VERY happily surprised to see this about Vanguard. Up until now it seemed they had sold out lock, stock, and barrel (OK, had to throw that in for kicks) to the ESG movement. Apparently the CEO values the viability of his company and his own position above virtue signaling. A good example to others and a good signal of a potential reversal of the ESG movement.
…and before hiring, it’s education. Peachy Keenan has a sobering piece on the great trainwreck that is higher education in America - the rejection of merit and achievement in favor of…skin color (???). It’s a terrific read and may shed some light on the catastrophe you just described at NS:
Same thing happened to my daughter just over a decade ago. She ended up going to a top state school and graduated in 3 years, instead of a UC. Positive is I feel she got a better education than she would have at a UC.
We both still have some resentment over her admissions.
And she just finished an mba at a top mba school. Black and Latino students got a full ride. She had to get student loans.
Her sarcastic comment was blaming her parents for us not being the right races, instead we were the worse combo, White and Asian.
Retention is a dirty secret, along with the mismatch. LA Times has an article a while back about a Black student from LA got into Berkeley Engineering, flunking out.
You have my sympathies. It isn’t easy raising and educating one’s children and holding them to the standards our generation was held to by our parents. But we’ve witnessed such a general cultural decline! I got a BA in English and French at UC Davis, an “ag” school -but was lucky to have a class entitled “backgrounds to English literature” taught by a brilliant grad student from Notre Dame; the title of the class by itself would be violative to today’s woke credo! But anyway…the year I graduated was the year the Bakke case was heard…things headed downhill after that! Bon courage to your daughter to in her career!
There's a very big part of the woke iceberg that's out of view, but the chickens will come home and they will roost. Dumbasses will eventually wake up.
Illinois National Guard receives guidance on rescinding COVID-19 vaccine mandate
Readiness problems from the get go were apparent, he said, as they typically have to recruit 15% new members each year to make up for retirements.
“And if you add to it folks who refused to take the vaccine, that’s another 10% drop, and then on top of that, what we didn’t expect is people getting sick from the vaccine, so that’s an additional drop,” Hurley told WMAY. “That’s why we’re facing so many readiness issues right now.”
“the chickens will come home and they will roost. Dumbasses will eventually wake up.”
I sure hope so as we are heading down the same path as South Africa: towards woke dystopia. “Meltdown in La La Land… CRT/DEI paradise South Africa on the brink”:
IIRC, according to Luongo the reason for US involvement was to carve out a Kurdish state dependent on us so that we could run a pipeline from Saudi Arabia to Europe and cutoff Russia's pipelines.
This was why Turkey and SA were involved initially. But when Russia got involved, Erdogan got cold feet, and wouldn't ya know it, there was an attempted coup in Turkey! Amazing coincidence.
And the word is that Erdogan was evacuated to Iran after getting a heads up on the coup from Putin. Back in Desert Storm days I maintained that the whole purpose was to control energy flow from Central Asia to Europe. Prominent Neocons were heavily invested in various ventures there. That's also what Georgia was about--controlling energy flow and cutting Russia out. It's all falling apart.
I suspect Russia does care; I believe they act on the tactic of 'keeping your enemies closer than your friends' with better outcomes than most. A host of issues of import to Russia (and China and the EU and Israel) interface in this part of the world: energy sources and logistic pathways, alternate reserve currency status, and outward-bound immigration are at the top of my list. Syria is important on the Kurdish-separate-state issue, a point of very significant concern for Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. As long as there is war & turmoil in the region, there will be poorer energy transfer stability, less revenues than otherwise and lots of pressure to go somewhere else. If Russia can be seen as brokering tensions and stabilizing energy/money/home-grown-opportunity, it will be valued in the region and show as a distinct counter-weight to results obtained by working with the USA. Russia and Turkey together can put pressure on the EU by way of the immigration spigot. From a Russian perspective, why not be involved and drive outcomes versus ... what, hope & change?
Good question. Perhaps it's because things in the region are already turning in the Russians' favor? Sort of a "doing less is more" when it comes to not pissing people off? Dunno.
Gulf states I can understand. Of course they all hate anyone outside their tribe, but Shia are seen by the Wahabis as heretics.
But we kinda gave up in Iraq. Same in Lebanon. Both have strong Shia presences. And Herzbollah’s drug activities were ignored due to hope of an Iran Deal under Obama.
Hey Ray, do watch what Russia is doing with Erdogan-Turkey and Iran: keep in mind the move away from the US Oil dollar with the Saudi's involvement. Tis' crazy times that are a-comin'! (WRH)
"Biden's First Veto". Not enough support for an over-ride vote. Madness shall continue, carry on... I wonder if Mr. Manchin remains calculated in this 'move'. He must clearly know it's due for a veto. Politics games played 'cause he wants reelection in '24 would be my guess.
I'll agree with Sarcastic cynical Texan - "the longer it drags on the worse will be the outcome!" except I have little confidence in the American electorate nor our voting process. Or both? At least this forum provides some knowledge of those seeking truth and answers - for that I am grateful Mark. (WRH)
Given the demonstrated depth of their commitment to WEF objectives, I've lost all hope that BlackRock, Vanguard or their fellow travelers will ever 'come around.' That said, developments like these allow openings for more and more insider critics with knowledge of the industry at these rarified levels (along the lines of Ed Dowd) to report on market abuses and adverse effects. In this respect, I find some encouragement.
Another guy I'm not sure I can trust, but yet am encouraged by his forcing the conversation, is Vivek Ramaswamy. He talks a good game about ditching ESG (and his Strive Funds do so), but certain WEF-ish aspects of his background give me pause as to his sincerity. Strive is supposed to deliver this quarter or next an analytics tool that will dig into behind-the-scenes ESG activities (such as voting trusts, proxy fights, etc.) at issuers who don't expressly hold themselves out as ESG standard bearers. That would be a fairly transgressive act, forcing fund managers generally to juggle their holdings, which would be very telling of his commitment to the fight.
Actually, Bernard's coverage of the Ukraine war is excellent.
But his instinctive anti-America, pro-China bias makes his coverage of other topics (like COVID) more suspect.
In this essay he's taking people to task for "believing" US propaganda about the lab origins of COVID. But I do think that he is failing to make a basic distinction: people are getting excited that parts of the US government are getting behind the lab leak theory BECAUSE that implies proof that the virus was engineered. He seems to be overlooking that obvious point; maybe he thinks COVID was natural, I don't know - I didn't follow his coverage of COVID. But he does make an important point that US is discussing lab leak as anti-China propaganda. Important for us to remember, lest we get too excited about this development.
Small aside: much Rare Earth raw material is available in Colorado, I believe. And, it must be sent to China for refinement, etc. contributing to the 90% of RE magnets, etc. being from China. Are we our own worst enemy? Like energy: we'll have oil production & refining done elsewhere where it's quite 'dirty' pretending we're saving the environment by own own self-destruction. There must be 'ulterior motives' but saying that makes me, what? Oh "A Conspiracy Theorist' ...
Hey 'Forbes, hope you are well! A little sideways but is this 'option' to select ESG junk simply a politicization of the financial realm of today?
I already have the choice to have sold anything connected with Blackrock since they've gone all-in on ESG - but the gov't 'allowance' or, perhaps is it removal of blocks to invest, into ESG is of concern and interest to me. Best, always sir! (WRH)
Happy news about Vanguard!!!
VERY happily surprised to see this about Vanguard. Up until now it seemed they had sold out lock, stock, and barrel (OK, had to throw that in for kicks) to the ESG movement. Apparently the CEO values the viability of his company and his own position above virtue signaling. A good example to others and a good signal of a potential reversal of the ESG movement.
Love me some Jamie Dimon. Even the Epstein island version.
These people in the Fed bureaucracy know no shame.
Blackrock joining forces with Democrats to promote child mutilation and perverted lifestyles is the very definition of fascism.
Hmm…
“In its recent ESG report, Norfolk-Southern bragged that it’s made race-based hiring a priority, reporting,
52% of trainee/intern hires are a racial minority and/or female
60% of executive vice presidents are female
More than one-third of new manager hires are women
56% of new manager hires are a racial minority”
https://amgreatness.com/2023/02/27/five-ways-the-trainwreck-revealed-the-trainwreck/
…and before hiring, it’s education. Peachy Keenan has a sobering piece on the great trainwreck that is higher education in America - the rejection of merit and achievement in favor of…skin color (???). It’s a terrific read and may shed some light on the catastrophe you just described at NS:
https://peachykeenan.substack.com/p/the-race-for-college
Sigh…
Same thing happened to my daughter just over a decade ago. She ended up going to a top state school and graduated in 3 years, instead of a UC. Positive is I feel she got a better education than she would have at a UC.
We both still have some resentment over her admissions.
And she just finished an mba at a top mba school. Black and Latino students got a full ride. She had to get student loans.
Her sarcastic comment was blaming her parents for us not being the right races, instead we were the worse combo, White and Asian.
Retention is a dirty secret, along with the mismatch. LA Times has an article a while back about a Black student from LA got into Berkeley Engineering, flunking out.
Actual article from 2013:
https://gradingforlearning.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/south-l-a-student-finds-a-different-world-at-uc-berkeley-la-times.pdf
I remember the article slightly different. It was revised…
You have my sympathies. It isn’t easy raising and educating one’s children and holding them to the standards our generation was held to by our parents. But we’ve witnessed such a general cultural decline! I got a BA in English and French at UC Davis, an “ag” school -but was lucky to have a class entitled “backgrounds to English literature” taught by a brilliant grad student from Notre Dame; the title of the class by itself would be violative to today’s woke credo! But anyway…the year I graduated was the year the Bakke case was heard…things headed downhill after that! Bon courage to your daughter to in her career!
Avoiding three signals that rail car wheels are overheating must be part of the equity criteria.
There's a very big part of the woke iceberg that's out of view, but the chickens will come home and they will roost. Dumbasses will eventually wake up.
Illinois National Guard receives guidance on rescinding COVID-19 vaccine mandate
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_ea7b2274-b6e9-11ed-9913-835c9edf65a1.html
Readiness problems from the get go were apparent, he said, as they typically have to recruit 15% new members each year to make up for retirements.
“And if you add to it folks who refused to take the vaccine, that’s another 10% drop, and then on top of that, what we didn’t expect is people getting sick from the vaccine, so that’s an additional drop,” Hurley told WMAY. “That’s why we’re facing so many readiness issues right now.”
“the chickens will come home and they will roost. Dumbasses will eventually wake up.”
I sure hope so as we are heading down the same path as South Africa: towards woke dystopia. “Meltdown in La La Land… CRT/DEI paradise South Africa on the brink”:
https://www.revolver.news/2023/02/diverse-equitable-and-inclusive-south-africa-faces-civil-war-conditions-if-power-grid-collapses-stockpile-food-and-water/
A more extensive treatment of what ails South Africa:
“South Africa — The First Country Built on “Critical Race Theory” — Officially Implodes”
https://www.revolver.news/2021/07/south-africa-riots-looting-critical-race-theory/
And wokeness goes on, and on and on... good point Ray!
I don’t understand the huge US focus on Syria.
Perhaps the US deep-state is holding a grudge due to their failure to over throw Assad?
IIRC, according to Luongo the reason for US involvement was to carve out a Kurdish state dependent on us so that we could run a pipeline from Saudi Arabia to Europe and cutoff Russia's pipelines.
This was why Turkey and SA were involved initially. But when Russia got involved, Erdogan got cold feet, and wouldn't ya know it, there was an attempted coup in Turkey! Amazing coincidence.
And the word is that Erdogan was evacuated to Iran after getting a heads up on the coup from Putin. Back in Desert Storm days I maintained that the whole purpose was to control energy flow from Central Asia to Europe. Prominent Neocons were heavily invested in various ventures there. That's also what Georgia was about--controlling energy flow and cutting Russia out. It's all falling apart.
With our super genius Wile E. Coyote types in Washington, makes as much senses as the alternatives.
I think it's because Syria is a key link in the "Shia crescent".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shia_crescent
Next question: Why doesn't Russia care?
I suspect Russia does care; I believe they act on the tactic of 'keeping your enemies closer than your friends' with better outcomes than most. A host of issues of import to Russia (and China and the EU and Israel) interface in this part of the world: energy sources and logistic pathways, alternate reserve currency status, and outward-bound immigration are at the top of my list. Syria is important on the Kurdish-separate-state issue, a point of very significant concern for Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. As long as there is war & turmoil in the region, there will be poorer energy transfer stability, less revenues than otherwise and lots of pressure to go somewhere else. If Russia can be seen as brokering tensions and stabilizing energy/money/home-grown-opportunity, it will be valued in the region and show as a distinct counter-weight to results obtained by working with the USA. Russia and Turkey together can put pressure on the EU by way of the immigration spigot. From a Russian perspective, why not be involved and drive outcomes versus ... what, hope & change?
"Why doesn't Russia care?"
Good question. Perhaps it's because things in the region are already turning in the Russians' favor? Sort of a "doing less is more" when it comes to not pissing people off? Dunno.
Russia got a middle east base and is a player in the Middle East again.
And showed they support friendly regimes to keep them
In power.
And it was a nice testing ground for new Russian military tactics and technology.
It increased Russian credibility, and hurt the US’s reputation.
And the cost was relatively cheap.
In other words a proxy war against Iran?
Gulf states I can understand. Of course they all hate anyone outside their tribe, but Shia are seen by the Wahabis as heretics.
But we kinda gave up in Iraq. Same in Lebanon. Both have strong Shia presences. And Herzbollah’s drug activities were ignored due to hope of an Iran Deal under Obama.
"In other words a proxy war against Iran?"
It wouldn't be the first time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War
Hey Ray, do watch what Russia is doing with Erdogan-Turkey and Iran: keep in mind the move away from the US Oil dollar with the Saudi's involvement. Tis' crazy times that are a-comin'! (WRH)
Thanks Mark - my thought was also the importance of keeping Syria down interfering with the Cabal's global plans. Regards, (WRH)
My fellow Americans,
What is required to awaken us from our collective stupor?
How much more lethal, evil, stupidity will be tolerated?
Will corrupt, lying politicians ever be held accountable, meaning removed from office, then prosecuted?
The current situation will end badly, the longer it drags on the worse will be the outcome!
Ah, as if on cue:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-votes-kill-bidens-woke-esg-investment-rule-props-up-phony-climate-movement
"Biden's First Veto". Not enough support for an over-ride vote. Madness shall continue, carry on... I wonder if Mr. Manchin remains calculated in this 'move'. He must clearly know it's due for a veto. Politics games played 'cause he wants reelection in '24 would be my guess.
I'll agree with Sarcastic cynical Texan - "the longer it drags on the worse will be the outcome!" except I have little confidence in the American electorate nor our voting process. Or both? At least this forum provides some knowledge of those seeking truth and answers - for that I am grateful Mark. (WRH)
Given the demonstrated depth of their commitment to WEF objectives, I've lost all hope that BlackRock, Vanguard or their fellow travelers will ever 'come around.' That said, developments like these allow openings for more and more insider critics with knowledge of the industry at these rarified levels (along the lines of Ed Dowd) to report on market abuses and adverse effects. In this respect, I find some encouragement.
Another guy I'm not sure I can trust, but yet am encouraged by his forcing the conversation, is Vivek Ramaswamy. He talks a good game about ditching ESG (and his Strive Funds do so), but certain WEF-ish aspects of his background give me pause as to his sincerity. Strive is supposed to deliver this quarter or next an analytics tool that will dig into behind-the-scenes ESG activities (such as voting trusts, proxy fights, etc.) at issuers who don't expressly hold themselves out as ESG standard bearers. That would be a fairly transgressive act, forcing fund managers generally to juggle their holdings, which would be very telling of his commitment to the fight.
That's precisely my hope. Forcing candidates to discuss and take some primary positions on the subject.
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2023/02/the-context-of-the-new-anti-china-campaign.html#more
Moon of Alabama? Really? Bernard is a far-left lunatic...I guess you are also.
brilliant analysis.
Actually, Bernard's coverage of the Ukraine war is excellent.
But his instinctive anti-America, pro-China bias makes his coverage of other topics (like COVID) more suspect.
In this essay he's taking people to task for "believing" US propaganda about the lab origins of COVID. But I do think that he is failing to make a basic distinction: people are getting excited that parts of the US government are getting behind the lab leak theory BECAUSE that implies proof that the virus was engineered. He seems to be overlooking that obvious point; maybe he thinks COVID was natural, I don't know - I didn't follow his coverage of COVID. But he does make an important point that US is discussing lab leak as anti-China propaganda. Important for us to remember, lest we get too excited about this development.
Yeah, really, asshole. I take information anywhere I can get it. But if you call me a lunatic ...
Congratulations, Mark. You're being trolled. That means you've hit the big time! :)
Small aside: much Rare Earth raw material is available in Colorado, I believe. And, it must be sent to China for refinement, etc. contributing to the 90% of RE magnets, etc. being from China. Are we our own worst enemy? Like energy: we'll have oil production & refining done elsewhere where it's quite 'dirty' pretending we're saving the environment by own own self-destruction. There must be 'ulterior motives' but saying that makes me, what? Oh "A Conspiracy Theorist' ...
Hey 'Forbes, hope you are well! A little sideways but is this 'option' to select ESG junk simply a politicization of the financial realm of today?
I already have the choice to have sold anything connected with Blackrock since they've gone all-in on ESG - but the gov't 'allowance' or, perhaps is it removal of blocks to invest, into ESG is of concern and interest to me. Best, always sir! (WRH)