A Total Destruction Of The Political Center. Does Anyone Speak For You?

Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,

Squeezed Left and Right

Let’s briefly discuss Germany before turning attention to the US.

Please consider Squeezed Left and Right.

There has been a shocking poll in Thuringia, the only German state run by a prime minister of the Left Party, and also a stronghold of the AfD. The poll is about the impact of a potential new party led by Sahra Wagenknecht, the most flamboyant of all Left Party MPs, who has fallen out with her colleagues over Ukraine and immigration. She is pro-Russia and anti-immigrant, positions that put her much closer to the AfD than the Left Party.

The poll puts her in the lead in the state at 25%, followed by the AfD at 22% and the Left Party at 18%. German journalists have focused on the extent to which she could cannibalize the AfD’s vote. What they did not point out is the far more worrying statistics that two thirds of the people polled in Thuringia are supporting extremist parties. Even if the centrist parties all join up, it will not be possible for them to form a government.

As Die Welt pointed out, the nomination of Rackete could be a problem for the Greens, who have come under increasing criticism from left-wing action groups. Die Welt writes that the strategy of the Left Party is no longer to portray itself as the left-wing alternative of the SPD, but as a left-wing alternative to the Greens. There are a lot of frustrated environmentalists in Germany.

The only constant in German politics right now is the disappointment with the government, and the weakness of Friedrich Merz.

Let’s now turn our attention to the US, starting with Democrats. Don’t worry, Republicans are next.

How Biden Compares With Past Presidents

Congratulations to president Biden for polling better than Jimmy Carter.

The irony is obvious. Inflation is higher under Biden than any president since Carter.

US Centrists, Where Art Thou?

President Biden campaigned as a centrist and a healer. He has been neither. He is the Progressive’s wet dream candidate, so much so that the majority of Democrats do not want him to run.

For starters, Biden nominated an outright Marxist for comptroller of the currency.

Biden’s Bank Regulatory Nominee Espouses Helicopter Money and Praises the Old USSR

Please note Biden’s Bank Regulatory Nominee Espouses Helicopter Money and Praises the Old USSR

Joe Biden’s nominee for the Comptroller of the Currency Saule Omarova on oil, coal and gas industries: “We want them to go bankrupt if we want to tackle climate change.”

The People’s Ledger: How to Democratize Money and Finance the Economy

Click on the link and Download the report. It’s a doozie. Straight out of the Marxist handbook.

She proposes ending banks and giving everyone a direct account at the Fed to stimulate the economy.

Saule Omarova calls her idea a “People’s QE”. She is so bad, not even Senate Democrats could rally behind her.

Sorry Starbucks, you Can’t Close That Store

Next, consider Starbucks Is Stuck on Union Time

A ruling last week from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) holds that Starbucks broke labor rules last year when it closed a store in Ithaca, N.Y. The complaint was brought by Workers United, which represents employees there and has organized more than 300 Starbucks stores since 2021. The ruling from an NLRB judge validated the union’s claim that the store closure was an attempt to punish workers for joining up.

But the holding gives little weight to what happened in between. By April employees had informed regional managers that a grease trap behind the shop, shared with other stores in the strip mall, was leaking into Starbucks and “emitted a strong odor.” Another cause for scrutiny was frequent absence and lateness among the staff, which the ruling concedes weren’t addressed by local shift managers. “There were no standards being followed,” Starbucks management notes.

Imagine having a business and whether or not a location is making any money or has safety problems the government forces you to keep that store open.

This is Biden’s NRLB in action. I hope Starbucks takes this case to the Supreme Court and the court crams it straight down his throat.

Speaking of court cases, team Biden just cannot stay on the right side of the constitution.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Student Debt Cancellation, Cites Nancy Pelosi

On June 30, I commented Supreme Court Strikes Down Student Debt Cancellation, Cites Nancy Pelosi

The US Supreme Court wisely struck down President Biden’s executive power garb that usurps powers granted by the Constitution to the legislative branch of government. The 77-Page Supreme Court Decision was 6-3.

A paragraph on page 23 (PDF page 28) caught my eye.

… (quoting Gonzales v. Oregon, 546 U. S. 243, 267–268 (2006)). As then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi explained: “People think that the President of the United States has the power for debt forgiveness. He does not. He can postpone. He can delay. But he does not have that power. That has to be an act of Congress.” Press Conference, Office of the Speaker of the House (July 28, 2021).

If you thought Nancy Pelosi never made any sense, you stand corrected.

I believe student debt cancellation is a very bad idea. But the debate is moot because it does not matter I think or you think, simply because student debt cancellation is blatantly unconstitutional. The founders of the US wisely created three branches of government.

The Executive Branch is supposed to carry out the law. And the Constitution gives Congress, not the President, the power of the purse.

President Biden openly and willingly flouted the law, so much so, that even Nancy Pelosi agreed.

Free Money and Resultant Inflation

The three rounds of fiscal stimulus are clearly visible. The first two were enacted under Trump. The third was sponsored by President Biden and approved by Congress.

The third round of stimulus was totally unwarranted and helped set off the biggest rise in inflation since president Carter. The Fed also played a big role. Also the Fed should have seen this coming, but didn’t.

For discussion, please see A Reader Asks “Does an Increase in Money Supply Cause Inflation?”

The Other Side of the Political Coin

Trump is crass and as polarizing as Biden.

But it’s not just Trump who’s polarizing. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbot both signed extremely restrictive abortion views, wildly out of touch with views of the American public.

DeSantis brags about that at Florida.Gov, Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Heartbeat Protection Act

“We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I applaud the Legislature for passing the Heartbeat Protection Act that expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families.”

While other states like California and New York have legalized infanticide up until birth, Governor DeSantis has enacted historic measures to defend the dignity of human life and transform Florida into a pro-family state

There’s the two extremes in one paragraph. It’s a case of anything goes, vs almost nothing at all.

Broader Support for Abortion Rights Continues Post-Dobbs

On June 14, 2023, Gallup reported Broader Support for Abortion Rights Continues Post-Dobbs

• A record-high 69% say abortion should generally be legal in the first three months of pregnancy. The prior high of 67% was recorded last May after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization draft was leaked, showing that the court planned to nullify constitutional protection for abortion.
• Most Americans oppose abortion later in pregnancy, but the 37% saying it should be legal in the second three months of pregnancy and 22% in the last three months of pregnancy are the highest Gallup has found in trends since 1996.
• Gallup’s oldest trend on the legality of abortion finds 34% of Americans believe abortion should be legal under any circumstances, nearly matching last year’s record-high 35% and above the 27% average since 1975. Another 51% currently say abortion should be legal under certain circumstances, while 13% (similar to the all-time low of 12%) want it illegal in all circumstances.
• Fifty-two percent of Americans say abortion is morally acceptable, matching last year’s all-time high. This is 10 percentage points above the historical average since 2001.

Extreme Republican positions on Abortions almost cost Republicans the House in the latest midterms. Despite that obvious fact, DeSantis went ahead anyway.

What About Immigration?

The Democrat position is an open door policy, complete with free housing, medical care, and other assistance. DeSantis went the other way in extreme fashion.

Will Florida’s Immigration Crackdown Cause a Spike in Food and Shelter?

On July 3, I asked Will Florida’s Immigration Crackdown Cause a Spike in Food and Shelter?

Florida’s illegal immigration crackdown started on July 1. An exodus of workers is underway. A Florida produce packing company owner asks “How are we going to run the farms?”

Without migrant workers picking crops, food prices in the US would soar.

Is there no middle ground here? Is there no room for gainfully employed workers who will do a job that no US citizens want?

Driving needed workers out of Florida is not going to do Florida or the nation any good. Isn’t there something between “anything goes open borders” and “send them all back no matter how productive they are or how long they have been here“?

I 100% agree with the take on @zerohedge regarding DeSantis’ Big Mistake.

Discussed here.https://t.co/fTVuGfebWY https://t.co/QQAMwottx1 pic.twitter.com/85XbgGoE80

— Mike “Mish” Shedlock (@MishGEA) July 22, 2023

Bombing Mexico

Both parties support endless wars and constant US meddling, but Republicans are far more extreme.

To stop the drug trade, NY magazine reported Trump Wanted to Fire Rockets Into Mexico and Pretend Like the U.S. Didn’t Do It.

Politico reports GOP Embraces a New Foreign Policy: Bomb Mexico to Stop Fentanyl.

In recent weeks, Donald Trump has discussed sending “special forces” and using “cyber warfare” to target cartel leaders if he’s reelected president and, per Rolling Stone, asked for “battle plans” to strike Mexico. Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) introduced a bill seeking authorization for the use of military force to “put us at war with the cartels.” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said he is open to sending U.S. troops into Mexico to target drug lords even without that nation’s permission. And lawmakers in both chambers have filed legislation to label some cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a move supported by GOP presidential aspirants.

Using military force on cartels without Mexico’s permission “would not be the preferred option, but we would absolutely be willing to do it,” entrepreneur and conservative activist Vivek Ramaswamy said in an interview.

— Mike “Mish” Shedlock (@MishGEA) July 23, 2023

Twice Accused

I have twice been accused, in the same day, of being extreme Right and extreme Left. If I split this post in half and did it in two pieces, I am pretty sure I could do it again.

The fact of the matter is, I don’t like any of the candidates.

For starters, I would like to see the constitution upheld. Bombing or sending US troops to Mexico is a belligerent act of war that constitutionally requires such a declaration.

Article I, Section 8, Clause 11: [The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To declare War,

But here we are causally proposing bombing or sending troops to Mexico without Mexico’s permission. Yes, that’s extreme.

I am a Libertarian. I believe in small government, minding our own business, staying out of wars, and not giving a damn if two men or women want to get married.

But I draw the line at forcing people with different religious views to bake cakes for gay couples.

The Choices

It appears we may be heading for another Trump-Biden showdown that a huge majority doesn’t want. Any semblance of the middle is dead, on nearly every issue.

Trump and Biden arguably deserve each other, but the country doesn’t. Unfortunately, no other candidate from either party is much different than those two.

This post seems entirely political. It’s not.

Regulatory madness, free money policies, push for unions and free healthcare for all are highly inflationary.

So are endless military action and unjustified wars. And both parties embrace terrible protectionist polices and excess military spending.

Here Are Your Choices

• Bombing Mexico vs Letting Everyone In
• Abortion on Demand vs No Abortions
• More Military Spending vs More Military Spending
• More Sanctions vs More Sanctions
• Weaponizing the Dollar vs Weaponizing the Dollar

Happy with your choices?

Lesson of the Day

Also consider Lesson of the Day: If You Weaponize the Dollar and Confiscate Assets, Expect Retaliation

Thanks for Tuning In!

Mish