Nationalist Populist Newsletter 59
February 20 - February 27
United States
Immigration:
President Biden’s campaign promises, executive orders, and rollback of Trump-era border protections have created the perfect storm along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Wall Street Journal reports that the number of unaccompanied minors is on pace to rise more than 50 percent in February alone. We’re now at the highest number since Trump instituted ‘Remain in Mexico’ and safe third country agreements with several Latin American countries.
Breitbart News reported that more than 25,600 migrants have already been admitted into the U.S., without requiring COVID testing. An additional 25,000 are heading to San Diego, where they will quarantine in the U.S. rather than waiting in Mexico as was previously done under Trump Administration, according to AP.
The Biden Administration told Axios that they predict more than 13,000 migrant children will come to the U.S. in May. This would surpass the 2019 peak when Trump instituted his zero-tolerance policy. HHS is now reopening closed shelters and asking the Pentagon to find new space.
Needless to say, this is void of logic. We’re still in the midst of a global pandemic, parts of Latin America are experiencing new strains of COVID, and Biden even floated restricting travel within the U.S., not to mention the fact that migrant children, unlike Americans, are allowed to receive in-person schooling. More infuriating from a Republican perspective is that state Attorneys General have not rolled out lawsuits to stop these executive actions, except for Ken Paxton in Texas and Mark Brnovich in Arizona. Any effort to stop the Biden Administration’s actions of immigration is going to come from lawsuits, primarily pushed by the AGs.
Economy
The coronavirus has had an enormous divide throughout the country. While some have been economically devastated, others prospered. With travel, restaurants, theaters, and concerts all but suspended over the last year, Americans with disposable income have decided to either save (personal savings increased by 10 percent from 2019 to 2020) or spend on larger durable goods.
The Wall Street Journal reported that consumer spending on longer-lasting durable goods rose 6.4 percent last year, even as domestic production fell by 8.4 percent. These manufacturing and production facilities are suffering from what’s called the “bullwhip effect,” supply chains and labor shortages are preventing a bigger recovery. Globalism has made this situation all the worse. From WSJ:
”A decades long devotion to making factories smaller, cheaper and more efficient made companies more vulnerable to the distortions of the bullwhip effect, economists say. To cut costs and boost profits, U.S. companies outsourced operations and whittled inventories. Many of their suppliers did the same.”
Many companies have increased their minimum wage from $15 to $25 an hour to get workers back, but without supplies from overseas developers, it’s causing massive delays. This entire process will make our economic recovery take a lot longer.
At least some blue-collar jobs are also coming back in the construction industry as hiring has started to increase even as job losses continue in most other areas of the economy, per The WSJ.
Big Tech
A little known ordinance in Seattle has the potential to shake up the debate over big tech censorship. Mind Matters reports that the local law forbids discrimination based on “political ideology” which it defines as any idea or belief, or coordinated body of ideas or beliefs, relating to the purpose, conduct, organization, function or basis of government and related institutions and activities, whether or not characteristic of any political party or group. This term includes membership in a political party or group and includes conduct, reasonably related to political ideology, which does not interfere with job performance.”
Unlike other laws, this doesn’t just include discrimination when it comes to hiring but also “Fair Contracting Practices Ordinance.” That means “any agreement to perform a service or provide goods that entails a legally binding obligation, where such contract is executed within, or intended to be wholly or partly performed within The City of Seattle.” A “contractor” means “any business enterprise” excluding landlords that are “contracting to do business within the city.” And the definition of “contractor” includes “vendors[] and suppliers selling or furnishing materials, equipment, goods or services.”
Considering Amazon is headquartered in Seattle, that could mean it is the most likely to face a lawsuit over their silencing of conservative voices.
France
Culture:
The French government has announced an investigation into academia and professors, university presidents, and scholars that push critical race theory, insisting it could destabilize the nation, The New York Times reported. Macron has declared that France cannot import wokeness from the United States. He has argued that the descendants of immigrants from Africa and the Middle East should not be “revisiting their identity through a post-colonial or anticolonial discourse.”
Part of this comes from Macron’s effort to win over support from conservatives, especially with Marine Le Pen surging in the polls ahead of the 2022 presidential election. Still, this move isn’t all about politics. Members of the French left are still very skeptical of critical race theory.
Last year, far-left French politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon said anyone who speaks of “white privilege has never seen poor white man.”
Greece
Fertility:
The Guardian has released a new video series about Europe’s demographic nightmare. In their first video they look at a new private group named Hope Genesis, which looks to convince women in rural areas to start having more children.
Greece already pays women €2,000 for every child they birth, but that isn’t enough.
Hope Genesis is providing women in rural areas with free trips to the doctors, paying for medical care for the child after birth, and helping with bureaucratic paperwork. This has led to a slight rise in births in some rural islands in the country. On the island of Patmos, Hope Genesis has even had to open a nursery from the increase of births on the rural island where 39 babies have been born in the last two years.
Norway
Politics:
The leader of the nationalist-populist Progress Party, Siv Jensen, has stepped down after 15 years leading the party, according to The Local. She has endorsed immigration hardliner Sylvi Listhaug as her successor.
Since 2009, Progress Party has lost more than half its support since winning 22.9 percent in the poll. Their response to the coronavirus has only caused more dissent among its supporters, since they are pro-mask mandate and pro-lock down.
According to Open Democracy, polls show that the Centre Party, which is a centrist populist party, has attracted many of their voters. Their agenda focuses on economic nationalism, fighting against globalization, and urbanization. It will be up to Listhaug to try and win back some of that support before the September 13th parliamentary election.
Polls
United States:
Off year elections are usually very difficult for the party in power, but the Senate map is still extremely unfavorable to Republicans. They will have to hold swing states like Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania while trying to win at least one seat in either Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, or New Hampshire.
Governor Chris Sununu (NH) may provide the GOP with their biggest potential win. He’s extremely popular in the state and a new poll from UNH Survey Center found that he leads incumbent Senator Maggie Hassan 48 to 46 percent. Most importantly, he’s crushing her with independents by a 3-to-1 margin.A new Pew Research poll found that the top foreign policy priority among all Americans is “protecting the jobs of American workers.” Among Republican voters, the highest priorities were as follows:
85 percent said “protecting the jobs of American workers”
81 percent said “protecting America from terrorist attacks”
68 percent said “maintaining the U.S.’ military advantage over other countries”
64 percent said “reducing illegal immigration”
63 percent said “limiting the power and influence of China”
Most importantly, only 15 percent of Republicans said that “promoting democracy in other nations” should be a top priority. Neoconservatism is dead on the right.
Switzerland:
Swiss voters are preparing to cast their ballots for three nationwide referendum. According to polls:
59 percent of Swiss voters will likely vote for a burqa ban
56 percent will vote against electronic identification
52 percent will vote for a free trade agreement with Indonesia
Deep Dive
Child Allowance
Mitt Romney’s child allowance has divided conservatives. Supporters noted it will simplify existing welfare plans and end child poverty while opponents believe it creates a new entitlement policy.
A new report by Lyman Stone of the Witherspoon Institute found that Romney’s plan would likely reduce abortion in the US.
Stone found “that when government support per child rises by about 5 percent of GDP per capita (in the United States, this would mean offering a new $3,500 annual child allowance on top of the child tax credit), the share of births plus abortions made up by abortions usually falls by about 1 percentage point.”
The study estimates that if Romney’s plan would result in 40,000 fewer abortions per year.
Interesting Takes
My favorite op-eds of the week
Jake Mercier, Nick Solheim, and Saurabh Sharma announced in The American Conservative Magazine that they’re launching a new non-profit called American Moment. The non-profit will focus on finding young professionals, making them understand issues that mobilizes the new right, and then helping them get placed in various staffing positions. Full disclosure, I’m on the board of this organization, but I strongly believe it and its co-founders. You can check out the website here to learn more.
Ed West writes in UnHerd that there’s a large difference between social and cultural conservatives. While social conservatives oppose issues like gay marriage, abortion, and transgender bathrooms; cultural conservatives are opposed to the mass demographic changes brought on by immigration and the oncoming fight over critical race theory. Social conservatism rejects the post Christian society, while Cultural conservatives reject liberalism.
Pat Buchanan writes in syndicated column about the prospect of Trump running for a second term in 2024. He ways what’s working for him and what’s obstacles he has against him.