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MartyB's avatar

For the third time in a many days I find myself commenting that Europe seems like a dead man walking. Imagine caring what happens there, especially since they brought this on themselves. As for Tim Cook and Apple, I’ll be more excited when 1) they onshore manufacturing for their bread and butter iThings, and 2) I see the actual receipts for the expenditures they’re promising to make. For instance, I suspect they might have some challenges staffing up those Detroit projects from the local talent pool. The poll question answer should’ve been the third Dan, Bongino, named as Deputy Director of the FBI only 5 days after the confirmation of Kash Patel as FBI Director. Both of them documented corrupt lawfare run by the Deep State in their published books - Kash from inside the wire and Dan from the outside. Both appear to be overzealous Boy Scouts (and in Kash’s case, with a big chip on his shoulder). The freakoutery has so far been great. I look forward to great things from this duo.

Reddog's avatar

Regarding Europe, I agree. But what puzzles me the most is the people don’t seem to outwardly care, at least not that Ive seen. Maybe they just think it will change on its own at some point. Weird. My old Brit Army friend in London says he thinks its because their economy sucks and no one seems to know how to fix it. They are all sitting around waiting for someone else to fix it. That isn’t going to turn out well for them.

Adorable Deplorable's avatar

Kinda like Europeans gave up -- decades ago when they decided not to procreate.

RevMikeyMac's avatar

And they stopped believing in Something (God) so they'll believe in anything (LGBTQ is good; Muslim male refugees are good; etc.). Western Europe is where western Civilization went to die; they're in the nursing home stage now.

TeaPartyGal's avatar

Agree; that's why I voted for Germany in the poll, because we need to encourage any move back towards sanity that they make.

I don't think we can write off Europe. We need them to wake up and turn themselves around. It can't be the US versus the entire rest of the world. We need a resurrection of freedom in Europe. It's very encouraging that Nigel Farage is doing well in Britain; without him, Britain is gone.

MartyB's avatar

Europe has all but written themselves off despite their wailing. PDJT is hitting them with a clue bat until they either try to claw themselves out of their abyss or slip all the way in.

Gail W's avatar

I agree.And I think Britain's demise is exaggerated as it was when everyone was shocked that BREXIT won. Just like here, we needed TRUMP, so too do other countries on the brink seem to require a charismatic leader, Meloni in Italy, Orban in Hungary, Melei in Argentina, etc.

I think there are a few more, and hopefully MORE will emerge. Having MOMENTUM on your side is everything.

Brian LeMay's avatar

Agree ; at the risk of sounding like the neighbor's parrott , " it's gonna get ugly before it gets better " .

Jeremy R's avatar

Nursing home? Hospice, with a DNR order in place.

LuAnn's avatar

Western civilization is killing itself with post-Christian practices.

LuAnn's avatar

Yes, you have to show up for the future with your kids in tow.

LuAnn's avatar

That's happening in a lot of Western countries, including Canada. You have educated people (many with useless degrees) who are supposed to be smart but are too stupid and devoid of common sense to get anything useful done. There's little innovation because there's so much red tape and high taxes. People just shrug and move on. It will take a lot of alpha men and women to turn things around. The betas just don't get anything done. We have mostly beta leadership which I have come to see as weak leadership. Great examples: Justin Trudeau and Keir Starmer.

Sheila Barkofske's avatar

Like others, whatever is happening in Britain is unnerving to the nth degree & I don’t say that because I have any great fondness for the Brits or Europe for that matter. Can’t help but feel though a big piece of the puzzle is their parliamentarian form of government. Britain got Stamer not because anyone voted for him but because he was essentially was the last man standing. The same thing just happened in Germany. Despite some obvious strong resistance to what is happening from all sectors, nothing changed. Our system (2 parties) may very well bring us to civil war, but, at least, we will have a winner one way or another.

NNTX's avatar

The UK Tories squandered a lengthy period in power as leftist-light--ignoring voters' desire for BREXIT (which was slow walked). Blair and his uniparty friends in Labor have imported non-assimilable Moslems that are establishing Sharia law in many parts of the country--not to mention winking at the systematic rape and child abuse of UK young women of working class.

Germany is a case of not just ignoring its voters desire to stop immigration but stubborn refusal to ally with a more natural, conservative ally in AFD--because "nazis".

(Similar to what happened in France last summer, btw).

It will be interesting to see if the denouement of the Ukraine war and unwinding the grift opportunities there--together with Trump's pressure for the EU countries and UK to fund their own defense, will prompt any adjustments. I suspect they are at least 10 years away from needed realignment and at that point, what remains for them?

LuAnn's avatar

It is frightful to me because Britain has contributed so much to our civilization.

MartyB's avatar

Name the most recent. I don’t believe they could either.

Skinnydip's avatar

With such a meager talent pool, they are going to need to import folks. Who in their right mind wants to move to Detroit? (Apologies to any Detroit readers.)

John Swindall's avatar

Detroilet. A vast sh#thole in the midst of a corruptly run state. Gee wiz Tim. Do you think you might run into union issues?

Michigan.

Where innovation goes to die.

Stephen Wolf's avatar

He is not MAGA, just sucking up.

LuAnn's avatar

Apple will need to bring people in to Detroit and hopefully train and upgrade any local talent. It will also need to instill a culture of excellence and continual improvement, which may need to start with instilling a culture of work.

Stephen Wolf's avatar

Maybe he is looking at all the auto workers laid off from Toledo to Detroit.

MartyB's avatar

Where they’ll put paid to the lie of creating high paying American jobs.

EODMom's avatar

Freakoutery! We too can coin useful words.

geraldsd's avatar

Hard choices in the poll today. Crocodile tears from Joy Reid, a POS liberal General out of work, and more worthless government employees gone. Impossible choices. The sign of the new times…😁

Reddog's avatar

I voted for Gen Brown. That sacking was a BIG deal and one that woke up the DoD. They didn’t think Brown would be dumped since he is black. I suspect they are paying attention now. But don’t feel too bad for Brown, he will not starve with a four star retirement and his future salary at _______.

Stephen Wolf's avatar

$237,000 a year with 40 yrs service +perks

Pi Guy's avatar

These are good choices to have!

AZCACTUSPETE's avatar

Skipping the "4-Stars" was apparently very smart; time will tell. The DC-Makeover continues; with support from here.

David Thompson's avatar

Manufacturing is not a spigot you can turn on. It will take decades to recover from what the government has done to American manufacturing. And there are plenty of globalists still fighting it. Making the USA dependent on others is part of their plan to destroy our freedom.

Greg's avatar

Yeah like teach an entire generation is okay to work

Doggie Dad's avatar

They don't know how to work. My sister and her husband owned several fast food restaurants for several years (all sold, thankfully, before Covid). Over time, nearly their entire workforce of about 75 employees ended up being Hispanic. According to my brother in law, white employees were lazy and slow, chronically late or absent, rude to customers, and insubordinate. They stole, gave free food to friends, and were unable to perform simple, repetitive tasks. Their hispanic counterparts were generally the opposite, and all their managers and supervisors were recruited from their ranks. I'm afraid that might be a window into the future.

Jeremy R's avatar

When my wife was working at taco bell, they hired a college kid. Second day right in the middle of the lunch rush, my wife look at the monitor and it was blank, zero orders. The new girl was having trouble keeping up so she deleted all the orders. She then went outside and had a cigarette.

Manager fired her on the spot.

The manager later told me that the average American kid lasted three days which was why she had almost entirely Hispanics.

I was in the restaurant about six months ago. No more Hispanics surprisingly I might add.

The service was terrible, the place was filthy. Ten people standing and waiting for their food.

A girl in front of me said she had already ordered. I ordered, got my food ate it and as I was about to leave notice that girl was still waiting for her meal. Why she wasn't screaming I don't know. She was very upset, almost at the point of tears.

Pi Guy's avatar

I think, if BigFedGov truly limits (eliminates?) welfare of all kinds, they're going to have to learn to work quickly, or go hungry.

"And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "If you don't work you die." "

Gods of the Copybook Headings, Kipling

https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poem/poems_copybook.htm

Jeremy R's avatar

Most welfarians are now collecting disability instead. PTSD is the leading reason. When we shut off the welfare tit they simply found another one.

If you read some of RFK Jr's stuff, a lot of our problems have to do with the rise in autism and ADHD which he attributes to vaccines and our changes in diet to processed garbage and high fructose corn syrup.

We as a nation are in deep shit.

LuAnn's avatar

Work is a purpose and everyone needs that.

Sheila Barkofske's avatar

Ahhh, my dad’s favorite poem. Thanks for the link.

Reddog's avatar

Manufacturing today is far different than three decades ago. Robots make it faster and easier. But someone has to help build the robots. Manufacturing to most of us means different things. The steel mills are gone but there are plenty of factories that can be built to build things from the raw steel. But who knows, maybe the mills will come back too in a scaled down form.

Cookie McCall's avatar

Isn't that why T Cook is also building an academy? This new group of employees are going to have to be trained in many areas and I'm guessing (hoping)there are many young people who just might be finally ready to get off their parent's couch and get a life.

Suzie's avatar

👍 actual opportunity opening for young people instead of having to go to one the corrupted diploma-mills!! That is HUUGE!!

David Thompson's avatar

If Trump follows through with tariffs the mills will come back. The issue has been that the government allowed the CCP to dump metal into our market. It was not profitable to run a mill. Once it is profitable over the long haul, they will return. But it takes time and capital.

EODMom's avatar

Cook should get his permits as quick as he can while friendly parties are in the permitting business at EPA. Michigan won’t be friendly to actual manufacturing but might take an academy. How will they overcome the academic “deficit” (chasm?) in learning that public schools produce?

But Cook’s nosethumbing in the UK makes me willing to buy a new phone.

TeaPartyGal's avatar

I don't trust Cook for 2 minutes. He is one of the most rabid corporate DEI/woke proponents. And he has willingly cooperated over and over with Red China in big ways in surveilling and suppressing the Chinese people.

And be very careful about the newest iPhones, they are adding AI and Lord knows what else. Basically hand-held surveillance devices. Apple is a monopoly hostile to US values.

Cook just rides whatever government is to his own advantage. They happily rode with the Democrats until the Democrats crashed their car into a tree.

EODMom's avatar

That’s also true. We just got a usps promo from Google: sign up for the Device Usage Survey and register all your devices to earn “points” worth “money” to “start” sharing app and site activity data. Like it’s not currently being tracked whether you have a Google account (we don’t Google anything but maps) or not. We figure they are just covering their legal asses against challenges that they are taking (they do) and selling (they do) any/all data. As usual timing is interesting. They do nothing spontaneously or without purpose.

TeaPartyGal's avatar

Yes. Both Google and Apple are really dangerous near-monopolies, and both are amoral when it comes to freedom versus totalitarianism. Both essentially want to BE the actual totalitarian-in-charge.

Both need to be broken up. First, like Suzie says, we have needed to bust up the U.S.'s Democrat-monopolized bureaucracy. After that, Google and Apple need to get anti-trust attention.

David Thompson's avatar

I saw recently that Google has now dropped its policy against using AI for military purposes and will be competing for military contracts. Think "robot dogs with guns" (which is already a thing). So it is a lot more than just invasive phones.

Suzie's avatar

True. But then you could say that about every major corporation.

The difference now being, that what this administration is promising is actual profit, growth and gain.

Eradicating the bureaucracy is an almost unquantifiable element in Trumps overall plan, and anyone with even just an elementary business acumen can see the writing on the wall.

Sheila Barkofske's avatar

Agree on all counts, but whatever is going to happen on the technology side is going to happen—Pandora is out of the box (not real enthused with Musks neurolink either). But, like the difference between working from home or in the office, you have more input/control if workers are in the office.

Damn the torpedoes's avatar

You are so right, Don, about Europeans tossing freedom overboard. Macron’s brief visit yesterday showed Trump’s increasing impatience with the EU and I can’t wait until the latest Asian running Britain stops in for his dope slap. What don’t they see about losing their culture and freedoms to the regulation mob -the same types that The Don & Elon are wiping off the blob payrolls in this country? More government equals less freedom for sure.

Reddog's avatar

I think they believe that eventually the immigrants will meld into their culture but that is a foolish thing to do. The Brits have always been slow to change. Maybe it has finally caught up to them. I have a good friend that believes that the Islamic types have decided they can’t fight the western world because they are too backward thinking so they have decided to infiltrate and co-op western countries from within. Basically, they are abandoning evolution and stealing other countries as the fastest way to get what they want. Remember, Britain and Germany are nuke armed. Interesting theory.

Damn the torpedoes's avatar

Islamists have no interests in assimilating; their goal is always to overrun and overtake, and the Brits are folding with their allowing no-go cities and towns with Sharia laws. Hopefully, Trump will eliminate the same practice here that’s rearing its head in Michigan and Minnesota. And Kash will bring charges against Ilan Omar.

LuAnn's avatar

There will be no melding in or assimilation. The proof is no-go zones in Europe.

Wim de Vriend's avatar

Britain's past has seen several major invasions by "immigrants [who] will meld into their culture", but such "melding" can easily take a century, and given the intolerant attitudes of the Muslims it could be an extremely unpleasant process.

Brian LeMay's avatar

Dead on ; what all involved seem to be forgetting is that Muslim society is culturally defeated. They might take something over ( such as infrastructure ) but they will neither improve or repair it . At some point it will look the Middle East today.

retrofuturistic's avatar

Tossing Joy Reid into the can, and tossing the German hard-left (but electing the slightly-less-hard left in its place) into the can, were fun and entertaining. Tossing 6000 IRS agents into the can was less so, since the number is not nearly high enough. But tossing the DEI-infested chairman of the joint chiefs into the can? That has very positive real-world implications in the fight to turn our military into a testosterone-fueled fighting machine and away from being driven by DEI divisiveness and the demands for societal re-engineering through the social justice warrior cult.

(Wanting the military to be testosterone driven is not sexist. Take Tulsi Gabbard. She may be all-female, but she's got more testosterone -- or at least acts like she does -- than any male-identifying Dem in Congress.)

Reddog's avatar

I think this woke business hides a much darker secret. Hegseth needs to cut the number of flag grade officers in the DoD from 800 down to a manageable number. This was clearly empire building on the part of the unelected state and very dangerous.

Jeremy R's avatar

Our military is top heavy. England is worse. Their navy has more admirals than active ships.

James Wills's avatar

Yeah, it's a sad day when the only people in Congress who have balls are the women.

Jeremy R's avatar

Thanks to our culture that no longer values marriage, lots of women have their ex by the balls.

Playswithneedles's avatar

On the poll, I chose Joyless simply for the pure schadenfreude of it.

My last cat loved the water from a can of tuna but wouldn’t eat the fish.

Have a great day in Trump’s golden America, Surberites!

Greg's avatar

Couldn’t have happened to a more racist disgusting human being. Bye Felicia

Reddog's avatar

So what is your take on her, is she really that blind, stupid and racist, or does she follow a script in exchange for a lot of money? I vote for the latter.

Irunthis1's avatar

If you watched her home video sobfest about how she mattered and how her voice was important, had value…I’d guess she smells her own brand and finds it alluring, nay, enriching to the world! She thinks that her opinion is that of every black woman / victim and deserves to be heard, hard and often.

William Coulter's avatar

I voted for Joy Reid being canned

Lester Holt has quit now as well

They are black. Now both are history.

It’s been a good black history month and there are a few days left.

Adorable Deplorable's avatar

Don't know how much freedom we still have with the erosion of our Fourth Amendment.

And the "Make Orwell Fiction Again" becomes more relevant by the day.

Kevin C.'s avatar

When I was in high school (a thousand years ago) we had a robust vocational school for boys and girls providing pre-trained future employees for local businesses. I see none of that anymore, and we should for the new jobs today. Make Vocational Education Great Again.

MT's avatar

We also had Reading and Writing, Civics, Economics, Math K-12, English K-12, History K-12, Biology, Home Economics, Health, Physical Education and I could go on further but you get the gist. That was just the REQUIRED courses to graduate on a Local Diploma; Regents Diploma was tougher yet.

Technology is wonderful (I suppose), however, it is imperative to teach children how to think critically and how everything actually works BEFORE the advancement of using that wonderful technology.

As a society, I believe we got most of IT wrong as we moved from the brain, pencil & paper, to slide-rule, calculator and so on. Rather we jumped right in to the technological world to 'solve' all of our 'problems', word, math, grammar, science, health, fitness, etc. The end result, we have at least 2 generations who have no idea how to sign their name in cursive, (or can read most historical documents), cannot calculate a simple mathematical computation in their heads, without the use of a calculator and have no understanding of how or why to diagram a sentence or basic English grammar structure.

I'm all for progress and making life better, however, at what point does it become essential to understand the basics of life, as for instance: "How do things work in the real world?"

Stephen Wolf's avatar

The last six weeks of 8th grade the boys had to take Home Ec. and girls took shop class. We learned to sew, cook and how to iron shirts and pants correctly. Having those skills lasted my whole life. I don't know if they even offer those anymore.

MT's avatar

I’m sure those courses are not required, forget about them being elective!😉🙄

Our society is reaping what was sown.

Unfortunately for those who exist only for their online lives, reality will one day settle in, which will not be pretty.

Stephen Wolf's avatar

Ohio has Joint Vocational Schools all over. I know of 3 within 35 miles of my house. No knowledge of other states.

Suzie's avatar

Freedom is first and last the most priceless gift - and power this country offers. It is what enables boundless innovation, creativity and abundance.

Throwing off the shackles of government oppression via endless, choking regulations and suffocating infringement upon the peoples inaliemable rights unleashes everyone’s true potential, from the least to the greatest, and their God-given abilities to prosper and succeed.

Our governments chief and number one responsibility is to protect the rights of freedom of its people enshrined in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution so that each has the potential to achieve the American dream.

That is the very oath every one in Government swears to. That is what the Trump administration is restoring.

Greg's avatar

Update, I hear the rats in HUD are scurrying after being told the plan to cut 50%. My office will go from over 200 to 48 people.

How nice of me to resign/retire and make room for another.

Don Surber's avatar

You are indeed a kind man, sir

Sheila Barkofske's avatar

Heard there is a massive layoff at Starbucks amid hemorrhaging profits (maybe they should start with their new remote working CEO). The Trump Effect. Btw, I have a very smart/talented friend who works at the IRS & I asked her if she took the buyout & she said no. In all fairness, she took employment at the IRS for the benefits & stability bc of family considerations & she may have survived. Still a bird in hand…..

Dennis Howell's avatar

Tim Cook's announcement is exciting to be sure. But I would be more excited to see US expansion in two other areas. First and foremost is heavy manufacturing. We were able to mobilize quickly at the start of WWII because we had the mining and metal refining capacity. Those are not things you can build overnight, and letting ours go overseas was foolish and short sighted.

Secondly we need to make our own pharmaceuticals. Depending on RED China for those is just plain dumb.

Dutchmn007's avatar

Wish there was a sixth option for the poll “All of the above”! Would’ve been my pick!

“Second, Apple overlooked the fact that Red China is a communist country that sooner or later will simply nationalize Apple’s factories.”

Would argue China is actually more fascist now than communist; what do I mean? Communism & Fascism have - & will always be - two sides of the same coin. It’s a difference only by degrees. Both forms of govt are totalitarian, both supersede the rights of the individual. Both are based in Marxism. Both are on the far Left (greatest lie of the 20th Century was “Fascism is right wing!” Never was, never will be). Under Communism no one owns anything & The State owns both the means of production & distribution. Under Fascism there is the veil of private property ownership until The State decides to take it from you for whatever reason. Under Fascism the State dictates both means of production & distribution while - nominally - leaving both in “private” hands, however unlike Communists Fascists actually like money. Fascism is commonly referred to as “corporatism” since the corporations - to gain govt favor - bend the knee before them & produce via govt dicktat. Under Fascism the govt can “nationalize” industries, I.e. take them over. For the aspiring dictator Fascism is the better bet since if things go downhill you always have someone to blame, someone you can point your finger at; “those evil industrialists!” Under Communism if things go south the people are coming for your head. That’s why both have top-heavy military/police presence to intimidate the population. China began the morph around the 1990’s under Clinton & HW Bush. Nixon has to be called out for teeing the whole thing up in 1972 however.

Dutchmn007's avatar

Thank you Ma’dame! Just a simple student of history. ;<)

Sheila Barkofske's avatar

Nothing is more irritating than these idiots throwing around terms that they know nothing about to idiots who are equally devoid of understanding. There is only one antidote to any “ism” & it is freedom.

Brian LeMay's avatar

Excellent , once again proving real world communism is a myth .

Danimal28's avatar

"The biggest impact will be slowing the ability of the bureaucracy to promulgate more regulations and restrictions on commerce."

This is the bane on our existence. When I tried to read HR3590 - the Obamacare bill that ruined health care - it was 906 pages nobody read and was completely open-ended and ready for the career bureaucrat to codify the lobbyists dreams. It ended up being 2,700 pages taking over student loans, etc. Destruction.

Suzie's avatar

Congress long ago abdicated it’s ONE JOB: make the laws, and relegated it to the bureaucracy. And here we find ourselves over time enslaved to an unconstitutional 4th branch of government who believe they answer to no one.

The Trump administration came into power with the full knowledge and realization that this Leviathan must be slayed.

The first task we are witnessing in that effort is cutting off its life-source: the money. The next step is to do away with it altogether, one by one, as it has no basis in law to even exist. It is early days, but that is the process that has begun, and pray God it will be accomplished.

Brian LeMay's avatar

You make an important point that I have not yet witnessed any discussion of ; the current bill ( and all thereafter ) before Congress needs to be put before the People BEFORE it is voted on by both houses of Congress. These enormous tomes of graft , corruption , and pork barrel politics must end . Laws ( regardless of what they pertain to ) must be short , concise , and to the point .

Tanto Minchiata's avatar

Freedom or tyranny. That's the choice. The Europeans are the last outpost of the Globalist movement. So they are forging ahead with their Machiavellian plans to turn all of their citizens into digital serfs. They tried to do it here. It's been halted for the time being. We need to consolidate our gains and that means playing hardball. That means jail time for government miscreants who abused their power. That means shutting down agencies and firing a lot of dead weight and Commies. That means getting rid of RINOs, who are the fly in the ointment come election time.

But even in Europe the Globalists are losing: Hungary, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Slovakia, and other countries are changing directions. It may not be far enough or fast enough, but that's the trend.

Several countries are basket cases, including the UK. Starmer is just an old fashioned Commie.

Nigel Farage is the answer. Not sure if they can force elections sooner. The Globalists have a lot of money and influence. They just overturned a legitimate election in Romania which citizens are unhappy about. But they are not invincible, as Trump just proved here.

If you want Commies or Islamists running your country, you don't belong in the free world by definition. Money will flow where it is treated best. Ultimately smart businesses will go to those places. I don't like a lot of these tech companies, and Tim Cook is full of it. But America can win by making our country friendly to business and friendly to people, not totalitarian systems of suppression. Obama was and is a loser, a clever con man, and an America hater. His influence is malign, and luckily on the decline. People have to decide to fight or not to fight. Nobody else can make that decision for them. In America we have a history of not respecting authority. That's a good thing sometimes.

MAGA

LuAnn's avatar

Fight, fight, fight is the simplistic but realistic answer.

Shrugged's avatar

My feeling toward England is rapidly changing into what must have been felt by a dedicated group of geniuses in the 1770's in the American colonies as they approached a day in 1776 when they finally declared their separation from England. That feeling? Deep disgust.

That feeling applies to all of Europe today, especially Germany.

Let those egocentric 'bangers and mash' bastards walk themselves into oblivion. I just hope a good historian like Victor Davis Hanson lives long enough to capture the story of their demise.

Let freedom ring.

Marlan Hoerer's avatar

VDH has a new op-ed out long but nourishing read.