First of all, Happy Mother’s Day.
By John Stossel, ReasonMay 8, 2024.
Extract:
In 2020, then-President Trump declared that he was succeeding: “We are draining the Washington swamp!” »
But this is not true.
“He made the government bigger“, says economist Ed Stringham in my new video. “This is going in the wrong direction. Going through a list of agencies, all that I could see, there were more employees after his presidency than before.
Trump added nearly 2 million jobs to the federal workforce.
The most astonishing figure here is the 2 million jobs. I haven’t checked the facts. Is it true?
by John V. Walsh, antiwar.com, May 9, 2024.
Extract:
At the end of his recent trip to China, on April 26, while still in Beijing, Sec. of State, Anthony (sic) Blinken, gave an extremely bellicose speech statement to the press. Blinken’s remarks marked a new phase in the narrative aimed at preparing the American and European public for more conflict with China. As Caitlin Johnstone reminded us: “Before they drop the bombs, they abandon the narrative.” So what is the narrative that Blinken has abandoned?
In his statement, Blinken tells us that the United States is “seriously concerned” about Chinese “elements” that are “fueling” Russia’s war against Ukraine. He goes on to say that China is the main supplier of “dual-use items that Moscow uses to strengthen its industrial base, a defense industrial base…” It is widely believed that the United States is losing its war by proxy in Ukraine. Blinken now tells us that the US-installed Ukrainian regime is losing because China helps Russia. Blaming China is nothing new in Western jargon, but here it is put to a new use, as an excuse for yet another embarrassing defeat for the United States.
Blinken cites “machine tools, microelectronics, nitrocellulose” as key components China supplies to Russia. But “dual-use items” constitute a poorly defined and malleable category. Potentially every item of exchange can be encompassed under this term. For example, if Russia imports Chinese machine tools to make cars, then it can easily be argued that they are used to build tanks. Or if Russia matters nitrocellulose to make nail polish, the chemical can be accused of being used to make gunpowder or explosives. So when the United States demands that China stop “indirectly” supporting Russia’s war effort, it is ultimately demanding that China end all trade with Russia.
Blinken offers no evidence that these “dual-use” items are responsible for the beating his Ukrainian proxies are taking. And China has no obligation to restrict its trade with Russia. Like India and other truly sovereign nations that continue to trade with Russia, China is not bound by U.S. edicts.
by Colin Grabow, Cato on the looseMay 7, 2024,
Washington responded with restart the contract And change your law SO out-of-state shipyards could compete to build the ships. However, this means delays in the acquisition process, the assembly frustration among ferry users, and the persistence exchange of beards on the new propulsion system.
But this controversy misses the bigger picture. Washington’s main obstacle to cost-effectively acquiring new ferries is not rooted in technology but in protectionism. You only have to look beyond Washington’s international border to see why.
End of 2019, only two months after Washington announcement its plan to buy new hybrid electric ferries from Canadian ferry operator BC Ferries order four ships with the same technology from a European shipbuilder. All four were delivered before the end of 2021. With a capacity around a third of that of the vessels sought by the FSM (450 passengers and crew and 47 vehicles compared to 1,500 passengers and 144 vehicles), the ferries will cost around $38 million each—less than a sixth of the estimated price of the new WSF ferries.
I don’t have my usual 4 highlights this week. I caught a bad cold on my trip home from Dallas last Saturday and have been sick or low on energy for most of the week. But I’m back!
