Elon Versus The Wine Box Women

Thank heavens Musk bought Twitter, or we'd never know the real story. [The Rude Awakening] January 05, 2024 [WEBSITE]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Elon Versus The Wine Box Women [Sean Ring] SEAN RING Imagine, for a second, if Elon Musk didn’t buy Twitter. What wouldn’t we know about? For a start, we’d never know what a serial plagiarist former Harvard President Claudine Gay was. @jack’s Twitter Stasi would’ve suspended all accounts accusing Gay of plagiarism, and the story never would’ve come to light. Epstein’s client list would’ve remained hidden as well. But since Elon hasn’t been anywhere near Epstein’s godforsaken island, he’s all too happy to let the list get out in the public domain. Still have idiot friends who think Donald Trump is a “white supremacist?” Then show them this video, [courtesy of]( Wire Plus]( [Rude Awakening] Credit: [@michaelmalice]( All these stories would be buried if not for Elon and his “town square.” [Mashable]( reports that Fidelity, an investor in X, believes the company is worth 71.5% less than what Musk paid for it. To which I reply, thank heavens Elon can take that kind of pain! Because suffering those kinds of losses is painful. Of course, I think it’s worth it. Truth is priceless. But my sentiments and five bucks will get you a latte at Starbucks. Luckily, the man with the world’s largest wallet agrees with me. Elon Musk pays for the truth for all of us. [[A.I. Supplier]: $100 Billion Sales Surge Coming?…]( Nvidia’s little-known supplier is set for a [$100 BILLLION sales explosion]( …and it’s thanks in part to this mysterious device you see here: [Click here to learn more]( According to our research… This $100 billion sales boom could even turn this little-known supplier… …into the [the next trillion-dollar stock](. To see how to take advantage of this little-known supplier – before it’s $100 billion sales surge —— [go here now.]( [Click Here To Learn More]( Telling Bob Iger To F*ck Off Disney CEO Bob Iger is ending his career in ignominy. His inability to fire Kathleen Kennedy for utterly destroying Star Wars and Indiana Jones is ludicrous. If you haven’t seen the South Park episode lampooning Disney, you ought to. [Here’s a taster.]( swallow your coffee before you watch it. Kevin Feige is clearly out of ideas at Marvel. You may not care about that kid’s stuff at all. [Variety]( the failures here if you fancy how bad it is.]( The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), or M-She-U, as Nerdrotic refers to it, is over. Pixar and Disney Animation have been terrible lately, as well. Combine that with falling theme park revenue, and it’s been horrible for DIS shareholders for the last three years. [Awakening] And what does Iger do? He stops advertising on X. Stupid. From [The Verge]( on Musk’s comments during the DealBook conference: “I hope they stop. Don’t advertise,” Musk told interviewer Andrew Ross Sorkin. “If somebody is going to try to blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money, go f*ck yourself. Go f*ck yourself. Is that clear? I hope it is.” He singled out Disney CEO Bob Iger, who discussed not wanting Disney to be affiliated with Musk while onstage earlier in the day. “Hey Bob, if you’re in the audience.” Quelle courage! Destroying the DEI Cult Thanks to Claudine Gay getting outed as a marker of plagiaristic mediocrity, many purple-haired, childless, and single Human Resources executives will be looking for a job soon. The “Wine Box Women” might have to “learn to code.” Most knew many wrong people were in the wrong jobs but wouldn’t say it for fear of a mob lynching. [I wrote about Gay on Wednesday]( so I won’t beat that horse again. But it’s worth noting Musk’s reaction on X: [Awakening] Influence on Public Discourse and Free Speech Musk once referred to himself as a “free speech absolutist,” and he’s been true to his word so far. His position on free speech is rooted in the idea that open dialogue and exchanging ideas are crucial for societal progress. He often criticizes censorship and advocates for minimal interference in public discourse, especially on social media platforms. This stance contrasts with what he perceives as the overreach of tech companies in moderating content, which he argues stifles open and honest discussion. Musk's acquisition of Twitter in 2022 was driven mainly by these beliefs. He expressed concerns about Twitter's content moderation policies and proposed changes to promote more open and less restricted communication on the platform. Musk argues for a more lenient approach to content moderation, believing that barring illegal content, a wide range of viewpoints should be allowed, even if they are controversial or unpopular. However, Musk's position on free speech is not without its critics. Some argue that an overly permissive approach to content moderation could spread misinformation, hate speech, and harmful content. There are concerns - especially from Democrats - about the balance between protecting free speech and ensuring online spaces are not used to propagate harmful or false information. Pissing Off The EU And now, for my favorite… In our corner, free speech champion Elon Musk intends to make Twitter a bastion for free expression, even in Europe. His approach typically favors minimal content moderation, aligning with his belief that open discourse is vital for democracy. This stance became particularly significant after he acquired X, as he hinted at significant changes to the platform's content moderation policies, including reinstating previously banned accounts and reducing restrictions on what users can post. In the other corner, the European Union has been actively working on robust digital regulation to combat perceived online harms. The EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) are pieces of legislation aimed at ensuring a “safer” digital space, with strict rules for large online platforms. I imagine this safety is vital for Europe’s incompetent politicians. These regulations require platforms to remove illegal content swiftly, be transparent about their content moderation practices, and protect user rights, including the right to free speech. However, I’m unsure how moderation squares with the freedom of speech. The EU's concerns with Musk's vision for X are centered around the potential increase in harmful or illegal content if moderation policies are relaxed. EU officials have warned that X, like other major platforms, would be obligated to comply with these rules under the new regulations or face hefty fines and sanctions. Musk's free speech absolutism approach is at odds with the EU's stance on regulated and responsible speech on digital platforms. In essence, the conflict represents a broader debate about the balance between free speech and regulation in the digital age. Musk’s ideology emphasizes the dangers of over-regulation and censorship, while the EU focuses on the risks of unchecked speech, including the spread of misinformation and hate speech. This kerfuffle highlights the challenges global tech companies face in navigating different regulatory environments and the complexities of moderating content on platforms that span multiple jurisdictions with varying free speech norms and regulations. Wrap Up I’m grateful Musk is taking on this monumental task. Reading the tripe on the CBS, ABC, NBC, BBC, CBC, and CNN feeds is laughable. It’s not news. They spout propaganda scripted by their masters in DC, Brussels, and London. If we didn’t have Musk and his seemingly inexhaustible resources, we wouldn’t have a clue what’s going on. Now, that’s the kind of dutiful charity I support. Have a wonderful weekend! All the best, [Sean Ring] Sean Ring Editor, X (formerly Twitter): [@seaniechaos]( In Case You Missed It… The Houthi Butterfly Flaps Its Wings [Sean Ring] SEAN RING Now that my parents are only half a mile away, long-forgotten memories have flooded back. Thanks to my mother’s unimpeachable cooking skills, I’m again enjoying all the trappings of my youth. One such happiness is eating simple pasta and tomato sauce. Sure, my mother’s lasagna is second to none, but that’s more of a holiday dish. (Indeed, I rolled home after Christmas dinner. It's too bad Pam and Micah had to push me uphill!) Another favorite is bow-tie pasta. But as I was helping Micah with his homework a few weeks ago, I learned that farfalle means “butterfly” and not “bow tie.” We always called farfalle pasta bow-ties. Was this a case of mistaken vocabulary? Not at all. In Emilia-Romagna, a region in Northern Italy near Il Piemonte, farfalle are known as strichetti, the local word for "bow ties.” It reminds me of an old Venetian joke. “What’s the most common foreign language spoken in Venice?” “Italian.” My ancestors must’ve taken the bow-tie name across the Atlantic in the old days. Speaking of butterflies, an unlikely one has been flapping its wings near the Suez Canal. And it may just cause a financial hurricane in the United States. [Will Inflation's Second Wave Wipe Out America's Middle Class?]( During the 1970s, inflation lasted for years and came in three separate waves. Each wave was far worse than the last. [Today, the same exact thing is happening again.]( Is the price of food, gasoline, housing and more about to skyrocket even higher? WARNING: The next wave of inflation could wipe out America’s middle class. [== > Get ready for “Inflation’s Second Wave.” Click here now to see my urgent warning.]( [Click Here To Learn More]( CONTENT The Butterfly Effect Houthi rebels are the new Somali pirates. Imagine a bunch of goatherders, who are pissed off at Israel over the Gaza bombing, stopping world trade. It’s improbable. Unlikely. Fatuous, even. And yet, here we are, talking about everything Joke Biden needs to bury if he (or his body double) wants to win in November. The Butterfly Effect is when a very small change in initial conditions that creates a significantly different outcome. In 1950, Alan Turing noted: "The displacement of a single electron by a billionth of a centimeter at one moment might make the difference between a man being killed by an avalanche a year later or escaping." There is no need to wonder what Turing would be thinking if a bunch of Houthis were sitting on the cliffs lining the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, lighting off cheap drones and rockets at any Israeli or Israel-aligned ship. If you’re Russian or Chinese or anyone aligned with the Global South, pass “Go” and collect $200. From the December 22nd edition of the [Rude Awakening]( On our editorial call on Wednesday, ex-naval aviator and Paradigm’s venerable historian Byron King mentioned something I hadn’t considered. Byron said - and I’ll paraphrase - that the Houthis were using $100,000 drones to attack commercial shipping in the Red Sea, while the US Navy was using $1 - 4 million rockets to shoot those drones down. You don’t need a mathematics degree to see why experts think this unbalanced exchange of munitions will eventually pressure the Pentagon. Well, thanks to these Houthis, we’re heading back to the water routes of the 1860s! Why Americans Need to Care About This… And Think Carefully. You may not yet recognize the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait I mentioned earlier. That’s the waterway a ship needs to travel through to get to the Suez Canal. If the Strait is blocked due to rocket fire and the subsequent suspending of maritime insurance, then the Canal is inaccessible. And that means you’ve got to sail around Africa for goods to reach Europe and the West. Credit: [The Cradle]( The military angle is easy enough. From [The Cradle]( While the US military is successful at producing expensive, technologically complex weapons systems that provide excellent profits for the arms industry, such as the F-15 warplanes, it is not capable of producing enough of the weapons needed to actually fight and win real wars on the other side of the world, where supply chains become even more critical. But the economic warfare is even more dreadful. Impact on Shipping Costs Shortest Route The Suez Canal offers the most direct sea route between Asia and Europe, significantly reducing travel time and distance compared to the alternative Cape of Good Hope route (around the bottom of Africa). When the canal is inaccessible, ships are forced to take this longer route, increasing travel times by weeks and fuel costs exponentially. Fuel Costs Longer journeys translate directly into higher fuel consumption. This additional cost is invariably passed onto consumers, raising the prices of goods transported via these routes. Charter Rates The canal closure often leads to a shortage of available shipping capacity. Ships tied up in extended voyages reduce the supply of vessels available for other routes, driving up charter rates. This, in turn, inflates shipping costs, a burden that the consumer again bears. Congestion and Delays The aftermath of a canal closure typically involves significant congestion and logistical backlogs. This can lead to substantial delays, further disrupting shipping schedules and increasing operational costs. Breaking the Supply Chain Just-in-Time Inventory Modern business models, such as just-in-time inventory systems, rely heavily on timely and predictable delivery of goods. The closure of the Suez Canal disrupts these delicate systems, leading to widespread shortages and inefficiencies. Perishable Goods The delay in shipping routes particularly impacts the delivery of perishable goods. This leads to wastage and disrupts food supply chains, affecting markets and consumers globally. Manufacturing Delays Industries dependent on specific components, such as automotive and electronics, are significantly impacted by delays in the delivery of these parts. This halts production lines, leading to broader economic repercussions. Global Interconnectivity The closure of the canal highlights the deeply interconnected nature of global trade. A disruption in a single yet crucial location can have far-reaching effects, impacting various sectors and economies worldwide. Inflationary Pressures Increased Transportation Costs The surge in transportation costs due to longer shipping routes and heightened fuel consumption contributes to overall inflation, as these costs are typically transferred to the consumer. Supply Shortages Disruptions in supply chains can create shortages of various goods. According to the principles of supply and demand, reduced supply often leads to increased prices, contributing to inflation. Speculative Increases Anticipation and speculation about delays and shortages can trigger preemptive price increases. These speculative actions can exacerbate inflationary pressures even before actual shortages occur. Economic Recovery Post-Pandemic In a post-pandemic world, where economies are in various stages of recovery, the closure of a critical trade route like the Suez Canal compounds existing challenges, such as labor shortages and heightened consumer demand, further fueling inflation. Broader Economic Implications Global Trade Dynamics The Suez Canal's role in global trade dynamics is multifaceted. It's a conduit for goods and a barometer for global economic health. Its closure signals deeper issues in international trade relations and economic stability. Energy Markets The canal is also vital for the transport of oil and natural gas. Its closure can disrupt energy markets, leading to fluctuations in energy prices globally. This domino effect affects industries and consumers alike, as energy costs are a fundamental component of almost every economic activity. Long-Term Strategic Changes Repeated disruptions may prompt companies to reassess their supply chain strategies. This might include diversifying shipping routes, increasing inventory levels, or even reshoring some manufacturing operations. While these strategies can mitigate risks, they also come with increased costs and complexities. Environmental Impact Longer shipping routes increase costs and have a significant environmental impact. Wrap Up Whether you own a business or are just looking after your investments, it’s paramount that you keep abreast of this situation. Yes, a bunch of goatherders has just thrown a monkey wrench into the world's economic works. But this also represents an enormous opportunity to profit if you keep your head about you. Look at the energy and transportation sectors. Look at precious metals. Look at other tangible assets and commodities, like copper. While the Houthis are wreaking havoc on the West, you can protect your investments and profits before most people even know what’s happening. Good hunting! All the best, [Sean Ring] Sean Ring Contributing Editor, The Morning Reckoning X (formerly Twitter): [@seaniechaos]( [Paradigm]( ☰ ⊗ [ARCHIVE]( [ABOUT]( [Contact Us]( © 2024 1001 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. By submitting your email address, you consent to delivering daily email issues and advertisements. To end your e-mail subscription and associated external offers sent from , feel free to [click here.]( Please note: the mailbox associated with this email address is not monitored, so do not reply to this message. We welcome comments or suggestions at . This address is for feedback only. For questions about your account or to speak with customer service, contact us here or call . Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular investment situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. We allow the editors of our publications to recommend securities that they own themselves. However, our policy prohibits editors from exiting a personal trade while the recommendation to subscribers is open. In no circumstance may an editor sell a security before subscribers have a fair opportunity to exit. The length of time an editor must wait after subscribers have been advised to exit a play depends on the type of publication. All other employees and agents must wait 24 hours after on-line publication or 72 hours after the mailing of a printed-only publication prior to following an initial recommendation. Any investments recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your investment advisor and only after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company. is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We do not rent or share your email address. Please read our Privacy Statement. If you are having trouble receiving your subscription, you can ensure its arrival in your mailbox by whitelisting .