Tag: economics

The Lies we come to believe. (TIPS and other charges)

The Lies we come to believe. (TIPS and other charges)

To insure prompt service…TIPS

Between inflation, shrinkflation, and the price of energy, most people have very little discretionary income.

Yes, this is a direct result of BIDONOMICS.

Like him or not, when Trump was in office, America was energy independent. Trump was working to secure our border and appeared to look out for this country’s citizens first.

This election cycle will be one to watch.

The truth of the matter is we don’t know who is running this country. We can bet that it is not the current occupant of the West Wing.

Under this administration, Americans are forced to use their savings accounts and withdraw from their 401s to make ends meet. Those who have saved money have shockingly depleted the reserve amount.

The alarming statistic is that many Americans have relied on credit cards to survive. Using credit cards, payday loans, or other forms of predatory lending will create a crisis soon if these trends don’t reverse.

Inflation must be controlled so we stop spending money we don’t have.

Those talking heads are paid to tell you everything is fine; don’t look at the man behind the curtain. Unlike politicians and other swamp monsters, they are paid handsomely to lie convincingly to you.

If you follow these articles, you will see that the climate change hoax is just one more lie to ‘nudge’ you into behavioral changes that benefit the rich and powerful.

Media giants are practicing what Stalin knew when he massacred millions of his own people. The Pen is Mightier than the sword.

Since fewer and fewer people read and have the attention span of Count Chockula, Pravda-like lies are spread by talking heads using emotional tags, usually hate.

For the manipulation of the masses to work, they need a villain. Why not some uber-rich guy with a big mouth and an orange complexion?

Why not serve up the savior of the American people as a pariah?

If you bothered to learn history, it is rife with examples of how it all works. Show the masses what is wrong in the world and then pin the tail on the donkey or, in this case, their most prominent adversary.

When Lincoln worked to free the slaves, the Democrats had him killed.

When Kennedy, much like Trump… a populist for the people and against the deep state, stepped over the line, they killed him.

No single bullet did all that damage; you have been lied to.

I’m not comparing Jesus to Trump, but…when his popularity threatened that of those who were rich and powerful, they made him the Pariah. Even his people released a thief vs. Jesus, serving him to the thugs in charge.

One last example which parallels what we are living through today. Hyperinflation is one step away. Like Hitler, Biden or his proxies will blame White supremacists or Trump or, as some Gen Z podcasters are lamenting…those fucking boomers.

Yes, they have found yet another way to divide the country by selling the least informed among us that somehow it is not only white men but white men born in the baby boomer era as the newest fall guy.

Only an idiot with a capital I would buy that nonsense, but…there was a country of them that sacrificed 6 million Jews to a megalomaniac under the guise that all their problems were because of the Jews.

Now, the only way those jackasses can make such statements is because of the boomers and their parents, who sacrificed so much that they have the freedom to spew such moronic nonsense. It gets them clicks, which is what they are after, right?

Read the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire or…watch another ANTIFA or BLM riot burn down more cities and learn to play the violin while you watch.

Yes, history is cyclical, and that is why those mentioned in the last sentence want to remove all mention of it. Those are the same dumbasses that say Socialism works. We can make it work this time.

So, what about TIPS and other nonsense? Why is that in the sub-title of this article?

As I mentioned earlier, there is inflation and something called shrinkflation. That latter is selling less of the product for the same amount as before Bidonomics screwed the entire world up.

For those of you who took art or woman studies or perhaps philosophy in college, there is something known as a P&L or profit and loss.

For companies to stay in business, they must make a profit. The books should be in the black at the end of the day or ‘fiscal year.’ In the black is business jargon for ‘show a profit.’

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is called Black Friday because, at that time of year, certain businesses depend on shoppers to purchase enough of whatever they sell to push their end-of-year P&L from red to black.

How many of you thought about holidays as mechanisms for business economic prosperity?

Back to TIPS

I am convinced that wait staff are modern-day slaves.

Everyone attempts to extract more money from the consumer regardless of where you eat out. POS (point of sale) devices conveniently make it easy to tip and give extra money for services or goods rendered.

One business that made the news added an extra charge after the TIP for Employee Mental Wellness.

That expense is already substantial by the time you pay for your meal, the tax on that meal, and a reasonable tip. Due to inflation and minimum wage, employees mistaking those jobs for careers and demanding more money than our soldiers make; eating out is expensive.

In this economy, most people should see the inside of a restaurant only if they work there. Groceries have already reached the price point of unaffordable for many. Shopping for day-old bread, dented cans, and food near its expiration date is becoming increasingly popular.

That is part of the self-behavioral modifications that I am referring to.  

I know people who would never darken the door of a Dollar General or Family Dollar who now frequent those stores. Big Box stores are much more popular than ever, and the trend will continue as more and more people are forced to pinch pennies.

While the pandemic devastated the restaurant business and our way of life, the downward trend continues.

It’s a slow spiral downward as personal wealth dwindles, and the banks can charge exorbitant fees for debt incurred by the masses.

Again, if you look at history while you fiddle, Rome is on fire!

What can you do about it?

Vote the Bastards out!

Established politicians need to leave DC not only as elected or appointed rulers but also be outlawed from serving the needs of companies as lobbyists or specialists/advisors that have anything to do with the ruling class.

Term Limits should be a mandate from We the People.

Puppets are serving as our elected leaders who are incapable of stringing a noun and a verb together in the same sentence!

  • How is it that you don’t know this?
  • These are all distractions presented to you by the propagandists.
  • How many believe a man in a woman’s dressing room is okay?
  • How many of you think a child should be able to change their sex without talking to their guardians?
  • How many of you cannot define a woman?
  • How many of you really think that America is racist?
  • How many of you really think that there are suddenly UFO’s
  • How many of you believe that there are more than two genders?
  • How many of you give a shit what a small minority of mentally challenged individuals think or feel?
  • How many of you really think we are getting the truth about Ukraine?
  • How many want to sacrifice your or your kid’s life to fight someone else’s war?
  • How many of you think the world’s end is coming because of climate change?

Keep fiddling, my friends. These are all distractions while the megalomaniacs fleece your futures, your children’s and their children’s futures.

When the Boomers die off, the next generation will blame you for all their woes, and they might be right: you fiddled. Playing video games is not a career choice unless you design them.

As a science fiction author, I must think outside the box. My personal take on life, this country, or politics are opinions. While open to debate, I do not engage in feelings as they are irrelevant to the status quo. That, my friend, is how you sort the wheat from the chaff. We are controlled by emotions, not facts.

The truth will set you free; the lies will cloud the facts, creating a hostile environment for everyone, and ‘they’ count on it.

-Best

Please consider purchasing my latest novel… Earth’s Last Hope.

Thanks!

The Next Domestic Crises

The Next Domestic Crises

The only thing more predatory than a politician are the credit card companies.

Carrying a balance on a credit card is by far worse than establishing a loan thru your financial institution. Those who can least afford it are frequently the target of predatory lending. PayDay loans and alike are one step away from borrowing from the mafia. Those who specialize in payday loans are not the financial institution you should deal with. They are the mob who will cash your check and attempt to solve all your problems by selling you magic beans for the cash, in the form of lottery tickets.

The root cause of the problem, however, is not those who seek to ‘assist’ those in need. The root cause is the need itself and a lack of intelligence when it comes to managing your finances.

If we glance at the past as in history, and then we look forward, we can see where this will end.

Having lived thru the lies of Carter, gas lines, odd and even days, and no more than ten gallons at any given time, we were happy just to get Gas, not really caring what it cost.

There is a price that is going to be the next crisis we must deal with.

I have not used a gas card in years. I used to have one that I did use to keep up with my expenses but that was a long time ago before frequent flyer miles.

The other day, unexpectedly, I received a new gas card. Why?

They know that there is about to be a boon to those who extend credit. We are used to budgeting X dollars a month for Gas. That expense has doubled. Depending upon how much you drive and what you drive, undoubtedly, you will feel it at the end of the month.

Not only is Gas twice the price, but food is also much more expensive. Heating and cooling costs have risen exceedingly fast.

Energy drives the prices for many things.

Where you might not have carried a balance in the past, you might now. Much like Sisyphus, pushing that rock uphill will break many.

Not to worry. A late fee is only $30, and your remaining balance might go up to 30%, but other than that, they have you covered.

If the current administration can blame all your pain on Putin, they stand a good chance to distract you from reality come election time.

It is imperative that you only listen to the very liberal media, which includes NPR.

Like Don Quixote, they truly believe that windmills will save the day. Tilting at tried-and-true methods of energy production, they seek to push this country back to the depression era. Little wooden shacks for the sharecroppers will dot the land in the middle of nowhere. They will need no amenities and will be totally dependent on their masters. Look no further than North Korea for a role model.

The poor management of your credit cards will be your undoing. Much like losing at Monopoly, you will mortgage your belongings to the very institutions that loaned you the money in the first place.

There are no do-overs. When you find yourself wishing for a solid cardboard box to keep the rain off your head, or fighting for a dry spot under a bridge, only then will you truly understand that this has never been about race, but a struggle between the have and the have nots.

Knowledge is power and that privilege that so many ignorant fools scream about. History is the source of that knowledge. It makes little difference if you like the history or hate it; it is there to learn from. Erasing history is just as foolish as thinking skin color is the solution or the problem.

If I were a gambling man, I would buy stock in companies that made loans. I would find companies that buy foreclosed homes and rent them out to invest in.

Most young people are stupid when it comes to money. They find renting is the quickest way to live the lifestyle they were accustomed to when mom and dad foot the bills. The attitude seems to be live for today, and tomorrow will take care of itself. If you look at their social media, you will discover what I mean. They are the market for the next breed of a predatory lender, those that buy foreclosed or ugly homes, spend as little as possible to restore or update them, and rent rent rent.

As prices continue to rise because of this administration’s piss poor policies, they will be among the first to suffer. Mom and Dad will be among the second to agonize as they end up opening their homes to their boomerang progeny along with their fur babies and maybe grandkids.

Mom and Dad, who saved for retirement, will end up using that retirement money to bail out their kids, who still think that playing video games all night is the equivalent of work.

Domestic disturbances will be over such things, and the entitled brats will be the spark that sets the next set of events into motion. The divorce, custody battles, and more money wasted on lawyers and court costs. Who could know this would happen??? Hello…

If you’re not putting money in the bank for a rainy day, you are screwing up. I would think that one should have at least three months of expenses saved in an account that you don’t touch. The wolf is at the door, and he is knocking.

When companies demand you return to the office, gas, tolls, and normal wear and tear costs return too. There will also be new clothes required. Are you ready?

-Best