Comment on Woke


Armstrong Economics Blog/Human Rights Re-Posted Jul 29, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

00:22

COMMENT: I went to sign up for a dating site. It asks only if you are interested in men or women. I am really confused since we do not know what a woman is anymore. I think it needs to be more clearly defined.

(1) Someone who identifies as a birthing person

(2) Someone who has been transformed into a birthing person for appearance’s sake

(2) Someone who has been transformed into a birthing person who can give birth

(4) Someone who is a natural birthing person

(5) Someone who is a retired natural birthing person

(6) Someone who is non-binary and identifies as whatever depending on the moment

RP

REPLY: My question is after Harris identifies as a woman, which is now a debatable term, she then states what she is wearing. Maybe I’m too old. But I do not understand why someone would state what they are wearing unless they are saying they are not wearing a traditional dress. Why stop there? Should we now identify the type of underwear she is wearing? I have never gone to a meeting, ever, where you stated what you were wearing. Never in all my meetings with Maggie did she ever once state her gender.

You could tell with COVID their mental state depending if they wore a mask and demanded yours had to be over your nose. But this is far beyond that. This has all gone insane.

Facing Public Backlash Activist Manhattan DA Drops Murder Charges Against Bodega Owner Who Was Acting in Self Defense


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on July 19, 2022

No doubt it was only the public pressure and ridicule against this activist Manhattan District Attorney that caused him to reverse course.

Facing intense public scrutiny for his ideological efforts, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has dropped charges against the 61-year-old Latino bodega owner who defended himself against a violent attack by the black boyfriend of an angry customer.

The entire episode, including the ridiculous charges against Jose Alba, was fraught with racist undertones from the district attorney’s office.

NEW YORK – After intense backlash from local bodega workers and city tabloids, Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg on Tuesday dropped all charges against bodega clerk Jose Alba, who was allegedly acting in self-defense when he fatally stabbed a man who was attacking him.

The liberal DA’s decision comes after weeks of criticism of Bragg’s decision to send the 61-year-old to Riker’s Island and charge him with second-degree murder in the death of 35-year-old Austin Simon. Bragg first requested Alba’s bail be set at $500,000 before it was lowered to $50,000 in response to criticism from the community. He was later released on a $5,000 bail bond.

Video obtained by the New York Post seems to show Simon advancing on Alba at the bodega where Alba works and violently shoving him against a wall after his girlfriend’s credit card was rejected while trying to buy a bag of chips. Alba could be heard in the video trying to diffuse the situation as Simon walked behind the counter, saying, “Papa, I don’t want a problem, papa.”

While Alba initially tried to walk away from Simon after being shoved, video shows, a struggle between the two men ensued and Alba stabbed Simon repeatedly. The video seems to show Simon’s girlfriend pulling a knife from her purse and attempting to grab Alba’s arm as he stabbed her boyfriend. She then stabbed Alba.

Bragg’s office said Tuesday that “a homicide case against Alba could not be proven at trial beyond a reasonable doubt” after further investigation. (read more)

Starbucks Flees Crime-Ridden Cities


Armstrong Economics Blog/USA Current Events Re-Posted Jul 18, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

People are less likely to splurge for their daily morning $6 coffee amid a looming recession, and Starbucks stock is down over 30% this year. However, another main problem facing Starbucks stores is crime. CEO Howard Schultz announced that the company is closing 16 stores with “many more” closures to come. While potential union busting cannot be counted out as a reason for store closures, there is no denying that crime is running rampant in America right now.

“It has shocked me that one of the primary concerns that our retail partners have is their own personal safety,” Schultz said in a leaked video. “America has become unsafe.” It is of no surprise that the store closures are occurring in Democratic cities such as Philadelphia, Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, and Washington, D.C. The coffee giant is also considering banning the public from using its restrooms as safety issues grow. Employees are being trained on how to deescalate situations and, if needed, how to deal with an active shooter in the store.

In fact, stores are closing throughout the aforementioned cities as crime cannot be contained. Manzoor Chughtai, the president of the Franchise Owners Association of Philadelphia, said, “Right now we have a lot of problems with the city of Philadelphia. We are closing left and right. Robbers are coming in, they’re just robbing the place left and right.” Manzoor said that nobody wants to take over these stores as it has become very dangerous even to work in these areas. He estimates that the city has lost up to 20 stores already but will likely lose more solely due to crime.

Los Angeles has been forced to close countless stores after the Californian pro-crime government banned police from arresting shoplifters. I reported in April that the California Retailers Association (CRA) reported that San Francisco and Oakland alone lost $3.6 billion annually due to retail crime. As the economy continually turns down, we can expect crime to move in the opposite direction.

Hero Who Stopped Indiana Mall Shooter Identified as 22-Year-Old Eli Dicken, Trained in Firearm Use by his Grandfather


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on July 18, 2022 | Sundance 

A strong testimonial in favor of concealed carry, self-defense and situational awareness.

A mass shooter named Douglas Sapirman opened fire at the Greenwood Park Mall in Greenwood, Indiana, shooting three people before he was stopped by a 22-year-old who reacted in seconds after the shooting started.

22-year-old Elisjsha Dicken (pictured left) told his girlfriend to get under a table at the mall food court, then engaged the gunman using his pistol.  Dicken fired ten shots, killing the gunman who was armed with a long rifle as he attempted to retreat.   Police are hailing young Mr. Dicken as a hero who likely saved the lives of many.

INDIANA – […] Elisjsha Dicken, an armed bystander, fired on Sapirman. Dicken fired 10 rounds hitting Sapirman as Sapirman tried to retreat into the bathroom but collapsed and died.

Dicken had no police training or military background, according to police. He was carrying under the new “Constitutional Carry” law and did not have a permit. Police said Dicken learned to shoot from his grandfather and that he had no military or police training.

“His actions were nothing short of heroic. He engaged the gunman from quite a distance with a handgun. Was very proficient in that, was tactically sound and as he moved to close in on the suspect, he was also motioning for people to exit behind him,” Ison said about Dicken’s actions. “Many people would have died last night if not for a responsible armed citizen that took action very quickly within the first two minutes of this shooting.”

Dicken has not yet spoken with the media about the shooting. However, his lawyer Guy A. Relford released a statement on Monday that said Dicken is waiting to speak about the shooting to respect the lives lost and the police’s investigation.

The full statement can be read here:

I am proud to serve as Eli Dicken’s attorney and spokesperson. He is a true American hero who saved countless lives during a horrific event that could have been so much worse if not for Eli’s courage, preparedness and willingness to protect others. Because we want to respect the ongoing criminal investigation by the Greenwood Police Department and take time to honor the three innocent lives lost, we won’t be making any substantive comments on Sunday’s events until after the authorities’ investigation is closed.  In the interim, we ask that you respect the privacy of Eli and his family.”  (read more)

A brave young man. Well done Mr. Dicken. Well done.

Police Press Conference:

Biden Visits Saudi Arabia, Returns with an Empty Tin Cup and Urgent Need for More Windmills


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on July 16, 2022 | Sundance

Joe Biden is heading back from an embarrassing trip to Saudi Arabia and the middle east.  Putting aside the fact that physically and mentally Biden looked weak, foolish, and generally incoherent, in an odd way he was appropriately representative of the current of U.S. influence on the global stage.

Before getting to detail, first it is important to emphasize a point that doesn’t get attention domestically.  Democrats are exceptionally weak on all aspects of foreign policy, specifically because their modern ideology is based on hypocrisy of a stunning magnitude.

Domestically, the U.S. media protect democrats by spinning everything into the best light possible.

However, on the world stage the non-western leaders like Putin, Xi and MbS use that hypocrisy like geopolitical ammunition.

Examples… Domestically the U.S. media do not bring up the Joe Biden Afghanistan mess, the rise -and current legitimacy- of the terrorist Taliban; or the brutal mess Barack and Hillary created in Libya; or the unauthorized intervention into Syria that created ISIS; or the complete fubar that was an illegitimate invasion of Iraq; or Hillary’s insufferable “reset” in Russia; or their inability to deal with China’s proxy province of North Korea, because they pretend it’s not; or the current circus célebrè in Ukraine.

Each region, and there are many more, a typical example of how modern democrats are fundamentally weak on foreign policy.  It is not just Joe Biden either; just about every leftist head of state within the alliance of “western democracies” are also pathetically impotent when it comes to influence on a global stage.

The U.K’s Boris Johnson, Canada’s Justin Trudeau, New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern and France’s Emmanuel Macron are collectively as pathetic as Biden when it comes to leadership and influence.  Once they step out of their ‘liberal democracy‘ bubble, and head into a nation that doesn’t have state run media like CNN, MSNBC, The Washington Post, Politico and/or The New York Times, those leaders look like the pathetic fools they are.

Biden and the rest of the leftist heads of state decry “autocracy,” and wax philosophically about “western democratic values”, while standing atop two years of their authoritarian pandemic rules, regulations, mandates and unilateral fiats.   Consider their chase for their beloved climate change energy policy and contrast it against their political pearl-clutching over the energy inflation they created.

Is it any surprise that Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador want’s nothing to do with the other two knuckleheaded leaders of North America who are selling windmills while regulating traditional oil, coal and natural gas out of existence?  At a certain point, a good neighbor has to look at the duct-taped landscaping and say this is ridiculous.  I digress.

The point is that the so called “western values” are nothing more than high-minded think tank talking points.  Nowhere in actual policy do you find western values exhibited in real world action.   Biden wants to confront Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), or Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping over possible human rights abuses, while the same Joe Biden is locking up his political opposition under the justification of an insurrection?  Wait, what?

Yeah, so we started a civil war in Libya and thousands of people are dying in the aftermath. So what?   Biden is here to talk about the Khashoggi splinter your eye, not the Abu Ghraib plank in his.  And, oh yeah, don’t you dare talk about Biden shutting down pipelines and his beloved Green New Deal, just give the U.S. more oil damn you, or something.

I remember well in 2016 when the U.S. media were saying Hillary Clinton was going to mop the floor with Donald Trump at a foreign policy debate.  All Trump had to do was point out the stupid Clinton state dept hypocrisies and it looked like he just threw a bucket of water on the wicked witch.  Hillary melted, and it was hilarious.

Fast forward four years later and another foreign policy matchup was scheduled between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.  Do you remember what happened?  If not, it wouldn’t be surprising, because THEY CANCELLED THE DEBATE.  Why? …

…. Because Trump the peacemaker had just introduced the Abraham Accords.  There was actual peace finally in the Middle east. The U.S. embassy in Israel was built in Jerusalem, without violence.  The U.S. under Trump had a peaceful relationship and mutual understanding with North Korea and Kim Jong Un.  North and South Korea were talking about reunification.  ISIS was destroyed; there was no longer any issue with Syria, and Turkish PM Erdogan was both accountable and on a leash.  There was no conflict with Russia; no expansion of NATO and every NATO country finally paying for their own defense.  Yeah, go figure, THEY CANCELLED THE DEBATE.

Donald Trump had the upper hand in all of his foreign policy engagements, because Trump foreign policy was not inherently based on hypocrisy.

Joe Biden, not so much…

From MbS as interpreted: “We agree on many things, but we differ on a few others. Every country has its own culture and circumstances. I respect yours, you respect mine. Do not impose your culture on us. Do not impose your beliefs on us.” … “We agree we need to do more for climate change, but you guys are doing it wrong by favoring certain energy sources over others. The world needs energy security. We need all energy sources including oil & gas. We are doing our part on both fronts: climate change & energy security.” … “The stage of a country’s economic & social development must be considered in climate change negotiations.” … “We are increasing our production capacity to 13 million barrels per day (from 12 mb/d), but that is it. We cannot do more.”  The message here is: You guys do your part and invest more if you want to avoid energy crises, recessions, and unemployment. Do NOT blame us!

(Via Wall Street Journal) – After his meeting with the crown prince, Mr. Biden said he felt confident that Saudi officials are supportive of increasing oil supply in the coming weeks. But Saudi officials tempered expectations, reiterating that the kingdom would do what is needed to balance the market if there is a shortage of supply.

Any action, Saudi officials said, would need to be coordinated with the rest of OPEC+, a coalition that includes the Saudi-led Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and a separate group of crude producers led by Russia. OPEC+’s current production agreement is expiring at the end of August, setting up some crucial decisions about output for the Saudis and Russians in the next month.

[…]  Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said after the summit that there had been no discussion of military or technical cooperation with Israel.

Aside from the U.S. saying the Saudis would work to settle the war in Yemen, which it was already doing, the White House didn’t detail any specific human rights-related concessions that the kingdom agreed to during the meeting.

To the Saudis, the benefit of the visit was more immediately evident. From the moment Mr. Biden arrived at the gilded royal palace in this seaside city, Saudi officials enthusiastically held up the meeting as evidence of the crown prince’s renewed influence. State media promoted photos and videos of the two leaders together. Saudi newspapers later showcased images of the duo bumping fists and sitting together at a conference table. “All Weather Friends,” read one local headline.

“The fact that they’ve come and met means we can resolve these matters quicker and faster, because there’s a personal relationship, and the kingdom has historically had a personal relationship with the president of the United States,” said Princess Reema bint Bandar, the Saudi ambassador to Washington. “So, this isn’t a matter of turning the page. This is a matter of strengthening the relationship.”

Mr. Biden is the latest world leader to make the trip to see the 36-year-old crown prince after years of keeping him at arm’s length over the killing of Mr. Khashoggi. French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Saudi Arabia in December, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the trip in March. (read more)

UC Berkeley Law Professor Accuses Senator Josh Hawley of Transphobic Violence During Senate Hearing


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on July 12, 2022 | Sundance

Comrades, the professional moonbats went to Washington DC today to advance the Democrat position on baby killing.  However, UC Berkely Law School Professor, Khiara M. Bridges, claimed to be a victim of transphobic non-binary violence while being questioned about women and abortion.

After hearing Professor Bridges speak about “people with the capacity for pregnancy” in her testimony, Senator Josh Hawley attempted to understand exactly who Ms. Bridges was talking about because the Senate Judiciary hearing was assembled to discuss the legal consequences of the recent Supreme Court Dobbs decision on abortion.

Professor Bridges took exception to the line of inquiry suggesting that only women could get pregnant, and immediately accused Senator Hawley of conducting transphobic violence against her for asking questions without accepting her position that men can get pregnant.  WATCH:

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This is the modern political ideology of Democrats.   And leftists are puzzled, shocked and stunned about why so few people can relate to them anymore.

Violence that supports leftist ideology is called speech. Any speech that confronts leftist ideology is labeled violence.

The Democrat party really need to double-down on this approach.  It will be good for them, I promise.

It Looks Increasingly Like the Story About the Ohio 10-Year-Old Pregnancy and Cross-State Abortion Was a Hoax


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on July 11, 2022 | Sundance

It looks increasingly likely that Dr. Caitlin Bernard, the OBGYN who originally made the claim to the Indianapolis Star, lied about the 10-year-old child rape story in order to sell a sympathetic abortion narrative to the public.   An ideologically compliant and incurious media then promoted the false story, which led to Joe Biden repeating the story as part of his pro-abortion speech and executive action.   It’s Jussie Smollett all over again.

The Washington Post previously tried and failed to verify the story and wrote an article saying the only attribution for the claim comes from Dr. Caitlin Bernard {link}.  There is zero evidence the story is true, and considerable evidence the story was a complete hoax.  Including the lack of any police report and no documentation of any rape despite a legal responsibility to do so.

Now Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is saying his office has no evidence of a raped ten-year-old child who was impregnated, including a request for lab results. Yost also noted that Ohio law would have allowed for an abortion in such a case.  First, the summary of the likely hoax.  WATCH:

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Below is the segment with Ohio AG Dave Yost:

Dr. Jill Biden Compares Latinos to Tacos


posted originally on the conservative tree house on July 11, 2022 | Sundance

You might remember the manufactured media controversy that erupted when President Trump tweeted a picture of himself eating a taco bowl on Cinco De Mayo.  The media and left-wing moonbats went nuts, calling it a racist belittlement of the Hispanic community.

Well, today, someone convinced Dr. Jill Biden that it would be a great idea, a brilliant exhibition of her connection to the Latino community, for her to compare the diversity and unique nature of Latino’s to “breakfast tacos.”  Seriously folks, you just cannot make this stuff up.

But wait, it gets worse.  Mrs. Biden doesn’t even know how to pronounce the word “bodegas” as it was loaded into her teleprompter.  WATCH (05:44, prompted):

[Transcript] …”Raul helped build this organization with the understanding that the diversity of this community—as distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami, and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio—is your strength.”

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That’s right America.  If you are black and don’t support Joe, “you ain’t black,” and if you are Latino and do not self-identify as a taco, well, you just might not be a democrat.

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Elon Musk Has Twitter Over A Barrel


Ben Shapiro  originally Published on Rumble on July 8, 2022 

Elon Musk‘s $44 billion bid for Twitter is in serious jeopardy and the billionaire is reportedly reviewing his options after his team accused the social media platform of not disclosing enough information about spam accounts. Shapiro weighs in.

Philadelphia Police Looking for 7 Teens Who Beat 73-Year-Old to Death with Traffic Cone


Posted originally on the conservative tree house July 9, 2022 | Sundance

It has been many years since CTH made the decision to stop documenting the predatory attacks from within the Safari confines of Atlanta, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Oakland, New York City, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Austin and several major metropolitan areas. {Go Deep} It became almost impossible to report on the Safari because even a decade ago the politically correct internet police were scrubbing content faster than Nina Jankowicz would sing about disinformation.

However, in the decade that’s passed; and as expected throughout the rise of the Dream Defenders and BLM; things have gotten much worse.  The most recent example of danger within a regional safari zone comes from Philadelphia. A group of seven “teens” beat a 73-year-old man to death with a traffic cone.

A traffic cone.

PHILADELPHIA – Security video released Friday by Philadelphia police shows a group of teens fatally beating a man in his early 70s with a traffic cone.

In a statement, the Philadelphia Police Department said authorities were searching for seven teens seen in the video, which was recorded on the morning on June 24.  The victim, who was not identified in the statement and who police blurred in the video, fell to the ground after being struck with “objects,” the department said. He died the next day.

In the video, the department said a reward of $20,000 was being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.  The department said the group appeared to be in their early to mid-teens.

The man was identified by NBC Philadelphia as 73-year-old James Lambert Jr., who went by “Simmie,” according to his family. The video showed the man crossing a street north of downtown Philadelphia before one of the teens can be seen hurling a cone at him. It isn’t clear if the teens knew the man or what occurred before the apparent assault. (MORE)

The attack took place at 2:00am, and as expected the immediate response from the local safari defenders is to ask why the victim violated a key safari rule and went outside after dark.

Within the confines of the Safari Zones the rules clearly state you should not be there; it is specifically emphasized that if a traveler must transit near a Safari Zone, there should be no travel into, through or within the zone after sunset.  The predators are most active at night.

Most of the time the safari incidents show up on page 5 or 6 of the newspaper.  Ten years ago, the common lingo was to identify the ‘incidents’ as kids playing the “Knock Out Game”, or shooting people for “Thrill Kills”, or if people accidentally talked to them, well, the safari residents were allowed to jump in/out of the car and attack without consequence.

The empowerment rules within the safari, commonly known as racial equity efforts, have spread in the last decade.

Inside the Safari, the predator’s rape little girls during their adolescence, smash bricks in the faces of others as teens, enjoy lighting people on fire while they are alive, and sometimes they will order a pizza or Chinese food so they can shoot the delivery driver for a viral YouTube video.

Other random examples have highlighted the “cap-a-joggers-ass” for jogging in/near the safari or smashing faces with bricks for more giggles. The safari residents develop alternate monikers like No-Limit-Nigga, and if you exit your vehicle during your drive through their region, well, you are requesting a beating.

If you describe the adult version of the teen predators honestly you are labeled a racist. However, if you put your head down and ignore the warning signs you risk becoming a victim. A tenuous choice.

To distract attention away from the Safari Zones the congressional black caucus claims to legitimize occupants with representation. If you defend yourself against them, you are hunting in the safari, regardless of the reason for your presence.  Safari regulators Al Sharpton and Benjamin Crump call the residents “constituents” while Malik Shabazz calls them “footsoldiers”, Eric Holder calls them “his people”, and President Obama says they are just like his kids: “if I had a son.”

So, you are taught threatened to tread carefully when honestly identifying anyone who lives in the Safari zones.  All of the commonalities must be ignored and the scope of any police investigation near the Philadelphia Safari Zone must include the possibility that Amish residents of Pennsylvania are suspects; that way the media pretending -needed to advance the financial objectives of the Safari regulators- can continue.

In each of the cases in/around the Safari Zones the victim was usually targeted because they were vulnerable or disposable; customarily because the victim violated one of more of the rules of the safari.  In this example Mr. Lambert was outside his home at 2:00am.

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