Thoughts on the Recent Wisconsin Election

On this, the recently held first state election in Wisconsin

since Donald Trump's second ascendancy to the presidency,

your ready-to-burst Peasant wants to give my observations

and opinions about its results, and have I got a lot to say!

One race on the slate was the battle for a seat on the Wisconsin

State Supreme Court being vacated by a retiring left-wing 

justice. Former state Attorney General and current Waukesha

County Judge Brad Schimmel faced Dane County Judge 

Susan Crawford for the opening, and the race was very important

for several reasons: with the court having had a 4-3 liberal 

majority, if Schimmel had won there would have been a 

4-3 conservative majority which would have buffered 

Act 10, then-Gov. Scott Walker's economic reform package 

which would have meant lower property taxes because 

it limited public service unions' bargaining rights on wages 

and benefits. This meant that governors could not simply give

the unions whatever they asked for because the governors

would have been giving the unions money that wasn't theirs 

in the first place but were the monies derived from the taxes 

paid by the people of Wisconsin, the property taxes which were 

paid generally went to fund the public schools. This has long 

been discussed and debated in political circles, especially

by those in the Democrat Party, with some otherwise pro-union

Democrats being hesitant to support this idea --- most notably

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who supported unions most

of the time. He was concerned, as are many people today, that 

increasing the compensation for the unions would drive up 

taxes without taxpayers having a place at the table, so to speak,

to give their yea or nay to any deals made under such an 

arrangement. But the Wisconsin Dems want to reinstate that

very arrangement, and with the state's highest court remaining

in liberal hands the court could (and would) easily strike down

Act 10. 

Not only that, but the top court could reorder the political maps 

of the state redrawn to combat the imagined gerrymandering

of the current maps, which by the way were the very maps drawn

up by Wisconsin's current governor, Democrat (!) Tony Evers.

The Dems want to eliminate two congressional districts which 

would necessitate two Republican incumbent congressmen to

run against each other if they wanted to remain in Congress.

Other things which would be up for very possibly being eliminated

include abortion restrictions, gun ownership and usage laws favoring

wider latitude, and the rights of schools and gyms to keep men out

of women's sports and locker rooms. This is a hotly debated issue

throughout the country as well.

Finally, the election was, for some people (especially Democrats)

a favorability measurement for President Trump. It must be noted

that the incumbent president's party generally does not do well in

non-presidential elections such as this one. But two factors were

what spelled defeat for Republicans and conservatives in 

Wisconsin's elections: the lack of an effective ground game and a

failure of many pro-Trump voters to go to the polls. On the 

former, the GOP has long been behind the Dems in the effectiveness

of getting out the vote with vigor and aggressiveness. They have

been much too gentlemanly in their approach, and it has been like 

bringing a pocket knife to a gunfight, or adhering to the Marquess 

of Queensbury Rules in a fight against a streetfighter who has no 

regard for any rules at all. The GOP and its allies should alter their

approach accordingly if they are to remain at all competitive in 

elections. Regarding the latter, and this really frosts your otherwise

placid Peasant, many conservatives and pro-Trump voters didn't 

go to their polling places to support Brad Schimmel, including 

counties with considerable conservative majorities such as Waukesha

County where Judge Schimmel is from. Schimmel actually ran behind 

President Trump in terms of the percentage of the vote he received

compared to that which Trump won in 2024. Judge Crawford actually 

outperformed expectations in terms of the percentage of votes that 

she was expected to win in heavily Democrat counties such as 

Dane and Milwaukee Counties, the "mother lodes" of Democrat 

votes in elections. This also affected the other race for office,

that being for the office of the State Superintendent of Public 

Instruction, which has sway over the public schools. Incumbent 

and big lefty Dr. Jill Underly, who lowered the statistical benchmark

measurement for public school students' performance in the classroom

and claiming that said students have had an increase in their perform-

ance scores, in an shameful attempt to gaslight the student's parents 

and taxpayers, won another term and will hold on to her current job.

Underly defeated moderate and "Readin', writin' and "rithmetic"

oriented challenger Brittany Kinser, who currently has children in a

public school in addition to being a schoolteacher. What ruined the 

race for the State's high court also ruined the race for the DPI super-

intendentship for the Republicans and conservatives. These are races 

that they could have, and and should have won. 

Your cheesed-off Peasant is sick and tired of people on our side 

blowing off the off-year races when the presidency, the governor-

ship, and/or the legislative seats are not being contested! We have the 

quantity of voters to win elections with, but when they don't go to the

polls they are, in effect, voting without voting; they are voting for the

enemy! They should know that the victory goes to those who show 

up! In Wisconsin we can vote early, up to two weeks ahead of 

Election Day. We can vote via Absentee ballot. We can even vote by

mail. We have no excuse for not voting. None! And I'll tell you this:

Over the net few years, until the next time a liberal justice is up for 

re-election or until Gov. Evers is up for same, these no-shows better 

not come crying to me about their taxes going on a rocket ride, 

or their ability to obtain firearms and ammunition for which to defend

their families, their homes, and all are negatively impacted,

or their children complain that boys are allowed to change in the same 

locker rooms that they use, or some other awful consequence of the 

results of this recent election making them miserable, your angry 

Peasant doesn't want to hear it! I don't want to hear one word, I don't
want to see one teardrop! You can shove it where the sun don't shine!

We all know what needs to be fixed, and what needs to be done when 

election time rolls around again. 2026 is coming! Let's get down to 

business!

MEM

Thoughts on Elon Musk and DOGE

As you all know, my fantastic readers, Elon Musk 

is helping President Donald Trump to rein in the costs

of government at the federal level. Although not 

officially a cabinet member, Musk knows how to 

utilize money, including how to carefully allocate 

it on a large scale; look at his business ventures 

which include, but aren't limited to the Tesla 

automobile, spacecraft, and AI (artificial intelligence).

He shall be heading up the Department of Government 

Efficiency, commonly known as DOGE, with the mission

of identifying and eliminating things from unnecessary 

government departments and functions to wasteful 

expenditures of tax money. It's about high time that 

someone undertakes this sorely needed task, and 

President Trump has taken on the role with Musk 

riding shotgun, so to speak.

National Review said in its latest issue, that Musk 

"should combine an old and new passion, and launch

some federal agencies into the sun."  Stated in its

section "The Week", NR's witty take on the political

news of the day, may your mirthful Peasant suggest 

that Musk aim the rocket carrying the agencies at

a black hole? Nothing that goes into one never comes 

out.

Gee, the next four years are going to be a lot of fun!

MEM

Greenpeace Faces the Consequences of Its Actions

The international environmental activist organization

Greenpeace is known for its confrontational tactics in

fighting to preserve certain species of wildlife and

land owned by or adjacent to indigenous peoples. 

Sometimes they break laws in order to make their 

point, including engaging in destruction of private

property. Well, this time they had taken it on their 

collective chin to the tune of a $667 million verdict

against them in court.

A North Dakota jury very recently ordered Greenpeace

to pay $667 million in damages for its destructive 

campaign in the '10s to block the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Energy Transfer LP, the plaintiff, gave strong evidence 

during the trial that Greenpeace defamed the company 

and abetted vandals. Protesters threw feces and burning 

logs at security officers, and had even chained themselves

to construction equipment. All to get the pipeline's

financial backers to step aside from the DAPL project

by claiming --- quite erroneously --- that the company's

"personnel deliberately desecrated documented burial 

grounds and other culturally important sites," T

Energy Transfer stated that Greenpeace's actions delayed

the pipeline's construction and increased construction 

costs by hundreds of millions  of dollars. Greenpeace 

said, in its defense, as it never expressly order the vandalism

even if it did train protesters. The jury wasn't buying it,

therefore it awarded the colossal amount in damages that

it did. 

Greenpeace tried to cloak their actions in the First Amendment,

stating that they were merely exercising their free speech and

protest rights. However, there are no 1A rights to defame and

destroy. This is a commonly fallacious way of thinking among

far-left groups that take violent actions against people and 

property in their protests. Maybe this ruling will persuade such

groups to reconsider their methods of protestation.

But your leery Peasant wouldn't bet on it.

MEM

Unexpected Sick Leave

Your much-loved Peasant wants to offer my apologies for my having

disappeared rather suddenly and without notice; I was sick with some

sort of influenza for about 1 1/2 weeks, spending much of the time in

bed. I of course didn't engage in my blogging activities. As a matter of 

fact, this was the sickest that I have been since my near-fatal heart 

attack four years earlier. 

As of this writing I am still not quite at 100% but am gradually getting 

there. Hopefully by next week I shall have a new offering for all of you,

my grand and wonderful readers, and we'll be back on track. For now,

please accept my apologies for my unannounced absence and thanks

for your understanding, your concern, and your wishes for my 

regaining my physical health. Thank you all for keeping me in your 

thoughts and prayers! We'll gather together here again soon!

MEM

Be Nice to the Rich! They Power Our Economy

While most Americans have been pinching pennies 

and stretching dollars as they have battled high prices

and firmly-planted inflation, the wealthier among us

have been on a spending spree. 

The top 10% of earners, which is made up of households

bringing home about $250,000 or more annually, are 

treating themselves to designer clothes and accessories 

such as handbags and such, thanks to soaring gains in 

stocks, real estate, Bitcoins, and other assets. All of this

accounts for nearly 50% of all spending in the United

States. Three decades earlier, spending by our wealthy

made up approximately 36% of our spending!

Mark Zandi, Chief Economist at Moody's, estimated that

spending by the top 10% of income earners accounted for 

nearly one-third of gross domestic product. During the 

period between September 2023 and September 2024, 

while the larger-income earners increased their spending

by 12%, spending by the middle-class and lower-middle

-class earners dropped. During the current inflationary 

period we're going through, the bottom 80% of earners 

increased their spending, but barely stayed ahead of 

price increases over that period, while --- those awful,

big bucks, big shots that the left-wingers love to malign,

those top 10% earners spent 58% more (!). 

Some economists predict that with affluent folk discovering 

that the worth of their assets has greatly increased in recent 

times despite the higher inflation, there will be an increase 

in high-end travel filling the airlines' coffers. The wealthy

(and wealthier) will be flying off to Europe, Hawaii, 

Jamaica, Brazil, Acapulco, Switzerland, and other known

playgrounds of the well-to-do. Airline stocks would rise

quite a bit; so would the stocks of hotels and other travel 

lodging businesses, also clothiers, travel gear makers and

merchants, and of course the oil companies what with all

the gas which will be needed to fly and drive the rich and

adventurous about on their tours, not to mention other firms'

stocks because of the demand for their products and services

being driven upwards by these financially elites. And the lefties

resent all this, wanting to raise existing taxes on their earnings

and create new taxes on not only what they earn but what they 

save and invest. 

These fools must ultimately realize that the economic fortunes 

of the middle- and lower-class income earners can only benefit

from the wealthy and their spending habits, for many of them

work to provide the goods and services that the wealthy purchase.

These are things that one wouldn't see in countries with socialist

political/economic systems, yet the left-of-center bunch hail

and praise these pitiful setups while disparaging the free market

which has made possible the wealth of those spending their time

and efforts utilizing the market instead of joining the leftists in

the latter's disparagement of same. Socialist societies do poorly 

even in the best of economic times, and hurt the worst in the worst

economic times. The wealthy have a buoyant effect on the free

market societies which minimizes the fallout from the tough times.

When will the lefties ever learn?

MEM

Thoughts on Immigration and the Laken Riley Act

One of the many difficulties that now-retired (thank God!) President

Joe Biden saddled us with are the consequences of his all but erasing 

the borders (especially the southern border) with shockingly lax 

immigration rules that let all and sundry enter our country --- some of 

them with lawless intentions in mind. House Republicans drafted and 

passed the Laken Riley Act, named for the 22-year-old nursing student 

in Georgia who was murdered while jogging near the University of

Georgia campus. Her killer was a 26-year-old Venezuelan man who

entered the United States taking advantage of the loose immigration

laws established by the Biden regime. He was arrested by university

police and charged with ten counts, among them felony murder,

malice murder, false imprisonment, aggravated assault with intent to

rape, and kidnapping. This evil individual was found guilty on all 

charges on November 20, 2024 and sentenced to life in prison without

any chance of parole. 

Many of the Senate Democrats opposed the Laken Riley Act, and one

Democrat senator, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, openly admitted 

their opposition was "the reason why we lost,". It must be noted that 

Sen. Fetterman was, to his credit, one of the bill's original co-sponsors.

He reasoned, "If you're here illegally and committing crimes, I don't 

know why anybody thinks that it's controversial that they all need 

to go." If you find this a miracle, you ain't seen nothing yet! The 

Laken Riley Act is a law requiring the U.S. Department of Homeland

Security to detain illegal immigrants admitting to, charged with, or 

convicted of theft-related crimes, assaulting a police officer, or a crime

that results in death or serious bodily injury.

The U.S., at all levels of government, have gotten so soft on crime that 

we have become pro-crime and pro-criminal, making excuses for and 

misapplying compassion to many of the most dangerous criminals,  

from without as well as from within our borders. But the most recent 

election signaled a thundering demand for change in the way that 

justice is meted out around here.

Suddenly, Fetterman's colleagues fell in line in agreement with him. 

Following Trump's re-election, those who originally opposed the bill

now rushed to co-sponsor it! These Dems got the message loud and 

clear, regarding the need to tighten border security. We the People had 

not only spoken, we shouted from the voting booths! No more of

criminals breaking the law to enter our country to break our laws 

made to protect us! Next thing is to send a similar message to our city 

mayors, district attorneys, and municipal along with county judges 

demanding enforcement of local laws made to protect us as well.

To quote a line from a famous rock 'n' roll song, "We're not gonna take 

it anymore!"

MEM

Caught Short on Time!

Friends, your favorite Peasant can't be with you this week,

but will be with you next, no fear. Just swamped with a bunch

of pressing things to tend to. 

Thank you for your kind understanding and indulgence! 

MEM 

President Trump Hits the Ground Running

No sooner than Donald J. Trump had been inaugurated as 

president for a second time he had hit the ground running,

working at a frenetic pace to get done what he wants to get

done --- and has he ever gotten a lot done!

In shoring up the security of our borders with Mexico and 

Canada he has gained the cooperation of Mexico's president,

Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada's Prime Minister Justin 

Trudeau in working to make the borders stronger in the face

of increasing hordes of people having walked up from Mexico 

and Central America to enter the U.S., some seeking asylum, 

some seeking residence with an eye to citizenship, yet going 

about it illegally. President Trump gained their cooperation 

by promising to impose a 25% tariff on imported goods from

their respective countries if they didn't take their own measures 

in tightening security at the borders, and right away President 

Sheinbaum announced she would deploy 10,000 troops to the

U.S. border with Mexico to fight drug trafficking, fentanyl in

particular. The two heads of state, it is reported, will continue 

to negotiating on "security and trade" while President Trump 

stated that he would pause his tariffs for a month. P.M Trudeau

pledged to station more law enforcement at the U.S.- Canadian

border, for his part.

On immigration, President Sheinbaum basically agreed to play 

ball on restoring the Remain in Mexico policy for immigrants 

who reach the U.S. - Mexican border. Meanwhile, illegal border

crossings have been dropping like a stone in a pond in response 

to President Trump having sent a signal that illegal immigrants

won't be allowed to remain in the United States. 

This is but one of the many things President Trump has achieved 

since his very recent return to the White House. In the weeks to 

come we shall be poring over the executive orders and other 

measures by President Trump bringing reform and renewal to

many aspects of American governance and the U.S. economy.

It must be noted though that this is the biggest economic risk 

of our once and again president's second term thus far. 

He has to play his Mexico and Canada cards with skill and 

care, rather than as a riverboat gambler with more finesse than

bravado. But so far, so good.

However, although President Trump likes tariffs, he also wants 

a weaker U.S. dollar in order to promote U.S. exports. These 

two desires are in conflict with one another. A stronger dollar

is a consequence of the tariffs, everything else notwithstanding.

Reducing American purchases of foreign goods reduces demand

for the currencies of those currencies as fewer dollars are 

converted into the other countries' home money. The dollar is

bound to gain in value amid increasing demand for said dollars.

Result? Cross-purposes with Trump's desire for a weaker dollar.

He would be forced to choose one or the other in his trade activity.

Some of his economic advisors are in disagreement with the president

while the others are of one mind with Trump on all this. Although a 

stronger dollar will help tamp down the inflationary effect of higher 

import prices, an overvalued U.S. dollar is the main cause of the 

United States' trade deficit with the rest of the world. Your mindful

Peasant for one, while seeing that sometimes tariffs can be helpful,

they should not be the first shots fired in international disagreements.

That being said, at least our once and again president has already 

has already taken care of something that his predecessor had ignored

to our peril. he strengthened border security with cooperation 

the two countries with which we share our each of our two borders.

And that is nothing to sneeze at. 

MEM

Dick Allen, R.I.P.

Dick Allen was for decades a star in conservative foreign policy circles.

Born on New Year's Day, 1936 in New Jersey, he attended Notre Dame.

Allen worked in the Nixon White House, then was an adviser for former 

Governor Ronald Reagan, during which they had a famous exchange

which went rather like this: "Governor, what is your aim in the Cold 

War?" "Well, Dick, my idea is: We win, they lose." And win we did.

After Reagan's election to be President in 1980, Allen served as his

first National Security Adviser. Along the way, he was affiliated with 

several renown organizations which included the Hoover Institute and 

ISI. Allen also was a popular guest on National Review cruises.  

This intellectual titan passed away at the age of 88. R.I.P.

MEM

Lee Edwards, R.I.P.

The founders of the modern American conservative movement

were a very accomplished group of people. They made 

conservatism viable, respectable, and attainable, shaking up

stodgy establishment types in the halls of academia and 

government and giving people in all walks of American life

a good look at what our government, our economy, and our

society could be. Among these stalwarts of the Right was

Lee Edwards.

Born in 1932, Edwards devoted his time, energy, and intellect 

to advancing the conservative movement in so many, many ways.

He was a signatory of the Sharon Statement, so called because of 

its origins on the estate of the Buckley family (William F. Buckley!)

in 1960 when WFB and some conservative college students drafted

a manifesto declaring what those gathered stood for and what they

advocated and worked for, which included (but wasn't limited to!)

a free market economy; political freedom, which they acknowledged

could not be possible without economic freedom; individual freedom 

and the right of governing, both of which originate with God.

Edwards helped found Young Americans for Freedom (Your faithful 

Peasant was a member in my own college days!). He worked on

the Barry Goldwater presidential campaign in 1964. He authored

and co-authored more than two dozen books about conservatism and 

conservatives. He was the founding chairman of the Victims of 

Communism Memorial Foundation. He wrote many articles for 

National Review, and served on the Advisory Committee of National

Review Institute's Buckley Legacy Project. Edwards likely served

the cause of conservatism in other ways as well. And now, at age 92,

his work finished, Lee Edwards is enjoying his Final Reward.

A well-earned reward indeed, I'm sure! 

Requiescat in pace.

MEM

On the Recent Increase in Federal Revenue

According to the Congressional Budget Office, federal revenue 

increased last fiscal year. While this is certainly good news, 

the deficit was at that time $1.8 trillion. The Democrats call

this a critical lack of revenue, stating that corporations, wealthy

people, really everyone and anyone who has money aren't 

paying enough in taxes --- they aren't paying their "fair share",

don't you know. But despite the towering deficit, federal revenue

increased by $479 billion year over year for an 11% rise.

$343 billion of that increase came from individual-income taxes

and payroll taxes. Corporate tax collections went up by 

$109 billion. As U.S. GDP growth for the 2024 FY grew 

approximately 2.5%, revenue growth has surpassed economic 

growth. But Congressional Democrats want to take even more 

from these sources because they allegedly don't pay their 

"fair share". Yet when they do get their way on tax increases

these clueless greedheads spend the money faster than they 

can receive it.

No, Democrats, the problem is not too little revenue; the problem

is too little spending restraint, and that's on you.

MEM 

Battling Back Against Wokeness

The good feelings we conservatives have enjoyed in the latter half

of 2024 are continuing without stopping or slowing into 2025.

More and more organizations, including but not at all limited to

businesses, state and local governments, schools (including univer-

sities), entertainment, and more are refusing to be bound and gagged

by woke rules --- wokeness is political correctness on steroids ---

i.e. bowing down before pronoun regulations, forced acceptance of 

the wild beyond belief i.e. admission of boys in girls' locker rooms 

and rest rooms because the former "identifies" as girls, self-censor-

ship to avoid trouble with the law or opprobrium from and castigation

by certain circles (this last one is something hampering sand-up 

comedians and comedy screenwriters) and like totalitarianisms.

Toward the end of the old year the University of Michigan, hardly a 

conservative haven, ended their required diversity statements rule.

The school is ceasing to mandate the statements in hiring decisions

in hiring decisions. Furthermore, the University has dismissed a DEI 

(Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) administrator accused of making 

anti-semitic statements. Gee, isn't it odd that DEI types favor and in 

fact demand inclusiveness for so many groups of people but bar 

certain other groups because of their own bigotry and hatred for 

them. 

Anyway, the University of Michigan is to be commended and 

encouraged for taking these two steps, which hopefully will be

the beginning of a journey back from extremism and unequal 

treatment of whichever groups of people for unjust reasons.

Let us take a moment to applaud this university for its brave

stance. 

MEM