! Just, Noooooo!!!
Posted On: Tuesday - January 30th 2024 6:49PM MST
In Topics: Elections '16 - '24 Trump Deep State Kung Flu Stupidity
Good news, my ass!
I'll have more to say about the format and content of the Gateway Pundit, Jim Holt's website later. Right now, let me say that this guy Jim is easily fooled. His commenters, BTW, don't seem to have been fooled at all. (Thanks, guys! This post about ended my days at the site.)
Now, we may have disagreements regarding former Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, but Robert Kennedy, Jr. for GOP VP??
I don't think The Gateway Pundit knows all. I sure hope not. Robert F. Kennedy has a lot of people excited because, with obviously good reason* he does seem to be against the Deep State Establishment UniParty. He was strongly against the experimental gene therapy "vaccines" during the Kung Flu PanicFest. I too, have been interested in hearing from this guy. However, when it comes to the Climate Calamity™, race relations, and lots more lefty and just general stupidity that serves the Establishment pretty well, BTW, Robert Kennedy, Jr. sucks.
The problem I have with the talk about Trump VP candidates and other possibly important issues is that Donald Trump may just listen to the last guy who gave him advice. That could be Jim Holt and his stupid "good news". Donald Trump has been known to make consequential boneheaded decisions at the drop of the hat. People need to make sure he doesn't get a chance to.
Let Michael Scott explain this talk about RFK, Jr.:
* Both his Dad and his uncle were assassinated under circumstances that nearly beg for Deep State conspiracy theories as explanations.
Comments (9)
The BP Union sides with America over The Regime
Posted On: Tuesday - January 30th 2024 3:15PM MST
In Topics: Immigration Stupidity Music US Feral Government
Unlike Rock and Folk singer Neil Young (see below), I have never been proud to be a Union Man. I have seen the good and the bad, though, I'll say lately more good than bad. However, generally, public sector unions are really a corrupt idea. Union government employees can get promised collective benefits in return for their acting as voting blocs to enable the politicians who do the promising.
The story of this post, is of a public sector union, a union of US Federal Border Patrol personnel. Actually, they are a "Council" if that matters to you. I will admit right here that this is one instance where the benefits of a union are benefiting the American public as well.
For its employees, besides the usual collective bargaining for better wages and benefits* of all kinds, a union can provide solidarity** and support for those not quite down with the ideas of the big cheeses.. Membership can be seen as a pre-paid legal plan if nothing else.
VDare writers, most especially "Former Agent", naturally, have discussed the Border Patrol Union's dissatisfaction with its members not being allowed to do their jobs previously. I've found that, no matter what the work, competent employees like to be a part of getting the work done that matches with the stated purpose of an organization. That beats being mired in bureaucratic mud and working at cross purposes, no matter how well one is paid. (Again, I wrote "competent" people. I should add "those with integrity".)
It's not only that BP agents have been told not to do their jobs per the words "border patrol". Over the last few years - the Bai Dien surge - they have been made to be baby sitters, nurse maids, and travel agents for the millions of illegal aliens that have been coming across the borders (yes, the north too, to a lesser degree) from all over the world. Rank and file BP agents didn't sign up for this, and their union has been resisting the Bai Dien leadership, with words at least, so far.
It's very heartening to read more about the resistance of the Border Patrol, as this latest has to do with the Federalist pushback by the State of Texas against their sabotaging of Texas' efforts to keep invaders out at Eagle Pass. Via info mostly from VDare.com, Peak Stupidity has written a number of posts about the struggle down there with the concertina (razor) wire - the reader could start from this recent post and go back. Former Agent mentioned these encouraging words in a recent post The Invasion Is Continuing, Despite The Texas Crisis—But Biden And Mayorkas Are Afraid It Will Be Stopped. A tweet and post title, coming from this Red State article says:
Border Patrol Turns on Joe Biden, Proclaims Support for Texas National GuardThe full tweet from the National Border Control Council says:
Rank-and file BP agents are not going to start arresting TX NG members for following their LAWFUL orders. That's fake news.I don't know about flashy headlines, but weren't those Border Patrol agents in the video clips that were using wire cutters and bumping fists with invaders? How about we see the end of that?
TX NG and rank-and-file BP agents work together and respect each other's jobs. Period. If TX NG members have LAWFUL orders, then they have to carry out those orders.
TX NG members realize that rank-and-file BP agents have their orders as well. Lawful orders, no matter how unpopular or distasteful amongst rank-and-file agents, must be followed. Unlawful orders (as determined by competent legal counsel and not what some outhouse lawyer behind a keyboard says) will not be followed.
Rank-and-file BP agents appreciate and respect what TX has been doing to defend their state in the midst of this catastrophe that the Biden Admin has unleashed on America.
We want to be perfectly clear, there is no fight between rank-and-file BP agents and the TX NG, Gov. Abott, or TX DPS. It may make flashy headlines, but it simply isn't true.
Also, this is some squish language here: Lawful orders, no matter how unpopular or distasteful amongst rank-and-file agents, must be followed. No, "lawful" orders made by Totalitarians and internal enemies of America must NOT be followed. That's what it'll really take for Fed rank-and-file personnel to avoid being evil. Having a union in solidarity against the Regime, as in 1980s Poland**, is important to this end.
This hopefully continuing change of loyalties by the BP agents from The Potomac Regime to America instead is not only a great thing when it comes to this issue. The idea of this resistance and changing loyalties by rank-and-file Regime agents may carry over to other disputes and not just by the Border Patrol.
Neil Young's Union Man is a fun song, one that may be called a "novelty song" per the terminology of the era (1970s). I went to look up a little more about it, and I realize even more how much BS comes over the internet. A site called Old Time Music has a whole long serious description of Mr. Young's supposed political views in its long "Meaning behind the song" post. Holy crap, was this someone's term paper, maybe some AI that JUST! DOESN'T! GET! IT!? I would guess who- or what-ever wrote it never listened to the song.
The "AF of M" was/is the American Federation of Musicians. This song was written in fun, as Neil goes:
I pay my dues ahead of time. When the benefits come, I'm last in line, yeah....
Is there any new business?
Yeah. "Live Music is Better" bumper stickers should be issued.
What was that??
"Live Music is Better" bumper stickers should be issued!
That gentleman said "Live Music is Better" bumper stickers should be issued.
All in favor of what he said, signify by saying "Ayyyy"!
I for one, appreciate Neil's making some fun and having some fun, no matter what the "statement' there was.
BTW, the 2nd song from his obscure Hawks & Doves album is a real trippy song, The Old Homestead, saying something about Who are you, the rider says?
You dress in black but you talk like a Fed.
Kinda relates here...
* That term seems to mean only "healthcare plans" at this point, at least the way HR people use it. (The reader may want to check up the follow-up posts in that series Human Resources: scourge of the business world: Part 2 -- Exhibit A: Toby Flenderson and Part 3.)
** "Solidarity" was the name of an important union in Cold War history, in fact. That was the name of the Polish trade union of some sort that was a big part of the Polish struggle to dismantle its "membership" in the Warsaw Pact, or East Bloc, as led by one Lech Walesa. He and fellow Pole Pope John Paul II - he'd be JP2 nowadays - were 2 of the heroes of the Cold War.
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Reparations: You do the math!
Posted On: Monday - January 29th 2024 7:59PM MST
In Topics: General Stupidity Humor Race/Genetics
... because these dumb Black! race grifters are surely not up to it.
The source of this screenshot of a big long set of grievances set into some proposed bill on Reparations* is the American Renaissance website. As one would expect from anyone White or any non-aggrieved individual of any sort, writer and site owner Jared Taylor is, let's say, taken aback, at the numbers, to the very dollar, politely requested by a group of retarded race hustlers. The article title, Let’s Spend $14 Trillion Into Existence refers to the generation of the money, a standard Peak Stupidity grievance of our own.
I don't think it's the idea of "spending $14 Trillion into existence" that's so out of the ordinary in this day and age. No, but the Black! grift here is over the top even for the biggest and badest grifters of that whole damn crowd, and, well, if you're gonna do this, you just gots ta get da maff right!
Look, that 222 million hours seems highly erroneous from first glance.
Well, that's ~60 million slave-years, errr. enslaved years? So, then, I guess I never realized just how lazy these slaves in America were. That's less than 3 hours of work output apiece per year. OK, that's only on average - Kunta over there may have put in a solid 20.
Perhaps these math-challenged Reparations Bill proponents meant that as 222 million years, not hours. That's close to 4 times my number, but it's possible, I guess.
The amount requested to cover this oversight, as calculated by the overseer, don'tcha' know, is $97 Trillion. If we assume that mistake in units, to be years instead of hours, then that works out to be a $436,000 yearly salary average for that jumpin' down, turnin' round, pickin' bails of cotton. That's cotton-pickin' expensive! (Let's see, for a mechanical harvester, with capital costs amortized, maintenance, and such... I think we coulda' come out ahead, way ahead...)
The $97 Trillion sum owned by us became only $14 Trillion (the math here is trivial and will be left to the White reader), so these folks are not too far off from the numbers proffered in the Peak Stupidity Reparations Plan. There's one very minor caveat, but I'm sure we can reach across the aisle, or rows of cotton, if I may, and obtain a mutually beneficial arrangement. Peak Stupidity will take care of the math.
* ... from innocent citizens and great-great-great-grandchildren of mostly innocent 17th through mid-19th century American citizens to great-great-great-grandchildren of some of the best-treated slaves in post-Biblical history.
** That's what that site does, fetch data from around the web for ya'.
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Take Our Border Back - Trucker Convoy rolling today
Posted On: Monday - January 29th 2024 3:52PM MST
In Topics: Immigration Stupidity People's Revolt
The destinations are the critical entry point of Eagle Pass, Texas, Tucson, Arizona, and San Ysidro (Sand Diego), California. Details are here on their website. In the image above I cut off "Peaceful Assembly" at the bottom. As with thg Jan. 6th '21 rallies, then riots, in Washington, FS, Americans want to keep it peaceful. It'll only stay as peaceful as the Regime forces let it, or, for that matter, as with J6, how much they avoid instigating violence.
This is pretty heartening news. The Canadian trucker rally that arrived in Ottawa and rallied the city, the nation, N. America, and the World in resistance of Kung Flu jab mandates back in early '22 is an example of the good that could come out of this. It's really hard to ignore a convoy of trucks. If, for reasons, this were to be extended well past February 3rd, one wonders how much power there is in stopping the regular shipment of goods. Strikes can be effective - it helps a lot of the strikers have support from most of the nation.
A number I read was 700,000 trucks, but I find that difficult to believe. Wiki says there are ~ half that number in total of independent truckers. I'm pretty sure the HR Departments of XPO, YRC*, J.B. Hunt**, Schneider, and Old Dominion would frown upon their drivers going off schedule and ignoring DOT limits to bring their rigs down to the southern border for a week.*** Perhaps the 700,000 included expected vehicles of all sorts that could join the convoys. I wish this were happening end of last year, as I had the time...
This is more important even than resistance to the Kung Flu Totalitarianism. Granted, the latter set very bad precedents that we must keep from being implemented again. However, if this invasion were to continue for much longer, I don't have any inclination to care about what happens to what won't be my country anymore.
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Godspeed, American Truckers!!
PS: I changed the topic key from "People's Revolt of '22" to People's Revolt, period. It didn't really take in '22, with the exception of the resistance of the jab mandates.
* Because I know a guy who drove for them for many years, I remember that YRC is Yellow/Roadway Corporation. The 2 outfits merged a couple of decades back.
** In a long-ago survey via 3 1/2 days listening to CB radio, Peak Stupidity determined that J.B. Hunt drivers are the butt of the most jokes. YMMV.
*** The 2 biggest trucking companies are FedEx and UPS. No, I don't think they will all head south this week. That'd be something. The last UPS strike I recall was in 1997 - I was tangentially involved.
Comments (4)
In this Compound, we believe...
Posted On: Saturday - January 27th 2024 11:40AM MST
In Topics: Liberty/Libertarianism Guns
Regarding the title, I've written before that if you're a powerful Conservative with some money, your place is a Compound. The ctrl-left, Globalist, Communist rich and powerful live on haciendas or simply in houses, but never mansions.
I have a few more posts on the immigration invasion to go, but they'll have to wait for next week. There's plenty of other stupidity ready for commentary, so we'll intersperse the various flavors. Thanks to all of our readers and commenters. Have a good weekend.
PS: I cannot at this point remember where I got this graphic from. If it was from one of our great commenters, thank you, and feel free to speak up and give us more of these too.
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Texas v Potomac Regime: Governor Abbott works around SCROTUS order
Posted On: Friday - January 26th 2024 8:19PM MST
In Topics: Immigration Stupidity Liberty/Libertarianism Zhou Bai Dien
Peak Stupidity did not use this title format of ours* for the first handful of posts about the growing resistance by Texas against the Regime regarding the latter's instigation of this border invasion surge. It fits, but to refer the reader to the start of our coverage, let me link to Is this how it starts? and Is the biggest American story of the 21st Century developing?, both from last July, Texas v Feds - still the BIGGEST story? from September, and Female Conservative SCROTUS splits, border wire hernia continues from this Monday.
I go to VDare to get the reporting and explanations of all things immigration-related. That includes this invasion surge, but I am very glad to see that this story has gotten bigger, as both sides have pushed harder. Texas has made an effort in at least one critical place (Eagle Pass) to guard their (and our) southern border, and the Regime has made an effort to to destroy these defenses, even getting supported by 5 traitors of the SCROTUS.
To follow up on Monday's post, let me again link the reader to a few of the excellent VDare writers' reports on the politics and actions going on in or around Eagle Pass, Texas, along with the State House and the Regime (White) House. Washington Watcher II's post from yesterday says, and asks: Texas Does What’s Necessary On The Border. Will Biden Blink?.
It's a good summary of the events up to now. Mr. "Watcher II" does have a few words about Judge Barrett too. Here's one point he made about that vacating (vacation?) decision from a few days back:
But SCOTUS left a loophole. Its ruling doesn’t order Texas to remove the razor wire—but instead just says the Feds can remove it.I wouldn't call it a loophole, exactly. SCROTUS simply ruled that a lower court (5th Circuit) injunction AGAINST the Feds' sabotaging of Texans' defense efforts was void. I'll mention this again in the context of another VDare writer's article.
That'd be Biden Finally Admits Border Not Secure, SCOTUS Endorses Open Borders, Texas Should Continue To Fight by writer Federale. That first point in his title is another post for us. How has this statement of Bai Dien's not been noticed much? It basically admits that he's been lying his ass off for 3 years. Anyway, as to Federale's writing about Texas v Potomac Regime, he also gets to the same point about the SCROTUS ruling, here:
Representative Chip Roy advised Governor Greg Abbott to ignore the decision, which is good advice, but technically there is nothing for the State of Texas to ignore. The decision is in favor of the USBP destroying fencing. The decision did not prohibit Texas from continuing to build border barriers and fencing...That's a good point by both of them, and it's the reason our title reads this way. Otherwise, it would have read "resists". Additionally, Federale offers some physical suggestions regarding the shipping containers and the wire. I especially like this part:
Texas State Troopers, Guardsmen, and militia could also follow around Border Patrol Agents (BPA) with concertina wire bundles and immediately deploy that wire as the USBP are cutting other wire. Texas could even box in with concertina wire those BPAs doing the wire cutting, forcing them to cut wire to get out. Such actions would likely result in BPAs just giving up in frustration. Or just a riot line of Guardsmen and Troopers with shields blocking the road or path the USBP is using to get to points where they have or will cut the concertina wire? The possibilities of petty harassment and interference are boundless. Just a little imagination and initiative are required.Yes, petty harassment, or not-so-petty, it's all good. This goes back to my thinking of the next steps, when Fed Border Patrol saboteurs start getting arrested on various charges. More Feds will come to Texas or to the site out of Austin. That's when you take other harassment steps that include tire-slashing, roadblocks, and so forth. Another big weapon is bureaucracy. (One can learn from the Chinese on that.)
More suggestions by Federale are in another article of his, Border Fight Between Texas And The Biden Regime Goes To The Next Level.
However, Texas is making a mistake by not arresting and charging illegal aliens who bring minors with them. Instead of releasing them to the USBP, they should be charged with child endangerment or abuse, as well as the illegal entry statute.See these people know the ins and outs of the immigration system, for what it's worth. They know how it's being abused, meaning they know how to stop that.
The Texas statute also has a strange provision exempting Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) from prosecution, but at the same time does not exempt the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and other executive action programs. Both DACA and DAPA have been declared illegal and unconstitutional, so there is no reason to exempt those illegal aliens.
That brings us to a favorite writer, Former Agent. From his handle, we know he's got some experience. His latest post on this story is A Former Border Patrol Agent On The Mexican Standoff At The Border. He's got a more general suggestion at the end of his post:
Years ago, one of my colleagues proposed a plan he called “Mexico One.” His idea was that illegal aliens from all over the world (Africa, China, Brazil) enter the United States from Mexico. Afterwards, we send the deportees back by air to their individual home countries. Why do we do that? If it comes out of Mexico, it should go back into Mexico. Hence, Mexico One, the primary destination of anyone coming out of our great ally’s country.Yep, per deportee, operating buses is much cheaper than operating airplanes.
We would save millions of dollars in deportation flights, and we would make Mexico feel the pain of immigration. I bet Mexico would crack down very rapidly on sending us the world’s huddled masses yearning for free stuff.
Finally, away from VDare for a change, I read/viewed a Gateway Pundit post Governor Greg Abbott to Tucker: We are ‘Prepared’ for Conflict with Biden Regime Over Border – 10 States have Sent their National Guards to Defend Texas Against Invasion that features a short Tucker Carlson phone interview of Texas Governor Greg Abbott. As usual, I will ask for help from illustrious Peak Stupidity commenter Adam Smith, as I can't get the video directly from YT, Rumble, or BC. Thank you yet again, Adam! Mr. Smith has also provided an extended video here. The extended part has more of Tucker's opinion on why this is all happening along with some info. on the Take Our Border Back trucker convoys, headed (last I read) to 3 places on/near the border.
If you recall, while down at the border some months ago, Tucker Carlson ripped Governor Abbott a new one on part of this border issue - I can't remember the details, but I agreed with Tucker. Here, Mr. Carlson is polite and respectful and Gov. Abbott sounds pretty steadfast. When Tucker gets to the big question of what happens next if the Feds don't stand down, the Governor demurs. I don't think he wants to get into that just yet ...
It's great to see that Governors of a half the other States in America are supporting Governor Abbott, Texas, and American sovereignty! 10 of them so far are reported to be sending guardsmen to Texas. This is getting to be a big story, as I've said. FEDERALISM, bitchez!!
PS: All that said about Texas and the Governor there, I will go back to VDare yet again to note that John Derbyshire throws a little cold water on anyone all hot and bothered by Greg Abbott. He is showing some backbone when it comes to a massive invasion of his State and the nation. However, he doesn't seem to be against Population Replacement, you know, when done "correctly": Abbott Opposes ILLEGALS At Texas Border —But Recruits LEGAL Immigrants In India. That's not a whole lot better in the long run...
* Taken long ago from the kids' entertainment of in our post Nat-Geo and the once great Royal Scientific Societies - Part 2. Oh, and that one's got another Al Stewart song, for the die-hard fans.
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[UPDATED. 01/27:]. As usual, Adam Smith put the Carlson/Abbott video on his channel. Inserted here, along with a link to a longer clip.
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