White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan gave a press conference today again emphasizing that an attack on Ukraine was likely.  Sullivan also recommended that all U.S. citizens in Ukraine depart within the next 24 to 48 hours.  However, for reference, the White House has been making this “imminent” claim for over a month.

When pushed by media for how these determinations were made, Sullivan reiterated his position that “it’s not his responsibility to convince anyone.”   Overall, the entire situation still looks like a manufactured White House distraction from domestic criticism.

Russia has previously scheduled military exercises in the region.  This could be cover for Russia for the increased military presence prior to a cross border incursion, or the exercises could be the justification, or cover story for the White House to pretend that an invasion into Ukraine is likely.  The latter seems most likely.

Regardless of all of it, the White House has not made a case for why Americans should be worried about what happens between Russia and Ukraine, other than to say the financial interests of a lot of people and groups in Washington DC are connected to U.S. foreign policy toward Ukraine.

WASHINGTON –  National security adviser Jake Sullivan warned Friday that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could come before the conclusion of the Winter Olympics on Feb. 20, but he did not say whether U.S. officials had determined whether Russian President Vladimir Putin had made a final decision on a course of action.

(more…)

Earlier this afternoon, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered remarks seemingly targeted to the kids in the bouncy houses at the Ottawa Protest.

Relying upon his feelings and grown-up ability to connect with a juvenile audience on serious events, the Canadian Prime Minister spoke very sternly to the children and media attendees.  The bouncy houses are closed, “it’s time to go home now.”  WATCH:

https://youtu.be/nKL0JktZmiQ

[Full Video Here]

(more…)

Comrades, Ontario Premier Doug Ford held a press conference this afternoon to announce he has declared a ‘state of emergency‘ and intends to issue orders against dissident truckers authorizing the police to place them under arrest, initiate fines up to $100k each individual, and revoke the personal and commercial licenses of anyone who doesn’t comply.  The rebellion must be quashed, before the citizens start to think they have power.

As a typical DeceptiCon, Premier Ford begins his justification with the feels, and then gets to down to the business of calling the Freedom Protest in Ottawa an illegal occupation.  Ford emphasized that workers are not permitted to challenge government. In essence, all your paychecks are belong to us – and you have no right to disrupt economic activity controlled by government.

Referencing the growing cross border blockades and looking/sounding like a corrupt union boss from the 1950’s, Comrade Premier Ford reminded the Canadian citizens that only government is permitted to destroy livelihoods, collapse businesses and create economic pain.  The people in/around Ontario are not allowed to disrupt or influence the provincial economic activity; picking winners and losers is exclusively the role of government.  WATCH:

CANADA – […] “While these emergency orders will be temporary, we have every intention to bring new legislation forward that will make these measures permanent in law. We are taking the steps necessary to support our police as they do what it takes to restore law and order,” Ford said at a press conference at Queen’s Park.

The state of emergency will make it illegal and punishable to block and stop the movement of goods, people and services along critical infrastructure.

(more…)

…Not just any lockdowns, this time Governor Gretchen Whitmer is apoplectic over citizen trucker lockdowns.  This is far beyond irony and is case study in how leftists need to pretend not to know things.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the same governor who was full-throated to lockdown businesses in her state and destroy the economic livelihoods of michiganders for over a year, is now deeply concerned, aghast and furious over the “economic impact” being created by the trucker protest and subsequent lockdowns of the supply chain they have created by their effective blockades.

As if she cannot fathom the similarity between her government forced lockdown mandates and the recent citizen inspired lockdown consequences, the insufferable Michigan governor goes on television to decry economic impact from the Ambassador Bridge blockade.  WATCH her give all the reasons why the blockades must be removed so the multinational corporations can get back to work.

How is the business interruption from the trucker blockade any different than the business interruption from the Gretchen Whitmer lockdown?  It isn’t… The difference is who created it.

(more…)

During his opening segment today, Fox News host Tucker Carlson discussed the Canadian Freedom Convoy and the results they are achieving.  During a portion of the segment Carlson mentions the YouTube channel ZOT.   Tucker Carlson does a great job outlining the current status of events in/around Ottawa and contrasts the response from the government.  It’s a good segment. WATCH

CANADA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office has indicated the government’s willingness to “respond with whatever it takes,” to bring the trucker convoy protests under control, confirming federal ministers and top Canadian officials are working with U.S. representatives to “resolve” the situation.

This comes as political pressure has been increasing across Canada and in the United States to see the anti-mandate and anti-government blockades end.

Trudeau held a series of late-night meetings on Thursday about the situation, including with key cabinet ministers and senior officials, and opposition party leaders, though no new measures were announced. (read more)

(more…)

The people constructing the policies of the Biden administration are the same people who installed him, community activists from Team Obama.  In essence, Joe Biden’s expressed policies unleashed, are Obama term 3 without care for the political fallout.

CNN reports on the results [POLL HERE] and show that exactly what has been discussed here for well over a year. Obama’s ideological crew have pushed disposable Joe Biden directly into the furnace of political consequence.  WATCH:

(more…)

It is the natural state of the human condition to be free.  What we are seeing in the Freedom Protests and Freedom Convoy in Canada are simply outcomes of that natural human condition.  In the final analysis this natural truth is why Justin Trudeau will fail; the only thing to be decided is whether he participates in the removal of freedom blocks, or whether he is crushed by those who refuse to relent.

Ask yourself this question: For the Trudeau government, what could ‘winning’ possibly look like now?  Crushing his own people?  Think about it.

Canadians and Americans are a peaceful, tolerant and patient people.  We are consistently the most compassionate, faithful and generous people in the history of all mankind, but we are also very purposeful.  Around the world the freedom movement is on the march.  You see, when pushed far enough, hard decisions are reached… And we have been pushed much further than simply ‘far enough‘.  ENJOY:

Fellowship is the essential ingredient to a purposeful life. How and why, we interact with each-other is how and why we recharge our core humanity.  People who cherish freedom are standing together.  We stand with our Canadian brothers and sisters.

From Fort McHenry in the United States to Downtown Ottawa in Canada 2022 the message is the same.  We are The People and we cherish freedom. Governing requires consent… and when our consent is withdrawn, the government is nullified.

Right now, they are afraid, and their effort to retain control is a classic exhibition of their fear.

(more…)

UPDATE: GiveSendGo Responds:

(LINK)

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has gone to court to freeze all of the GiveSendGo crowdfunding donations raised for the Freedom Convoy truckers.  The current GiveSendGo fundraiser sits at $8.4 million US.

There is a lot of legal complexity here, and it is not clear the Ontario court has any jurisdiction let alone a feasible way to determine or enforce how and where the funds are distributed.   However, in the bigger picture the government is trying to block the funding of the Freedom Convoy.

Premier Doug Ford is the leader of the “progressive conservative party,” the Canadian version of the DeceptiCons.

Apparently, the premier coordinated with Ontario Attorney General to file a restraint order under 490.8 of the Criminal Code, identifying the funds as “offense related property.”

CANADA – The Superior Court of Justice has granted a request from the Ontario government to freeze access to millions of dollars donated through online fundraising platform GiveSendGo to the truckers convoy protesting COVID-19 restrictions in Ottawa and at several border crossings.

(more…)

When the Biden administration loses MSNBC, you know the White House is realizing this is going to crush them.

In an unusual MSNBC discussion, the regime stenography panel admits that not only is inflation bad now, but it is likely to get much, much worse.  Just watch the first three minutes to recognize the scale of how the economic situation in the U.S. is being accepted by the water-carrying media.

“The problem we have here is a series of events that have led to higher prices,” says Liesman. “I am afraid this number is bad and could get worse.”

.

Keep in mind, most Americans have no idea what 15% inflation and rising interest rates looks like.  The Gen-x generation saw everything as it was growing, and the millennial generation has no reference point for thrift prioritization, actual rationing and sustainability on a level where you have to make your own durable goods and foodstuffs. How many know how to cook, let alone sustain themselves financially.

Yes, things are bad now, but almost every person in the progressive, leftist, occupy, Antifa side of the political divide have no concept of what is about to happen.  It is going to be really interesting to watch how the 20- to 40-year-old age groups respond to a new era of economic scarcity and home gardening.

The ideological Obama crew have really pushed Joe Biden into the furnace.

(more…)

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) released the January inflation data [DATA HERE] along with the yearly data from 2021.   The “first round” of retail grocery price increases starts to surface; but this is only the first round.  January inflation was actually much worse than the bad data inside the BLS analysis.

Additionally, the BLS readjusted the weighting for relative price importance, putting added weight to urban economic priorities (ie. food at restaurants), which indicates their intent to downplay the scale of inflation overall.  The topline statistic of 7.5% annual inflation (year over year) is bad; however, because of weighting that figure belies the bigger issue, it’s actually much worse.  In January alone inflation jumped 0.8% (unadjusted), primarily driven by the first-round of 2022 consumer inflation that preexisted since early December 2021.

To give an idea of how much prices have increased, we modified BLS Table 1 to take out some noise.  Look at the single month of January (red box).

Look at January “electricity” price increases.  A jump of 4.5% in one month alone, and keep in mind the BLS puts far less importance on electricity than “food away from home”.

In fact, the weighting for economic importance of restaurants is 5 times greater than the electricity to power your house.

Always keep in mind inflation data is backward looking.  So it is a capture of the price increase at a former moment. In this example the pricing survey was early January.

The timing part is important because gasoline has jumped again since this survey was completed.  The BLS data only has gas increasing at 0.1% in January; in reality it increased much more.

You can see the statistical smoothing to present the softest inflation data by looking at Food at Home, Meats, Poultry and Fish.  The actual rate of inflation in that category is 40%+ at retail.  The BLS deemphasizes the price increase by putting less economic importance on the category and they come up with a 12.2% increase, one third of the actual price we are feeling.

(more…)