Was this many years old when theKid informed that approx. 55 elephants are killed everyday by poachers.  For their tusks.  For trinkets, baubles, and doodads.  And piano keys.  Loving that ivory sheen.

Back in 1903 an elephant – Topsy, dear ol’ Topsy – was considered “recalcitrant” after having injured several horsemen (including her handlers and another for possibly burning her trunk with a cigar) and electrocuted for entertainment purposes. 

Had heard that Thomas Edison had a hand in the pachyderm demise while in competition with Tesla (the real guy, not the OilyMuskyFunk currently polluting [un]popular culture) trying to prove AC (Tesla stan) was more dangerous than DC (Edison’s preferred) … all of which is wrong (thanks, Wiki), got the guys mixed up (not Tesla but Westinghouse) and Edison – though he had killed other animals with AC – did not have anything to do with the murder of Topsy. 

Still a jerk, tho’.

Which brings up the current issue … or BYD.  Never heard of the company, but apparently has solved the electric car problem for which ‘Murrica does not want a solution.

For see, to wit:  apparently, there is this Chinese company that makes electric cars that are more reliable, more efficient, and more less money (about $30K) than US-made electric vehicles … BUT … the Gub’mint has placed a 100-percent (yes, the whole thing) tariff (see: the Orange Menace) on the purchase price of any BYD electric vehicles from China … which essentially bans the vehicles from the US market … BUT … these cars are popular everywhere else on earth, so the real loser is the US consumer.

Figures.

Soooo … rather than embrace the innovation and encourage healthy competition with US comps,
the idea/plan/objective is to stifle it?

Sounds about right. 

Fittingly enough, the vid discussing BYD was about the inevitable decline of the American Empire, and how stilted thinking and rampant greed is bringing about the downfall.  {Jude 11}

While membership has its benefits …
              Capitalism has its limits.

Methinks it has been reached.  Oh and BRICS will not use the dollar as the currency of choice, and N.Ko is likely planning to hit the US w/an EMP, kill off 95 percent of the population.

Good way to start over, meguess.  That’s certainly one way to resolve the nation’s consumer debt.

Gee, thanks Kim.