What did you expect?

Oh that’s right, anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. They why did they shoot up a celebration in one of the world’s safest countries? What was the motivation?

Somehow most of the world can’t understand “from the river to the sea” means elimination of Israel. That’s the goal. And Hamas is still fighting for that in Gaza… Selling food at inflated prices. But the horrible Jews stole that land and just won’t give it back to its rightful owners.

Hogwash.

I’ve given up writing about the Gaza crisis. Because the blowback is too big, and I don’t think I’m converting anyone.

To be clear, I don’t want to defend Netanyahu, I definitely don’t want to defend the West Bank settlements, but what do you expect the Israelis to do? Against an enemy that not only wants them eliminated, but attacked during a ceasefire?

But the whole world has jumped on the bandwagon. Countries have recognized a Palestinian state that does not exist. Never mind that the Jews were there thousands of years ago. A false narrative has taken hold.

And if you think the Palestinians have not fomented it on college campuses, have not had a decades-long campaign, then you think Russia is America’s friend. But let’s settle the war in Ukraine on Putin’s terms, think of all the money we can make in business in the wake of arms being laid down!

Ukrainians are fighting for their lives. Like Israel, they were attacked. But that makes no difference, nor the number of soldiers Russia has lost, which is in excess of a million. As for the casualties in Gaza…horrible. However, the estimated numbers do come from the Palestinians… Maybe they’re that high, maybe they’re not.

And we’ve got many of today’s young Jews protesting against Israel. As if when the new Hitler arrives they’ll be let to live in peace. Did everybody on Bondi Beach pledge fealty to Israel? No, they were just Jews, trying to celebrate in peace.

Oh, but they shoot Christians too. The problem is religion. I’m with you on that, but Jews have been targeted for millennia!

Somehow assimilated Jews in America think they’re safe. They don’t know what people say behind their backs. It’s not only that they’re Jewish, but they’re loud and pushy and money-grubbing and different. The Jews are the OTHER! Why can’t young Jews accept this?

Do I think there is a guy in the sky who sees everything and knows whether I’ve been naughty or nice? Of course not. But that does not mean I’m not a Jew. It’s not like being a lapsed Catholic. You’re forever branded, whether you believe or not. And that’s fine with me, I’ll own being Jewish, but history is laden with people who couldn’t carry this burden, who changed religions to live in peace, hoping nobody would find out.

The Jews on Bondi Beach were proud of their Jewishness. What’s so different from this and Christians celebrating? Oh, that’s right, we live in a Christian nation. Only we don’t, the founders specifically desired church and state be separated. But somehow the originalists who refuse to believe we’ve evolved in two hundred and fifty years, looking into the minds of ancient men who couldn’t contemplate today’s world, think otherwise, that Christianity is American bedrock and anybody who complains about prayer meetings for players…

Do you know what it’s like to be in these circumstances? When everybody assumes they’re the same, part of a group, and you’re not? I’ve been there, it’s very weird.

And too many of today’s American Jews refuse to own their religion. To the point where the Orthodox in hats are deemed representative of Jews, because too many regular Jews are afraid to speak up.

Did you read that story about the killing of a hostage by injecting air in her veins?

“‘Doctor Killed My Girl’ – ‘Gaza doctor murdered Israeli hostage by injecting air into her veins…before her father received video of her dying and begging for her life'”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15373777/Gaza-doctor-murdered-Israeli-hostage-injecting-air-veins-sent-video-dying-begging-life-father.html

Debate all day long the veracity of the story. But if you think Hamas is equivalent to the Israelis… You’re probably antisemitic, you don’t care if the Jews are gone.

The whole world doesn’t seem to care if the Jews are gone.

Most people will read today’s news and shrug their shoulders. After all, it wasn’t them. And didn’t they just kill students at Brown? Just another mass shooting, nothing to see here, move on.

Why is it when Jews are involved there’s a double standard? All we heard about the Gaza war was that the Jews should step down, stop and return to peace, as if there’s been peace in the middle east during my lifetime, never mind all those thousands of years before. The goal of Netanyahu was to eliminate Hamas. Was that reasonable, was that doable? We can debate that. But the bottom line is Hamas still controls a section of Palestine, and if you think you’d rather live there than Israel, I hope you’re not gay, or trans…and even if you’re just an average Christian, the standard of living is much lower in Gaza because of the firm grip of Hamas. You want freedom? That’s not what you get in Gaza.

But everybody blames it on the Jews.

I want all of America’s Jews to wake up. Especially those at the “New York Times.” They think they’re immune to antisemitism, that it all doesn’t come down to their religion, their upbringing, their genes. Self-hating Jews, I’ve got no time for them.

We can debate all day long about the Palestinian problem…a group of people who have refused every offer of land for a nation since the creation of Israel, a group of people that no surrounding Arab state will accept with full rights, if at all…but we’ve got to stop denying antisemitism.

The deaths today on Bondi Beach are a direct result of the media and left leaning politicians who are afraid of siding with an oppressed minority, and that’s what Jews are, despite having some members of the tribe who’ve done well financially through hard work. Why don’t Americans invite a Jew for dinner? Why don’t Jews ask to become members of clubs that still don’t want them? Why do today’s Jews think it’s any different than it’s been for five thousand years? Antisemitism is a cancer on our society and too many have added fuel to the fire.

Leading to today.

And this is not the end of it.

This is something we can all relate to.

Not everybody was concerned when abortion rights were diminished. Males, those outside the reproductive window… Birth control and abortions are critical to women of childbearing age, but everybody? No.

Immigration… Some people are concerned that illegal immigrants are taking away jobs. Then again, there are those living in states with many illegal immigrants who do the jobs citizens don’t want to. They are not that concerned with illegal immigration.

But high prices? Those affect us all!

Unless you’re rich. But the rich have taken an image hit. Look at Elon Musk and DOGE… Musk has been revealed to a myopic narcissist, someone hard to believe in.

As for the rest of the billionaires, the ultra-wealthy… There was a story in the “Wall Street Journal” today how they are able to make investments in private companies before they go public, reaping even more wealth.

“Inside the Invitation-Only Stock Market for the Wealthy – The buzziest private companies are being sold to a select few as the universe of stocks everyone else can invest in shrinks rapidly”

Free link: https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/private-stock-market-growth-bb71bde1?st=GRwgpS&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

And if you don’t think the wealthy are afraid of the hoi polloi whilst they rig the economic landscape to their advantage, you’re wearing blinders.

Income inequality has been burgeoning since the eighties. And all those holding the short end of the stick are told is how good they’ve got it, with smartphones and flat screen TVs…I mean how broke can you be? Can’t you just shut up and be happy?

You may not be aware of the fact that Gen Z brought down the government of Bulgaria:

“‘Did We Do That?’ Gen Z Protesters Help Tip Balance Against Bulgaria’s Leaders – Young Bulgarians turned out in protests that helped unseat their government. Whether that will translate into higher turnout in upcoming elections is up to them.”

Free link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/world/europe/bulgaria-young-protesters-gen-z.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8k8.qcU_.QM9tU4Io971_&smid=url-share

Past is prologue. Gen Z brought down the governments in Nepal and Madagascar. And are testing the limits in Indonesia and Morocco.

The internet works everywhere. And the youngsters across the ocean are not radically different from those over here.

From the above NYT article:

“‘People who once scrolled through TikTok for entertainment are now using it to stay informed and become politically educated…'”

Fifteen years ago, change was fomented on Twitter. But that platform was deemed legitimate because the reporters for traditional news outlets were not only enamored of it, but addicted to it. They do not feel the same way about TikTok. Scratch a TikTok hater and you’ll be stunned to find out the person has never even been on the platform. Meaning Gen Z can operate there with impunity, in plain sight. Talk about a generation gap.

So, does the seizure of an oil tanker bother you? How about the National Security Strategy report beating up Europe and claiming that right wing patriots will be supported in the future? There’s an endless litany of actions that have segments of the public scratching their heads. But not all of the public.

Like the affordability crisis. Everybody needs to eat, everybody sees high prices. And then Donald Trump, poorly employing Steve Jobs’s reality distortion field, said there is no problem there is no affordability crisis, BECAUSE HE SAYS SO!

Hmm…

Once again, along with your smartphone and flat screen you’re supposed to be happy the stock market is burgeoning, even though you own no stock. When Trump lies it mostly rolls off of the shoulders of the public, but not this time.

And if you think this is a right versus left issue, Republican versus Democrat, you’re sorely mistaken.

The bottom line is we have a large portion of the public that is disaffected, that has no time for either party, thinks they’re both out of touch. Which is true. In hindsight, the lack of a primary and the anointment of Kamala Harris hurt the Democratic brand irreparably. As for the future… All we can see is the usual suspects, many of them aged, telling us to wait for the next election. Well, Gen Z can’t wait! Furthermore, for those who don’t believe in the system, is a free and fair election going to take place? Is the winner going to respond to their issues and problems?

Of course not.

What we are seeing is a generational war, which oldsters, Boomers and Gen-X’ers, cannot fathom. After all, they grew up hip! They wear their children’s clothing. Their parents were old farts, but not them. But the truth is today’s elders are just as bad as yesterday’s…decrying everything youngsters are into.

As for those youngsters…

Where are the good jobs paying good money such that you can move out of your parents’ domicile, never mind buy a house.

And then there’s the issue of AI… A lot of it paranoia, but the future of work once again looks like winners and losers, with very few winners.

The prospects of the youth are grim.

And for what reason should they have faith in the government? When RFK, Jr. enables a measles outbreak in South Carolina? Yes, a lot of the public is brain dead, but not all of them.

The revolt always starts with the educated, the elite the uninformed decry. Young thinkers with nothing to lose are the ones who will foment change. As for the oldsters? They’ll come along eventually, once they sense the momentum. But they don’t want to be on the front lines, they don’t want to sacrifice anything.

But prior to now, there has not been a universal sentiment, a rallying cry, but now there is. Grocery prices. Prices everywhere! People don’t want a long explanation of why beef prices are so high, they just know they’re stratospheric!

And when you can’t take it any longer, you tip over the table.

That’s what’s in the offing. Just because it hasn’t happened yet, that doesn’t mean it won’t happen at all.

Trump believes he’s winning. After all, he’s got all the branches of government under his thumb, even the Supreme Court. And everybody who works for him is afraid to jump the track, for fear they’ll be ostracized.

As for what happened in Indiana with gerrymandering, the news reports about Johnson’s crumbling support…that’s all inside baseball, interesting to the wonks, those addicted to the news, but not the general public.

Who is looking out for the general public?

And now health insurance rates are going to go through the roof. Sure, a lot of Gen Z will just go bare, but they’ll be aware of the costly alternative. Health insurance will be out of reach, just like the exotic automobiles the out of touch entertainers feature in their videos.

Did you think youngsters would take it forever? That they’d just go on somnambulantly indefinitely?

But the oldsters tell them everything is groovy. The music of today is just as good as that of yesterday. But where is the new Dylan coining aphorisms as pointed as:

“When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose.”

And there you have it. The outbreak will come from those who have nothing to lose, because they’ve got no assets.

Oldsters protesting in the streets can be ignored. But when the youth come out in droves…that will be notable. Just like Mamdani tying his opponents in knots by utilizing modern communication methods to triumph. Sure, Cuomo was far from a perfect candidate, but he thought it was all about money, he listened to the usual suspects, the same ones still in control of the Democratic party….

No, today you can do it for free! Just like you can create a song on your laptop and put it right up on Spotify, you can post on TikTok and rally the masses. Never has the proletariat had this much power, never!

We are just waiting for the tipping point. The elephant stands until that one last piece of straw is placed on its back. A rubber band can be stretched only so far before it will break.

We all don’t need to fly private, vacation on Necker Island, but we do have to eat. We have daily expenses, from the gas in our car to our toothpaste… We are all consumers, our nation runs on consumption, without the public buying their wares, the billionaires would be broke!

And no one in power is acknowledging all this. Well, maybe Mamdani, but to most of the nation New York is a distant fantasyland, what happens there has no impact on their life.

But Congress is gridlocked. Trump acts with impunity. The Supreme Court rubber stamps the president’s actions and….

Meanwhile, ICE is a rogue force arresting people in the streets. It’s like we’re living in a police state. And unlike Bill Clinton, who said he felt our pain, Kristi Noem gives the middle finger and says “tough noogies!”

Once again, this is not really a right or left issue. When the government detaches from the people, that’s when the people revolt.

And Trump keeps pushing and life is getting harder and there’s no end in sight.

Something will break, it’s just a matter of what.

Tune in Saturday December 13th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.

If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz

So let’s say you want to buy a concert ticket. You search in Google and you see a multitude of offers. All from the secondary market, i.e. scalpers, i.e. brokers. And if it’s a superstar, you may have the ability to purchase a ticket to what is supposedly a sold out show. However, many times the secondary market is offering tickets when primary tickets are still available on Ticketmaster, AXS, whatever ticketing company the promoter is using.

Watch this video:

@thefinanceinfo

Rory Sutherland on the We Have a Meeting podcast explains why Google search is getting worse — and why being “1” on Google isn’t even a win anymore. Search results are now stuffed with ads, so the first thing you click is rarely the best… just the highest bidder. He even paid more for a CTA because it appeared higher on the list, while the Canadian government offered the same thing for far cheaper. And if you search for a hotel? Google shows you five competing hotels before the one you actually wanted. The platform that once simplified the internet is now overwhelming it with options and charging businesses for the privilege. #business #google #marketing

? original sound – The Finance Info

1. This is Rory Sutherland, an English advertising executive who proffers wisdom on TikTok. He didn’t sit down and try to become a famous influencer, it all happened by accident. During Covid one video of him was posted and the public was hungry for his insights and his following burgeoned. This is what we call “pull” instead of “push.” Pre-internet marketing was all about pushing things on people, making them aware of them and getting the public to buy/partake. However, to succeed in the internet world, people must desire you. Push doesn’t work. There are too many marketing messages which are transparent hucksterism and people are turned off. But when they find something they like, they want more and tell everybody about it. This is the essence of success. Something that has been lost in the music business. We’ve got all these acts complaining they’re not getting paid, but if they were great, the public would desire them, they would pull their songs and more, make them a success. But nobody wants to own the truth.

2. Earlier this week I sent a TikTok video of Big Jim’s review of Yang Chow, a restaurant in Chinatown that a group of us go to on a regular basis. One of the recipients said she was not on TikTok. To quote:

“I’m barely engaged in social media. I don’t want to spend more time watching people I don’t know and will never meet. I can barely keep up with my friends and family!”

This is an old school, Facebook/Instagram view of social media. That it’s all about connecting with old friends, people bragging, trying to create FOMO. But no, on TikTok, a lot of the videos are informational. You learn. The algorithm divines what you are interested in and serves it up. You know I’ve got a bug up my ass about this, but I will say it once again, to counter the tide of oldsters…I’ve never heard a youngster complain about TikTok. It’s the oldsters who think it’s the devil. Social media is like AI, it’s here to stay. Furthermore, it has distinct advantages. Why are all the Boomers and Gen-X’ers so self-satisfied? They were addicted to television, but when there’s a new platform they pooh-pooh it. It would be laughable if traditional news and the so-called elite didn’t rail against technology constantly. The internet is the best thing that ever happened to me, I’m connecting with you right now! I can find information in niches that was previously unavailable to me, I can connect with people all over the world. Please change your perspective and get a TikTok account, to watch the videos in this piece, if nothing else.

2.a. Big Jim is a restaurant reviewer who popped up in my feed. He tends to review holes in the wall, unknown places in the San Fernando Valley, the ones no one talks about. I haven’t heard of most of the locations, but he’s piqued my interest. However, he gives a positive review to everything. This is the video on Yang Chow:

@bigjimsbabybites

Yang Chow Chinese Restaurant in Los Angeles, CA. Since 1977 Food Review ?Yang Chow 819 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012 #Yangchow #chinesefood #losangeles #foodreview #fyp @Jisela Ordaz

? original sound – Big Jim

So Google is a B2B enterprise where the consumer gets screwed. Here’s another Rory Sutherland clip that talks about this:

@wehaveameetingpod

Google is scamming you – Rory Sutherland I searched for a hotel. I wanted that hotel, not six others. There’s a fine line between being helpful and being annoying, okay Google? Full Podcast out soon. Don’t miss it. #RorySutherland #MarketingInsights #EthicalMarketing #AttentionEconomy #SmartAdvertising #HumanMarketing #Google

? original sound – We Have A Meeting Podcast

Bottom line… Google is in cahoots with advertisers who are oftentimes using subterfuge to make their money. Google doesn’t police this whatsoever. As a matter of fact, Google is proud of the fact that it’s all done automatically, online. But, the truth is Google has a responsibility to the consumer to deliver accurate information. However, the secondary market spends a fortune on ads with Google and the tech company looks the other way. The primary market is buried and can’t compete.

All this talk about the secondary market vs. the primary market… How can the primary market succeed if Google is helping the secondary, looking the other way?

The music industry must change its focus. It’s myopic, i.e. the secondary market is bad. It is, but it’s being enabled by Google, which should be shamed into changing its policy.

It’s not only concert tickets. Advertisers purvey all kinds of things for sale at exorbitant rates, far beyond the price the original seller is offering them at. But the original seller can’t compete, because these secondary market enterprises without the underlying costs of the original sellers spend a fortune on Google ads and dominate mindshare.

This can be changed.

Google said “Don’t be evil.”? It’s actively harming the concert industry, and many more verticals to boot!