There are beyond any doubt winners and losers in this tragic Wuhan Virus outbreak. Death tolls are climbing in the U.S. passed 75,000. Unemployment has gone from historic lows to record highs as over 33,000,000 lost their jobs in a matter of weeks. Medical, modelers and media projections from January have been proven inaccurate by late April. Fears have been stoked about catching the “Crimson Contagion.”
Fears about losing life, health, jobs, investments, or one’s business have been stoked from a variety of sources too.
There are a few in big business who have been preparing for this kind of contagion for years, while most others are now scrambling to make correct decisions when information being put out by public health and other officials has been shifting. The sense of walking in quicksand is being felt by millions since sound information is seemingly lacking.
While there have been massive multiple trillion bailout bills that rapidly worked their way through Congress on a widely bipartisan basis, to get those deals done massive amounts of political pork were packed into the legislation.
Social distancing and various degrees of enforced lockdowns upended centuries of tradition during Passover, Holy Week, Good Friday, Easter and now Ramadan.
While Texas small business owner Shelley Luther was being jailed for opening her own shop, people already convicted of often serious crimes were being set free to protect inmates from catching and spreading COVID19.
Nursing homes and meat packing plants have both been among the hot spots. Jobs that once seemed reasonably “safe” have at times become riskier than being a cop on the beat. Living in dense housing units is being explored as a possible problem during this viral outbreak, while single family housing seems safer by comparison.
Attorneys and marketers alike are seeing possible pandemic gold. Multiple trillion-dollar lawsuits have been filed in various states, routinely aimed at Communist Chinese Party (CCP) officials who per various Trump administration and other public officials allowed the spread of what the Epoch Times has labeled the CCP Virus. The video docudrama below has had over 4 million views in one month.
There are debates in the news media over what is or isn’t politically correct to even call this CCP viral outbreak, as if the name of the novel coronavirus were somehow as important as the obvious death, health and economic impacts.
Warnings about the growth of the surveillance state and social media censorship by big tech that seemed remote to some have now become real to hundreds of millions around the world.
In China where smart phone usage is widespread, their regime is using a sophisticated system of health code tracking connected to personal cell phones. If someone in China doesn’t have a green code, that might be an economic death sentence because you can’t travel or go to work. When serious discussions about immunity passports are occurring in the U.S. or parts of Europe, those Chinese realities are a warning for civil and constitutional rights advocates and believers.
In the vortex of news focused on aspects of the CCP Virus pandemic, numerous other issues are bubbling. Should the U.S. political leaders in both major parties have allowed American businesses and millions of American jobs to have been shipped off to China over the course of several decades? Has the U.S. become a hostage to China on medicines, personal protective equipment and a range of other items?
When tariffs were frowned upon for years by several economists and political officials, wasn’t the de facto result that regulations in the U.S. pushed ever-more American business and jobs out of our nation and into the arms of often hostile or somewhat unreliable ‘partners?’ In order to compete, didn’t other companies follow suit, further undermining domestic suppliers and the jobs they provided?
- While racial unrest has been stoked for decades in the U.S., and minorities raised issues of red lining or other economic injustices, genuine slave labor was being legally employed by multinational corporations in Communist China.
- While domestic environmentalists stressed over global warming, public policies that created effective tax and economic incentives that pushed companies and jobs overseas fueled plums of toxic emissions in China that dwarfed anything found in the U.S.
- The madness of political and economic decisions that originated decades ago spanning both Democratic and Republican administrations had been brought into sharper focus.
The opioid crisis and the abuse of other illegal drugs surged as the middle class was slowly but steadily being hollowed out. When the normal desire to work and improve one’s life is subtlety stolen, is it any surprise that alcoholism, drug abuse, suicides or crimes rise in their wake?
Zoning, transportation, and affordable housing issues made it ever more difficult for workers to sustain themselves. That drove a push for higher minimum wages to meet rising costs. But the law of supply and demand suggests that the actual solution was to have an economy that had sufficient demand for labor that competition for workers pushed wages and opportunities for workers up naturally through what was once known as the free market.
The market isn’t truly free if regulatory barriers favor a few over the many.
Numbers of educators blithely pushed socialist doctrines to students until today millions of younger Americans think of socialism as acceptable. The evidence of the consequences of socialism in Venezuela or Cuba – among other nations – are ignored by those who have propagandized their younger fellow citizens, wittingly or not.
Immigration policies that brought in lower cost foreign labor have been quietly driven for years by multinational corporations. Those larger firms can lobby lawmakers on both sides of the aisle more readily than a smaller business or individual citizens can. Due to the law of supply and demand, the more legal or illegal immigration that occurs is another de facto downward pressure on workers earning ability.
Rephrased, foreigners were being given an advantage of natural born Americans, despite the notion that protecting citizens is supposed to be one of the primary duties of government.
These outline issues defy or span the bland Democratic vs Republican, or Green, Libertarian or other minor party platforms. How so? Because policy errors have been made by members of major and minor parties alike.
What was once known as the American Way was slowly eroded, perhaps in part because people increasingly were disconnected from their authentic history.
For instance. The U.S. went through the so-called Gilded Age and the Robber Baron era over a century ago. The actual and potential power of banks to essentially create money by ledger entries made by factional reserve rules was once hotly debated. Now, the banking issue that sparked Henry Ford’s comment below is only grasped by a tiny sliver of the population.
Cliff Gilley, JD, in Quora cited Thomas Jefferson in a letter to John Taylor in 1816. Jefferson wrote, “And I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.”
Howard Switzer writing in the progressive publication Medium in a plug for 2016 Green Party candidate Jill Stein cited another founding father, James Madison who said: “History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and its issuance.” Switzer added “We have allowed an oligarchy to rule for too long…”
Switzer said in favor of Stein the following. “Well, she is the only candidate who is not funded or beholden to the international banking cabal and her Green New Deal would reclaim the nation’s sovereign right and Constitutional power to create our own US money, Greenbacks, and control our own economy. This would allow us to fulfill governments purpose as stated in first sentence of the Constitution, “To form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity…” While one could debate the merits – or lack thereof – of certain aspects of the so-called Green New Deal, certainly that specific aspect (think, separate the wheat from the chaff) is worthy of discussion.
Abraham Lincoln arguably applied part of that concept during the American Civil War. Per AZ Quotes and numerous other sources, Lincoln said, “The Government should create, issue, and circulate all the currency and credits needed to satisfy the spending power of the Government and the buying power of consumers. By the adoption of these principles, the taxpayers will be saved immense sums of interest. Money will cease to be master and become the servant of humanity.”
Before Lincoln, Jackson said: “Money is power, and in that government which pays all the public officers of the states will all political power be substantially concentrated,” per Brainy Quotes. Wikiquotes says the quote below is ‘disputed,’ but this is cited by many focused on the issues related to the American struggle over the money and banking system.
There are volumes written on the topic of the money and banking system. That brief snapshot above tees up a look at the five largest investments made by Warren Buffet led Berkshire Hathaway. Banks three of the give biggest part of the Berkshire stock portfolio. Keep in mind that Buffett is a student of history.
Technology and an arguably addictive drink are the other two sectors Buffett led Berkshire has bet big on.
Technology is both liberating and potentially enslaving, as the Chinese people are learning with their smartphone based health code system, reported by progressive media like Time and the New York Times. “Green is the “health code” that says a user is symptom-free and it’s required to … by the Chinese public’s almost universal adoption of smartphones,” said Time on April 2, 2020.
It is tech that tracks the movement and political views of the Chinese population.
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) multi-year and brutal “one child policy” of forced abortions, coupled with their mistreatment of religious groups like Christians, the Falun Gong, or the Muslim Uighurs is just a partial look into what America could become if those who praise that nation’s system ever take complete control over the levers of U.S. political policies.
In China, Russia and Iran, there are reports that the death toll from the Wuhan or CCP Virus is far higher than is generally said by official sources. Because media in those three nations are far more controlled than U.S. news is, it is difficult to get a clear picture of what the facts are.
But a clue in China are reports that furnaces used to cremate the dead are running 24 hours a day. Another hint is that some 21 million cell phone numbers that are existed only a few months ago are suddenly gone. Per left-leaning Bloomberg on March 23, 2020, “China’s Mobile Carriers Lose 21 Million Users as Virus Bites.”
That sudden drop in cell phone numbers may be due to economics; those with more than one cell may have disconnected one. But what some are speculating that the sudden drop of 21 million total of mysteriously missing cell numbers are because significant numbers of users are dead?
Why is skepticism warranted about media and political manipulation?
Because agenda-driven media outlets blur the lines between what is true or what is mere opinion. Opinions can be correct or they can be wrong. Facts – by contrast – are what they are.
Additional Information plus MHProNews Analysis and Commentary
It was former Chicago Mayor and an Obama Administration Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel who said, “Never let a serious crisis go to waste” and variations like the quote cited at the top of this article in the featured image.
Emanuel, along with former Chicagoan and prior President Barack Obama, were both reportedly adherents to the late Saul Alinsky and his book Rules for Radicals. Objectively, it merits mention that while Alinsky and his “Rules” were long the stuff of left-wing activism, that some on the political right have learned that they can be utilized effectively against progressives too.
Alinsky infamously dedicated his book to Lucifer, otherwise known as Satan, the Devil, or the overlord fallen angel that rules in the “kingdom” of Hell.
Per Snopes, “Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins — or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom — Lucifer.
— SAUL ALINSKY”
Warren Buffet was reportedly raised in a conservative and religious family. But he became a Democratic backer, is a self-described promoter of left-wing causes and is a self-professed atheist. The bio-documentary of Buffet posted below makes those points, most notably in the credits and later in the video.
A longtime Buffett ally is Bill Gates. Gates and his wife Melinda attend the Catholic Church. But so too does House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or former Vice President Joe Biden, all of whom hold policy positions in contradiction to what Catholics formally teach. It is not unlike Senators Mitt Romney (R) or Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D), who each are members of the Mormon Church, but who have each on different issues taken positions or actions that members of that religious body strongly object.
Hypocrisy knows know political, religious, or business limitations.
In the instance of Bill Gates, he said he believes in God but that he was uncertain as to what difference that should make with regards to business or other decisions. As Business Insider cited, Gates stated “I think it makes sense to believe in God, but exactly what decision in your life you make differently because of it, I don’t know.”
Certainly, one could probe the beliefs of other uber-wealthy capitalists whose contradictory statements and behavior have fueled the rise in the belief in socialism among the younger generation. The Koch brothers among Libertarian supporters or George Soros could be mentioned or examined for the mix of true and deceptive statements and behaviors that further undermined the American middle or working classes.
Just as the principle of separating the wheat from the chaff should be applied toward all people, organizations or things, it certainly applies to those whose wealth, political, media or other influences and power gives them an outsized sway over American society.
In the examining these influences, one must carefully look at the various forms of so-called nonprofit groups. Foundations and other tax-exempt NGOs – non-governmental organizations – such as the Gates Foundation, the Novo Foundation, the Urban Institute, the Tides center or an array of such influential operations protect the assets of the wealthy while giving them an indirect “dark money” tool at influencing media, politics and thus business too.
As the Golden State Manufactured-Home Owners League (GSMOL), MHLivingNews and MHProNews have each reported, the Tides funds MHAction. The Tides is funded in good measure by Warren Buffett’s Novo Foundation.
Prosperity Now, Nonprofits Sustain John Oliver’s “Mobile Homes” Video in Their Reports
The Gates Foundation has Buffett, Bill and Melinda Gates as Trustees. The Novo Foundation is funded by Warren Buffet and is operated by his daughter in law and son Peter Buffett.
Peter Buffett shed light on how these nonprofits posture a seemingly noble cause, but often freeze or make worse the problems they claim to address.
These are arguably part of the Warren Buffett “Castle and Moat” that has been deployed in the most proven type of permanent affordable housing, namely, manufactured homes.
Instead of promoting growth in manufactured housing, the nonprofit Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) has arguably provided cover for monopolistic behavior that is in several respects tied to this “Castle and Moat” tactic.
Rolfe on he and his partner Reynold’s website wrote the following.
Rolfe and his partner Reynolds have extensive ties to operations that are linked to Buffett-led Berkshire Hathaway.
Despite the so-called Code of Ethical Conduct and Antitrust statements by MHI, they have arguably been fostering an environment that favors a select few “MHInsiders” vs the balance of manufactured housing.
This matters to American society as a whole. Why? Because affordable home ownership is the key to building personal wealth.
When those who understandably advocate for minorities in the face of red-lining or other political ills, past or present, the most proven solution has purportedly been hamstrung by MHI and their big boy backers.
Useful third-party research into manufactured housing that spans Democratic and Republican Administrations have been ignored by MHI. Policy positions taken by MHI have often been short sighted or even counterproductive. Who says? Some of MHI’s own members and prior leaders.
The evidence isn’t lacking, it’s hiding in plain sight and is growing. Yet among the industry’s trade publications, only MHProNews and MHLivingNews has dared for the past 5 years to consistently hold the powers that be in the industry to accountability.
That’s not to say that other trade media or bloggers haven’t said useful things, but they are routinely eye candy, cheer leading and razzle dazzle distractions that are only obliquely useful. Their words must be fact checked against realities, which takes time and effort to do. But as those fact checks are done, the level of deception begins to come into focus.
As writer Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain, once observed, “It is easier to fool people than to convince them that they had been fooled.” Twain knew, because he was reputedly a newspaper guy in the gold and silver rush era who would “report” what today would be called “fake news.” Twain faced challenges to duels and other threats as a result.
Fake or agenda driven reporting is hardly new. President Abraham Lincoln faced an often-harsh press in his time. Lincoln reportedly observed that “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
Fast-forward to President Woodrow Wilson. Wilson arguably used propaganda to win re-election, enact legislation that in hindsight was problematic, was a Democratic racist that was so effective at what he did that the Nazis studied Wilson to learn his methods. Tragic but that’s generally accurate.
Let’s note that there are people of good will who have supported this or that political party. This report is a clear indication that this publication sources across the left-center-right divides.
There are members of both parties that – for instance – have done harmful as well as helpful things for affordable manufactured homes.
Ideally manufactured homes can and should be a nonpartisan issue. But in a hyper-partisan era, of course manufactured homes are going to be politicized.
Right or wrong, the quote below attributed to then businessman Donald J. Trump has been applied by people and organizations in manufactured housing and in the broader business or political arenas too.
Culture is Upstream and Downstream from Politics and Business
While it is true that culture is upstream from politics and businesses, the reverse is also true. Once something is “legalized” that was seen as immoral by the vast majority for centuries – i.e. abortion, euthanasia, genetic manipulation, etc. – then that “legalization” steadily influences culture.
In business or politics, too many “go with the flow” instead of looking at what’s right or what’s wrong. Clearly defining those two poles and then charting a course that attracts people of good will who grasp the value or wisdom of a traditionally American message.
The American Way?
“The American way of life or the American way refers to the American nationalist ethos that adheres to the principle of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. At the center of the American way is the American Dream that is achievable by any American through hard work,” per Wikipedia.
As People for the American Way (PFAW) board of director adopted in 2018, “People For the American Way is grounded in the nation’s ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice.” They are a leftist group, but that phrase is in keeping with America’s ideals that those on the right would agree with.
In the 2016 election cycle, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton clearly had vastly more governmental experience than the GOP candidate that ultimately won his party’s nomination and the election.
Why did Secretary Clinton lose? Obviously, the electoral college system was a key factor. But that was known in advance by both candidates. So those who “blame” the electoral system for Clinton’s loss in 2016 are missing an essential factual point.
That same electoral college system that delivered the White House to candidate Trump in 2016 might do so again in 2020; it’s not ‘national’ polls – regardless of how accurate they might be – but rather state-by-state polling that is far more important. It is the most electoral college votes – by state – that will once more select the next American president.
Clinton had a reputation among even numbers on the left for corruption. The Clinton Foundation was widely seen as an access-buying “pay to play” scheme that cloaked national and international contributions in a veil of respectability.
But the so-called “charitable” work of the foundation was betrayed by the actual events on the ground in places such as Haiti. Kevin Clayton, former President Bill Clinton, Warren Buffett and the big boy apparatus were ripped by progressive media and conservatives alike.
That dark episode was one in a string of black eyes for manufactured housing directly connected to Clayton Homes.
Indeed, in hindsight, it has become clear that manufactured housing in general and Clayton Homes in particular have had periodic bouts of controversy starting with the brouhaha over Berkshire buying Clayton that resulted in bitter litigation.
>>> Those who buy into “MHInsider” propaganda sources that have no exposure to this media or who don’t read reports in the Nation, Forbes, the Atlantic, GuruFocus, the Financial Times, the Jacksonville Florida Times Union, or the Seattle Times – among others – wouldn’t realize that Clayton and Buffett’s “Moat” stratagems has had scandals and controversial behaviors that arguably go back to 2003; some 17 years and counting.
That stands in stark contrast to claims made by Buffett that has been parroted by Kevin Clayton.
Quotes like the above must be carefully discerned, because researchers have noted that Buffett says some things that he didn’t mean in the apparent way they were stated.
Thus, far more applicable to Clayton’s track record is this Buffett quote.
Without that clarity of history, there may not be any independents left in MHVille.
The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) current president and CEO, Mark Weiss, J.D., has stressed that MHI has for years used an “Illusion of Motion” that postured action but delivered nothing worthwhile for many independents.
What’s the Solution to These Problems?
Albert Einstein reportedly said that if you can’t say something briefly you don’t know the subject well enough. That’s a debatable thought, but let’s sum this up briefly for effect.
>>> Good laws that already exist are not being enforced. Enforcing good laws are a significant part of the solution.
That pithy point has the benefit of not waiting years for debating issues in a routinely divided Congress.
Behind almost every one of these issues noted above or that are linked in reports from this commonality. Antitrust laws should be vigorously enforced. Ironically, or hypocritically, Frank Rolfe makes that argument.
Billionaire Nick Hanuer has said that “the pitchforks are coming” for the plutocrats and oligarchs. That would arguably describe Buffett and Gates, but would not be limited to them. To be clear, citing Hanuer isn’t to endorse all of his ideas, because like others, he debatably has engaged in posturing and paltering.
It is these techniques of manipulation that Americans in general, affordable housing seekers, and white hat manufactured home professionals should be focused on spotting and avoiding.
There are heroes and villains in the story of our industry. MHARR has been consistently pro-smaller businesses and for maximum access for seniors, working and middle-class Americans to access affordable home ownership. MHARR’s focus is regulatory, they are a “production” association. They have called for years for a “post-production” association that they could team up with to get good laws favorable to manufactured homes put into full effect.
This COVID19 crisis has raised issues about what the Gates Foundation knew, when, and what they did with that information. It merits serious investigation as does Warren Buffett, foundations and the Berkshire brands business practices.
The notion of not letting a serious crisis go to waste should not be the exclusive claim of people on the radical left. There are those on the conservative side that are learning and applying the principles too, only they claim that they seek to do so in a more ethical manner.
MHProNews has been and continues to cast the spotlight on issues that others have ducked, dodged, distracted, detracted, or otherwise avoided. Perhaps as a result, with dips and rises based on pushback from those we have spotlighted, ours has stayed the runaway most-read trade media in manufactured housing.
That is possible in part because tips from whistleblowers, along with clients and support from various pro-growth organizations.
Nothing is changed until it is challenged.
There are tragic opportunities that have come to light as a result of the CCP virus that could favor white hat brands in manufactured housing. The need for affordable housing will only grow. The laws that are needed already exist. Those laws should be rigorously enforced. And the good points about manufactured homes must be taught.
That’s over 4,000 words that link to thousands of more words, hardly succinct. But Twain in this case is closer than Einstein to the reality. It is easy to sum up what’s wrong in manufactured housing, but if one relies on a brief statement only it is easily dismissed as mere “conspiracy theories.” The alternative is that facts must be lined up and compared to what reality is. That’s why public officials and mainstream media reports – like the ones cited above – are useful to keep it clear that the evidence presented herein is just that – evidence.
The video above and below spotlight Clayton, but the ones below highlights Buffett and also MHI members, including Rolfe and Nathan Smith’s brands.
There is evidence of epic corruption. That’s why so many state and federal officials have been probing these issues.
The most affordable part of the housing industry – manufactured housing – along with wide swaths of American – are being arguably monopolized by a few oligarchs. Underperformance is part of their purported strategy for choking off smaller businesses.
Antitrust, deceptive trade practices and other laws that already exist must be brought to bear to break up the oligarchs who are harming the American Dream.
For those who have not yet come to realize that the system in manufactured housing has purportedly been ‘rigged,’ the question that the gentlemen in the report linked below applies. “Where the hell have you been?”
The links below the byline are relevant to this topic. That’s a wrap on this report from your runaway #1 source of manufactured home “Industry News, Tips and Views Pros Can Use” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) (See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHLivingNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing. For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com. This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position, and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
The text/image boxes below are linked to other reports, which can be accessed by clicking on them.
“MHI Lies, Independent Businesses Die” © – True or False? – Berkshire’s Joanne Stevens Strikes Again
Are Manufactured Housing Supply Chains in China Threatened by Coronavirus?
