Day: April 22, 2025

“I’ll Be There”

By now if you are not in a coma know that Pope Francis has died of a stroke at age 88….his funeral service is planned for this coming Saturday and Donald the Orange and his escort plan to attend….it will be a marvelous photo-op for the brain dead supporters.

President Trump has ordered flags at the White House and all other federal buildings to be flown at half-staff Monday in honor of Pope Francis. Trump made the announcement at the start of the White House Easter Egg Roll, flanked by Melania Trump and the Easter Bunny, USA Today reports. ” He was a good man, worked hard, he loved the world,” Trump said of the 88-year-old pontiff, who died early Monday. In a Truth Social post, Trump said he would be going to the pope’s funeral in the first international trip of his second term.

“Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome,” Trump wrote. “We look forward to being there!”Joe Biden, the second Catholic president in US history, also praised the pontiff, the AP reports. Francis was “unlike any who came before him,” Biden said. “Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time, and I am better for having known him.” John F. Kennedy was the only other Catholic president. The BBC reports that no funeral date has been set, but according to church tradition, it should ” typically be held within four to six days of his death, with the funeral mass taking place in St Peter’s Square.

Please do not let this rambling, babbling dullard speak at the Pope’s funeral….for he will go off on some nonsensical rant and babbling on for a long time and actually say nothing….good or bad….just nonsense.

 

All Those Manufacturing Jobs

That is the promise from Little Donny and his strangling tariffs….it will bring those lost manufacturing jobs back to the USA.  He talked that point up all campaign all along and he still clings to the dream of all those jobs returning to the US….that single piece of rhetoric probably got him a bunch of votes.

But the reality does not echo his hollow promise…..

The trade war is no longer just a geopolitical talking point — it’s now a frontline reality for thousands of workers across North America. In the wake of sweeping new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, a growing list of companies have announced job cuts, operational pauses, and in some cases, full-scale shutdowns. The fallout is cascading through industries as diverse as automotive, steel, consumer goods, and even tabletop gaming.

…

Industry experts warn that what we’re seeing now could be a prelude to deeper economic challenges. A report from Forbes estimates that over 5.6 million jobs across manufacturing, agriculture, and logistics may be at risk if trade tensions continue to escalate.

As political leaders debate trade strategy on the global stage, the consequences are being felt by workers, families, and small businesses across North America. With companies large and small struggling to adapt, and many caught in the crossfire of retaliatory measures, the tariff fallout is proving to be more than an economic theory — it’s a lived reality for thousands.

(barchart.com)

But what about most Americans…..what do they think?

Manufacturing once dominated the U.S. job market. In 1970, more than 25% of American workers held manufacturing jobs. Today, it’s only around 8%, and many of those jobs look very different than they used to.

Despite this drop, support for manufacturing remains high. A 2024 Cato Institute survey found that 80% of Americans believe the country would be better off with more manufacturing jobs. But when asked if they personally would prefer a factory job over their current work, only 25% agreed. About 73% said no, and just 2% of respondents actually work in manufacturing today.

So what gives? According to Carolyn Lee, executive director of the Manufacturing Institute, the jobs that still exist in modern factories are not what they used to be. “The majority of the jobs in the sector are not entry-level jobs that have no skills,” she told CNN. These roles now require everything from certifications to software and robotics skills.

https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/04/44880439/80-of-americans-say-the-country-would-be-better-off-with-more-manufacturing-jobs-but-only-25-want-one-themse

What will any return mean?

https://reason.com/2025/04/15/do-americans-really-want-to-bring-back-manufacturing/

Did you read that?  80% think bringing manufacturing jobs back is a good policy….but only about 25% wants one of them.

So if these jobs return who will man the machinery?

The administration is getting rid of cheap labor or maybe they could find some AI contraption to fill the jobs.

The return of these jobs is not on the horizon in my opinion….No I do not think Donny can make good on his campaign promise…

Today, only 9 percent of Americans work in manufacturing. That’s not nothing. And, in fact, the sector has been adding jobs recently after getting hammered during the recession.

But the long-run picture is clear. Manufacturing jobs will never again hold the central place in our economy that they once did. At the same time lots of other sectors — health care, professional services — will continue to become more important, and will continue to offer good, middle-class jobs. But those jobs will not, for the most part, be open to high school dropouts.

Education, not manufacturing, is the key to long-term job growth in America.

The percentage of Americans working in manufacturing fell under President Reagan. It also fell under Presidents Bush, Clinton, Bush and Obama (respectively).

Which is to say, the decline of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. economy is not about who is president or what his policies are. It’s the result of long-running, irreversible, historical factors (read: technology and globalization).

(npr.org)

Sorry people these so-called ‘good jobs’ are not coming back.

Any deep thoughts on this or the promises made?  (Please refrain from blaming the Dems or Biden these results are all on the present administration)

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

What The Hell Is State Doing?

First of all the 20th of April cam and went and the predicted declaration of martial law did not materialize…..I am not saying it will not just not on the day all seem to think for obvious reasons.

By State I mean the department of state, our diplomatic portion of any government….they are suppose to support American citizens and further the pursuit of democracy and human rights…..

It appears the Trump Administration in its dislike of brown people is remaking the the direction of the US in the continent of Africa.

That Magic Sharpie is ready for action….

A preliminary version of a White House executive order outlines sweeping changes to the State Department, including the near-total removal of its operations in Africa and the closure of numerous embassies and consulates throughout the continent.

The proposal also recommends eliminating departments within the State Department’s main offices that focus on climate change – an area where Trump’s change of the law could have ‘seismic impacts’ – refugee matters and the promotion of democracy and human rights and comes amid a tense global trade environment after Trump’s tariffs, which have caused friction with China.

The purpose of the order – which could be signed by President Trump later this week – is to undertake “a disciplined reorganization” of the State Department in an attempt to “streamline mission delivery.” As reported by The New York Times, the 16-page document aims to cut “waste, fraud and abuse” and is due to be enacted by October 1. Trump was also branded the ‘dumbest president ever’ following a shocking 6-word geography comment.

The proposed executive order seeks to abolish the foreign service entrance exam for prospective diplomats and introduces a revised set of qualifications for recruitment. Any new employees would have to have an “alignment with the president’s foreign policy vision.”

According to current and former U.S. officials familiar with the plans, the signing of the executive order would be followed by a push to dismiss both foreign service officers—who serve as career diplomats—and civil service staff, typically based at the department’s Washington headquarters. They noted that the process would involve placing many employees on paid administrative leave and issuing termination notices.

The draft suggests changes to the department, including “policy development and review” and “operational planning,” as well as embracing artificial intelligence technology. However, the New York Times reports that elements of the draft could change before President Trump signs it into effect.

https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/us-state-department-trump-rubio-1103570

Not to worry the Little Donny and his butt licking lackey and SecState are going a bit further with the rest of the world….

  • Canada: A new North American affairs office would oversee operations in Canada, and the embassy in Ottawa would become much smaller. A “significantly reduced team” would run the North American office, which would be supervised by the secretary of state.
  • Issues: Bureaus handling democracy and human rights, and refugees and migration would be eliminated. There would no longer be a special envoy for climate or undersecretary of public diplomacy and public affairs.
  • Staff cuts: Buyouts would be offered to foreign service and civil service officers. Layoffs would begin, as well, and a large number of employees would be placed on paid leave.
  • Hiring: The State Department would drop its foreign service exam. New criteria for recruiting would include “alignment with the president’s foreign policy vision.”

Diplomats who have read the draft said they don’t see the logic behind it, per Politico. One said, “There’s a lot that could be reformed, but you could give infinite monkeys infinite typewriters, and they would come up with something better than that.”

I like the ‘monkeys’ thing.

In other words replace experienced diplomats and academics with amateurs that will blindly do as they are told.

Seriously?

Is writing off an entire continent really a good idea or alienating the rest of the world a goods idea?

Would this not open the continent for China/Russia to move in and take command of this region?

Amateurs and idiots!

These dumb asses are crapping on everything the United States has accomplished in 250 years.

Why do they hate the world so much?

How much further will these d/bags go?

Let’s not forget that Little Marco wants employees of State to pimp on anyone that illustrates anti-Christian bias (shades of East Germany’s Stasi)….as if any religious opinion should anything to do with their, employees, ability to do their job.

What the Hell is going on at State?

Thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”