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