Nothing new that the message democrats have is to Be Very Afraid. It really comes down to the message of Hope v. Fear.
We all need to buckle up because President Trump’s GOP is not the neocon GOP/uniparty of previous generations. Many of us are saying, giddyup! It might get bumpy, but we don’t expect the government to pay for our lives either and we know this 1776 moment needs to happen.
Will President Trump really be able to Make America Great Again this time around? At least his message is one of hope and prosperity – the opposite of the totalitarians running the democrats who tell people to be very afraid:
I expect Trump to have developed Coercive tools and strategies to get the RINOs to get on the team, or have damaging and criminal truths published to destroy them if need be. Like they played on his nominees ALL of his first term.
Surely has such plans in place after Gaetz was knee-capped by b/s type innuendo…all of these DC weasels have warehouses full of the same, if not much more serious…
All hyperbole so far. Let's all wait and give the woman a chance to prove she can do the job and restore our confidence in our judicial system. This is not going to be fixed in four years, and Hunter Biden is never going to prison because Joe Biden would have to join him and that wont happen.
FDR's first inaugural address included the now famous line, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself," which has literally been turned on its head, as fear is the first, last, and every interjection of Democrats and Deep Staters everywhere.
And just as Roosevelt declared, by electing Trump, the American people have "registered a mandate that they want direct, vigorous action."
The first lesson of a successful career is learning what a hard day's work feels like - by doing it. One or two years of mandatory military service post-high school would toughen them up too.
As someone who spent twenty-six years in the military I beg to differ. No one comes out of even a couple years of military service without growing up, improving their confidence, and feeling better about themselves and their country. There are no mommy's in the military.
THANK YOU, REDDOG!!! OUR KIDS HAVE BEEN CODDLED INTO IDIOTS. A SHORT STINT IN T HE MILITARY WOULD BRING THEM BACK INTO THE FOLD OF REALITY, REPONSIVENESS, AND RESPONSIBILITY. ALL CLEARLY EXPLAINED TO THEM DAILY, WITH ALL SORTS OF JOBS TO DO, ALSO DAILY.
Redd,I have a nephew whom along with his best friend would not get the time of day from me they were so spoiled. Both joined the navy as asshats and came out grown men with a purpose in life so am all in on service to humanity after k-12 .
BINGO! Good order and discipline are the 'bumpers' needed by way too many coddled (to Gayle's point) in the 'trophy generation'. In the military, you're expected to show up and perform. The DOGE needs to wipe out the DEI/woke completely because it's destroying (intentionally) the future of the country!
I've met one of the originals, lived with mommy until she died. He was in his fifties and had never held a job. Couldn't hack it just fetching carts for Walmart.
I had a golf buddy like this. Actually he passed away on the golf course at 60 years of age. Had menial jobs on and off. Lived in the same house with his mother and father for 60 years. I was in his room once when I was in my 40's and he still had wallpaper that was probably put up when he was a child. It had little trains... LOL. Can you imagine?
Neither was I when I started working on a factory floor forty years ago. It's called OJT, on the job training. All these kids need is a willingness to work......... Never mind, I see your point.
All true but first they need to believe that they can go as far in this country as their desire, hard work, and investment in themselves will take them.
During the Trump administration these colleges and universities are in for a real shocker.
Their administrative overheads are nearly triple the size of their student populations, and largely, in any number of ways dedicated to some sort of DIE perverse purpose.
They are going to go the way of the DoDo bird.
Actual Education might just return to some of these hallowed halls, others will just crumble.
Kids may have a chance to learn for a change, but before that, parents should only be looking at vocational and trade schools if they want their kids to have a future.
None of this will happen overnight, but at least we’ll be on the right path.
If you want to fix public education, first get rid of the unions which have become as powerful as any in the country, and second, give people the choice and tax credits to seek private education for their children. Today, with all the workforce laws on the books, there is no need for unions and certainly not in government at any level.
GREAT POST, SUZIE! THE CURRENT 'UNIVERSITY SELF-IMPOSED COMA" MUST COME TO AN END. WE HAVE ENOUGH COLLEGE EDUCATED MORONS NOW. MORE THAN ENOUGH. NOW WE NEED WELL EDUCATED IN THE TRADITIONAL STUDIES TO BE TAUGHT IN ALL UNIVERSITIES. WE ARE GOING UNDER, WITH THIS GENERATION PLUS, OF MORONS IN ALL FIELDS, EXPECTING HUGE PAYCHECKS FOR DOING NOTHING.
ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, SUZIE! THE SOOONER WE GET STARTED ON THIS PLAN, THE SOONER THE DEMS WILL MEARURE YOUNG KIDS' ABILITY TO LISTEN, OBEY, BE A RESPONSIVE PART OF SOMETHING OTHER THAN VIDEO GAMES. I8 AM ALL IN FAVOR OF MILITARY TRAINING, AS MOST OF THESE KIDS HAVE NEVER HAD A P ARENT SAY, "DO THIS OR ELSE". LAZY AND FAT? NOT IN THE US MILITARY!
I get your point but not all the people who work in government are worthless. Some work hard and are not the people making up the deep-state. Many people are going to be displaced and have to find jobs in the private sector.
I have despised Walmart for its globalist marketing. I have not set foot inside one for at least a year, and prior to that, only rarely and when absolutely necessary. I spend my money as far as possible in local outlets, for everyting from food to hardware. Yes, I know that a lot of things sold in my local stores are made in China, but at least some of my money is going to support local businesses, which in turn, support our local economy. The Walton family has gone the way of the Fords and Rockefellers, with the second and third generations regressing to the mean and becoming self-seeking, arrogant arrivistes who firmly believe, "Do as I say, not as I do." Screw them.
Capitalism is leaderless and will always steer toward the lowest prices for goods. Capitalism needs to be steered in the right direction by wise regulation and trade policies. But that takes unbiased and non-risk adverse politicians to make sure it works. Mr. Trump is essentially trying to do what our congress has failed to do, take care of our own citizens FIRST.
Adam Smith wrote about the "Invisible Hand" of capitalism. He was right. Unfortunately, many economic morons that inhabit the Democrat Party fail to understand this. Their model is "mercantilism" aka crony capitalism. If they can't get a kickback or a fat campaign contribution, they have little to no interest.
Let's not be so quick to lionize Sam Walton and Wal-Mart.
For all his concern about American manufacturing moving overseas, he did rural America no favours by putting damn near every local merchant out of business within a 30-mile radius of any new store.
That was its business model. For that reason, I'll shed no tears for the enterprise's welfare when its regular customers begin to shop and buy elsewhere.
Think of driving through all the little Main Street USA’s in virtually every state in the Union: they are mostly boarded up and depressed facsimiles of their once bustling, prior lives.
This country crept, step by step toward foreign investors, foreign (illegal) workers, foreign goods, foreign students, foreign almost everything, leaving actual Americans desolated and depressed.
America First signals rebirth and renewal of all it was originally designed to be, and that was largely an economic powerhouse.
This is our last chance, literally, to turn this ship around, on its true course.
He couldn't have done it without paying off local, state, and federal politicians. It's a tough deal. Sure, he put the local shops out of business but at the same time he brought lower prices to the consumer.
American jobs and thus American’s incomes. It became a viscous circle of doom. People little by little made less because of fewer good paying jobs, so of course, they sought out cheaper prices.
And by the way, Walmart prices for many things are by no means cheaper than from other sources. They too, have incrementally increased due to the same inflationary pressure everyone everywhere else has been afflicted by.
It’s been an economic Ponzi scheme, where only the guys at the top are profiting, and the people down the chain, especially at the bottom are the perpetual loser.
His biz model was to offer better service at a lower price.
I hated all the mom and pops.
Right now I'm in CO. one cannot buy liquor in grocery stores. You must go to a liquor store where prices are 50 % higher and the cleck dosen't speak english.
Wallmart put those mom and pops out of biz because those moms and pops were crap.
No English and 50% higher would turn me into a teetotaler if I wasn’t one already. Once a ‘social drinker’ (with only the rare hangover) I began to lose interest in ‘fire water’ when I realized that for me, drinking booze was like pouring kerosene on a raging fire. So no biggie for me.
Born in Arkansas, Walmart was a source of pride when it was mostly all American but I didn’t like losing Mom and Pop. And, when it did finally appear in California, you had to drive a long way to a Walmart so I never shopped one. Later, boycotted because: China. Not looking for a gold star just a combination of practicality and inbred patriotism. Now if Amazon would only label better we’d still have a clear choice.
But somehow survival without Walmart or alcohol happened and though it’s almost impossible to avoid the CCP, small victories are satisfying. Our Farmer’s Markets in every zip code are a big help…one boon of living in ‘America’s Salad Bowl’.
In other news I had my 86th birthday last week and 2 days later my 2nd great grandchild was born. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to being proud as punch! Onward.
The negative comments about Walmart here seem to assume that people are willing to go back to the time-consuming downtown shopping of old, spending a lot of time going from one shop to the next. But even then, before Walmart, people got a lot of things by mail-order instead; that's what made Sears-Roebuck immense. I just cannot see that coming back.
More of Walmart's revenue comes from government welfare (EBT) than any other retailer, and 10%+ of that is spent on carbonated drinks and salty snacks (Coke, Pepsi/FritoLay). Restrict EBT purchases to raw foods, milk, butter and cheese and traffic to Walmart will drop along with its revenue.
Your taxpayer dollars are subsidizing Walmart's arrogance.
A very sensible plan. Perhaps RFK Jr. could somehow have a hand in this, as well? MAHA.
When I take a glance at what is in some of the grocery carts as they pass by (no matter where I’m shopping) I’m disheartened. I’m all for free choice, but addictions are strong in this country and paying tax dollars to feed them are not desirable.
I would wager that close to 80% of what’s marketed on Amazon comes from China.
Returning to tariffs the way Trump plans will, after some short term pain, bring enormous gain for the country.
It’s that “pain” part that his enemies will try to exploit with their usual choruses of alarm and panic.
Getting this country onto solid performing ground is going to a long, hard and painful process during the transformation. People need to be prepared for that, so they don’t buy into the naysayers doom and gloom forecasts.
There will be labor pains during this rebirth process, because the damage that’s been done has been enormous. It will take courage, patience and faith to see it through to its proper end.
Yes, but some of that pain will be offset by immediate relief in other areas, like lower gas prices (drill, baby, drill!) - which can help reduce other costs downline...and potentially reduce some (if not all) natural gas, propane and eletricity prices. Add to that some lowered interest rates, and we're off to the races.
We have to unleash energy to bolster our energy production in advance of the AI and data center spikes in electricity needs.
Hope someone will be working to make our grids more stable (and resistant to terrorism and random damage.
Trump and his team have a tough set of problems to solve--but I am optimistic that they are up to the task. The new DOE head (Chris Wright) is quite impressive. Think he is well able to walk back the corrupt and unsound Green New Deal policies enacted in FJB's ridiculously named IRA
Well, along with restoration of law and order at DOJ, deporting illegal aliens, fixing the economy, avoiding WWIII, preventing the health complex injury to citizens and a few assorted (LOL) cultural issues to walk back...
In terms of selling Chinese made products I believe Walmart and Amazon would be running neck and neck in that race. I'd be inclined to give the edge to Amazon though.
As I've said before here, there will be tearful people on all of the news reels. Lot's of Dem casualties to use in elections. RIFs are not pleasant for anyone affected. Hopefully there will be safety nets and help coping. Losing a job is said to be as stressful as losing a family member. The trimming has to be done but lets do it as humanely as possible.
LET THEM ALL GO TO ANOTHERE COUNTRY OR DIRECTLY TO HELL. WE NEED PETE HEGSETH'S MIND-SET. IT IS "AMERICA FIRST". THAT MEANS "AMERICAN CITIZENS' NEEDS COME FIRST, LAST, AND ALWAYS.
Good post today but someone needs to tell these folks history repeats itself with updates,Trump won so move it on out of the way. The main problem facing Americans are the swamp denizens and their parasites,which is why PDJT was elected a 3rd time. Turn loose the cleaning and sanitation teams already.
Basically, if it's big box, or big-box-like, it is from China at the expense of American jobs. Short-term price advantage to get a trinket in trade for long-term loss of a strong-muscled economy.
Walmart, Lowes, and Amazon (the online big box store) are all China-building to the detriment of America. Even Hollywood migrated to China. The "It's a Wonderful Life" days died decades ago.
My memory isn't what it used to be but I know I read an article in Trump's first term that a Walmart exec made an off-handed comment about "taking out Trump" or some such threat because of Trump's plan to tariff the hell out of Chinese goods. Is it coincidence someone actually followed through in Trump's run for his re-election?
After big pharma, big war machine, and big government, at some point Mr. Trump will hopefully fix big China.
Times they are a changing. Remember the big malls? The one closest to me in Denton is almost devoid of big stores. Most are little shops. Shopping online is killing them and many others. Walmart is adjusting with delivery and pickup lanes but they are late to the game. AI, robots and online purchasing are the future. It's a little scary but there it is. Todays younger generation don't shop like we did. It might actually turn out to be a good thing. Time will tell.
Until 1913 the Federal government existed entirely on tariffs. Tariffs have been used throughout history to great effect, and there is no reason to suspect they won't now. The difference between Trump and the Globalist Grifters is that Trump understands exactly how to use tariffs to benefit his nation and they how to benefit themselves. I trust his judgment - theirs, not so much.
I laughingly checked Congress in the poll, but the truth is that we absolutely need rid of dei and the destruction it brings.
Forty years ago when Sam was supporting America, some items cost more being made in America, but a large portion of that was due to quality. Chinese goods were junk. Their quality hasn't improved. Why was that?
American workers were well paid and they took pride in their work. Many still do, or would if products were made here. Instead we are getting cheap garbage and having to support a welfare state as America's work force cannot afford to buy a house and feed a family.
Crazy that our housing market is still building, but the buyers are globalists who rent them for ridiculous amounts.
What happens if we get good wages? Suddenly people will be able to buy and those globalist rentals will sit empty.
The globalists have a serious stake in eliminating the middle class and they are going to fight like the Japanese army on Okinawa. Do we have an economic atom bomb to drop on Davos? (It's name is Donald John Trump).
We’ve always trusted Trump. Why in hell would we suddenly start trusting Fortune, CNN, Forbes, and the Milwaukee Urinal for the gospel on tariffs? (Long-time Wisconsinite and Packer fan here.) Trusting hack outfits like these instead of common sense is part of what got us here in the first place.
The lack of finance and economics background among these hacks is astounding. Heck, even the WSJ has lost most of its expertise in these areas.
Inflation spiked exactly because FJB continued huge consumer oriented spending, which made sense (to some extent) at the beginning of the pandemic but most assuredly did not need continuation in 2021. There is evidence that we had almost fully recovered by 4Q2020.
A smart reporter (where are they? Like Don, writing in sub stacks! Thank you Don)--would spend the short time necessary to look at the gross amount of gov't spending pre and post COVID. IIRC FJB's regime hiked the topline by $1.5-$2T (yes TRILLION).
No wonder we have continued record deficits and stubborn inflation.
Those who rail against tariffs don't understand that, in the 21st century, they are not about raising revenue. Trump used tariffs as a blunt instrument in foreign policy negotiations. "Do it my way, or your income from our markets goes way down." It certainly worked with Mexico.
Also, it's a great way to level the playing field for international trade. "My goodness! Your country imposes punitive tariffs on goods from the US, so our manufacturers can't compete in your markets. Well, that door swings both ways."
American RINOS have played out their Chamber of Commerce con: European Union socialists have had their day - the Marshall plan is past. Struggling long-view china is stumbling along right now because we are their big customer and without us, they are weak. Working America is tired of subsidizing the largess transferred to all these free loaders. Will they pass on our tariffs back to us in higher prices, for their trinkets? Not if we don't buy such. Dont tell us that our tariffs on their stuff will cause us inflation: we KNOW that such may be ventured in the short run.....IN A TEST TUBE IVORY TOWER WORLD WHERE THE DYNAMICS OF THE "LONG RUN" ARE IGNORED. American tariffs will not only raise prices IN THE SHORT RUN for our imports BUT: It will incentivise the building of new - state of the art - factories here, employing us. Nancy boy John Maynard Keynes said that. "in the long run we are all dead." He lived for the lusts of rhe moment: the "long run" is where all of us and our descendents will spend the rest of our lives. Don't ask us to accept your "tick-tock" view of how the world works.
Certainties you will hear within a liberal's argument: Theory trumps facts. Intentions excuse the damage caused. "This time it will work." Poll: Eliminating DO Energy will rid the nation of alternative energy mandates and allow the power grid to grow. A better power grid is required to support the enormous needs of AI computing and a booming manufacturing sector. Eliminating DO Education will give local communities the opportunity to provide real education to their young. Eliminating every DEI hire and their socialism goals will promote an old fashioned American concept called meritocracy. Can we imagine the reduction in government spending and increases in societal & business efficiency flowing from such changes?
Nothing new that the message democrats have is to Be Very Afraid. It really comes down to the message of Hope v. Fear.
We all need to buckle up because President Trump’s GOP is not the neocon GOP/uniparty of previous generations. Many of us are saying, giddyup! It might get bumpy, but we don’t expect the government to pay for our lives either and we know this 1776 moment needs to happen.
Will President Trump really be able to Make America Great Again this time around? At least his message is one of hope and prosperity – the opposite of the totalitarians running the democrats who tell people to be very afraid:
https://lizlasorte.substack.com/p/democratic-governors-vow-to-fight?r=76q58
I expect Trump to have developed Coercive tools and strategies to get the RINOs to get on the team, or have damaging and criminal truths published to destroy them if need be. Like they played on his nominees ALL of his first term.
Surely has such plans in place after Gaetz was knee-capped by b/s type innuendo…all of these DC weasels have warehouses full of the same, if not much more serious…
Exactly right but unfortunately don't think Pam Bondi will be the one to put anyone in prison. Notice how she is loved by both sides. Not good.
She did her part to ruin George Zimmerman, which is why i don’t trust her.
I haven’t heard the love on the other side.
All hyperbole so far. Let's all wait and give the woman a chance to prove she can do the job and restore our confidence in our judicial system. This is not going to be fixed in four years, and Hunter Biden is never going to prison because Joe Biden would have to join him and that wont happen.
We don't have the time to wait. And someone HAS to go to prison. If not the Deep State will just get bolder and bolder.
great post liz. that '1776 moment" was well stated. no pain no gain as they say.
FDR's first inaugural address included the now famous line, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself," which has literally been turned on its head, as fear is the first, last, and every interjection of Democrats and Deep Staters everywhere.
And just as Roosevelt declared, by electing Trump, the American people have "registered a mandate that they want direct, vigorous action."
Wondering if we bring back manufacturing to the USA who's going to work the factories? Certainly today's college graduates are not qualified...
The first lesson of a successful career is learning what a hard day's work feels like - by doing it. One or two years of mandatory military service post-high school would toughen them up too.
Time in the military or time on the ground as an aid worker distributing American relief in places torn by disaster.
Straight from high school to military is replacing mom with another.
Real world ain't the military.
As someone who spent twenty-six years in the military I beg to differ. No one comes out of even a couple years of military service without growing up, improving their confidence, and feeling better about themselves and their country. There are no mommy's in the military.
THANK YOU, REDDOG!!! OUR KIDS HAVE BEEN CODDLED INTO IDIOTS. A SHORT STINT IN T HE MILITARY WOULD BRING THEM BACK INTO THE FOLD OF REALITY, REPONSIVENESS, AND RESPONSIBILITY. ALL CLEARLY EXPLAINED TO THEM DAILY, WITH ALL SORTS OF JOBS TO DO, ALSO DAILY.
Redd,I have a nephew whom along with his best friend would not get the time of day from me they were so spoiled. Both joined the navy as asshats and came out grown men with a purpose in life so am all in on service to humanity after k-12 .
BINGO! Good order and discipline are the 'bumpers' needed by way too many coddled (to Gayle's point) in the 'trophy generation'. In the military, you're expected to show up and perform. The DOGE needs to wipe out the DEI/woke completely because it's destroying (intentionally) the future of the country!
They will if they get hungry. They don't know what hungry is.
Or they will just live in their PJ's in mom's basement. Remember pajama boy?
I've met one of the originals, lived with mommy until she died. He was in his fifties and had never held a job. Couldn't hack it just fetching carts for Walmart.
I had a golf buddy like this. Actually he passed away on the golf course at 60 years of age. Had menial jobs on and off. Lived in the same house with his mother and father for 60 years. I was in his room once when I was in my 40's and he still had wallpaper that was probably put up when he was a child. It had little trains... LOL. Can you imagine?
Neither was I when I started working on a factory floor forty years ago. It's called OJT, on the job training. All these kids need is a willingness to work......... Never mind, I see your point.
All true but first they need to believe that they can go as far in this country as their desire, hard work, and investment in themselves will take them.
During the Trump administration these colleges and universities are in for a real shocker.
Their administrative overheads are nearly triple the size of their student populations, and largely, in any number of ways dedicated to some sort of DIE perverse purpose.
They are going to go the way of the DoDo bird.
Actual Education might just return to some of these hallowed halls, others will just crumble.
Kids may have a chance to learn for a change, but before that, parents should only be looking at vocational and trade schools if they want their kids to have a future.
None of this will happen overnight, but at least we’ll be on the right path.
If you want to fix public education, first get rid of the unions which have become as powerful as any in the country, and second, give people the choice and tax credits to seek private education for their children. Today, with all the workforce laws on the books, there is no need for unions and certainly not in government at any level.
GREAT POST, SUZIE! THE CURRENT 'UNIVERSITY SELF-IMPOSED COMA" MUST COME TO AN END. WE HAVE ENOUGH COLLEGE EDUCATED MORONS NOW. MORE THAN ENOUGH. NOW WE NEED WELL EDUCATED IN THE TRADITIONAL STUDIES TO BE TAUGHT IN ALL UNIVERSITIES. WE ARE GOING UNDER, WITH THIS GENERATION PLUS, OF MORONS IN ALL FIELDS, EXPECTING HUGE PAYCHECKS FOR DOING NOTHING.
ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, SUZIE! THE SOOONER WE GET STARTED ON THIS PLAN, THE SOONER THE DEMS WILL MEARURE YOUNG KIDS' ABILITY TO LISTEN, OBEY, BE A RESPONSIVE PART OF SOMETHING OTHER THAN VIDEO GAMES. I8 AM ALL IN FAVOR OF MILITARY TRAINING, AS MOST OF THESE KIDS HAVE NEVER HAD A P ARENT SAY, "DO THIS OR ELSE". LAZY AND FAT? NOT IN THE US MILITARY!
There might be some former government employees looking for work. I don't know how productive they'd be though.
LET THOSE MORONS STAND IN LINE FOR A YEAR OR MORE. THEY FAILED IN THEIR GOVERMENT "FAKE JOB".... THEY ARE NOT WANTED IN CIVILIAN LIFE NOW.
I get your point but not all the people who work in government are worthless. Some work hard and are not the people making up the deep-state. Many people are going to be displaced and have to find jobs in the private sector.
WORK AND BE PRODUCIVE OR GET OUT AND STARVE. NO MONEY EARNED, NO FOOD EATEN. GO HOE TO CRY TO YOUR MOMMIE, IF YOU MUST. THEY WILL SOON THROW YOU OUT.
Once all the liberal art degreed people attend trade schools we will have the best educated workforce in the world.
They'll have to learn, as all the DEI jobs will have been eliminated.
Plenty of workers here will get a chance to move up from their current landscaping jobs to better paying jobs. Let's give it a chance to work.
Have you seen what landscapers are charging these days?
I have despised Walmart for its globalist marketing. I have not set foot inside one for at least a year, and prior to that, only rarely and when absolutely necessary. I spend my money as far as possible in local outlets, for everyting from food to hardware. Yes, I know that a lot of things sold in my local stores are made in China, but at least some of my money is going to support local businesses, which in turn, support our local economy. The Walton family has gone the way of the Fords and Rockefellers, with the second and third generations regressing to the mean and becoming self-seeking, arrogant arrivistes who firmly believe, "Do as I say, not as I do." Screw them.
Capitalism is leaderless and will always steer toward the lowest prices for goods. Capitalism needs to be steered in the right direction by wise regulation and trade policies. But that takes unbiased and non-risk adverse politicians to make sure it works. Mr. Trump is essentially trying to do what our congress has failed to do, take care of our own citizens FIRST.
Adam Smith wrote about the "Invisible Hand" of capitalism. He was right. Unfortunately, many economic morons that inhabit the Democrat Party fail to understand this. Their model is "mercantilism" aka crony capitalism. If they can't get a kickback or a fat campaign contribution, they have little to no interest.
Let's not be so quick to lionize Sam Walton and Wal-Mart.
For all his concern about American manufacturing moving overseas, he did rural America no favours by putting damn near every local merchant out of business within a 30-mile radius of any new store.
That was its business model. For that reason, I'll shed no tears for the enterprise's welfare when its regular customers begin to shop and buy elsewhere.
Amen! ( and a big “Howdy NFT!)
Think of driving through all the little Main Street USA’s in virtually every state in the Union: they are mostly boarded up and depressed facsimiles of their once bustling, prior lives.
This country crept, step by step toward foreign investors, foreign (illegal) workers, foreign goods, foreign students, foreign almost everything, leaving actual Americans desolated and depressed.
America First signals rebirth and renewal of all it was originally designed to be, and that was largely an economic powerhouse.
This is our last chance, literally, to turn this ship around, on its true course.
AMEN. WELL STATED.
He couldn't have done it without paying off local, state, and federal politicians. It's a tough deal. Sure, he put the local shops out of business but at the same time he brought lower prices to the consumer.
But at what price?
American jobs and thus American’s incomes. It became a viscous circle of doom. People little by little made less because of fewer good paying jobs, so of course, they sought out cheaper prices.
And by the way, Walmart prices for many things are by no means cheaper than from other sources. They too, have incrementally increased due to the same inflationary pressure everyone everywhere else has been afflicted by.
It’s been an economic Ponzi scheme, where only the guys at the top are profiting, and the people down the chain, especially at the bottom are the perpetual loser.
“All that glitters is not gold.”
Cheap and easy is a sucker’s gambit.
His biz model was to offer better service at a lower price.
I hated all the mom and pops.
Right now I'm in CO. one cannot buy liquor in grocery stores. You must go to a liquor store where prices are 50 % higher and the cleck dosen't speak english.
Wallmart put those mom and pops out of biz because those moms and pops were crap.
No English and 50% higher would turn me into a teetotaler if I wasn’t one already. Once a ‘social drinker’ (with only the rare hangover) I began to lose interest in ‘fire water’ when I realized that for me, drinking booze was like pouring kerosene on a raging fire. So no biggie for me.
Born in Arkansas, Walmart was a source of pride when it was mostly all American but I didn’t like losing Mom and Pop. And, when it did finally appear in California, you had to drive a long way to a Walmart so I never shopped one. Later, boycotted because: China. Not looking for a gold star just a combination of practicality and inbred patriotism. Now if Amazon would only label better we’d still have a clear choice.
But somehow survival without Walmart or alcohol happened and though it’s almost impossible to avoid the CCP, small victories are satisfying. Our Farmer’s Markets in every zip code are a big help…one boon of living in ‘America’s Salad Bowl’.
In other news I had my 86th birthday last week and 2 days later my 2nd great grandchild was born. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to being proud as punch! Onward.
Congrats are in order !!
The negative comments about Walmart here seem to assume that people are willing to go back to the time-consuming downtown shopping of old, spending a lot of time going from one shop to the next. But even then, before Walmart, people got a lot of things by mail-order instead; that's what made Sears-Roebuck immense. I just cannot see that coming back.
OUR GOVERNMENT HELPED WALMART, NOT THE INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS OWNER.
Trump tariffed steel and aluminum... ... and the prices went down. Look it up.
Great piece, Donald.
More of Walmart's revenue comes from government welfare (EBT) than any other retailer, and 10%+ of that is spent on carbonated drinks and salty snacks (Coke, Pepsi/FritoLay). Restrict EBT purchases to raw foods, milk, butter and cheese and traffic to Walmart will drop along with its revenue.
Your taxpayer dollars are subsidizing Walmart's arrogance.
And fat people
And those entertaining photos of Walmart shoppers.
A very sensible plan. Perhaps RFK Jr. could somehow have a hand in this, as well? MAHA.
When I take a glance at what is in some of the grocery carts as they pass by (no matter where I’m shopping) I’m disheartened. I’m all for free choice, but addictions are strong in this country and paying tax dollars to feed them are not desirable.
I would wager that close to 80% of what’s marketed on Amazon comes from China.
Returning to tariffs the way Trump plans will, after some short term pain, bring enormous gain for the country.
It’s that “pain” part that his enemies will try to exploit with their usual choruses of alarm and panic.
Getting this country onto solid performing ground is going to a long, hard and painful process during the transformation. People need to be prepared for that, so they don’t buy into the naysayers doom and gloom forecasts.
There will be labor pains during this rebirth process, because the damage that’s been done has been enormous. It will take courage, patience and faith to see it through to its proper end.
Yes, but some of that pain will be offset by immediate relief in other areas, like lower gas prices (drill, baby, drill!) - which can help reduce other costs downline...and potentially reduce some (if not all) natural gas, propane and eletricity prices. Add to that some lowered interest rates, and we're off to the races.
Hear, hear! 👏👏👍♥️
We have to unleash energy to bolster our energy production in advance of the AI and data center spikes in electricity needs.
Hope someone will be working to make our grids more stable (and resistant to terrorism and random damage.
Trump and his team have a tough set of problems to solve--but I am optimistic that they are up to the task. The new DOE head (Chris Wright) is quite impressive. Think he is well able to walk back the corrupt and unsound Green New Deal policies enacted in FJB's ridiculously named IRA
And the GRID is the #1 issue to deliver on NNTX.
Well, along with restoration of law and order at DOJ, deporting illegal aliens, fixing the economy, avoiding WWIII, preventing the health complex injury to citizens and a few assorted (LOL) cultural issues to walk back...
Good point. 👍🏻
In terms of selling Chinese made products I believe Walmart and Amazon would be running neck and neck in that race. I'd be inclined to give the edge to Amazon though.
CUT THEM BOTH OFF FOR A CHANCE FOR AMERICAN BUSINESS TO SURVIVE. YOU CAN'T SERVE TWO MASTERS AND BE SUCCESSFUL AT EITHER END.
And the other twenty comes from India.
INDIA IS NEXT. KEEP YOUR JUNK, WE DO NOT NEED OR WANT IT.
As I've said before here, there will be tearful people on all of the news reels. Lot's of Dem casualties to use in elections. RIFs are not pleasant for anyone affected. Hopefully there will be safety nets and help coping. Losing a job is said to be as stressful as losing a family member. The trimming has to be done but lets do it as humanely as possible.
PUT CLAMPS ON WALMART, AMAZON.... LET TRUMP CLEAN OUR HOUSE.
All of the employees in the office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) are threatening to quit if Pete Hegseth is confirmed as secretary of defense. Godspeed, Pete. For a pic. https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7d94a58b-477a-40f1-b717-a4c7ba018ef2_1032x1054.png
They are all going to get fired anyway under Pete. I hope they quit so they can't get transferred to other Dept.'s.
LET THEM ALL GO TO ANOTHERE COUNTRY OR DIRECTLY TO HELL. WE NEED PETE HEGSETH'S MIND-SET. IT IS "AMERICA FIRST". THAT MEANS "AMERICAN CITIZENS' NEEDS COME FIRST, LAST, AND ALWAYS.
Good post today but someone needs to tell these folks history repeats itself with updates,Trump won so move it on out of the way. The main problem facing Americans are the swamp denizens and their parasites,which is why PDJT was elected a 3rd time. Turn loose the cleaning and sanitation teams already.
You made me think of a Mr. Clean ad. Haha. DJT is Mr.Clean gone wild with a method to his madness.
Basically, if it's big box, or big-box-like, it is from China at the expense of American jobs. Short-term price advantage to get a trinket in trade for long-term loss of a strong-muscled economy.
Walmart, Lowes, and Amazon (the online big box store) are all China-building to the detriment of America. Even Hollywood migrated to China. The "It's a Wonderful Life" days died decades ago.
My memory isn't what it used to be but I know I read an article in Trump's first term that a Walmart exec made an off-handed comment about "taking out Trump" or some such threat because of Trump's plan to tariff the hell out of Chinese goods. Is it coincidence someone actually followed through in Trump's run for his re-election?
After big pharma, big war machine, and big government, at some point Mr. Trump will hopefully fix big China.
As do I-Maggs once told Boyd-'I'd say that's a good start "Justified
Times they are a changing. Remember the big malls? The one closest to me in Denton is almost devoid of big stores. Most are little shops. Shopping online is killing them and many others. Walmart is adjusting with delivery and pickup lanes but they are late to the game. AI, robots and online purchasing are the future. It's a little scary but there it is. Todays younger generation don't shop like we did. It might actually turn out to be a good thing. Time will tell.
Bannon s War Room theme song, “Take down the CCP!”
Until 1913 the Federal government existed entirely on tariffs. Tariffs have been used throughout history to great effect, and there is no reason to suspect they won't now. The difference between Trump and the Globalist Grifters is that Trump understands exactly how to use tariffs to benefit his nation and they how to benefit themselves. I trust his judgment - theirs, not so much.
I laughingly checked Congress in the poll, but the truth is that we absolutely need rid of dei and the destruction it brings.
Forty years ago when Sam was supporting America, some items cost more being made in America, but a large portion of that was due to quality. Chinese goods were junk. Their quality hasn't improved. Why was that?
American workers were well paid and they took pride in their work. Many still do, or would if products were made here. Instead we are getting cheap garbage and having to support a welfare state as America's work force cannot afford to buy a house and feed a family.
Crazy that our housing market is still building, but the buyers are globalists who rent them for ridiculous amounts.
What happens if we get good wages? Suddenly people will be able to buy and those globalist rentals will sit empty.
The globalists have a serious stake in eliminating the middle class and they are going to fight like the Japanese army on Okinawa. Do we have an economic atom bomb to drop on Davos? (It's name is Donald John Trump).
👍
We’ve always trusted Trump. Why in hell would we suddenly start trusting Fortune, CNN, Forbes, and the Milwaukee Urinal for the gospel on tariffs? (Long-time Wisconsinite and Packer fan here.) Trusting hack outfits like these instead of common sense is part of what got us here in the first place.
AMEN!
The lack of finance and economics background among these hacks is astounding. Heck, even the WSJ has lost most of its expertise in these areas.
Inflation spiked exactly because FJB continued huge consumer oriented spending, which made sense (to some extent) at the beginning of the pandemic but most assuredly did not need continuation in 2021. There is evidence that we had almost fully recovered by 4Q2020.
A smart reporter (where are they? Like Don, writing in sub stacks! Thank you Don)--would spend the short time necessary to look at the gross amount of gov't spending pre and post COVID. IIRC FJB's regime hiked the topline by $1.5-$2T (yes TRILLION).
No wonder we have continued record deficits and stubborn inflation.
Those who rail against tariffs don't understand that, in the 21st century, they are not about raising revenue. Trump used tariffs as a blunt instrument in foreign policy negotiations. "Do it my way, or your income from our markets goes way down." It certainly worked with Mexico.
Also, it's a great way to level the playing field for international trade. "My goodness! Your country imposes punitive tariffs on goods from the US, so our manufacturers can't compete in your markets. Well, that door swings both ways."
American RINOS have played out their Chamber of Commerce con: European Union socialists have had their day - the Marshall plan is past. Struggling long-view china is stumbling along right now because we are their big customer and without us, they are weak. Working America is tired of subsidizing the largess transferred to all these free loaders. Will they pass on our tariffs back to us in higher prices, for their trinkets? Not if we don't buy such. Dont tell us that our tariffs on their stuff will cause us inflation: we KNOW that such may be ventured in the short run.....IN A TEST TUBE IVORY TOWER WORLD WHERE THE DYNAMICS OF THE "LONG RUN" ARE IGNORED. American tariffs will not only raise prices IN THE SHORT RUN for our imports BUT: It will incentivise the building of new - state of the art - factories here, employing us. Nancy boy John Maynard Keynes said that. "in the long run we are all dead." He lived for the lusts of rhe moment: the "long run" is where all of us and our descendents will spend the rest of our lives. Don't ask us to accept your "tick-tock" view of how the world works.
Certainties you will hear within a liberal's argument: Theory trumps facts. Intentions excuse the damage caused. "This time it will work." Poll: Eliminating DO Energy will rid the nation of alternative energy mandates and allow the power grid to grow. A better power grid is required to support the enormous needs of AI computing and a booming manufacturing sector. Eliminating DO Education will give local communities the opportunity to provide real education to their young. Eliminating every DEI hire and their socialism goals will promote an old fashioned American concept called meritocracy. Can we imagine the reduction in government spending and increases in societal & business efficiency flowing from such changes?