The Medlock Post

5/04/2023

How the U.S. eroded the dollar

May 4, 2023

Americans hate inflation, in large part because it erodes the bedrock of capitalism — money. Concentrating on inflation, however, risks missing the profound other ways in which money has lost its power over the past three years.

Why it matters: U.S. government actions over the course of the pandemic have radically reshaped the dollar, which is now much more politicized and mutable than it was before 2020.

The big picture: Felix Salmon's new book, "The Phoenix Economy," out on Tuesday, covers the ways in which the world has changed since early 2020. Among them: a quiet revolution in how people think about what money even is.

Flashback: In mid-April 2020, millions of Americans woke up to find out that $1,400 had magically appeared in their bank accounts, placed there by the Trump administration as part of the first COVID stimulus plan.

The U.S. dollar was effectively obeying orders being handed down by the government, the only entity capable of pulling such a move.

Where it stands: The Biden administration has been unusually aggressive in using the dollar as an instrument of foreign policy.

It effectively confiscated $7 billion belonging to the central bank of Afghanistan, which it was able to do because those funds were on deposit at the New York Fed.
It then did the same thing with Russia's foreign reserves and followed that up by cutting Russia off from the dollar-based payments system.

Between the lines: The pandemic changed the world's (or at least America's) conception of money itself. In what Felix calls the New Not Normal, money has become contingent, more of a social construct than objective reality.

In a society that for decades was centered on the almighty dollar, that was disconcerting, to say the least.

"Fiat currency" has become a pejorative term used by crypto advocates to undermine trust in the dollar. The Federal Reserve is constantly attacked by Republicans from former President Donald Trump to Sen. Rand Paul.

Zoom out: The dollar still retains its hegemony as the world's reserve currency, along with its utility as a measure of relative wealth. But trust in the currency is eroding, in a world where the Fed's main policy tool is always its own credibility.

The bottom line: The good news is that we've found an important new tool of foreign policy, and even of domestic fiscal policy.

The bad news is that it makes capitalism that much more difficult.

NAEP scores show kids have terrible understanding of US history

May 4, 2023

The eighth graders who took these tests last year are finishing ninth grade in the coming weeks. We have a lot of ground and just three years to make up before they graduate, head to college or the workforce, and are asked to fully participate in civic life.

Students read a lot in my class and even practice their math skills, for example when we analyze polling and look at percentages in our elections unit. But this isn't just about boosting student achievement in tested subjects. There is magic that happens in a strong social studies classroom, a magic that kids badly need to experience now. With a growing awareness about problems related to chronic absenteeism and concerns around a lack of student engagement, education leaders and policymakers need to bring joy and a purpose to learning to schools. When taught well, history and civics are subjects that foster excitement and inspiration while honing essential life skills.

My teachers conveyed history with passion and insight

When I was a kid, growing up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, I studied world history with a teacher who still inspires me today. Mr. Pickle drew us into lively debates, for example asking us to put ourselves in Harry Truman's shoes and weigh his decision to use the atomic bomb. This debate was relevant given my hometown’s role as a key Manhattan Project site, and by tackling a challenging topic, Mr. Pickle helped students exercise the “civic muscles” of discourse and debate.

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John Solomon explains how the GOP plans to use the power of the purse to institute accountability

May 4, 2023

John Solomon lays out how Republican lawmakers are beginning to look at utilizing the power of the purse to hold government employees accountable. Solomon says one way Republicans could exact consequences is by including an addendum in the budget bill barring the 51 security experts who claimed the Hunter Biden laptop was “Russian disinformation” from future federal government employment.

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5/03/2023

AP poll: The public doesn't trust us at all

May 3, 2023

Wednesday is World Press Freedom Day. The Washington Post will be celebrating by hosting Antony Blinken (of all people) to discuss the importance of a free and independent press. In preparation for the event, the Associated Press put out a poll in coordination with the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll sought to measure the public’s trust in the news media and how good of a job they are doing in defending democracy. They also asked whether or not the mainstream media was contributing to the political polarization gripping the country. The results were… not good. At least not for the AP and the rest of the legacy media. Almost three-quarters of the public blame the news media for political polarization and most have very little faith in the press’ ability to “fairly and accurately” report the news. I know you’re all shocked. (/sarc)

When it comes to the news media and the impact it’s having on democracy and political polarization in the United States, Americans are likelier to say it’s doing more harm than good.
Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults say the news media is increasing political polarization in this country, and just under half say they have little to no trust in the media’s ability to report the news fairly and accurately, according to a new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.
The poll, released before World Press Freedom Day on Wednesday, shows Americans have significant concerns about misinformation.

BREAKING NEWS: FBI has document alleging pay-to-play scheme involving Joe Biden, lawmakers allege

May 3, 2023

House and Senate GOP investigators said Wednesday they have learned the FBI possesses a document alleging a pay-to-play bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden and have subpoenaed it in an explosive new twist in their long running corruption probe of the first family.

Senate Budget Committee ranking member and long-time whistleblower advocate Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said they learned of the document, known as FD-1023, from a whistleblower.

"We believe the FBI possesses an unclassified internal document that includes very serious and detailed allegations implicating the current President of the United States," Grassley said. "What we don't know is what, if anything, the FBI has done to verify these claims or investigate further. The FBI's recent history of botching politically charged investigations demands close congressional oversight."

Said Comer: "The information provided by a whistleblower raises concerns that then-Vice President Biden allegedly engaged in a bribery scheme with a foreign national. The American people need to know if President Biden sold out the United States of America to make money for himself. Senator Grassley and I will seek the truth to ensure accountability for the American people."

Choosing Better Judges

May 3, 2023

Conservatives need to be a lot savvier about how they vet judicial candidates.

Our justice system across all levels is now in thrall to dangerous, radical left-wing actors who feel no shame in weaponizing prosecutors, judges, and legal scholars for vengeful and ideologically charged ends. This new system of justice, which is more accurately characterized as the collapse of the rule of law and constitutional jurisprudence, increasingly resembles primitive third world legal regimes that lack the enlightened principles that ground our society in the Anglo-American tradition of the rule of law.

This sober fact is a realistic assessment of the way the American judicial branch now works. Lip service to an impartial and apolitical judiciary may still hold some currency in the legal academy, but in reality, everyday Americans recognize the judiciary as the uniquely politicized body it has become. The problematic actors, however, are not so much on the Left, who fully understand the game as a raw power play and have accordingly devised the rules and legal framework by which both sides must play. Many on the Right, however, pretend like it still is possible to have fair and equitable justice in a system that has emerged as a two-tiered, vindictive system that punishes its enemies and rewards its friends.

There are countless examples of allegedly conservative judges betraying their constituency and their ostensible principles. This may be observed in U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly’s hostile treatment of the Proud Boys, now on trial for their actions on January 6; U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols’s finding back in late 2020 that then-President Donald Trump overstepped his executive authority in restricting the use of TikTok, a Chinese-based company, due to legitimate concerns about election interference; and the Supreme Court’s refusal to even listen to the merits of Donald Trump’s 2020 election integrity case. In each of these cases, judges who fell under the umbrella of “conservative,” “originalist,” or “textualist” failed in their duties to uphold the Constitution. These failures directly empower the Left, which reads the Right’s claims of impartiality as weakness and then runs roughshod over those weaknesses by exploiting them for flagrantly political objectives.

House Republicans refuse to cave to Democrats spending spree

May 3, 2023

House Democrats and Republicans are showing an area of deep divide: federal spending.

The nation is weeks away from reaching the current debt ceiling, which must increase if the government wants to continue paying its bills.

Standing united behind Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Republicans say the debt limit can increase only if spending cuts are enacted. Spending caps would permit reform, new work requirements for social programs, and other financial constraints.

On the other hand, Democrats don't want to burden themselves with spending cuts. They want to continue to have free access to imaginary money pulled out of thin air.

But in all honesty, no politician "representing" their people would ever manage their personal finances the way they manage the nation's money.

In a dream, we would all love to keep swiping credit cards and never acknowledge the accumulating tab. But turning away from our personal bills is not possible in reality.

3 Traditional Skills Young Men Should Learn

May 3, 2023

It seems that no matter where we turn in modern life we can see how modern conveniences have chipped away at the skills so many used to pride themselves on. Of course, in and of themselves, modern conveniences aren’t bad—I’m grateful for many of them—but when so many of us young people today don’t know the skills of our forefathers, I can’t help but think that we are losing that hardy, independent mindset that early Americans often embodied.

In a previous article for Intellectual Takeout, I wrote on several traditional skills young women should learn. In that article, I said:

“I greatly admire the men and women, particularly those among the younger generations, who have taken the time to learn the skills of their forefathers. Certainly, the pioneers didn’t have sewing machines to use or cars to repair, but the hardy attitude of these individuals lives on in those who take up traditional skills that can improve their lives. Not to mention a potential new hobby, a way to help out those around us, and even monetary savings.”

Now, as a companion to that piece, here are three skills for young gentlemen.

Native Americans United

May 3, 2023

Native Tribes of North America Mapped

The ancestors of living Native Americans arrived in North America about 15 thousand years ago. As a result, a wide diversity of communities, societies, and cultures finally developed on the continent over the millennia.

The population figure for Indigenous peoples in the Americas before the 1492 voyage of Christopher Columbus was 70 million or more.

About 562 tribes inhabited the contiguous U.S. territory. Ten largest North American Indian tribes: Arikara, Cherokee, Iroquois, Pawnee, Sioux, Apache, Eskimo, Comanche, Choctaw, Cree, Ojibwa, Mohawk, Cheyenne, Navajo, Seminole, Hope, Shoshone, Mohican, Shawnee, Mi’kmaq, Paiute, Wampanoag, Ho-Chunk, Chumash, Haida.

Below is the tribal map of Pre-European North America.

The old map below gives a Native American perspective by placing the tribes in full flower ~ the “Glory Days.” It is pre-contact from across the eastern sea or, at least, before that contact seriously affected change. Stretching over 400 years, the time of contact was quite different from tribe to tribe. For instance, the “Glory Days” of the Maya and Aztec came to an end very long before the interior tribes of other areas, with some still resisting almost until the 20th Century.

At one time, numbering in the millions, the native peoples spoke close to 4,000 languages.

The Americas’ European conquest, which began in 1492, ended in a sharp drop in the Native American population through epidemics, hostilities, ethnic cleansing, and slavery.

When the United States was founded, established Native American tribes were viewed as semi-independent nations, as they commonly lived in communities separate from white immigrants

30 years ago, one decision altered the course of our connected world

May 3, 2023

30 years ago, listeners tuning into Morning Edition heard about a futuristic idea that could profoundly change their lives.

"Imagine being able to communicate at-will with 10 million people all over the world," NPR's Neal Conan said. "Imagine having direct access to catalogs of hundreds of libraries as well as the most up-to-date news, business and weather reports. Imagine being able to get medical advice or gardening advice immediately from any number of experts.

"This is not a dream," he continued. "It's internet."

But even in the early 1990s, that space-age sales pitch was a long way from the lackluster experience of actually using the internet. It was almost entirely text-based, for one.

It was also difficult to use. To read a story from NPR, for example, you would need to know which network-equipped computer had the file you wanted, then coax your machine into communicating directly with the host. And good luck if the computers were made by different manufacturers.

But 30 years ago this week, that all changed. On April 30, 1993, something called the World Wide Web launched into the public domain.

Gynocracy Rising

May 3, 2023

There was a time, not that long ago, when First Amendment rights were relatively stable and well-understood in America. Those days are long gone. Consider our country’s college campuses, where free speech is dying the most brutal of deaths.

Why is this occurring? Who is to blame? From looking at recent data on this question, it seems that women are the main culprits.

According to a recent report by researchers at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), as the number of women entering higher education continues to climb, levels of free speech on college campuses experience an apparently commensurate decline. On the issue of balancing free speech and hate speech, striking demographic differences emerge, with significantly more female than male faculty favoring protections against hate speech, “even if this restricts speech not intended to be hateful (19 percent of females, 8 percent of males), as well as restricting speech only where words are intended to be hateful (38 percent of females, 29 percent of males).” It is interesting to note that “significantly more male than female faculty supported restricting speech only where words are certain to incite violence (62 percent of males, 42 percent of females).”

Women, we’re assured, are more rational than men. They’re also more tolerant. On college campuses, however, this doesn’t appear to be the case. Rationality and tolerance are in short supply, and this scarcity is harming free speech.

Former Dallas Fed head warns the US regional banking crisis is 'more serious than we currently understand'

May 3, 2023

There have been three major bank failures so far this year, and some experts claim the carnage may not yet be at an end.

Former Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan told Bloomberg Television this week that he thinks "the banking situation may well be more serious than we currently understand."

Silicon Valley Bank collapsed in March, marking the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history. Signature Bank, which had $110 billion in assets at the end of 2022, making it the 29th largest U.S. bank at the time, failed shortly thereafter.

Americans have pulled nearly $100 billion out of banks since, according to Fox Business.

Biden Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen claimed in mid-March that the "banking system is sound." However, just weeks later, First Republic Bank, which had assets over $200 billion and catered to wealthy elites, similarly failed.

First Republic's demise represented the second-largest banking failure in American history, trailing the 2008 collapse of Washington Mutual.

May 3, 2023

Native American Culture Regions

Origin of the Apache Indians
In the beginning the world was covered with darkness. There was no sun, no day. The perpetual night had no moon or stars.
There were, however, all manner of beasts and birds. Among the beasts were many hideous, nameless monsters, as well as dragons, lions, tigers, wolves, foxes, beavers, rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice, and all manner of creeping things such as lizards and serpents. Mankind could not prosper under such conditions, for the beasts and serpents destroyed all human offspring.
All creatures had the power of speech and were gifted with reason.
There were two tribes of creatures: the birds or the feathered tribe and the beasts. The former were organized wider their chief, the eagle.
These tribes often held councils, and the birds wanted light admitted. This the beasts repeatedLy refused to do. Finally the birds made war against the beasts.
The beasts were armed with clubs, but the eagle had taught his tribe to use bows and arrows. The serpents were so wise that they could not all be killed. One took refuge in a perpendicular cliff of a mountain in Arizona, and his eyes (changed into a brilliant stone) may be see in that rock to this day. The bears, when killed, would each be changed into several other bears, so that the more bears the feathered tribe killed, the more there were. The dragon could not be killed, either, for he was covered with four coats of horny scales, and the arrows would not penetrate these. One of the most hideous, vile monsters (nameless) was proof against arrows, so the eagle flew high up in the air with a round, white stone, and let it fall on this monster's head, killing him instantly. This was such a good service that the stone was called sacred. They fought for many days, but at last the birds won the victory.
After this war was over, although some evil beasts remained, the birds were able to control the councils, and light was admitted, Then mankind could live and prosper. The eagle was chief in this good fight: therefore, his feathers were worn by man as emblems of wisdom, justice, and power.
Among the few human beings that were yet alive was a woman who had been blessed with many children, but these had always been destroyed by the beasts. If by any means she succeeded in eluding the others, the dragon, who was very wise and very evil, would come himself and eat her babes.
After many years a son of the rainstorm was born to her and she dug for him a deep cave. The entrance to this cave she closed and over the spot built a camp fire. This concealed the babe's hiding place and kept him warm. Every day she would remove the fire and descend into the cave, where the child's bed was, to nurse him; then she would return and rebuild the camp fire.
Frequently the dragon would come and question her, but she would say, I have no more children; you have eaten all of them.
When the child was larger he would not always stay in the cave, for he sometimes wanted to run and play. Once the dragon saw his tracks. Now this perplexed and enraged the old dragon, for he could not find the hiding place of the boy; but he said that he would destroy the mother if she did not reveal the child's hiding place. The poor mother was very much troubled; she could not give up her child, but she knew the power and cunning of the dragon, therefore she lived in constant fear.
Soon after this the boy said that he wished to go hunting. The mother would not give her consent. She told him of the dragon, the wolves, and serpents; but he said, To-morrow I go.
At the boy's request his uncle (who was the only man then living) made a little bow and some arrows for him, and the two went hunting the next day. They trailed the deer far up the mountain and finally the boy killed a buck. His uncle showed him how to dress the deer and broil the meat. They broiled two hind quarters, one the child and one for his uncle. When the meat was done they placed it on some bushes to cool. Just then the huge form of the dragon appeared. The child was not afraid, but his uncle was so dumb with fright that he did not speak or move.
The dragon took the boy's parcel of meat and went aside with it. He placed the meat on another bush and seated himself beside it. Then he said, This is the child I have been seeking. Boy, you are nice and fat, so when I have eaten this venison I shall eat you. The boy said, No, you shall not eat me, and you shall not eat that meat. So he walked over to where the dragon sat and to where the meat back to his own seat. The dragon said, I like your courage, but you are foolish; what do you think you could do? Well, said the boy, I can do enough to protect myself, as you may bind out. Then the dragon took the meat again, and then the boy retook it. Four times in all the dragon took the meat, and after the fourth time the boy replaced the meat he said, Dragon, will you fight me? The dragon said, Yes, in whatever way you like. The boy said, I will stand one hundred paces distant from you and you may have four shots at me with your bow and arrows, provided that you will then exchange places with me and give me four shots. Good, said the dragon. Stand up.

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1st Amendment Rights “Trampled” By Giles County

May 3, 2023

A Giles County couple says their first amendment rights have been trampled by County Executive Graham Stowe.

Stowe rescinded permission for local husband and wife, and Christian business owners Jason and Tonya Guthrie, to use the gazebo, courthouse grounds, and surrounding lawn in Pulaski, Tennessee, on the same day as a scheduled Pride Parade.

The parade on June 3rd is organized by an LGBTQ organization known as the Giles County Inclusivity Coalition (GCIC) who has a history of sponsoring events that include activities not appropriate for minors.

GCIC applied for a permit from the City of Pulaski to use the streets surrounding the gazebo and courthouse grounds but did not request permission to use those areas specifically. Approval for the gazebo and courthouse area are granted separately, by the county.

Following the reservation of the gazebo and surrounding area by Tonya Guthrie, GCIC asked Stowe during a committee meeting for the name of the individual to whom it was reserved. When Stowe refused to disclose that information, GCIC filed a public records request and learned that permission had been given to Tonya.

Half of all U.S. states, 25 to be exact, carry Native American names

May 3, 2023

Native Spirit

Half of all U.S. states, 25 to be exact, carry Native American names. Today we will be taking a look at the 25 states and the meanings of their names. They will be listed in alphabetical order.

Alabama: Named after the Alabama, or Alibamu tribe, a Muskogean-speaking tribe. Sources are split between the meanings 'clearers of the thicket' or 'herb gatherers'.
Alaska: Named after the Aleut word "alaxsxaq", which means "the mainland"
Arizona: Named after the O'odham word "alĭ ṣonak", meaning "small spring"
Connecticut: Named after the Mohican word "quonehtacut", meaning "place of long tidal river"
Hawai'i: Is an original word in the Hawaiian language meaning "homeland"
Illinois: Named after the Illinois word "illiniwek", meaning "men"
Iowa: Named after the Ioway tribe, whose name means "gray snow"
Kansas: Named after the Kansa tribe, whose name means "south wind people"
Kentucky: Origins are unclear, it may have been named after the Iroquoian word "Kentake", meaning "on the meadow"
Massachusetts: Named after the Algonquin word "Massadchu-es-et," meaning "great-hill-small-place,”
Michigan: From the Chippewa word "Michigama", meaning "large lake"
Minnesota: Named after the Dakota Indian word “Minisota” meaning “white water.”
Mississippi: Named after the river which was named by the Choctaw, meaning “Great water” or “Father of Waters.”
Missouri: Named after the Missouri tribe whose name means "those who have dugout canoes"

The Michelle Obama Nightmare Scenario

May 3, 2023

All the attention is on the Republican race right now, but it should be on the Democrat race following the announcement, by that desiccated pervert masquerading as our president, that he thinks (sic) that he can go another round as president. The sad fact is the only people happy about Biden’s presidency are that very real doctor, Jill, and Jimmy Carter, who is serene in the knowledge that he was not the worst president of the last century thanks to Grandpa Badfinger.

Everybody knows that Joe Biden is a demented freak and a creepy confident weirdo who was an idiot before his mind disintegrated into the kind of mush that he eats on the rocking chair every afternoon watching “Matlock” reruns. Too bad – for us – that his Oval Office dreams had to come true right at a time where, overseas, we are seeing the rise of a pure competitor for the first time in generations, where, at home, our country is about to pull itself apart between the competing interests of patriots and Democrats. So, the 2024 race is kind of important, and leave it to the Democrats to treat it like Taylor Swift treats her boyfriends.

King Charles and the Globalists Set Meeting for September to Plot How to Accelerate Goals of U.N. Agenda 2030 and the Complete Digitization of Humanity

May 3, 2023

The World Economic Forum and United Nations are so concerned that the goals of Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development and the Great Reset (aka technocracy under a one-world beast system) are in jeopardy of not being fulfilled by the appointed date, that they have called for a summit in September to discuss how they can kickstart their stalled totalitarian agenda.

The WEF, founded in 1971 by German economist and engineer Klaus Schwab under the tutelage of Dr. Henry Kissinger, has said for years that by 2030 the people of the world will “own nothing,” that they will “have no privacy,” but they will somehow learn to like their evolving state of digital slavery.

You will be living in a tiny apartment in a so-called smart city, where almost no one works, sitting back playing video games and drawing a universal basic income check from the government. The smart homes situated inside smart cities will be powered by artificial intelligence, an all-knowing force with a watchful eye on everyone’s activities, movement, even their thoughts. People will willingly eat bugs and artificial lab-grown meat as their source of protein in a universal effort to help the Earth “heal” itself through carbon neutrality.

WATCH: De-Transitioned Girl Testifies In Support Of Child Mutilation Ban In Louisiana: “I Exist”

May 3, 2023

Louisiana is currently considering a bill that aims to prohibit certain procedures that alter the sex of a minor child in the state, including the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.

After the bill was introduced, Chloe Cole, a de-transitioner, spoke out against the medical abuse she endured as a child. Chloe, who transitioned medically at the age of 13 and later de-transitioned, testified in front of the Louisiana Health and Welfare Committee on Tuesday.

Chloe’s testimony was powerful and emotional. “Doctors medicalized me starting pubic blockers and testosterone at 13 years old,” she said. “I was given a double mastectomy and my breasts, an important part of my sexuality and future motherhood, were removed in the name of political ideology at only 15 years old.”

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Arizona County Sees 377% Surge in Human Smuggling, 610% Hike in Fentanyl Under Biden

May 3, 2023

The situation along the southwest border has deteriorated so badly under President Joe Biden that in the last two years an Arizona county about an hour drive from Mexico has seen a breathtaking 377% increase in human smuggling and trafficking incidents and a shocking 610% rise in fentanyl pills seized by local law enforcement officers. Closer to the southern border a small Arizona town a stone’s throw from Los Algodones, Mexico saw three times its population cross into its municipality illegally last year, overwhelming the city’s only hospital.

The Pinal County Sheriff and the president of Yuma Regional Medical Center offered the chilling information this week during a congressional hearing focusing on immigration since Biden took office. Held by the House Homeland Security Committee, the session occurred just days after the nation heard alarming testimony form Border Patrol sector chiefs during a separate conference held by the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. In that hearing Rio Grande Valley Chief Gloria Chavez revealed cartels use drones to track federal agents and that in her Texas sector alone more than 10,000 drone incursions and 25,000 drone sightings occurred in a year. “The adversaries have 17 times the number of drones, twice the amount of flight hours and unlimited funding to grow their operations,” Chavez told federal lawmakers. Tucson sector Chief John Modlin said the border crisis has gone from “what I would describe as unprecedented to a point where I don’t have the correct adjective.” Last year his Arizona sector seized about 700 pounds of fentanyl, which is well over three million pills.