The Poison Apple

Every morning I check Apple News and it’s the same old depository of all things Trump bashing. And it appears that they are purposely trolling for news outlets solely with the intent to find anti-Trump articles, regardless of the credibility of the source. Likely AI is at work again, employed for nefarious purposes. Recall the days when AI was in its infancy and critics were concerned not with obvious doomsday scenarios like Terminator cyborgs but the devious manipulation of public opinion through strategically censored and artificially created news stories designed to skew public opinion towards actually consenting to control. An even more frightening prospect is being coerced without even knowing you are being coerced. But really, Apple, you are sourcing Esquire, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, NJ.com, the Georgia Recorder, the Guardian, Axos, GQ, The New Yorker, Vox, and the Atlantic as respectable unbiased political analysis?

Preposterous.! And with the iPhone comprising upwards of 57% of the cellular market share, that’s a lot of eyeballs skewed towards a progressive political viewpoint. Whenever engaged in a political discussion, the first question to ask is, “Where do you get your news?” If the answer is the Apple newsfeed, then the discussion is essentially over. Of course, the retort is often, “Well, you listen to FOX News.”  Yes, indeed, I do. 

While being bombarded with NPR, Facebook, Instagram, mainstream media in print and the airwaves, local liberal newspapers, and the incessant subliminal messages sent to me through advertising as they attempt to normalize fringe societal standards and what is considered appropriate family-friendly content. If I chose to eliminate all progressive influences, I wouldn’t have any entertainment sources at all. How about going to see a Springsteen or Neil Young concert? It’s bad enough hearing those two old dinosaurs croak out some semblance of their glory years long past but being subjected to their political rants?  Pass. And who can escape the ubiquitous iPhone?  What are your options, the Android platform developed by Google? Not exactly an unbiased source either. It requires effort to be a conservative in this day and age. But with the advent of the internet and now AI, can we really believe what we see and hear anymore? And can we discern whether or not we are being subliminally manipulated?

Harold Ford, Jr

A perfect example of a Democrat mindset was displayed by Harold Ford, Jr. on The Five last evening. As the token Democrat, former congressman Ford is affable, states his positions concisely, logically, and explanatory, and is open to debate as opposed to progressive ideologues like the highly unlikable Jessica Tarlov. However, in this instance, while discussing HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy’s nutrition goals, he suggested that money was the only obstacle preventing people with low incomes from eating properly. Once again, the Democrat solution to everything is to throw more taxpayer money at it. Be it better performance in public schools, healthcare, or nutrition, it has been proven repeatedly that more money does not equate to a sudden change in behavior. Supplementing the income of people with low incomes does not miraculously educate them in healthy eating habits and avoidance of high-risk behaviors like smoking, alcohol, and drug abuse, nor does it turn them into a nutritionist. More money allows doubling down on learned behavior, often exacerbating the result. Democrats are so fond of addressing the “root cause” of everything, but until they recognize that behavior and poor choices  are the foundations on which poor health outcomes are built, rather than an abundance of disposable income, then nothing will change. Despite decades sponsoring a myriad of social programs, nothing has. 

Bashing America

Social media is belching a diatribe of disinformation and uninformed opinions coming from the manic left. Posts have abounded bashing the US by promoting European-style government controls over their citizens. Praising their “outstanding” public-funded healthcare, lack of gun violence, generous social safety nets, government-mandated vacations, and early retirement. While strongly criticizing the US for spending too much on defense, using funds that should go to support social programs, chastising Americans for the size of the vehicles they drive, that our trucks are inefficient, harming the environment, All the while, claiming that Europeans have more freedom than Americans. One cradle-to-grave socialist claimed we don’t know the difference between socialism, a good thing in their view, and communism, which they supposedly abhor, splitting hairs while spreading deceit. We are getting pummeled by these inconsequential layabouts and intellectually flawed thought-to-be influencers.

Depressing News

Aside from Biden’s prostate cancer announcement. And exactly how did that go undetected in a president who is afforded the best healthcare in the world? Who had been under constant scrutiny over his health? And now, we hear from Scarlett Johansson no less, complaining about being “objectified”, years into a career where she’s made millions flaunting her curves and taking roles where she volunteered to be objectified. Even more preposterous is her incessant liberal ranting, most recently in Vanity Fair Magazine, against all things Trump. Nobody asked you, Scarlett. And nobody cares. Your celebrity has been based on your aforementioned peddling of your wares,. Let’s keep that in perspective instead of you possessing some real-world knowledge of geopolitics. And adding to the outrage is Bruce Springsteen, committing the ultimate sin of trash talking the Trump administration while on foreign shores. Not cool, Bruce, but neither are you, despite your carefully cultivated, yet bogus working man image, replete with headband, denim ensemble, and work boots all brought to you from his tony enclave in uber-exclusive Colt’s Neck, New Jersey. All funded by croaking out such anti-American anthems as the inappropriately thought-to-be-patriotic “Born in the USA.". So Bruce, Scarlett, and all the rest of you Hollywood elitists: Just. Shut. Up. Read the room. Nobody really cares what you think because you don’t live in the same world as the rest of us.  You have the time, the money, and the fawning media on your side, providing you the resources to buy a platform to run your mouth and promote an agenda that does not resonate with the majority of Americans. Enjoy your time in the sun, you are becoming irrelevant, and are about to be replaced by AI. Da Da!

WSJ Again Disappoints

The Wall Street Journal, our last bastion of conservative journalism, has not exactly been kind to the Trump Administration. Friday's lead editorial led with the headline “Trump Stages a Trade-War Retreat.”  Was that really necessary?  Surely the world-class writers on the Journal staff recognize by now Trump’s “Art of the Deal” negotiating tactics, where he asks for the moon, when his goal is to settle for something in the middle, but still an improvement over the status quo. And, to call an agreement with the UK that is to our advantage a “retreat” is disingenuous, and had it appeared in the New York Times, it would have qualified as partisan rhetoric. Granted, Trump’s weaponization of tariffs to reorder international trade is risky, but so is maintaining the current trade deficit. The Administration claims that countries are lining up to cut a deal, and this week’s forum in Switzerland will give us a better indication of whether or not that is true. But market gyrations do not please the Journal’s desire to appease Wall Street’s voracious appetite for easy money and aversion to volatility. Patience has never been an investor virtue, preferring knee-jerk reactions to subtle trends and a herd mentality. Recall, we are only a month after “liberation day”, the market has regained nearly all of its losses despite rampant pessimism, and even the most conservative investment firms are pulling back from their doomsday recession predictions. Patience, my friends. Reassess after Lutnick and Bessent return from the economic forum. And remember, with Trump-style negotiations, everything is in play.

Doll Spin

I never was particularly impressed with Matthew Hennessey’s editorials in the WSJ, but Tuesday’s “Donald Trump’s Two-Doll Problem” was simply absurd. He should consider either engaging the rest of his neurons or otherwise register as a democrat where this sort of spin and idiocy is expected. To take the comment “maybe children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls” out of context is journalistic malpractice. He suggests that Trump is pushing austerity measures to cover for his own disastrous policy decisions. He further indicates that accusing Americans of materialism and having a lot of stuff is the opinion of “snooty Europeans envious of our sustained prosperity.” Wrong analysis, Matty. We are materialistic over-consumers. So what. We drive the world economy. But if you ask me to cut back on some stuff, especially cheap frivolous stuff from China, we can reset international trade and level the playing field…..I’m all in. This isn’t austerity for the long term. This isn’t austerity that requires cutting back on food or necessities. Trump is asking us to reduce the consumption of Chinese goods in favor of American products to balance the enormous trade deficit. Face facts, every dollar sent to China is a dollar working against us. So, for now, buy two dolls instead of 30, but make sure they’re American dolls. And I mean Made in America, because the “American Doll” brand is made in China. There’s no better example of the need for a reset.