China is a Scam

Winston describes Chinese EV cars, and the entire Chinese automotive industry, as a scam.  And while this is clearly true, the important point, which he infers but does not come out with directly, is that this is how everything in China works.  It is not an exaggeration to say that everything in China is some sort of scam.

Here in the Philippines, we are seeing an ever increasing number of Chinese branded cars on the road.  I have no doubt that the Philippines is one of the countries where, as Winston mentions, China is dumping cars.

As an aside, recently I saw a new GWM (Great Wall Motor – a Chinese manufacturer that Winston mentions in the video), diesel pickup in a shopping mall.  The list price was almost 40 percent less than the very similar Toyota Hilux.  Sure this will vary by product and features.  But of course, Filipinos are flocking to these brands.

I will add one other thing about the GWM display in the mall.  The cars were lavishly decorated with the most beautiful women, er...product specialists.  When the feminists chased Don Draper out of New York, he fled to China.  And as Don likes to say:  When you place a beautiful woman next to any product, people tend to forget the most important questions.

Because electricity is so expensive here, most of these vehicles are not electric.  But we do see some.  To the best of our ability, we never park near one of these.

No, you cannot avoid all Chinese products.  But we have a strict rule regarding Chinese products.  We do not buy anything made in China that has the potential to kill you.  So, no food, no cars, no lithium batteries, etc.  But yes, the fly swatter I bought last week was made in China.

We will make an exception to this rule if the product is an American brand.  For example, Apple is not going to damage its reputation because of Chinese shenanigans.  So sure, much of their stuff is made in China; but under closely supervised quality control.  I am less sure of some American firms manufacturing in China.  Are Chinese-manufactured Doritos safe?  I would assume so, but why take the chance.

Now if you think this perspective is a bit harsh, here is a Shawn Ryan clip, about six months old.  Really, the whole country is just a great big scam, and often dangerous.  I have written about this before.  So how should we handle China?  We should isolate them like any other pariah state.  Maybe this cannot be done diplomatically, but we can certainly isolate them economically.

The Chinese cannot do anything on their own.  They need to steal, and scam, and cheat.  This is deeply ingrained within their culture.  If we do not allow it, they will flounder.  All we have to do is:  Nothing.  Just stay out of China and stop buying Chinese goods.  The world will be a better place.

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Proposal: Gold Bank

The benefits of cryptocurrency without all the nonsense

Here's what we do.  Let's start a bank where all deposits and withdrawals are made in gold bullion.  Each depositor's balance will be listed as gold weight on deposit.  And let us place our depository someplace safe, like Switzerland.

Before we start pondering the logistical nightmare of such an arrangement, what with delivery, assaying (verification), acceptance, etc., let us consider one other simple possibility.  How about this?  Deposits can be made in any major currency, and that currency will, immediately on deposit, be used to purchase gold at the then current market price.  So for example, if you deposit one thousand dollars, your account will then reflect not the one thousand dollars, but rather that amount in gold bullion.

The bank will issue each account holder checkbooks and debit cards, which will allow customers to spend their funds as with any bank.  Spend ten dollars at Walmart, and your account will reflect a ten-dollar reduction in your deposited gold weight.  Need cash to pay your babysitter?  Debit cards will work in the ATM.

The bank will purchase and sell gold daily on the open market to facilitate deposits and withdrawals.  Since the bank is buying and selling based on the collective needs of all depositors, the bank would receive the best possible commissions and spreads on these transactions.  Then of course, these expenses would be shared among deposit holders based on their respective transactions.  It is worth noting that to the extent that deposits and withdrawals match, the only cost to the bank would be the bookkeeping charge of moving funds from one account to another.

The bank will maintain a high percentage of gold in its depository.  Maybe 85%.  The remaining gold deposits would be holdings of various gold instruments like ETFs.  This is to insure quick and inexpensive purchases and sales.

The benefit of such an arrangement is that funds are maintained in bullion and not dollars or any other currency.  These deposits are therefore immune to the irresponsibility of modern governments and the fragility of their respective currencies.

Start your own gold bank

Individuals can limit their exposure to the dollar in a similar fashion.  Invest in gold ETFs and move investment income into these ETFs, and keep funds there, rather than in dollars.  It is the same if you get a paycheck; roll your dollars into gold ETFs.

First Bank of Blockchain

This model is deposit/withdraw/spend in dollars (or any government-sponsored currency) and store in gold.  But clearly, and perhaps more easily, this could also be done with cryptocurrency.  Why has no one has thought to do this?  If the crypto folks want to be taken seriously, they need to get rid of the Sam Bankman-Fried type grifters, and bring in some serious players.

One certain takeaway from the Trump-Musk split and the Big Beautiful Bill is that relative to the US dollar, gold is the safer store of long term value.  Sure there may be some minor fluctuations here and there.  But for now this is a political certainty:  There is zero will among US politicians to control dollar-denominated US government debt.  At this point I think it is safe to say:  The US national debt will never be paid off.  Never.  Even if, magically, the politicians develop the will, at this point they lack the ability.

What does this mean?  Three possibilities.  One, the politicians will devalue the dollar.  Think one new dollar for ten old dollars.  Two, the politicians will attempt to monetize the debt by a long term policy of increasing and sustaining inflation.  Basically it is devaluing the dollar in slow motion.  Three, at some point the bond and currency markets will force a dollar devaluation.  Since the politicians are not going to address the debt in any meaningful way, one of these three, or some combination, is inevitable.

One thing US politicians will not abide is default.  At least not in name.  But devaluation, however it comes, is a form of default.  So yes, sooner or later, the US government will default on its obligations.

Individuals can prepare for this by:  Not owning debt.  Especially not government debt, but I would add, do not own any dollar-denominated debt.  If you own dollar-denominated bonds, get rid of them.  If the state of New York owes you one thousand dollars, in the form of a bond, they will be delighted to pay you back in devalued dollars.  And this is true for any and every bond issuer.

So no bonds and no dollars.  Do own real estate, gold, common stocks.  Although I would avoid equities of businesses that own a lot of debt, that is banks and other lenders.  If you are not a believer in gold, fine.  But keep your rents and dividends in gold short term until you are able to reinvest.  In terms of which common stocks to own, I would focus on companies with an economic franchise as defined by Warren Buffett.

Speaking of Mr. Buffett, he is sitting on all this cash ($350 billion) and is, famously, no fan of gold.  Surely you are not disagreeing with the oracle of Omaha?

But how much better is cash than gold?  Cash suffers the same basic problem as gold:  A store of value without income.  Gold provides no income and cash only offers slightly more than none.  The reason Buffett maintains cash is in order to move quickly into the market at a time of his choosing.  Also this:  One might remember that the only reason cash offers any income at all is the fact that almost all cash is stored in, invested in, some form of debt.

Mr. Buffett was born in 1930.  His life has spanned the length of US hegemony.  And surely that affects how he sees the world.  Buffett may be old, but the man is not stupid.  My guess is that he will attempt to relieve himself of all that cash (into some hard, income-producing assets) before the coming monetary collapse (whether fast or slow).  He is betting that the stock market will collapse before the dollar.  The history of American hegemony tells him this is a good bet.

I am not so sure.

Current US national debt is $273,500 per household.  Household net worth is around $176,500.  A figure which of course does not include national debt.  You can do your own math.

Here's Grok:

As of December 2024, the U.S. national debt as a percentage of GDP is approximately 124%.  This is based on data indicating the national debt reached $36.22 trillion, with a nominal GDP of around $29.2 trillion.  At the end of World War II in 1946, the debt-to-GDP ratio was about 106%, with a public debt of $241.86 billion against a smaller GDP.

The current ratio of 124% is notably higher than the post-WWII peak of 106%.  The increase reflects significant government spending during recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic, which drove debt levels up, compared to the post-WWII period where economic growth, primary budget surpluses, and inflation helped reduce the ratio over time.

In other words, we have the highest government debt level in modern history, no political will to reduce it, and actually no will to reduce its continued growth.  For all the left-wing hate of Donald Trump, one might note that he is not, and has never been, a fiscal conservative.

Maybe Mr. Buffett is correct.  But if the stock market does collapse with this level of national debt, what are the odds that the dollar will collapse along with the stock market?

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High Caste Lecture

I like to play this game. Every time an Indian origin kid in the West signals their progressive virtue in woke-speak -- from 'yoga is cultural appropriation' to anti-colonialism takes -- I google their last name for caste origins. 10 times out of 10 it is South Indian Brahmin.… https://t.co/DDntpmGaLi

— Zubin (@ZMadon) May 31, 2025

Of course, you Untouchables Deplorables who voted for Trump should listen to your betters.

via Instapundit

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Minimum Table Manners

When I was growing up, my parents and grandparents were tyrannical about table manners.  It was far too much, and importantly, completely unnecessary.

But is there a minimum level that will suffice?  Let's make a list.  Obviously this is not a list for very informal dining in one's own kitchen.  But if you have guests, are attending a dinner party, or any group, or are dining out, these rules apply.

I have written about this before, but let me just again state that this list applies regardless of culture.

• General principle:  Respect and observe the sanctity of the table.  Maintain decorum, which includes the below rules, and perhaps others as required.  Manners are not for yourself, but for the others at the table.  People who cannot abide by these rules deserve to eat alone.
• Eat/chew with your mouth closed.
• Always use utensils (knives, forks, spoons).
• As a host, you may well provide chopsticks for the comfort of your guests, but never use them yourself.
• Do not put anything into your mouth that has not first been cut into a size that will fit in your mouth.  Actually, quite a bit smaller.  Good manners start with small bites.
• Do not speak with anything in your mouth.
• Smartphones should always be silent, and in fact largely kept away from the table.  Calls should not be made or taken while at the table.  If absolutely necessary, quietly excuse yourself, and take calls away from the table and/or outside of the restaurant.  If other guests abuse this rule, and they will, do not yourself add to the disruption.
• One should always remember that eating together is not about eating.  You can do that alone in the kitchen.  Rather it is about socializing with the others at the table.
• Do not begin eating until everyone at the table has been served.  The only possible exception to this rule is if a restaurant is incompetent and delays one or more entrees.  In which case, the unserved diners should insist that the served diners:  Please, do not let your food get cold.
• It is perfectly acceptable to be the first or last to finish, but try to be roughly in sync with everyone else at the table.  Adjust accordingly as the meal progresses.  If it is a multi-course affair, this rule applies to each course.
• Do not reach.  If you can reach something on the table without standing and without reaching over someone and/or their plate, really without reaching through the airspace of their entire place setting, then fine, help yourself.  Otherwise, politely ask someone to pass the item or dish to you.  Always pass salt and pepper together.
• Supply and use napkins.  If you are the host, supply more napkins than needed.
• Babies do not belong at the table.  Children can be brought to the table only once they have mastered these basics.  Never arrive with uninvited children.
• Only eat and drink or not eat and drink what is provided.  Never make special requests.  As a host, in order to insure maximum comfort for your guests, you may well ask about dietary restrictions or preferences.  But if this is not initiated by the host, let that be the end of it.  If you cannot abide by this rule, you should decline all dining invitations, and only yourself host.  Other people are not responsible for your idiosyncrasies.
• However, if you are hosting a vegan dinner party or some other such misadventure, make sure that your guests know in advance this is what you are doing.  Being the host also does not make other people responsible for your idiosyncrasies.
• In a restaurant, it should be extremely rare (maybe once in a lifetime) to send anything back to the kitchen.  The reason for this rule is that some people use this tactic, and often that is exactly what it is, to assert their dominance.  It is a low class move.  If the food is not up to your expectations, the way to deal with this is to not return.
• Similarly:  Rarely, if ever, complain about anything.  Simply keep a stiff upper lip and do not return.  No, not even a quiet word to the manager on the way out; no, not even after you have paid the bill.  No matter how discreet you are about it, the restaurant is going to believe you are looking for something for free.  This is not really about restaurant assumptions; it is about how in fact other people behave.  Do not contribute to the nonsense.

Are there more?  Of course; people write books on this stuff.  The more esoteric rules are full of nuance and context and require more study and practice than a simple list can provide.  But here I have tried to distill the basics.  Because as I look around me, even the basics seem to be lost.

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Great Britain: The Natives Are Getting Restless

Louise Perry talks with David Betz on the coming British civil war

I think this analysis applies to a large swath of western Europe, and to both Canada and the United States.  Several western nations, certainly Britain and France, have reached a point where there is an elite decision making class largely unaccountable to the public and largely immune to the repercussions of the decisions they themselves make.  Betz says that civil war is now unavoidable.

They mention Tommy Robinson, jailed for telling the truth when a British court and the entire British establishment so clearly lied.  Robinson's film, Silenced, received over 166 million views before he took it down to avoid further contempt of court charges.

They say everything lives forever on the internet, but I bet this film will disappear completely.  This lie is just too important.  In any case, the film has been reposted to BitChute, for now.  We'll see how long that lasts.  Here is a copy on Youtube.  Here it is on another Twitter account.  It is worth noting that the film has already been pulled off of the Internet Archive site.

For this and the grooming scandal, which in this podcast they refer to, more accurately, as industrial rape, and a host of other issues, Britain is now a powder keg.

In the United States, the elites, that is the people who run our institutions, education establishment, and media, are largely supported by the broad Democrat party and its voters.  So we are talking roughly half the country.  I do not know what the numbers are in Britain, France, and Canada.  But my guess is their respective elites also have sizable support.  That is to say, yes, there are large numbers of citizens in Britain, who obviously do not support raping children, but who are willing to turn a blind eye to it.  Just as there are large numbers of Americans who turn a blind eye to the growing cult of gender identity and its consequences.

So if there is to be a civil war, it will not only be a war against the elites and unassimilated immigrants, but also against their legions of support.  As Betz points out, this will largely be an urban/rural divide.

I must note the use of the phrase, the natives are getting restless, in the title of this post.  It is supreme irony that, today, we can use this supposedly derogatory phrase to describe former colonial hegemon, Great Britain.  But in fact, Britain is being invaded and yes, the natives are getting restless.

The British elites who orchestrated this invasion seem to believe that the lower and middle classes will bend over and take it, child rape and all.  Personally, I do not believe that is going to end well...for the elites.  If Betz is correct, they will richly deserve the Jacobin response coming their way.

Update, 3 July 2025

David Betz with Mary Harrington (Youtube video)

I am not the biggest fan of Mary Harrington, and I think Louise Perry did a much better job above.  But this is a more recent talk so I thought worth including.

Update, 21 July 2025

David Betz on Triggernometry

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The Gender Ideology Religion

Wall Street Journal Guest Column

Losing My Nonreligion, (Archive) by Jerry A. Coyne

30 March 2025

Coyne opines about the reason he left the Freedom from Religion Foundation.  

And here is my comment which the good editors of the Wall Street Journal rejected.  

The truth is, most Americans, certainly almost everyone on the left, and if the WSJ is anything to go by, a good number purportedly on the right, have lost all common sense.  Sure, Trump won.  But these people are not going anywhere.  Here I mean not only the gender confused, but all of those who support and enable their genuine insanity.  And of course, as Coyne infers, they will not be swayed because this is their religion.

It's ironic that Coyne left the Freedom from Religion Foundation because of the FFRF's in-house religion.  But these are the times in which we live.  He was a heretic, so he had to be excommunicated.  No, there can be no dissension from the dogma at the Freedom from Religion Foundation.

And what's more, I do not even believe that most of these guys are gender confused.  Rather, I think this is an advanced form of narcissism and a narcissistic power play supported by their large cohort of flying monkeys.  I have written more about this here.

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Astronaut Question

Here's a question:  If we are going to send women into space, can we not find women smart enough to use a hair tie?



And no, this question is not meant to be rhetorical, ironic, mean, or even sarcastic or funny.  It is just a simple, straightforward query.

For anyone who would argue that, intentionally or not, this is mean, I would say that it only seems mean because it is true.  She looks like Medusa, and either she is too dumb to realize it, or I suppose it could be a conscious decision.  Either way, question stands.

Here is one other question:  Is Butch, next to her, too unkind to tell her?  Hey Suni, maybe you should tie your hair back before we go on camera.  Maybe he is just living up to his name; laughing at her.

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Marketing is Not Dead

The forgotten art of an effective television commercial

Today, most British commercials are wholly uninspiring.  Like this, this, this, this, this, and this.  All currently running television campaigns and all dreadful.  I mean for the love of God:  Domin-oh-hoo-hoo.  What is that?  And notice the extremely light product focus in all of these commercials.

There is one Domino's commercial featuring a live hedgehog supposedly coming out of hibernation.  The unappetizing critter makes no sound, but the helpfully provided closed captioning offers his thoughts:  Dominos?  That's it, that's the whole commercial.  It is so bad that no one has added it to Youtube.

Then comes something else entirely.  Created by BBH (Bartle Bogle Hegarty), led by Creative Director, Felipe Serradourada Guimaraes.  Sure, it is an emotional appeal ad, but at the same time, it is entirely product focused.

Grok offers some background on the campaign.  Find the music here.

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Peterson's Message to Musk (and the rest of us)

On Tommy Robinson and Schools of Education

Peterson first discusses the abysmal treatment of Robinson by the government of Great Britain.  Britain has become a theocracy with dhimmi-servants running the government, the judiciary, and the police (my description not his).  Then Peterson moves on to our own nightmare, the university schools of education, which supposedly train teachers.  I have written about this existential threat before.

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Grok on Covid

Fifteen questions for Grok

Grok currently allows users, with non-paid accounts, to ask fifteen questions every two hours.  So I thought, why not?  This is a follow up to my post last month, On the Faith of Atheists, which was my first discussion with Grok, and kind of interesting.

This time, I decided to edit it a bit more for clarity.  For instance, Grok now asks the user questions at the end of each response.  Probably trained to do so in order to maintain and encourage user engagement.  So I deleted any question that Grok asked me which I chose to ignore.  But again, there is a link to the original conversation at the end.

Anyway, here are my fifteen questions:

After Covid, I heard Zuby make the point that:  Most people would rather be in the majority than be correct.  Is this sentiment correct?

Zuby’s observation, Most people would rather be in the majority than be correct, taps into a well-documented aspect of human psychology:  The tendency toward conformity.  This idea is not new; it echoes what researchers like Solomon Asch found in the 1950s with his conformity experiments.  Asch showed that people often align their opinions with the majority, even when they know it is wrong, due to social pressure.  About 75% of participants conformed at least once when faced with a clearly incorrect majority opinion on something as simple as line lengths.

This sentiment holds up in broader contexts too.  Social media, like X, amplifies it, people pile into trending narratives, often prioritizing likes and retweets over accuracy.  Post-Covid, you saw this with debates over masks, vaccines, or lockdowns:  Many clung to dominant views, whatever they were locally, rather than digging into data or questioning inconsistencies.  Studies on groupthink, like those from Irving Janis, back this up, people avoid rocking the boat to stay comfortable in the crowd.

But is it most people?  That’s trickier.  It is not universal, some thrive on being contrarian, and others dig for truth regardless of popularity.  Zuby’s likely exaggerating for effect, as a precise headcount is impossible without massive surveys.  Still, the core idea tracks:  Humans are wired to seek safety in numbers, and being correct often takes a backseat to fitting in.  Covid, with its uncertainty and tribalism, just made that more glaring.  What do you think, did you see this play out around you?

Well certainly most people followed the experts advice in the response to Covid, even if it hurt their own health or even the health of their children.