The U.S. Census Department releases retail sales data today showing a strong contraction in consumer spending for July [MSM LINK].  The out-of-touch financial pundits were looking for a 0.3% decline; however, the drop was four times greater with a contraction of 1.1% in spending.

“The slide in retail sales comes after Friday’s preliminary consumer sentiment report from the University of Michigan showed one of the largest drops on record, leading some strategists and economists to warn of downside risk to the sales data.” (link)

This should not be unexpected for those who read here.  Massive price inflation on essential goods is eating up wages.  Food, fuel and energy price increases are changing consumer spending habits.  Non-essential purchases have stopped….. they haven’t slowed, they have stopped. ←Emphasize this because it is not showing up yet in the data lag.

The data reflects that auto sales were the primary contributor to the decline in spending (-4.3%).  This should make sense to people because auto purchases are the largest general consumer purchase outside of home purchasing.

When purchase decisions are made by families; and food and fuel prices are skyrocketing; replacing a vehicle is not essential.  Auto sales are a key indicator of consumer confidence and income.

Overall inflation is the primary driver.  Real wages are declining (wages – inflation), and disposable income is dropping quickly.  Americans need to start talking very deliberately about what is about to happen.  CTH predicted this and has been walking through the visible outcomes as each set of new data surfaces {SEARCH BOX}.  Nothing happening right now is unforeseen or not easily understandable.

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If you watch the official press conferences and government announcements of rules and restrictions in Australia and New Zealand, you see some of the most bizarre and dystopian reactions from the government.  It really is jaw-dropping and almost unbelievable how the citizens of the area are under the complete control of their government and ministries of health.

Today the extreme far-left New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, announces a “level four” emergency shutdown as a result of a single case of COVID being identified yesterday. A single case.

There have been numerous people discussing how global health leaders choose Australia and New Zealand as testing grounds for how much control can be put upon society and still permit those in government to retain their authority.  Previously, I dispatched those discussions, because they seemed a little, well, ‘out there’; however, I did keep watching and researching.  I no longer dismiss those claims.  Something really weird is going on down under, and it is alarming in the extreme.  First, watch the general announcement:

As a result of the renewed ‘level-four’ restrictions, the people in New Zealand are instructed to stay at home, “Do not talk to your neighbors”, wear a mask, maintain 2 meters social distance, and stay away from others if you leave your home for the three approved reasons:  Emergency food shopping, healthcare or testing.

There is something really dystopian about government officials telling citizens to remain compliant, use QR codes, activate their bluetooth tracing and stop talking to their neighbors.  There is something exponentially more alarming about citizens actually complying with these instructions.  WATCH this next video:

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The number of Americans trapped in Afghanistan is actually unknown.  According to Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby,  somewhere around 5,000 to 10,000 are known, but the number could be 20,000.  Those U.S. citizens are not at the airport in Kabul, and need to reach the airport in order to be evacuated.

Several media reports outline that the Taliban have checkpoints around the airport presumably looking for people who were aligned with the former government.  Unfortunately, given the nature of media bias and previous propaganda, it is challenging to determine the level of risk or threat to any American.  There have been no reports of Americans killed or taken hostage.  Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby outlines the current priority is to secure the airport, that’s what the additional troops are intended to do. WATCH:

…”Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f**k things up“… ~ Barack Obama

There is no such thing as “idiot proof.”  As soon as you think you’ve developed an “idiot proof” system, you will discover Joe Biden.

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the JoeBama Administration and Presidency.

“This is no small thing, to restore a republic after it has fallen into corruption. I have studied history for years and I cannot recall it ever happening. It may be that our task is impossible. Yet, if we do not try then how will we know it can’t be done? And if we do not try, it most certainly won’t be done. The Founders’ Republic, and the larger war for western civilization, will be lost.”

“But I tell you this: We will not go gently into that bloody collectivist good night. Indeed, we will make with our defiance such a sound as ALL history from that day forward will be forced to note, even if they despise us in the writing of it.”

~ Mike Vanderboegh

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

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Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Many people have wondered how the Biden administration could get the collapse of Afghanistan so horribly wrong and botched completely the withdrawal of U.S. forces. To that point there is a little known Question and Answer session by Colorado Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO, CD05) that deserves some attention.

Approximately 7 weeks ago, June 23rd, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley testified in front of the House Armed Services Committee about their budget requests. Rep Doug Lamborn took this opportunity, he only had 4 minutes, to ask some very specific questions about Afghanistan and his concerns for early reports of the Taliban surging back into control.

Lamborn asked about the hazard of closing Bagrham AFB given the tenuous nature of reliance on one airport in Kabul. Lamborn also asked about the evacuation of U.S-Afghan allies and the risk to women and girls if the Taliban were successful. What Def Sec Austin and General Milley said in response totally explains why the White House was blind-sided by the Taliban in the past week. [WATCH Video at 01:06:56, Prompted]

Given the nature of what has happened in Afghanistan, those totally wrong estimations of the situation in the region should be enough to see both Secretary Austin and General Milley fired.  At the very least reliance on this inept and totally wrong outlook explains why the Biden administration had no idea what was about to happen.

Congressman Doug Lamborn’s questioning was directly on point and in hindsight, stunningly prescient.   Great job by Lamborn!

Hopefully Austin was wrong when he said that any defense of women and girls in Afghanistan will be contingent upon the U.S. embassy in Kabul.  The U.S. embassy in Kabul is no longer there, the Taliban have it.

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Arizona Senate President Karen Fann confirmed on Twitter today that Maricopa County auditors are preparing a draft report of audit findings that will be reviewed and verified by the state senate before release to the public.

According to OAN news, the report is likely to be released the week of August 22nd.  “The team of forensic auditors in Arizona are set to release their preliminary report on fraud in the 2020 election next week. According to reports Sunday, state auditors will release their early findings the week of August 22.”

Former Central Intelligence Agency analyst Matt Zeller appears on MSNBC as Brian Williams was singing the praises of Dear Leader Joe Biden for his magnificent words and exceptional work on Afghanistan. Unfortunately for MSNBC,  Mr. Zeller stunned the Baghdad Bob network by saying: “I was appalled” by President Joe Biden’s Afghanistan speech, it was a lie.” WATCH:

MSNBC has a case of the sads now.

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Apparently, the communications goal from the White House team was to create a strawman argument around the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, and totally avoid the main point of crisis right now being the method and manner of the withdrawal.

However, he went one step further which makes it worse.

Joe Biden blamed the Afghan people, currently being hunted in the streets of Kabul by the Taliban, for not availing themselves of earlier opportunities for evacuation at the time when Joe Biden and his Secretary of State were telling them the country was in no imminent threat of collapse.

…”I know that there are concerns about why we did not begin evacuating Afghans — civilians sooner. Part of the answer is some of the Afghans did not want to leave earlier — still hopeful for their country. “… [Full Transcript]

The entire speech delivered by Biden was a classic example of a non-sequitur argument.  Biden kept defending his decision to exit Afghanistan (which few disagree with) while avoiding the massive crisis created by his unplanned and haphazard manner/method of exit.  A point that was not missed by former President Trump:

Biden took no questions, ran away from the podium and immediately hopped back on the helicopter to escape back to his bunker in Camp David.

Joe Biden is an embarrassing joke, installed on our nation.

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The installed occupant of the White House is scheduled to deliver remarks to the nation explaining and justifying his complete failure to manage the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.  Most analysts agree, the dementia riddled occupant is expected to mumble his blame toward Donald Trump.

The White House has turned a deaf ear to those who asked the administration to turn around the teleprompters so we can read the remarks ourselves.  We will be forced to listen to Mr. Mumbles version of what the word assembly might be.  The effort is scheduled to begin at 3:45pm Eastern Time.  Livestream links below:

Fox News Livestream – White House Livestream Link – Time Mag Livestream Link

In early July, Joe Biden informed the American people of the coming drawdown of U.S. forces from Afghanistan after a 20-year occupation. The evacuation would be “secure and orderly,” he said, with little chance of a Taliban takeover. “The likelihood there’s going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely,” he said.

Little more than a month later, the bumbling idiot with his feet in the oval office has been proven wrong on all counts.

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