Schloss-Blog: Who Won In Beijing? Not the U.S., Not Trump.

While the Schloss-Blog notes that President Trump says we're still on a cease-fire in Iran, we're wondering who won the "peace-fire" in Beijing?

The cease-fire in Iran is laughable: The U.S. and Iranian forces regularly exchange missile fire and the Strait of Hormuz remains blockaded on both ends. 

Same thing with Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon - the cease-fire that isn't. But that doesn't affect the price of gas you put in your car, right?

Or does it?

The only thing you know is that inflation is at ... wait for it ...3.8% right now and inflation, to you, is the economy. Even though the U.S, economy is doing well by most standard measures (consumer spending, employment), you measure the economy by your wallet - how much money do I have left after I pay my bills?

Because when it comes to money, the U.S. consumer has said distinctly since the pandemic, I wanna' spend it! Two years of being holed up thanks to the pandemic has put Americans on a nonstop spending spree that shows little sign of slowing down.

But we're paying for it. Consumer credit-card debt was $1.25 trillion in the first quarter of this year, or $6,500 per cardholder.

How are you doing carrying $6,500 of credit-card debt apiece? No wonder those "consolidation" services advertise so much - most of us need them (wait until you see their terms though).

However, not to worry - it's the households that cumulatively make up the top 10% of earners that account for almost half (49%) of all that spending. 

That's not you, right? Right? Except for the debt part, right?

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Meanwhile, Trump says the cease-fire with Iran is on "life support," but so is the murder conviction of James Murdaugh, the high-profile Soutb Carolina attorney who was convicted in 2023 of killing his wife and son.

He says a stranger walked in and did it. The South Carolina Supreme Court said never mind about that - the SC Supremes said that the county clerk improperly tampered with the jury by making inappropriate, anti-Murdaugh statements, directed at them.

Bingo, new trial, and prosecutors say they will bring the charges again.

And will gag the county clerk.

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Closing notes:

As the ongoing war with Iran continues to impact Americans' wallets, especially because of its impact on the price of gas and inflation in general, don't worry, Trump is on it.

"I don't think about Americans' financial situations," he told a gaggle of reporters before leaving for China ... wait for it ... to accomplish absolutely nothing.

I guess on the list of goals for this war we started, impact to Americans' wallets come in last. behind regime change, freedom for the Iranian people, the end of uranium enrichment and THEN, the wallets of everyday Americans.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced that. In his dual role as National Security Advisor, he told the media that the goal of the war with Iran is now to restore it "back to the way it was" before Trump started the war.

In other words, we started the war just to start a war and now we would like to please go back to how it was before we started the war.

So far, it's only cost 13 American lives and 170 or so Iranian children's lives.

Please!

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Good night, Mrs. Calabash. Here's to you, Betsy Petrie.

More Sunday night on my Radio Free Phoenix rock 'n' roll show.