Eventually, the incoming ‘data’ will tell you something. But only when it is too late. And now if Trump’s tariffs are implemented, we will wait for the data to tell us what we knew all along.
Your opinion is noted, but there’s a pothole in the logic you’re driving over.
Most of us tune in because Bill Bonner shoots straight. He’s pointing out the same lesson Hoover ignored: slap‑dash tariffs don’t fix structural problems—they just reshuffle the wreckage.
Meanwhile, Washington is sitting on 36 trillion dollars in IOUs. That’s the main course. Tariffs are the dinner‑theater sideshow. Tick off enough trading partners and nobody lines up to buy U.S. Treasuries—the musical‑chairs funding game stops and the lights go out.
If the game plan is to wall off imports and still expect China, Japan, and every pension fund on earth to keep buying U.S. government paper, explain why they wouldn’t just walk away.
Otherwise, it sounds like classic bridge‑troll rhetoric—“quit crying and deal with it”—while the real beast (overspending) keeps stomping around. Show us evidence that broad tariffs cut deficits or spark lasting growth. If there isn’t any, step out from under the bridge and join the conversation about how the U.S. can finally live within its means before the music stops.
Most countries, quit buying our Debt, China in 2014. They buy the NASDQ, way better return. They are monetizing our debt against us. They are turning our middle class into serfs on welfare and/or drugs. The American people spoke LOUDLY in the 2024 election. Trump took them at their word, as he had campaigned to these points.
Now we will have some short term pain for this. However the only other way is a complete collapse of our America. Please lookup FFTT publication for a terrific in depth analysis of the problems and solutions. Luke Groman is special.
Most countries may have trimmed their Treasury buying, but they haven’t abandoned it. Japan, the U.K., Canada—and yes, even China—still added U.S. paper this year. The notion that sovereign wealth funds have stampeded into the NASDAQ instead is wishful thinking. Reserve managers aren’t keen on explaining to taxpayers why their “safe assets” vaporised the next time tech stocks drop 5 % before lunch.
How exactly does that “monetising our debt” comment work? If anything, Washington monetises its own debt: the Fed buys what Congress sells. Blaming foreigners for bond math they can’t control is like blaming your neighbour for your credit‑card bill.
And the claim that “they” are turning the middle class into serfs on welfare or drugs? Drug or alcohol use is a personal choice. Welfare rules come from Capitol Hill, not Beijing or Riyadh. Point the finger where the policies are written—inside the Beltway.
Trump vowed to drain the swamp. The deepest part of that swamp is the Military‑Industrial Complex: $850 billion a year, and the Pentagon hasn’t passed a single audit since full audits began in 2018. DEI workshops didn’t run up that tab—defence contractors did.
Tariffs won’t fix it. Even a 100 % duty on every import lands on U.S. consumers first, and the extra revenue wouldn’t come close to covering a $1.5 trillion annual interest bill, let alone the principal. Plenty of evidence shows tariffs shrink trade volumes faster than they raise tax receipts.
I agree there’s another path besides collapse. Bill Bonner laid out a brutal but straightforward plan in his “Clowns and Jokers” post from December 2022: cut spending to the bone, let rates find their level, and live within actual means. Painful, yes—but it drains the swamp faster than a tariff band‑aid.
I don’t play bridge, but I’m always up for Canasta—or a quick game of chess if you’d rather keep the metaphors on a board instead of the battlefield.
As we are allowed to in a civilized society. Come back in 3.75 years and we can remenisce about how Trump did or didn't do. Or sooner, if you actually have an argument you might like to propose.
Since we are .083 percent into Trump's term, I believe in giving him the benefit of the doubt right now. But you are correct that most politicians say one thing when running for office and then completely reverse themselves once in office. LIARS ! I am praying that this administration will break that scenario.
Where was the WSJ when Joe Biden was in office if they are so sensible now? At least with Trump, you know every player and face. If it blows up, there is no hiding. Trump getting elected was the best thing that happened to this newsletter. You will have three and half more years belittling everything that he does, then probably another 4 to 8 years blaming Trump for everything that goes on with the next 2 or 3 administrations. It's like a comedian that never changes his jokes or routines.
Exactly. When the Liberals, Sociallist or Communist regain government control, we can depend on Bill telling us how their policies (whatever they are) are not working (like you said), solely because of Trump. Heck, if they can, they would hold a war crime tribunal and convict Trump of war crimes. That way they could tell us how everything bad was Trump's fault, not theirs, and Bill could give us an unbaised opinion of the procedings.
If Washington can’t slam the brakes on its spending binge—because the rot now runs marrow‑deep—then only a hard‑reset will do. Strip every line item to the bone, force the next crop of politicians to govern under a balanced‑budget straightjacket, and make it clear that fiscal malpractice is a career‑ending offense.
Give the reset a century or two of breathing room, and maybe the lesson sticks.
Meanwhile, the military‑industrial machine—that bipartisan cash vacuum—will keep humming in the background, ready to supply whatever hardware is needed to “enforce the rules.” It doesn’t care who’s at the podium, only that the checks clear and the gears keep turning.
Until that gravy train is uncoupled from policy and the books finally balance, expect more debt, more excuses, and the same recycled sales pitch from whichever tribe holds the mic.
The fact is we need the $850 billion military, especially now, and we need to spend more getting ready for the coming last world war with China. Last until the world cleans up the nuclear wasted cities. The true problem is the 1.5 trillion we will waste on our national debt interest this year. Truly the only problem.
Steve, the real hole in the hull isn’t China on the horizon; it’s a Washington culture that hits “Add to Cart” every time a shiny new weapons system pops up. Congress and the president line up the orders, and the military‑industrial complex tugs at their sleeves to make sure the cart stays full. After seventy‑plus years of rubber‑stamping that wish list, the tab is so high nobody even pretends to read the price tags.
I’m typing this at the tail end of a Southeast Asia trip. One “highlight” was the War Remnants Museum in Saigon—officially Ho Chi Minh City. At first I assumed the name was a clunky translation of “War Museum.” Then I stepped inside. The entire plaza is littered with abandoned U.S. hardware: jet fighters, helicopters, tanks, troop carriers, artillery pieces—the works. My first thought? Some granny in northern Minnesota paid for that M‑114 howitzer, and she’d be furious to see it rusting in the tropics after her tax dollars shipped it halfway around the world, used it to kill people, and then left it behind. Nothing screams “budget discipline” like a graveyard of hardware stamped Made in USA.
From my seat outside the United States, it’s hard not to wonder where the world would be if America had skipped even half the coups and brush‑fire wars it has stirred up since 1945. The U.S. debt wouldn’t be flirting with $36 trillion, and plenty of countries might still think “America” means jazz and blue jeans instead of drone footage and newsreel shots of abandoned U.S. junkyards in Vietnam, Afghanistan, or Iraq.
The stats are brutal. Tufts University’s Military Intervention Project counts nearly four hundred U.S. deployments since 1776—about two hundred of them after 1950. Another survey clocks more than seventy covert regime‑change operations during the Cold War alone. Intervention has become a subscription service that auto‑renews more often than Netflix.
Yes, the roughly $1.5 trillion the U.S. will pay in interest this year is a killer. But that figure only looks “manageable” because the Pentagon’s credit line stays wide open. Until someone in Washington clicks “cancel subscription,” the rest of us—taxpayers and onlookers alike—will keep footing the bill for the deluxe plan, whether or not the next sequel has a happy ending.
Exactly Bill, you nailed it! You let us know “what we knew All along”! President Trumps policies will hurt us a little, but will devastate the globalist nations who side with China, all of whom are hanging on by a thread before they collapse. Trump is just the knife to cut that thread and economically break the globalist down and cause a movement of the people, for the people, and take their countries back like Argentina and America. Yes Bill, you seem to be siding with the wrong side of history 🤔
what we knew all along is the economic impact, which will be short term. Politically they will reset, pay down the deficit, and as deals are cut the economics will improve significantly. Short term pain, no doubt. Without it, this country is sunk.
Adam smith's invisible hand did not mean in your pocket on your throat and up your ass. Of course free trade is best. We haven't had it in at least fifty years.
One more onesided story by Bill and his nonsensical backup the slanted opinions of the wsj. I hear all the naysayers and their prophecies of doom but never how they would have done it. Just negativity at Trump and the intelligent diverse group assembled in this admn. Maybe it works out better then imagined, maybe not. But I think there are many more like me allowing things to run their course and give his plans a chance. Curious to see if Bill apologizes if it succeeds. My guess he won’t.
First administration was mainly Deep Staters who wanted to keep status quo with them in charge. Now we have some real change. VDH says it best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCku0tt5PlA
There is more to Tariffs than just stock prices. There is national security in building at home as President Trump has already got $7 Trillion in commitments from companies to build it here, from Apple to Honda and others. Having our pharma made here and building up the industrial base is part of National Security. Much bigger picture.
I’ll be first in line to say sorry if the plan works.
But let’s be real: tariffs are taxes in disguise. They won’t fix a $36 trillion credit‑card bill; they just shuffle the pain around. Even Musk—whose entire empire relies on global supply chains—can’t pretend higher import taxes help.
Want a slogan that actually makes America great? Spend Less Than We Make.
That’s like telling Congress they have to weigh in every month and switch to veggies until the scale drops. Anyone believe they’ll stick to it? Me neither.
So sure, let the experiment run. Just don’t act surprised when the bill—and the waistline—only get bigger.
Maybe we could export all the government bureaucrats so that other countries would have to deal with all of our regulations. That would raise their costs and “improve “ the whole world.
Bill: currently there is no level playing field. Most countries have specialized citizens that produce excellent products. i.e. Brazil=shoes, Argentina=beef, Portugal=ceramics, USA=grain, japan, Germany, France=cars, etc. if the products are of high quality, trade can occur without countries subsidizing companies. We buy them because they are excellent and long lasting. What I can’t understand is why is everything so much more expensive in the U.S. than other countries. Rent, food, medications, health care, education and many more are 1/3 to 1/2 the cost than in the U.S. Almost all of these are better and less expensive. I am a Pharmacist and I know the drug companies will charge a much higher price in the US than to other countries.
The best laugh from the WSJ, cited by BB comes here:
"To support domestic producers, Ukraine introduced a 25 percent tariff on imported cars in 1991. ZAZ [the local car manufacturer] itself lobbied for the idea of import duties."
Of course, this was about the dumbest move imaginable. BUT you should know what ZAZ was.
A company producing pure outdated crap; compare a slingshot to a machine gun and you have a decent equation. That the opiners of WSJ resort to just an outright weird example tells everything about how weak the sticks are they walk on.
BYD is China’s biggest electric‑car maker, famous for its rock‑bottom prices. Its tiny “Seagull” hatchback sells at home for about US $10 000; even after shipping and a modest margin it could land in the U.S. at well under $20 000—far cheaper than anything Tesla, GM, or Ford can build right now. Washington sees that as an existential threat to domestic brands.
In May 2024 the Biden administration responded by quadrupling the tariff on Chinese‑made EVs from 25 percent to 100 percent. Add the longstanding 2.5 percent car duty plus older Trump‑era surcharges and a Chinese electric car now faces roughly 250 percent total import duty before it can be sold in the United States.
Publicly the White House says the hike targets “unfair Chinese subsidies” and protects American jobs. In practice it prices a US$10 000 BYD at well over US $30 000 once it hits the dock—so cheap Chinese models never make it onto U.S. dealer lots. That gives GM, Ford, and even Tesla—each cushioned by their own mix of federal tax credits, low‑interest loans, and state subsidies—the breathing room to keep selling higher‑priced EVs without facing a BYD price war.
In other words, the tariff acts like a modern‑day ZAZ shield: a policy wall built to keep an ultra‑cheap outsider from embarrassing the home teams.
Here’s the rub in one breath: BYD isn’t about to plunk a factory down in Michigan because a $10 k Chinese city car turns into a $25 k pumpkin the minute you bolt it together with union wages, pricey U.S. real estate, and a tariff roulette wheel that just jumped to 250 percent—so the smart money is a Mexican or Brazilian plant where labour’s cheaper and the trucks roll north only if Washington calms down; meanwhile chipmakers and battery outfits do build in Arizona or Kentucky because Congress waves CHIPS‑Act cash and IRA tax credits big enough to smother wage gaps, while Nike, Sony, and the rest keep stitching sneakers and soldering TVs offshore since nobody’s dangling a footwear subsidy the size of Kentucky; and for all the chest‑thumping about “bringing jobs home,” tariffs raised only about $80 billion last year—five cents on the dollar against a $1.5 trillion interest tab—so unless D.C. offers stable rules and subsidies fatter than overseas margins, companies will keep parking factories wherever the math, not the flag, tells them to.
A VAT (Value-Added Tax) or GST (Goods and Services Tax) does not have the same effect as a tariff.
VAT/GST is a broad-based consumption tax applied equally to both domestic and imported goods and services within a country. It is designed to tax consumption by the end user and is generally neutral for businesses, as they can usually recover the tax paid on inputs.
Tariffs are taxes imposed only on imported goods at the border, making those imports more expensive compared to domestic products. The main purpose is to protect domestic industries and sometimes to exert political pressure.
Aspect VAT/GST Tariff
Application Both domestic and imported goods/services Only imported goods
Purpose Tax on consumption, revenue generation Protect domestic industry, revenue
Effect Neutral between domestic and imported goods Disadvantages imports vs. domestic goods
Refundable Usually recoverable by businesses Not recoverable
Summary:
VAT/GST is a non-discriminatory consumption tax, while a tariff is a trade barrier targeting imports. VAT/GST does not create the same trade distortion or protectionist effect as a tariff.
It is not refunded by the Government in Australia, it is just passed along the chain of purchasers and paid by the last owner. It is no way a subsidy. It is a tax on consumption, the consumer pays it.
Yes Lynda it is refunded, but You fail to mention all the extra paper work involved in suppling the government with all the figures. Who pays for this extra paper work? The industry that is applying for the monies is the one who has to hire and maintain extra help to recover some money. Now on the government side , they have to hire extra staff to implement this "new" tax. Who pays for this in the end , it is You and I the consumer , because We can not claim it on Our taxes. A tax is a tax is a tax. To be spent by the government on their pet projects.
Yes Michael, we poor souls in America have been tortured through 15 years of Obama's "Fundamental Transformation of America", especially these last four years, or Obama's fourth term of torture and hell. It has been a very bad idea, and tens of thousands of innocent Americans and illegals have been tortured, kidnaped, trafficked and murdered for the democrats agenda for America's destruction.
President Trump was elected by a huge majority and can save America from imminent death if his policies are allowed to move forward. The corrupt left is creating road blocks at every intersection of democracy.
It's no wonder the leftist congress only have a 25% favorable opinion. It's going even lower from here, because there is nothing lower then the anti-American causes they fight for...
America’s two big parties love to campaign “for the people.” The moment they swear in, their face‑time goes to Big Oil, Big Pharma, and defense contractors. Under Republicans, the debt ballooned with the Afghanistan and Iraq wars; under Democrats, it swelled again with pricey social programs and healthcare perks. If the government were a business and the parties were different CEOs, each boss just found a new way to max the company credit card and kick the bill to the next administration.
A good chunk of that pull runs through K Street, Washington’s lobbyist playground. Retired senators and staffers hop straight into six‑figure gigs, then ring their old colleagues to tweak laws for paying clients. All perfectly legal, though the aroma of hot money is hard to miss from anywhere else in the world.
Any real fix starts by drying up that cash flow. Enforce a serious cooling‑off period so ex‑officials can’t lobby the day after they leave office. Cap super‑PAC and dark‑money donations so elections stop looking like silent auctions. And put every lobbyist meeting on the record—agenda, names, transcript—so American voters can see who’s actually writing the rules.
Until those money taps are shut, trading control of Congress for new faces is like trading donuts for croissants and calling it a diet—the calories still pile up, just in flakier layers.
Exactly Lucas, and why I love this new administration of rouge non politicians bringing out the corruption of both parties who were nothing less then globalist, starting with the Bush regime and expanding greatly with Obama. The dark truth is about to come out in the light.
I saw a number of years ago a book (paperback) in a used bookstore, a book with the title "The History of Torture." I am ashamed to admit that I did not have the courage to purchase and read it, but such a title did exist. Best always. PM
I'm anxiously awaiting anyone able to articulate a "Plan B" to recover critical domestic manufacturing capacity required for reestablishing BioPharma and other critical industry.
As we all had seen in the Chinese response in turning around ships full of life-saving medical supplies, only four years ago, in response to the COVID epidemic, this need can neither be denied or ignored.
Ditto for semiconductor manufacturing and steel manufacturing critical for mounting any credible defense - or even the rare elements feedstock source, critical to our entire economy.
Barring a coherent response from what I consider to be kneejerk opposition, I'll be cheering on Trumps current tariffs initiative as, at least, the opening gambit to addressing these needs, even if highlighting this issue for the voters is the only positive thing to come of it.
In the immortal words of Abraham Lincoln, in pushing back on objections voiced to U.S. Grant being appointed to lead the Northern Army of the Potomac, at least " He fights".
We can't recover "critical domestic manufacturing capacity" (and I think we have, or can have, that, but we don't have capability anymore) without sound money. And we can't have sound money without a serious, value-add, production economy. The "service economy" has proven to be a chimera and a bust, because it produces nothing that creates sustainable value. Only value can be leveraged. If the service economy worked, we wouldn't have debt into the multiple 10s of trillions of "dollars". Go back to real money. Everything else falls into place. This was at one time Bonner's core argument/principle. Best always. PM
There is a moral and ethical component to every science and every discipline. It is no less true of economics than it is of biology or journalism. Proponents of free trade have maintained that as an economic system it provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people. In other words it is the best system morally and ethically for the planet in terms of wealth production and average standards of living. This thesis can be looked at and questioned from many angles. The first question should be: “How right did we get it?” This question presupposes that there is a right way and a wrong way to implement and sustain free trade, and that the answer is not “all bad” or “all good” but rather that it exists somewhere on a continuum. In other words the thesis maintains that the answer will show, universally, that some people benefited more than others, that some people indeed suffered to the benefit of others, but that the “average” benefit was thought to improve the world through various measures such as health, income, longevity, etc.
But is the system that was implemented best system that it could be? Of course not, but how close did we get it to being “right” from a fallen world perspective? How much better could we and should we have done? These are difficult questions and there are likely as many answers as responders. The bottom line for me is this: Do we get a passing grade such that the conclusion is merely “Press on”? I believe the answer is No.
I give the developed world, including and perhaps especially the US, a grade of “D” in the course work of Globalization and Free Trade. Of course this is both subjective and arguable. My top line reason is the vastly disproportionate wealth transfer and accumulation resulting from globalization and the highly un-democratic apparatus with which it was all implemented and sustained. Secondly and tangentially, my personal opinion is that the creation of so many Billionaires has been bad for the world by every meausure, indeed very bad, on a net basis, but that is topic for a different soap box.
Many in America today at the lower ends of the economic spectrum are suffering. Why are there no Americans willing to take new manufacturing jobs? This question is worth unpacking but I will not attempt it here. Why did the fentanyl crisis emerge at the same time as Americas blue collar and especially rural jobs decline? Is that merely a coincidence? There are many other issues and questions.
I don’t know how Trump’s tariffs will end or how they will leave America and the world in their wake. They may cause a global recession. One was coming anyway. I do feel strongly that the incumbent “system” in our world as it existed at the end of 2024 was badly and even desperately in need of radical change. Of course The Wall Street Journal will have a very different take on all of this.
Brian, You ask many a question, Thanks. My answer to most is the true system of capitalism. It is when government is hardly alive and all concerned are in a win win situation. But then I like to live a simple life where I have some form of control in My life. Natural disasters are beyond any control by man kind. But disasters caused by mankind can be controlled.
Thanks Don. I considered myself a true capitalist most of my life. Winston Churchill reputedly said of Democracy that it was the worse system except for all the others. Perhaps the same can be said of Capitalism. There are many who idealize the term, adding that it never was really allowed to exist in its pure and rightful form but was co-opted and adulterated. That may be the point. We live in a fallen world. Capitalism, as a branch of Economics, falls under the same mandate as to ethics and morals as every other discipline and system. I am no moralist in terms of always pointing fingers and expecting perfection. Far from it. I know where I am, and with whom I share this place. That said, I have changed my view of how all this was done, whether you want to characterize it as a planned result or free happenstance does not remove the onus in my opinion. Far too many people got filthy rich, across the world, in unethical and criminal ways, and the ones in power not only enabled it, but they have ruined the system(yes the capitalist one) that was the real creator of all this wealth in the first place. They have literally destroyed the worlds money system and looted the treasuries in the process. Some call this the result of Capitalism. Some say Socialism. Whatever you call it the same people did it. The result is damnable. There is no other word for it. It is where the system and the powers that be have taken us. So I am not taking aim at capitalism, I am taking aim at what occurred.
The best system is a free system, a system that provides the individual with the ability to perfect himself, using his talents to benefit himself, family, friends and anyone that benefits from his endeavors.
That system existed in the US from the inception of the Constitution; the United States of America, under limited government direction, an outpouring of civic involvement and industrious activity, accomplished an unprecedented human achievement until the early 1900’s and the income tax and the growth of government.
Such government was controlled, ever increasingly, by an amoral group of men.
The foundation, of freedom and prosperity, is always an ingrained morality, a basic honesty and care for neighbor inculcated into the hearts of citizens.
The single most important cause of the demise of the prosperous American system was the loss of morality based on God. We are in grievous offense against God. The US government is evil, it postulates evil enterprises, the warfare state, engages in genocide and mass killing and the only outcome can be an Apocalypse.
There is a world wide order bringing about “The serfdom of Mankind”, “The Abolition of Man.”
Any form of government can be effective, if, the leaders are moral servants of God and neighbor.
Democracy, which allows broad participation, should be the most productive if “Public Opinion” has its foundation in the Spirit that pervades the universe, God, ethics, truth.
Yes what You say is 100% correct. I have to agree that this would be the best way to do things. But human nature being what it is is hard to steer in the correct position. This would be where government could actually be a benefit. They would be the ones that would have rule on whether or not I am ripping You off or You are ripping Me off. Sort of like saying , do all that You said You would do and do not encroach upon another man nor his property.
WD: Bill, you know we have to drain the swamp the damage the politicians have done in the last 10 1520 years has brought us to the brink of collapse but it’s not just the politicians fault. It’s also big corporations they’re not making better products overseas without the help of big corporations it’s all about the money. Big corporations are a big part of the problem. Countries like China subsidize the companies to put our companies out of business. What are our children young adults gonna do for jobs AI is taking a lot of big jobs in the next 10 years we need to find something for the young people to do to make a living. we’re in a bad spot. Things are not working anymore. Change has to happen whether we like it or not whether we can afford it or not I don’t believe that the tariffs will be a long-term Problem I hope that it’s just a negotiating tool !!
It looks to me like the tariffs are the last ditch attempt for survival of a country rambling through solutions and finding none. History tells us that we are following the lead of former empires. If only so called leaders would learn from history but it seems greed and avarice override the lessons of history. So we ask, what else is new? As an aside, we must ask what happens to a culture that murders 50+million unborn precious babies? The Old Testament explains all this very succinctly for those who are willing to use their intellect. There's that history again. God's blessings to all this Easter season; embrace God's love.
I live in an ag community. The ground has been so wet they can't spray, nor can they plant. Depending on the crop (corn or soy, and recently, some wheat) they have some fudge room, but not a lot. Meanwhile, the crown vetch has just taken over everywhere.; the fields are solid purple, and it is becoming a problem in my yard (4 acres), too. I have 2 things to consider: frost date (May 08 here) and then I can't set out seedlings until the pre-emergents have been sprayed everywhere ( I have crop fields on 2 sides of me). Seldom do they disc the fields anymore; they just spray and then "knife" the seeds in. Best always. PM
Tired of the negativity. This is a political move not an economic one.
The USA needs to gain control of our debt. The world needs to quite counting on the USA
to police, buy all their goods, and tariffs ours. It is a reset, quit crying and deal with it.
I think I love you, Lynda...
Thanks, I can use all the love I can get!!
For once and only once!
That's what she said.
💕💕💕💕💕💕
Thanks
Charming rebutt....!
Hey, SE. Me too!
Your opinion is noted, but there’s a pothole in the logic you’re driving over.
Most of us tune in because Bill Bonner shoots straight. He’s pointing out the same lesson Hoover ignored: slap‑dash tariffs don’t fix structural problems—they just reshuffle the wreckage.
Meanwhile, Washington is sitting on 36 trillion dollars in IOUs. That’s the main course. Tariffs are the dinner‑theater sideshow. Tick off enough trading partners and nobody lines up to buy U.S. Treasuries—the musical‑chairs funding game stops and the lights go out.
If the game plan is to wall off imports and still expect China, Japan, and every pension fund on earth to keep buying U.S. government paper, explain why they wouldn’t just walk away.
Otherwise, it sounds like classic bridge‑troll rhetoric—“quit crying and deal with it”—while the real beast (overspending) keeps stomping around. Show us evidence that broad tariffs cut deficits or spark lasting growth. If there isn’t any, step out from under the bridge and join the conversation about how the U.S. can finally live within its means before the music stops.
Most countries, quit buying our Debt, China in 2014. They buy the NASDQ, way better return. They are monetizing our debt against us. They are turning our middle class into serfs on welfare and/or drugs. The American people spoke LOUDLY in the 2024 election. Trump took them at their word, as he had campaigned to these points.
Now we will have some short term pain for this. However the only other way is a complete collapse of our America. Please lookup FFTT publication for a terrific in depth analysis of the problems and solutions. Luke Groman is special.
I do play Duplicate Bridge by the way.
My best,
Lynda
Most countries may have trimmed their Treasury buying, but they haven’t abandoned it. Japan, the U.K., Canada—and yes, even China—still added U.S. paper this year. The notion that sovereign wealth funds have stampeded into the NASDAQ instead is wishful thinking. Reserve managers aren’t keen on explaining to taxpayers why their “safe assets” vaporised the next time tech stocks drop 5 % before lunch.
How exactly does that “monetising our debt” comment work? If anything, Washington monetises its own debt: the Fed buys what Congress sells. Blaming foreigners for bond math they can’t control is like blaming your neighbour for your credit‑card bill.
And the claim that “they” are turning the middle class into serfs on welfare or drugs? Drug or alcohol use is a personal choice. Welfare rules come from Capitol Hill, not Beijing or Riyadh. Point the finger where the policies are written—inside the Beltway.
Trump vowed to drain the swamp. The deepest part of that swamp is the Military‑Industrial Complex: $850 billion a year, and the Pentagon hasn’t passed a single audit since full audits began in 2018. DEI workshops didn’t run up that tab—defence contractors did.
Tariffs won’t fix it. Even a 100 % duty on every import lands on U.S. consumers first, and the extra revenue wouldn’t come close to covering a $1.5 trillion annual interest bill, let alone the principal. Plenty of evidence shows tariffs shrink trade volumes faster than they raise tax receipts.
I agree there’s another path besides collapse. Bill Bonner laid out a brutal but straightforward plan in his “Clowns and Jokers” post from December 2022: cut spending to the bone, let rates find their level, and live within actual means. Painful, yes—but it drains the swamp faster than a tariff band‑aid.
I don’t play bridge, but I’m always up for Canasta—or a quick game of chess if you’d rather keep the metaphors on a board instead of the battlefield.
Thanks for your reply, but I respectfully disagree.
As we are allowed to in a civilized society. Come back in 3.75 years and we can remenisce about how Trump did or didn't do. Or sooner, if you actually have an argument you might like to propose.
Since we are .083 percent into Trump's term, I believe in giving him the benefit of the doubt right now. But you are correct that most politicians say one thing when running for office and then completely reverse themselves once in office. LIARS ! I am praying that this administration will break that scenario.
Thanks for the discussion.
Where was the WSJ when Joe Biden was in office if they are so sensible now? At least with Trump, you know every player and face. If it blows up, there is no hiding. Trump getting elected was the best thing that happened to this newsletter. You will have three and half more years belittling everything that he does, then probably another 4 to 8 years blaming Trump for everything that goes on with the next 2 or 3 administrations. It's like a comedian that never changes his jokes or routines.
WSJ. That's becoming unreliable and woke outfit just like most. .
Exactly. When the Liberals, Sociallist or Communist regain government control, we can depend on Bill telling us how their policies (whatever they are) are not working (like you said), solely because of Trump. Heck, if they can, they would hold a war crime tribunal and convict Trump of war crimes. That way they could tell us how everything bad was Trump's fault, not theirs, and Bill could give us an unbaised opinion of the procedings.
They’re all idiots.
If Washington can’t slam the brakes on its spending binge—because the rot now runs marrow‑deep—then only a hard‑reset will do. Strip every line item to the bone, force the next crop of politicians to govern under a balanced‑budget straightjacket, and make it clear that fiscal malpractice is a career‑ending offense.
Give the reset a century or two of breathing room, and maybe the lesson sticks.
Meanwhile, the military‑industrial machine—that bipartisan cash vacuum—will keep humming in the background, ready to supply whatever hardware is needed to “enforce the rules.” It doesn’t care who’s at the podium, only that the checks clear and the gears keep turning.
Until that gravy train is uncoupled from policy and the books finally balance, expect more debt, more excuses, and the same recycled sales pitch from whichever tribe holds the mic.
The fact is we need the $850 billion military, especially now, and we need to spend more getting ready for the coming last world war with China. Last until the world cleans up the nuclear wasted cities. The true problem is the 1.5 trillion we will waste on our national debt interest this year. Truly the only problem.
Steve, the real hole in the hull isn’t China on the horizon; it’s a Washington culture that hits “Add to Cart” every time a shiny new weapons system pops up. Congress and the president line up the orders, and the military‑industrial complex tugs at their sleeves to make sure the cart stays full. After seventy‑plus years of rubber‑stamping that wish list, the tab is so high nobody even pretends to read the price tags.
I’m typing this at the tail end of a Southeast Asia trip. One “highlight” was the War Remnants Museum in Saigon—officially Ho Chi Minh City. At first I assumed the name was a clunky translation of “War Museum.” Then I stepped inside. The entire plaza is littered with abandoned U.S. hardware: jet fighters, helicopters, tanks, troop carriers, artillery pieces—the works. My first thought? Some granny in northern Minnesota paid for that M‑114 howitzer, and she’d be furious to see it rusting in the tropics after her tax dollars shipped it halfway around the world, used it to kill people, and then left it behind. Nothing screams “budget discipline” like a graveyard of hardware stamped Made in USA.
From my seat outside the United States, it’s hard not to wonder where the world would be if America had skipped even half the coups and brush‑fire wars it has stirred up since 1945. The U.S. debt wouldn’t be flirting with $36 trillion, and plenty of countries might still think “America” means jazz and blue jeans instead of drone footage and newsreel shots of abandoned U.S. junkyards in Vietnam, Afghanistan, or Iraq.
The stats are brutal. Tufts University’s Military Intervention Project counts nearly four hundred U.S. deployments since 1776—about two hundred of them after 1950. Another survey clocks more than seventy covert regime‑change operations during the Cold War alone. Intervention has become a subscription service that auto‑renews more often than Netflix.
Yes, the roughly $1.5 trillion the U.S. will pay in interest this year is a killer. But that figure only looks “manageable” because the Pentagon’s credit line stays wide open. Until someone in Washington clicks “cancel subscription,” the rest of us—taxpayers and onlookers alike—will keep footing the bill for the deluxe plan, whether or not the next sequel has a happy ending.
Exactly Bill, you nailed it! You let us know “what we knew All along”! President Trumps policies will hurt us a little, but will devastate the globalist nations who side with China, all of whom are hanging on by a thread before they collapse. Trump is just the knife to cut that thread and economically break the globalist down and cause a movement of the people, for the people, and take their countries back like Argentina and America. Yes Bill, you seem to be siding with the wrong side of history 🤔
what we knew all along is the economic impact, which will be short term. Politically they will reset, pay down the deficit, and as deals are cut the economics will improve significantly. Short term pain, no doubt. Without it, this country is sunk.
Adam smith's invisible hand did not mean in your pocket on your throat and up your ass. Of course free trade is best. We haven't had it in at least fifty years.
Or ever
Huh?
Here's hoping everyone has a Blessed Good Friday and a Resurrection weekend full of Grace and Gratitude!
Thank you brother! Wishing you and all a safe, happy, healthy and blessed Easter Sunday🙏💕
Amen Brother
Back at you, Bro. Best always. PM
One more onesided story by Bill and his nonsensical backup the slanted opinions of the wsj. I hear all the naysayers and their prophecies of doom but never how they would have done it. Just negativity at Trump and the intelligent diverse group assembled in this admn. Maybe it works out better then imagined, maybe not. But I think there are many more like me allowing things to run their course and give his plans a chance. Curious to see if Bill apologizes if it succeeds. My guess he won’t.
Intelligent diverse group…that was the first Trump administration…,not now
First administration was mainly Deep Staters who wanted to keep status quo with them in charge. Now we have some real change. VDH says it best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCku0tt5PlA
There is more to Tariffs than just stock prices. There is national security in building at home as President Trump has already got $7 Trillion in commitments from companies to build it here, from Apple to Honda and others. Having our pharma made here and building up the industrial base is part of National Security. Much bigger picture.
Well your entitled to your opinion. I’ll stick with mine.
I’ll be first in line to say sorry if the plan works.
But let’s be real: tariffs are taxes in disguise. They won’t fix a $36 trillion credit‑card bill; they just shuffle the pain around. Even Musk—whose entire empire relies on global supply chains—can’t pretend higher import taxes help.
Want a slogan that actually makes America great? Spend Less Than We Make.
That’s like telling Congress they have to weigh in every month and switch to veggies until the scale drops. Anyone believe they’ll stick to it? Me neither.
So sure, let the experiment run. Just don’t act surprised when the bill—and the waistline—only get bigger.
He will be speaking about the chinese version of oliver twist... More please?
Maybe we could export all the government bureaucrats so that other countries would have to deal with all of our regulations. That would raise their costs and “improve “ the whole world.
BRILLIANT!!
Welcome Back, Sluggo de man!
Thank you, sir! You’re too kind 😉
Bill: currently there is no level playing field. Most countries have specialized citizens that produce excellent products. i.e. Brazil=shoes, Argentina=beef, Portugal=ceramics, USA=grain, japan, Germany, France=cars, etc. if the products are of high quality, trade can occur without countries subsidizing companies. We buy them because they are excellent and long lasting. What I can’t understand is why is everything so much more expensive in the U.S. than other countries. Rent, food, medications, health care, education and many more are 1/3 to 1/2 the cost than in the U.S. Almost all of these are better and less expensive. I am a Pharmacist and I know the drug companies will charge a much higher price in the US than to other countries.
When government(s) pick winners and losers, there are very few winners.
The best laugh from the WSJ, cited by BB comes here:
"To support domestic producers, Ukraine introduced a 25 percent tariff on imported cars in 1991. ZAZ [the local car manufacturer] itself lobbied for the idea of import duties."
Of course, this was about the dumbest move imaginable. BUT you should know what ZAZ was.
A company producing pure outdated crap; compare a slingshot to a machine gun and you have a decent equation. That the opiners of WSJ resort to just an outright weird example tells everything about how weak the sticks are they walk on.
And Bonner repeats it.
BYD is China’s biggest electric‑car maker, famous for its rock‑bottom prices. Its tiny “Seagull” hatchback sells at home for about US $10 000; even after shipping and a modest margin it could land in the U.S. at well under $20 000—far cheaper than anything Tesla, GM, or Ford can build right now. Washington sees that as an existential threat to domestic brands.
In May 2024 the Biden administration responded by quadrupling the tariff on Chinese‑made EVs from 25 percent to 100 percent. Add the longstanding 2.5 percent car duty plus older Trump‑era surcharges and a Chinese electric car now faces roughly 250 percent total import duty before it can be sold in the United States.
Publicly the White House says the hike targets “unfair Chinese subsidies” and protects American jobs. In practice it prices a US$10 000 BYD at well over US $30 000 once it hits the dock—so cheap Chinese models never make it onto U.S. dealer lots. That gives GM, Ford, and even Tesla—each cushioned by their own mix of federal tax credits, low‑interest loans, and state subsidies—the breathing room to keep selling higher‑priced EVs without facing a BYD price war.
In other words, the tariff acts like a modern‑day ZAZ shield: a policy wall built to keep an ultra‑cheap outsider from embarrassing the home teams.
So maybe BYD should build their cars in good ol USA!
Here’s the rub in one breath: BYD isn’t about to plunk a factory down in Michigan because a $10 k Chinese city car turns into a $25 k pumpkin the minute you bolt it together with union wages, pricey U.S. real estate, and a tariff roulette wheel that just jumped to 250 percent—so the smart money is a Mexican or Brazilian plant where labour’s cheaper and the trucks roll north only if Washington calms down; meanwhile chipmakers and battery outfits do build in Arizona or Kentucky because Congress waves CHIPS‑Act cash and IRA tax credits big enough to smother wage gaps, while Nike, Sony, and the rest keep stitching sneakers and soldering TVs offshore since nobody’s dangling a footwear subsidy the size of Kentucky; and for all the chest‑thumping about “bringing jobs home,” tariffs raised only about $80 billion last year—five cents on the dollar against a $1.5 trillion interest tab—so unless D.C. offers stable rules and subsidies fatter than overseas margins, companies will keep parking factories wherever the math, not the flag, tells them to.
I think you pointed out a truely good example where Adam Smith's theory works well
And also picked one, where Biden tariffs are good, good, good and Trump tariffs are bad, bad, bad, ;-)
?? Nail meet hammer
Europe has a hidden tariff called VAT of 20%.
USA doesn’t have that!
So, Europe will have to pay a tariff of 20% to sell to the USA.
That’s only fair!
Or, the Europeans can just call it a TARIFF!
A VAT (Value-Added Tax) or GST (Goods and Services Tax) does not have the same effect as a tariff.
VAT/GST is a broad-based consumption tax applied equally to both domestic and imported goods and services within a country. It is designed to tax consumption by the end user and is generally neutral for businesses, as they can usually recover the tax paid on inputs.
Tariffs are taxes imposed only on imported goods at the border, making those imports more expensive compared to domestic products. The main purpose is to protect domestic industries and sometimes to exert political pressure.
Aspect VAT/GST Tariff
Application Both domestic and imported goods/services Only imported goods
Purpose Tax on consumption, revenue generation Protect domestic industry, revenue
Effect Neutral between domestic and imported goods Disadvantages imports vs. domestic goods
Refundable Usually recoverable by businesses Not recoverable
Summary:
VAT/GST is a non-discriminatory consumption tax, while a tariff is a trade barrier targeting imports. VAT/GST does not create the same trade distortion or protectionist effect as a tariff.
Now that is an excellent explanation. Thanks. Clem Devine.
Being Australian I know all about gst, we have 10% on most stuff except staple food items.
We also have income tax, sales tax, payroll tax, etc, etc, taxes up to the eyeballs ha ha.
No different than being in Canada. Tax anything that moves.
Welcome to the West!
Yes the slowly declining West.
Start a Populist movement
I disagree, the VAT is refunded to Wholesale and Manufacturers from the government.
This is a subsidy. When USA products are charged it is not refunded. BIG
It is not refunded by the Government in Australia, it is just passed along the chain of purchasers and paid by the last owner. It is no way a subsidy. It is a tax on consumption, the consumer pays it.
I assume the EU VAT works the same way.
In Canada it is refunded, and the EU has some refunded to manufacturers.
Yes Lynda it is refunded, but You fail to mention all the extra paper work involved in suppling the government with all the figures. Who pays for this extra paper work? The industry that is applying for the monies is the one who has to hire and maintain extra help to recover some money. Now on the government side , they have to hire extra staff to implement this "new" tax. Who pays for this in the end , it is You and I the consumer , because We can not claim it on Our taxes. A tax is a tax is a tax. To be spent by the government on their pet projects.
I agree, but the big guys have the staff already, the little guys get kicked.
But it is still a subsidy from the government to big business. It also leads to BIG government in every department not just VAT or HST.
Need to get the chainsaw out.
Don, VAT/GST is NOT refunded by Government. See my latest answer to Lynda above.
I'm not sure what tax you are talking about that is refunded...
Maybe you can so some research about how VAT/GST works?
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/does-canada-have-a-vat-r6xIBqs4QmmD9wU8GdC4ww
Thanks Clem, but I could not get this ai to give me anything but individuals.
It just would not respond when asking for manufacturers or wholesale.
Permanent Tarrifs are a bad idea but so is torture a bad idea. The threat of torture is not a bad idea if it can save a life from imminent death.
Yes Michael, we poor souls in America have been tortured through 15 years of Obama's "Fundamental Transformation of America", especially these last four years, or Obama's fourth term of torture and hell. It has been a very bad idea, and tens of thousands of innocent Americans and illegals have been tortured, kidnaped, trafficked and murdered for the democrats agenda for America's destruction.
President Trump was elected by a huge majority and can save America from imminent death if his policies are allowed to move forward. The corrupt left is creating road blocks at every intersection of democracy.
It's no wonder the leftist congress only have a 25% favorable opinion. It's going even lower from here, because there is nothing lower then the anti-American causes they fight for...
America’s two big parties love to campaign “for the people.” The moment they swear in, their face‑time goes to Big Oil, Big Pharma, and defense contractors. Under Republicans, the debt ballooned with the Afghanistan and Iraq wars; under Democrats, it swelled again with pricey social programs and healthcare perks. If the government were a business and the parties were different CEOs, each boss just found a new way to max the company credit card and kick the bill to the next administration.
A good chunk of that pull runs through K Street, Washington’s lobbyist playground. Retired senators and staffers hop straight into six‑figure gigs, then ring their old colleagues to tweak laws for paying clients. All perfectly legal, though the aroma of hot money is hard to miss from anywhere else in the world.
Any real fix starts by drying up that cash flow. Enforce a serious cooling‑off period so ex‑officials can’t lobby the day after they leave office. Cap super‑PAC and dark‑money donations so elections stop looking like silent auctions. And put every lobbyist meeting on the record—agenda, names, transcript—so American voters can see who’s actually writing the rules.
Until those money taps are shut, trading control of Congress for new faces is like trading donuts for croissants and calling it a diet—the calories still pile up, just in flakier layers.
Exactly Lucas, and why I love this new administration of rouge non politicians bringing out the corruption of both parties who were nothing less then globalist, starting with the Bush regime and expanding greatly with Obama. The dark truth is about to come out in the light.
I saw a number of years ago a book (paperback) in a used bookstore, a book with the title "The History of Torture." I am ashamed to admit that I did not have the courage to purchase and read it, but such a title did exist. Best always. PM
And, pray tell, from what Sage did that originate, hmm?
I'm anxiously awaiting anyone able to articulate a "Plan B" to recover critical domestic manufacturing capacity required for reestablishing BioPharma and other critical industry.
As we all had seen in the Chinese response in turning around ships full of life-saving medical supplies, only four years ago, in response to the COVID epidemic, this need can neither be denied or ignored.
Ditto for semiconductor manufacturing and steel manufacturing critical for mounting any credible defense - or even the rare elements feedstock source, critical to our entire economy.
Barring a coherent response from what I consider to be kneejerk opposition, I'll be cheering on Trumps current tariffs initiative as, at least, the opening gambit to addressing these needs, even if highlighting this issue for the voters is the only positive thing to come of it.
In the immortal words of Abraham Lincoln, in pushing back on objections voiced to U.S. Grant being appointed to lead the Northern Army of the Potomac, at least " He fights".
We can't recover "critical domestic manufacturing capacity" (and I think we have, or can have, that, but we don't have capability anymore) without sound money. And we can't have sound money without a serious, value-add, production economy. The "service economy" has proven to be a chimera and a bust, because it produces nothing that creates sustainable value. Only value can be leveraged. If the service economy worked, we wouldn't have debt into the multiple 10s of trillions of "dollars". Go back to real money. Everything else falls into place. This was at one time Bonner's core argument/principle. Best always. PM
There is a moral and ethical component to every science and every discipline. It is no less true of economics than it is of biology or journalism. Proponents of free trade have maintained that as an economic system it provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people. In other words it is the best system morally and ethically for the planet in terms of wealth production and average standards of living. This thesis can be looked at and questioned from many angles. The first question should be: “How right did we get it?” This question presupposes that there is a right way and a wrong way to implement and sustain free trade, and that the answer is not “all bad” or “all good” but rather that it exists somewhere on a continuum. In other words the thesis maintains that the answer will show, universally, that some people benefited more than others, that some people indeed suffered to the benefit of others, but that the “average” benefit was thought to improve the world through various measures such as health, income, longevity, etc.
But is the system that was implemented best system that it could be? Of course not, but how close did we get it to being “right” from a fallen world perspective? How much better could we and should we have done? These are difficult questions and there are likely as many answers as responders. The bottom line for me is this: Do we get a passing grade such that the conclusion is merely “Press on”? I believe the answer is No.
I give the developed world, including and perhaps especially the US, a grade of “D” in the course work of Globalization and Free Trade. Of course this is both subjective and arguable. My top line reason is the vastly disproportionate wealth transfer and accumulation resulting from globalization and the highly un-democratic apparatus with which it was all implemented and sustained. Secondly and tangentially, my personal opinion is that the creation of so many Billionaires has been bad for the world by every meausure, indeed very bad, on a net basis, but that is topic for a different soap box.
Many in America today at the lower ends of the economic spectrum are suffering. Why are there no Americans willing to take new manufacturing jobs? This question is worth unpacking but I will not attempt it here. Why did the fentanyl crisis emerge at the same time as Americas blue collar and especially rural jobs decline? Is that merely a coincidence? There are many other issues and questions.
I don’t know how Trump’s tariffs will end or how they will leave America and the world in their wake. They may cause a global recession. One was coming anyway. I do feel strongly that the incumbent “system” in our world as it existed at the end of 2024 was badly and even desperately in need of radical change. Of course The Wall Street Journal will have a very different take on all of this.
Brian, You ask many a question, Thanks. My answer to most is the true system of capitalism. It is when government is hardly alive and all concerned are in a win win situation. But then I like to live a simple life where I have some form of control in My life. Natural disasters are beyond any control by man kind. But disasters caused by mankind can be controlled.
Thanks Don. I considered myself a true capitalist most of my life. Winston Churchill reputedly said of Democracy that it was the worse system except for all the others. Perhaps the same can be said of Capitalism. There are many who idealize the term, adding that it never was really allowed to exist in its pure and rightful form but was co-opted and adulterated. That may be the point. We live in a fallen world. Capitalism, as a branch of Economics, falls under the same mandate as to ethics and morals as every other discipline and system. I am no moralist in terms of always pointing fingers and expecting perfection. Far from it. I know where I am, and with whom I share this place. That said, I have changed my view of how all this was done, whether you want to characterize it as a planned result or free happenstance does not remove the onus in my opinion. Far too many people got filthy rich, across the world, in unethical and criminal ways, and the ones in power not only enabled it, but they have ruined the system(yes the capitalist one) that was the real creator of all this wealth in the first place. They have literally destroyed the worlds money system and looted the treasuries in the process. Some call this the result of Capitalism. Some say Socialism. Whatever you call it the same people did it. The result is damnable. There is no other word for it. It is where the system and the powers that be have taken us. So I am not taking aim at capitalism, I am taking aim at what occurred.
The best system is a free system, a system that provides the individual with the ability to perfect himself, using his talents to benefit himself, family, friends and anyone that benefits from his endeavors.
That system existed in the US from the inception of the Constitution; the United States of America, under limited government direction, an outpouring of civic involvement and industrious activity, accomplished an unprecedented human achievement until the early 1900’s and the income tax and the growth of government.
Such government was controlled, ever increasingly, by an amoral group of men.
The foundation, of freedom and prosperity, is always an ingrained morality, a basic honesty and care for neighbor inculcated into the hearts of citizens.
The single most important cause of the demise of the prosperous American system was the loss of morality based on God. We are in grievous offense against God. The US government is evil, it postulates evil enterprises, the warfare state, engages in genocide and mass killing and the only outcome can be an Apocalypse.
There is a world wide order bringing about “The serfdom of Mankind”, “The Abolition of Man.”
Any form of government can be effective, if, the leaders are moral servants of God and neighbor.
Democracy, which allows broad participation, should be the most productive if “Public Opinion” has its foundation in the Spirit that pervades the universe, God, ethics, truth.
You only need the salt and the yeast of goodness in powerful positions, evil always exists.
Yes what You say is 100% correct. I have to agree that this would be the best way to do things. But human nature being what it is is hard to steer in the correct position. This would be where government could actually be a benefit. They would be the ones that would have rule on whether or not I am ripping You off or You are ripping Me off. Sort of like saying , do all that You said You would do and do not encroach upon another man nor his property.
WD: Bill, you know we have to drain the swamp the damage the politicians have done in the last 10 1520 years has brought us to the brink of collapse but it’s not just the politicians fault. It’s also big corporations they’re not making better products overseas without the help of big corporations it’s all about the money. Big corporations are a big part of the problem. Countries like China subsidize the companies to put our companies out of business. What are our children young adults gonna do for jobs AI is taking a lot of big jobs in the next 10 years we need to find something for the young people to do to make a living. we’re in a bad spot. Things are not working anymore. Change has to happen whether we like it or not whether we can afford it or not I don’t believe that the tariffs will be a long-term Problem I hope that it’s just a negotiating tool !!
It looks to me like the tariffs are the last ditch attempt for survival of a country rambling through solutions and finding none. History tells us that we are following the lead of former empires. If only so called leaders would learn from history but it seems greed and avarice override the lessons of history. So we ask, what else is new? As an aside, we must ask what happens to a culture that murders 50+million unborn precious babies? The Old Testament explains all this very succinctly for those who are willing to use their intellect. There's that history again. God's blessings to all this Easter season; embrace God's love.
Happy Easter, everybody. I appreciate everyone here. Many thanks. Best always. PM
Happy Easter to you as well Paul .
I hope spring is coming where you are .
Regards .John
I live in Indiana. It's a process of fits and starts, but it gets there eventually. Many thanks. Best always. PM
Up here in Northern Alberta winter hangs on until about now and then suddenly Spring ,with full blown Summer not far behind .
We are farmers and now begins the most critical part of our year .It is a truly invigorating time .
John
I live in an ag community. The ground has been so wet they can't spray, nor can they plant. Depending on the crop (corn or soy, and recently, some wheat) they have some fudge room, but not a lot. Meanwhile, the crown vetch has just taken over everywhere.; the fields are solid purple, and it is becoming a problem in my yard (4 acres), too. I have 2 things to consider: frost date (May 08 here) and then I can't set out seedlings until the pre-emergents have been sprayed everywhere ( I have crop fields on 2 sides of me). Seldom do they disc the fields anymore; they just spray and then "knife" the seeds in. Best always. PM