Tucker Carlson is visiting Russia‚ and some are speculating that he is there to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin.  On Friday‚ he was videoed by Russian outlet Sputnik leaving Putin’s headquarters at the Kremlin. READ MORE: Putin’s March to the Red Sea “If Tucker does an interview with Putin‚ it’s going to break the Internet‚” said one user on X. That post now has over 35‚000 after just a few hours. Carlson‚ whose popularity among those on the right has only grown since he was fired from Fox News in 2023‚ boasts over 11 million followers on X.  The first episode of his new show‚ Tucker on Twitter — later renamed Tucker on X — posted just weeks after his departure‚ quickly went viral with over 100 million views. Tucker’s Controversial Take Since the outbreak of the war between Ukraine and Russia‚ Carlson has often taken the unpopular position of criticizing Ukraine and America’s involvement in a foreign war. The Russian government has not commented on Carlson’s trip to Russia‚ and Carlson himself brushed off a direct question about an interview with Putin. He said he was in Russia to “talk to people‚ look around‚ and see how it’s doing … and it’s doing very well.” Sputnik interviewed Russians on the streets of Moscow‚ and they were quick to voice their support for Carlson. “Tucker Carlson is winning hearts and minds across Russia‚” the video claims. What do ordinary Russians think about Tucker Carlson? Sputnik posed that question to Moscow residents. Many of our interviewees praised Carlson as a “courageous journalist who is willing to challenge the anti-Russian propaganda” dominating the Western mainstream media. Watch… pic.twitter.com/prvkqeVX6E — Sputnik (@SputnikInt) February 5‚ 2024 In one case‚ he reportedly became the first American in 10 years to be allowed into one shop. “This one seems normal‚ let him eat‚” the owner said‚ after making the politically motivated decision in 2014 to no longer allow Americans to eat in his restaurant. The response hasn’t been all positive‚ however. Many have been quick to attack Carlson‚ claiming that he and former President Donald Trump are working for Russia.  “Can you explain what’s going on and who these two gentlemen work for‚” asked one user on X‚ after pointing out how “Russians on central TV threaten to destroy [America].”  Ukraine has also been quick to speak out against Tucker’s visit. According to one junior sergeant‚ Carlson is not just “an enemy of democracy”; “he is an enemy of humanity itself.” The post Tucker Visits Russia — And Putin? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

“I have never worked more closely with Leader [Mitch] McConnell on any piece of legislation as we did on this‚” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer about the miserable‚ worse-than-even-expected legislation the Senate is attempting to force down the throat of the House of Representatives and‚ by extension‚ the American people. READ MORE: The Marxism Behind the Open Border And they will force the bill down the House’s throat — or at least attempt to‚ because the Republican leadership in the Senate almost certainly has nine of its 49 members willing to vote for this catastrophic betrayal of our national security and rule of law. As soon as the ninth Republican senator caves to McConnell’s pressure and the bill is passed with a filibuster-proof majority on Wednesday‚ it will become the House’s problem. We’ll get to the dynamics of that in a minute. Why is this bill so awful? Well‚ here’s an overview of what’s in it: Breaking News: The Bipartisan Border Bill negotiated by Republican Senator James Lankford has officially been released1. $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine2. $14 billion in military aid to Israel 3. $20 billion for border security pic.twitter.com/rzZsyLVAPT — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) February 5‚ 2024 Just from that summary‚ you can tell this is a slap in the face to the American people. This tells you that we’re now going to fund both sides of the Israel–Gaza conflict and‚ in so doing‚ prolong that war rather than giving the Israelis the green light to finish it. We’re also funding‚ with $2.3 billion of your money‚ the NGOs that are busily supplying “refugees fleeing persecution‚” otherwise known as economic migrants headed to our border to break our laws‚ with bus tickets‚ smartphones‚ and places to stay along the route from the Darién Gap to Eagle Pass. By the way‚ speaking of the Darién Gap‚ you really ought to watch Tucker Carlson’s interview with Bret Weinstein‚ published last week‚ about the latter’s trip to Panama to see what’s actually happening along the trek to our border. Once you have‚ you’ll realize just how scandalous a betrayal this all is. And in this monstrosity of a bill‚ there’s $20.3 billion to “expand capabilities at our nation’s borders‚” which is Swampese for more money to process illegals into the country. That summary is bad enough. The bill’s details are infinitely‚ infinitely worse. How bad does this get? Well‚ the 5‚000-illegals-a-day threshold at which the president is suddenly given emergency authority to do things he’s already authorized to do is in there; when James Lankford‚ the Mitch McConnell stooge who “negotiated” this bill along with Democrats Chris Murphy and Kyrsten Sinema (she’s calling herself an independent now‚ but nobody is fooled by that)‚ griped last week that unfair press had caused the backlash against the bill‚ this was one of the items included in that discussion. Now we find out that Lankford was trying to pull a fast one on the American people: And there it is… what Sinema and Lankford swore wasn’t in the bill. It guarantees that up to 1.8 million illegal aliens can come over our border before it’s an emergency pic.twitter.com/i05pNH29YV — Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) February 5‚ 2024 Except even as bad as that threshold — which should be one illegal per day‚ not 5‚000 — clearly is‚ it isn’t even a mandate. The president isn’t obligated to shut down the border when illegal migration hits a pace of 1.8 million per year; it’s his discretion to do so: Not only does this bill codify 1.5 million illegal border crossings into law‚ but the "border emergency" that automatically gets implemented at 5‚000 crossings per day in a week can be overturned by Joe Biden. And in case 1.5 million illegals isn't enough‚ it also locks in green… pic.twitter.com/pZRV4iymph — Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 5‚ 2024 So this does absolutely nothing in the way of creating emergency powers to control the border. Here’s what Chris Murphy says about this: A requirement the President to funnel asylum claims to the land ports of entry when more than 5‚000 people cross a day. The border never closes‚ but claims must be processed at the ports. “The border never closes.” Murphy is actually out there trying to sell this thing‚ and he tells you the border never closes. What else? There’s plenty. We’ve got this: Puts far left DC district court in charge pic.twitter.com/sU8VKtvkXh — Mike Howell (@MHowellTweets) February 4‚ 2024 Great idea routing all the litigation on this to the D.C. Circuit‚ which is full of pro-illegal-alien left-wing judges. Top-notch negotiation there. Every minor speed bump in the way of unlimited illegal immigration is going to be sued on by leftist activist groups and then struck down in courts far away from where the surrender is happening. It’s supposedly a win that we’re going to shorten the lag time for the asylum claimants to get their hearings. How’s that going to happen? Instead of going before a judge‚ they’ll now go before the United States Citizens and Immigration Services department. In other words‚ the Biden administration. So there’s your fast-track amnesty‚ right there. Then there’s the fact that this bill encumbers the next president‚ as Murphy explains: 6/ But…important checks on that power. It can only be used for a limited number of days per year. It sunsets in 3 years. Emergency cases that show up in between the ports still need to be accepted. The ports must process a minimum of 1400 claims a day. — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 4‚ 2024 So‚ until 2027‚ a President Donald Trump would still have to process 1‚400 illegals a day‚ or more than half a million a year. Oh‚ but there’s money to build a wall! Yeah — about $650 million‚ which will get you a couple of dozen miles‚ and that’s it. There’s a provision allowing for a quarter-million more employment and family reunification visas over the next five years‚ which means (1) downward pressure on wages for American citizens in low-skill jobs amid an inflationary economy‚ and (2) more anchor babies exactly when the public is waking up to that scam. The intended payee for the new visa bloom‚ the U.S. Chamber of Commerce‚ was quite gushy over this provision: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is pleased to see desperately needed border security‚ asylum‚ and immigration reforms included in the emergency supplemental funding proposal before the U.S. Senate. The economic disruption and human suffering wrought by our border crisis have become so severe that Congress cannot afford to ignore these problems any longer. We look forward to working with Members of Congress to pass these commonsense measures that will improve America’s security by addressing our southern border and supporting Ukraine and Israel. And a few more poison pills: .@SenatorLankford @SenMikeRounds So much for liars‚ internet rumors‚ and Russian propaganda. Everything we reported would be in the bill three weeks ago‚ is in the bill. We'll be awaiting your apologies.. pic.twitter.com/7d6n3twFAE — Immigration Accountability Project (@I_A_Project) February 5‚ 2024 Additionally‚ the bill codifies Catch and Release‚ which would bar a President Trump from issuing blanket deportations to illegals who would fraudulently claim asylum. So‚ yes‚ this bill is hot garbage. It’s literally one of the worst pieces of legislation ever to ooze to the Senate floor‚ and that’s saying something. This bill signifies a total surrender on border security disguised as a sloppy effort to bolster it. Why on earth would Mitch McConnell — Lankford is being blamed for this bill as its Republican “negotiator‚” and he shouldn’t escape one iota of scorn for his role in this noxious farce‚ but let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that Lankford is anything other than a puppet or stooge of McConnell’s‚ as Schumer’s quote above makes clear — inflict this on us? I’ll tell you why. It’s not complicated. This is aimed at two things. First — and this is a subject I’m guessing other great minds here at The American Spectator will pick up on‚ so I won’t have to go into detail — it’s an attack on Donald Trump and an attempt to marginalize him politically for his opposition to this “bipartisan” deal. The narrative that McConnell has created by crafting this Trojan horse is that Joe Biden has engaged productively in coming up with a “comprehensive” solution to the problem of immigration (which Biden himself created‚ of course)‚ and it’s Trump who is standing in the way of an adult compromise. But what’s also at work here is a bit of sabotage of House Speaker Mike Johnson‚ who has been steadfast in refusing to move anything remotely close to this bill. When the text of the legislation hit the internet on Sunday night‚ here was Johnson: I’ve seen enough. This bill is even worse than we expected‚ and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created. As the lead Democrat negotiator proclaimed: Under this legislation‚ “the border never closes.” If this bill reaches the House‚ it will be… — Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 5‚ 2024 Johnson isn’t alone in that reaction: America Last‚ Ukraine First from the DC Swamp – literally. Their priorities are clear‚ as shown in the first section of the bill summary. pic.twitter.com/kfvHCpT88T — Rep. Dan Bishop (@RepDanBishop) February 5‚ 2024 Any Republican who votes for this will betray the American people. pic.twitter.com/mYEm7StfS1 — Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) February 5‚ 2024 The Senate bill is awful! America‚ read from pages 212 to 217‚ and you will see why. There have to be 41 Republican Senators who will say NO to this monstrosity. @SpeakerJohnson‚ this bill should never get a vote in the House! pic.twitter.com/C92OWB3IKk — Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) February 5‚ 2024 This bill is the worst screwing in the Senate since that Dem staffer filmed his porno on Klobuchar’s desk. https://t.co/v8WDDcgaAf — Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) February 5‚ 2024 But it doesn’t matter how strong the bulk of the House GOP caucus is behind Johnson on this bill. Not in McConnell’s thinking. This is about marginalizing Johnson just as he’s marginalizing Trump. It’s about turning Johnson into the face of the border invasion‚ rather than Biden. You recognize that very quickly when you see what Johnson had to wade through in a Meet the Press interrogation at the hands of Swamp Monster Deluxe Kristen Welker on Sunday. Mitch McConnell is doing to Mike Johnson what he’s been doing to conservatives in Washington since 2007‚ when he became the GOP Senate caucus leader — sandbagging and sabotage. Negotiate a bill that destroys Republican credibility on an issue where the public is 2-to-1 or better on the GOP side of it‚ and then frame the honest defenders of the GOP position as extremists. And then‚ when a demoralized electorate fails to deliver victories to Republicans running for federal office‚ blame the conservative candidates. And when the smoke clears‚ and Republicans have a majority in neither body‚ or perhaps a razor-thin‚ unworkable majority in the House‚ it’s Mitch McConnell who’s the most important power broker in Washington. And Schumer can go on saying that he’s “never worked more closely” with Mitch McConnell to make policies abhorrent to the rule of law and the security of this nation. It’s a very old‚ very tired gag. But then‚ McConnell is very old and very tired and has no other cards to play. The post Chuck Schumer: ‘I Have Never Worked More Closely With Leader McConnell’ appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

“Downward Revisions Expected‚” editorial cartoon by Yogi Love for The American Spectator‚ Feb. 5‚ 2023. The post Biden’s Suspicious Job Numbers appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

February‚ in case you forgot‚ is Black History Month — the month when the Left likes to remind White Americans that slavery is America’s “original sin.” That’s a claim that Paul Kengor‚ editor of The American Spectator‚ debunks in his latest book The Worst of Indignities: The Catholic Church on Slavery. Last month‚ Kengor joined Fr. Mitch Pacwa on EWTN Live to discuss his book and to clarify the Catholic Church’s position on slavery throughout the centuries. Kengor and Pacwa trace its origins to the early ages of the human race‚ suggesting that the practice is an ancient human problem rather than a uniquely American one. Kengor lays out the Catholic Church’s long history of opposing the practice‚ pointing out that slavery has been condemned by popes and councils throughout the ages and that multiple saints worked to abolish it where they could and to mitigate the sufferings of slaves where they couldn’t. (READ MORE: When White People Start Believing Critical Race Theory) They discuss the history of slavery in the United States‚ pointing out that the story is more varied and complicated than the Left’s narrative might suggest. Not only were the American founders‚ including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson‚ uncomfortable with the institution of slavery‚ but African American weren’t the only people enslaved in the United States‚ and white Europeans weren’t the only ones doing the enslaving. Kengor and Pacwa’s discussion demonstrates a nuanced approach to the issue that recognizes slavery as a universal plague with satanic characteristics while also acknowledging that‚ even if slavery isn’t written into our law books‚ it remains widely practiced throughout the world today. Order Paul’s latest book: The Worst of Indignities: The Catholic Church on Slavery   READ MORE from The American Spectator:  Obama Destroyed Martin Luther King’s Dream Can a White Alum Write About a Black Alum at a Liberal Arts College? The post Slavery Isn’t America’s Original Sin — It’s a Universal Plague: Paul Kengor and Mitch Pacwa on EWTN appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Ronald Reagan’s Enduring Principles: How They Can Promote Political Success Today By Donald J. Devine (The Fund for American Studies‚ 177 pages‚ $10) Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on this date‚ Feb. 6‚ over a century ago — 1911. It was truly another world‚ another country‚ another culture. But the principles to which Ronald Reagan adhered have endured. Indeed‚ for conservatives‚ they should. The late Russell Kirk‚ modern conservatism’s leading philosophical spokesman‚ described conservatism as adhering to what he eloquently and timelessly called an “enduring moral order.” One of Ronald Reagan’s best speeches defining conservatism came at CPAC‚ on his birthday (ironically)‚ Feb. 6‚ 1977‚ four years before his presidency. Reagan began that speech by conceding that conservatism can “mean different things to those who call themselves conservatives.” He laid out various positions that identified social and economic conservatives (Reagan was both). He then said this: Conservative wisdom and principles are derived from willingness to learn‚ not just from what is going on now‚ but from what has happened before. The principles of conservatism are sound because they are based on what men and women have discovered through experience in not just one generation or a dozen‚ but in all the combined experience of mankind. Reagan was there invoking Russell Kirk. Both Reagan and Kirk in turn quoted G.K. Chesterton‚ who talked of what he called “the democracy of the dead.” That means that your ancestors — what we in Western society once unapologetically referred to as our patrimony — should have a vote‚ a say‚ in what we do today. The secular progressive shrugs off those ancestors of centuries ago as backward bigots — “homophobes” who couldn’t have conceived of something as enlightened as same-sex “marriage” or “gender transitioning.” What could we possibly learn from those troglodytes? (READ MORE from Paul Kengor: The American Spectator’s Conservative Counterculture) Well‚ the answer‚ to the conservative‚ is that we can learn a lot from them and their experiences and their accumulated wisdom. They lived according to an enduring moral order based on biblical and natural law‚ laws that are eternal and universal. The progressive seeks to move “forward” and “evolve” beyond those laws‚ rejecting the very notion of settled absolutes. But to the conservative‚ there are absolutes. As Edmund Burke put it‚ there exists an “eternal contract” between the dead‚ the living‚ and those yet to be born. That moral order endures. That’s what conservatism professes and what conservatives need to know and believe. One conservative who knows this as well as anyone is Donald Devine‚ a longtime friend of The American Spectator‚ who for years has written many excellent pieces for us on conservatism. Devine has just published a new book fittingly titled Ronald Reagan’s Enduring Principles: How They Can Promote Political Success Today. Devine opens the book with a chapter titled “Why Ronald Reagan Today?‚” which is derived from a piece he wrote for us this time last year. The opening words of the book remind of that Burkean eternal contract‚ as Devine asks: “Why should one look to a Ronald Reagan who was born‚ lived‚ and died in … what one may consider very different times? Well‚ they were different times but more similar than one might at first expect.” (READ THE PIECE: Ronald Reagan Is Still the Answer to Conservative Disarray) That’s a decidedly conservative question and answer by Devine. The progressive rejects that very notion‚ which is why progressives are progressives. But conservatives know better. We know that often there’s little new under the Sun.  In chapter three‚ “The Enduring Tension‚” Devine quotes another great speech by Ronald Reagan at CPAC‚ this time when he was president of the United States. In that March 20‚ 1981‚ address‚ Reagan listed the conservative thinkers who influenced him: There are so many people and institutions who come to mind for their role in the success we celebrate tonight. Intellectual leaders like Russell Kirk‚ Friedrich Hayek‚ Henry Hazlitt‚ Milton Friedman‚ James Burnham‚ Ludwig von Mises—they shaped so much of our thoughts. It’s especially hard to believe that it was only a decade ago‚ on a cold April day on a small hill in upstate New York‚ that another of these great thinkers‚ Frank Meyer‚ was buried. He’d made the awful journey that so many others had: He pulled himself from the clutches of “The God That Failed‚” and then in his writing fashioned a vigorous new synthesis of traditional and libertarian thought—a synthesis that is today recognized by many as modern conservatism. Devine’s book takes a deep dive into the various strains of conservative‚ traditional‚ and libertarian thought‚ including Frank Meyer’s “fusionist conservatism.” (Meyer‚ for the record‚ was a close friend of R. Emmett Tyrrell‚ Jr.‚ the founder of this magazine. Our Daniel J. Flynn is in the process of writing the definitive biography of Meyer.) In this thoughtful and informed work‚ Devine digs into the historical roots of conservatism‚ natural law‚ “Anglo-American Nationalist Conservatism‚” the “Real John Locke‚” what he calls the “Necessary Traditionalist Reorientation‚” free markets‚ what he calls “Reagan’s New Stage Conservatism‚” “Reagan Philosophical Fusionism‚” and then wraps up with “Ronald Reagan’s Way Back.” That might sound like an overwhelming work‚ but Devine compacts it succinctly in 177 pages‚ which is especially impressive given the caliber of the content. Ronald Reagan believed that the essence of conservatism is to preserve and conserve time-tested values that have endured for good reason and for the best of society‚ for citizens‚ for country‚ and for order — that enduring moral order. As Don Devine sees it‚ those things‚ embodied as Ronald Reagan’s principles‚ not only endure today but “can promote political success today.” The key to Reagan’s understanding‚ writes Devine‚ is that he himself understood conservatism’s “philosophical roots in both freedom and tradition and built his actions upon them.” As Devine notes‚ it wasn’t merely that Reagan personally understood that the origins of conservatism go to the very roots of Western civilization‚ “to Aristotle and St. Thomas [Aquinas] and by whatever has survived the fall of Rome‚ divine right Europe‚ two world wars‚ the Soviet Union and‚ at least so far‚ bureaucratized and woke America.” Reagan realized that “[c]onditions change but principles endure.” The key to success for today’s conservatives is to continue to conserve those enduring principles and build their actions upon them in a way that works politically. That key to success includes recapturing Reagan’s unique‚ winsome ability to get elected and reelected. Without winning elections‚ the principles can’t become political reality. Reagan knew and did that better than any American conservative ever.  That’s what especially endured for Ronald Reagan. The post The Enduring Ronald Reagan appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Does Texas have the right to secede from the union? GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley certainly thinks so. On today’s episode of The Spectator P.M. Podcast‚ hosts Ellie Gardey and Aubrey Gulick discuss Haley’s appearance on the popular hip hop morning show The Breakfast Club and her assertion that‚ in the midst of the border crisis‚ states have the right to simply decide to leave the union. They also commented on her sputtering campaign and her belief that “[i]t’s either going to be Kamala Harris‚ or it’s going to be me.” Tune in to hear their analysis! Like and share The Spectator P.M. Podcast‚ and be sure to tune in to our next episode! Read Aubrey and Ellie’s writing here and here. Listen to the Spectator P.M. Podcast with Aubrey Gulick and Ellie Gardey on Spotify. Watch the Spectator P.M. Podcast with Aubrey Gulick and Ellie Gardey on Rumble.  The post <;i>;The Spectator P.M. Podcast<;/i>; Ep. 19: Nikki Haley Says She Would Be Fine With States Seceding appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

If you are a borrower seeking a loan from a lender‚ you might want to secure a loan as far out in time as is prudent‚ given the nature of what the borrowed money will be used for. If you are a lender extending credit to a borrower‚ the further out in time the credit is extended‚ the more carefully the creditworthiness of the borrower is examined. In other words‚ making a 10-year loan is a higher risk than a three-month loan. The lender can assess the risk over three months more accurately than over 10 years. Typically‚ when a borrower has lost access to long-term financing and must resort to short-term financing it’s a signal that the creditworthiness of the borrower has significantly deteriorated‚ which is why in most bankruptcy settings there is usually a large amount of short-term debt that cannot be rolled over. The lenders simply refuse to lend. That moment comes suddenly — with it comes bankruptcy. (READ MORE: Why Keep Worrying About Debt?: Speculation vs. Reality) Unfortunately‚ that description of borrowing and lending seems to fit the current state of financing for the U.S. Treasury. Can Governments Declare Bankruptcy? It was Walter Wriston‚ former chairman of Citibank‚ who famously declared that “Governments don’t go bankrupt.” What he meant was that a government always has‚ as a last resort‚ a Central Bank that will provide mouse-click fiat money for whatever financing is required when alternative sources of financing are tapped out. Non-government enterprises‚ away from a bank‚ do not have the luxury of that financial backstop to avoid bankruptcy. But here’s the bad news for Uncle Sam: In the current fiscal year‚ the U.S. Treasury needs to roll (that is‚ refinance) about $9 trillion of the current $34 trillion national debt and also finance an additional current deficit of $2 trillion. The puzzle is this: How will the U.S. Treasury structure this financing need that amounts to a staggering $11 trillion? The structuring that seems to be unfolding is perhaps very telling. In a recent ZeroHedge article penned by contributor Anthony Trevison‚ there was this lead quote: “In 2023‚ the Treasury added $2.6T to the national debt. While that number alone should be enough to scare anyone‚ the details reveal something even more concerning. $2T of it‚ or 77%‚ was financed entirely with short-term Treasury Bills maturing in less than a year.” (READ MORE: Congress Should Apologize to Drunken Sailors) The article goes on to speculate as to why the Treasury went to the very short end of the Treasury market (under one-year maturity) to finance its debt. It should be noted that the short end was also the most expensive way to finance the debt. Two possible reasons are offered in the article: Intermediate and long-dated Treasury maturities (five to 30 years) simply could not handle the volume of securities. Stated another way‚ there was insufficient liquidity available to finance the Treasury’s needs in that market space. The Treasury Secretary is making a bet that in an election year interest rates would be coming down and future financing needs could be rolled at significantly lower interest rates than those that prevail today. Both of those potential reasons have merit. In either case‚ by loading the short end of the Treasury market with the Treasury’s debt issuance‚ a potential for a U.S. Treasury funding catastrophe is being created. Anyone who survived the 1974-75 “stagflation” experience knows exactly what could potentially go wrong. Briefly stated‚ the U.S. economy in that period went into a hard-landing recession‚ unemployment rose‚ and so did intermediate and long-term interest rates and inflation. Yes‚ interest rates and inflation rose in a recession. The 10-year Treasury bond yields rose from 6.76 percent in November 1973 to 8.48 percent in August 1975. That span of time captured the full effect of the recession. Repeating Stagflation Should there be a repeat of the 1974-75 stagflation in the future‚ there is a clear vision of what could potentially happen. U.S. Treasury funding could be locked into the front end of the Treasury market. Any effort to extend the maturity of the national debt structure would be near impossible as the rise in intermediate-term and long-term interest rates‚ coupled with rising federal deficits and the attendant debt roll‚ would immediately translate to an accelerated exponential rise in federal interest expense. The 1974-75 rate rise was primarily driven by inflation expectations. This time‚ intermediate and long-dated Treasury yields could have the same inflation expectations problem‚ plus an additional problem that will eventually force yields higher. That second problem is an enormous one: a staggering‚ estimated $150 trillion of unfunded federal liabilities attached to many federal programs that are not currently funded. To repeat: $150 trillion. (READ MORE: Cold War With China Requires Mercantilism 2.0) The full force of this future funding requirement is imminent and is ominously hanging over the Treasury bond market. The only future source of funding for these liabilities will be via an expansion of the Federal Reserve balance sheet. The bottom-line problem here is this: if the Federal Reserve becomes trapped into providing the funding needs of the federal government‚ using the short end of the Treasury market‚ then the Fed will be significantly restricted in its ability to raise interest rates to deal with any inflation issues that result from the mouse-click fiat money being printed to keep the government financially solvent. Stated simply another way‚ the Federal Reserve can either fund the federal government or it can attempt to control inflation‚ but it can’t do both at the same time without declaring bankruptcy. That movie was played out in post-World War I Germany in 1922-23 — and we know how that movie ended. The post Is a Great American Bankruptcy Coming? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Compilations of “the most politically influential and outspoken” athletes crop up here and there occasionally. They list activists like Billie Jean King‚ Tommie Smith‚ and John Carlos‚ as well as overpaid‚ modern‚ but still outdated ones like Megan Rapinoe and Colin Kaepernick. That these individuals speak for the aspirations of most sports fans is a bit of gaslighting. Instead‚ the issues people care about today are being addressed by outspoken athletes and coaches with their fingers on the pulse of the people and the threats against our independence. The era of defining “influential” as illiberal has ended. Regurgitated rankings and commentaries assert that sports are one of America’s last public spaces and claim that athletics are never far from politics — but then banish dissidents of the ruling bureaucratic statism from the press box. Fabricating political celebrity and aggrandizing the pantheon of Marxist-leftist athletes leads to omissions of what is truly great. Our creator endowed us with inalienable rights‚ and the greatest influencers are those who honor the primary leadership of God‚ seek the truth‚ and uphold traditional American values. As the “big game” comes up‚ politically impactful athletes and coaches are putting themselves on the line: Nick Rolovich‚ Ricky Logo‚ John Richardson‚ Craig Stutzmann and Mark Weber After three straight wins‚ Washington State’s head football coach‚ Nick Rolovich‚ and four assistant coaches were fired all at once on Oct. 18‚ 2021‚ after they refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. They had been committed leaders for WSU football and its famous run-and-shoot offense and Rolovich was such a valued fit with the evergreen state’s sports culture that in 2021 he was the highest-paid employee in the state of Washington. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and university administrator Pat Chun inserted the government into an athletic organization in an unprecedented manner by cracking down on five coaches’ private medical choices. Their actions jolted a large fan base in the Northwestern U.S.‚ impacted real families‚ and needlessly disrupted the season. Inslee blamed the coaches‚ who had done nothing wrong. Rolovich sued WSU for civil violations‚ including a breach of his work contract. Three counts go to trial on Dec. 9‚ 2024. During the 2022 football season‚ Rolovich became a volunteer assistant for a high school football team in San Francisco. The program won a state championship. Shot mandates did more harm than good‚ and violated rationality. Rolovich’s sporting accomplishments and personal integrity make him a hero among the millions of Americans who face attempted persecution. Rep. Austin Theriault The sport that gave us “Let’s Go Brandon‚” NASCAR automotive racing‚ has also given us Rep. Austin Theriault from Maine’s District 2. This year‚ Theriault is running for election to the U.S. House of Representatives. He roared to victory in 100-lap NASCAR races from Daytona to Michigan; now he wants to ensure equal rights (rather than DEI)‚ check the powers of bureaucratic agents‚ reduce the economic drain on rural Americans‚ end the drug overdose crisis‚ obtain justice through law and order‚ and control runaway spending of the citizens’ taxes. Riley Gaines Riley Gaines‚ an All-SEC‚ three-time NCAA Championship qualifier from the University of Kentucky has pumped new life into sports with her speeches calling for sanity amid institutional infringements of Title IX rights. Gaines is speaking out in the face of the war on fair competition in sports‚ the increasing number of injuries resulting from mismatched opponents‚ and the harm done to the culture and athletes barred from growing up the way nature intended. As a result‚ she has been denigrated and physically assaulted on multiple occasions. She is an inspiration to women‚ athletes‚ and the American people. Rep. Burgess Owens Burgess Owens commands the same respect in the halls of Congress as he did on the football field. While on the gridiron he achieved Rookie of the Year‚ played as the defensive captain for five years with the New York Jets‚ and made a Super Bowl Championship with the Oakland Raiders. He was a source of inspiration even before he was a 1st round draft pick‚ Jets interceptions leader‚ and NFL All-Pro. Since the end of his gridiron career‚ he has traveled the country to share a message of “optimism and hope…speaking of the intrinsic principles that underline the foundation of our American way of life.” During the Obama “you didn’t build that” years‚ Owens was on radio shows decrying the failing record of “Great Society” programs to reduce poverty or improve family outcomes. In 2021‚ he became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Utah. In 2024‚ he is already off to a fast start exposing open borders policies that severely affect economic opportunities and living conditions for Americans in states including‚ but not limited to‚ Utah. To hear Rep. Owens speak is to realize he belongs with the greats of both football and American oration. Ian Smith Ian Smith owned a gym in New Jersey that he wouldn’t shut down for any man’s orders. The self-proclaimed “meathead” racked up $1.2 million in COVID-19 “fines” and reminded us what is to be American. Smith‚ who has also paid his debt for acts he committed long before‚ then received 38.3 percent of the vote in the Republican primary election for his state’s 3rd House District. Smith is the author of Find Your Hill and gives speeches around the country on overcoming challenges and fighting for what we believe in. Jason Whitlock Jason Whitlock‚ a former Ball State college football player‚ is the host of Fearless with Jason Whitlock. Whitlock’s takes on values make riveting reads and enjoyable listens. He parted from ESPN for many of the same reasons that 5 million people have left Democrat states. The attacks he has withstood indicate his independent message is over the end zone. Sen. Tommy Tuberville Once a safety for Southern State University football‚ Tommy Tuberville was the Auburn University head football coach with the most wins against the University of Alabama. Tuberville made his mark through his success‚ class‚ and values. He earned the Alabama Republican Party’s nomination for the Senate in 2020‚ and contested incumbent Doug Jones. Early that year‚ the “systemic change” of “bundled payments” required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) gave the federal government a digitally integrated system that shoveled thousands of dollars per COVID-19 patient to clinics and hospitals. As the healthcare business now revolved around Washington‚ D.C.‚ providers were hard-pressed to refuse the payouts‚ disincentivizing professionals from raising their voices against COVID-19 flim-flam. Tuberville won election to a seat needing serious statesmanship to restore America to the rights and values that made it free‚ and he has risen to his calling‚ standing to demand that the sanctity of life be protected by the U.S. military if DOD personnel wanted to get their requested raises and promotions. The Alabama senator has made American rural workers‚ fiscal responsibility‚ the Second Amendment‚ and border security his top issues‚ joining fellow sportsmen in defending our liberties. Novak Djokovic Career leader in Grand Slam victories‚ Serbian Novak Djokovic was the story of the year at the 2023 U.S. Open. Finally allowed to travel and compete again after more than a year of being ostracized for his refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine‚ Djokovic broke records and earned his 24th Grand Slam title. A den of power-hungry officials who knew nothing about physical performance and health and had restrained his athletic career from progressing‚ watched him win. Djokovic glorifies God above the institutions of men‚ and used his racquet to set the tennis world right from foolhardy judgments of who is “diseased.” Novak Djokovic only has “sick” tennis strokes‚ as the kids say. Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin ranked 325 worldwide in CrossFit for her age group and then became a trainer and owner of Golden Gate CrossFit. She strives to tone up the American republic too‚ exposing inequalities that ruin what Americans loved about our society’s fair playing field. In 2020‚ she asked‚ if politicians can go to the gym amid lockdowns‚ why couldn’t her customers? Today‚ she’s still pointing out hypocrisy and is asking‚ if Chinese government visitors deserve a good place for doing business in the streets of San Francisco‚ why don’t American citizens? Kelly Slater As both the youngest and oldest world surfing champion‚ Kelly Slater is nearly synonymous with his sport. Slater took a strong stance against ostracizing competitors and friends over fear-driven absurdities and faced a showdown with the Australian government after he was denied entry for not receiving the COVID-19 jab. Slater makes an honorable mention here‚ even though his defiant swell broke and he went with the flow. He wouldn’t be the greatest of surfers without that mellow. Paul Stastny and Don Cherry Paul Stastny‚ a forward on Hockey’s Winnipeg Jets‚ is familiar with tyranny. His Hall of Fame father‚ Peter Stastny‚ defected from the former Czechoslovakia to Canada. Paul spoke on the matter beautifully: Being the son of immigrants that left a communist country to come to Canada and have a future where they had their own decisions and do-what-they-want type of freedom is something that’s always been instilled in me … And then I know what Canada was like‚ and I can see where Canada is going‚ and I think that’s what scares me. Knowing what communists did in Slovakia‚ Paul donated to Canada’s freedom convoy in 2022. Meanwhile‚ Don Cherry‚ a Boston Bruins player and head coach found his fullest calling in the sport‚ broadcasting. He backed the movement saying‚ “I am 100% behind the truckers … They are salt of the earth and the heartbeat of the country…. I did not tell anybody else what they should do and would never tell anybody what they should do. It’s up to them.” Steve Garvey California festers with the worst homelessness‚ education‚ and poverty in the U.S. Steve Garvey‚ a recipient of the Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award‚ is ripping the cover off that curveball with his approach to educational choice and economics. While Adam Schiff wants to continue Democrat rule‚ Garvey points out that in this administration‚ for the first time‚ more people are leaving than coming to California because they can’t afford to live there. “This is a direct result of our career politicians in Sacramento and Washington‚ D.C. continuously passing foolish laws and increasing taxes and fees‚ resulting in higher costs or our basic needs‚” Garvey said. “I will take a stand against out-of-control inflation and be a voice for the middle class and working families.” There’s no dodging that Americans are swinging for stronger job creation for pay with real purchasing power. Conor McGregor Conor McGregor is a standout Mixed Martial Arts fighter whose convincing Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) wins lifted him to international stardom. He was the first fighter ever to attain both the Featherweight and Lightweight Championship belts in the UFC‚ and he did the same in Cage Warriors. McGregor‚ who is from Ireland‚ has received consistent support from the Irish people. He also has many American fans‚ and given the similar threats to both Ireland and the U.S.‚ McGregor’s political activity in Ireland tends to matter in the U.S. McGregor’s motivations are expressed simply: Protect Ireland. He says no citizens of a country are safe if there is no dedicated‚ operational task force to “assess all entrants.” McGregor‚ who has teased a run for the Irish presidency‚ would form one immediately to address this “real lapse in national security.” Citizens of many countries can relate to the violence committed by military-age‚ male foreigners arriving illegally in waves numbering in the thousands. “NOT GOOD ENOUGH‚” says McGregor of the Irish government. John Stockton At the retirement ceremony for the career NBA leader in steals and assists‚ John Stockton spoke with keen interest on “the powers of healing” shown by Jazz training room staff. He said they had “kept my old body together” for 19 seasons on the court. Twenty years later‚ Stockton’s familiarity with chiropractic led him to write an amicus letter to a court in Washington‚ D.C. in support of one of his friends. Janet Buhler‚ the wife of Craig Buhler‚ who had treated Stockton for enhanced recovery for “thousands of hours” in his Jazz career‚ had exercised her American right to protest an election that was marred by mail-in ballots and other anomalous forms of voting under the pretense of a “health emergency.” Like many practitioners‚ Buhler was suspicious of the hokum and malarky that went on in the 2020 election. So she made her way to D.C. on Jan. 6‚ 2021‚ only to confront a month’s sentence in prison. Having known Janet for decades‚ Stockton wrote of her character as kind and gentle. Janet was nevertheless handed a 30-day sentence for her political expression at the people’s house. Interest in physical longevity and healing surprised us all by becoming linked with high political controversy. Yet realizing life is led by God‚ Stockton‚ a Catholic‚ appeared on His Glory to speak the truth‚ even as the FBI was watching Catholic congregations. Gonzaga College suspended Stockton’s season passes for his noncompliance with mask and vaccine mandates. When the mandate was later lifted‚ Stockton declared he wouldn’t be coming back to Gonzaga basketball and noted he would be reconsidering his giving to the college. Stockton has continued to speak out through independent channels to avoid Big Tech censorship. He has appeared as a guest on dozens of podcasts. More Americans are becoming inspired to get “on the court‚” openly glorify God‚ share the blessing of health freedom‚ pen writings for justice‚ and direct our dollars wisely — all qualities amplified by the inspirational work of John Stockton. Aaron Rodgers An NFL champion quarterback and 4-time MVP with the Packers‚ Aaron Rodgers was voted by his Jets teammates as their “most inspirational player” — even while being out with a season-ending injury. Rodgers’s keen vision downfield gives him an independent steak. Even without playing in the Super Bowl this year‚ his observations and comments remain insightful‚ no matter the blitz that vindictive characters may rush at him. Conclusion America is in a “declipression‚” — the “decline plus oppression” that is being foisted on America. Athletes are lending their prowess to give the nation a hand up out of the morass. Let’s move the ball for election integrity and score against antihuman global war‚ inflating prices‚ car bans‚ illegal migration‚ and all anti-American opponents. Game. On. The post The Most Influential Dissidents in Sports During the Biden Regime appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.