Car Companies Offering Free Wheel Locks Amid Rampant Crime


Armstrong Economics Blog/USA Current Events Re-Posted Jul 10, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Crime in America has become so out of control that car manufacturers are now providing free steering wheel locks. Kia and Hyundai are among the companies offering free locks nationwide. There was a 95% increase in these stolen vehicles last year. Videos emerged on social media explaining how to easily steal certain late-model Kia and Hyundai vehicles using a screwdriver. The car manufacturers are taking the blame, but the true criminals are the politicians implementing light-on-crime policies.

There are lawsuits against numerous car manufacturers and calls to pull 10 million cars without engine immobilizers off the road. The problem does not lie with the car companies. “In many cases, the vehicles are stolen solely for the purpose of operating in a reckless and dangerous manner. Such criminal conduct endangers our local communities and violates the property rights of the vehicle owner,” Kia said. Disturbed teens and young adults are primarily committing these crimes. This is a moral issue in our society where the youth have been taught that they are victims and entitled to what is not theirs.

Residents of San Francisco commonly leave their windows rolled down to avoid criminals smashing in their windows. NYPD provided 500 Bronx residents with air tags to keep track of their cars. Catalytic converter theft is on the rise everywhere. And some are simply stealing cars for fun without profit. Cities are overrun with crime and there are no repercussions for bad behavior. Teens will get a slap on the wrist at most. No police force is launching an investigation to track down a stolen personal vehicle.

Stories emerge in the news of young wannabe criminals hurting themselves or others during these joy rides in stolen vehicles, and the journalists always portray them as the victims. For example, when five teens were ejected from a car during a joy ride and died, Kia was asked to put forth a statement. People are dying and killing others on these joy rides. Where are the parents? Morals among the masses have weakened.

People could leave their car doors unlocked when I was growing up. One class action lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai claims the companies are “blatantly valuing profits over the safety and security of their customers.” Is it really a safety feature if it merely prevents others from stealing the car? Vehicles without engine immobilizers existed for many years without issue. It is an issue now due to the cultural shift in thinking. America is becoming an increasingly dangerous place, and everyone besides the criminals are held responsible.

Pence Promises War if Elected


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Jul 10, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Mike Pence is chomping at the bit to invade Russia. He became the first GOP presidential candidate to travel to Ukraine to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump, DeSantis, and Kennedy have all stated that they want to end the war immediately. No one is as EAGER to involve themselves as Mike Pence, who all but guaranteed World War III under his rule.

“I have no doubt that if (Russian dictator) Vladimir Putin overran Ukraine, it would not be too long… before the Russian military crossed a border where we would have to send our fighting men and women to fight against them,” the Republican presidential candidate said. Pence has even condemned Biden for his “slow” reaction, despite sending so much money to Ukraine that the Pentagon cannot keep track. “I mean, President Biden said in his State of the Union address that we’re there as long as it takes. But I want to say to all your listeners, it shouldn’t take that long,” Pence said.

BUT WHAT WOULD REAGAN DO? Every GOP candidate channels his name and pretends the ghost of Reagan would back any policy they put forth. “Look, Ronald Reagan said in 1985 words in his State of the Union address that were later called the Reagan Doctrine. It was this idea that if you’re willing to fight the communists in your country, with your soldiers, we’ll give you the means to fight them there so we don’t have to fight them here. And that was part of the philosophy of American leadership in the world that set into motion the forces that brought the collapse of the Soviet Union map. And I think this is just the same fight,” Pence said.

The conflict in Ukraine has absolutely nothing to do with communism. Pence claiming we need to fight the Russians in Ukraine to prevent a conflict on US soil is ignorant at best. There is no threat of Russia invading America or Europe. Russia put forth multiple peace treaties, but the West continued to fuel the flames of war. Ukraine is a NATO leech, not a member, run by a corrupt government that disregarded all options for peace. Why would we send our men and women into battle to die? Because the ethnic Russians didn’t have their promised elections in the Donbas? The only people who will benefit from a world war are those like Pence, who profit from the military-industrial complex.

Sunday Geopolitical Talks – Biden and Coons Admit Ukraine Almost Out of Artillery Shells, No Strategic NATO Consideration Until War With Russia Ends


Posted originally on the CTH on July 9, 2023 | Sundance 

Both Joe Biden [VIDEO HERE] and Senator Chris Coons [VIDEO HERE] were interviewed as part of the Sunday talk circuit just before the upcoming NATO summit.  The message from both voices were similar as part of the larger geopolitical discussion, so I’m blending them into one review.

On the subject of Ukraine seeking NATO membership the key democrats gave the same explanation and justification, although Biden mumbled a little more alarmingly.  Biden, speaking to the Dept of State narrative engineers on CNN, noted there can be no discussion of Ukraine entering NATO as long as the war with Russia is ongoing.  From Biden’s perspective if NATO accepted Ukraine now, then all of NATO would immediately need to enter the war with Russia.

What Biden and Coons did not say was that if NATO opened the door to Ukraine now, the interests of Russia would immediately change.  If NATO was to make immediate announcements of Ukraine membership, Russia would be stupid not to expand the war immediately and begin the process of taking all of Ukraine instead of the eastern Russian speaking section bordering the homeland.

On the subject of sending cluster bombs to Ukraine, both Biden and Coons admitted something that would not ordinarily be discussed in public circles.  Ukraine is almost out of 155mm artillery shells and the U.S. stockpile we have used to support them is now gone.   It will take more than several months to manufacture and resupply our own military stores, let alone support the needs of Ukraine.  As a consequence, 155mm cluster bombs are being supplied in lieu of our ability to provide less deadly munitions.

[COONS] – “First, we are running out of 155mm artillery munitions, and they are burning through them at a remarkable rate. Six to eight thousand a day. That’s a million a year. We have a plan to bring back online the manufacturing of 155mm shells at scale, but that won’t happen for months. They are at risk of losing this counter offensive if they run out of their shells. We have a large stockpile of 155mm shells that are cluster munitions. It’s the Ukrainians who are asking to be able to use these on their own soil. They’ve committed to monitoring their use to remediating them after the war. And frankly, they will be tactically helpful against dug-in Russian troops that are behind large minefields. So weighing all of those factors, the President made a tough call that I will support.” (more)

[BIDEN] – […] “we’re in a situation where Ukraine continues to be brutally attacked across the board by munitions — by these cluster munitions that are — have dud rates that are very, very low — I mean, very high, that are a danger to civilians, number one. 
 
Number two, the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition, the ammunition — they used to call them 155-millimeter weapons. This is a — this is a war relating to munitions. And they’re running out of those — that ammunition. And we’re low on it.” (read more

Ordinarily in a time of war one might not expect to see public discussion of ammo supplies; alas, in the era of World War Reddit, it seems not to be an issue.

On the subject of China, I think this is the first time when Joe Biden has said publicly, that after the Xi-Putin summit, Biden threatened Chairman Xi Jinping with unilateral action to remove U.S. corporations and investment from China if Xi was to openly assist Russian President Putin.   At least that is the Biden claim within the interview.

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Elon Musk Signs Pledge to Support China’s Socialist Values


Posted originally on the CTH on July 9, 2023 | Sundance 

There’s a lot of background discussion about this latest issue created by Elon Musk signing a pledge to support the socialist (communist) economic enterprise systems under the control of the Chinese Communist Party.

Most of the current discussion is focused on the weak ideological ‘free-market and democratic’ commitment exhibited by Musk’s adherence to the rules and dictates of the Chinese state.  However, I’m staying far outside the esoteric and nuanced implication of this.  The reality is much simpler.

Elon Musk is in a dire financial situation; he cannot afford to be high-minded and ideologically connected to free-speech and free-enterprise right now (if he ever was).

The Musk empire is in a very weak financial position; these decisions made, while China is holding such financial leverage over him, are made without option.  Ironically, Twitter is banned in China. lolol

(Via Daily Mail) – […]  Elon Musk’s Tesla was the only foreign company in the lineup of 15 other automakers to sign the letter.  Part of Musk’s pledge was a promise to support China’s ‘core socialist values’ and bear ‘the heavy responsibility of maintaining steady growth.’ 

The automakers also agreed not to ‘exaggerate or use false publicity and disrupt fair competition with abnormal pricing,’ according to Bloomberg

China accounts for one third of Tesla’s annual sales, reports the FT. The communist country is Tesla’s second-largest market after the U.S. and the Shanghai plant is the electric car maker’s largest production hub. 

Yaqiu Wang, senior China researcher with Human Rights Watch, criticized Musk’s moves, telling the FT: ‘Failing to comply with ‘core socialist values’ has been frequently used by authorities to punish speeches that are critical of the Chinese government.’  (read more)

Once you strap onto the ride with the dragon, you don’t get off until the ride’s over.

When the Turkish government told Musk to block the political opposition to the Turkish government, Musk complied.

When the French government told Musk to block and remove content adverse to their domestic interests, Musk complied.

When China says support Communism in our country, or else…. Musk adheres.

Elon Musk is no John Galt.

Biden Administration Appeals Court Ruling That Blocks Govt from Censoring Free Speech on Social Media


Posted originally on the CTH on July 7, 2023 | Sundance | 79 Comments

In a previous ruling in the case of The State of Missouri v Joe Biden, Judge Terry Doughty agreed with the state position that evidence had clearly shown agencies of the U.S. government had infringed upon First Amendment free speech in targeting social media companies with demands for content removal. [Ruling and Injunction pdf]

The social media companies outlined in the state lawsuit include Facebook, Instagram, Meta Platforms Inc, Twitter, Google and YouTube.  Evidence provided by the states showed clear and convincing evidence the government was unlawfully monitoring social media and telling the platforms to remove content adverse to their interests.

The judge outlined an emergency injunction barring government agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI from talking to social media companies for “the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech” under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  The ruling provided narrow exceptions.

Obviously, given the scale of government involved censorship of speech within social media, the injunction was a major loss to the Biden regime, who operate -in part- with the benefit of controlling public opinion and information.  The judicial ruling disrupts the ability of the Biden administration to censor the online speech of Americans.

As a result of the injunction, the DOJ is now asking Judge Doughty to stay or pause his injunction while the government files a full appeal to the 5th circuit court of appeals.

(Reuters) –  The Biden administration on Thursday asked a federal judge to put on hold his earlier order barring some government agencies and officials from meeting and communicating with social media companies about moderating their content.

 

In a filing before U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty in Monroe, Louisiana, the administration said the judge’s Tuesday ruling was “both sweeping in scope and vague in its terms,” and likely to be overturned on appeal.

The administration appealed the order to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday. If Doughty refuses to pause his own order, the administration will likely ask the 5th Circuit to do so instead while it considers the appeal.

Doughty’s order came in a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri and by several individuals. They alleged that U.S. government officials effectively coerced social media companies to censor posts over concerns they would fuel vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections. (read more)

 

Tucker Carlson Discusses President Trump, RFK Jr and American Politics with Russell Brand


Posted originally on the CTH on July 7, 2023 | Sundance 

Former popular Fox News host Tucker Carlson appears for a lengthy interview with British pundit Russell Brand about current events. {Full Video Rumble Link} The interview is well over an hour and covers a wide range of topics [full video below fold]; the segment below is specifically about Donald Trump, RFK Jr and the state of DC politics. WATCH:

“I think looking back on this ten years from now, assuming we’re still around, I think we’re going to see Trump’s emergence as the most significant thing that happened in American politics in 100 years, because he reoriented the Republican Party against the wishes of Republican leaders.”

“I’m struck by his foreign policy views. You know Trump is the only person with stature in the Republican Party really who is saying wait a second why are we sending an endless war in Ukraine. Leaving aside whether Trump is going to get the nomination or get elected President or would be a good President, I can’t even assess that, all I can at this point is I’m so grateful he has that position. He’s right and everyone in Washington is wrong, everyone. And Trump is right on that question and it’s a big question. That war is reshaping the world. It’s reshaping the economy of the world. It’s reshaping populations.”

“Europe will never be the same because of this war and it really matters, and Trump alone among popular figures in both parties understands that and I’m grateful for that.”

“Whether he gets the nomination or gets elected, words really matter. Saying something true out loud matters, and he is saying true things about Ukraine and God bless him. That’s how I feel.”

Full Video Below:

Tucker Carlson and Russell Brand – Streaming Live

US Housing Prices Push Higher


Armstrong Economics Blog/Real Estate Re-Posted Jul 7, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Fannie Mae admitted their forecast of declining home prices was incorrect. They initially projected that housing would fall by 1.2% in 2023, followed by 2.2% in 2024. Housing prices remain strong because this in an inventory crisis. There are 47% less available single-family houses on the market compared to the start of the COVID crisis. Homebuilders cannot keep up with demand, and the demand for investment-bought rentals is outpacing single-family sales.

Our Residential Index elected a Yearly Bullish Reversal at the end of 2012. That confirmed the long-term trend had changed. However, urban condos and commercial properties were forming a divergence. I assumed that was being caused by the debt and rising taxes in cities. In that regard, I suppose I was only partially correct, for the rest had been the braindead response to COVID and failed QE policies. The failure of QE caused a collapse in confidence in the future. When people fear the future, they save. Increasing the money supply does nothing until the people decide to spend it.

Socrates also selected the precise target for the January 2021 directional change in US real estate. Our index began declining in January 2022, anticipating the first rate hike on March 17, 2022, by a quarter point. The claim that interest rate hikes imply that real estate will decline is very old school, and once more, it presumes everyone is buying on leverage. In 2021, cash sales represented 25% of existing home sales in the key markets, which were a level unmatched since 2016. Nationally, buyers paid cash for almost 15% of the homes in 2021 in markets that were booming from migration from other states.

Real estate is undergoing three separate trends. First, there has been mass evacuation from cities and high-taxed states thanks also to draconian COVID laws. Secondly, we have the flight of capital to flee banks, etc, which is part of just getting capital off the grid. Then thirdly, there has been a flight of international capital fleeing to the United States because of geopolitical instability in Europe.

This market has been LESS impacted by interest rate hikes than any previous booming market, all because of the migration from interstate within the US and the flood of European buyers looking for assets outside of Europe as the prospect of a global war increases. I have warned that real estate will decline in those states where people are fleeing. It has boomed in places they have been migrating to, such as Texas and Florida. Obviously, you can no longer make a blanket forecast in real estate.

Vanlords – A New Form of Urban Encampment


Armstrong Economics Blog/Real Estate Re-Posted Jul 7, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

I’ve discussed Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) at length as they have been marketed as a new way to force people into perpetual renting. They have even advertised micro-ADUs that are no more than a shed with plumbing. Since addressing the housing crisis would go against plans for the Great Reset, people are turning to desperate measures.

Vanlords is the newly deemed term for people who rent out RVs to desperate families. This has become prominent in Los Angeles, California, where thousands of rental RVs have appeared. The government found a way to house all the illegals who Biden let in the country. The citizens sleep on the street or in vans. ‘”Vanlords,” as L.A. City Councilmember Traci Park calls them, typically buy RVs at auction, then either drive or get them towed to their location of choice.” These are not completely legal, but they are increasing in popularity as people have no alternative to affordable housing. “A lot of times, the inhabitants of the vehicle don’t know the name of the person who rented it from, they don’t have valid contact information, a lot of these vehicles are not registered, they’re not adequately insured,” said Park.

Not all RVs are hooked up to plumbing, and they are not legally hooked up to any electrical system. People have begun dumping waste into storm drains and using public facilities for basic hygiene. This is a step up from a large homeless encampment. Cities are working on changing municipal codes to permit these eyesores to line residential streets. This is not an adequate solution to homelessness and once more hurts the middle class as the upper class would have no need for a few hundred per month. This is another form of urban encampment that will drive down property values and create a dangerous situation for residents, who don’t have many rights, and neighboring residents.

CDC Promotes Child Endangerment – Chestfeeding


Armstrong Economics Blog/Disease Re-Posted Jul 7, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is supposed to provide guidance on infection and disease control measures. So why is this corrupt agency discussing food and nutrition for infants? “Transgender and nonbinary-gendered individuals may give birth and breastfeed or feed at the chest (chestfeed),” the CDC states. “The gender identity or expression of transgender individuals is different from their sex at birth,” and that, “the gender identity of nonbinary-gendered individuals does not fit neatly into either man or woman.”

Now it makes sense why my insurance company has been charging me for maternal care. The CDC further states, “An individual does not need to have given birth to breastfeed or chestfeed… Some families may have other preferred terminology for how they feed their babies, such as nursing, chestfeeding, or bodyfeeding.” The psychological warfare has gone too far. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

The CDC is encouraging men, women, and (insert latest gender here) to feed newborn children through “appropriate lactation management.” Some men take hormones that mimic lactation but it’s not real milk. The FDA stated this substance “can pass into breast milk in small amounts and can sometimes give babies an irregular heartbeat as a result.” It also has not been tested. Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Jane Orient told The Daily Mail, “The CDC has a responsibility to talk about the health risks, but they have been derelict in doing that.” Dr Stuart Fischer, an internal medicine physician in New York, stated plain and simple – “You can’t fool Mother Nature.” There are no long-term studies on this subject. “If it’s been tested a handful of times, how would we know the long-range effect?” Dr. Fischer shared. “The short-term is one thing, but the long-term in terms of physical and mental illness… who knows? It’s an emerging field, to put it mildly.”

Yet another instance where politics surpasses science and all logic. This is child endangerment and infants now must suffer because of politicians championing mentally ill men who want to normalize depravity. Women cannot even breastfeed in public without harassment. The CDC lost all credibility after COVID, but now it’s just a weapon of the far-left.

There was actually a Roman emperor by the name of Tiberius (42 BC – 37 AD) who also abused unweaned babies. He was hated by the people and forced to flee to the island of Capri. History remembers him as a disturbed man. It’s all about how much the people are willing to accept, as there will always be perverted psychopaths within society.

Federal Top Men Say Finding Source of West Wing Cocaine Will Be Too Difficult


Posted originally on the CTH on July 6, 2023 | Sundance | 195 Comments

According to federal investigators familiar with the matter and talking to Politico, the person who brought cocaine into the White House is likely never to be discovered.  It’s just too difficult to track down.  There are too many people who walk around the West Wing of the White House willy nilly.  That’s their story and the Top Men are sticking to it.

WASHINGTON DC – Law enforcement officials confirmed on Wednesday that cocaine was found at the White House over the weekend. But one official familiar with the investigation cautioned that the source of the drug was unlikely to be determined given that it was discovered in a highly trafficked area of the West Wing.

The small amount of cocaine was found in a cubby area for storing electronics within the West Exec basement entryway into the West Wing, where many people have authorized access, including staff or visitors coming in for West Wing tours.

Asked what the chances were of finding the culprit, the official said that “it’s gonna be very difficult for us to do that because of where it was.”

“Even if there were surveillance cameras, unless you were waving it around, it may not have been caught” by the cameras, added the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity given that it’s an ongoing investigation. “It’s a bit of a thoroughfare. People walk by there all the time.” (read more)

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