DINESH STRIKES AGAIN
New film offers hard-to-dispute evidence of 2020 election fraud By Steven Kovac
Pay to Play
California GOP is accused of using proxy votes to favor candidates for endorsements.. p.12
MAY 6–12, 2022 | $6.95
A Downward Spiral
Reckless government spending is shrinking the U.S. economy, an expert says.. p.20
Top Bellwether Voters
Voices of the most reliable bellwether county rise ahead of upcoming elections.. p.30
NO. 18
Editor’s Note
‘2000 Mules’ much has been said about the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. A new documentary, produced by conservative filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza, is drawing attention to a thorough investigation involving ballot trafficking. The documentary features an election integrity group that bought trillions of commercially available cellphone signal tracking “pings” to identify so-called “mules,” i.e., people responsible for stuffing ballot boxes, often in the middle of the night. The signal data, combined with surveillance footage, allowed the investigators of a conservative election integrity group to identify mules in major swing states across the country. The investigation also provides solid evidence that the same individuals made frequent trips to the ballot boxes, while in most cases, also visiting third-party nonprofits in between. The documentary’s initial release to nearly 300 theaters nationwide has sparked significant discussion about the evidence it showcases. “It was ripe for fraud,” one moviegoer in New York City said after watching the film, pointing to the unprecedented widespread use of absentee ballot drop boxes. Another audience member in Michigan said, “I would never have thought we would ever live in a country that would do something like this.” Read this week’s cover story about the documentary and the national conversation it’s already provoking. Jasper Fakkert Editor-in-chief
2 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
JASPER FAKKERT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHANNALY PHILIPP LIFE & TRADITION, TRAVEL EDITOR CHRISY TRUDEAU MIND & BODY EDITOR
ON THE COVER Did 2,000 mules alter the outcome of the 2020 election? A new documentary highlights evidence of potential mass ballot trafficking. ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/ GETTY IMAGES
CRYSTAL SHI HOME, FOOD EDITOR SHARON KILARSKI ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR BILL LINDSEY LUXURY EDITOR BIBA KAJEVICH ILLUSTRATORS SHANSHAN HU PRODUCTION CONTACT US THE EPOCH TIMES ASSOCIATION INC. 229 W.28TH ST., FL.7 NEW YORK, NY 10001 ADVERTISING ADVERTISENOW@EPOCHTIMES.COM SUBSCRIPTIONS, GENERAL INQUIRIES, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR HELP.THEEPOCHTIMES.COM (USPS21-800)IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY THE EPOCH MEDIA GROUP, 9550 FLAIR DR. SUITE 411, EL MONTE, CA 91731-2922. PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT EL MONTE, CA, AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO THE EPOCH TIMES, 229 W. 28TH STREET, FLOOR 5, NEW YORK, NY 10001.
vol. 2 | no. 18 | may 6–12, 2022
12 | Pay to Play?
50 | Live Well, Cheaply
The California GOP is accused of payto-play politics for endorsements.
Now is a good time to heed Benjamin Franklin’s advice on frugality.
52 | Big Tech
26 | Pandemic
Manipulation Robert Epstein on the battle for privacy and freedom online.
Response The Chinese regime stonewalled U.S. offers of COVID-19 assistance in the early days of the pandemic, emails show.
56 | A Capetown
Classic This recently renovated 1960s estate enjoys a sublime setting in the shadow of Table Mountain.
28 | Going Woke
U.S. cancel culture is quietly infiltrating French society.
29 | Plastic Bag Bans Plastic grocery bag bans boost sales of plastic garbage bags.
Features
44 | Demise of CNN+
16 | The ‘Trump Bump’ J.D. Vance’s primary win in Ohio validates Trump as GOP kingmaker.
45 | China’s Lockdowns
20 | American Economy Massive government spending may be to blame for first quarter contraction.
CNN+ could have survived if the network had stuck to the original CNN vision.
Repeat lockdowns in the world’s second-largest economy are alarming global business leaders.
47 | Twitter Takeover
The world’s richest man is spending $44 billion to buy free speech.
48 | Global Economy
How the IMF proved its own recommendations wrong.
49 | Doing Business
in China Despite the tough business climate, Wall Street doubles down on China.
30 | Indiana’s Bellwether Voters The voices of voters from one of America’s most reliable bellwether counties. THE LEAD 38 | 2000 Mules D’Souza film brings proof of 2020 election fraud to a mass audience.
The justices of the Supreme Court in Washington on April 23, 2021. The court has confirmed the authenticity of a leaked draft ruling on the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade, in a statement from Chief Justice John Roberts, who called the leak “a betrayal of the confidences” of the institution. ERIN SCHAFF-POOL/GETTY IMAGES
58 | The Slow Life
Mallorca’s sun-washed beaches, small towns, and abundant history make it ideal for a relaxed but enriching holiday.
60 | Treasure
Hunting 101 With patience, you can find treasure in unexpected places.
63 | Pampering
Timepieces How to protect expensive watches to preserve their value.
66 | Fresh from
the Reef It turns out invasive lionfish are tasty, giving a fun twist to conservation.
67 | Drive Nice!
Being pleasant to other drivers can make the commute more enjoyable. I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 3
SPOTLIGHT The Golden Temple A SIKH SEWADAR ROWS A BOAT ON THE sacred pool in front of the Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), on the anniversary of the birth of Guru Angad Dev Ji, the second guru of the Sikhs, in Amritsar, India, on May 1. The Sikh religion was founded in Northern India in the 15th century by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. PHOTO BY NARINDER NANU/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
4 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 5
SHEN YUN SHOP
Great Culture Revived. Fine Jewelry | Italian Scarves | Home Decor
ShenYunShop.com
Tel: 1.80 0.208.2384
NAT ION • WOR L D • W H AT H A P P E N E D T H I S W E E K
No.18
The Week
A Chinese volunteer fumigates and disinfects an area of a local bus station in Beijing on March 7, 2020. Since the early days of the COVID19 pandemic, Chinese officials have been aggressively suppressing information inside China. PHOTO BY KEVIN FRAYER/GETTY IMAGES
Stonewalled
26
The ‘Trump Bump’
A Sputtering Economy
Indiana’s Bellwether Voters
Ohio’s J.D. Vance primary win validates Trump as GOP kingmaker. 16
Excessive government spending is dragging down the U.S. economy, analysts say. 20
Voices of voters from one of America’s most reliable bellwether counties. 30
INSIDE I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 7
The Week in Short US
y l n i a t r e C . yr t n u o c e r f a s t’ I “ moc le f t ’ nseo d eno y na f i
y e h t , a h t h t i w e l b a tr o f droc a nw o rieht no l iw
” .e s l e r e h w e m o s g
— Elon Musk, CEO, Tesla, responding to reporters’ questions about Twitter staff potentially quitting if his takeover bid becomes reality.
“[Beijing is] using the free and open media that we ensure and are protected in democratic systems to spread propaganda, to spread misinformation.” — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 50 basis points, the most since 2000, as part of its efforts to address 40-year-high inflation.
U.S. home prices continued to skyrocket in the first quarter of 2022, with a record 20.9 percent year-overyear increase in March 2022, according to CoreLogic.
18%
of parents with children under 5 years old said they would get the child vaccinated right away if one or more COVID-19 vaccines were authorized for the age group, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey.
247,000 JOBS
in the private sector were opened in the United States in April, according to ADP’s May 4 report—well below market forecasts of 395,000 and a big drop from March’s 479,000 positions.
211,972 Illegal Immigrants – were apprehended by Border Patrol agents along the southern border in April, according to Customs and Border Protection.
8 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
THIS PAGE FROM TOP: ANGELA WEISS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, MICHAEL MCCOY/POOL/ AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES; RIGHT PAGE: ANNA MONEYMAKER/GETTY IMAGES
50 BASIS POINTS
20.9%
The Week in Short US LAWSUIT
Hunter Biden’s Laptop Repairman Sues for Defamation A DELAWARE COMPUTER
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks at a press briefing at the White House on Sept. 24, 2021. HOMELAND SECURITY
DHS Secretary Says He Wasn’t Aware of Disinformation Board Leader’s Background DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS) Secretary Alejandro
Mayorkas says that at the time the DHS hired Nina Jankowicz to lead the newly created Disinformation Governance Board, he wasn’t aware of the videos of her singing or her false claims about Russiagate and other issues. Since the DHS’s announcement of the Disinformation Governance Board and the appointment of Jankowicz, numerous videos and comments of hers have recirculated online—including her citation of Russiagate participant Christopher Steele as an authority on misinformation and her false claims in late 2020 that reports about Hunter Biden’s laptop were part of a Russian disinformation plot. Jankowicz has also come under fire for her singing, including in one video in which she’s seen parodying a Christmas song to make it sexually explicit and in another where she adapts the Mary Poppins “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” song into a tune about fake news and disinformation. VACCINES
FDA Restricts J&J’s COVID-19 Vaccine Over Risk of Blood Clots THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION has announced that it will restrict
the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to adults who can’t receive mRNA vaccines, because of the risk of potentially life-threatening side effects with the J&J shot. The agency said the COVID-19 vaccine can now only be administered to people 18 and older who can’t receive either the Moderna or the Pfizer vaccine, which both use mRNA technology. J&J’s single-shot vaccine uses adenovirus technology. People over 18 who want to receive the J&J vaccine “because they would otherwise not receive a COVID-19 vaccine” can also get it, according to the FDA’s statement. The agency didn’t elaborate.
repairman who received a damaged laptop computer from President Joe Biden’s son has sued Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), CNN, The Daily Beast, and Politico for alleged defamation. John Paul Mac Isaac, 45, filed a multimillion-dollar defamation suit in Montgomery County, Maryland, saying he was falsely accused of peddling Russian disinformation, which further cost him his business. “After fighting to reveal the truth, all I want now is for the rest of the country to know that there was a collective and orchestrated effort by social and mainstream media to block a real story with real consequences for the nation,” Mac Isaac told the New York Post. MANDATES
7 Democrats Join Republicans to Overturn Toddler Mask Mandate THE SENATE has passed a bill that could overturn the Biden administration’s mask mandate for small children in Head Start facilities, in a 55–41 vote. “Even though most Americans stopped wearing masks in almost every setting, children are still required to wear masks all day long in Head Start locations. Current HHS guidance demands that kids wear a mask even if they are outside, and even if they are as young as two years old. After two years, the last thing we need is to continue these outdated pandemic policies that are hurting kids’ educations,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said, describing the vote as bipartisan. I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 9
The Week in Short World EU
European Commission Proposes Ban on Russian Oil Imports EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Sir Keir Starmer speaks to the media during local election campaigning in Wakefield, England, on May 4. UK
UK Police Considering Requests to Reexamine ‘Beergate’ Allegations DURHAM POLICE SAID it’s “considering” recent requests to reexamine
CHINA
China Sees the Greatest Capital Outflows on Record, Institute Says CAPITAL OUTFLOWS FROM CHINA in the first
quarter were the largest on record, a new report from the Institute of International Finance found. Outflows from the world’s second-largest economy accelerated in February and March, making the first three months of 2022 the worst Chinese 100-yuan bank on record. The majority of outflows came from the notes are counted in Huaibei, sale of local currency bonds by foreign investors, Anhui Province, China, according to data compiled by the institute. on Sept. 24, 2013. The sharp turn negative was also related to Russia’s selling of reserves, although it wasn't a driving force, the IIF noted. 10 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
TURKEY
Inflation Surges 70 Percent in Turkey INFLATION IN TURKEY hit a
20-year high in April as the country continued to battle rising rates, further exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine and supply chain issues, according to data published by the Turkish Statistical Institute. Consumer price inflation soared to 69.97 percent per year in April, and 7.25 percent monthly, driven by high global energy prices and the weakening lira. A Reuters poll forecast annual consumer price inflation to be 68 percent, while monthly inflation stood at 6 percent. The surge in consumer prices was driven by an annual 105.9 percent increase in transportation and an 89.1 percent jump in food and nonalcoholic drink prices, the data show, while furnishings and household equipment jumped 77.64 percent.
THIS PAGE FROM TOP: CHRISTOPHER FURLONG/GETTY IMAGES, STR/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES; RIGHT PAGE FROM TOP: CHRIS MCGRATH/GETTY IMAGES, DANIEL ROLAND/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, ADEK BERRY/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
allegations that Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer broke CCP virus lockdown rules in April 2021. Amid the “partygate” allegations that a number of rule-breaking gatherings occurred in the center of the Conservative government during the CCP virus lockdowns, it emerged in January that Starmer was pictured having a beer in the office of Mary Foy, Labour member of Parliament for the city of Durham, on the night of April 30, 2021, when indoor mixing between households was banned under CCP virus rules. Durham Police said on Feb. 7 that they didn’t believe Starmer and his colleagues broke any rules, but following recent requests for the force to reexamine the case, a spokesman on May 4 said, “We have received a number of recent communications on this subject, which we are considering and will respond in due course.”
President Ursula von der Leyen has called on the European Union’s 27 member states to ban the import of Russian oil as part of the sixth package of sanctions against Moscow following Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. “We now propose a ban on Russian oil. This will be a complete import ban on all Russian oil, seaborne and pipeline, crude and refined. We will make sure that we phase out Russian oil in an orderly fashion, in a way that allows us and our partners to secure alternative supply routes and minimizes the impact on global markets,” von der Leyen said in a speech at the European Parliament. By doing so, the EU will maximize pressure on Russia while minimizing collateral damage, she said.
World in Photos
1.
1. Residents and emergency services personnel push a damaged car from the driveway of a destroyed house during clean up operations, one day after a Russian attack in Zaporizhia, Ukraine, on April 29. 2. Two women take a rest at the top of the Grosser Riesenkopf mountain (4,400 feet above sea level) in Bavaria, Germany, on May 4. 3. A performer of the “wall of death,” locally known as a tong stand, rides a bicycle inside a six-meter-high wall at a night carnival in Bogor, Indonesia, on April 30. 4. Locals in typical Sevillian costumes walk along the street during the Feria de Abril (April Fair) festival in Seville, Spain, on May 4. 2.
3.
4. I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 11
PAY PLAY? ELECTIONS
to
California GOP leadership accused of pay-to-play scheme for political endorsements BY BR A D J ON E S
A
naheim, calif.—a political firestorm over alleged pay-to-play politics at the recent California Republican Party convention has burned some candidates who have claimed party leadership used proxy votes to favor establishment candidates for endorsements. After the reelection campaign for state Sen. Brian Dahle’s wife, Assemblywoman Megan Dahle, gave a $40,500 donation to the GOP on April 22, the first day of the weekend-long convention, gubernatorial candidate Jenny Rae Le Roux made the pay-to-play allegation in a text message sent out to Republican delegates that was later leaked on social media.
12 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
“Last night at 8:15 pm, Megan Dahle made a payment from her campaign account to the CAGOP. Two hours later 400 proxies were given to her husband’s campaign for Governor by party leadership,” Le Roux wrote in the text message. “We are not the party of rigged elections. The Republican endorsement should not be for sale. I am calling for the return of the suspicious payment and for everyone to vote their conscience tomorrow.” The next morning, California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher sent an email to delegates stating that he had asked Megan Dahle for the donation. “I asked for and Megan Dahle gave money to the Party that goes directly to
helping win the Assembly seats. Period. End of story,” he wrote. “Anything else is just desperate politics. A Governor candidate should know that we need to win all the way down the ticket. Brian Dahle is a proven leader and he deserves our nomination today.” In response, Le Roux also sent an email to delegates. “I stand by my position that endorsements should be earned, not bought,” she wrote. “Megan Dahle’s transfer to the party just hours before those assignments was over 5X the size of any prior contribution. ... Many of you have known for years that these deals are regularly made. I found the courage to lead with
Politics California
“I stand by my position that endorsements should be earned, not bought.” Jenny Rae Le Roux, gubernatorial candidate
“People on the board began making phone calls … telling people that I was a satanic witch.”
ALL PHOTOS BY BRAD JONES/THE EPOCH TIMES
Rachel Hamm, candidate for California secretary of state
my own conviction.” Sen. Dahle, who has held elected public office for more than 25 years, was endorsed by the party for governor at the convention. Dahle told Insight via text message that he couldn’t respond to a request for comment. Le Roux alluded to the pay-to-play scandal during her campaign speech at a candidates’ forum at the convention, alleging that the endorsement had been “purchased” just before organizers cut her mic. She asked the party to return the money. Ellie Hockenbury, a CAGOP spokesperson, told Insight on April 25 that the $40,500 was a routine donation.
(Top) Jenny Rae Le Roux talks to a supporter in the lobby at the California Republican Party convention in Anaheim, Calif., on April 23. (Above) Rachel Hamm mingles with supporters in the lobby at the California Republican Party convention. Hamm said RINOs and “liberal infiltrators” have risen into key party leadership positions and are trying to destroy the party from within. “This is a routine member contribution to the Assembly Republican Caucus. Nothingburger,” Hockenbury said in a text message. Le Roux confirmed that she wrote the text message and sent it out to delegates, but suggested she had put the incident behind her. “It’s time to move on,” Le Roux told Insight on April 25. “I’ve got a race to win,” she said referring to the June 7 Republican primary, “so I can face off with Gavin Newsom in November.”
Rachel Hamm, who is running for secretary of state, also had her speech cut short when the party leadership cut her mic more than a minute before her five-minute time limit had expired. “I got cut off unjustly,” she told Insight. Hamm said that according to the CAGOP leadership, she broke the rules to not speak negatively about other Republicans when she encouraged other candidates to be conservatives and “stop running to the middle [and] leaning left.” Several sources within the party told Insight that the party is controlled I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 13
Politics California
by RINOs, an acronym for “Republicans in Name Only” and that there are rifts between pro-Trump “America First” candidates and the California Republican Party establishment. Hamm claimed she was told that another candidate was offered an endorsement in exchange for a donation. She accused party leadership of favoring moderate candidates and smearing those it opposes. “It’s death by a thousand cuts. They did very specific things to sabotage very specific people, me being one of them,” she said. Hamm had been the sole Republican candidate for secretary of state until the party recruited others to run against her, she said. “People on the board began making phone calls … telling people that I was a satanic witch, and therefore they needed someone—for the sake of the greater good for the party—to step up and run for Secretary of State in order to sabotage my campaign,” she said. Shocked at the allegation, Hamm said she was in a state of disbelief until she heard the same claim from more than 20 people. “I’m such a strong, outspoken Christian. So, it’s a very weird, stupid lie. It’s so easily just disputed and put to rest … and then I heard it from another person, and then another person,” she said. Hamm, a Trump supporter, said RINOs and “liberal infiltrators” have risen into key party leadership positions and are trying to destroy the party from within.
Several sources within the GOP said the party is controlled by RINOs, an acronym for ‘Republicans in Name Only.’ 14 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) speaks at the California Republican Party Convention. Mike Netter, campaign manager for Attorney General candidate Eric Early, told Insight he believes the party leadership conspired to control blank proxy votes to sway which candidates got endorsements. “The CAGOP used a paid candidate operative to give out hundreds of signed proxy votes to delegates attending the convention and told them to use those hundreds of proxies to vote against the opponents,” he said. Of the 1,379 eligible delegates, 522 voted at the convention and 534 votes were cast by proxy for other delegates who did not attend. “No one knows who these proxies are,” Netter said. Each delegate in attendances can “carry” up to two proxy votes, meaning they can cast up to three ballots—their own and one or two proxy votes, he said. Although proxy votes require a wet signature from a delegate, the delegate does not have to specify the candidates for
whom they are voting. In other words, it’s like a “blank check,” he said. Netter is calling for more transparency and a breakdown of how many proxy votes were cast for each candidate. “The California GOP needs to make visible the wet-signature proxies to the delegates,” he said. “There is currently no way to validate that the proxies are valid, and there is no mechanism, rules, or procedures, apparently in place as to how and to what delegates these proxies are distributed.” Netter said the timing of Megan Dahle’s donation has also created suspicion. “It’s bad optics,” he said. “It sure makes delegates and many people in the Republican Party suspicious. We would like someone to come out and show us specifically what that money is used for because it makes delegates not trust the party because everybody thinks proxies are being purchased,” Netter said. “Don’t tell me there’s noth-
Politics California
“That’s the reason why endorsements are always different between the CRA and the California GOP,” she said. “CRA does not allow proxy voting, which means if the delegate doesn’t show up at the convention, there’s no vote. They don’t vote. They cannot give their vote to anybody else,” Bigelow said. “When you use proxy votes the people no longer have a voice. It should be one person, one vote.”
Supporting Moderates
ing to look at. Prove me wrong.” California Republican Assembly (CRA) Regional Vice President Jennye Bigelow told Insight on April 26 that the CAGOP policy of allowing a majority of delegates to vote by proxy opens the door to influence by lobbyists and pay-to-play schemes in which “the proxy votes will go to the highest bidder.” “The system is designed to favor establishment candidates,” Bigelow said. “I had several people reach out to me, after the voting on Sunday at the convention confused about the way the system works. They were under the impression it was one delegate, one vote, but they quickly realized it was one delegate with multiple votes,” she said. “The California GOP allows proxy votes, and when you have more proxy votes than actual delegates there to vote, the outcome is always going to be in the favor of the proxies.” The CRA, though chartered by the California Republican Party, is an independent volunteer organization that makes its own endorsements and does not allow delegates to vote by proxy.
Earlier this year, the party leadership was accused of considering the idea of supporting “moderate Democrats” in the 2022 midterm elections. When asked by the party secretary about CAGOP’s policy on “possibly either endorsing or unofficially throwing support behind some of the moderate Democrats,” at a meeting on Jan. 22, Chairwoman Jessica Patterson suggested supporting incumbent L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, District 3, who is a member of the Democratic Party. However, party spokesperson Hockenbury later told Insight that the party does not endorse Democrats, which would violate CAGOP’s official bylaws.
Party Endorsements At the convention in Anaheim on April 24, the CACOP endorsed several other statewide candidates: Mark Meuser for U.S. Senate; Lance Christensen for super-
A GOP member accused party leadership of favoring moderate candidates and smearing those it opposes. intendent of public instruction; Nathan Hochman for attorney general; Lanhee Chen for controller; and Angela Underwood Jacobs for lieutenant governor. “After three days of party building, exceptional speakers, insightful trainings, and official business, our delegates endorsed quality and talented candidates for statewide office,” Patterson said in a statement. “I look forward to supporting them as they challenge California Democrats’ failed one-party rule with visions for a brighter tomorrow.” The CAGOP board of directors also voted to endorse several candidates for local office. The full list of endorsed candidates can be found on the party’s website.
Chairwoman Jessica Patterson at the California Republican Party convention in Anaheim, Calif., on April 22. I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 15
MIDTERMS
THE ‘TRUMP BUMP’ J.D. Vance’s primary win in Ohio validates Trump as GOP kingmaker BY JEFF LOUDERBACK 16 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
J.D. Vance, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate for Ohio, shakes hands with former President Donald Trump during a rally at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Ohio on April 23. PHOTO BY DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES
I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 17
In Focus Election 2022
HEN DONALD TRUMP TALKS, “AMERICA FIRST” REPUBLICANS STILL LISTEN. THAT’S WHAT J.D. Vance’s victory in the
Ohio Republican U.S. Senate primary on May 3 showed in the first test of Trump’s influence in the 2022 midterm election cycle, Defending Democracy Together Director Bill Kristol says. “Anybody who dismisses Donald Trump as not a major factor in the party is crazy,” said Dave Carney, a Republican consultant. In the general election, Vance will face Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who handily defeated Morgan Harper and Traci Johnson in the Ohio Democratic U.S. Senate primary. Vance topped former Ohio State Treasurer and state Rep. Josh Mandel, Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan, Cleveland investment banker Mike Gibbons, former Ohio Republican Party Chairwoman Jane Timken, central Ohio entrepreneur Mark Pukita, and Columbus businessman Neil Patel. When the race was called in Vance’s favor, the “Hillbilly Elegy” author and venture capitalist stepped on stage at a victory party in Cincinnati, 45 minutes south of where he grew up in working-class Middletown. “They wanted to write a story that this campaign would be the death of Donald Trump’s America First agenda,” Vance said. “Ladies and gentlemen, it ain’t the death of the America First agenda.” Donald Trump Jr., who publicly supported Vance weeks before his father announced his endorsement of the first-time political candidate on April 15, agreed. “MAGA is alive and well, and the GOP best take notice and finally understand where the people are,” Trump Jr. wrote on Twitter after Vance’s victory. Kristol noted that Vance was polling at “about 10 percent” with Mandel and Gibbons leading at 21 percent on April 15. Vance surged in subsequent independent polls before winning by a comfortable margin on May 3. “Without Trump’s endorsement, Vance almost certainly stalls out at 10 percent and finishes fourth,” Kristol said. Vance’s victory increases the likeli18 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
An expert noted that J.D. Vance was polling at “about 10 percent,” with Mandel and Gibbons leading at 21 percent before Trump announced his endorsement.
hood that Trump will ramp up his public support for candidates in upcoming primaries, according to one source close to Trump. “Vance’s win proves the concept that he can take someone from third or fourth place and pull them into the lead in a crowded primary,” another Trump associate said. SINCE HE ENTERED the race last July,
“I’ve studied this race closely and I think J.D. is the most likely to take out the weak.” Former President Donald Trump
Vance has faced scrutiny about disparaging remarks he made about Trump in 2016. Club for Growth, a pro-Mandel PAC, poured millions of dollars into attack ads directed at Vance. When Trump announced his endorsement on April 15, about three dozen Republican Party county leaders in Ohio— and Ohio Value Voters, a conservative group that backed Mandel—wrote a letter urging the former president to rescind his endorsement. In his victory speech, Vance said he would “work hard to earn the support” of his detractors.
In Focus Election 2022
VANCE’S VICTORY
INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD that Trump will ramp up his public support for candidates in upcoming primaries, according to one source close to Trump.
“Vance’s win proves the concept that [Trump] can take someone from third or fourth place and pull them into the lead in a crowded primary.”
CLOCKWISE FROM L: MEGAN JELINGER/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES, JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES
Trump associate
“People are caught between the corrupt political class of the left and right,” he said. “They need a representative, and I am that person.” Timken, who was endorsed by retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), sought Trump’s stamp of approval. She finished in the distance behind Vance, Mandel, Dolan, and Gibbons. “While tonight’s results are disappointing, I am incredibly proud of the race we’ve run,” Timken said after the race was called for Vance. “From day one, I’ve focused on a campaign for Ohio, in Ohio, fueled by Ohioans, and that grassroots support was evident throughout. “I am passionate about the future of this state and country, which is why Republicans must retake the Senate and House in November to right the ship and put a check on Joe Biden’s disastrous policies. “I congratulate J.D. Vance and fully support him in November.” Ryan, a longtime Democratic Ohio
Republican candidate for Senate J.D. Vance, accompanied by his wife, Usha, waves to supporters after winning the primary, at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati on May 3.
congressman in Youngstown, called for unity before lambasting his general election opponent. “Vance is an out-of-touch millionaire who’s made a career of bashing the working class and is the worst possible choice to represent Ohio,” Ryan said after his own victory on May 3. The Senate is equally split at 50–50; Vice President Kamala Harris has the tie-breaking vote, which gives Democrats the majority. REPUBLICANS CAN REGAIN control of
the Senate by picking up one seat, which enhances the importance of Ohio Republicans holding Portman’s spot. “I’ve studied this race closely and I think J.D. is the most likely to take out the weak, but dangerous, Democrat opponent—dangerous because they will have so much money to spend,” Trump said in a statement after backing Vance on April 15. “However, J.D. will destroy him in the debates and will fight for the MAGA Movement in the Senate.” Margot Athon enthusiastically waved a Vance sign at his May 3 victory speech and believes that he’ll “win over” Ohio Republican voters who doubt that he’s a conservative. “I appreciate his upbringing and his life story,” said Athon, who is from Columbus, Ohio, but now lives in Washington. “He’s someone who has not been handed anything. He worked for it. He earned it. And those are the elected officials we need in Washington.”
I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 19
FISCAL POLICIES
A SPUTTERING ECONOMY Excessive government spending is dragging down the US economy, analysts say By John Ransom
President Joe Biden announces the Paycheck Protection Program at the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington on Feb. 22, 2021. PHOTO BY ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAGES
20 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
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Joe Biden was riding a 59 percent approval rating in the polls, having just signed what he called the “American Rescue Plan” (ARP), a stimulus package that the administration promised would “provide direct relief to Americans, contain COVID-19, and rescue the economy.” A year later, having approved the $1.9 trillion ARP spending plan and another $1 trillion of spending on infrastructure, the U.S. economy has contracted, raising the specter of high inflation and low growth known as “stagflation,” as Biden struggles with his popularity. In the first quarter, the economy shrank 1.4 percent, the Commerce Department said on April 28. Previously, economists expected growth of 1.8 percent for the quarter, according to figures at the Philadelphia Federal Reserve. It may leave many people wondering how, after approving nearly $3 trillion in spending measures in 2021, the economy could be in retreat. A man who was appointed by President Bill Clinton and served under President George W. Bush as head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) thinks he knows how. “The dramatic increase in alleged COVID-related spending was a primary contributor to stimulating the economy in 2021, but it also stoked excess inflation,” David Walker, who was appointed comptroller general in 1998, told Insight. “Excess inflation, high energy costs, increased mortgage rates, and supply chain challenges served to reduce consumer spending in the first quarter of 2021.”
Indeed, inflation began to spike just months after Biden signed the ARP. And while energy prices were trending higher under Biden, the first-quarter increase in 2022 represented the type of fuel price spike the country hasn’t seen since just prior to the 2008 market crash. Depending on whom one believes, Biden either will or won’t allow oil and gas drilling on federal lands to help alleviate price pressures on consumers, which doesn’t exactly make drillers feel 22 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
$
76%
say it’s getting worse
20%
say it’s improving
TRILLION
3%
4.6
HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO
COVID-19 relief measures in the United States, with $3.6 trillion paid out already.
say it’s staying the same Source: Gallup
The dramatic increase in alleged COVIDrelated spending in 2021 stoked excess inflation, an expert says.
“Democrats’ reckless spending is bringing us back to the Carter years of a shrinking economy and soaring inflation.”
general, and fuel prices lead consumer concerns, as inflation rises to its highest level since 1981, the survey said. Overall, the country committed about $4.6 trillion to COVID-19 relief measures, with $3.6 trillion paid out already, according to data by the Treasury Department. That’s a lot of spending in just two years, especially when compared to the Obama stimulus plan, which Mike Berg, deputy communications director, spent $787 billion over a fourNational Republican Congressional Committee year period. Approving more money to confident that the long-term expense of spend to create more economic activity drilling new wells is justified. risks making inflation worse, but ana“We’ve had enough head fakes that lysts note that politicians have a hard we’re going to be very thoughtful in time doing nothing amid a crisis in an ramping activity up,” Rick Muncrief, CEO election year, even if the things they do of Devon Energy Corp., told the trade create even more damage. publication World Oil in February. “Biden certainly isn’t helping things,” Walker said, adding that the administraCOVID-19, Inflation tion’s measures have hurt the economy, Add to Concerns such as bans on domestic oil exploraAmericans may also be growing weary tion and federal mandates that have led of “head fakes” as the country recovers to job losses and economic disruption. from COVID-19. The White House didn’t respond to a Consumer confidence, which is the request for comment by press time. key to consumer spending, has taken a steep nose dive recently, dropping be- No Good Policy Choices Left low the lowest number it posted during Policymakers at this point have few good the worst of the COVID-19 crisis, accord- choices, some say, which tends to be the ing to figures by the polling organiza- case when inflation spikes in an uncontion Gallup. trolled frenzy. “Seventy-six percent of Americans say “There is a serious conundrum as pruthe economy is getting worse, 20 percent dent measures to quell inflation might say it is improving, and 3 percent think it push the world into a recessionary situais staying the same,” Gallup said. tion while measures to stimulate growth The high cost of living, the economy in and fight contraction might cause infla-
FROM TOP: YCHARTS,, FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Inflation Followed the ARP
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE IN THE US ECONOMY
Nation Economy
The first-quarter energy prices increase in 2022 represented the type of fuel price spike the country hadn’t seen since just prior to the 2008 market crash.
US Retail Gas Price
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tion to spiral recklessly out of control,” Bryan Slusarchuk, a precious metals mining operator, told Insight. Already, Republican election campaigns are sharpening daggers, using the combination of slow economic growth and high prices as the tip of what could be a dangerous weapon against Democrats in the midterms. “Democrats’ reckless spending is bringing us back to the Carter years of a shrinking economy and soaring inflation,” Mike Berg, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said on April 28, warning about “stagflation.” Other experts, including Biden critics, are taking a more wait-and-see approach, saying that the first-quarter contraction could be just a temporary downturn. First-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) performances are notoriously difficult to gauge because of weather and other factors. “I try not to read too much into one month or one quarter of data. Maybe it’s a blip. Maybe it’s the effect of various bad policies. Maybe it’s a pandemic hangover,” Dan Mitchell, a free-market economist and co-founder of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, told Insight. Mitchell said Americans should be thankful that Biden’s social spending package, known as “Build Back Better,” wasn’t approved in the fall, or things could be worse. “The threat of Biden’s so-called Build Back Better has probably had a negative effect since businesses, investors and entrepreneurs don’t know whether it will still be profitable to create new jobs,” he said.
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Student Loan Action Could Add to Inflation Things could grow much worse if Biden takes action toward reducing the $1.6 trillion in outstanding student loans, which in effect would be no different than if Biden approved any other spending bill for $1.6 trillion, conservatives warn. “Even a modest increase in inflationary pressures [caused by student debt cancellation] could feed into current inflation dynamics, increasing the risk of a wage-price spiral and making it harder for the Federal Reserve to re-anchor inflation expectations around its current target,” the Washington-based nonprofit Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said. The contraction in GDP may signal the end of the inflationary spiral, but with a trillion dollars in unspent COVID-19 relief and a range of options for Biden to cancel student debt, there still may
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be enough fuel to keep inflation raging even as the economy slows, a textbook case of stagflation. Still, some say that the track record of economists and politicians who are now reassuring people there’s nothing to worry about is anything but reassuring. “First we were told inflation was imaginary. Then we were told it was ‘transitory,’ the result of COVID-inflicted supply-chain problems. Then we were told it was Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fault,” law professor Glenn H. Reynolds wrote in an op-ed in the New York Post. “If the Biden administration wanted to fight stagflation, it would be cutting red tape, encouraging business activity and investment, and slashing federal spending. But it’s not doing that.” Instead, Biden is saying that “technical factors” led to a one-time drop in GDP, and he is hoping the economy and his poll numbers will rebound.
The high cost of living, the economy in general, and fuel prices are leading consumer concerns, as inflation rises to its highest level since 1981, a survey shows. I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 23
24 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
T H G IL T O P S Sailing for Speed COMPETITORS TAKE PART IN ONE OF the events of the French stage of the GWA Wingfoil World Cup, during the 25th edition of the Mondial du Vent event, in Leucate, France, on April 29. The event runs from April 26 to May 1. PHOTO BY VALENTINE CHAPUIS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 25
E XC L U S I V E
Stonewalled US offers of COVID-19 assistance to China during early days of pandemic went unanswered, emails show By Eva Fu & Zachary Stieber
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letterhead of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC’s parent department, to extend a formal invitation. “We look forward to continuing our close collaborations and stand ready to provide additional support,” he wrote. None of the written correspondence appeared to receive a response. The request that obtained the emails had a date range of Dec. 1, 2019, to Feb. 1, 2020. Redfield and Gao didn’t respond by press time to requests for comment. Then-U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar would later reveal that the Trump administration had been urging Chinese authorities to let U.S. experts into the country, to no avail. It wasn’t until Jan. 29, 2020, that their repeated offers received an official acknowledgment, he said. “More cooperation and transparency are the most important steps you can take toward a more
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h r ee days a f t er bei j i ng officially acknowledged a cluster of an unknown pneumonia disease on the last day of 2019, then-head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dr. Robert Redfield invited his Chinese counterpart, George Gao, for a call. “I’ve been trying to reach you and will try again in a few hours,” he wrote, according to emails sent on Jan. 3, 2020, and obtained by Insight. This would be the first of a series of efforts from the United States to engage with China and offer assistance over the next few weeks. “Unfortunately, that assistance wasn’t accepted by the Chinese government,” Redfield said. “I think it could have made a big difference.” Redfield said he had “extensive discussions” with Gao in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and that a team of 20 people was ready to fly across the world. Gao personally refused the offers, citing a lack of authorization, according to one report. A review of the files obtained by Insight via a Freedom of Information Act request and the public statements offers another glimpse into how China stonewalled the United States during the early days of the pandemic. All the while, the communist regime was suppressing information about the outbreak domestically when any health data would have been crucial to formulate a more effective COVID-19 containment strategy and minimize the disease’s global spread. The day after the call, Redfield wrote to Gao again, reiterating the U.S. offer of assistance. “China has tremendous capacity in infectious diseases and outbreak investigation,” he wrote in an email on Jan. 4, 2020, with the subject line “Offer of Assistance.” “In the spirit of cooperation, I would like to offer CDC technical experts in laboratory and epidemiology of respiratory infectious diseases to assist you and China CDC in identification of this unknown and possibility novel pathogen.” Two days later, Redfield followed up on the email, attaching a letter containing the official
China Pandemic Response
Dr. Robert Redfield said that a U.S. team of 20 people was ready to fly to assist China during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the latter refused.
(Above) A medical staff member treats a COVID-19 patient at a hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on Feb. 22, 2020. (Top Right) ThenHealth and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaks on the coordinated public health response to the coronavirus during a press conference in Washington on Jan. 28, 2020.
effective response,” Azar said during a briefing with reporters on Jan. 28, 2020, a day after he raised the subject again in a talk with China’s minister of health. More than a week later, nothing had changed. “At this point, it’s really a decision for the Chinese,” Azar said at a press conference in Washington on Feb. 7, 2020, seven days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global health emergency. “We are ready, willing, and able. We are here to support the Chinese government, to help China with their response.” Ultimately, the United States and allies, during the early stages of the pandemic, made nearly 100 requests to ask for assistance or offer help, all of which were rejected by Chinese authorities, according to David Asher, a former lead COVID-19 investigator at the U.S. State Department. Chinese officials at the same time had been ag-
gressively suppressing information inside China. While Redfield spoke with Gao in one of the calls, local police in Wuhan summoned Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, one of a string of Chinese medical professionals who tried to sound the alarm about the danger of a new pneumonia-like virus, and accused him of “rumor-mongering.” After contracting COVID-19, Li died on Feb. 7, the same day Azar reiterated Washington’s readiness to provide on-the-ground help. The U.S. CDC had no access to direct data from China. More COVID-19 cases began emerging in the United States. No U.S. experts were invited onto the WHO team that arrived in China on Feb. 10, 2020. A WHO probe into the virus’s origins eventually occurred a year later, under mounting international pressure and the close supervision of Chinese researchers. Two U.S. scientists were on board, including Clifford Lane, deputy director at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. It was the first time that government-affiliated U.S. scientists were allowed into China since the COVID-19 pandemic. By that time, all viral traces had long been destroyed in Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, the site linked to the cases officials first identified. The WHO panel was similarly denied access to raw data on early cases. I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 27
World Culture
S O C IE T Y
Going Woke US cancel culture is quietly infiltrating French society By Autumn Spredemann
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A man waving the Mohawk Warrior Society flag stands on the pedestal of a toppled statue of Egerton Ryerson, one of the architects of the indigenous boarding school system, in Toronto on June 6, 2021. reconciliation with the region’s indigenous people and the abolishment of outdated social representations. Among the literary casualties were the comics “Tintin” and “Lucky Luke,” both of which have been long-standing cultural touchstones. Canadian politicians sharply criticized the gesture, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said, “On a personal level, I would never agree to the burning of books.” In France, American-style cancel culture has also infiltrated universities since 2019, giving rise to movements directed at everything from public monuments to art and the denouncing of celebrated intellectuals such as Alain Finkielkraut. During a lecture titled “Modernity, heritage, and progress,” Finkielkraut was forced to dodge anti-racist protests and cancel culture supporters over his avid defense of Western traditions at the elite Paris university Sciences Po. At the renowned Sorbonne University, protesters boycotted a theatrical performance of the classic Greek play “The Suppliants” by Aeschylus over similarities between the actors’ dark masks and American “blackface” makeup. French President Emmanuel Macron, who won a second term in office on April 24, was candid in his assessment
“The ‘woke’ culture is something very dangerous, and we shouldn’t bring it to France.” Elisabeth Moreno, French diversity minister
of the origins of cancel culture. “There are certain social science theories entirely imported from the United States,” he said. Macron maintains that America’s woke agenda is “racializing” his country and creating more division, which has earned him scorn from progressives across the board. However, many support his stance on cancel culture, including French Diversity Minister Elisabeth Moreno. “The ‘woke’ culture is something very dangerous, and we shouldn’t bring it to France,” Moreno said. In the United States, former U.S. President Donald Trump hasn’t been coy in expressing his thoughts about the dangers of America’s woke agenda. “This is the very definition of totalitarianism, and it is completely alien to our culture and to our values and it has absolutely no place in the United States of America.”
THIS PAGE: OLIVIER MONNIER/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES; RIGHT PAGE: SHANA NOVAK/GETTY IMAGES
hat started as a left-leaning movement in the United States that targets public figures through shaming tactics has caught fire via social media through hashtags such as #MeToo, giving rise to a pervasive sub-society known as “cancel culture.” However, it has moved well beyond U.S. borders and is becoming what some French consider a blight upon their society and its Canadian counterpart. “The refusal to call into question one’s beliefs or certainties, to be confronted by or even hear of opposing points of view shows a worrying retreat of the democratic mind,” Quebec Education Minister Jean-Francois Roberge and France’s minister of national education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, wrote in an open letter. The two educational leaders criticized the self-described “woke agenda” and its toll on French culture in both countries in recent years. Collectively, they described it as a “culture of intolerance and erasure” that arrived from U.S. universities. In the United States, a battle against “woke”-related censorship erupted last month as Elon Musk clinched a deal to acquire Twitter on April 25. Musk has become what many consider a free-speech hero in the wake of the nation’s increasingly aggressive censorship and the removal of social media accounts with content that contradicts popular woke narratives. As with many controversial movements, American cancel culture got its foot in the door with French Canadians and in France via the education system. In 2019, more than 4,700 books were removed from library shelves in 30 secondary schools across southwestern Ontario and burned in a “flame purification” ceremony as a symbol of
Environment Society
The researchers estimated that plastic bag regulations led stores to purchase an average of 127 more pounds of plastic each month. ENVIRONMENT
Plastic Bag Bans
The researchers found that plastic bag laws did not impact the sale of larger bags, lending additional support to the view that small plastic garbage bags end up substituting for the regulated grocery bags.
Grocery bag bans boost sales of small plastic garbage bags, study finds By Nathan Worcester
By Nathan Worcester
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ans and fees on plastic carry-out grocery bags (CGB) could have significant unintended consequences, according to a study. Bag fees and outright prohibitions both boosted the sale of 4-gallon and 8-gallon plastic bags—in line with the view that many consumers reuse their supposedly single-use bags around the house, the researchers found. “The effect of a 5¢ fee for either paper or plastic CGBs is essentially the same as that of a ban on plastic bags and a fee of 10 or 15¢ on paper bags. While policymakers may choose fees over bans in order to soften the blow, our results suggest that the overall effect on consumers is little different,” wrote the authors, professor Richard Woodward of Texas A&M University (TAMU) and Yu-Kai Huang of TAMU and the University of Georgia. Woodward and Huang used Nielsen retail scanner data from Washington; Santa Clara and San Luis Obispo counties in California; and Montgomery County, Maryland, between 2006 and 2014. All four had approved restrictions on carryout grocery bags before 2014.
They used nearby counties that hadn’t implemented such measures as controls. Huang and Woodward found that plastic bag laws didn’t affect the sale of larger bags, lending additional support to the view that small plastic garbage bags end up as substitutes for the regulated grocery bags. The study comes at a time when laws regulating the use of the plastic takeout bags are spreading rapidly throughout the United States and elsewhere in the world. Chicago, for example, charges a tax of 7 cents per plastic bag. Uniform plastic bag fees are a regressive tax because people pay the same amount without respect to wealth or income, experts say. Carryout plastic bag bans have been approved in California, New Jersey, New York, Maine, Vermont, Oregon, Hawaii, Delaware, and Connecticut. Such bags have also been banned in China, New Zealand, and many other countries, including several African nations. In Kenya, for instance, people caught producing, importing, or using banned plastic bags can face major fines or even imprisonment.
Woodward and Huang estimated that plastic bag regulations led stores to purchase an average of 127 more pounds of plastic each month because of the substitution of small plastic garbage bags for carryout bags. “While we are unable to tell the net effect on plastic consumption, because of the heavier weight of purchased trash bags, it is possible that a bag ban could even lead to an increase in total plastic waste, and this is without taking into account any plastic content in purchased CGBs that consumers buy, and eventually discard, as a result of the ban,” the authors noted in the study. Representatives of the Plastics Industry Association didn’t respond by press time to a request by Insight for comment. The Footprint Foundation, a group opposed to single-use plastic products that’s associated with Footprint, a materials science firm that aims to replace single-use plastics with plantbased alternatives, also didn’t respond to a request for comment. Insight also has reached out to the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group known for its opposition to single-use plastics. I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 29
The Vigo County Courthouse in Terre Haute, Ind., serves as a landmark of consistency when it comes to presidential elections. PHOTO BY JUDSON MCCRANIE/CC BY-SA 3.0
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Indiana’s Bellwether Voters ELECTIONS
The voices of voters from one of America’s most reliable bellwether counties By Michael Sakal
I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 31
Nation Indiana
igo count y, ind.— When it comes to being a good indicator of voting for the winning presidential candidate, Vigo County in west Indiana is “The Real Thing.” That was the advertising slogan Coca-Cola had in the 1970s, which perhaps is appropriate for what’s considered to be the most reliable bellwether county in the United States. The county seat of Vigo County is Terre Haute (pop. 60,673), and it’s the birthplace of the iconic contour Coca-Cola bottle that has been featured on many of the soft drink’s signs and ads since 1915. Since 1888, Vigo County has missed voting for the presidential winner just three times—in 1910, when it supported Democrat William Jennings Bryan over Republican William Howard Taft; in 1952, when it picked Democrat Adlai Stevenson over Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower; and in 2020, when it selected Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Joe Biden, 24,545 votes to 18,123 votes. FOR 60 YEARS, Vigo County hit the mark
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Cannonball,” which is about the roar and rumble of a mythical train that takes hobos on their last ride and carried their souls to heaven. The tune remains a signature song of the Indiana State University Sycamores and the Purdue All-American Marching Band. The song, which was made popular by country singer Roy Acuff, is part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 songs that shaped rock and roll, and it’s the oldest song on the list. THE AREA ALSO was the home of Eugene
V. Debs, a champion for workers’ rights who ran for president as a socialist five times in the early 20th century, and the home of Indiana State University and the Candles Holocaust Museum. Vigo County, which has a population of slightly more than 107,000, also supported Trump in the 2016 election. The median age in the county is 36 years old, and the median household income is $52,364 as it holds steady with an unemployment rate of slightly less than 2 percent, according to information from
Chapman Jay Root, who owned the Root Glass Company in Terre Haute, and a team of his workers designed the Coca-Cola contour bottle in 1915. The bottle is considered the most recognizable container in the world.
Vigo County. The median home price in the county is $130,000 and has risen slightly over the past two years. Now, during the second year of Biden in the White House, residents are feeling the belt of inflation tightening, and it’s expected to get worse. People are beginning to cut back on food at the grocery store. Gas prices are hovering at about $4 per gallon in the county as the U.S. oil reserves are being used. The contents being loaded from shopping carts into vehicles were reduced as residents with good incomes or retirees with good jobs in the past spoke about reconfiguring their budgets because of getting much less bang for their buck. Unlike many counties in other states, the Indiana Elections Board doesn’t di-
ALL PHOTOS BY MICHAEL SAKAL/THE EPOCH TIMES
in 16 straight presidential elections, from 1956 to 2016, perhaps showing that Democrats and Republicans vote in sync for whoever they believe would do the best job in the Oval Office. However, while 18 of the 19 top bellwether counties in the United States had a perfect record between 1980 and 2016, there was only one that got it right in 2020—Clallam County in Washington state. Biden defeated Trump there and ultimately became president. In the 2016 Presidential Election, Trump won Vigo County by defeating Hilary Clinton 21,937 votes to 15,931 votes. Nestled in the heart of the heartland in the Midwest, the county seat of Terre Haute is literally at the Crossroads of America. Wabash Avenue and 7th Street in the city’s downtown was the original gateway to the west and part of the Federal Highway Transportation System in 1926. The county’s smaller cities include West Terre Haute, North Terre Haute, Tecumseh, Allendale, and Toad Hop (pop. 216). More than 90 years ago, the railroad tracks near the Wabash River were the inspiration for the song “The Wabash
Nation Indiana
department of Pfizer in 1999 after working there for 18 years. His father retired from Stran Steel after 31 years. “My family is a strong, politically minded family,” he said. “We’re a Democratic family. Would I vote for Trump? Never. Never Trump and hopefully, Trump never again. He’s got money, he’s got power, but I don’t think he was good for the country. I think the presidency for him was just another notch on his belt. “I voted for Joe Biden, and I voted for Hillary Clinton. I always vote Democratic. My family would roll over in their graves if I voted Republican.” Perry said he believes that Vigo County votes largely based on how the economy is going. “HERE, WE’RE NOT happy with the price
Like most mid-size cities throughout the Midwest, Terre Haute in Vigo County once was home to many factories and businesses that were household names and provided good-paying jobs.
vide up its county’s political parties by its 73,419 registered voters. “In Indiana, you’re a voter,” said an employee of the Vigo County Elections Board. “We don’t divide it up. In our primary elections, you don’t have to vote along party lines. You can vote the way you want.” Like most mid-sized cities during the first half of the 20th century, many of Terre Haute’s companies and manufacturers were household names—Clabber Girl Baking Soda, Pillsbury, Sony, Columbia House which made records and tapes, the Root Glass Company, Stran Steel, and Bemis which made plastic bags. There were also the factories that lined the Wabash River, which is now seeing some waterfront development. But many of those places are long gone,
and residents are currently excited about a planned Hard Rock Casino and hotel project scheduled to break ground in June and create hundreds of jobs. The former site of Root Glass on the corner of U.S. 41 and Voorhees Street— where the Coca-Cola bottle was designed and was selected by the soft drink giant in a competition in Atlanta in 1915, is now where a Thorntons gas station and convenience store is located. MANY OF THE county’s residents are
aware of its fame in both being the birthplace of the contour Coke contour bottle and consistently voting for the candidate who wins the White House. “Vigo County is known for that,” Steven Perry of Terre Haute told Insight of the county’s bellwether status. “Our picks are sometimes good, sometimes bad.” He showed his true political color, which was similar to the overall mood of people who weighed in on the area’s and country’s state of affairs on the blustery days of April 18 and 19: blue. Perry, 59, retired from the receiving
or housing,” he said. “The roads are bad, pollution is bad—there’s a smell to Terre Haute—it smells like raw fish. There’s a lot of homeless people here, I never used to see so many homeless people. “Those people don’t care about themselves. We need to get back to creating jobs. We really don’t have any industry here.” Perry said he believes that the Democrats are doing a “great job.” Many others disagreed. As other residents left the Vigo County Courthouse, Walmart, the Meijer superstore, and gas station parking lots on April 18 and 19, they talked about the issues that they thought were important heading into the May 3 Primary Election: the pain of paying at the gas pump and not getting as much food at the grocery store for their money because of inflation. Crystal, a woman who works as a cardiovascular technician with her husband at a hospital in Terre Haute, was also as unhappy as Perry. She told Insight that she didn’t want to give her last name and that she wasn’t happy with the current political party in the White House and with control of the House and Senate. “I’m not happy with the way things are at all,” said Crystal, who grew up in Illinois. “I don’t care for the president. I think Joe Biden is incompetent and a puppet.” She said she and her husband lean toward favoring Trump. They voted for him in 2016 and 2020. “We vote for whoever would be best for the country,” Crystal said. “Donald Trump had a no b.s. attitude and that I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 33
Nation Indiana
was helpful. I hope he runs again in 2024. It would be good for the country if he were president again. We would vote for Trump.” On Vigo County being a pretty accurate bellwether county, she said she had recently heard something about that and said she believes it’s because of the low-income area and most people being affected by the economy. “We don’t have a problem with basic needs, but we’re being affected by the high price of gas, electric, and groceries,” Crystal said. “We’ve had to cut back on social things. We want to keep our savings where it’s at.” ROGER FENNELL OF Terre Haute, who
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Roger Fennell, resident
“I think the Republicans are more down to earth, and they know about and pay more attention to peoples’ struggles.” Alicia Bendekovich, resident
“I always vote Democratic. My family would roll over in their graves if I voted Republican.” Steven Perry, resident
“We’re supposed to be the strongest country in the world, and it doesn’t look like it right now.” Janice Capps, resident
“I think the Republicans are more down to earth, and they know about and pay more attention to peoples’ struggles,” Bendekovich said. “I know every vote counts, and I’ll likely vote in 2024. The world is just something right now. Everything’s a mess.” Growing up in the 1940s and ‘50s, Linda Cooper remembers when the world was a kinder and gentler place, espe-
cially in Terre Haute. Cooper, 86, who has served as a volunteer at the Vigo County Historical Society’s museum for four years, said she never knew Vigo County was the top bellwether county until recently. “I was surprised I never knew that,” she said. “My mother had political jobs, and I never heard her say anything about it. There used to be a saying, ‘As Maine
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remembers when a gallon of gas cost 27 cents, fell more in line with the county’s bellwether reputation. He retired six years ago from the Gartland Foundry, where he ground castings and did other jobs for 38 years. “I vote for the man I want in there,” Fennell, 66, told Insight. “I don’t get too deep in the election or anything, but I’ll tell you what—those people in office are going to have gas up so high, people are going to go back to bicycles. “I’ve cut way back on buying stuff. I buy food that’s cheap and quick to fix. I believe people here vote the way they do [depending] on how the economy is doing. “I wouldn’t say I lean one way or another politically, you just have to vote for the person you think will do the best job. You gotta give people a chance in life.” The sentiments of Alicia Bendekovich of Terre Haute echoed Crystal’s. “It’s a struggle,” Bendekovich, 48, told Insight. “I’ve cut back on gas, groceries— everything. We’re having to pay more for everything—gas, groceries—air in your tire. There’s a lot of homeless here, and it never used to be that way. There’s not a lot for the kids to do here but get in trouble.” Bendekovich, who’s employed as a housecleaner and used to work for a Walker Dairy Queen for 19 years until it closed, told Insight that she hasn’t voted in recent elections, but plans to vote for Trump in 2024 if he runs for president. In the first presidential election she voted in, she said she voted for Bill Clinton in 1992. She also voted for George W. Bush in 2000.
“I believe people here vote the way they do [depending] on how the economy is doing.”
Nation Indiana
ing. I can’t afford a car payment or for car repairs. I have chronic health issues, but I seldom go to the doctor. “I know we have to take COVID and the situation overseas with Ukraine into account, but this country needs to take care of its own people so we don’t have to fight to make ends meet.” Janice Capps, who’s a retired supervisor from the Westridge Health Care Center nursing home in Terre Haute, said she and her husband weren’t happy with the state of affairs throughout the world or in the United States. CAPPS SAID SHE and her husband,
Vigo County is considered the top bellwether county in the United States. Since 1888, the county has only missed the mark of voting for the presidential winner three times. goes, so goes the nation.’” An independent, Cooper said she’ll vote in the May 3 Primary Election to support a new high school in Terre Haute. The building where Cooper greets museum visitors was once Ehrmann Manufacturing, which made pants and coveralls boasting the slogan “Never Wear Out.” She worked as a supervisor in the shipping department at Pillsbury for 14 years, until it closed. She moved to Indianapolis, where she worked in customer support at Universal Music from 1979 to 1993, retiring from there. She now lives on Social Security and has come to realize that she can’t do the little extra things that she did five years ago. “I don’t have any extra anymore,” Cooper told Insight. “I don’t do anything extra. I used to be able to go to see community theater. I used to be able to go out to eat. I’d like to go see the Terre Haute Symphony, but I can’t afford it.” When she worked at Pillsbury, she would look out the cafeteria window at the Wabash River. “I used to think how there wasn’t much out there,” Cooper said. “When I
moved back from Indianapolis in 2016, I was kind of surprised. I discovered they were doing some things along the riverfront. “During COVID early on, the museum closed for three months. Now, with some things added to downtown and the casino that they will break ground on in June, things are picking back up.” Carrie Moffit, 29, who grew up in Poland, Indiana, and has lived in Terre Haute for the past 10 years, said she isn’t so sure about how things will shake out in the United States. A DENTAL ASSISTANT who makes $15 per
hour while working 32 to 36 hours per week, Moffit isn’t happy with the current president and believes there needs to be a more affordable health care system in place and that Americans need to be better taken care of as opposed to sending money overseas. Moffit, who drives a Hyundai Sonata with more than 230,000 miles on it, said Bernie Sanders was her first choice as president because he supported affordable health care and college loan forgiveness. “I am doing my best to get by,” she told Insight. “I’ve been careful on my spend-
who are on a fixed income, are tired of seeing the two main political parties failing to work together in the best interest of the country and tearing each other apart. Inflation has caused the couple to cut back on everything, including food—especially meat. “Whenever I go to the store, I have to ‘bill budget,’” she said. “We’re not getting as much for our money as we used to.” Capps and her husband voted for Donald Trump in the past two presidential elections. She said she likely would vote for him again, but she wants to see what each candidate is saying. Being true to Vigo County’s bellwether reputation, she told Insight that she has been both a Democrat and a Republican and that she has voted for a presidential candidate in each party. “I’m about ready to become an independent,” Capps said. “The Democrats and Republicans need to lay things aside and work the issues out. “The voting process needs to be improved. There needs to be more of a paper trail when it comes to the ballots.” Like many people throughout the United States, she said she’s concerned about the cognitive ability of Biden. The concern has been increasing among Americans, especially in recent months. “The things I’ve seen on Biden, I feel as though his family should not have let him run for office because of his shaky mental stability,” Capps said. “We’re supposed to be the strongest country in the world, and it doesn’t look like it right now. Something needs to be done. We need to change.” I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 35
Maricopa Food Pantry CEO Jim Shoaf (R) and warehouse manager Tim Bennett stand in front of a pile of the remains of food burned in an electrical fire, in Maricopa, Ariz., on March 28.
COMMUNIT Y LOSS
Fire Destroys Arizona Food Bank
Key food pantry in Maricopa County picking up pieces after massive fire By Allan Stein
36 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP L: ALLAN STEIN/THE EPOCH TIMES, COURTESY OF MARICOPA FOOD PANTRY, ALLAN STEIN/THE EPOCH TIMES
Jim and Alice Shoaf started the Maricopa Food Pantry at Mountain View Community Church in Maricopa, Ariz., about 20 years ago.
M
aricopa, ariz.—maricopa Food Pantry CEO Jim Shoaf said the devastating pantry fire on March 28 in Maricopa, Arizona, couldn’t have come at a worse time of peak demand and concern about food shortages. The electrical fire started at noon inside an old battery-powered pallet jack; by sunset, six parked trailers and 48,000 pounds of storage food lay in smoldering ruins. “Once it went up, it went up,” Shoaf said. “We lost everything but the box truck, two forklifts, and one pallet jack. It just spread from trailer to trailer. Every trailer we had was filled with diesel. I had 600 gallons of diesel on this property.” The diesel fuel and a propane tank went up in flames. Shoaf called it a “terrible time” for the nonprofit food pantry at Maricopa, Arizona’s Mountain View Community Church, which he and his wife Alice started 20 years ago. They still plan to expand into a new warehouse, which they hope to build on the site; however, project funding is now in doubt. “I was storing up food because I think there will be a food shortage later this year,” Shoaf
Nation Arizona
said. “All our backup burned down. urdays and Mondays,” Shoaf told Insight. “We do have some backup. Rather than put The pantry now operates with three trailers on $350,000 into semis again, I’m just going to put loan from a nearby church. The pantry continues it into the warehouse. We had about $15,000 in our to be a vital food distribution “hub” for the comreserve budget. The insurance companies maxed munity amid growing concern over food shortus out at $46,300.” ages, he said. Near the pantry’s outer perimeter, a large pile of “We give out anywhere from 40,000 to 60,000 charred embers, twisted metal, and scorched cans pounds of food a week. We give out a lot of food. are all that remains of the trailers’ cargo. We lost almost about a week’s worth.” Warehouse manager Tim Bennett Since the fire, there have been consaid the fire spread quickly and out spiracy theories as to how the fire may of control—even when doused with have started, following a rash of fires at a fire extinguisher. critical food industry facilities across POUNDS “The fire extinguisher basically the country. wouldn’t cut it. So I ran to the church of storage food lay in According to news reports, in the smoldering ruins after to get the water [hose]. All I had was first half of 2022, at least 16 major fires the electrical fire a garden hose; I knew I didn’t have broke out at essential food industry broke out at Maricopa much time. We saved the church, the plants and warehouses. Food Pantry. box truck; we saved both forklifts.” In Dufur, Oregon, a fire destroyed In the fire’s aftermath, Shoaf and Azure Standard’s headquarters on his crew of 40 volunteers picked up the pieces and April 19. The company is a leading independent moved forward with help from various church distributor of natural and organic food. organizations and other food banks. On Feb. 1, thousands fled when a fertilizer plant A huge boost came from the Church of Jesus in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, caught fire. AnChrist of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, which other fire recently destroyed a potato processing donated 80,000 pounds of food to the pantry. plant that employs 175 people in Belfast, Maine. Each Saturday and Monday, pantry volunteers “There are theories going around here, too. prepare food packages in an assembly line for near- Somebody told us that somebody bombed us. We ly 1,200 families in Maricopa and surrounding knew it wasn’t true,” Shoaf said. communities—about 5,000 individuals in total. Shoaf said the new warehouse should solve a few The six temperature-controlled trailers served key logistical problems, even with the uncertainty as food storage containers instead of an existing of project funding. warehouse. Shoaf said the trailers held dry goods “We have a little bit of money that has come and canned foods, fresh beef, pork, and chicken. in, but we still need another $300,000. I don’t “We stored everything in semi-trailers, and then see why we should quit at this point. All we can this line is where we made up our baskets for Sat- do is start over.”
48,000
The pantry distributes food for nearly 1,200 families in Maricopa and surrounding communities—around 5,000 individuals in total.
The fire at the Maricopa Food Pantry destroyed six semi-trailers of food. The pantry lost everything but the box truck, two forklifts, and one pallet jack, the CEO said. I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 37
2000 ELECTION INTEGRITY
MULES D’Souza film brings proof of 2020 election fraud to mass audience By Steven Kovac
38 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
The Lead 2020 Election A still from Dinesh D’Souza’s documentary “2000 Mules.”
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PHOTO BY SALEM MEDIA GROUP/ SCREENSHOT VIA THE EPOCH TIMES
t e r l i n g h e i g h t s , m i c h .—a new movie by conservative activist Dinesh D’Souza exposing illegal vote trafficking in battleground states in the 2020 election opened in more than 250 theaters on May 2. The documentary explores an investigation that used cellphone geolocation data, digital geo-fencing, and video surveillance tapes of absentee ballot drop boxes to show that paid intermediaries called “mules” unlawfully gathered and delivered hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots in Democrat strongholds across much of the nation in the 2020 election. D’Souza told Insight: “2000 Mules will settle the issue beyond a shadow of a doubt by using two powerful, independent modes of investigation. The evidence is so conclusive, so decisive, that it leaves nothing to argue about.” Cellphones emit a unique and identifiable signal or “ping.” Trillions of pings were analyzed by investigators to reconstruct the movements of thousands of mules as they went about their work in the weeks prior to the 2020 presidential election, the documentary claims. Investigators also sifted through millions of minutes of video surveillance footage and were able to capture on tape numerous mules stuffing absentee ballot drop boxes, D’Souza said. The videos show the mules taking selfies of themselves as proof of services rendered to their employers in order to be paid, he said. “Not all the drop boxes were under video surveillance, but enough were to provide incontrovertible evidence, much obtained from government entities,” he said. “‘2000 Mules’ contains a lot of never-before-seen footage depicting glove-wearing mules moving from county to county delivering absentee ballots to drop boxes, often in the dead of night.”
ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/GETTY IMAGES
Michigan Debut A capacity crowd of about 200 people filled a theater in Macomb County, Michigan, to view D’Souza’s documentary motion picture “2000 Mules.” On his way into the Macomb County showing, a retired IT manager, who asked not to be identified, told Insight that he had heard much about alleged fraud in the 2020 election, but had seen very little evidence. “I’m open-minded going in,” he said. “I have not yet seen enough proof.” On his way out of the movie, the same man told Insight: “I am 95 percent convinced. I think law enforcement needs to go after these mules and prove a case against them in court. “Will this ever happen? I’m not sure because too many people don’t want this to come out. Too
“The evidence is so conclusive, so decisive, that it leaves nothing to argue about.” Dinesh D’Souza, conservative activist
I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 39
many people have too much to lose if it does.” Jacob Ries, 13, came to see the movie with his parents and grandparents. “This movie is the compass that will steer and influence the younger generation. It influenced me in the right direction,” he told Insight after watching the film. “I know the truth now. It’s the truth the government is trying to hide.” Jacob’s father, Scott, said he found the film to be “eye-opening” and feared that “our American constitutional republic may collapse from the inside.” “I would never have thought we would ever live in a country that would do something like this,” he said. Jacob’s grandmother, Sue Vandeberghe said: “This is not about Democrats and Republicans anymore. It’s about right and wrong. It’s about saving our country. “Yes, saving our country for all people, even those with closed minds and that disagree with us.” (Top) True the Vote founder Catherine Engelbrecht. True the Vote has been investigating since 2020 the illegal ballot harvesting operations that took place across six different states during the presidential election. (Above) Gregg Phillips, whose investigation into voter fraud is featured in “2000 Mules.”
40 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
Union Members in Attendance Retired public utility union member and Republican precinct delegate Gary Vallance said he was 100 percent for D’Souza and what he’s doing. Looking at the present condition of the country, he said, “I can’t understand why the union is always promoting Democrats.” Jason Mueller, a United Auto Workers (UAW) member from Wales Township, said, “I’m here
A still from Dinesh D’Souza’s documentary “2000 Mules.”
IN-DEPTH
INVESTIGATION Investigators analyzed trillions of pings, or signal emitted by cellphones, and sifted through millions of minutes of video surveillance footage to track the activities of mules in the 2020 election.
The Lead 2020 Election
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP L: SALEM MEDIA GROUP/SCREENSHOT VIA THE EPOCH TIMES, ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/GETTY IMAGES
Much of the film focuses on the state of Georgia, where 242 metro Atlanta mules made 5,668 stops at drop boxes in late 2020. tonight to see how and what they were able to steal in the 2020 election.” UAW member Anthony Stella of Macomb Township said: “We’ve known for a long time that the 2020 election was stolen. I’m here tonight because I want to see exactly how they did it.” Phillip Sinta, a UAW member from Ferndale and a Trump backer since 2016, said of D’Souza: “He’s a straight shooter. I trust him to tell the truth. I have seen all of his previous movies.” Kim Turcott told Insight: “I’m glad they showed the geo-tracking. We know more now, having seen the movie. I thank God for the people that continue to do these investigations every day. “Drop boxes are bad and have to go. We’ve got to keep a closer eye on our relatives in nursing homes around election time.” Jill Rebar admired the use of technology in providing the details of the investigation and wondered what she could do to help. “I found the movie awesome, interesting, and sad,” Rebar said. Colleen Kendro said, “Everybody should see this movie no matter who you voted for.” Paula Badalamente said, “People who don’t know about this stuff need to know.” A handful of volunteers were in front of the theater circulating a petition demanding the decertification of the 2020 election in Michigan, where the illegal activities of 500 mules were uncovered in Wayne County. Among them was Vietnam veteran Dan Landon of Saline. Landon, a retired 34-year veteran special education teacher and a member of Michigan’s largest teachers union, said he wasn’t there to see the movie, but to work for change. “In the 2020 election, I received three applications for absentee ballots mailed to my house with the names of three different people on them—all supposedly living at my address,” he said. “As a Republican poll watcher, I was kicked out on election night, and it took a lawyer to get me readmitted.
(Top) Investigators were able to capture on tape numerous mules stuffing absentee ballot drop boxes, D’Souza said. (Above) Cellphone pings were analyzed by investigators to reconstruct the movements of thousands of mules, the documentary claims.
“We’ve got to save our country and bring it back the way God intended it to be.”
4.8 Million Votes Much of the film focuses on the state of Georgia, where, according to True the Vote—the organization that conducted the investigations—242 metro Atlanta mules made 5,668 stops at drop boxes in late 2020. Similar illegal activities were found in Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Michigan, according to the group. True the Vote estimates that at least 4.8 million votes were trafficked nationally. The studies were funded by the human rights organization First Freedoms. Election fraud has been committed by both parties throughout U.S. history, and therefore “cannot be considered abnormal,” D’Souza said. “The Democrats have a particular history of committing specialized election fraud in urban areas. “The COVID-19 pandemic created an opportunity to do fraud on a scale not imagined before. The avalanche of absentee ballots sent out and the drop boxes presented much greater opportunity.” D’Souza said he’s worried about the I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 41
The Lead 2020 Election
Democrats’ push to centralize how elections are conducted at both the state and national levels. “A united Republican opposition is the only thing thwarting Biden, Pelosi, and the Democrats from enacting their plans,” he said. “Across America, the Democrats are trying to get rid of election security measures imposed by the states. They want to legalize fraud.”
New York Premier “2000 Mules” also debuted at a Times Square multiplex theater in Manhattan, where the audience erupted into applause as the final credits rolled. “I think it’s wonderful,” fitness trainer and copy editor Linda Minarik told Insight. Minarik sees the documentary as “another avenue” to approach the issue of the integrity of the 2020 election. Before seeing the movie, she said she had misgivings about the election, caused by evidence
“This is not about Democrats and Republicans anymore. It’s about right and wrong. It’s about saving our country.” Sue Vandeberghe, audience member
of misconduct that she had seen previously. Minarik said she came to the movie expecting it to make a strong case. “I was hoping for some proof,” she said. According to Minarik, the film delivered it. Asher Schwartz called the movie “thought-provoking.” Schwartz said that before he had seen the film, he had leaned toward the conclusion that the election result was illicitly affected. “If I had to bet my life on it, I’d say it was stolen,” he said. Schwartz said the evidence presented was convincing, but he still reserved his final judgment on it, noting that it would need to be picked up by law enforcement. Kelly M. said she was impressed by the movie, although she wished more of the evidence would have been directly shown on screen in order to fortify it against criticism. One woman, who asked not to be identified for fear of losing business, hoped more people would see the movie. She said she was convinced the election results were illegitimate even before seeing the film. “It was ripe for fraud,” she said, because of the unprecedented widespread use of absentee ballot drop boxes. Unable to reconcile how Trump could perform significantly better in 2020 than in 2016 and still lose, she said it “just didn’t make sense.”
Cancel Culture
(Top left) Movie-goers discuss the film “2000 Mules” in Sterling Heights, Mich., on May 2. (Left) Union workers (L–R) Jason Mueller, Anthony Stella, Phillip Sinta, and Gary Vallance attend the premier of “2000 Mules” in Michigan. 42 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
ALL PHOTOS BY STEVEN KOVAC/THE EPOCH TIMES
Mindful of the power of cancel culture, D’Souza said great care has been taken to release the film on what he calls “un-cancellable platforms.” “It’s hard to believe we have reached that point in America, but alas, we have,” D’Souza said. “Through the movie ‘2000 Mules,’ we are taking on the ultimate taboo in American politics today—saying that the 2020 election was stolen by systematic, organized fraud committed by the Democrats and the left.” When asked why he’s willing to subject himself to possible cancellation, D’Souza said, “I am defending the system which made it possible for an immigrant from India, a boy at the bottom, to make my way up—a system that makes this kind of upward economic and social mobility possible.”
P OL I T IC S • E C ONOM Y • OPI N ION T H AT M AT T E R S
No.18
Perspectives People walk past the Twitter headquarters in downtown San Francisco on April 26. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, after buying the social media platform, said he wants to expand Twitter from a “niche” platform to one used by most Americans. PHOTO BY AMY OSBORNE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
THE CNN THAT WAS
THE PRICE OF FREE SPEECH
With CNN+, the network clearly misread the appetite of the public. 44
Twitter’s take-private deal would be one of the largest in recent decades. 47
IMF PROVES ITS OWN ADVICE IS WRONG The fund’s empirical studies show that radical-left proposals don’t work. 48
INSIDE I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 43
Thomas McArdle
THOMAS MCARDLE was a White House speechwriter for President George W. Bush and writes for IssuesInsights.com.
The CNN That Was
With CNN+, the network clearly misread the appetite of the public
T
h e d e m i se o f c n n + after less than a month has led to unfettered gloating on the right. It might be more appropriate for conservatives to reflect on the debt they owe to what actually used to be the “Most Trusted Name in News,” long before that nowdubious slogan was coined. CNN had believed it could ultimately gain subscription payments from nearly 30 million viewers worldwide for its new streaming service, but could only convince about 150,000 people to pay a modest $5.99 a month for “more than 1,000 hours” of premium content. A mere 10,000 people were watching the cable giant’s new service at any one time. This after apparently spending $300 million starting the service and $100 million to $200 million on advertising. Consider the channel’s resoundingly successful past. It was CNN anchor Bernard Shaw—a black man who had been anchoring a national prime time nightly news program since 1980 (in the purportedly systemically racist United States)—who in 1988 asked a simple, emphatic question that ended up turning that year’s presidential election in the favor of the Republicans, revealing Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis’s robotic lack of humanity and insensitivity on law and order. In the 1980s, CNN was the king of news, and had there been a way to offer a “CNN Plus” for a similarly attractive price, it would have sold subscriptions like hotcakes. Americans would have been happy to pay $2.25 a month for, say, extended questioning of politicians by columnists Rowland 44 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
Evans and Robert Novak, more argument between left and right on “Crossfire,” and longer interviews of stars by Larry King.
In the 1980s, CNN was the king of news, and had there been a way to offer a ‘CNN Plus’ for a similarly attractive price, it would have sold subscriptions like hotcakes. The fact is that a big reason for CNN’s initial success—in addition to live coverage of major events with more detail than the Big Three networks, such as the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion—was its willingness to give voice to those neglected by the Big Three. Crossfire was an even-handed debate show, where conservative direct mail genius Richard Viguerie and Marxist firebrand Christopher Hitchens were equally welcome; Evans and Novak, originally sympathetic to Rockefeller Republicanism, and Evans having been long personally close to the Kennedys, had by 1980 subscribed to the tenets of supplyside economics. While former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is now a staple on Fox News, in the early 1980s, CBS, NBC, and ABC would seldom, if ever, interview the then-rising GOP star; you had to watch CNN. This was the era of the federal Fairness Doctrine, when those who opposed the liberal mindset of network media news had to file legalistic requests for airtime, and then might get several minutes
in a plain, unexciting format that grabbed the imagination of few viewers. But CNN gave regular gigs to the likes of counterfeminist Phyllis Schlafly. To the news divisions of CBS, NBC and ABC, debate was an alien concept; the public could trust the wise analysis of their anchormen and correspondents and rest easy. Had that bias not been the case, the Fox slogans “Fair and Balanced” and “We Report. You Decide” would never have resonated with the public and attracted millions of viewers. With CNN+, CNN clearly misread the appetite of the public, who don’t seek more news from a famous name, but rather reporting that can be identified with by ordinary Americans who aren’t seeking revolutionary transformation in the country. This is clear from the success of Fox Nation, Fox’s paid streaming service, which seems to be doing swimmingly in its fourth year. Moreover, Newsmax and One America are in a sense “Fox Pluses,” with Newsmax even once actually beating Fox in the key demographic of 25- to 54-yearolds, and One America gaining votes of confidence from major corporate players. At a time when it has become trite to observe that the country is divided, it might be of value to reflect that the success story of CNN had everything to do with acknowledging Americans’ differences, and airing them through the relatively new medium of cable television. Had CNN+ been less about talking at viewers, instead of the original CNN vision of giving differing views a way to reach others, it might have had a better chance.
ANDERS CORR is a principal at Corr Analytics Inc., publisher of the Journal of Political Risk. He is an expert in political science and government.
Anders Corr
China Lockdown Cuts Supplies Subsidies to domestic industry could fix global supply chains
C
hina’s COVID lockdowns are grinding the country’s manufacturing to a halt and alarming global business leaders who depend on the country for parts and manufacturing. The CEO of Mercedes Benz, Ola Kallenius, told Bloomberg on April 29 that “new lockdowns in China, in Shanghai but also in other places in China, affects the business and also the supply chains in China but also globally.” A senior executive from an international supplier that manufactures in China, India, and Vietnam warned in an April 29 South China Morning Post article that lockdowns in Beijing are making China less competitive for companies that have a choice and are constantly comparing business locations on metrics of stability, labor cost, and logistics. “It is crucial that the current draconian COVID policies in China cannot be normalized,” she said. “The current strict epidemic prevention policy will make [Beijing] lose points in the future.” According to a Nikkei Asia analysis reported on April 28, approximately half of the 200 top suppliers to Apple manufacture in the environs of Shanghai, where coronavirus lockdowns are some of the strictest in the world, including traffic restrictions and mass lockdowns when a single case is discovered. This, despite the relatively low fatality rates of, and difficulty controlling, the highly contagious Omicron variant. The affected Apple suppliers range from iPhone and iPad assemblers “to makers of components such as displays, printed circuit boards, thermal parts, batteries, and acoustic components,” according to the Financial Times. The problems in China sourcing
this month and last will continue affecting global supply chains throughout the summer, according to multiple reports. This will decrease the supply of finished goods and increase price inflation.
The problems in China sourcing this month and last will continue affecting global supply chains throughout the summer. The remedy, according to some, will be higher interest rates offered by the U.S. and European governments to pull money out of the private economy. That will decrease demand for goods, bringing prices down but increasing the risk of business loss, unemployment, and recession. Raising interest rates to target inflation makes more sense when the inflation is due to government overspending and overprinting of money. It makes less sense when it’s because of supply issues. In the latter case, the remedy should be support of domestic industry, including, most importantly, where there are supply chain bottlenecks. Suppose money is pulled out of the economy through higher interest rates offered for government debt in the context of broken supply chains. In that case, the government should put money back into the economy through targeted subsidies of domestic manufacturing that provide the missing inputs. In addition to COVID lockdowns in China, Kallenius mentioned two other effects on Mercedes’s operations. First, the lack of microchips used in everything from toasters to cars; second, the Ukraine war, which
threatens a supply shock if Russia turns off the gas. Kallenius said, “We work very closely with the German government” on energy independence as a “top priority.” European and North American governments could also work closely with businesses to fix the mistake of too much offshoring and foreign sourcing. They should strategically subsidize supply chains to domesticize microchip manufacturing and decouple from China’s supply lines, in addition to sourcing energy from friends rather than adversaries. Some have called for “reshoring,” while others add the need to establish supply line sourcing to allied nations. Europe, for example, can’t source its own hydrocarbons. The answer, to use a term minted by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, is “friend-shoring.” That the Treasury Department mints more than currency during an inflationary period is a good sign for business. But left to themselves, businesses will almost always ignore the negative externalities of their sourcing to maximize profits. Improving their sourcing from a public good perspective requires moving the goalposts through the award of subsidies to companies that provide positive externalities and the imposition of tariffs on those that cause negative externalities. An example of a negative externality is the empowering of dictators caused by sourcing from Russia and China. Subsidies and tariffs, known jointly as “industrial policy,” used to be dirty words among economists. After China’s lockdowns, the semiconductor shortage, and the energy crisis from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war, it should be cleaned up and made ready to rumble. I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 45
MILTON EZRATI is chief economist for Vested, a contributing editor at The National Interest, and author of “Thirty Tomorrows” and “Bite-Sized Investing.”
Milton Ezrati
Scary Report on the US Economy
The first quarter’s GDP decline is overstated but offers a warning
frightening economic report has come out of the Commerce Department: U.S. real gross domestic product (GDP) fell at a 1.4 percent annual rate during the first quarter of the year. Suddenly the prospect of recession has become very real. A slowdown in the recovery was already evident, and recession is indeed on the horizon, but the first quarter’s outright GDP decline overstates the economy’s present degree of weakness. The first quarter’s decline constitutes quite a turn from the 6.9 percent annualized real GDP growth reported for 2021’s fourth quarter. Sudden turns of this sort often suggest that the data include distortions from particulars and less that is fundamental. In this case, three of these kinds of particulars stand out: in government spending, inventories, and foreign trade. Government spending in the first quarter fell a sharp 5.9 percent in real terms at the federal level and 0.8 percent at the state and local levels. Alone, these declines took half a percentage point off aggregate GDP and accounted for fully one-third of the recorded overall drop. The first quarter’s declines extend the slide in government spending for the seventh consecutive quarter since the pandemic stood at its worst in early 2020. Rather than signaling some basic shift in government practice, however, these declines reflect a natural adjustment to the tremendous surge in government spending required to fight the pandemic. The slide is unlikely to typify coming quarters. Indeed, the fighting in Ukraine will boost defense spending and may have already given the Pentagon appropriations recently 46 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
hurried into law. Otherwise, history shows that governments tend to increase, not decrease, spending over time. State and local governments certainly have huge infusions of federal cash at their disposal.
This very real and very fundamental recessionary threat would seem to lie some 18 to 24 months in the future. Inventories, too, seem to be making one-time adjustments to past pressures. For much of 2021, inventories fell as supply chain shortages forced retailers and others to meet sales with what they had on hand. But in the fourth quarter, those supply problems eased enough to allow businesses to rebuild their depleted inventory stocks. Inventory building surged beyond any historical norms. By comparison, the first quarter’s return to something closer to normal looked paltry. In the Commerce Department’s accounting, that shift back to historical norms seemed to deny the economy some $34.5 billion. A recurrence of this kind of shift seems unlikely. Foreign trade in the first quarter had complex but not likely lasting effects. Imports were strong, indicating robust buying by Americans. Exports, however, fell sharply, no doubt because of the lockdowns in China and the troubles that lingering pandemic effects and Ukraine war sanctions are having on Europe. Because the GDP calculation subtracts imports from exports, the net effect trimmed some 3.2 percentage points off the overall GDP figures,
accounting for more than twice the overall decline in real GDP. It’s indicative of the effect that overall real final sales in the first quarter showed a 0.6 percent annual rate of decline, but sales to domestic buyers rose at a 2.6 percent rate. Problems in China and Europe may well persist and delay a recovery in U.S. exports, but the sudden shift that affected the first quarter won’t recur. Meanwhile, much else in the GDP accounting is encouraging. American households, for example, increased their real consumer spending at a 2.7 percent annual rate, an acceleration over the 2.5 percent rate of 2021’s fourth quarter and the 2.0 rate of the third quarter. Still more encouraging is how businesses have increased their capital spending on productive facilities, equipment, and technologies. These rose at a 9.2 percent annual rate in the first quarter, far faster than the 2.9 percent of 2021’s fourth quarter and certainly the 1.7 percent rate of the summer quarter. This kind of spending expands the economy’s overall productive abilities and paves the way for job growth. If this shocker of a report still doesn’t say recession, the country’s undeniable inflation problem makes clear that one is nonetheless on the horizon. It will arrive either because the Federal Reserve’s anti-inflation policies precipitate recession as they frequently have in the past, or the inflation itself causes enough economic distortions to bring on recession regardless of what the Fed does. This very real and fundamental recessionary threat would seem to lie some 18 to 24 months in the future. If this latest disturbing report is not the real recessionary thing, perhaps it will serve as a warning that more significant problems lie not too far in the future.
EMEL AKAN is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times in Washington, D.C. Previously she worked in the financial sector as an investment banker at JPMorgan.
Emel Akan
The Price of Free Speech
Twitter's take-private deal would be one of the largest in recent decades
JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES
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lon musk, a self-described “free-speech absolutist,” recently sealed an agreement to acquire Twitter for $44 billion. The deal, which will be one of the largest takeovers in recent years, has inspired some to say that the world’s richest man is spending billions of dollars to buy free speech. The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX has repeatedly criticized the social media site for restricting free speech. According to Musk, free speech is “the bedrock of a functioning democracy” and Twitter serves as “the digital town square,” where important issues are discussed. The Media Research Center has identified about 3,600 instances of censorship on big tech platforms, with conservative content being the primary target. Twitter was involved in more than half of the censorship cases, the right-leaning media watchdog group found. The list includes suspending the accounts of sitting President Donald Trump in January 2021 and censoring the New York Post’s Hunter Biden laptop stories. The Babylon Bee, a conservative satire news site, parodied Musk’s Twitter offer in a story: “Due to Inflation, the Cost of Free Speech Has Increased Sharply to $43 Billion.” The site had been suspended from Twitter after naming a transgender White House official “Man of the Year” in a post in March. The Washington Times reported that Musk had reached out to Seth Dillon, CEO of the Babylon Bee, to confirm the suspension. It was during this chat that Musk mused that he might need to buy Twitter. In December last year, the world’s wealthiest man gave a lengthy interview to the satirical news site. “I wouldn’t suggest that The Babylon Bee is the sole reason Musk decided to take action,” Dillon told The Washington Times, adding that the
The Media Research Center has identified about 3,600 instances of censorship on big tech platforms, with conservative content being the primary target. Twitter was involved in more than half of the censorship cases. suspension of the site by Twitter may have factored into his decision. “Perhaps it was the last straw.” On April 25, Twitter accepted the billionaire entrepreneur’s proposal of $54.20 per share in cash, which put the firm’s value at about $44 billion. Musk has secured $25.5 billion in loans, backed in part by a portion of his stake in Tesla, according to the announcement. He has also promised to provide nearly $21 billion in cash, but it’s unclear how he’ll raise that amount. If the deal is finalized, it would be the largest take-private deal since Dell acquired data storage giant EMC for $67 billion in 2016, according to PitchBook. The price offered by Musk represents a 38 percent premium to Twitter’s closing stock price on April 1, which was the last trading day before Musk revealed
his nearly 9 percent stake in Twitter. Because of the high price, some have questioned whether Musk can turn the company around and generate value from this mega deal. “I don’t care about the economics at all,” the billionaire said at a TED conference in Vancouver, Canada, a day after he offered to acquire 100 percent of the company. Going private is mostly promoted by private equity investors as a way for businesses to conduct a turnaround away from the public eye. This strategy can provide a chance for struggling public firms to restructure and make operational adjustments with the prospect of going public again in the future after issues are resolved. Take-private activity peaked in 2007 and has failed to recover to pre-global financial crisis levels. Musk considered taking Tesla private for $420 a share in 2018, valuing it at $72 billion. However, Musk was later accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission of deceiving investors by falsely stating on Twitter that he had secured funding to take the company private. As a result, Musk paid the regulator $20 million and resigned from Tesla’s board of directors. With the automaker’s market value now hovering near $1 trillion, taking the firm private would have been a profitable move for Musk, according to Pitchbook. The Twitter deal is expected to be finalized before Oct. 24, according to the merger agreement between Musk and the company. Some shareholders are calling on Musk to accept them as investors in the private corporation. Musk said during the TED conference that he intends to keep as many stockholders as the law allows in the private company. “We’ll try to bring along as many shareholders as we’re allowed to,” he said. I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 47
DANIEL LACALLE is chief economist at hedge fund Tressis and author of “Freedom or Equality,” “Escape from the Central Bank Trap,” and “Life in the Financial Markets.”
Daniel Lacalle
IMF Proves Its Own Advice Is Wrong
The IMF's empirical studies show that radical-left proposals don't work
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48 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
The IMF now encourages the same nations to raise taxes to mitigate the disaster created by its own recommendations. didn’t incorporate excessively optimistic predictions of growth from government spending and, above all, recommendations that rarely work, because the IMF too often underestimates government malinvestment and perverse incentives to bloat government budgets with unproductive current spending. While the IMF has numerous studies showing that the multiplier effect of government spending is very low and that in open and indebted economies it’s even negative, the board continues to recommend massive spending in periods of crisis. And when it doesn’t work, as always, and debt soars, it suggests massive tax hikes. The available economic literature shows the poor fiscal multiplier of government spending, and IMF studies themselves conclude that multipliers are negative, particularly in the longer term and when public debt is high. The IMF has ample and detailed
literature showing the negative effect on growth of enormous government spending plans, the poor effectiveness of tax hikes to achieve fiscal consolidation, and the risk of rising inflation from monetizing deficit spending programs. Why does the IMF board recommend something it knows won’t work? Because the pressure from politicians is enormous. The IMF seems to be indirectly forced to propose unorthodox and counterproductive measures so no one can accuse it of defending austerity, even if the suggestions are doomed to fail, as all of us knew in 2020. The problem is that the results of the previous recommendations are hugely disappointing, and the remedies proposed—massive tax hikes to curb rising debt—are even more negative. The IMF knows from its own 2010 report that tax hikes won’t reduce debt effectively because governments will keep spending above receipts, but those hikes will hurt growth, jobs, and investment. Now the radical left is quoting the IMF constantly in its messages warning against tax competition and defending a minimum corporate tax, even when vast literature shows that both tax competitiveness and adjusting fiscal policies to the reality of each country have proven far more effective at reducing poverty and boosting growth than massive government spending plans. The IMF board seems to have forgotten the poor results of its recent spendand-debt recommendations, and finds that it may be politically more acceptable to pass the bill to taxpayers and, when the next crisis comes, propose more spending and debt. The radical left proposals haven’t been vindicated or sanctioned by the IMF. The IMF’s excellent empirical studies have proven that the radical left and the IMF board’s proposals don’t work.
SAUL LOEB/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
he latest international Monetary Fund (IMF) global economic outlook has just been published, and, like all of them, it has many interesting aspects. It acknowledges the economic slowdown in many economies and has dramatically increased the IMF’s inflation estimates. Global growth is now “projected to slow from an estimated 6.1 percent in 2021 to 3.6 percent in 2022 and 2023. This is 0.8 and 0.2 percentage points lower for 2022 and 2023 than projected in January.” Estimates of inflation projections for 2022 have risen to “5.7 percent in advanced economies and 8.7 percent in emerging market and developing economies—1.8 and 2.8 percentage points higher than projected last January.” The IMF outlook highlights the reality of poor growth and massive inflation. And why such poor growth and high inflation? It’s in no small part because of the previous recommendations of the IMF to spend without control and monetize debt with central bank money supply growth. Realizing that the previous estimates were all too optimistic and that the third consecutive slash of growth estimates and hike of inflation projections spell trouble for the global economy, the IMF, as always, has made a series of recommendations that won’t surprise anyone: raise taxes, and it doesn’t make a single mention of excess spending or unproductive subsidies. The IMF recommended that governments spend without control, harming potential growth in the process, and now that debt has ballooned, it wants the same governments to raise taxes to mitigate the disaster created by its own recommendations. Either way, taxpayers and the productive sectors suffer. The IMF reports would be extremely interesting and very valid if they
Fan Yu
FAN YU is an expert in finance and economics and has contributed analyses on China’s economy since 2015.
Wall Street Doubles Down on China US banks are walking a tricky tightrope in the country
SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES
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espite an extremely challenging operating environment, Wall Street investment banks continue to be bullish on their China business. JPMorgan Chase was recently demoted as the lead underwriter for the Hong Kong IPO of a Chinese software giant after the bank published research that was unflattering to the company and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The bank was poised to be the coveted “lead-left” banker on Kingsoft Cloud Holdings’s Hong Kong listing, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the proceedings. JPMorgan is still one of the underwriters, but has lost its role as the lead underwriter, now occupied by UBS and China International Capital Corp. Apparently one of the bank’s equity research analysts cut its earnings estimates on Kingsoft recently. In addition, JPMorgan research analysts recently cut their ratings on dozens of Chinese companies in March, stating that the Chinese internet industry had become “uninvestable.” Clearly, the bank’s unflattering research could have something to do with its demotion as one of Kingsoft’s advisers. Never mind that a bank’s investment banking team, which advises clients on capital raising and IPOs, must maintain strict separation from its research analysts, who advise clients on where to invest and that the two departments can’t influence each other’s work. This, ironically, is called a “Chinese wall” in industry parlance. The CCP couldn’t be bothered with such trivial compliance matters, of course. And JPMorgan pays the price. In the grand scheme of things, the Kingsoft deal is immaterial. But the anecdote underscores a tricky tightrope Wall Street investment banks are walking in China. But despite this
Western banks are counting on their name brands and vast experience to take market share quickly. complicated operating backdrop, the Chinese regime’s punishing “zero-COVID” policy, a stagnant economy, and heightened China–U.S. political animosity, Western investment banks continue to double down on their expansion plans in the world’s No. 2 economy. JPMorgan has been revamping its China business recently, after becoming the first foreign bank to receive CCP approval for full ownership of its domestic Chinese business. Recently, it announced that its top investment bank executive in China, Houston Huang, is leaving his post as of April 15. Huang is being replaced by Lu Fang, a former official who spent more than a decade at the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the country’s securities industry regulator. Wall Street investment banks are doubling down on China, even in the face of logistical challenges such as China’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns and the recent weeks-long shutdown of
Shanghai, China’s financial center. China also needs to court such investments to maintain its U.S. dollar supply. As of Sept. 30, 2021, China had almost $1.3 trillion in dollar-denominated debt outstanding, according to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. Such borrowings’ debt service must be paid in U.S. dollars. What’s in it for the banks? A slice of China’s $58 trillion financial services sector and the fees associated with arranging debt and equity raises, investment management, and mergers and acquisitions advisory. Western banks are counting on their name brandsand vast experience to take market share quickly. In practice, it’s unclear how Western banks can realize their China potential. U.S. investment banks were barred from participating in the massive $4.4 billion stock listing of Chinese energy giant CNOOC in April, because of U.S. sanctions. The worsening U.S.–China political landscape means that being locked out of Chinese deals could be the norm, not the exception. But for now, the expansion continues. Shanghai, specifically, is where the banks are looking to increase their presence since the CCP has opened up the nation’s securities sector. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan recently shifted some staff from Hong Kong to Shanghai. Other banks, including Credit Suisse and UBS, are also increasing their investment banking workforce in Shanghai. This is despite Shanghai employing one of the strictest lockdowns in China, confining residents to their homes for weeks on end. To ease the burden on its staff, Goldman charted vehicles to deliver food to its staff in Shanghai. There are anecdotes of staff at other banks living in and sleeping on the trading floor to avoid being confined to their homes. No matter, investment banks are hoping that in the long run, it will all be worth it. Right? I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 49
JEFF MINICK lives and writes in Front Royal, Va. He is the author of two novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust on Their Wings,” and two works of nonfiction, “Learning as I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.”
Jeff Minick
The Value of Frugality
Spending wisely allows us to live well within our means
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hildren of the great Depression were friends with frugality. My dad, who grew up poor, but who became a physician thanks to the G.I. Bill—he served in the infantry in Italy—used to hound us kids about leaving lights on in the house. My wife’s parents packed food for their vacations, so they rarely ate in restaurants. One of my college professors used newspapers as insulation for soda bottles. Several parents I knew, including my own, scorned air-conditioning, even though summers in North Carolina’s Piedmont region can be sweltering. In earlier times, many Americans took pride in pinching pennies without becoming misers. Benjamin Franklin famously advocated frugality, writing, “Buy what thou hast no need of and ere long thou shalt sell thy necessities.” Often credited to roots in New England, a popular saying during World War II was, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” In his article “Nobody Ever Got Rich Spending Money,” Bill Fay recounts a conversation with a college friend in 1973 whose family was worth millions of dollars. Fay asked his buddy whether someone of his limited means could become wealthy. “I’ll tell you what my dad told me,” the wealthy friend said. “Nobody ever got rich spending money.” As Fay pointed out, the friend didn’t mean investing money. No, he meant spending it on a $300 prom dress or fancy restaurants. Case in point: Billionaire Donald Trump is a huge fan of fast-food joints such as MacDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Whether those hamburgers and French fries are unhealthy isn’t up for debate, but Trump is clearly saving money as opposed to eating in
50 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
What can we do to practice some oldfashioned American thriftiness? a five-star restaurant. So here we are, caught up in a period of inflation when food and gas prices are eating up our wallets faster than Trump can down a Big Mac. What can we do to practice some old-fashioned U.S. thriftiness? We can keep our cars and trucks in good repair. The prices of new and used cars have hit the ceiling in the past six months alone. Get the oil changed, check the tires, and have the engine serviced, and we can keep our vehicles running. Pay with cash rather than with credit cards when possible. When we removew those Jacksons from our billfold at the grocery store, we know what we’re spending. When we scan that plastic, the cost becomes invisible until the bill comes due. Cut unnecessary expenses, especially impulse buys. You’re at the grocery store, and there’s Angus ribeye at $13
per pound. You’re tempted to buy a few steaks for the family, but if you do the math, you find you’re paying more than $30 for a supper at home. Walk on by. Revisit that New England adage above. Do you really need a new pair of shoes or will the old ones do? If the little ones need clothing, can you find those dresses, shirts, and sweaters at a thrift store? Can you make do without that new laptop or phone? Bartering is also an old U.S. tradition. If you want your kitchen remodeled, is there something you might offer the builder in exchange for his work? Legal services? Financial advice? Website construction? Bricklaying? Yes, these tradeoffs cost time, but they save money. Finally, and especially for those readers who, like me, need to watch the pennies, stock up on nonperishables such as rice and canned goods. Buy foodstuffs that you would enjoy eating, knowing full well the price of these goods will likely keep rising. You then have both a small hedge against inflation and protection if food shortages become real, as some have predicted. Our ancestors got through tough times. And so can we.
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Visit THEEPOCHTIMES.COM I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 51
Nation Profile
Dr. Robert Epstein, senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology.
THOUGHT LEADERS
Big Tech’s Hidden Manipulation
Robert Epstein on the battle for privacy and freedom online
I
f we monitor, capture, archive, and expose these companies,” Dr. Robert Epstein said, “then they’ll stay out of our lives.”
52 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
almost a decade now, you’ve been studying how Big Tech manipulates people in ways they aren’t aware of. Where are things right now? DR . ROBERT EPSTEIN: We’ve made more
progress in the past year and a half than in the previous eight years combined. For the 2020 presidential election, we recruited field agents, mainly in swing counties in four swing states, and with their permission, we installed special software on their computers that allowed us to look over their shoulders as they were doing anything that was election-related on their computers. We preserved more than 1.5
million ephemeral experiences on Google, Bing, Yahoo, YouTube, Facebook, and more. What started as a tiny project in the 2016 presidential election has grown into something much more sophisticated. We’ve made a lot more discoveries; we’ve got lots more numbers, and they’re all terrible. They’re telling us over and over again that we’re pawns. We’re being manipulated in ways we can’t see and in ways we can’t counteract, that don’t leave a paper trail for authorities to trace. MR . JEKIELEK: You
mentioned ephemeral experiences. Please explain what that means.
DR . EPSTEIN: They’re brief
experiences we have online, such as a newsfeed flashed before our eyes, search suggestions, or all kinds of things. A sequence of YouTube videos, for example, with a suggestion of what video to watch next, affects us, and then they disappear. They’re gone. It’s the ideal form of manipulation. People have no idea they’re being manipulated, No. 1— and No. 2, authorities can’t go back in time to see what people were shown. We’re trying to figure out the power that ephemeral experiences have to change thinking, behavior, and votes. MR . JEKIELEK: You’ve
been working in the field
THE EPOCH TIMES
In a recent episode of “American Thought Leaders,” host Jan Jekielek sits down with Dr. Robert Epstein to discuss how tech giants influence human behavior and politics. Epstein is a senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, best known today for his research on the ways in which companies such as Google secretly manipulate everything from what we read and watch online to the outcomes of our elections.
JAN JEKIELEK: For
Nation Profile
of psychology for decades. How did you end up focusing on this? DR . EPSTEIN: I noticed
marketers were finding out that if you can just get up one more notch in Google Search results, that could make the difference between the success and failure of your company. If you’re on the second page of search results, you’re done. You’ve got to be on that first page. So I wondered, “Could search results be used to change people’s opinions? Could they even be used to change their votes, their voting preferences?” And so I began a series of experiments that adhere to the highest research standards. I thought, “Let’s see if I can change people’s opinions. I’ll randomly assign people to two groups. In one group, the search results will favor one candidate, and in the other, the search results will favor the opponent.” That means that if someone clicks on a high-ranking search result, they’re going to get to a webpage that makes their candidate look really good and might make the other candidate look re-
ally bad. And in these experiments, we used real search results and webpages we got online from Google. People were randomly assigned to these different groups, and I expected we could shift people’s voting preferences by 2 percent or 3 percent. The very first experiment we ran, we shifted voting preferences by more than 40 percent. So I thought, “That’s impossible.” We repeated the experiment with another group and got a shift of more than 60 percent. So I realized, “Wait a minute, maybe I’ve stumbled onto something here.”
“We’ve made a lot more discoveries; we’ve got lots more numbers, and they’re all terrible.” split and turned it into a 30/70 split. I now have a win margin of 40 percent. In other words, tech companies can put one candidate ahead of another. MR . JEKIELEK: Won’t
MR . JEKIELEK: What does
people just say, “Well, that’s just the natural consequence of the algorithm.”
it mean to shift people’s opinion by, say, 40 percent?
DR . EPSTEIN: Most
DR . EPSTEIN: Let’s say
we start with 100 people— and we always use people who are undecided about their vote, because those are the people who can be influenced. We divide them into pro candidate A or pro candidate B groups. So a 40 percent shift means 20 people move to the other group. So now, I’ve only got 30 left here, and over here I’ve got 70. I’ve taken a 50/50
people don’t know how algorithms work or even what algorithms are. But one thing should disturb a lot of people. Algorithms incorporate the biases of the programmers. Right now, for example, 96 percent of donations from Google and other tech companies go to the Democrat Party. There’s a lot of political bias in these companies, and that bias can get programmed into the algorithms.
One main concern here is the blacklists. One of the simplest ways to make an adjustment in what an algorithm is doing is to have your algorithm check a blacklist before it displays any results. And when certain points of view aren’t acceptable, they’re banned. In 2019, a Google vice president appeared before a Senate Committee where he was asked under oath, “Does Google have blacklists?” And this man replied, “No Senator, we do not.” A few weeks later, Zach Vorhies, a senior software engineer, walked out of Google with more than 950 pages of documents and a two-minute video. Three documents were labeled ‘Blacklists.’ This Google vice president had lied under oath to Congress. I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 53
Nation Profile
“We’re trying to figure out the power that ephemeral experiences have to change thinking, behavior, and votes.” MR . JEKIELEK: Let’s jump
to monitoring now. Broadly speaking, from that data set from 2020, what is it that you found? DR . EPSTEIN: We found
a strong liberal bias. On YouTube, 93 percent of the videos recommended by Google’s Up Next algorithm came from strongly liberal news sources. At that point, we had about half a million ephemeral experiences preserved, and we decided to go public. A New York Post journalist took all our content and started writing a fabulous piece about how the tech companies are
rigging our elections. But when her editor tried to get a comment from Google on some of the factual content, which is normal, two things happened. No. 1 is the New York Post killed the piece. I couldn’t believe it, but then I found some 40 percent of their traffic comes from Google. You can’t attack Google on this scale without risking your business. So okay, they killed the piece. No. 2, in those couple of days before the presidential election, Google turned off its manipulations in the presidential election, and we thought, “That’s interesting.” Along the way, I had
contacted someone I knew in Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) office. On Nov. 5, two days after the election, three U.S. senators sent a strong threatening letter to the CEO of Google summarizing our preliminary presidential election findings. And then a miracle occurred. The field agents monitoring the content from tech companies prior to the January 2021 Senate runoff elections in Georgia found that all the bias was gone from Google. I mean, gone. For example, not a single Go Vote reminder. This is the solution to the way in which these companies interfere in our democracy, in our lives, and with our children. If we monitor, capture, archive, and expose these companies, then they’ll stay out of our lives. MR . JEKIELEK: So how do
we avoid being influenced this way? DR . EPSTEIN: What
54 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
MR . JEKIELEK: Count me
in on signing up for Internet Watchdogs. But a question: How will Internet Watchdogs and these monitoring systems stay pure to their mission? DR . EPSTEIN: We’re like
Google was at the beginning, but Google then got twisted into a greedy version of itself because of money, because it’s a for-profit, and they found ways to get obscenely rich. Internet Watchdogs and any project I’ve ever touched are nonprofits. There’s no ownership. So we’re doing creative, wild stuff and having a ball while we’re doing it. My team loves coming in and working long hours. And I think in the future, we’re still going to be excited about what we’re doing because we’re in this cat-andmouse game where we’re using good tech to fight bad tech, to protect kids, to protect humanity, to protect democracy. I think the future will be even better than what we’re seeing now. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
THIS PAGE: MANDEL NGAN/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Witnesses Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos (top C), Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (top R), Google CEO Sundar Pichai (bottom L), and Apple CEO Tim Cook at a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 29, 2020.
you can do fairly easily is just go to my website, myprivacytips.com, and read my article on how to avoid targeted ads. Over the years, I’ve learned how to protect my privacy, and I share some information there. And the research institute where I work has set up a new organization, Internet Watchdogs, which is designed to help people protect the privacy of their children and families.
T R AV E L • F O O D • L U X U R Y L I V I N G
No.18
Unwind
Not all treasure lies deep beneath the sea or in distant deserts; those who regularly haunt garage sales, estate auctions, and thrift stores sometimes find valuable art and antiques. PHOTO BY ARIS-TECT GROUP/SHUTTERSTOCK
Hunting for Long-Lost Treasures LOCATED IN CAPETOWN’S wine country near Table Mountain, this magnificent, recently renovated colonial-style estate is ready for new owners. 56
MALLORCA’S SUN-WASHED beaches, clear waters, small towns, and lush gardens are ideal for those seeking to spend time at a slower, more pleasurable pace. 58
60
INVASIVE LIONFISH POSE a huge threat to native reef fish; letting the public know they’re delicious may be one way to help control them. 66
INSIDE I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 55
CAPETOWN Country WINE Estate
The villa has eight distinctly different social/ living rooms designed for intimate relaxation or to be used for larger entertaining events. 56 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
Set at the foot of Capetown’s Table Mountain, this 2-acre estate has recently been lovingly renovated By Phil Butler
Lifestyle Real Estate
A
GREEF CHRISTIE’S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE
t the end of a meandering private drive in the lush green of the Embassy Belt of upper Constantia, Cape Town, South Africa, a marvelous colonial-style villa awaits new owners. Set amid meticulously tended gardens in the shadow of Capetown’s famous Table Mountain, the 2-plus acre estate is on the market for 49,000,000 South African rand (US$3.13 million). Built back in the mid-1960s for a famous department store heir, this glorious manor was recently refitted and customized by the renowned Stellenbosch architects Dennis Moss and Partners, and a team led by Martina le Roux. The 1,395-square-meter (15,016-square-foot) residence is built on two levels and features five luxurious bedrooms and five and a half baths. The immaculate interiors are highlighted by bespoke finishes, such as finely crafted carpentry accents, surround sound in many areas, American oak floors, and high ceilings. The mansion has eight reception rooms in all. On the lower floor, there’s also an open-plan gourmet kitchen, two bars, an extensive wine cellar, vast storage spaces, and a seven-car garage. There’s a large pantry, a wonderful conservatory, a study, a laundry room, a strong room, and a staff apartment as well. Upstairs, there are five bedroom suites, each
with its own en-suite bath. The bedrooms all have uncompromising panoramic views of the grounds and the verdant nature that surrounds the house. Cradling the main house are two acres of natural paradise that have been sculpted into the hillside. There you’ll find numerous verandas, a large pool, finely trimmed flower gardens, and a new water-wise garden. There’s also a garden sunroom with a pond, a separate gym, and additional parking for up to eight vehicles. Situated about 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) south of Capetown’s vibrant center, Constantia is one of the region’s oldest townships. Renowned for its wines, this affluent suburb of the Western Cape is a haven for those seeking the country lifestyle with some space to go along with it. The wine region is the oldest in the Southern Hemisphere, and many of the homes there are part of the famous wine route that passes through the region. The new owners will also enjoy the charming rustic outdoor markets in town, limitless fine dining experiences, amazing mountain hiking trails nearby, and a laundry list of sporting and outdoor adventures year-round. Phil Butler is a publisher, editor, author, and analyst who is a widely cited expert on subjects ranging from digital and social media to travel technology.
CONSTANTIA ESTATE CONSTANTIA, WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA 49 MILLION ZAR ($3,121,000)
• 5 bedrooms • 5 1/2 baths • 2-plus acres sculpted/ natural gardens KEY FEATURES
• Panoramic views • Exclusive location • Great entertaining spaces • In ground pool AGENT Greeff Christie’s International Real Estate Aimee Campbell, franchise owner +27 72 693 4052
As magnificent as the villa’s interiors are, there’s no denying that the selling feature of this home is the location on a big plot overlooking a legendary winemaking region. Tucked in between Table Mountain National Park, and the Constantiaberg Range, Constantia is the oldest winemaking region in the Southern Hemisphere. This extraordinary traditional estate is close to the mother city One of several formal dining/entertaining areas with terrace access. Outside, the owners and their guests have a remarkable view of the valley and the sea in the distance. of South Africa, and away from it all at the same time. I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 57
Travel Spain
This historic tram connects the small town of Sóller with the Port de Sóller district.
The Slow Life
Mallorca is all about sun, sand, and the pleasures of an unhurried life Tim Johnson elcoming our small group to their small cooking school, Deborah and Nina smiled and offered each of us an apron. Soon everyone was chopping and kneading while sipping a nice, local rosé. On the menu that night were two Mallorcan classics: “coca de verduras” (flatbread with greens) and “arros de carxofes i sobrasada” (rice with artichokes and a traditional Mallorcan sausage). “We cook with simple, humble ingredients, but a lot of flavor,” said Deborah, who owns the cooking school Deborah’s Culinary Island. She said their priority is to preserve and present the unique cuisine of the Mediterranean island. “This isn’t Madrid; this isn’t Barcelona; it’s not Seville. People come here, they want a taste of Mallorca,” Deborah said, noting that 58 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
the meals they make aren’t gourmet by design. “You will never see this in a restaurant—it’s peasant food.” I told her that I’m a terrible cook, so she assigned me one of the easiest tasks and carefully showed me how to make the dough for coca, a traditional flatbread. I just needed olive oil, a pinch of salt, and flour—the latter made from an ancient grain that almost went extinct and was procured from a local farmer. We mixed it all together, expanding the dough to fit the dimensions of a small rectangular pan. It’s just one element in what would soon be a feast. Like everything there, this meal was many centuries in the making. “We were a center of commerce and trade,” Deborah said. “There are so many layers—the Romans, the Phoenicians, the Arabs; they all left their mark.” Set in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Mallorca is the largest of Spain’s Balear-
MADRID
SPAIN
MALLORCA
Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands.
Traditionally made for Easter, “panades,” small meat-filled pies, can be found year-round.
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Travel Spain
ic Islands, an archipelago with three other major inhabited islands—Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera. The collective name comes from Greek and Roman origins, highlighting the fact that soldiers there were always lightly armored and relied on slinging stones for defense, a very effective strategy in many cases. While many travel there from northern Europe for the simple pleasures of sun and sand, soon after my arrival, a brief drive inland from Palma revealed the diversity of this place. The jagged mountains of the Tramuntana Range rose sharply on both sides of the road, their summits covered in a carpet of cloud, giving a mysterious feel to the whole place. First, I stopped to walk through the Jardines de Alfabia, a complex of gardens and buildings that date back to the Arab era. The structures range from Moorish to Baroque. Christine, one of the family owners, walked us through the home and stables and past an olive press once powered by donkeys. Today, this is their retreat. Most families in Palma maintain a second summer home—some grand, some simple—most of them just 20 minutes away from their permanent home in the capital. Back on the road, we climbed up over a mountain pass and descended into a deep, green valley, dropping into Soller, a town tucked there like a hidden kingdom. “This is like an island within the island,” said Inma, our guide. Surrounded by the highest peaks on Mallorca, home to both a microclimate and a very calm harbor, this town grew oranges, made olive oil, and produced fabrics. Getting their products back to Palma was arduous, although
alleviated by a special railway they built, running over narrow gauge for 28 miles. Still, they preferred to trade by sea with southern France—and became rich in the process. “To this day, people still speak with a French accent, and the older folks use a smattering of French words in their Spanish,” Inma said as she walked us to the Plaza de la Constitucion, the grand central square in town. Sitting down at a sidewalk café for an afternoon cortado, I watched an old tram toot through the square on its way to the port. Inma pointed out the town hall and the bank (“They were so wealthy, they had their own bank!”). There was plenty more to explore in the following days, driving along the plunging cliffs of the northern coast and walking the winding, vertiginous path to the Cap de Formentor. Jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea, the tip of this long point is surrounded on three sides by water. On the agenda were village walks and cathedral visits—and a morning touring the museum at the Rafa Nadal Academy. Tennis star Rafael Nadal is from this island and still spends most of his time off-tour there. But the memory that will endure is sitting down to dinner after a couple of hours of cooking back in Palma at Deborah’s place. The coca bread was baked, the stew was complete and steaming, another round of wine was opened and ready to go, and the stories flowed faster than the vino. We ate and drank like Mallorcans and, maybe, for just that moment, we became Mallorcans, enjoying each other and some great island traditions.
Sheer cliffs surround Cala des Moro.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma, known as “Le Seu.”
Tim Johnson is based in Toronto. He has visited 140 countries, across all seven continents.
1.2 MILLION people live on Mallorca, while 400,000 call the metro area of Palma home.
If You Go Getting Around: Especially in Palma, Mallorca offers a solid system of public transportation. But if you’re looking to explore beyond—say, on the rugged northern coast—a rental car is recommended. Stay: Located right in the heart of Palma’s old town, Hotel Sant Jaume sits between a Gothic church and a 14th-century Baroque convent. A luxury hotel strung along one of Mallorca’s most spectacular stretches of coastline, the St. Regis Mardavall offers spectacular opportunities to soak up the Mediterranean sun.
I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 59
ANTIQUE HUNTING 101
Hidden Gems Discovering lost masterpieces at tag sales is a fun hobby that could turn a profit
By Bill Lindsey
60 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
Lifestyle Antique Hunting 101
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H
ave you ever stumbled across a great find at a garage sale, in grandma’s attic, or even in your living room that looks like it should be featured on “Antiques Roadshow” or “American Pickers?” There are many stories of incredibly valuable pieces of art, furniture, jewelry, and other items that at first glance appear to be in rough shape, but with a bit of attention, can be restored to their original glory. The first step is to find an antique; half the fun of owning antiques is hunting for them at estate sales, garage sales, antique stores, or by taking a closer look at items that you inherited years ago that are gathering dust in the attic or basement. When on the hunt, a good plan is to look for items that you would enjoy owning, even if that intriguing watercolor that you picked up for $5 at a tag sale doesn’t turn out to be a priceless da Vinci. In many cases, wood, brass, painting, ceramics, metal objects, or even old leather luggage can be restored, even if the pieces have suffered damage caused by insects or vermin, dry-rot, moisture, or simply a lot of hard use. It’s not unusual for a good cleaning to be all that’s needed. However, before you start scrubbing, you need to first decide on a plan for the item. Do you want to resell it immediately? Or perhaps you want to hold it in hopes that the value will increase. Another option is to keep the item for your personal use and enjoyment. In any case, determine if you should restore the item or leave it in as-is condition. Most antique wooden furniture will almost always benefit from a careful restoration. Wooden boats, including pond yacht models, will also have a higher value when they’re brought back to their original or near-original condition. However, unless you’re restoring it for your own use, consult with an expert beforehand to determine if the value may be affected by restoration or repair efforts. One example of an item to leave alone is plated silverware; if the plating is thin, you could inadvertently
remove it, damaging the item and reducing its value, keeping in mind that silver-plated items already aren’t often considered to be particularly valuable. On the other hand, sterling silver flatware and other items are often found tarnished, which can usually be easily remedied by a quick cleaning. The problem is that in some cases, the tarnish actually adds to the value, meaning that cleaning could diminish the value, so seek an expert’s opinion. Most sterling items made by U.S. silversmiths after 1850 will be stamped Sterling, .925, or 925/1000. Very old silver may not have any marking, leaving confirmation to an expert proficient in acid testing. Silver always has a value based on spot prices if it were to be melted down, but antique pieces may well have a value in excess of the current melt value. An authentic World War II bomber jacket is another example of an item that should be left in as-is condition; any modern repairs would most likely diminish the value. However, if the article has personal or family significance, restoring it may nevertheless be
In some cases, an antique may be more valuable left unrestored, so look before you scrub.
Half the fun of owning antiques is hunting for them at estate sales, garage sales, and antique stores.
Determine if brass items are solid brass or lacquered so you can use the right restoration method. I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 61
Lifestyle Antique Hunting 101
LIFESTYLE
TREASURE HUNTING
Items found at garage sales may be valuable antiques
1 If the painting is very valuable or has sentimental value, leave any restoration beyond a light dusting to an expert.
62 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
aged decals or flaking paint. To restore stainless steel antiques, apply vinegar and wipe in the direction of the grain, if possible. Then apply a light coating of olive oil to restore and maintain the finish. Be careful cleaning paintings, using an extremely soft brush to gently whisk away dust and dirt; leaving anything more than that to an expert. The bottom line is this: Enjoy the hunt, even if you don’t end up on “Antiques Roadshow.”
Collect antiques that appeal to you—if they turn out to be valuable, that’s a happy bonus. As long as the item makes you happy, it's a treasure, even if it's grungy.
2 Do Your Homework If you think you’ve stumbled across a long-missing da Vinci for $15, buy it; even if it turns out to be fake, it will make a great story for your fellow hunters.
3 Slow Your Roll
Antique furniture can often be restored to like-new condition by DIYers with patience and care.
Some antiques can be damaged or have their value diminished by overly enthusiastic cleaning. Research how—and if—you should clean them before you begin scrubbing.
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the course to follow. Historic weapons with a confirmed provenance also tend to fetch higher prices, even if they have a patina. Firearms or swords that can be reliably traced to use by specific individuals at significant events such as Civil War battles can command very high prices, even if they’re inoperable; part of the charm is the “as found” condition. Artwork and jewelry need to be handled carefully. Most art collectors suggest leaving any restoration of jewelry, paintings, or sculptures to experts, after first having the authenticity and potential value confirmed. Pieces crafted by well-known artisans should only be restored by experts. Brass objects such as old bells or paperweights that aren’t lacquered tend to respond very well to cleaning with products such as Nevr-Dull. If the brass is lacquered, a mild solution of soap and water should remove years of grunge and dust. To clean sterling silver, many restorers use a soft cotton cloth to apply a mixture of three parts baking soda to one part water to gently remove tarnish. To remove years of grime from painted collectibles, such as vintage tin signs, Radio Flyer carts, or Tonka toys, dilute dishwashing soap into warm water and apply with a soft cloth, taking care to avoid easily-dam-
Have Fun
Luxury Living Watch Protection
SAVING TIME: WATCH COLLECTION ESSENTIALS When you realize your watch collection may have a value equivalent to that of a small home, storing it in the sock drawer is no longer an option By Bill Lindsey
Gyroscopic Genius
Saving Time
DÖTTLING GYROWINDER
DOTTLING GUARDIAN
$16,300
$12,800
Inspired by NASA astronaut training equipment, this winder provides motions most similar to being worn, including a full rollover. The mesmerizing design makes it the focal point of any room. Adjustable counterweights allow it to be optimized to keep any automatic movement fully wound.
This discreet, high-security method protects up to six watches, as well as jewelry, documents, and cash. The doublewall metal tube with a polycarbonate inner lining and three-digit lock make it virtually impenetrable. But if it were to go missing, the internal GPS transmitter allows fast recovery.
FROM TOP L: COURTESY OF DÖTTLING, BUBEN&ZORWEG, BROWN SAFE, WOLF
A Very Timely Bugatti
BUBEN&ZORWEG GRANDE ILLUSION $63,400
Lock It Up!
BROWN SAFE MFG’S MAN SAFE 1418 $7,249
Designed by a reformed safecracker, this unit features a 1/2-inch steel door and 1/4inch steel body, fire-resistant construction, drawers, and Rotowind winders to keep automatic watches running. Notable options include military-grade ballistic armor plating and fire resistance for up to 1700 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 1/2 hours.
Inside this pedestal displaying an eye-catching clock is a safe protected by a biometric lock activated by the owner’s fingerprint. Rotating shelves protect jewelry, documents, and other compact items, while a winding mechanism ensures lubrication and correct time powered by automatic movements.
On the Road Again
BLAKE WATCH ROLL WITH JEWELRY CAPSULE $225
Crafted of top-grain leather, this roll holds up to three watches, protecting them via an Ultrasuede lining and two proprietary watch guards to prevent them from bumping against each other. A discreet inner compartment is ideal for rings, cufflinks, or other small valuables. I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 63
Epoch Booklist RECOMMENDED READING FICTION
‘The Princes of War’
By Claude Schmid
Soldier Up and Drive On The setting is Iraq. It’s hot inside those Humvees. Two U.S. Army officers deal daily with an elusive and dangerous enemy. One analyzes intelligence; the other leads a platoon. Will they find the sniper? Fight the fear. Stay motivated. Keep your soldiers alive. WARRIORS PUBLISHING GROUP, 2016, 340 PAGES
This week’s selection features a novel about American soldiers in Iraq, a children’s classic, and a collection of wild science experiments.
raised as a Southern belle on her family’s plantation, Tara, but after the war becomes a hard-hearted businesswoman intent on triumph and wealth. Her romance with Rhett Butler remains one of U.S. literature’s great love stories. SCRIBNER REISSUE, 2011, 960 PAGES
HISTORY
‘Blackboards and Bomb Shelters’
By James P. Bevill
Americans in China During WWII
‘Gone With the Wind’
By Margaret Mitchell
An American Favorite Set in the South immediately before, during, and after the Civil War and without offering a modern view of slavery, this historical novel has enthralled readers since its 1936 publication. It features scores of characters, but central to the plot is Scarlett O’Hara. She’s
Paul Springer grew up in New Jersey during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1937, he won a full scholarship to Ivy League Yale. Yale sponsored a school in Hunan Province, China, and every other year sent three Yale graduates to teach there. Springer wanted adventure and applied with two other Yale graduates. They then sailed to China in July 1941. U.S. neutrality ended before Springer’s first semester of teaching. The author follows the three Yale companions through World War II in China. SCHIFFER MILITARY, 2022, 320 PAGES
64 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
Are there books you’d recommend? We’d love to hear from you. Let us know at features@epochtimes.com
SCIENCE
‘Theodore Gray’s Completely Mad Science’
By Theodore Gray
Science You Can Try at Home, Maybe Depending upon your personality, “Don’t try this at home” is a warning or an invitation. Popular Science magazine’s “Gray Matter” column writer, Theodore Gray, collected some of his wilder experiments in this book. It’s the kind of science book in which pyrotechnics abound and emphasis is placed on the spectacular. Know some teens who think science is boring? Get them this book. It might ignite a lifetime of interest in science. BLACK DOG & LEVENTHAL PUBLISHERS, 2016, 408 PAGES
ECONOMICS
‘Free to Choose’
By Milton & Rose Friedman
A Free Market Proposal Milton Friedman was one of the most influential
economists of the 20th century. His book, written with his wife, demonstrates how free-market principles help boost an economy and how government intrusion promotes the opposite. The Nobel Laureate’s book was such a hit that it was turned into a 10-part series on PBS in the 1980s.
FOR KIDS
MARINER BOOKS, 1990, 338 PAGES
So We Packed Our Bags
CLASSICS
‘The Poems of Emily Dickinson’
‘We Were Tired of Living in a House’
By Liesel Moak Skorpen
Four siblings in trouble for rambunctious play leave home to live in a tree, a cave, near a pond, and by the sea. Each time they must pack up and move, until they finally return home. Lovely illustrations and a sweet story. The book was written for children ages 4 to 7. PURPLE HOUSE PRESS, 2021, 40 PAGES
By Emily Dickinson
Her Words Still Live One of the greatest American poets, Dickinson published little of her work during her lifetime. In this collection, editor R.W. Franklin assembled 1,789 of her poems. Considering that she edited her verse again and again to alter a word or phrase, we now realize the vast amount of time she spent perfecting her work. A solitary soul— some would call her a recluse—she devoted her later years to the care of her mother and father— and to her writing. In this collection, Franklin gives us an excellent compendium of her poetry. BELKNAP PRESS, 2005, 696 PAGES
‘Winnie the Pooh’
By A.A. Milne
A Definitive Childhood Read Delightful for kids of any age, A.A. Milne’s fanciful tales circa 1926 featuring his son Christopher Robin and his stuffed animal friends epitomize classic children’s literature. Read it aloud or enjoy the delightful audio version. DUTTON BOOKS, 2017, 176 PAGES
Ian Kane is a U.S. Army veteran, filmmaker, and author. He enjoys the great outdoors and volunteering.
MOVIE REVIEWS
Epoch Watchlist
This week, we look at a couple of war dramas: one about a World War II operation and the other about Americans in the Franco–Mexican War.
NEW RELEASE
PICK FROM THE ’80S
‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ (1986)
‘Operation Mincemeat’ (2022) Ewen Montagu (Colin Firth) and Charles Cholmondeley (Matthew Macfadyen) are intelligence officers tasked with a highly unusual disinformation campaign against the Nazi army, just before the World War II Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943. Will their high-stakes gamble pay off? This British film is well produced and has brilliant acting and direction. However, after an interesting setup, things become too overloaded with unnecessary subplots—especially a hollow romance. Overall, the film is good, but could have been much better.
DR AMA | WAR
Release Date: May 11, 2022 Director: John Madden Starring: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald Running Time: 2 hours, 8 minutes MPAA Rating: PG-13 Where to Watch: Theaters
A WESTERN ADVENTURE WITH AN UNUSUAL PARTNERSHIP highly entertaining joy ride is packed with a lot of action, humor, double-crosses, and romance. ADVENTURE | WESTERN
‘Vera Cruz’ (1954) A reluctant partnership forms between gentlemanly Benjamin Trane (Gary Cooper) and bushwhacker Joe Erin (Burt Lancaster) after the
two are hired by the emperor of Mexico for a daring mission. An outstanding film that captures the adventurous spirit of the post-Civil War era, this
Release Date: Dec. 25, 1954 Director: Robert Aldrich Starring: Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster, Denise Darcel Running Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes Not Rated Where to Watch: Tubi, Roku, DirecTV
High schooler Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) has a knack for shirking his classroom responsibilities and is an expert at cutting classes. As graduation looms on the horizon, he concocts an elaborate plan to skip a day of school, much to the ire of Principal Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), who intends to foil the youth. One of the quintessential films of the ’80s that captures teenage angst without trivializing it. It moves along at a brisk
pace and delivers quick-witted humor while eschewing the tropes associated with the genre. COMEDY
Release Date: June 11, 1986 Directors: John Hughes Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara Running Time: 1 hour, 43 minutes MPAA Rating: PG-13 Where to Watch: DirecTV, Redbox, Showtime
DEEPER COMEDIC ACTIONER
‘Thunderbolt and Lightfoot’ (1974)
A few daring criminals pull off an audacious bank robbery but misplace their ill-gotten gains. Years later, their de facto leader, Thunderbolt (Clint Eastwood), reassembles the gang along with a young hotshot named Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges) to repeat the heist. The directorial debut of Michael Cimino, this film is a deft mixture of buddy comedy, road movie, and heist planning. The element of its masculine comrad-
ery, however, goes deeper than usual, revealing a character study of the American drifter. COMEDY | CRIME | DR AMA
Release Date: May 24, 1974 Director: Michael Cinimo Starring: Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy Running Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes MPAA Rating: R Where to Watch: Redbox, Tubi, Pluto TV
I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022 65
Food People
EAT ’EM TO BEAT ’EM: LIONFISH CUISINE PUTS AN INVASIVE SPECIES ON THE DINNER TABLE In Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida, local chefs, conservationists, marine biologists, and tourism officials are working to turn an environmental threat into culinary and recreational gold Eric Lucas
C
Alex Fogg, marine biologist and local “lionfish guy,” is working with the tourism bureau to fight invasive lionfish in the Gulf of Mexico.
During an you make a silk Lionfish Restaurant purse from a sow’s ear? Week, local The citizens of Destin-Fort Walton Beach (DFWB), Flor- chefs highlight the fish on ida, are trying. In this case, their menus.
the dubious item is an invasive, rapacious Asian fish that has mushroomed along both coasts of Florida, across the Caribbean, and into the Atlantic as far south The winner of as Brazil—the lionfish. the Emerald Coast Open Lionfish reproduce exponentially. Their voracious behavior is a gets a trophy and $10,000. threat to native fish stocks and reef life. They have no natural predators. And they’re really good to eat. “Definitely a silver lining, right?” said Parker Destin, local restaurateur, community leader, and a sixth-generation descendant of the settler whose name the city bears. “Lionfish is one of the best Lionfish Dinner: flaky white fish you could serve. If Lionfish Restaurant Week is I could have it on the menu every May 8 through day, I would. Take something bad May 14. and make it into something good.” But lionfish cuisine presents sev- The “Mane” Event: eral problems. First and foremost, The main tourthey don’t readily lend themselves nament will be to commercial fishing. As solitary held on May 13 reef predators, hook-and-line won’t and May 14. work—“Think I’ve seen a lionfish Festive on the line twice in 10 years,” re- Lionizing: ported another area restaurateur The waterand wholesale fishmonger, Eddie front Lionfish Morgan. They aren’t school fish, Awareness and so netting and trawling not only Removal Day wouldn’t work, but it would dam- Festival on May 14 and May 15 age seabeds and reefs. The only practical way to harvest will offer tastings, lionfish is by hand—spearfishing. fileting demos, and more. Doing so requires scuba and spearfishing gear. Diving is no walk in And the the park. And a special bonus is- Winner Is: sue is that lionfish have venomous The final weigh-in takes spines, complicating the process place on May 15. of cleaning your catch (best to snip EmeraldCoasthem off with scissors). tOpen.com DFWB’s answer is to try to make
EMERALD COAST OPEN
to show up in Southeast saltwaters. “We aren’t hoping to wipe out lionfish; that’s impossible,” said Alex Fogg, a marine biologist who’s working with the area’s tourism bureau. “But dedicated harvesting can definitely have a beneficial impact in localized areas, helping native fishes recover, and if we manage that, great.” So how do you cook it? Destin and Morgan report that it’s great simply grilled, deep-fried, or pan-roasted. Morgan likens it to cod or haddock. “Makes great sushi, too,” Morgan said; his Harbor Docks restaurant includes a sushi bar. “We do face some resistance from customers due to unfamiliarity, but if you can get them to try it, they love it.” Eric Lucas is a retired associate editor at Alaska Beyond Magazine and lives on a small farm on a remote island north of Seattle.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP L: COURTESY OF DESTIN-FORT WALTON BEACH; COURTNEY PLATT; COURTESY OF DESTIN-FORT WALTON BEACH
66 I N S I G H T May 6–12, 2022
the problem a visitor attraction: Lure tourists to the area for lionfish hunting. Thus the city began hosting the annual Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament, now in its third year. The most prolific spearfisher gets $10,000; there’s also a $5,000 prize for the biggest fish. The week leading up to the tournament, six local restaurants will feature lionfish on their menus—largely using fish caught during a “pre-tournament” event ongoing since early February. Last year, the event drew 100 spearfishing participants and 7,000 people to the accompanying festival and eradicated 14,000 lionfish. Although just mid-size—18 inches—mature lionfish are conspicuous, with vividly patterned long fins jutting out at all angles. Like many invasives, they were and still are sold to Americans for decorative purposes—in this case, for aquariums. Sometime in the 1980s, they began
Manners Behind the Wheel We interact with others every time we’re behind the wheel, so do it politely It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that even while we might be driving all alone, there are many, perhaps hundreds, of people all around us, paying varying degrees of attention. Proper etiquette makes us safer and more civil. By Bill Lindsey
1 Pay Attention
4 Go with the Flow
It’s easy to become oblivious to the world around us as we drive, but it only takes a few seconds to run a red light or not notice a bicyclist in our path, possibly causing lifechanging results. Turn down the radio and stay off the phone; talking, even hands-free, can be distracting. Check the rearview mirrors frequently to be aware of approaching vehicles, and to see emergency vehicles approaching from behind.
CSA IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES
2 Arrive Alive A growing number of cars are capable of triple-digit speeds, tempting us to drive faster than the posted limits, but it’s never OK to speed or race on city streets or highways. If you crave speed, attend a supervised racecourse track day or enroll in a high-performance driving school, both of which can make you a better, safer driver. If another driver tries to encourage speeding, stay out of their way and don’t engage.
While speeding is bad, you also don’t want to impede the smooth flow of traffic by rolling along at 42 miles per hour in the passing lane on the interstate. Use the passing lane to pass, then move back to the right lanes. Get up to speed quickly on entrance ramps to safely merge with the traffic flow, and slow as you pull into an exit ramp. Except for emergencies, such as avoiding an accident ahead, don’t be that person who uses the shoulder to pass.
3 Courtesy Is Contagious Be an overly polite driver; you will certainly encounter rude drivers, but don’t engage with them. Toss a quick wave to the car behind that honks at the exact moment the light turns green, and if someone needs to get into your lane, let them. Turn signals aren’t optional, use them to let nearby drivers know and give them time to react to your intentions.
5 Play the Guitar, Not the Horn It’s OK to gently toot the horn to let the driver ahead know the light turned green several moments ago, or perhaps to alert a car backing out of a driveway you are approaching, but holding it down for 3 minutes, accompanied by enthusiastic hand signals is not. Emergency flashers are intended to alert other drivers of your presence when stopped alongside the road; check your state laws before activating them while driving in heavy rain or snow.
I N S I G H T May. 6–12 , 2022 67
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