From the Back Forty: Biden Celebrates as the Crazy Bubbles Over

The Biden bunch gathered – sans Harris – to celebrate four years of what they believe was a great success.

by Sarah Cowgill | Dec 1, 2024 @ Liberty Nation News, Tags: Articles, Opinion, Politics

Joe Biden (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Editor’s Note: From the Back Forty is Liberty Nation’s longest running and most popular weekly column. 

The heartland celebrated Thanksgiving this past week with family and friends and found time to discuss the most current political ridiculousness among somber and sentimental moments and a few big surprises. Who knew Meta-man Mark Zuckerberg would sit and conspire for the future with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago? Or that everyone who’s anyone on the Biden team – notably without Kamala Harris – would happily celebrate a four-year reckoning. The not-so-surprising moment was when a Democratic state lawmaker sought a way out of the next four years without relocating to another country. That was the kicker.

Trump Caused This

When Trump clinched the temporary title of president-elect, New York State Assemblywoman Sen. Liz Krueger had a thought bubble over her head: A Northeastern secession from the union. New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut can just join Canada! “It’s not unreasonable to think outside of the box,” Krueger, chairwoman of the Senate Finance Committee, told Politico with a straight face.

Jesse McColl in Plano, TX, asked: “Hmm. Where have we seen this before?”

But Krueger had a plan to shift the boundaries, although neither Canada nor the other three states on the list had been asked if they wanted any part of the idea:

“I know that Canada has basically said, ‘Yeah, we’re not letting you all in.’ As individuals, they basically made it clear. But that’s why I thought, ‘Oh, why do I have to leave this country? I love this country, and if Trump wins a second term, it’s not actually my fault or people in New York.’ So I thought I would suggest to Canada that instead of us all trying to illegally cross the border at night without them noticing, which is pretty hard because there’s a lot of us, that they should instead agree to let us be the southeast province, a new province of Canada, and I offered, even though I hadn’t gotten agreement from other states yet, that I thought New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, would combine and be a great new province as the southeast province of Canada.”

Living large in the Mississippi Delta, David Ming couldn’t stand the irony of an issue that had Harris losing soundly: Illegal immigration. “Funny how she made the comment about crossing the border illegally into Canada. What’s the difference between that and what’s going on at the southern border of our county? Party of inclusion and unity, my foot.”

Jill Rose in Mechanicsburg, OH, referred to US history and assumed Krueger was absent that year in Seventh grade, saying, “Didn’t we solve this issue in the 1860s?

“Being from the south, I can attest that you are not allowed to leave,” offered Tamera Zornes Anderson from Booneville, Arkansas.

Did Not See This Coming

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is optimistic about Trump’s second term and is rumored to be ready to “support the national renewal of America.” Didn’t we just censor the living daylights out of political speech with angry fact-checkers running amok on his platform? Zuckerberg visited Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday to talk. There were early signs that the media giant was shifting gears near the time he publicly praised Trump for rising defiantly after being winged in the ear by an assassin’s bullet.

Trump adviser Stephen Miller hinted at a partnership of sorts during an episode of The Ingraham Angle on Fox News. “Mark Zuckerberg has been very clear about his desire to be a supporter of and a participant in this change that we’re seeing all around America, all around the world with this reform movement that Donald Trump is leading,” Miller told guest host Brian Kilmeade.

“Mark Zuckerberg, like so many business leaders, understands that President Trump is an agent of change, an agent of prosperity.” Yes, they’ve had a few talks, Trump and Zuck. “Mark, obviously, he has his own interests, and he has his own company, and he has his own agenda. But he’s made clear that he wants to support the national renewal of America under President Trump’s leadership.”

Rick Metz in Warren, OH, is not too sure about this: “Either he had a Jesus moment and got some sense – which is a great thing – or sumthin’s shady, we will see. Don’t trust him yet. If he’s serious about change, prove it…all that fact-check garbage has to go immediately; let people think for themselves.”

Vicki K Brasseaux in Louisiana was crystal clear on her perception of Zuck: “Talk about a suppository type of man. Trust not a person who can’t stand for one thing but falls for everything. Zuckerberg is only watching out for his behind.”

Biden at a Garden Party

Near the South Lawn fountain, surrounded by his allies, Joe Biden and his family enjoyed a three-course supper, wearing black tie attire to celebrate their final Thanksgiving in the White House. They toasted the man, myth, and legend and congratulated each other on a job well done – even though three weeks prior, the nation delivered a devastating blow to Joe at the ballot box, re-electing his old nemesis rather than his chosen successor.

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The president said during his opening remarks: “One thing I’ve always believed about public service and especially the presidency is the importance of asking ourselves, ‘Have we left the country in better shape than we found it?'”

“And tonight, I can say with all my heart the answer to that question is a resounding ‘yes,’ because of you,” he continued. The royal ‘you’ included Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, sitting with former Biden Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and Attorney General Merrick Garland. The selfy-flashes must have been blinding.

But guess who was not there to bask in the lovefest? That would be Harris, the aforementioned chosen successor who decided to consider her options in California. As Mark Yaske in Lakewood, OH, mused: “The last party on the Titanic.”

~

Liberty Nation does not endorse candidates, campaigns, or legislation, and this presentation is no endorsement.

Read More From Sarah Cowgill National Columnist

US Crosses $36 Trillion National Debt Milestone – Swamponomics

Plus, sticky inflation and a coffee rally.

by Andrew Moran | Dec 1, 2024 @ Liberty Nation News, Tags:  Articles, Business News, Opinion

The United States did it! Nearly three months after topping $35 trillion, the national debt crossed the $36 trillion milestone. Perhaps it’s time to pop open a bit of bubbly, dance the Charleston, and run with elephants and donkeys like a scene out of Spain. Based on the forecasts from the Treasury Department, Uncle Sam could add another $1 trillion by early spring. Get in, future generations. It is time to swim in IOUs.

Got $36 Trillion?

According to the Treasury’s Debt to the Penny dashboard, Washington surpassed the $36 trillion mark on Nov. 21 for the first time on record. To be exact, the national debt reached $36,034,994,586,981.9, up from $35,973,905,978,114.70 on Nov. 20. This means the national debt has surged more than $2 trillion since Jan. 2. It took America 200 years before registering its first $1 trillion of red ink; now it takes a few months.

What is comical is that the United States could add $100 billion by the time the country flips the calendar to December. Ouch.

Republicans and Democrats are not yet finished. Recent forecasts from non-partisan budget watchdog the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) suggest that the national debt is poised to be like a SpaceX rocket and ascend to $57 trillion in the next decade. If these projections are accurate, Washington has added $34 trillion since the coronavirus pandemic, or $8 billion per day.

The Kobeissi Letter, from a popular financial investment research firm, may have recently summarized the current situation the best on the social media platform X: “At the current pace, US debt could hit $40 trillion within the next 2 years. Calls for major spending cuts are growing, but not being acted on yet. We are on an unsustainable fiscal path.”

That Inflation Is Sticky

All the October inflation reports have now been officially released, and they are not comforting heading into 2025. Put simply, the US economy could be stuck on a sticky inflation substance.

 

First, the October Consumer Price Index (CPI) report rose to 2.6%, up from 2.4% in September. Core CPI, which removes the volatile energy and food categories, remained at 3.3% for the second straight month. Second, the Producer Price Index (PPI) — a gauge of prices paid for goods and services by businesses — increased to a three-month high of 2.4%. Core PPI also climbed to a higher-than-expected 3.1%. Third, the Fed’s preferred Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) Price Index jumped to 2.3%, and core PCE ticked up to 2.8%.

What has been going on? A few things. The Federal Reserve has been running the printing presses, expanding the money supply every month this year, hitting $21.3 trillion in October, the highest since December 2022. Services also have fueled price pressures, with a whole host of categories rising or remaining elevated, such as shelter, transportation, and medical. Finally, federal spending continues to hover around record levels.

As eminent economist Milton Friedman once said, “Inflation is made by government and no one else.”

Ultimate Caffeine High

Consumers may not have noticed yet, but the coffee futures market has been rocketing this year, soaring 68% on the US ICE Futures exchange. The front-running coffee contract for Arabica, also known as the good stuff, climbed nearly 3% ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. It touched $3.20 per pound during the Nov. 27 trading session, the highest level since 1972.

Ditch the Diatribe – Try This!

Disappointing crop prospects in Brazil have been the driving force behind Western Civilization’s fuel spike. The South American nation suffered from dry weather that damaged its coffee-growing infrastructure earlier this year. But while Brazilian farmers are singing in the rain these days, the rainfall has come too late, and levels have been below average.

The European Union also is contributing to coffee’s performance. The European Parliament is debating deforestation regulations, a new policy that would force companies to ensure they are not importing products that were manufactured or grown in deforested or degraded regions after 2020. If the EU follows through on this law, it could devastate coffee and cocoa.

So far, coffee’s gains have been slightly limited after International Coffee Organization (ICO) data show that global exports have risen 12% year-over-year from October to September.

Like a glass of orange juice or a piece of chocolate, that morning fix might be more expensive in 2025.

~

Liberty Nation does not endorse candidates, campaigns, or legislation, and this presentation is no endorsement.

Read More From Andrew Moran Economics Editor

Understanding Consumer Spending and the Economy

November 30, 2024 by Dan Mitchell @ International Liberty

Almost exactly 14 years ago, the Center for Freedom and Prosperity released a video explaining why consumer spending does not drive the economy.

Here’s John Papola (a.k.a., Dad Saves America) with similar analysis.

Understanding this issue is not merely a matter of recognizing causality (in other words, a strong economy leads to more consumer spending, not the other way around).

It also helps to understand why Keynesian economics is misguided. Simply stated, you don’t increase national income by having the government divert money from capital markets (investment) in order to artificially stimulate consumption (either directly or indirectly).

 

For those who want to get wonky, this is why the CF&P video explains the difference between gross domestic income (GDI) and gross domestic product (GDP).

Better policy is more likely if lawmakers focus on how national income is earned (GDI) rather than how it is allocated (GDP).

I’ll conclude by stating that it would be nice to debunk Keynesianism once and for all so that it doesn’t come back to life (like a monster in a horror film) whenever politicians are looking for an excuse to spend more money.

P.S. Since we’re now in the holiday shopping season, click here for John Papola’s economically themed Christmas carols.

P.P.S. If you want to enjoy some cartoons about Keynesian economics, click here, here, here, and here. Here’s some clever mockery of Keynesianism. And, since I’m publicizing John’s excellent work, here’s the famous video showing the Keynes v. Hayek rap contest, followed by the equally enjoyable sequel, which features a boxing match between Keynes and Hayek.

We Hate Them. Why Won’t They Vote for Us?

By Daniel Greenfield @ Sultan Knish Blog

“Toxic masculinity is on the ballot.” That was the accidentally insightful headline of a column on an Ohio news site. Toxic masculinity was indeed on the ballot. But in a whole other way.

Gen Z men who had spent much of their lives being told that there was something wrong with them went out and voted for Trump. The cultural seismic shock waves of losing the male half of the youth are still rippling through the leftists who had long written off those same men.

The young men who voted for Trump attend high schools with ‘Healthy Masculinity’ classes and clubs which tell them that “the Man Box does not allow us to be fully human” and urges boys “to achieve their full human potential, free from restrictive masculinity.”

To be a boy is bad, but to be a man is even worse. College comes with mandatory sessions on consent and equity. White men in any classes less rigorous than math or science are there to be used as bad examples of privilege. Nearly any college movie from a decade ago now seems like it’s depicting another culture or another planet. No wonder men aren’t going to college.

Gen Z men have come of age being displaced in school, in society and in their hobbies and interests. But every time they display interest in something, whether it’s the NFL or Warhammer 40,000, it’s quickly taken away from them in the name of equity and diversity.

Complaining about it is toxic masculinity.

From an early age, boys are expected to be less seen, punished for their natural instincts and told that their main tasks are to be less like themselves and get out of the way of others. Gen Z men have grown up being seen as bad by the same system that wanted their votes in 2024.

Is it any wonder that Gen Z men didn’t want to vote for a political culture that saw them as toxic?

Leftists used to be able to win over the youth by pretending to be anti-establishment and offering freedom, but leftists have long since become the establishment and offer no freedom. Gen Z men were expected to vote for Kamala because she was the ‘progressive’ flag bearer, but what do progressives actually have to offer young men except shame and second class status?

We hate them. Why won’t they vote for us?

YES Magazine had hailed the Kamala campaign for offering a “nontoxic masculinity” in which “Gov. Tim Walz and others in the party are publicly relinquishing male power and privilege.”

Under the Left, the only good thing men could do was move to the back of the bus, to apologize for their existence and cheer on those replacing them. (Or identify as women themselves.)

Even as the polling warned Democrats they had a man problem, they couldn’t seem to stop shaming and scolding men. At Morehouse College, speaking to black men, Biden claimed that “their idea of being a man is toxic” and that to really be a man, you have to show “respect”, showing up to support the cause and “giving hate no safe harbor and leaving no one behind”.

Things got worse when the Obamas hit the campaign trail.

Barack infamously accused black men of sexism for not “feeling the idea of having a woman as president” and berated them, “women in our lives have been getting our backs this entire time.” Michelle Obama told women “we have every right to demand that the men in our lives do better by us” in the election and told men voting for Trump, “a vote for him is a vote against us.”

Men were sexists and predators. A condescending campaign ad urged women in red states to lie to their husbands and vote for Kamala. Rather than give women a reason to vote for them, the Democrats had gambled on bonding with women by demonizing men as toxic.

And they lost men because they couldn’t stop hating men.

Misunderstanding Men

 
The Trump campaign chose a millennial venture capitalist as its VP to appeal to younger men while the Kamala campaign picked a 60-year-old chubby ex-teacher whose shtick was cosplaying as various rural characters in Minnesota. Gov. Tim Walz was the kind of non-threatening ‘man’ that a group of upscale aging liberal women would pick to appeal to men.

Which VP were Gen Z men more likely to identify with: Vance or Walz?

The Kamala campaign thought that Walz would be avuncular but to Gen Z men he resembled one of the teachers, counselors and assorted school staffers who had hectored them all their lives. Rather than seeing a role model in remedying toxic masculinity that they were supposed to emulate, they saw a bureaucrat handing them DEI coursework and waiting for them to nod.

At the nadir of the campaign’s outreach to young men, Walz partnered with AOC to stream themselves playing Madden NFL on Twitch. A desktop setup had Walz wearing large headphones with a strategically placed bottle of Mountain Dew soda on the side.

The final score was 0-0.

Rather than reaching Gen Z men, it came off as a condescending tourist exercise during which the two lefty politicians pitched their various agendas, showed little familiarity with the game (despite Walz’s supposed background as a coach) and less interest in what men needed.

During the election when the Democrat media wanted to understand masculinity, they turned to

Ruth Whippman, a Berkeley liberal journalist and the author of ‘Boymom.’ While clearly an anti-conservative feminist, Whippman wrote about the culture of negativity toward boys and men on the Left even as she complained about the evils of masculine stereotypes.

Whippman’s work was in some ways less important than her gender. Many of the popular works about masculinity on the Left are written by women. When the media tried to interview ‘experts’ on masculinity and the election, they turned to Whippman and a few other women.

Democrats no longer even have men to explain men to them.

An entire sex has been inducted into the Marxist oppressor paradigm alongside capitalism, traditional religion (except Islam) heterosexuality, whiteness and being one’s own gender. There was no need to understand men in any terms except that they embodied all bad qualities.

In the 2024 election there were more voters on the bad side of the Left’s identity politics fence than on its good side.

Toxic Ideology

The Left lost men because it hated them. As the post-election party struggles to figure out how to fix the problem by investing more into podcasts, it’s up against its own ideology.

A movement can’t win over people it hates.

The idea of toxic masculinity is a product of a toxic ideology. Creating podcasts aimed at men while demonizing men won’t work. Many Gen Z men saw in Kamala another of the diversity hires who cut ahead of them in line and then got jobs lecturing them about their privilege.

The Left did well with young men when it appeared to be offering them freedom. Now all it offers them is a chance to be used as bad examples of toxic masculinity. The Left has gone from Animal House to the ‘Panderverse’, yet it expects young men to flock to them as if nothing has changed. Gen Z men see no reason to be leftists and nothing that the Left has to offer them.

Unless the Left stops hating men and offers them something more than a seat in the back of the bus, it will lose a generation of young men.  

Daniel Greenfield is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. This article previously appeared at the Center's Front Page Magazine. Click here to subscribe to my articles. And click here to support my work with a donation.

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