I spent yesterday working on the site after we experienced a Denial of Service attack on Wednesday and Thursday. I’ve pretty well isolated where I think it came from and have taken proactive steps “under the hood” to keep it from happening again. Nevertheless, I am flattered that my modest piece of the internet made certain types angry. For all their claims to love this country, it seems they have little idea of what the First Amendment says. So I will take it as the compliment that it is and continue on the path that I have chosen for myself. Not what someone else thinks I should or should not have done.
“You have enemies? Why, it is the story of every man who has done a great deed or created a new idea. It is the cloud which thunders around everything that shines. Fame must have enemies, as light must have gnats. Do no bother yourself about it; disdain. Keep your mind serene as you keep your life clear.”— Victor Hugo
There is still some work to do, and I have to be careful while I do it. So today, I thought I would pass along some wisdom I came across on Twitter. It concerns (not so) young Brandon for whom so many conservatives cheer on, night and day in their selfish and narrow-minded existence.
Schooley, one of the folks I follow on Twitter, has been making some great points about the fact-free nature of the MAGA’ts and their criticism of the current President of the United States. The narrative regarding the economy is particularly flawed because the facts and statistics when examined in detail, prove precisely the opposite of what they are saying. Schooley blames the low expectations set for The Former Guy, the Orange Blob, the man thrown off Twitter for plotting a coup against the United States.
I have to agree; there is a lot of truth in his assessment. But, on the other hand, Trump was and is so fundamentally unqualified to be anywhere in government that it was hard to give him credit for understanding anything that a President actually should be doing.
Probably the most disturbing thing, to me, of the narrative of the last few months is how fact-free it is. Economic indicators point to recovery, and supply chain issues appear to be getting better ( as The President said they would). Yet, while consumer prices are of concern, a boatload of Americans seem to have forgotten that it’s a sign of a growing economy despite the hardships. (This brings to mind another point-GDP is up by 6% for the year). In the last week or so, I have seen many economic narratives that can be proven to be false with just a little research. Like this one:
That’s a meme posted by Jennifer Gross (R-OH) and an overall insane person. There is so much wrong with these statements that it is hard to know where to begin. Besides the fact that it is not a competition, the statistics don’t support her narrative. There are three benchmarks that prove her wrong, to be specific: Panama Canal transits, total import TEU’s offloaded, and total cargo tonnage.
The truth is more than a little different. Panama Canal transits are the same as last year. According to the Port of Houston’s statistics, they are offloading only about 13% more cargo than last year ( and there are many reasons for that). Tampa Bay has similar statistics. When examined even closer, one quickly finds reasons for these numbers that have NOTHING to do with the state of California and its ports. The devil is the details, and one would think a Congressman would have staffers who could find them.
As my friend from Scotland noted, “More American exceptionalism drivel.” ( The rest of his comment was profane even by my already low standards – but not incorrect).
Capacity plays a role in the equation, too – and Rep Gross ignores the fact that Florida and Texas don’t have the same capacity as California and never will. She also does not address the shortage of truck drivers, which is national. She also ignores that 30% of the backlog has been cleared, and the crisis is easing. That’s being backed up by the latest supply chain and retail data published last week.
Inflation is doing what the economists said it would do. And for the near term will be pretty manageable. What isn’t manageable is the politicized freak out about it.
Inflation is a genuine problem, but it’s hardly spinning out of control. Inflation panic, on the other hand, is getting ridiculous.
Right now a highly motivated political opposition and a hysterical media are cooperating to characterize a real but manageable issue as a historic economic catastrophe. All you have to do is turn on your TV, pick up a newspaper or look around the Web to see what a frenzy it has become.
Here’s a great example of what he is talking about:
Market Watch got brutalized for its clickbait headline, so much so it took the article after saying Americans are paying 90 dollars a bottle for wine. “Average Americans” are not doing any of those things. So they changed the headline to say people are paying $12 for a burrito. If you are paying $12 for a burrito, you are not going to the right place.
If you look hard at economic indicators, they simply do not support the conservative media narrative. Contrary to what the red hats and Fox News would have you believe, this is not a problem unique to the US. Prices are up around the world-in most part due to the pandemic. And the US is hardly the nation experiencing the greatest jumps in prices. For the most part, because of their lousy understanding of economics and America’s terrible tax policies, Americans have little idea of the actual cost of the goods they over-consume.
But the truth just makes people angry and doesn’t get you clicks. Twas always thus.