I & I Editorial BoardJust before the holiday, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki took to the press room podium to laughably brag about how “we’ve saved Christmas” because President Joe Biden supposedly fixed the nation’s supply chain crisis. She said that “President Biden recognized this challenge early, acted as an honest broker to bring key stakeholders together, and focused on addressing practical problems across the global supply chain.”
That was good enough for the mainstream media, which had turned a blind eye to the supply chain problems once Biden claimed he had a plan to fix it.
Except, less than three weeks later, #BareShelvesBiden is trending on Twitter, shoppers are sharing pictures of empty store shelves, and the media are being forced – however reluctantly – to report that shortages are actually a worsening problem.
Shortages are everywhere. Whether it’s goods, food, people, COVID tests, you name it. The CEO of the Gristedes supermarket chain is warning of meat and egg shortages. The Daily Beast reports that “shortages of glass and other materials continue, coupled with extensive shipping delays and skyrocketing freight costs.” One site asked readers to send examples of shortages, and cold medicine was in the top five.
A newspaper in Cape Cod finds “empty grocery shelves and downsized restaurant menus rising amid supply chain struggles.”
A Chicago news station reports that “as an ongoing computer chip shortage continues to affect the auto industry among many others, a shortage of used cars has led to a shortage of used semi-trucks as well, further affecting the supply chain.”
Hospitals and fire departments are reporting critical staffing shortages. Those hoping to get tested for COVID find themselves unable to find one or end up stuck in long lines at testing centers. (Biden also promised to fix the testing shortage problem.) Fox News the other day broadcast a scene that looked like something out of the old Soviet Union, with mask-wearing New Yorkers lined up around the block amid piles of trash bags.
All this is coupled with spiraling prices that show no signs of abating despite Biden’s other promise that it was a transitory problem. On Wednesday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that inflation in December rose to 7% from a year earlier — a 40-year high. For the second half of 2021, inflation surged 6%.
OK, you say, but how could it have been otherwise? Isn’t the current wave of shortages the result of the sudden surge in the Omicron variant? How can Biden be to blame for that?
Well, let’s leave aside the fact that Biden promised, in no uncertain terms, that he would “end the virus” because he said that, unlike President Trump, he had a plan, he had the experience, he’d “follow the science,” and he’d bring on a highly capable team.
Of course, none of that has turned out to be true. Biden’s “plan” has been a miserable failure, based on the number of cases and deaths since he took office. (Deaths on Biden’s watch are fast approaching those that occurred under Trump, despite the availability of three vaccines.)
No one in the Biden administration — from Biden on down — appears to be in the least bit competent at their jobs. The scientists Biden is bending the knee to, especially Anthony Fauci, have proved to be wholly untrustworthy.
Team Biden is even attacking its own hand-picked leader at the CDC, who is coming under fire for confusing messages and a lack of transparency. The Washington Post reported Friday that “With coronavirus cases surging to record levels in the United States and around the world, that criticism has been particularly stinging of late.”
Even the pliant media are starting to eke out stories critical of Biden, like this one by NBC News headlined “COVID confusion snarls Biden White House.”
As we said, leave all that aside.
The truth is that, that even with the spread of the new COVID variants this year, today’s multiplying crises of shortages and price spikes were avoidable.
Had the country not been under the sway of professional scaremongers for the past year, there wouldn’t be widespread panic about increasingly mild strains of COVID.
Had Biden been on top of the testing problem and lifted regulatory roadblocks in front of new ones, there’d be plenty to go around. Had he not decided to impose an illegal vaccine mandate on businesses, worker shortages would be less of a problem.
Had he followed the lead of politicians like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — instead of attacking them — and projected calm, avoided needless mandates and shutdowns, and trusted people to do the right thing, shops and factories and schools would be humming along. Instead, they’re shutting down.
Had the federal government not wasted $2 trillion on a Biden “rescue” plan that managed only to discourage work (last month produced another dismal jobs report) and fuel inflation (which has risen in each of the past four months) we wouldn’t be saddled with both.
In short, had someone else been in charge the past 12 months, the country wouldn’t be in the terrible fix it’s in right now.
Unfortunately, far too many voters were duped into believing that Biden was competent, or at least more competent than President Trump. And now we’re all paying the price for their gullibility.
— Written by the I&I Editorial Board
Using these vague “policy violations,” Google is now threatening to demonetize us. It’s part of Big Tech’s effort to silence conservative voices.
Hospitals and fire departments are reporting critical staffing shortages.
which they will not admit are at least partially true to demanding untested genetic therapy [not-vaccines] as a condition of employment
second, any combination of inept, stupid and dementia would hit the right answer occasionally by sheer chance, this is malice
To add to their dire warnings about nonexistent caravans from Mexico, now we have shortages? Some of our problems are due to some hospital workers believing the lies of the right wing and refusing vaccines – we are better off without them since we can be certain that the vaccinated ones will be available to work. We are better off without the unvaccinated military people, at least the vaccinated ones will not be in Intensive Care beds.
Here in Houston, Texas we have periodic shortages of some items but prices for things like a gallon of gas are way down. Darn that President Biden – shoving all of this cheap gasoline onto the market.
The one thing that we are running short on – right wing radio hosts. A lot of them keep dying of the coronavirus, like Jimmy DeYoung. We are also seeing a shortage of right wing evangelical preachers like Marcus Lamb – who died of coronavirus. COVID is one of the leading causes of death of right wing first responders, people who want to “own the libs” by dying of COVID.
Sick comments, especially the gleeful reporting of deaths of radio hosts. Other than DeYoung, who I have never heard of, name some more. Funny how the heroes in hospitals and elsewhere, who worked during the first outbreak, without any protections, are now the bad guys. What’s it like to be so sanctimonious?
The brainwashing with this one is so deep and thorough that I’m amazed he can still breathe on his own. Blithering isn’t a strong enough term for this class of idiot.
I am a hospital exec and most of what your say about hospital workers is as insulting as it is inane. We have worker shortages driven, almost exclusively, by vaxed staff who have contracted Omicron. Out of over 700 employees we had 15 who were termed (1 from the clinic team). Most of their reasons were legit and logical (I didn’t agree, but our Gov gave us no choice). The people in our ICU are a combo of significant co-morbidities (predominately obesity and diabetes. A good % aren’t vaxed, but not all. Additionally, we have patients in ICU WITH COVID not BECAUSE of COVID as we have to test everyone who becomes an inpatient.
Oh, and the gas price drop. Well it sure wasn’t the release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. I’m guess your prices are down, but not “way down” and yet, WAY up from last year. Fuel prices are up 49% from last year according to today’s inflation report.
“we can be certain that the vaccinated ones will be available to work” LOL, tell that to the 16 fully vaxed (3 shot) coworkers of mine that are out because they got Covid.
And a shortage of Harry Reids too. Guess someone else will have to work that exercise machine.
The comment should not be about the Biden administration, as it is in iself not a solution.The real question should be who is orchestrating the shortages and more importantly why?
More state subversion and economic socialism ?Most probably as the policies of the Biden regime have been carefully planned and executed – IT IS NOT HAPPENING BY CHANCE !
I agree. It seems to me that this is done with a clear aim to weaken the US – maybe destroy the US. But it also seems to be happening around the world. So the question is who or what wants our planet unable to function? And what do we do about it?
Ultimately it’s the media who is to blame. From overhyping baseless claims (“The walls are closing in…”) and masking obviously fraudulent narratives against President Trump (Russia collusion hoax; fake impeachments based on lies) followed by obediently ignoring the Hunter Biden laptop issue and Joe’s decades-long history of corruption, lying, and incompetence, none of this would have happened. Add in a fear porn campaign that would make Larry Flynt jealous and we see where we are today.
Reject any and all media that seeks to obfuscate or otherwise slant the truth.
Donald J. Trump is The Duly Elected President of the United States of America 🇺🇸
Biden’s competence wasn’t the litmus test for the “81 million” who supposedly voted for him. Visceral hatred of Trump was the sole driver. Good decision Brandon voters. You’re more incompetent than the addle brained clown you elected!
But, but….sloppy joe is the best president ever…just ask Jenny.
Expect an investigation into the Trump administration’s role in this and another impeachment circus before you expect honest reporting on this.
They way I see it…If the fed raises rates.the market will crash and the govt will default…If they don’t…inflation will skyrocket…..same ending…and all the fault of govt
Democrats changed voting procedures in several key swing states and used the pandemic as an excuse to mail millions of ballots that could never be verified against fraud. There is no doubt in my mind that Trump won reelection in 2020.
Samuel – that is a lie and you know it. Democrats cannot change laws by themselves, any laws that were changed (like they were here in Houston, Texas) were done by bipartisan committees. All mailed ballots are checked against voter rolls and all checks are done by bipartisan groups.
We know that trump is a LOSER and just wants to con people like you out of your money. That sounds good, go ahead and write him a big check. He will spend it on maintenance of his golf courses, places that he would not even let you use. Dig deep and send him your money.
FACTS follow
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors,
once more with emphasis
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the LEGISLATURE thereof may direct, a Number of Electors,
NOT judge, NOT sec of state, NOT board of elections
LEGISLATURE
the dems did not follow the rules, therefore the dems cheated
quod erat demonstradum
notes
as you may not recognize the above paragraph, it comes from the constitution AKA the supreme law of the US
Sam – the hard part about these discussions is having to talk to morons like yourself. Here in Texas, the Legislature meets only every other year so it cannot react to all needs for all elections. If you bothered to read the Constitution you would find out that powers are delegated and Legislatures must delegate a lot of details to local (bipartisan) panels, so that the details can be made applicable to the local area. They set up the rules and local panels adapt them to local conditions. The details of voting will be different in counties in Idaho vs Delaware. Details of voting will differ between rural counties and urban counties. Legislatures do not have the time to consider exactly where every polling place is, what the exact procedure for every polling place is, etc.
Every State has bipartisan legislatures that set rules – the Democrats do not run any election anywhere. You are saying that the GOP was in on any election fraud – if so who would you trust to run elections? Even here in Texas we have Democrats and Republicans and even other Parties in the Legislature.