SHOULD Business Leaders Be More Careful About Their Opinions?

Our freedom of speech is a very important thing, and something that I have never taken lightly. Part of what I do is to communicate my thoughts, and having the freedom to share them is paramount. Which brings me to revisiting some comments I made a couple of posts ago, wherein I suggested that "Business Leaders May Be Wise to Just Clam Up."

One of the guys I mentioned was one very vocal business leader, Elon Musk. I think it would be fair to say that a lot of the time he's in the news more for what he says than what his businesses do. And it's caused some problems for him as well as some of his shareholders.

Whether it's right or wrong, businesses take hits for things the CEO's and owners say. Either the customers respond, or shareholders do.

Take Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light, and the Dylan Mulvaney can, or the My Pillow guy.

As I alluded to in my other post, it's not always necessarily about which side your position happens to be on. Chick-Fil-A, for example, has strong opinions against abortion and gay marriage, as does Hobby Lobby. Their businesses have soared with support from a like-minded clientele who agree with their stance.

The point is that, even though these are businesses separate of people, they are still run by people. And the people who run them have just as much of a right to express themselves as the rest of us do.

Should exercising our rights cost us?

In my post I said that it often does, but also suggested maybe it shouldn't. That at the end of the day perhaps it would be better to simply say of any CEO, "Hey, I disagree with what he's saying, but I like the product and can respect his right to say what he wants."

What has led me to revisit this train of thought has been things Elon Musk has recently said. Things that resonate with me and cause me to rethink my own stance a little bit. 

I still think it is probably best, in this ever-heated world we live in when it comes to politics, to pipe it down as much as you can and keep the best interests of the business in mind. Because if the business is impacted, it hurts more people than just the one who holds a particular belief.

There are workers and shareholders at stake. They all have just as much invested in the business as the CEO's and owners do. At least in terms of the workers, it's their livelihoods on the line.

Take, for example, the other day as I was in the liquor aisle at my local grocery store. I drink Miller Lite because that's my beer of choice. But I have been hard on Anheuser-Busch for their Dylan Mulvaney can and have written several times saying that "we should bring the pain and let woke know what happens when you go there."

The Bud Light pain lives on, and rather than restocking the cold case, all that AB merchandiser could do was make note of what remained on the shelf that just won't sell. You have to think he wonders, if the boycott continues, what impact that could have on his job. And he may have the same opinion as the customers do. 

There is another thing to appreciate here, and I think it's a bit of a message—albeit coming from Elon Musk. Right now, although it fluctuates a bit, the richest man in the world. What does the left always say? What's their sell?

That the rich care only about one thing. The money.

Elon Musk is quite literally spitting in the face of that idea. And he's come right out and said it. He doesn't care. "I'll say what I want to say. If the consequence of that is losing money, so be it." 

What he is acknowledging is that there can be consequences from voicing certain opinions. People may foist their discontent and scorn on the businesses they are in charge of. That's the risk you take when you say something, especially things that may be controversial, or where there may be a deep division of opinion.

At the same time, he is also acknowledging that what he holds dearer than the money or the consequence of losing it, is his right to speak freely and openly. In other words, he is essentially saying he is not willing to give up himself and who he is just for the sake of making a buck.

That's profound when you think about it. Here is the richest man in the world saying that there are some things that are far more valuable, and far more important to hold onto, than money.

As much as I want to follow my own thoughts, that for the good of the business, business leaders simply clam up—his words lead me down a different path and a different train of thought. Should the objective of disagreeing with someone be to destroy them?

Moreover, isn't doing that a very dangerous path to go down? And is Elon Musk sort of alluding to that? Is his message partly to help people to understand it?

When you squash the freedoms of people to express themselves, you lose the value of who you are as a person. The world becomes shaped by a consensus rather than a discussion.

What does it say about the advertisers who decided to pull ads on Musk's X over some things he tweeted they felt uncomfortable with, or disagreed with? What are their thoughts on the Constitution, for example?

The whole idea of free speech is based on the premise of being able to freely express your opinions without fear of persecution. Yes, there are always going to be consequences depending on what you say. That has always been the case. And perhaps when it comes to business, that's as true there as it is anywhere else.

You can say what you want, but you have to accept some bad may come from it if a lot of people find it cringeworthy, frightening, or disgusting or ugly.

It's a double-edged sword is what I am saying. So, essentially, I am a bit on the fence. If I am a shareholder of a company, I don't want my investment to be negatively impacted by something my CEO says. At the same time can I still respect his right to do it? Can I be angry and tell him to shut up just because I shared in the consequences of what he said even if I may not agree with his position?

After all, I invested in the company. Not necessarily in the man who runs it. I value my investment. But I also value my rights more. And I have the same rights as the CEO does. In other words, I am understanding that I really can't have it both ways. And Musk is sort of saying that too.

It causes me to rethink, as well, my own reaction to certain things. Like the Bud Light controversy. Who exactly am I delivering pain to if I show my dislike of an opinion by not buying their products? The man who had the opinion I disagreed with? Or the potentially tens of thousands of people who will suffer the consequences along with him who may not also share his opinion? Who may also side with me.

If nothing else, I think what Elon Musk provides us with is a valuable insight into our own psyche and our own condition. Why are we so apt as a people to destroy someone who thinks differently than we do, and yet at the same time, consider our own opinions having a higher weight than other opinions?

When you attempt to silence one opinion through delivered pain, eventually the same will happen with one of your opinions, and if expression is silenced through fear, does it not eat away at the idea of freedom as a whole?

In other words, where's the line drawn?

I rather admire the idea that one is unwilling to change their mind or keep quiet simply because someone else thinks they should—or because, like the fate of Mike Lindell, you may well lose everything you've built by doing it.

What is ultimately being fired upon is not the business. It's the opinion. The business pain is simply the mechanism by which that pain is delivered. As a message. As a warning to others. Toe the line or else. Conform or else. 

Isn't that what communist countries do?

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Berkshire Hathaway: A Great Company I Can't Buy

What's not to love and admire about Warren Buffet, affectionately known as The Oracle of Omaha? A man who has been well known in the investment community as the guru of gurus—few people in the investment world fail to perk their ears up when the man speaks.

I listen too, and quite intently.

Several times I have considered buying shares of the company he runs, Berkshire Hathaway, which owns many well-known and profitable businesses like Geico Insurance, See's Candies, Dairy Queen, Pilot Flying J and many others. The company also has major controlling interests in several other businesses like Coca-Cola and others.

It's a pretty long list with lots of familiar names.

And when it comes to diversification, a key element to consider in any successful portfolio, Berkshire Hathaway is as diversified as a company can be, investing in businesses from retail to insurance to logistics, pipelines, rail roads, real estate, and banking. 

Add to that, thanks to the investing genius of Warren Buffet and his sidekick who is just as brilliant as Buffet is, Charlie Munger, it is easy to say it's not only a great company to own. It's extremely well run and profitable as well, having offered investors impressive returns over the years.

So, what's my issue?

For me it's simply that the company is too closely connected to Warren Buffet himself. He's a man who is one unto himself. There have been few like him before, and once he's gone, I am not sure there will be another quite like him.

When it comes to the company he runs, he's the main attraction. His words matter. Investors trust in his judgement. His annual meetings draw in huge crowds of people who want to enjoy the experience and hear what The Oracle of Omaha has to say. 

His annual meetings aren't just about what's happening in the markets, or with the business, or even what his outlook of the economy happens to be. It's an event, done convention style with lots of fun and entertainment thrown in the mix—it's a shareholder's meeting unlike any other.

It's an experience and moment not unlike going to see The Rolling Stones or Metallica. You're going to want to tell your friends. You're going to want to share what happened there.

While Warren Buffet seems healthy and going strong, he's 93. Charlie Munger is 99 and will turn 100 in January. And again, Warren Buffet essentially is Berkshire Hathaway. The man and the company are nearly inseparable when you think of them.

The reality is that no one lives forever. Not even The Oracle. He will pass, as will Munger, and while there is a well-planned successor in place in Gregory Abel, one wonders, despite his being a protégé of sorts, who has been vigorously vetted and groomed for the position to take over the reins when Buffet's gone, whether he has the same intellect and character that Buffet has gifted us with over many decades.

There is no doubt that Berkshire Hathaway will exist long after Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger are no longer with us. But can one expect some changes under Abel? I think that's obvious. And what about Abel's successor? Who takes over if Abel dies or simply decides he doesn't want to do it? What does his succession plan look like? And how careful will his selection be compared to Buffet's?

Think The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. There was something about that show that just made it Johnny's, even though to be fair, he wasn't the original host of the show. But also, to be fair, Jack Paar was no Johnny Carson. Carson made that show. And no one after him, even Jay Leno, could quite capture the same love and admiration nor audience that Carson could. 

Berkshire Hathaway wasn't always Warren Buffet either. Warren Buffet made the company.

When Johnny Carson bid his farewell and drew himself behind the curtains for the final time, the show may have gone on. But it was not at all the same show, and never has been since.

I think of Berkshire Hathaway this way post Buffet. The company will remain and will probably still be a great company. It may bear the same name. But it will never be the Berkshire Hathaway that makes it so appealing as an investment today.

In other words, will it be the Berkshire Hathaway we know today with Abel in charge where investors will be as excited about it? Will Abel's words have the same interest and appeal as when Buffet speaks?

I don't think so.

And for that reason, while I love and admire Warren Buffet and love and admire the company he built, it's a tough sell for me to buy shares because what you are buying is essentially Warren Buffet when you buy the stock.

And he's on short time.

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©2023 by Jim Bauer. All rights reserved.

Cartoon generated by AI. Caption by Jim Bauer. ©2023 by Jim Bauer. All rights reserved.

Business Leaders May Be Wise to Just Clam Up

If you're in the business of being in business, maybe it's best just to keep your mouth shut. And that happens to be a statement coming from a rather staunch supporter of the 1st Amendment. Granted, everyone is entitled to have an opinion. Everyone is also entitled to share their opinion.

Businesses are not necessarily simply standalone entities. By themselves they are, of course. But at the same time, they're run by people. Regardless of what a business' aim is in terms of the business itself, the people who run them become an extension of their business.

What they say matters.

It's not a new thing, by the way. Business owners and leaders being vocal about their political views or other ideas. Henry Ford, for example, was quite vocal about his antisemitism. Did his opinions have an impact on his car making business?

No.

But we're living in highly charged political times. The country is more divided now than it has ever been. And opinions matter. On top of that, business leaders are also viewed a bit differently. They have always been the evil, greedy rich guy, mind you. 

At the same time, the way information is disseminated is also very different. Not only do you have the 24-hour news cycle, but the media is also considerably more biased in their approach to the news and about what they report on—and are much less objective than ever. And unabashedly so, by the way.

Many of the familiar faces we see on nightly "news" broadcasts aren't even reporters. Instead, they are commentators. And what they say is not driven necessarily by what's actually happening. But by what their political leanings happen to be.

The agenda, if you will, is not to report the news as it happens. It is to shape it into whatever you want it to be.

And to deliver a message, and often, to change minds—or, to form opinions in the minds of their viewers that become truth even if there is no basis in fact necessarily.

In the recent past we've seen a number of businesses falling victim to their opinions. And it happens along both sides, by the way. It does seem that lately conservatives are being hit a bit harder. But that's not necessarily the case altogether.

Mike Lindell, for example, the owner of the once very successful My Pillow business, has been reduced to rubble. He's as close to being bankrupt and broke as it gets. And it has nothing to do with his business or the products he sells.

It was his opinion that did it.

Anheuser-Busch got hit too. And their pain was for having a liberal viewpoint. The Bud Light controversy lives on to this day, and the company is still feeling ongoing pain for its Dylan Mulvaney can.

Another rather vocal guy, Elon Musk, has been suffering all sorts of pains for various opinions he's had, that he is quite vocal about, and unashamed of obviously. X, formerly known as Twitter, which he now owns, is reportedly going to lose $75 million as a result of advertiser exodus, a direct response to opinions he's spread.

And it has impacted his other business, Tesla, as well. Maybe not necessarily in terms of sales. But certainly, in terms of share value.

It's not to say that once you enter the CEO's office you should have to give up your inalienable rights offered to any other American citizen. At the same time, all decisions have consequences. Good or bad. And I think taking into account the potential impact of the things you say, is an important and worthwhile consideration.

A business should ultimately succeed or fail based on what it does. Not necessarily on how it thinks. And again, because the people who lead these businesses represent them, their minds become the mind of the business. Their opinions become intermingled.

It's not unlike so many other things we consume. Be it sports or music or theatrical entertainment. We want the product. We don't necessarily want to know what those people think about this thing, that thing, or the other.

We want athletes to win. We want actors to act. We want musicians to play music. And we want businesses to simply offer products we want and need.

When an actor spouts off and says something we find cringeworthy, it tarnishes the brand. It makes us feel uncomfortable about our support. Our support becomes attached to supporting an idea rather than the product.

If you pick up a Bud Light, you're not saying, "It's a good brand that I like to drink." It's now an extension of your own politics and what you support. Holding onto a Bud Light now says, "I support LGBTQ+ rights."

The products you use and the people you support behind them now become extensions of who you are. That's dangerous for any business. When you comingle a brand with a set of ideals, you compromise the brand's viability.

And this is what we happen to be seeing happening. 

Anne Lappe once famously was quoted as saying, "Every dollar you spend casts a vote for the kind of world you want to live in." It's better, when it comes to the brands we want to buy, to associate them with what the brand is selling on its own merits. Not on how we think the brand thinks or feels about something.

If you are in business and vocal about your opinions, it gives consumers a reason other than the product to make a decision about whether to buy it or not. 

The 1st Amendment is a very important right that we have as Americans. And the Constitution, nor the exercise of any of our rights should never be taken lightly or necessarily abandoned. No matter who you are. 

But at the same time, if you want to build a business and have it be successful, you also have to be aware of what you do and what impact it may have on the brand or business itself.

There is a flip side to this. Should we, as Americans, punish the businesses? Or should we be more attuned to understanding that sometimes someone will have an opinion that does not mesh with our own, and perhaps rather than telling business owners to shut their mouths, perhaps we should be more respectful of one's right to have an opinion that may not match the one we hold ourselves.

There was a time, I think, when one simply disagreed. Now, if you disagree, that person and everything he's worked for must be destroyed. Until some level of civility returns in society, it might be best to simply pipe up and leave your opinions to yourself.

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Happy Thanksgiving from the Springboard and a Little Bit of Prippa Rep Prepishny

Well, here we are, having arrived at yet another day of thanks and, well...food of course. Tonight, we will indulge in both turkey and ham, as is at least our family tradition along with all the usual fare found on most Thanksgiving dinner tables.

We'll see if the rolls, this year, make it out of the oven before someone finally realizes they aren't out on the serving table or a reminiscent odor of something burning permeates the air.

"The rolls!"

Last year may have been the first year in many years the rolls actually weren't burnt. So, just to keep the tradition alive and well, we burnt one anyway.

What am I thankful for? I suppose a lot of things. I always say any day spent above ground is a good day, and I suppose so long as I am above it now, writing this day's blog, that's a good day and I should be thankful.

I am thankful for my family, especially my wife who, for whatever reason I've never been able to quite put my finger on, still puts up with me after 16 years of marriage and 18 years of togetherness.

She's either insane. Or she loves me.

I am also, of course, thankful to you, dear reader, who comes by here from time to time and now and then to hopefully be entertained by my thoughts and opinions—and hopefully as well by my witty nature in delivery.

Is it witty?

I am thankful that, for whatever they are worth—and we all know that often they aren't worth much—that at least the polls seem to be indicating Trump's beating Biden and we may be able to end this nightmare we've been enduring for the past 3 or so years.

Speaking of Biden, might I also applaud him on yet another brilliantly delivered "address" to the nation when he pardoned this year's turkeys, Liberty and Belle, and in the time-honored tradition of Biden speeches, he was able to carefully stumble around his words like a drunk trying to pronounce supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

"They had to work hard and show patience, and be willing to travel over a thousand miles," Biden began. "You could say even this harder than getting a ticket to the renaissance tour, or, or, or prippa rep prepishny's tour..."

I think he meant Taylor Swift and Prepishny is probably Britney Spears of course. Either way.

May your day be filled with food, fun, great conversation, and newly created memories to be cherished for years to come. May your turkey be moist and delicious, and may your evening be pleasured by full tummies and perhaps a cocktail or two.

Or 6 or 10.

And may you be able to make your way to the comforts of your warm home safely, and better able to recite your speeches post cocktails than Biden could recite his sans any.

Happy Thanksgiving and I will catch you on the other side. Onward and upward and God speed or whatever else can be said about going forward with dignity, pride, and success. And thanks again for being here. 

Like the way I write or the things I write about? Follow me on my Facebook page to find all of the latest writings from wherever I may write. And hey, Christmas is right around the corner, my wife has the credit card, and any money is helpful. Why not spin my album, Pink Flamingoes, a few times to help a guy out from things beyond his control? You can also check out my other blog where I talk about anything and nothing, The Springboard Journal.

The Reality of Blogging

First and foremost, don't quit your day job. I smile every single time I read an article giving you 10 Easy Ways to Make Some Cash on the Side. Besides all the usual suspects on what are essentially, ridiculous posts simply written for the clicks they will no doubt generate, like walking people's dogs or renting out a spare room in your house, one that seems to always make the list is to start a blog.

Consider that as of May of 2023 there are an estimated 600 million blogs currently on the Internet. Yes. You read that correctly. 600 million blogs.

Granted, that's worldwide. Out of those 600 million blogs on the Internet, less than 1% are even remotely successful and generate enough income to do it full time. And most of those are literally businesses. So, the thought that making any significant side cash from writing a blog is quite a stretch to say the least.

That's not to say that writing a blog bears absolutely no fruit. With time, and a ton of content, you can slowly build an audience that is sizeable enough to at least make writing a blog worth your time. But it's far from easy to do this. And it's far from full time wages.

This blog, for example, has a rather large audience and does generate income. But it's not job replacing income. Not by a long shot.

It is also not meant to discourage anyone from writing a blog. If you love to write, like I do, it's okay if it is more of a labor of love than something that puts food on the table. And if you can write well, you will capture an audience. 

But it still takes many years, and like I said, a ton of content to do this. And in order to achieve any level of success, you have to be willing to put in the time and effort to keep producing content even if no one sees it at first, or even if only a few people see it years later after starting.

The bottom line is that it is as tough to break in with blogging as it is tough to break in with most things. Just because you don't have to wait for an editor to give the go-ahead to publish something like the days of old doesn't mean it will be any easier to get your word out.

Many people who self-publish books, for example, quickly learn it's extremely tough to actually sell books. That is, until you can land your work before just the right set of eyes that helps things along. In the case of blogging, that's a set of eyes that likes what you do enough that maybe they share it with a few other people who also like it and share it with a few more people.

Even then, if it only happens a few times, it's not going to have that great of an impact on your overall success blogging.

Again, it is not to tell anyone, "Hey, don't waste your time." I have been doing this for decades and it can have its rewards. I am simply saying to not have great expectations when you hit that publish button for the first time that it will be a life-changing event.

It won't be. I assure you.

By all means, if you like to write and have something to share that people will enjoy reading, you will build an audience and you will enjoy some success. You may even join the precious ranks of the very few who break through the barriers enough to go at it full time and actually make a living doing it.

But if you are coming into blogging thinking it's an easy way to make money? Think again. It's not that at all. There are 599,999,999 other blogs out there competing for the same sets of eyes that yours is. And that's the reality of blogging.

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Are We in Danger of Losing Our Grip on Reality?

It would seem to most people, that's a rather odd question to ask. But are we? Are we in danger of losing our grip on reality? Could we lose it?

I mean, where's the line? Is there one? Well, maybe there's a line now. But for how long? When does reality and fantasy intersect in a way where there is no room for fact anymore? Can we arrive at a place where even the words real or true are dependent upon what you believe in, regardless of the facts?

I bring this up as the debate about gender ramps up and is becoming more of an issue that seems to be reaching a point where it is becoming a framework of commonality that I think is dangerous.

How many genders are there? There are two. Since the beginning of time, there have been two genders. It's not just based on reality. It's based on science which we know to be true because we know that chromosomes exist, and ultimately, chromosomes determine what gender we are.

It's true because not only can we see the differences with our own eyes. We are different inside too, and we can see that through further examination of the sexes.

It is inarguable that a person born with XX chromosomes will have a vagina and a uterus and a person born with XY chromosomes will be born with a penis and be able to produce semen. These are not interchangeable. Neither circumstance can be altered to the extent that one or the other produces an ultimate shift in what the reality is.

Outward appearances can be changed. But what's inside cannot. But what is absolute is of course, the reality. The problem is that what is being defined as reality is not, in fact, true.

Now, we can argue all day about the psychology of things, or the perception of things based on who is thinking one way or the other. That is not the purpose of this post for at least this part of the question. We are talking about the line between real and not real.

Because when we debate this issue that is what we are essentially being told this new idea is. Reality. The word is being redefined to include a, "well it depends," or a "it's this or that except when." 

In other words, what I am arguing here is that you can't choose your own reality. It's either real or it's not. There is no exception to the rule. It's fine if we want to use the term transgender. I am perfectly okay with that. I am fine with the terms trans male and trans female. 

But redefining the genders themselves? It crosses the line. It creates confusion. It denies reality. It rejects known science and biology. It blurs the lines of reality.

A woman is defined as someone born with XX chromosomes. Period. And a man is defined as     someone who is born with XY chromosomes. Now someone might ask the question, what do you care what someone calls themself? 

Just words, right? 

But in order for me to accept what someone wants to call themselves, I also have to adjust my reality to fit theirs. I have to alter my observation of what's real in order to conform with what someone else observes to be real.

And if I get it wrong, I might be in trouble even if I am right. And it may not be my intent to be wrong. But it still makes me wrong in a way that is now considered disrespectful or hateful or insensitive. But it also makes me insecure about my own known understanding of what's real. 

I can no longer rely on reality to be my guide. I'm stuck now with a decision where there should otherwise not be one to be made.

Do I base my judgement on what I can see? Or do I base it on what someone else wants me to see?

I mean, this is a downright silly analogy. But if I bring out my calculator and punch in 2+2 and hit the equals button and the calculator tells me the answer is 5, I know the calculator is telling me a lie. Because I know the answer is 4.

Clearly my reality is not wrong. My calculator is simply not working properly.

It would make no sense to simply continue using the calculator and change my answer to make it fit what the calculator says. Nor would it make any sense to now suggest to anyone else with a working calculator that mine is right, and all the others are wrong, and the new answer is simply that 2+2 equals 5.

The problem is that when these lines are drawn, when reality is questioned and made to be whatever someone else's perception of what's true is, it creates nearly automatic division. No longer is fact a fact. Fact is now an opinion. Reality is no longer real. It's real depending on what real has been redefined as, something that is based on whatever criteria other than facts, that someone has assigned to it.

Who is to say it stops at gender? What other realities might we have to reexamine? When does everything else that's real become a question? And what does that do to a people? A society? A culture?

When fantasy becomes reality just because someone says it's now real, and you are forced to change your own reality to conform to what has become the new reality—how do you function? What does that do the mind when you can see something but no longer have the ability to trust what you can see?

2+2 must be 5. We were simply wrong all along. Or, as in the case with multiple genders, the answer no longer has a correct answer. Maybe it's 6. Or maybe it's 3. Or maybe it's 10. Maybe the answer is whatever you want the answer to be.

You can just make it up and now it's the reality. It's real because you said so. Facts have no basis in the new reality. The reality can be whatever you can imagine. And whatever you want it to be. And regardless of what the real truth is, it simply has to be accepted. It cannot be questioned or denied or proven wrong.

Can we reach a point when reality no longer exists? Based on the direction we are headed, with gender as just one example, I think we can.

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The Democrats Are Poised to Lose More Than Just an Election

I swear they (the democrats and the media) have become more unhinged than ever before. And it makes it all too clear they know they are losing. It's not even really a question anymore. They simply know it and it is driving them literally insane.

Because they've tried everything, and nothing has worked. It's all falling apart, and they can't stop it. Not this time.

Yeah, I know. I'm one of those who seriously calls the legitimacy of the 2020 election into question. Either way, does it really matter now if they did or didn't? I mean, it's a dangerous thing if they did and could succeed in doing it again. But that's the thing. They can't do it again with the numbers so stacked against them.

So, it doesn't really matter anymore. The American people have the power to right the ship, and they are steering it correctly right now as we speak. The democrats don't have enough manpower to grab the wheel strongly enough to make it go the way they want it to.

They simply failed. The democrats. They failed. They failed to win over the hearts and minds of the America people to buy into their narratives. They failed to prove the criminality of Trump and they failed to prove that his ideas weren't actually better than theirs.

It's over. The fat lady has begun her song.

I mean, take the latest accusation as a measure of the insanity. Now they want to say he will be a dictator. They are comparing Trump to Hitler and the Nazi Party. 

Think about that for a minute. A former president who so strongly supported Israel and planted the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, and all but declared it the Capitol of Israel. He's going to be compared to Hitler and the Nazi Party who sought to destroy Jews and wipe them off the face of the Earth in the worst genocide perhaps the world has ever seen.

And since when did communism, Marxism and fascism become good things? When did those espousings become akin to democracy and American freedom? Because that's what they are saying leads them to the comparison. Because Trump says he wants to root those things out.

The dictator argument is just the final straw to clutch for them. "Ooh, we'll really get people running scared now and thinking twice about putting this evil man back into the White House."

The problem is that the American people are not so stupid to actually believe this. Nor are they stupid enough to think that any of the things Trump is talking about rooting out is bad for America. These are exactly the problems we have, that have permeated certain aspects of current culture and dug in like a cancer.

These are things destroying America right now. 

The democrats are learning one thing. They can't unseat Trump. The more they try to knock him down the more firmly he stays upright. And people are listening to his message. They are examining their own lives and seeing the reality which is in stark contrast to what the Biden administration has struggled to sell them on.

I think even J6 failed miserably, the false narrative of what the democrats have tried so hard to convince the American people of. Even if you admitted that these were in fact Trump supporters, perhaps the realization by many is that what they actually were, were Americans who simply stood up for their values and principles and a country they love.

Who do you blame for it happening? Donald Trump? Or the government itself which caused the faith of the American people to be shattered in such a way that they felt there was a need to try to take back their country?

In other words, people simply had a reason to question 2020. Because after four years of relentless attacks on Trump by the left and the media, fostering manufactured hate that many, who voted for Trump, questioned the source and the strength of, were given enough reason to doubt the results that they went seeking answers.

Whether or not that's what was really behind J6, other than the other idea that it was manufactured by the democrats to hide the real results doesn't matter. You can see it both ways, and both ways still point to questions Americans have had about what really happened.

The bottom line here is that I think the democrats know the writing is on the wall. And the fact that they have lost their power to control the hearts and minds of the American people has them fit to be tied.

They can't throw Trump in jail. They can't kill him. They can't steal another election from him. They can't keep him off ballots. They can't bar him from running. And more importantly, they can't convince the American people of any of the wild things Trump has been accused of being.

And what's worse for them? They can't stronghold the advancement of their agenda which is to fundamentally change America into a country far removed from the aspirations of the founding fathers. And that bothers them too. That the vast majority of the American people can't be swayed. They can't be forced to adhere to a new way of thinking. They can't be convinced that the America we knew was the bad place, and wrong idea they've wanted so badly to portray it as.

If Trump wins in 2024, and I think he will, it sends a clear message to the democrat party that America is not dead and is stronger than ever. That the resolve of the American people has not been chipped away at. That there is still hope America stands just as strong and as proud as it did for so many generations before.

In an odd way I think one might be able to astutely compare the democrats to the old Empire of Japan, who falsely saw America as a nation severed from its values and strength to preserve Her. As Isoroku Yamamoto once rightly observed, "I fear we have awakened a sleeping giant." I think that is exactly what the democrats have done here, and the majority is now poised and ready to bring down the evil regime that sought to bring the country to its knees and turn Her into an unrecognizable place far removed from who we once were.

If Trump wins, it may just be the end of the progressive agenda ever having the chance to succeed again.

And perhaps that's what the left fears more than anything. Not just losing an election. But losing their power forever and losing their ability to create the New America they wanted so badly to give birth to.

I guess I can relate to their pain and insanity. When you have lost everything, that hurts. And it makes you lose your mind. 

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Axelrod Says Biden May Have Worse than 50/50 Chance of Winning in 2024

I am no fan of David Axelrod, Obama's former campaign guru, but I agree with him when he recently publicly said that he feels Biden's chances of winning in 2024 are not only basically 50/50, but more likely much worse.

Granted, neither Biden nor Axelrod are fans of each other. Biden publicly called Axelrod a prick once. Either way, you have to at least give Axelrod credit for knowing a thing or two about elections and campaigns. 

Besides, I think one would actually have to be a fool to even consider Biden has any chance at all—despite who he is obviously running against and all the baggage that has been placed on Trump—if you use past history as any indication of what should happen here.

I mean, the guy's had a worse presidency than the worst president of all time, Jimmy Carter for Heaven's sake. It's been a literal disaster for the last four years. I think even many democrats, although they'd not be willing to state it out loud, would even admit things were much better when Trump was around than with Biden mucking the place up.

Nothing's working. That's the bottom line. And Biden's just not liked. Many don't even believe he's pulling the freaking reins here. So, who is? Who knows?

Either way, the country is going to hell in a handbasket and the people who vote simply can't ignore it. Beyond that, even while polls are often terribly unreliable, the polls are showing very strong leads by Trump in key swing states—states that are critical to win in any general.

Why do I find the polls a little bit more reliable in this case?

Two things to observe here. Polls are traditionally heavily weighted to side with democrats and many Trump supporters won't necessarily be openly vocal about their support for him.

So, if the polls are showing Trump leading, you have to run away with the thought that the numbers may be even bigger in support of Trump than the polls could even possibly demonstrate. I mean, I'm not going to call it now and say Trump might win by a landslide in 2024.

But I think Trump is going to win by a landslide in 2024.

Okay, okay. You caught me. I said that about Trump against Hillary in 2016 and that wasn't exactly a landslide. But it was an undeniable strong lead against her even if she ultimately beat him by 2 million votes in the popular vote.

You have a couple of things happening here. One is that Trump's popularity has only gained the more the democrats and the media have gone after him, and really, when you get down to the brass tacks here, there's simply nothing positive for Biden to even run on.

Sure, he can go out there and tout all those jobs he "created." But most people understand those were simply returning workers from the shutdowns. Not new jobs. He can go out there and talk the economy up. But Americans on both sides of the aisle can see their utility bills. They can see the final price at the gas pump higher than it was when Trump was president. They feel the reality of the economy any time they walk into a grocery store and fill their carts.

No matter which side you happen to be on, you have eyes, and you have a brain, and people can see and understand right in front of them that things aren't nearly as peachy as is being painted.

Not only that, but one has to wonder. Is Biden outright lying to us? Or is he just stupid? Maybe it's a little bit of both, actually. Again, who knows? Biden's a liar anyway, and he never did seem too bright. So, it could be anything.

The bottom line here is that it's not just David Axelrod ringing the alarm bells. Even when you look at approval ratings, it's just clear that practically no one thinks Biden is doing a good job. A recent poll also showed that more than 70% of those polled believes Trump is better equipped to handle the economy than Biden is.

And let's face it. The economy is sort of what Biden seems to want to be running on.

He simply has no solid ground to stand on. He can try to sell unicorns and rainbows, but nobody's actually buying it.

Speaking of polls, what's telling as well of Axelrod's rather grim prediction, is that not only is Trump beating Biden in nearly all of them. So are Trump's top 2 rivals. And they aren't small numbers there either. 

Both Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley beat Biden by several percentage points according to most polls.

Now, there is yet another dynamic to consider as well. That's the never Trumper or anyone who will simply not vote for Trump under any circumstance. This actually puts votes right in Trump's pockets. I mean, look at where RFK Jr. is. He doesn't beat Biden. Not by a longshot. But if he gets 2% or 3% of the vote?

It's curtains for Biden even if Biden has any chance at all without someone contesting him. And yet another poll, among democrats only, says 54% would prefer a different candidate than Biden.

For whatever it's worth, I think it is very clear (even if it still too early to tell) who will be president in 2024. And while I won't say it will be Trump, I can say it won't be Biden. But of course, I have a brain too, and so I think we can all agree it will actually be Trump who takes the win.

David Axelrod may be a prick in the eyes of Joe Biden. But in the eyes of the American people, Biden's a loser.

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myLot Is Run By Weird People

I want to be clear here, a site called myLot, which is a social media site where people talk about their everyday lives, what they ate for dinner, or just pretty much anything at all, is a pretty fun site. I am not going to dismiss that aspect of it. And it is certainly worth a look if you want to talk about anything and nothing and also make a few bucks while you do it.

But what makes the site fun and interesting are the people who are part of the community. Not the owners of the site. And not the admin.

Honestly, they are quite weird. And I have talked about this aspect of the site many times. And like this time, from time to time I feel the need to remind people of the abnormality that exists as part of myLot's existence.

You know, anywhere on the Internet, anywhere in social media, on the very platforms I am using, I can say whatever I want about those platforms. I can air my opinions freely. Those platforms may not like what I have to say. But they at least acknowledge it is not my job to say good things about them.

It is their job to encourage me to say nice things about them through what they do to make me happy about using their site.

I could, for example, write a blog, right here on Blogspot, saying things about Blogspot that won't put Blogspot into a good light. So be it. And that would be perfectly acceptable.

But myLot? They're different. You can't say a single negative thing about the site. It's against their rules. And well, it's a public site just like any other site on the Internet and anyone can find the posts that are written there. 

It's all front and center, searchable, and the posts will and do come up in searches. 

As such, they are scared of any bad publicity, even if it isn't direct, but simply implied. It is them saying, under no uncertain terms, "You will not say bad things about us that others might see outside of the site."

I mean, it's a thing with them. They are scared of it, and I just find it to be rather peculiar. I said it's weird. And that's exactly what I meant. It's weird. They are weird for it.

Take a post I wrote there earlier today. It really was a benign post. It was not making fun of myLot. It was not being disparaging of myLot. It was not scolding myLot, or even complaining about myLot. It was simply a tongue in cheek post about activity being a bit slow in myLot for the day.

That's a no-no, you see. Because God forbid someone out there, the five or so people who might see it, see that post and think there might be something wrong with myLot.

That's why they took it down. Because in their eyes it potentially communicates something about their site they may have reason to be embarrassed about. Why? Who the hell knows? But it's why they took down my post.

The problem there is this; some of us are writers outside of myLot with bigger platforms and louder voices than others. People like me who happen to have a very large audience and the potential for many more eyes to see what I will say here than they might ever have found on their actual site.

And worse, the words I post here are far less tongue in cheek, far less careful, far less friendly, far more scathing, much more critical, and perhaps in some ways, more dangerous to their reputation than anything I might post within the confines of their iron fists.

Like I said, myLot is still a site that can be fun and earn some money. But just know that when you step within their doors, you're locked inside, and they will command you to behave their way or else. Make sure you praise them to the High Heavens. They like praise. They can't handle scorn. They can't handle ridicule. And frankly they fear the truth. 

Like the way I write or the things I write about? Follow me on my Facebook page. If you want to check out myLot as a place to write about anything and get paid without having to be a writer? You can find them at mylot.com. You can find me there as well. My name is Porwest. If you sign up and write an introductory post, let them know Porwest sent you there from The Springboard.