Colonel Sanders must be spinning in his grave like a dynamo...

 

At first I couldn't believe this report wasn't a joke - but as I read and re-read it, I realized that yes, some people are indeed that stupid.  I bet Colonel Sanders never even dreamed of something this daft!

The US Food and Drug Administration is warning against a social media challenge which involves people coating their poultry in NyQuil.

Called the “NyQuil Chicken Challenge,” users on social media are covering their meat in the over-the-counter medication, which is used to treat flu symptoms, colds and allergies.

Unsurprisingly, the FDA warned it could have very dangerous outcomes — not just if it’s ingested but from the cooking process.

“Boiling a medication can make it much more concentrated and change its properties in other ways,” the FDA explained in a warning, adding that even inhaling the medication’s vapors while cooking could cause high levels of the drugs to enter your body.

There's more at the link.

Friends, many of you are middle-aged or older, as I am.  Tell me, please . . . were any of us so utterly, bone-headedly stupid as to do something like this as a teenage challenge?  I've perpetrated more than my fair share of stupid things, but I honestly can't remember doing anything so flat-out insane as this.

Cooking chicken in medication???  The person who came up with that should be charged with an offense - and not a paltry poultry one, either.

Peter

This bears repeating - again and again

 

Click the image for a larger view.

So much of what we read and hear today is nothing more than political correctness writ large, that it's worth reminding ourselves that at root, it's all the same old extremist lie.  The communists used it in bucketsful.  So has almost every other extremist movement down the centuries.  It was a lie then, and it's still a lie now.

Peter

I'm glad I don't live in Germany right now...

 

... because the cost of living there is going through the roof.  Reuters reports that last month, German producer prices rose by 45.8% compared to August last year.

Producer prices for electricity rose 174.9% compared with August 2021 and by 26.4% compared with the previous month.

Excluding energy, the year-on-year rise in producer prices came in at 14% in August.

Producer prices for intermediate goods also rose significantly, up 17.5% on the year, driven mainly by a 19.9% surge in metals prices.

There's more at the link.

Note that these are producer prices, not consumer prices.  Those are downstream of producer prices, and will almost certainly reflect even higher increases.  There's no sign that producer or consumer prices will be brought under control anytime soon:  rather the opposite, in fact.  Just look at Germany's Producer Price Index from 1980 to 2022 inclusive, courtesy of Quoth The Raven this morning.  Click the image for a larger view.

That last bit doesn't look very healthy, does it?  Sundance points out that this is "the highest jump in prices in the history of the German economy" since formal records began to be kept in 1939.

The statistics behind the energy impact upon the German economy, the largest economy in the European Union, are almost unfathomable in scale.  There is no way for the German industrial economy to continue with this level of price pressure.  Stick a fork in the current creation of German industrial products and exports, the inflection point of feasibility for continued production has been crossed.  They are done.

. . .

What does this mean in practical terms?

Firstly, it means the people within Germany and the larger EU will not be able to afford goods if the increased price to manufacture them is passed on to customers.  German industrial goods, including the heavily dependent auto sector, will hit the market at double the price from last year.  Exported goods, again assuming the government doesn’t provide some sort of subsidy to offset, would also double.

Secondly, it means the prices of used goods will increase in value.  With imported vehicles holding that scale of increased manufacturing price, I would expect to see German automobile dealers in the U.S. sending out incentives to purchase used BMW’s, Audi’s and Mercedes for the products that are not produced in North America.

Lastly, on a global scale, Germany is dependent on selling industrial equipment to Asia and North America in the manufacturing sector.  With declining demand for finished products -the result of inflation- there was already a lowered demand for machinery, machined tools and heavy equipment.  Downward pressure due to a lack of demand, combined with upward price pressure to manufacture the industrial products, creates an even worse scenario.

Right now, Germany is on the cusp of a full-blown economic meltdown...

Again, more at the link.

Note that as of July this year, Germany was the USA's fifth-largest trading partner.  Also, last year, Germany accounted for more than one-fifth (21.3%) of the European Union's gross domestic product.  If Germany's economy tanks, so does that of the EU as a whole;  and if the USA loses, not just Germany's contribution to our trade, but also much of the EU's, we're deep in the hole ourselves.

Bottom line?  If you want any German product - a vehicle, electronics, whatever - order it now, while supplies are still available.  It's highly unlikely they'll stay that way.  Furthermore, don't plan on travel to Germany in the near future, until the situation becomes clearer.

We've talked about hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic during the 1920's on three previous occasions here.  I suggest you follow those three links to learn more . . . because if Germany can't bring energy prices under control, I suspect it'll be well on its way to experiencing the same disaster again.

Peter

A sobering inside look at our US hospital system

 

Divemedic has many years of experience working in the US hospital system.  He offers this insight about what's going on now in his Florida hospital.  I've confirmed that much the same thing is happening in some hospitals in Texas, Tennessee and Colorado, because I have contacts in all of them.

We have been short staffed for nearly three years. They have made up the shortfall by paying huge bonuses to get nurses to work extra shifts. They tried foreign workers. Still, they don’t have enough. Determined to save money now that the COVID funding has dried up, hospital administration announced on Saturday that there will be no more bonuses offered. Once the shifts that are already promised bonuses are paid out, they will be no more. Nurses who were making $2500 a day for working a 12 hour over time shift are now being asked to work the same overtime hours, but for $600-$900 each 12 hour shift.

I know that I was working 60 hours or more a week. I was making good money to do that, but now that the money has dried up, I am not working those kinds of hours for a fraction of the pay. No one that I know is willing to do that.

So now the entire staff of the ED is not taking any extra shifts. They are working their contracted hours, and that is it.

. . .

Now instead of 60% staffed, you are more like 45% staffed. Instead of 10 nurses, you only have 7. Now picture that across the entire hospital. A 600 bed hospital with a 50 bed ED requires 100 nurses or more each shift. You only have 50 or 60. Now what do you do? There aren’t enough foreign workers to fill that many spots.

My hospital can’t be alone in this. Here is the warning: there is a potential collapse of health care coming. It takes 3 to 4 years to train a nurse to the point where they are licensed, and another 2 years or so for that nurse to be proficient enough in their job to staff an ED, even longer for places like the ICU.

There's more at the link.

Add to this massive politically correct indoctrination and racially based "reverse discrimination" by some doctors and hospitals, and we get a very nasty picture indeed.

Best advice?  Don't get sick or injured badly enough to need hospital treatment.  If you do, pray your local hospital (or wherever you're admitted) has enough qualified, competent staff to treat you appropriately and professionally, and isn't hamstrung by political correctness.

There's also the question of whether the right medications will be available, in sufficient quantities, to keep us alive.

As of Thursday [2022/09/15], the Food and Drug Administration reported 184 drug shortages nationwide. The Association of Health-System Pharmacists put the figure higher, tracking a scarcity of 210 drugs.

U.S. drug shortages may be caused by a host of issues, including manufacturing and quality problems and delays and discontinuations, along with a regulatory system seen by many healthcare providers as more reactive than proactive in making fixes.

It's a long-standing problem worsened by supply chain issues and huge demands during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many drugs languishing on the shortage lists for months or years.

. . .

Hospitals may face more challenges from shortages of fluids or diluents, intravenous oncology and antibiotic medications, "and supportive care, as well as supplies such as needles that are necessary to deliver the medications," Mesfin Tegenu, CEO and chairman of RxParadigm, a Delaware-based pharmacy benefits manager, told UPI in an email.

By contrast, doctors' offices may have more challenges from shortages of drugs dispensed at the pharmacy level, such as cardiovascular and analgesic medications, he said.

. . .

"It's the juggling act on top of severe staffing shortages. I think that's what is making it worse right now. Before it was 'drug shortages on top of COVID.' Now it's 'drug shortages on top of staffing shortages,'" said Erin Fox, senior pharmacy director at University of Utah Health and adjunct professor at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy.

Again, more at the link.

This strikes close to home.  I've had two heart attacks, both requiring emergency admission to hospital.  In each case, the medications I needed were on hand, and a cardiologist was available within an hour or two, and the ER and cardiac unit staff were able to keep me alive and kicking until corrective procedures could be performed.  Today?  I have to wonder . . . and that's a scary thought.

Peter

"Setting the table for famine"

 

That's the headline for an hour-long interview Michael Yon did with Epoch Times a couple of days ago.  Unfortunately I couldn't find a transcript of the interview, but nevertheless I highly recommend watching it.  Mr. Yon covers most of the bases during a long and wide-ranging discussion.  In particular, note the role of governments in causing famines, sometimes deliberately, but most of the time through stupidity and unintended consequences.  He also covers pandemics, human migration and wars, all of which are intimately associated with famines, as both cause and effect.  Note, in particular, how the flow of illegal aliens from South America to this country's southern border has been "weaponized".

You'll find the interview here.  I think you'll find it worth the time it takes to watch it.

(FYI:  I normally don't trust the Epoch Times as a source, because it was established by supporters of the Chinese Falun Gong movement, and reflects more than a few of the highly partisan political and cultural axes which that movement has to grind.  I also find its habit of demanding one's e-mail address before allowing one to read an article to be extremely irritating and invasive of my privacy.  For those reasons, I usually refuse to read its output.  Nevertheless, reflecting as it does the views of Mr. Yon rather than the outlet, this interview is worth watching - and for some reason, their Web site doesn't demand my e-mail address to watch it.  I'll take that as a win.)

Peter

Political correctness - with diarrhea

 

I had to laugh when reading this strip from Scott Adams a few days ago.  Click the image to be taken to a larger version at the Dilbert comic strip Web page.

ESG is one of the politically correct buzzwords doing the rounds at present.  It's essentially an attempt to force companies to conform to expectations that have no economic justification as such, but seek to force everybody into lock-step with the zeitgeist du jour.  I don't think I've every seen it more accurately defined than it is above.

Well done, Mr. Adams, sir!

Peter

The balance of international influence just shifted - hard

 

Many readers may not have paid much attention to the meeting last week of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).  That would be very short-sighted, because a number of developments there demonstrate a significant, possibly permanent shift in the international perspective and alignment of the nations of the world.

One of the most interesting aspects to come out of the meeting was the visibly changed relationship between Russia and China.  Thanks to international sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has basically had to kowtow to China, acknowledging its economic and political leadership.  Peter Zeihan summarizes the situation in a less-than-two-minute-long nutshell.  I highly recommend watching it.

That puts China in a very strong position vis-a-vis Russian client states and its sphere of influence.  In so many words, that is moving rapidly to become a Chinese-dominated sphere of influence, with Russia just one more among the nations involved.  The situation also holds long-term implications for China's interest in the vast, largely untapped natural resources of Siberia and the Russian Far East.  In return for its ongoing geopolitical and economic support, China can will demand (and get) significant concessions in those areas.  If I lived in Siberia or Russian territory east and south of it, I'd start learning Chinese right now, because I'd know I'm going to need it sooner rather than later.

The main thrust of the SCO meeting, however, is its demonstration that many of the nations of the world are sick and tired of the Western-centric, First-World-oriented politics and economics of the past.  As the First World economies of the west decay, other nations are looking east for their salvation, and a new beginning.  Given China's rapacious economic neo-colonialism in Africa (there's no other way to adequately describe it), that may be unwise of them - but frankly, they don't have much alternative right now.

Larry Johnson shares his thoughts.  I find it hard to disagree with him.

I am certain that most Americans do not have a clue what transpired this week at the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (aka SCO). It is a clarion call, a defiant declaration, that the countries, which account for over half of the world’s population, are no longer going to defer to the United States. The attendees included Russia, China, India, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The speeches by Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping are especially noteworthy. Both countries put the United States on notice that the United States and NATO will be treated as a sponsor of terrorism because they supply weapons to Ukraine that are being used to attack civilian targets. You may accuse me of exaggerating because neither Putin nor Xi mention the United States or NATO by name. But the actions of the NATO allies in Ukraine are seen by both Russia and China as acts of terrorism. I am reprinting the salient portions of each speech below.

Russia and China also put the west on notice that Iran is no longer going to be treated as a pariah state. Iran is welcomed emphatically by both Putin and Xi as a member of the SCO. Going forward, this means that Iran will do business with all members of the SCO under the rubric of a new financial order being organized by Russia, China, India and Brazil.

I am sure this is jarring news to the western allies. They have enjoyed the luxury of the dominance of the U.S. Dollar as the international reserve currency. It was the Golden Rule at work–those with the gold make the rules. The United States faces a dilemma because it insists on levying international sanctions on any nation or leader who refuses to toe Washington’s line, but the blow back effects of those sanctions are savaging the European economies and will hurt America as well.

China and Russia now realize and affirm that the United States is no longer a reliable, trustworthy partner. They see the United States as a petulant child that, in the past, coerced others by throwing temper tantrums and launching ill-conceived, foolish foreign military operations.

Most important, but not said, the leaders of the SCO realize that Washington is leaderless. Biden is a demented buffoon.

. . .

In the past, the United States controlled the ball and set the rules for the game. The countries of the SCO are no longer going to let the United States dictate where, when and how the game is played. They are bringing their own ball and setting up their own rules ... There is a new and potentially more powerful player on the world stage and the United States may be relegated to the peanut gallery and forced to watch.

There's more at the link, and it's all worth reading.

Note the names of the countries involved.  India... Turkey... Iran... Pakistan... Egypt... Saudi Arabia... all of them are regional powers in their own right.  Iran, in particular, is virulently anti-US and anti-Israel.  All of them now have a much more powerful international base of support.  Terrorism from Iran and Pakistan (both hotbeds of it) is likely to expand along with their economic ties.  Furthermore, the raw materials produced by these nations, which we need as much as anybody else (e.g. lithium for batteries, oil and other fuels, vital industrial minerals, etc.) are more likely to be sold to other nations than to ourselves.  (We can expect many such trades to be conducted in other currencies, too.  The US dollar is on the cusp of losing its status as the preeminent international reserve and trading currency.  For example, Saudi Arabia is discussing selling oil to China in exchange for renmimbi, and is talking to India about accepting rupees as well.  So much for the petrodollar...)

Worse, Israel surely now realizes that Iran will feel empowered to act upon its oft-repeated promise to destroy the Jewish state, because it will no longer feel constrained by American threats.  It now has a counter to them - or so it will presume.  Will the feckless Biden administration act to protect Israel from this existential threat of destruction?  I have my doubts.  So, I'm sure, does Israel.  I'd say the likelihood of nuclear war in the Middle East just increased greatly - and if that once begins, where will it stop?

The geopolitical map is changing right before our eyes, and not in our favor.  My best guess is that the western powers (what used to be called the First World) are about to see a significant reduction in their influence and pre-eminence around the world.  I don't think our governments - or the World Economic Forum and its acolytes - are prepared to acknowledge just how damaging that might be to our interests.  The WEF in particular has been trying to reshape human society in terms of its Great Reset program.  I rather suspect that program has itself just run headlong into its own SCO-centric reset.  Will the WEF acknowledge that, or will it still try to force its program upon the world willy-nilly?  I don't think it's any longer in a position to do that - except in the west, where our governments have been largely co-opted into lock-step obedience.

Interesting times . . .

Peter

What do you expect, after you've defunded the police?

 

Clearly, the liberals and progressives who've embraced defunding and inhibiting the police and other emergency services didn't think about how - or whether - they would be able to do their jobs with less funding.

New York City first responders are taking longer to get to fires, medical emergencies and crimes in progress.

Critics blamed the potential deadly surge in response times on serious staffing shortages in the NYPD and FDNY.

As the Police Department continues to deal with spikes in major crimes and a mass exodus of cops, response times to all “crimes in progress” during the past fiscal year ending June 30 increased from 11 minutes and 40 seconds to 12 minutes and 44 seconds – or 9.1%, according to Mayor Adams’ first management report.

In fiscal 2019, which predated the COVID-19 pandemic and the many new challenges it to brought citywide, the average response time was 9 minutes and 55 seconds.

The Fiscal 2022 Mayor’s Management Report released late Friday – which covers the highs and lows of all city agencies during the final six months of ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration and the first six of Adams’ – also highlighted a serious uptick specifically in response times to armed robberies, burglaries and other “critical crimes.”

Cops on average responded off 911 calls to these crimes in 8 minutes and 26 seconds, compared to 7 minutes and 52 seconds a year ago.  In fiscal 2019, they arrived on average in 6 minutes and 38 seconds after a 911 dispatcher fielded the call for help.  

Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens), who chairs the fire and emergency management committee, blamed de Blasio’s progressive policies for helping nudge many cops who felt “disrespected” into early retirement and leaving the NYPD short-staffed.

“We need to fix this because without public safety, you have nothing,” she said Saturday. “People’s lives are in danger.”

Combined response times by FDNY ambulances and fire companies to “life-threatening medical emergencies” were up 46 seconds on average in fiscal 2022 – or 8.7% — to 9 minutes and 30 seconds, the report says.

There's more at the link.

It's important to realize that emergency responders - police, ambulance, fire, etc. - are all interconnected in responding to a crisis.  If you're shot during a street holdup, you don't only need the cops to protect you, but also an ambulance to get you to treatment as quickly as possible, and possibly the fire department to clear wreckage and/or fight fires caused by the incident.  It's surprising how often all three services are needed.

Now, look at the times concerned.  An "average response time" of 12¾ minutes doesn't say much in and of itself;  but if you've been shot two or three times, and are bleeding steadily on the sidewalk, that much delay might make the difference between living and dying.  Worse, in a violent assault or rape case, how much damage do you think a motivated attacker can do in that much time?  I have personally witnessed a rioter kill another man with a broken piece of brick in less than 12 seconds from start to finish - rushing up, grabbing the brick off the ground, avoiding a defensive kick and blow from his victim, and slamming the brick brutally onto his head three times in rapid succession, as hard as he could.  The victim was dead by the time EMS arrived.  In fact, I think he was dead before his body hit the ground.  (His attacker then turned on someone else - but that person was armed, and stopped the attack right there.  He survived uninjured.  His attacker did not.)

This report concerned New York City, but there are many like it concerning other American cities.  Do your own research into average response times by police, fire and EMS in your area over the past few years.  Look into the rise in crime rates across the nation.  I'm willing to bet you won't find an improvement in your area - rather the opposite.

Tucker Carlson addresses the issue.

Again and again and again I've urged readers to get out of cities.  This illustrates why I've said that so often.  It's not going to get any better;  in fact, I foresee it getting much, much worse in the immediate future.  In fact, the murder rate in major US cities already outpaces Ukraine's recorded civilian death rate.  Another report notes that "Murders rose 5% in 2021 compared to 2020; 44% compared to 2019".  Don't wait for that to get worse.

Plan to move, now, while you still can.  If you can't, or if you have to visit a particularly violent and crime-ridden city, start figuring out how to avoid becoming a victim of crime, and/or how you will defend yourself against those who see you as prey - because if you don't or can't, you will become their prey.

Peter

"Why is Ron DeSantis a human trafficker and not Joe Biden?"

 

That's the question Tucker Carlson asks.  I highly recommend watching his full monologue (from last Friday), embedded below:  but if you don't have time, or you prefer to read it rather than listen, I've included part of the transcript, with a link to the remainder.

In the old America, every citizen was considered equal under the law as well as in the eyes of God. Everybody had to follow the same rules because nobody underneath it all was more important than anyone else. We were all citizens. Citizens is a term you rarely hear anymore. Citizenship implies inherent rights, rights that politicians cannot under any circumstances take from you because they did not bestow them in the first place.

You were born with them, but the people running our country no longer acknowledge this. They do not believe in inherent rights, nor do they believe in equality. You may remember how hysterical they became a couple of years ago when a few old-fashioned souls dared to say that all lives matter, which they certainly do. The people in charge hated that. They don't think that all lives matter. In their view, some animals are more equal than others. 

It's hard to think of a news story in recent memory that illustrates this phenomenon as clearly as what is happening on Martha's Vineyard ... the Venezuelans may have gotten a hint that they weren't really welcome there, but it was hard to know. The community seemed to be rallying behind them, but then, if there was any doubt in the morning, it was gone by afternoon because the message changed very quickly and the new message was, "Get the hell out of here, Brown people."

. . .

So, there's a lot of irony here and we're going to try to unpack it as quickly and crisply as we can, but it was just a day ago that we were told that Ron DeSantis was a human trafficker. He was, in fact, comparable to Adolf Hitler, said Ken Burns, America's filmmaker, because he had organized the transportation of migrants from his state to Martha's Vineyard ... So, why is only Ron DeSantis a human trafficker for doing this? Why is only Ron DeSantis a human trafficker for doing this? It's interesting. According to Gavin Newsom, he's a kidnapper. Why didn't any one say that about Greg Abbott or Charlie Baker or Joe Biden for that matter? As we've said for more than a year, the Biden administration has flown illegal migrants throughout the country, often in the middle of the night.

. . .

Let's hope the next stop in this process is there and let's also hope that the governors of sane states are watching how Democrats handled this. Within 24 hours of having immigrants dumped on their shores, the people of Martha's Vineyard have the military move them out. Why is nobody else doing that? True. There's no longer any reason that Republicans shouldn't do that. This is the template. In Texas, Arizona, Florida, etc, they should do the exact same thing.

There's more at the link.

I noted on Friday:  "Hypocrisy, thy name is Martha's Vineyard".  So far, I've seen nothing to suggest that's an exaggeration - rather the opposite, in fact.  US politics is increasingly the politics of hypocrisy - on both sides of the aisle.  In fact, I'm beginning to think hypocrisy is an entry-level requirement for any professional politician.

Peter

Inflation watch: Argentina as a bellwether for what might happen here

 

Those of us who've lived in high-inflation societies are watching what's happening today in the USA with a certain cynical sense of déjà vu.  We've seen it all before.

The current effective annual US inflation rate (forget the official numbers - they're falsified - and look to more authoritative sources such as Shadowstats, or do your own calculations) of approximately 20%-plus is scary enough:  but it's nowhere near as bad as it may get in the not too distant future.  As an example, consider Argentina.

The Argentinian national bank this week raised interest rates to 75% in a desperate bid to tamp down on the country’s still-spiraling consumer inflation rate.

The Banco de la Nación Argentina hiked the rates after national data indicated a year-over-year inflation rate of just under 80%, a crushing spike that has desperately squeezed consumers in the South American country. 

The bank told Bloomberg that its board of directors “intends to reduce the level of short-term debt held by the central bank next year,” the outlet reported.

There's more at the link.

Just think about those numbers for a moment.  Imagine that the buying power of every dollar in your possession on January 1st of any year - i.e. 100 cents - will be worth one-fifth as much - a mere 20 cents - on December 31st of that same year.  Would your income have risen enough to compensate?  I venture to doubt it.  It's soul-destroying, absolutely crushing fiscal oppression.

I've experienced that in other societies, and worse.  (Friends of mine saw Zimbabwean hyperinflation at its peak, and that was hideous!)  If you think that can't happen here . . . if you think it won't happen here, despite our government printing dollars like there's no tomorrow . . . then you don't understand the situation.  It could happen here in a heartbeat.

Plan accordingly, and prepare as best you can.  There aren't any really good ways to prepare, but the necessities you buy today, at today's prices, with today's dollars, are at least assets in your possession.  If (when?) the time comes that you can't afford them at tomorrow's prices, you can fall back on what you've set aside today.  That may be a vital necessity for most of us.

Peter

Memes that made me laugh 126

 

Gathered around the Internet over the past week.  Click any image for a larger view.

Sunday morning music

 

Let's have a bit of a change of pace.

The blog IOTWReport occasionally posts music excerpts amid its many daily snippets.  Occasionally they pique my interest;  and over the past month or so, three stood out as interesting enough for me to bookmark them.  I thought my readers might enjoy their quirkiness as well.  Kudos to the person/team at IOTWReport for putting them up in the first place.

First, from August 20, here's Tommy Emmanuel's fast-paced rendition of "Classical Gas".

Next, from September 12, here's Brazilian guitarist Lucas Imbiriba with his acoustic rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody".

Finally, from September 14, here's British bassist Charles Berthoud on a fretless bass guitar with a short excerpt from Led Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to Heaven".

Thanks, IOTWReport, for keeping us interested with your music selections.

Peter

Saturday Snippet: Nelson evacuates Corsica in the face of revolutionaries

 

Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson is perhaps the most famous of Britain's "seadog Admirals", earning a brilliant military reputation at battles such as Cape St. Vincent, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Nile and Copenhagen, before his final victory - and death - at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

One of his accomplishments was as a Captain in the Mediterranean in 1794, when as commanding officer of the 64-gun ship of the line HMS Agamemnon, he led the invasion of Corsica to take it from its French Revolutionary garrison.  A few years later, as French forces slowly conquered what is today Italy, it was decided that Corsica had to be evacuated.  Many refugees from Revolutionary forces in Italy had fled there, and they had to be taken to safety.  The operation was threatened by the presence of many pro-French partisan bands on the island, but by a combination of diplomacy and naked threats of violence, Nelson succeeded in getting everyone who wanted to leave Corsica off the island.

One of the ship's company of HMS Agamemnon, who signed himself simply by the initials M.C., described the evacuation of Corsica in 1796.  His account was recently republished in a volume of naval memoir excerpts titled "Every Man Will Do His Duty: An Anthology of Firsthand Accounts from the Age of Nelson 1793–1815".

The book is a fascinating compendium of accounts from those who experienced them.  Some deal with major historical events such as Trafalgar and the death of Nelson.  Others describe less well-known events, but which were nevertheless important in the context of the naval wars of the time.  I've selected the chapter covering the evacuation of Corsica for its amusement value as much as its historical nature.  (Look for the use of a wooden leg as a weapon of close combat!)

IN THE YEAR 1796 [actually, 1795] Captain Nelson had charge of a small squadron, under Admiral [of the Blue William] Hotham, which was sent to co-operate with the Austrian general, in order to drive the French from the Riviera de Genoa. It was during the night that the admiral got under weigh, but did not get sight of the enemy for several days, when a partial action took place [on July 13,1795]. L’Alcide (74) struck, but the rest of the fleet got a wind, which blowing right on the land, enabled them to get close in shore, while the English fleet, at seven miles distance, were completely becalmed. About half an hour after L’Alcide struck, a box of combustibles, which were stowed in her foretop, accidentally caught fire, and, despite of all exertions to extinguish it, the flames spread so quickly that the ship was soon an entire mass of flame. The crew were seen running to and fro in a state of distraction. Our fleet lost no time in manning their boats, and we succeeded in rescuing upwards of 200 of the crew. Our boats were the last that left the vessel, and had not got a mile from her ere she blew up, with a tremendous explosion, scattering in the air those of her unfortunate crew that remained on board, and who could not have been less than 300 souls. Our ship, the Agamemnon, had none killed, and not more than one or two wounded. But we got a number of shots under water, and we had sharp work at the pumps to keep her dry. We anchored only a few hours at St. Fiorenzo, and then Captain Nelson was again despatched in the Agamemnon.

Nelson at this time was made colonel of Marines, which he had long wished for, but little expected. It was pretty well known that great changes were about to take place in the fleet, and Nelson expressed an ardent hope that he should be commissioned for some ship. His health, however, had been much impaired, and until this promotion occurred he had harboured a wish to return to England, and rest awhile; but the events that intervened effectually prevented it. Admiral Jervis was appointed to the command of the Mediterranean fleet early in November [1795] and his penetration soon discovered that Nelson possessed a combination of resources and abilities rarely to be met with, and he determined to give him immediate opportunities of signalizing himself.

The Agamemnon, having been severely cut to pieces by shot in the late engagement, had been brought into Leghorn to refit, and it was expected she would be sent home; and Captain Nelson intended to return in her to England. But Admiral Jervis did not feel inclined to part with him; he therefore offered him the St. George, 90 guns, or the Zealous, 74, which he, however, declined, but at the same time expressed a great wish to serve under the admiral, should the war continue.

The candid manner in which Nelson expressed himself made a most favourable impression on Admiral Jervis, and they soon became mutually attached. Jervis quickly fathomed the disposition of Nelson; he saw that his great aim was command, and that he yearned to try his fortune as a Commander. He, therefore, convinced Nelson that it would be folly to think of going to England at a moment when every chance of rapid promotion offered itself; and finding that Nelson’s resolution wavered, he at once promoted him to the rank of temporary commodore. The lure was too tempting to be evaded, and Nelson at once resolving to forego his intended trip to England, hoisted his pendant on board his old ship, the Agamemnon. There was little or nothing to be done; Buonaparte was then the great meteor of France, and affairs were undergoing a rapid change. Nelson was now established in permanent rank, and appointed to the Captain, 74; having a Captain appointed to command under him.

We gained intelligence that six vessels, laden with ordnance and ammunition, had sailed from Toulon, for the siege of Mantua. Nelson, having the aid of Captain Cockburn, in the Meleager, went in pursuit, and drove them under a battery, which kept up a sharp cannonade; but we soon silenced it, and, pursuing the flying enemy, succeeded in capturing the whole of them. In addition to the ordnance and warlike stores on board, we found military books, plans and maps of Italy, and many very useful papers, intended for Buonaparte’s use. The consequence of this victory was disastrous to the French, who, being deprived of their expected supply of ammunition, were obliged to raise the siege of Mantua, and if the Allied Powers had taken more active measures on land, they would doubtless have improved this success, and prevented Buonaparte from taking possession of Leghorn [Livorno],which he did soon after; but Nelson was on the alert, and closely blockaded him in Leghorn, while, at the same time, he landed a British force on the island of Elba.

In consequence of the war with Spain, orders were received that Corsica was immediately to be given up, and the fleet were to quit the Mediterranean. Nelson was paralyzed. This intelligence was so contrary to the orders he had received from Admiral Jervis that he knew not how to act. He immediately sent a despatch to the admiral, and loudly lamented the present orders, which he openly characterized as disgraceful to the honour of England. His chagrin was too great to be concealed from his officers or crew, and in the bitterness of his disappointment he remarked, “The Ministers at home do not seem to know the capabilities of our fleet. I frankly declare I never beheld one in point of officers and men equal to that under Sir John Jervis, who is a commander-in-chief fully capable of increasing the glory of England.”

Sir John Jervis was as much chagrined as Nelson, and although the bluff sailor concealed his feelings from those around him, yet the whole fleet were well aware that he was prepared to act very differently. However, much as we all regretted it, there was no help. The orders had arrived, and must be obeyed.

On the 13th of October, Captain Nelson was close in with Bastia by daylight, in the Diadem, Captain Towry; and, before it came to anchor, Nelson, accompanied by his boat’s crew, went on shore to visit the viceroy, who was rejoiced to see him, and requested that his valuable papers might immediately be sent on board by our boat, for it was impossible to foresee how long they might be safe on shore at Bastia.

We went to the viceroy’s house, and got all the valuables safe into the boat, which we took on board ship, and then returned with a further supply of boats and men. It now appeared that the Corsicans had taken up arms, and that a committee of thirty had seized and detained all the property of the English, and that a plan had been laid to seize the person of the viceroy. General de Burgh also reported to Captain Nelson, that, from the number of armed Corsicans, there was little or no prospect of saving either stores, cannon, or provisions. But Nelson, whose decision was promptitude itself, ordered the citadel gate to be shut, in order to prevent any more armed Corsicans from entering, and gave immediate orders to moor his ships opposite the town. The merchants and owners likewise informed him that even their trunks of clothes were refused them, and that they would be complete beggars unless he could help them. A privateer had been moored across the mole-head by the Corsicans, which would not even allow a transport boat to pass. Nelson requested them to remain easy, and assured them that he would soon find means to relieve them.

At this time, while our boat’s crew were waiting on shore, we observed several armed Corsicans making towards the citadel, who seemed struck with surprise when they found the gate closed upon them. We could not refrain from laughing at their disappointment; which provoked them to such a degree, that one fellow had the temerity to present his piece at us, exclaiming, “Brigands Anglais!” (rascally Englishmen!) intending to fire amongst us: but, unfortunately for him, Archibald Menzies, our stroke-oar (whom we nicknamed “Scotch Hercules” on account of his immense strength), who was taking his cutty, or short pipe, comfortably near the gate, caught sight of this maneuver, and, rushing up to the dastard Corsican, gave him such a severe blow under the ear with his iron fist that he fell and completely rolled over in the dust with the force of the blow. His companions paused for a moment in surprise, as they eyed the tall gaunt figure of Archibald, but suddenly rushed in a body upon him; but Archibald, having torn up a wooden rail that ran along the road-side, laid about him with such fury that the cowardly Corsicans threw down their arms and ran for their lives; and before we could reach the spot, although we ran as quickly as we could, to assist our messmate, Archibald was master of the field, his assailants having all decamped except two unfortunate fellows whom he held fast in his iron gripe.

“Deil tak you!” exclaimed Archy,—“d’ye ken me? Never show your ugly walnut-coloured faces to a Briton again, unless you can behave like cannie men, or, by Saint Andrew! I’ll batter your faces against each ither till ye shallna ken whether you be yourselves or no. Get awa wi’ ye, ye cursed black-nebs! I dinna like to swear, but I’ll be d—d if I don’t mak haggis-meat o’ ye, if I catch you here again.”

Having let them loose, which he did with a kick behind, the fellows made swift work of it, and were soon out of sight. We collected the arms they had left, and stowed them safely in the boat.

Nelson having returned from the citadel, we quickly got on board in order to commence operations. The Egmont, Captain [John] Sutton, had now arrived, and was ordered to moor the same as the Diadem. At noon, Captain Nelson made the signal for the boats manned and armed, and Captain [George Henry] Towry [of HMS Diadem] proceeded into the mole with them, in order to open the passage for all vessels which might choose to come out. Captain Towry had also received instructions from Nelson to take the first English vessel in tow which he met with; and, if the slightest molestation was offered, he was to send to the municipality in his (Nelson’s) name, to tell them that if any obstruction was thrown in the way of getting any vessel out of the mole, or removing any of the property belonging to the English, he would instantly batter the town about their ears.

Now it has always been said, that the great John Duke of Marlborough created such terror and dismay among the enemies of England, by his rapid and surprising succession of victories, that he was in France held up as a bugbear; and nurses were accustomed to frighten refractory children into submission by telling them Malbrouk would come and take them away. The name of Nelson was not without its terrors among the Corsicans, and they never heard it without a feeling of fear; and I believe they would as soon have faced the devil himself as Nelson, as the sequel will show.

Captain Towry proceeded to the mole, when the privateer, which was moored across it, immediately pointed her guns at him, and at least an hundred guns were levelled from the mole-head. On observing this, Capt. Sutton immediately sent Nelson’s message on shore, which threatened to batter down the town if a single shot was fired, and, taking out his watch, said he would give them a quarter-of-an-hour for a reply, which if not fully satisfactory the ships would instantly open their fire.

Nelson’s name was enough, and more so when the Corsicans found that Towry and Sutton were not to be trifled with. The message acted like magic, for in a few minutes the people quitted the privateer; and those at the mole-head, even to the Corsican sentries, quitted the spot with the utmost precipitation, leaving the vessels to come out of the mole entirely unmolested.

We were now occasionally on shore as well as on board, according to circumstances; for it appeared the municipality were still bent on committing depredations whenever they could do so with impunity. Captain Nelson, therefore, made it his custom to remain where he could be easiest of access, in order that all persons who had complaints to make might do so with facility.

In the course of the day, the owner of a privateer came to complain that he had forty hogsheads of tobacco and other goods in the custom-house, which the municipality refused to deliver to him; whereupon Captain Nelson told him to go to the Committee of Thirty, and say that he (Nelson) had sent for the goods, which, if not instantly delivered, he would fire upon the town. The owner not liking to go alone, Nelson sent a midshipman, with half-a-dozen men as a kind of convoy, among whom was Archibald Menzies. The owner delivered the message, and the Committee seemed to hint at requiring time to consider; but the midshipman said he could brook no delay; whereupon Archibald, who could contain himself no longer, burst out with, “Hoot awa’ wi’ ye, and your dally dirty ways; ye ken this gentleman is our officer, and we canna stand here waiting for your decision. Ye ken, if ye dinna give up the goods this instant, our Captain will give your dirty town such a belabouring, that he’ll nae leave one stane upon the t’other. So come awa’ wi’ ye, mister merchant.” Archy’s speech decided the controversy; the Corsicans did not like the threats of Captain Nelson, nor did they like the looks of the man that uttered them. They all turned as pale as death; and, without uttering a single word, delivered up the keys to the merchant, who returned with the boat’s crew to Nelson, and acquainted him with the result of his errand; who took immediate means to put the owner in possession of his property.

One would have supposed that the Corsicans had received sufficient proofs that the English would not be trifled with; but they still obstinately clung to their desire to annoy the British merchants, for, in the evening, they made an attempt to get duty paid for some wine which was about to be embarked by a British merchant. However, Captain Nelson sent a message to them, declaring, that if any more complaints were made to him, however slight their nature, he should, without any further notice, pay them such a visit as they would have cause to repent. This was conclusive; the Committee saw that further attempts at opposition would be likely to draw down destruction on them, and they therefore gave up their system of annoyance; and from that moment not an armed man was to be seen in the streets of Bastia.

The viceroy was taken on board our ship that night, and was consequently placed out of danger. Nelson landed his troops on the 15th, early in the morning; who took post at the viceroy’s house, which covered the spot where the embarkation took place. General de Burgh also furnished another hundred men for the same purpose, part of which kept post in the citadel. One hundred seamen were also sent on shore to complete the embarkation. One of our men met with a strange adventure. John Thompson, while ashore, heard the wailings of a female, and other persons’ voices speaking peremptorily. Jack, conceiving he had a right to interfere if anything was going wrong, listened awhile, and soon found that his assistance would be required. The door opened, and four rough-looking fellows pulled a couple of chests into the street.

“Avast! you saffron-faced swabs,” cried Jack, as he placed himself in front of them; “What are you going to be after with the lady’s cargo, eh?”

“Contrabande! contrabande! choses prohibées!” exclaimed the Corsicans.

“Chose be d—d,” cried Jack; “none of your nonsense with me. Let the lady have her goods, or by the honour of my Commander, I’ll spoil your daylights!”

“Non intendo, non intendo!” exclaimed the Corsicans, (meaning, we don’t understand you.)

But Jack mistook the meaning of the word, and exclaimed, “Not intend it! Yes, but you did intend it, you lying swab, and you would have DONE it too, if I had not been here to prevent you.”

The Corsicans paused a little; but seeing that Thompson was quite alone, and they were four in number, they determined on attacking and overpowering him; consequently two of them advanced, but Jack Thompson knocked them down with his fists; the others then advanced, but at this moment an unexpected reinforcement arrived; for the hostess observing the unequal attack of the cowardly Corsicans, rushed to the spot, followed by her stable-boy, and seizing a broomstick, while the stable-boy presented a pitchfork, they laid about them with such spirit that they proved a powerful reinforcement to Jack Thompson.

Others of the Corsican breed joined their rascally companions, and Jack Thompson and his two auxiliaries would doubtless have been defeated; but the timely arrival of half-a-dozen of our crew struck the Corsicans with such terror that they made a precipitate retreat, and left Jack Thompson and his confederates in possession of the prize.

The husband of the hostess wore a wooden leg, and therefore could not join in the active part of the fray; he, however, proved of signal service, and acted occasionally as a flanking battery; for, having seated himself on one of the tubs, he pulled off his wooden leg, and every Corsican who happened to come within his reach during the scuffle, received a hearty thump with it from the old gentleman, who, at every blow, roared out, “Viva Inglesi—Bono Inglesi!”

The hostess and her caro marito (as she termed her husband) insisted on our partaking of some refreshment; and so pleased were they with our presence, that I believe, if we could have emptied one of their brandy casks, we should have been welcome. Having regaled ourselves, we assisted them to remove their property to a place of safety.

We now went heartily to work in removing provisions, cannon, gunpowder, and various stores, besides a vast quantity of baggage and household articles; for the poor emigrants could not afford to leave any things behind them. There were many novel scenes exhibited in Bastia at this time. Whole families might be seen moving along with their little stock of goods under the protection of British sailors or soldiers, while their enemies could do no more than look on with envy and vexation, and see themselves deprived of their intended plunder.

Our sailors had plenty of opportunities of displaying their gallantry; for it was nothing uncommon to see two or three of our ship’s crew marching along with a female under each arm, convoying them safely to the place of embarkation. Here you might see a group of men conveying a lot of furniture, while the family were carrying the lighter articles, such as bandboxes, bundles, and such-like gear. Our carpenter’s second mate was an Irishman, and a merry fellow he was; but he was rather ill-favoured in his appearance. He had somewhat of a squint about his eyes, rather a flat nose, and a wide mouth, and he passed by the cognomen of the “Munster Beauty.” Poor Pat Macguire! he was as able a seaman as ever sailed in the fleet; and whenever he committed a blunder it was on the right side: he lived long enough to see much service, for I think it was in the battle of Trafalgar that a grape-shot signed his death-warrant.

Pat Macguire had charge of the removal of the domestic part of the goods, and proud enough he was of the berth, and well pleased into the bargain; for Pat was always fond of being in ladies’ company, and here he was surrounded by all ranks. Old and young, rich and poor—all came to consult Pat as to the manner in which they were to proceed.

Some of our strongest men, who were employed in removing the cannon and other cumbersome materials, took good care to jeer Pat Macguire in his enviable employment. One would say, “There’s Mister Macguire, the lady’s man—pretty, delicate creature—he’s obliged to be stationed here to look after the gowns and petticoats, because our work is too hard for him.”

Old Jack Townsend (the grumbler) would say, “What can you expect of an Irishman?—They never were able seamen; they’re of no use on board, unless it be to act as washerwomen.”

“A bull—a bull!” cried Pat Macguire; “who ever heard of a man-washerwoman? Now, look you, Master Townsend, it’s no use your jibing and jeering after that fashion, because ye see the Captain has picked me out for this especial service, because I was one of the most polite and best-behaved of the crew. And let me tell you that there’s neither man, woman, nor child, that sails on the salt sea, that knows how to accommodate the ladies better, or half so well, as an Irishman. So, roll that up as a quid and chew it, Master Townsend, if you plase.”

“Ugh!” said old Townsend, “that’s all you’re good for. I dare say the Captain will give you a new berth aboard—he’ll make you head nurse to the women.”

“Och, good luck to him!” cried Pat; “I wish he may. Hurrah, old Jack! Pat Macguire’s just the boy for a nursery-maid.”

Had our time not been too much occupied, we should have derived much amusement by setting old Townsend and Pat Macguire on the high ropes, but our duty was rather hard, and time was running short, and, therefore, there was no other jeering except a little occasional shy fighting between these two, whose opinions differed as widely as the east and west winds.

Pat Macguire was also a bit of a politician and occasionally made some very shrewd remarks. When the despatch arrived which ordered us to evacuate Corsica, it caused much murmuring in the fleet, particularly among those who had seen good service under Sir John Jervis; and this gave Pat Macguire an opportunity of giving his opinion on the state of parties. One of the sailors having asked who it was that caused such orders to be given, Pat replied, “Sure, it was the Parliament.”

“Then,” said one of the topmen, “the Parliament never sailed under Admiral Jervis, nor fought as we have done.”

Whereupon Pat Macguire, with a look of the most signal contempt, exclaimed— “’Sblood, man, d’ye take the Parliament for a man or a woman? The Parliament, I’d have you to know, is a great many people mustered together, and they settle the affairs of the nation by talking to each other.”

“Talking to each other!” echoed the topman.

“Yes,” continued Pat; “they talk till they talk the breath out of each other, and then it’s put to the vote as to who spoke the longest and loudest, and that’s the one as gains the day.”

“And is that all they do?” inquired the topman.

“Yes, honey,” replied Pat; “they talk and we execute.”

Pat’s logic was too learned to allow the topman to argue any further; and the Boatswain having piped to quarters put an end to the debate.

We had now worked without intermission till sunset on the 19th, and must have saved about two hundred thousand pounds’ worth of stores, and other effects belonging to the emigrants.

The French had landed their troops at Cape Corse on the 18th, and on the following day they sent to the municipality to know if they intended to receive them as friends, because, if so, they required that the English should be prevented from embarking. Time would not allow us to save anything more, and, therefore, after having spiked all the guns, we quitted the citadel at midnight; but, from the wind blowing a gale, it was dawn of day before we all got on board. All the time these transactions were going on, we were observed by a mob of Corsicans, who lined the shore, and who had the mortification to witness every soul embark who chose to leave the island, without their daring to offer the least molestation.

Captain Nelson and General de Burgh were the last who left the spot; and as Nelson stepped into the boat, he coolly turned to the mob and said, “Now, John Corse, follow the natural bent of your detestable character—plunder and revenge!” We were soon on board, and in less than half an hour we showed our sterns to the island of Corsica.

I'd have loved to be a fly on the wall, to watch the old gentleman wielding his wooden leg with such gusto.  Nowadays, of course, it'd probably be against the Geneva Convention or something - but it's still a great story!

Peter

Quote of the day, week and month

 

From the anonymous blogger at Come And Make It:

Nothing creates poverty.  Poverty is the beginning state.  It takes zero effort to be poor.  It does take a lot of work not to be poor.

True dat.  True, true dat.

I wish our politicians and bureaucrats would understand that.  You can't legislate people out of poverty;  you can't redistribute resources to make some people better off and others poorer;  you can't equalize the slices of the cake, or pie, or whatever, so that everybody gets the same size slice, and then expect things to remain in equilibrium.  The motivated and hard-working will enlarge their slices, by hook or by crook;  and the lazy and unmotivated will lose bits and pieces of their pie to the others until they have nothing left.  If it isn't a recognized law of nature, it should be, because it's happened in every society since the dawn of recorded history.

That's also why handing out largesse to the people is such a bad idea.  If they don't have to work for a living, why should they?  It's easy to just sit back and accept the crumbs the government gives you, and vote for politicians who promise to give you a few more.  As the Roman poet Juvenal pointed out about eighteen centuries ago:

Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.

I think Juvenal would have recognized the same thing in most Western societies today.

If the State makes it easy to be poor, with no negative consequences for not working, the rest of that society will gradually go the same way.  Eventually, there'll be a minority of hard workers supporting a majority of non-workers . . . until the hard workers realize they're carrying the load for everybody, and refuse to carry it any longer.

When that day comes, that society is doomed.

Peter

A major canary in the economic coal mine

 

For those unfamiliar with the use of a canary in a coal mine as a safety device, you can read more about it here.  The practice (now discontinued) has become an idiom for an early indicator of potentially serious or dangerous problems.

FedEx has just emerged as a major canary in the coal mine of the world's economy.

FedEx (FDX) withdrew its full year earnings guidance and reported preliminary first quarter results that fell short of Wall Street estimates, sending shares tumbling in extended trading on Thursday.

"Global volumes declined as macroeconomic trends significantly worsened later in the quarter, both internationally and in the U.S." FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam warned in the release. "We are swiftly addressing these headwinds, but given the speed at which conditions shifted, first quarter results are below our expectations."

. . .

Cost-cutting measures outlined by FedEx include reducing flights, temporarily parking aircraft, closing more than 90 FedEx office locations, and deferring hiring plans.

“We are aggressively accelerating cost reduction efforts and evaluating additional measures to enhance productivity, reduce variable costs, and implement structural cost-reduction initiatives," Subramaniam added.

There's more at the link.

That's a very serious indicator of economic hard times.  Goods have to get from manufacturer to customer;  and air cargo/courier service is the preferred route to get high-value goods to their destination.  If it shows such a major slow-down, it's pretty certain that lower-value goods and mass-market materials are also in lower demand.  The high end is an indicator of the low end, to coin a phrase.

The CEO of FedEx went further in an interview with CNBC.

FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam told CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Thursday that he believes a recession is impending for the global economy.

. . .

The chief executive, who assumed the position earlier this year, said that weakening global shipment volumes drove FedEx’s disappointing results. While the company anticipated demand to increase after factories shuttered in China due to Covid opened back up, it actually fell, he said.

“Week over week over week, that came down,” Subramaniam said.

The chief executive also said that the loss in volume is wide-reaching, and that the company has seen weekly declines since around its investor day in June.

“We’re seeing that volume decline in every segment around the world, and so you know, we’ve just started our second quarter,” he said. “The weekly numbers are not looking so good, so we just assume at this point that the economic conditions are not really good.”

“We are a reflection of everybody else’s business, especially the high-value economy in the world,” he later added.

Again, more at the link.

We've spoken a lot in these pages about economic hard times.  Well, this is a really big indicator that they're suddenly getting a lot worse.  FedEx gave its earnings guidance only a few months ago, and already it's publicly abandoned it.  That's a heck of a red flag to investors - and you can be sure FedEx wouldn't have done it unless it deemed it absolutely necessary.  It's very bad for the company's image, and will doubtless encourage competitors with excess capacity (read:  Amazon) to try to snaffle more of FedEx's business by discounting rates.  When there's blood in the water, sharks are attracted, after all:  and in the courier/transport water, FedEx is one of the more widely recognized and important names.  If it's hurting, it might become a takeover target.

I guess we've already said just about everything we can say about the economy.  This is merely confirmation of what we've seen coming for a long time.  Stock up on essentials, get rid of debt as far as possible, and batten down the hatches.  It's going to be a rough ride.

Peter

Hypocrisy, thy name is Martha's Vineyard

 

It's (presumably?) nice to have high-falutin' liberal-progressive values like these.  (Clickit to biggit.)

On the other hand, if those principles are no more than skin-deep . . .

Oh, dearie me . . .

Sundance notes:

According to The Boston Globe, officials in Martha’s Vineyard are holding an emergency meeting to deal with the crisis of 43 illegal alien arrivals, including one four-year-old child.  The group arrived via a chartered flight dispatched by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

According to state representative Dylan Fernandes, “when you look at the limited housing options on Martha’s Vineyard, as I’m sure many of the folks here are aware, it’s likely we’re going to need an off island location.”

There's more at the link.

Twitter responds:

One has to laugh - and doff one's hat in admiration to Governor DeSantis of Florida.  In one swell foop, he's shown up the hypocrisy of liberal progressives for what it is.  Here in Texas, we're dealing with thousands - literally, multiple thousands - of illegal alien invaders every single day.  A progressive community gets less than 50 of them, uninvited (just as they are here) and all of a sudden the sky is falling!

I'll gladly donate to pay for more such flights, and buses too.  Let's share our illegal alien wealth all over the country, and see how blue state and blue city voters appreciate our largesse.  Maybe then they'll be willing to do something to control our southern border!

Peter