America finds itself in the hold of several substantial challenges — the Imperfect Storm.
Chief amongst them are the following:
1. The Pandemic
2. The economic impact of the Pandemic
3. The civil unrest in our cities
4. The #DefundPolice v Black Lives Matter confrontation
5. Government response to diminished tax revenues
6. The Election
I call this witch’s brew of challenges the Imperfect Storm. It will test us, but we will pass the test. There may be extra innings.
The Easy Ones
Some of these are easier than others to deal with.
#6. The Election will give us a fish or a fowl in short order and in 72 +/- days we will know who will have their hand on the tiller for the future of the US.
I predict it will be Donald J Trump in an election that folks will describe as “surprisingly easy.”
Depending upon the victor, some of these things could get much worse.
#1. The Pandemic will begin to look entirely different by the end of this year as we are presented with therapeutics, a vaccine, and gamma globulin treatments.
From the finish line of my own bout with COVID, I am here to say it was not much. The unknown and the anxiety during the first week were the darkest moments for me.
Otherwise it was more like COVID16 than 19. Very mild.
#2. The economic impact of the Pandemic will be dealt with in short order once the therapeutics, a vaccine, and gamma globulin treatments allow the economy to re-open.
This will not be painless. The recovery will be regional — NYC will have a much more difficult time of it for other reasons.
The recovery, if President Trump is re-elected, is going to be fierce AF.
The Hard Ones
These ones will be more difficult to see in the rear view mirror.
#3. Civil unrest in our cities is a matter for Mayors, City Councils, and Governors (National Guard) to deal with. Unfortunately, Mayors in cities under attack have done a piss poor job of dealing with unrest.
Hey, you moronic Mayors, lock your cities down with a curfew. Throw the rioters — we are way beyond any semblance of lawful, Constitutional, peaceful protest — in jail. This is rioting, arson, looting, vandalism, and property damage — crimes.
This will be a continuing problem in certain cities and not others. It is a leadership problem.
#4. The whole #DefundPolice/BlackLivesMatter issue is one of proportionately and common sense. Common sense, unfortunately, is not very common.
There will be cities — again moronic Mayors — who will go down the dangerous path of defunding their police. They will inflict great damage on their cities as crime skyrockets.
This staggering increase in crime will ultimately lead to the ballot box justice thereby getting rid of morons.
Black Live Matter has morphed from a legitimate sentiment into a Marxist organization that advocates violence and mob rule whilst opposing the black nuclear family.
This pendulum will swing back, but it is directly tied to the #DefundPolice issue, so it will take some time.
#5. Diminished tax revenues is the elephant in the room. Already such outposts as the People’s Republic of New York and New York City are calling for new and broader taxes plus increasing every existing tax.
To the extent this gets anywhere near a ballot box, this is a non-starter. Can you imagine a worse time to raise taxes than this moment?
There may be a silver lining because bloated, Jabba the Hutt governments will have to get on the Slim Fast to survive. I predict real pain and suffering in places like California and New York which believe they have to raise taxes whilst ignoring the necessity to streamline their morbidly obese governments.
This will be very regional — NYC will feel the pain whilst Texas will feel the gain.
Themes
There are several important themes:
1. Our people, particularly those who have been working from home, are and will become increasingly more mobile.
Why not WFH from Charleston, Austin, Wrightsville Beach, Steamboat Springs, South Beach?
WFH is a ticket to adventure. This will empty out some cities.
2. People will both move to a joyous location and leave a miserable one — talking to you NYC. If the shoe fits wear it.
People of a certain income level will maximize their after tax income by moving to states with zero state income tax like Texas, Florida.
3. If your city is on fire, real estate values are going to plummet.
Low values in real estate liberate some to leave and the unrest urges others to leave.
4, Nobody thinks that defunding the police is going to do anything good for immediate response, life threatening situations.
Neither the ACLU nor BLM are going to handle 9-1-1 calls.
You can buy a gun, but that is a different problem.
There is nothing more attractive than safety. People will move where it is safe.
5. Given the current situation, you cannot create new taxes; you cannot raise taxes.
This may be the worst time in the history of the US to raise taxes.
Government needs to go on a diet and slim down.
Bottom line it, Big Red Car
Sure, dear reader, we have some challenges, but we went to the moon, we defeated the Nazis and the Japs, we lived through Milli Vanilli (they were German) — we are a tough people.
In this moment of trial, do not lose heart. We are a nation born at the tip of a bloody bayonet.
Our Founders were lions and the sons of lions are lions. We will prevail. We will best the Imperfect Storm. We will roar again! Because #America.
God bless us all and God bless you.