Geez, who would have guessed that Democratic legislation promoting Green would not be an environmental reference, but would actually be a reference to the cash being dumped into the trough for the grifting pigs 🐖 to slurp up at their convenience. Sure looks like that spigot is being turned off by DOGE, in which case the Democratic grift…
Geez, who would have guessed that Democratic legislation promoting Green would not be an environmental reference, but would actually be a reference to the cash being dumped into the trough for the grifting pigs 🐖 to slurp up at their convenience. Sure looks like that spigot is being turned off by DOGE, in which case the Democratic grifters will have to seek out another scam or, horror of horrors, get a real job!
On paper, you’re right…but how many of the grifters actually have skills that translate to the real world? Methinks there will be a noticeable bump in unemployment statistics by Q4 2025. Bummer.
Sanctuary cities were created to make more democrat voters by changing who gets more representation. The Republicans benefited from cheap labor, the rest of us lost.
Sanctuary cities are a wonderful, humanitarian idea gone wrong because good people can't get it through their stupid heads that there are some really bad people out there. I've just written a book about it. Yes, the migrant workers are victims of poverty and oppression. They are wonderful people who work hard and who are taken advantage of. MS-13 and their like (including their gringo supporters and money-launderers) are not just collateral damage. They are part of a planned invasion and child-trafficking racket. Just count: 400,000 unaccounted for children by now.
Did I write anything in support of Illegal workers? I live in a dairy farm community with the farms run by migrants, all legal. And vegetable farms with pickers from Jamaica, all legal.
As long as some government program says they're "legal," we can bring them here. Offshoring American jobs to a trillion Punjabs is "legal," right? No laws violated. Perfectly ethical. Why not bring in 50 million Indians? Hey, as long as its "legal."
Let them fight them. El Salvador has defeated them under a the aegis of a Great Leader who garnered the support of all the best elements of the nation.
Why do we need cowards who won't fight for their own land?
Sanctuary cities was a terrible idea. IT was to get democratic voters. The democrat kept packing them in because they are losing and now they know they are finished. I expect they will put up a fight. They didn't care that people were getting hurt. They wanted the illegal immigration. The republicans were guilty too. Texas and Florida and the precious red states wanted cheap labor. It's their fault most of all.
You don't eat migrant-picked food? No one you know uses Mexican roofing crews? You don't eat in restaurants or sleep in hotels? It is puerile to say that only neocon and progressive reprobates profit from one slave labor market over another.
There are migrant worker programs that allow for seasonal picking, and then they return to their shit-hole country. That's worked in the past; it can work again. They don't have to live here and be on welfare.
Friends of my parents owned a large farm in the Red River Valley. Every year they had several families of migrants come for the harvest. They housed them in shacks out of sight. Every year, when school started and the bus came to pick up the migrant children, she pitched a fit. She hated that even a penny of her tax dollars went to educate those kids, even if it was only for a few weeks.
Before the end of the good times, Quakers in the north enticed and pamphleteered Southern blacks to leave their plantations and come to the north to work for wages. The blacks worked the fields and gathered in the harvest. When the Fall came, the Quakers handed them their wages and said "we'll see you in the Spring." The blacks said "where do we go now?" Most went back to the South. Some died in the snow.
It's understandable. It's not taxpayers' responsibility to learn Spanish in order to teach migrant children, and if teachers don't speak Spanish, the children won't learn anything anyway.
I lived in this state for years. I was friends with migrant workers. The out-of-control immigration hurt the people that were here with the migrant program. Some of these people stayed. I know them. They became legal citizens. Their country was made unbearable by out-of-control drug cartels and out of control immigration. Texas and Florida benefited the most and only started to care in the last 8 years. They wanted it they egged it on for the almighty dollar. The country is paying the higher prices in tax, crime and the diminishment of quality of life.
I do. That's my neighborhood and I was here first. BTW the Californians that created that in California and moved, can move again. This is not a problem you can outrun. They are moving again. I hear they are headed to warmer weather. IT's been below zero here for a week. The Texans are building apartments in sanctuary cities. REmember they benefited the most from the cheap labor.
What do you think we been doing for the last 4 years? Donald Trump was not elected by magic. I hope the swarm of locusts move to your neighborhood and then you can see how it is. BTW Florida, the bastion of red states, has homeless encampments too. Rural Florida schools SUCK! Texas SUCKS! I don't forget how they benefited from the cheap labor and then only started to give a shit in the last 8 years.
Market is becoming bi-polar, tech jobs and “flipping burgers”. As the tech jobs become more intricate and AI takes away human jobs (forget learning to code) less people are needed. The Dems used the grift noted to put people into bullshit jobs, and DOGE is quickly finding them and eliminating them. A word of warning to the Trumpers, you better come up with a plan to re-hire them into meaningful jobs. Obama wanted a service economy and the Dems kept the public quiet by giving minimum wage scales at $20 and above. Been to a restaurant lately? That gift is over and we have equalized with $10 burgers and $16 breakfasts. That grift has run its course. Biden’s MOb’s gift was the NGOs as mentioned, paying people for doing nothing. Hmmm,, remember UBI? Andrew Yang’s contribution in 2020. What we are seeing is a nice preview of a UBI world. Biden promised the oil and pipeline workers that jobs would be created by renewable energy sources, in the sun belt. What happened? The border opened up, the Sun Belt job market became flooded and Mexico is much closer to Arizona, et al than North Dakota is. As usual, the Dems created an non-winnable situation which they hid with the bullshit situation JHK has brought out this morning.
The "service economy" Obama talked about was a real "head scratcher" for me. I thought he envisioned us becoming a country of lawyers, accountants, and waiters. It never made sense to me.
The book publishing grift JHK points out is a major "eye opener."
Where in AZ does one find a $10 burger? Not here in Prescott. Maybe the single at McDonalds, but a proper one at any sit down restaurant will set you back $20. The 2-egg breakfast is spot on at $16 and on up. What’s $5 for two little strips of bacon as an add on?
Other essentials: $10 for a 6-pack of any reasonable beer. Ammo? Hell, $1.50 a round for any magnum pistol and $0.50 for 5.56.
If you ain’t cooking at home and reloading yer shit, than you’re either pretty well off, or scraping to pay the rent.
Took my wife and daughter out for a Saturday morning breakfast at a local Denny's. I remember when a "grand slam" cost $4.50. You got two eggs, a sausage link, a slice of bacon, hashbrowns and two butter milk pancakes. Today? $16.50. Plus tip, breakfast at once affordable Denny's cost me over $64.00. What does this do to the economy? Well, for starters it means I don't go out to eat nearly as often as I used to. Going out to eat now has been limited to very special occasions.
Remember the $5 foot longs at Subway? Now a footlong chicken and bacon ranch on flat bread costs nearly $13.00 and the workers are always stingy on the addings. I always have to ask them to put more on the sammich.
A 60 pack of eggs now costs $34.00 at Winco Foods. The claim it is the ongoing bird flu. Personally, I think the chickens are striking and want double the salary. But that's just me.
People don’t get they are conditioning our behavior. They push us toward third world-type grocery stores where eggs are cheaper. The rich shop at Whole Foods.
Lost because I pointed out we are heading towards a war with Iran?
A war Iran seems to want?
A war not of the proxy variety since Iran has used 100's of billions given to it by the creepy Kenyan to prop up groups like Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas.
A war Israel is building up to but I'm the lost cause.
You aren't up on the latest conditions in Iran. IDF bombed the bejesus out of Iran's infrastructure. Latest: enough electricity for either heat or lights, not both. They chose heat. Iran is in shambles and struggling. Has anybody heard a peep out of them lately? If would be on CNN (cyber news network). ONN? (Online News Network) (We need a damn acronym!)
My assessment is that the world should assume that the only groups that want war are Israel, the neocons, NATO, those that embrace the 2030 Agenda, and the Globalists. Did I leave anyone out?
NOTE: CTP-ISW will produce the update Monday through Friday beginning February 20, 2025, due to the decrease in military activity in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and the defeats of Hamas and Hezbollah. We will resume daily, seven-day coverage if circumstances change. CTP-ISW will notify our readers when we resume seven-day coverage. CTP-ISW will continue to produce daily Syria maps. We will publish weekend Syria maps on Mondays. We will cover and assess Axis of Resistance activities in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon at a less granular level moving forward. We will continue to publish analysis on other key US interests in the region, such as the defeat of ISIS and Syrian stability. We will also continue to adjust our Middle Eastern coverage and make those adjustments clear in response to regional dynamics and priorities, just as we did immediately after Hamas' October 7 attack into Israel and the fall of the Assad Regime.
Key Takeaways:
Iranian Rhetoric: Brigadier General Ebrahim Jabbari—adviser to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander—threatened to attack "all [US] bases and ships in the region" during a speech at the Great Prophet 19 military exercise on February 20.
Hayat Tahrir al Sham and Syrian Democratic Forces Negotiations: Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi said that he and Syrian Interim President Ahmed al Shara agreed on “general principles” but still disagree on “practical details,” which likely refers to the integration of the SDF into the Syrian army.
Syrian Constitution: The Syrian Preparatory Committee continued “dialogue sessions” for Raqqa, Hasakah, and Rif Dimashq provinces in Damascus on February 21.
Iraqi Politics: The United States reportedly threatened to sanction the Iraqi federal government if it prevents the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) from resuming oil exports.
Syria
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi said that he and Syrian Interim President Ahmed al Shara agreed on “general principles” but still disagreed on “practical details,” which likely refers to the integration of the SDF into the Syrian army.[1] Abdi told The Guardian on February 21 that he and Shara agreed to keep Syria unified during the leaders’ last meeting in early January.[2] Abdi said that he and Shara still disagree on the “practical details,” including “the tools for us to work together” and the “timeline.”[3] Abdi is likely referring to the specific mechanisms for SDF integration into the Syrian army. An SDF commander said on February 18 that the SDF and the governing body in northeast Syria agreed to merge their forces into the Syrian Defense Ministry.[4] Abdi has not yet publicly confirmed such an agreement. Abdi’s demand that the SDF integrate as a “bloc” was one of the main sticking points of negotiations in the past two months, and it is unclear if either side has moderated their demands on this issue. Abdi also told The Guardian that the “Turkish intervention” was hurting negotiations.[5] CTP-ISW has previously noted that Abdi is unlikely to give up the SDF‘s ability to defend Kurdish areas against active attacks by Turkey and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA).[6]
Turkish aircraft struck the SDF along the eastern bank of the Euphrates River on February 21. Turkish aircraft struck SDF positions east of Jarabulus.[7] Turkey has repeatedly struck SDF positions across the Euphrates River from Jarabulus since February 12.[8]
Turkey continued to strike SDF positions near Qara Qozak Bridge on February 21. Turkish aircraft struck several SDF positions near Sarrin, likely to isolate SDF units at the bridgehead west of the Qara Qozak Bridge.[9]
Anti-SDF media claimed that Turkish drones struck an SDF checkpoint near al Kasrat, south of Raqqa, on February 21.[10]
The Turkish Defense Ministry announced on February 21 that it killed 8 “PKK” fighters in northwestern Syria.[11] Turkey routinely conducts strikes targeting the "PKK” in northern Iraq and Syria, but it commonly conflates the PKK and the SDF.
Yes, they fight back, sometimes effectively. As when they crushed the Israeli invasion of Lebanon a generation ago. What's happening this time? There's a news blackout, so I imagine the Israeli invasion has stalled out.
In Iraq, Iranian missiles destroyed various nests of anti-Iranian terrorists.
Another excellent essay by Mr. Kunstler this week which cites names of people and entities and money.
I like it, though I have lamented, and continue to lament, the lack of objectivity and facts regarding Palestine in CFN essays. Just think, if Mr. Kunstler lifted the carpet and shone his (still, at his age) formidable journalistic spotlight on the crimes of the Israeli state against Palestinians, and even the several ISRAELIS, military and civilian, which the IDF deliberately killed on OCT 07, to ensure they were not captured by Hamas. I repeat my request for JHK to host Max Blumenthal on a Kunstlercast.
I did not plan to bring the topic up, since EPA is not related to Palestine.
However, since Ben is going to loudly bray about the splinter in Iran's eye, vs the LOG in Israel's, I want to share a real story that the US media, mainstream and alternative, has quietly not reported.
All you CFNers can bet your a$$ that if two Jews or Israelis were gunned down in the US, Drudge and MSN, etc, would be all over it. Isn't that right?
Well, two Israelis were WERE gunned down, in Miami, on Feb 16, according to The Guardian (w..theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/17/miami-shooting-israeli-men). Seventeen shots fired at them. The Israelis survived! They took to Facebook to whine about anti-Semitism.
Yet I heard or read nothing, Why? Because the alleged perpetrator, one Mordechai Brafman, 27, is Jewish.
While in custody, Brafman spontaneously told detectives that while he was driving his truck, “he saw two Palestinians and shot and killed both”, arrest documents said.
A lot of people (correctly) point out media bias concerning crime-non-white defendants' race or ethnicity is painted out. Even though statistically black-on-white crime is far more common than white-on-black, wee you know.
That's how it is with the Middle East. Israel is perfect, even as Israelis slaughter tens of thousands of Palestinians, and displace millions, but Iran is the aggressor and threat to peace. according to the media and some here.
Nope they are fighting a war which includes killing people even sometimes people that should not have died but that is the problem with fighting wars good people die along with the badies.
That is how wars are fought or are you just stupid?
To my knowledge Israelis are not kidnapping and then strangling babies.
Nor are they having parties while returning dead babies.
Do we really think that China is just going to kowtow to USA demands? Maybe a while ago, but thanks to Biden’s Mob, primarily, China does not fear us at all anymore.
No war is "good." I would argue that some war is "necessary." We here in America have an enormous military sized group of people invading our borders. A necessary war would be to eliminate all of these people and send them packing, in defense of our homes and culture. An unnecessary war is like the one in Afghanistan. I don't give a fuck about Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza, Iran, Yemen, Syria, Germany, Korea, and just about every other nation our army has planted itself.
The only time war is necessary is when it involves protecting and defending ourselves from an aggressive enemy. Most of the time, if not all of the time, the USA seems to be the aggressor.
Would you rather try to stop the constant incursions of other world powers at the border? Or over there? Biden did neither one and we are where we are now. The organization of the millions of illegal immigrants has just started. I hope Trump can send them home without much bloodshed. The Dems just about destroyed American autonomy.
Yes, there is a good war. A Cold War where blustering and bullshit on both sides cancel each other out. Would there ever be hot war if the politicians were silenced?
Why is it mother police state’s problem that crooked rent seekers jigs come up? That projection of some universal human right for everyone to be fully employed at the 95th income percentile is demented.
The AI coder myth is another propaganda ploy. It has similar intentions of claiming technology is out to get you. It isn’t. It ain’t that smart. But there are sinister beings that will use that idea to justify enslaving you in 15 min city hovels.
You are much more dangerously threatened by bureaucrats and their fanged sheeple than by skynet. As intrusive as government monitoring of consumer networks is now, those databases can’t kill. But your neighbor’s Maoist struggle sessions will.
Well said. Elon and Trump have no viable vision either, but Elon does have a horrific one. Destroying the Democrat grifters are making people forget this all important issue.
You are right. Musk has a vision all right. To make the government as grift free as possible. You should be worshipping his efforts as maybe you might find that benevolent government you have been looking for.
Great question. Honestly, I don’t know what kind of productive work these grifters can get. Retail? No. Manufacturing? No. Roofing, drywalling, or concrete work? No. Babysitting? No. Customer service? No. Farming? No? Nursing or caregiving? No. Seasonal crop picking? No. I also cannot think of anyone who would hire them. 🤷♀️
Nothing because lawyers are useless. Out of all the useless professions that exist, lawyers take the crown. They produce absolutely nothing. They take, take and then take some more. Once I received a settlement from a class action lawsuit involving a telecommunications company in my region. The settlement was for a billion or so dollars. Guess what I got? $2.54. In a check. They acted like I should roll out the red carpet and thank them for their efforts in getting me enough money to barely pay for a Snickers. The "loyas" probably took 3/4 of the billions and bought themselves beach houses in Costa Rica and divided up the rest among us poor schmucks, millions of us. Lawyers thrive on other's misfortune and misery and profit from failure and accident. The most utterly useless profession and one of the most destructive forces on our modern society. They can't do anything but argue and most can't even do that very well. So, they end up in politics. They end up as lawmakers corrupting the law to the point that we must have "loyas" to interpret the fucking law they just wrote.
There is so much wrong in this goddamned country and there is nobody there to fix it. Trump? Musk? I'm enjoying the show now but will it last? Who knows.
Supply and demand. Too damn many of the “locusts” around and they are in a position of control. Like their politician sect, when they do not have enough to do, they make stuff up. The TV ads are disgusting. Why does Congress et al make up new laws, or create investigations? Make work!!
I agree, these grifters are the worst!!! However, if you look at America in particular, and the West in general, many (most) people are not engaged in productive work. Many people make good money "pushing paper" -- that is creating or obtaining data, creating reports, to micromanage or help others micromanage the people who ARE engaged in constructive work, like essential workers or doctors or nurses. Many play with FIRE (Finance, Insurance, Real Estate).
We are in dire straits. Denying the White House to Biden/Harris, and electing Trump was an absolute prerequisite to slowing the rampant decline, but we are still headed toward an inevitable reckoning.
Seize their assets and all of the property. Put them on the street to fight it out with the druggies. Sell all that they own, every last dime, and refund it to the taxpayers from whom it was stolen. Let them see it. Let them feel it. Let them know it. But alas, tis a dream. Tis only a dream.
Geez, who would have guessed that Democratic legislation promoting Green would not be an environmental reference, but would actually be a reference to the cash being dumped into the trough for the grifting pigs 🐖 to slurp up at their convenience. Sure looks like that spigot is being turned off by DOGE, in which case the Democratic grifters will have to seek out another scam or, horror of horrors, get a real job!
On paper, you’re right…but how many of the grifters actually have skills that translate to the real world? Methinks there will be a noticeable bump in unemployment statistics by Q4 2025. Bummer.
Who cares what sanctuary city alleys the communist traitors starve in?
Maybe the sanctuary cities weren't really created for illegal migrants, but for a Trump administration coming into power.
Sanctuary cities were created to make more democrat voters by changing who gets more representation. The Republicans benefited from cheap labor, the rest of us lost.
Sanctuary cities are a wonderful, humanitarian idea gone wrong because good people can't get it through their stupid heads that there are some really bad people out there. I've just written a book about it. Yes, the migrant workers are victims of poverty and oppression. They are wonderful people who work hard and who are taken advantage of. MS-13 and their like (including their gringo supporters and money-launderers) are not just collateral damage. They are part of a planned invasion and child-trafficking racket. Just count: 400,000 unaccounted for children by now.
Bullcrap. Illegal is illegal, Karen... those poor migrant workers can come in legally or GTFO.
Their handlers should be prosecuted, better yet, lose their citizenship.
Karens like YOU are partially responsible for those missing and abused kids.
Did I write anything in support of Illegal workers? I live in a dairy farm community with the farms run by migrants, all legal. And vegetable farms with pickers from Jamaica, all legal.
As long as some government program says they're "legal," we can bring them here. Offshoring American jobs to a trillion Punjabs is "legal," right? No laws violated. Perfectly ethical. Why not bring in 50 million Indians? Hey, as long as its "legal."
Yes, you did, you slimy skidmark... "Sanctuary cities are a wonderful, humanitarian idea..."
'Sanctuary' cities do not protect LEGAL citizens or green card holders, ahole... only ILLEGALS.
Stop being a slimy lying libturd.
Good point. I was thinking of the good ol' days when Guatemalans, El Salvadorans, and Nicaraguans were gunned down by death squads.
Let them fight them. El Salvador has defeated them under a the aegis of a Great Leader who garnered the support of all the best elements of the nation.
Why do we need cowards who won't fight for their own land?
Sanctuary cities was a terrible idea. IT was to get democratic voters. The democrat kept packing them in because they are losing and now they know they are finished. I expect they will put up a fight. They didn't care that people were getting hurt. They wanted the illegal immigration. The republicans were guilty too. Texas and Florida and the precious red states wanted cheap labor. It's their fault most of all.
You don't eat migrant-picked food? No one you know uses Mexican roofing crews? You don't eat in restaurants or sleep in hotels? It is puerile to say that only neocon and progressive reprobates profit from one slave labor market over another.
There are migrant worker programs that allow for seasonal picking, and then they return to their shit-hole country. That's worked in the past; it can work again. They don't have to live here and be on welfare.
Friends of my parents owned a large farm in the Red River Valley. Every year they had several families of migrants come for the harvest. They housed them in shacks out of sight. Every year, when school started and the bus came to pick up the migrant children, she pitched a fit. She hated that even a penny of her tax dollars went to educate those kids, even if it was only for a few weeks.
Sounds like a very selfish person
It's not selfish.
No,
it's inhumane.
Before the end of the good times, Quakers in the north enticed and pamphleteered Southern blacks to leave their plantations and come to the north to work for wages. The blacks worked the fields and gathered in the harvest. When the Fall came, the Quakers handed them their wages and said "we'll see you in the Spring." The blacks said "where do we go now?" Most went back to the South. Some died in the snow.
Giving someone a seasonal job doesn't require the employer to be a permanent caretaker.
You're correct. We should just let them die in the snow. There will be a new crop of workers next year!
It's understandable. It's not taxpayers' responsibility to learn Spanish in order to teach migrant children, and if teachers don't speak Spanish, the children won't learn anything anyway.
I wonder what you'll say when
you and all the other displaced non-aliens
of this country are part of the coming
New American Diaspora as you/they spread
around the world and are treated as you
would treat these powerless kids you
treat like trash under your feet.
I lived in this state for years. I was friends with migrant workers. The out-of-control immigration hurt the people that were here with the migrant program. Some of these people stayed. I know them. They became legal citizens. Their country was made unbearable by out-of-control drug cartels and out of control immigration. Texas and Florida benefited the most and only started to care in the last 8 years. They wanted it they egged it on for the almighty dollar. The country is paying the higher prices in tax, crime and the diminishment of quality of life.
Astonishing chronology.
I do. That's my neighborhood and I was here first. BTW the Californians that created that in California and moved, can move again. This is not a problem you can outrun. They are moving again. I hear they are headed to warmer weather. IT's been below zero here for a week. The Texans are building apartments in sanctuary cities. REmember they benefited the most from the cheap labor.
Then you have made it your problem! You should have taken care of it long before it became the problem that it is. Stop making excuses.
Sorry about the global warming, BTW.
What do you think we been doing for the last 4 years? Donald Trump was not elected by magic. I hope the swarm of locusts move to your neighborhood and then you can see how it is. BTW Florida, the bastion of red states, has homeless encampments too. Rural Florida schools SUCK! Texas SUCKS! I don't forget how they benefited from the cheap labor and then only started to give a shit in the last 8 years.
Market is becoming bi-polar, tech jobs and “flipping burgers”. As the tech jobs become more intricate and AI takes away human jobs (forget learning to code) less people are needed. The Dems used the grift noted to put people into bullshit jobs, and DOGE is quickly finding them and eliminating them. A word of warning to the Trumpers, you better come up with a plan to re-hire them into meaningful jobs. Obama wanted a service economy and the Dems kept the public quiet by giving minimum wage scales at $20 and above. Been to a restaurant lately? That gift is over and we have equalized with $10 burgers and $16 breakfasts. That grift has run its course. Biden’s MOb’s gift was the NGOs as mentioned, paying people for doing nothing. Hmmm,, remember UBI? Andrew Yang’s contribution in 2020. What we are seeing is a nice preview of a UBI world. Biden promised the oil and pipeline workers that jobs would be created by renewable energy sources, in the sun belt. What happened? The border opened up, the Sun Belt job market became flooded and Mexico is much closer to Arizona, et al than North Dakota is. As usual, the Dems created an non-winnable situation which they hid with the bullshit situation JHK has brought out this morning.
The "service economy" Obama talked about was a real "head scratcher" for me. I thought he envisioned us becoming a country of lawyers, accountants, and waiters. It never made sense to me.
The book publishing grift JHK points out is a major "eye opener."
Where in AZ does one find a $10 burger? Not here in Prescott. Maybe the single at McDonalds, but a proper one at any sit down restaurant will set you back $20. The 2-egg breakfast is spot on at $16 and on up. What’s $5 for two little strips of bacon as an add on?
Other essentials: $10 for a 6-pack of any reasonable beer. Ammo? Hell, $1.50 a round for any magnum pistol and $0.50 for 5.56.
If you ain’t cooking at home and reloading yer shit, than you’re either pretty well off, or scraping to pay the rent.
Biden’s legacy…
Took my wife and daughter out for a Saturday morning breakfast at a local Denny's. I remember when a "grand slam" cost $4.50. You got two eggs, a sausage link, a slice of bacon, hashbrowns and two butter milk pancakes. Today? $16.50. Plus tip, breakfast at once affordable Denny's cost me over $64.00. What does this do to the economy? Well, for starters it means I don't go out to eat nearly as often as I used to. Going out to eat now has been limited to very special occasions.
Remember the $5 foot longs at Subway? Now a footlong chicken and bacon ranch on flat bread costs nearly $13.00 and the workers are always stingy on the addings. I always have to ask them to put more on the sammich.
Thank God I stopped drinking a long time ago.
2 eggs for twenty dollars is los angeles price.
Bottle of Jim Beam 1.7 L still 2999
I spent $30 the other day for 3 eggs, 4 pieces of bacon, Sausage patty, hashbrowns, coffee and half a waffle.
I pigged out and took some home.
With tip $35 out the door.
Egg breakfast for two pushing $100. Ahhhh, what wonderful times we are living in. FJB.
Bird flu?
A 60 pack of eggs now costs $34.00 at Winco Foods. The claim it is the ongoing bird flu. Personally, I think the chickens are striking and want double the salary. But that's just me.
I just picked up 2 dozen at Aldi for $5.99. So weird.
People don’t get they are conditioning our behavior. They push us toward third world-type grocery stores where eggs are cheaper. The rich shop at Whole Foods.
Same high prices long before bird flu arrived.
I'm a Luddite...I haven't been out to eat in awhile.
Minnetonkan.
Did you mean "killing off laying hens for a failed ag system"?
Generally when a country is drowning in economic stagnation and political angst, the answer is always a good war.
Yes, we are on that course you can see it building.
Target Iran or North Korea or even both.
It won't be China or Russia not, yet they are down the road we need to get some more drone weapons systems online.
Just head on over to MSN and look at all the war footing preparation.
Yes! More war! Bomb the shit out of women and children half a world away!
Ben's a lost cause.
Lost because I pointed out we are heading towards a war with Iran?
A war Iran seems to want?
A war not of the proxy variety since Iran has used 100's of billions given to it by the creepy Kenyan to prop up groups like Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas.
A war Israel is building up to but I'm the lost cause.
/rolls eyes
Iran wants a war? My God, but you are unhinged.
https://www.kunstler.com/p/funny-money/comment/95744459
https://www.kunstler.com/p/funny-money/comment/95773959
https://www.kunstler.com/p/funny-money/comment/95776810
You don't pay attention, do you?
Tell us, Ben. How is Iran threatening the USA?
You aren't up on the latest conditions in Iran. IDF bombed the bejesus out of Iran's infrastructure. Latest: enough electricity for either heat or lights, not both. They chose heat. Iran is in shambles and struggling. Has anybody heard a peep out of them lately? If would be on CNN (cyber news network). ONN? (Online News Network) (We need a damn acronym!)
The following substantiates your claim as well:
Why the Fall of Syria Checkmates Russia & Iran
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oytfhLUy0Fg
... so, what is the objective assessment?
My assessment is that the world should assume that the only groups that want war are Israel, the neocons, NATO, those that embrace the 2030 Agenda, and the Globalists. Did I leave anyone out?
The ayatollahs are selling it as a form of “suffering” for Allah? Purely human power complex.
Iran Update, February 21, 2025
NOTE: CTP-ISW will produce the update Monday through Friday beginning February 20, 2025, due to the decrease in military activity in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and the defeats of Hamas and Hezbollah. We will resume daily, seven-day coverage if circumstances change. CTP-ISW will notify our readers when we resume seven-day coverage. CTP-ISW will continue to produce daily Syria maps. We will publish weekend Syria maps on Mondays. We will cover and assess Axis of Resistance activities in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon at a less granular level moving forward. We will continue to publish analysis on other key US interests in the region, such as the defeat of ISIS and Syrian stability. We will also continue to adjust our Middle Eastern coverage and make those adjustments clear in response to regional dynamics and priorities, just as we did immediately after Hamas' October 7 attack into Israel and the fall of the Assad Regime.
Key Takeaways:
Iranian Rhetoric: Brigadier General Ebrahim Jabbari—adviser to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander—threatened to attack "all [US] bases and ships in the region" during a speech at the Great Prophet 19 military exercise on February 20.
Hayat Tahrir al Sham and Syrian Democratic Forces Negotiations: Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi said that he and Syrian Interim President Ahmed al Shara agreed on “general principles” but still disagree on “practical details,” which likely refers to the integration of the SDF into the Syrian army.
Syrian Constitution: The Syrian Preparatory Committee continued “dialogue sessions” for Raqqa, Hasakah, and Rif Dimashq provinces in Damascus on February 21.
Iraqi Politics: The United States reportedly threatened to sanction the Iraqi federal government if it prevents the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) from resuming oil exports.
Syria
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi said that he and Syrian Interim President Ahmed al Shara agreed on “general principles” but still disagreed on “practical details,” which likely refers to the integration of the SDF into the Syrian army.[1] Abdi told The Guardian on February 21 that he and Shara agreed to keep Syria unified during the leaders’ last meeting in early January.[2] Abdi said that he and Shara still disagree on the “practical details,” including “the tools for us to work together” and the “timeline.”[3] Abdi is likely referring to the specific mechanisms for SDF integration into the Syrian army. An SDF commander said on February 18 that the SDF and the governing body in northeast Syria agreed to merge their forces into the Syrian Defense Ministry.[4] Abdi has not yet publicly confirmed such an agreement. Abdi’s demand that the SDF integrate as a “bloc” was one of the main sticking points of negotiations in the past two months, and it is unclear if either side has moderated their demands on this issue. Abdi also told The Guardian that the “Turkish intervention” was hurting negotiations.[5] CTP-ISW has previously noted that Abdi is unlikely to give up the SDF‘s ability to defend Kurdish areas against active attacks by Turkey and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA).[6]
Turkish aircraft struck the SDF along the eastern bank of the Euphrates River on February 21. Turkish aircraft struck SDF positions east of Jarabulus.[7] Turkey has repeatedly struck SDF positions across the Euphrates River from Jarabulus since February 12.[8]
Turkey continued to strike SDF positions near Qara Qozak Bridge on February 21. Turkish aircraft struck several SDF positions near Sarrin, likely to isolate SDF units at the bridgehead west of the Qara Qozak Bridge.[9]
Anti-SDF media claimed that Turkish drones struck an SDF checkpoint near al Kasrat, south of Raqqa, on February 21.[10]
The Turkish Defense Ministry announced on February 21 that it killed 8 “PKK” fighters in northwestern Syria.[11] Turkey routinely conducts strikes targeting the "PKK” in northern Iraq and Syria, but it commonly conflates the PKK and the SDF.
I understand the path that led you to these conclusions. Most of the posters here don’t. They are not as well informed.
Excellent write up on the complexities leading up to escalation of war in the region.
https://mwi.westpoint.edu/keeping-the-middle-east-on-edge-why-iran-threatens-to-retaliate-against-israel-and-why-it-has-not-yet-done-so/
https://news.northeastern.edu/2024/04/19/israel-iran-war/
And Lebanon just told Iran that it can take its war with Israel somewhere else.
https://news.northeastern.edu/2024/04/19/israel-iran-war/
Good on Lebanon!
Your meaning, please?
I replied to your comment before you edited it. Would like to hear further input from you.
Look at that Phil got a like.
Good for you some idiot clicked your likey button glow in the dopemine hit.
Hey Phil in order for a war to happen the other side needs to give cause.
Manufactured cause could happen, but many people have finally caught onto those kinds of dirty tricks.
Iran has also directly engaged in bombing the shit out of women and Children twice now but again this clod ignores this simple fact.
Never mind technology rendered their attack toothless they tried and their best effort was pretty pathetic.
As has Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and just yesterday Hamas in Israel.
War happens, murder happens, kidnappings happen the other side engages in all this is it to just be ignored and for how long?
You really are a special kind of stupid.
I have had Iranian tech shot at the ship I was riding last August and again in November by the Iran backed Houthis.
Never mind their tech is so bad the actual missile landed in the next time zone we still got painted with Infrared and launched at.
Their pathetic drones got shot down at least five miles out.
Iran arms and funds them.
Iran is directly involved in proxy wars and is threatening all-out war if anyone targets their efforts to build nuclear devices.
Yes, they fight back, sometimes effectively. As when they crushed the Israeli invasion of Lebanon a generation ago. What's happening this time? There's a news blackout, so I imagine the Israeli invasion has stalled out.
In Iraq, Iranian missiles destroyed various nests of anti-Iranian terrorists.
Another excellent essay by Mr. Kunstler this week which cites names of people and entities and money.
I like it, though I have lamented, and continue to lament, the lack of objectivity and facts regarding Palestine in CFN essays. Just think, if Mr. Kunstler lifted the carpet and shone his (still, at his age) formidable journalistic spotlight on the crimes of the Israeli state against Palestinians, and even the several ISRAELIS, military and civilian, which the IDF deliberately killed on OCT 07, to ensure they were not captured by Hamas. I repeat my request for JHK to host Max Blumenthal on a Kunstlercast.
I did not plan to bring the topic up, since EPA is not related to Palestine.
However, since Ben is going to loudly bray about the splinter in Iran's eye, vs the LOG in Israel's, I want to share a real story that the US media, mainstream and alternative, has quietly not reported.
All you CFNers can bet your a$$ that if two Jews or Israelis were gunned down in the US, Drudge and MSN, etc, would be all over it. Isn't that right?
Well, two Israelis were WERE gunned down, in Miami, on Feb 16, according to The Guardian (w..theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/17/miami-shooting-israeli-men). Seventeen shots fired at them. The Israelis survived! They took to Facebook to whine about anti-Semitism.
Yet I heard or read nothing, Why? Because the alleged perpetrator, one Mordechai Brafman, 27, is Jewish.
While in custody, Brafman spontaneously told detectives that while he was driving his truck, “he saw two Palestinians and shot and killed both”, arrest documents said.
A lot of people (correctly) point out media bias concerning crime-non-white defendants' race or ethnicity is painted out. Even though statistically black-on-white crime is far more common than white-on-black, wee you know.
That's how it is with the Middle East. Israel is perfect, even as Israelis slaughter tens of thousands of Palestinians, and displace millions, but Iran is the aggressor and threat to peace. according to the media and some here.
Another one to busy covering for the mullahs.
Do they cut you a check or are you just a shite ass licker?
May God bless you with wisdom.
Lugh are you stupid enough to believe Iran is the good guy in all this?
There are no good guys engaged in the Middle East right now everyone over there is doing something bad.
At last you admit Israel is committing atrocities?
Nope they are fighting a war which includes killing people even sometimes people that should not have died but that is the problem with fighting wars good people die along with the badies.
That is how wars are fought or are you just stupid?
To my knowledge Israelis are not kidnapping and then strangling babies.
Nor are they having parties while returning dead babies.
https://www.kunstler.com/p/funny-money/comment/95744459
https://www.kunstler.com/p/funny-money/comment/95773959
https://www.kunstler.com/p/funny-money/comment/95776810
____
"There are no good guys engaged in the Middle East right now everyone over there is doing something bad." ~ Ben
What about in 1948?
https://www.kunstler.com/p/funny-money/comment/95744459
https://www.kunstler.com/p/funny-money/comment/95773959
https://www.kunstler.com/p/funny-money/comment/95776810
We may see kinetic action in Panama. China is not backing off as willingly as we're being told.
Do we really think that China is just going to kowtow to USA demands? Maybe a while ago, but thanks to Biden’s Mob, primarily, China does not fear us at all anymore.
Is there a good war?
No war is "good." I would argue that some war is "necessary." We here in America have an enormous military sized group of people invading our borders. A necessary war would be to eliminate all of these people and send them packing, in defense of our homes and culture. An unnecessary war is like the one in Afghanistan. I don't give a fuck about Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza, Iran, Yemen, Syria, Germany, Korea, and just about every other nation our army has planted itself.
The only time war is necessary is when it involves protecting and defending ourselves from an aggressive enemy. Most of the time, if not all of the time, the USA seems to be the aggressor.
Would you rather try to stop the constant incursions of other world powers at the border? Or over there? Biden did neither one and we are where we are now. The organization of the millions of illegal immigrants has just started. I hope Trump can send them home without much bloodshed. The Dems just about destroyed American autonomy.
In other words, you don't believe America should exist or any other nation since all are created and maintained by force or the threat thereof.
Putting words in my mouth?
Yes, there is a good war. A Cold War where blustering and bullshit on both sides cancel each other out. Would there ever be hot war if the politicians were silenced?
Just showing you the implications of your words. You say 2+3 and I say 5. You get offended......
It all depends on your perspective.
The winners think it's great, the losers not so much.
As was the case w/ WW2, but first we have to go through Great Depression 2.
WW2 was a good war?
No war is a good war, Tony.
You're a good little guy. I'm glad you've found a friend.
Yup, Jarek...I like all my computer buddies, even you.
LOL!
Jarek, is that you? Why did you change your name?
Because he keeps pissing Jim off who then bans him but he keeps coming back.
Just like Majella who is now busy posting here and there but apparently has learned to tone it down a bit.
Wait, what? Who are you? Where are we? What is this?
Whose wine? What wine?
Where the hell did I dine?
Must have been a dream
I don't believe where I've been
Come on, let's do it again
Why is it mother police state’s problem that crooked rent seekers jigs come up? That projection of some universal human right for everyone to be fully employed at the 95th income percentile is demented.
The AI coder myth is another propaganda ploy. It has similar intentions of claiming technology is out to get you. It isn’t. It ain’t that smart. But there are sinister beings that will use that idea to justify enslaving you in 15 min city hovels.
You are much more dangerously threatened by bureaucrats and their fanged sheeple than by skynet. As intrusive as government monitoring of consumer networks is now, those databases can’t kill. But your neighbor’s Maoist struggle sessions will.
Well said. Elon and Trump have no viable vision either, but Elon does have a horrific one. Destroying the Democrat grifters are making people forget this all important issue.
You are right. Musk has a vision all right. To make the government as grift free as possible. You should be worshipping his efforts as maybe you might find that benevolent government you have been looking for.
Ha!
Great question. Honestly, I don’t know what kind of productive work these grifters can get. Retail? No. Manufacturing? No. Roofing, drywalling, or concrete work? No. Babysitting? No. Customer service? No. Farming? No? Nursing or caregiving? No. Seasonal crop picking? No. I also cannot think of anyone who would hire them. 🤷♀️
I understand there’s coming a real shortage of blueberry and lettuce pickers.
Massage with happy ending or Starbucks barrista.
The other option is the universal income some people were just designed to sit on the couch all day and watch TEEVEE.
Sell them in Hillary's Libyan slave markets...
A bit harsh, but they WILL be of some use to someone.
All profits to the Border Patrol.
Indeed it will be hard to find these grifters productive work. What does one do with hundreds and thousands of unemployed lawyers?
Nothing because lawyers are useless. Out of all the useless professions that exist, lawyers take the crown. They produce absolutely nothing. They take, take and then take some more. Once I received a settlement from a class action lawsuit involving a telecommunications company in my region. The settlement was for a billion or so dollars. Guess what I got? $2.54. In a check. They acted like I should roll out the red carpet and thank them for their efforts in getting me enough money to barely pay for a Snickers. The "loyas" probably took 3/4 of the billions and bought themselves beach houses in Costa Rica and divided up the rest among us poor schmucks, millions of us. Lawyers thrive on other's misfortune and misery and profit from failure and accident. The most utterly useless profession and one of the most destructive forces on our modern society. They can't do anything but argue and most can't even do that very well. So, they end up in politics. They end up as lawmakers corrupting the law to the point that we must have "loyas" to interpret the fucking law they just wrote.
There is so much wrong in this goddamned country and there is nobody there to fix it. Trump? Musk? I'm enjoying the show now but will it last? Who knows.
Supply and demand. Too damn many of the “locusts” around and they are in a position of control. Like their politician sect, when they do not have enough to do, they make stuff up. The TV ads are disgusting. Why does Congress et al make up new laws, or create investigations? Make work!!
The answer? A good start!
Cannon fodder in a good war?
I agree, these grifters are the worst!!! However, if you look at America in particular, and the West in general, many (most) people are not engaged in productive work. Many people make good money "pushing paper" -- that is creating or obtaining data, creating reports, to micromanage or help others micromanage the people who ARE engaged in constructive work, like essential workers or doctors or nurses. Many play with FIRE (Finance, Insurance, Real Estate).
We are in dire straits. Denying the White House to Biden/Harris, and electing Trump was an absolute prerequisite to slowing the rampant decline, but we are still headed toward an inevitable reckoning.
Pity the poor sucker that does hire them!
What do you mean that I have to do actual work! My last job didn’t require it. I am applying for the No Show Position!
They can learn new skills while making small rocks out of big rocks. Cleaning sewers by hand etc..
Unfortunately much of that green has already left the building. The grifters are rolling in it
Thats what the clawback option is all about.
Or their assets can be seized since they all knew what they were doing was wrong and illegal.
Seize their assets and all of the property. Put them on the street to fight it out with the druggies. Sell all that they own, every last dime, and refund it to the taxpayers from whom it was stolen. Let them see it. Let them feel it. Let them know it. But alas, tis a dream. Tis only a dream.
Claw it back!
Job, ja. Preferably making license plates.
Bring back gladiator fights to the death on pay-per-view??
Perhaps against lions or bears?
They can learn how to code!
🤣🤣🤣
They won't need jobs when they will all hopefully be in prison.
We can only hope 👍👍
They can get a prison job. The pay sucks, but they get three hots and a cot.
I believe Leavenworth has a prison garden. The pay sucks, but it’s good, honest work. Plus, they already got their pay.
It's my understanding that there will be plenty of opportunities in the fruit and vegetable picking space.
Sadly they won't need real jobs if they avoid jail time they have enough millions to "retire" early.
They won't if they get identified they will lose them millions really quick and probably everything else.
Lol, do you think these “people” don’t have offshore accounts under multiple shell companies?
Well, when they went after Joe Biden and family he had 24 different shell companies.
It can be figured out if someone chooses to do so.
Remember it's all electronic now.
All banks report even foreign ones.
FinCen knows all its just really slow and clunky.
https://fincen.gov/
At (criminal) law, the redress is forfeiture.
“green” good deeds,” like greenbacks being deposited for the benefit of the ‘do-gooder’