Dot #1
“I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
In Francis Ford Coppola’s cinematic masterpiece “The Godfather,” the Corleone family decides to enter the casino business. So Michael Corleone flies out to Nevada to meet with Moe Greene, owner of a poorly run, money-losing casino the Corleones wanted to buy. The only problem was the owner, Moe, did not want to sell. What makes the scene so riveting is the power dynamic between the two. Michael Corleone, a ruthless gangster, was holding all the cards. His reputation was all that was needed to instill a visceral fear in Moe’s eyes. Michael demonstrated perfectly in that scene how to command power. He didn’t have to yell and scream, and he didn’t have to threaten; everything was implied. The heated negotiation between the two draws to a close as Moe insists the casino is not for sale. Michael ends the meeting in the most cold-blooded, bone-chilling manner imaginable. He sends a shiver down Moe’s spine with only four words as he looks him dead in the eye and says,
“Think about a price.”
A short time later, wouldn’t you know it, the Corleones were in the casino business…..
Bag was reminded of this scene recently when he saw the headline “Trump looking to buy Greenland.” Trump sees Greenland as a poorly run, money-losing buffet table of under-utilized natural resources. The thing is, Denmark owns Greenland, and they have repeatedly insisted that they will not sell it. But to be blunt, and to quote Michael Corleone, “If we are talking business, then let’s talk business.” Trump holds all the cards. He knows Denmark is the “Moe Greene” of countries. He could flex our military muscle by parking some aircraft carriers in the Baltic Sea or have some F18s engage in practice maneuvers over Copenhagen. But, there is no need. Denmark does not have the technical know-how, infrastructure, or money required to tap the natural resources located under the Greenland Permafrost. The US does, and Trump knows it. Denmark would be well advised to just “Think about a price” because, like the Corleones & Casinos, the US will be in the Greenland business very soon.
Dot #2.
“I believe in America.”
Another interesting recent news story is Trump suggesting that perhaps the US should take back control of the Panama Canal. In stark contrast to Greenland, Panama is not a bed of resources. However, it controls the flow of resources from East to West and vice versa. As John D. Rockefeller proved over a century ago, controlling the flow of resources can be more valuable than the resources themselves. Bag was blessed to have traveled through the Panama Canal last year and couldn’t help but notice, even at 6:00 AM, there was a horizon full of ships waiting to get through the Canal. The man-hours and the costs associated with each waiting their turn to pass through are staggering. Panama has turned over operation of the Canal to the Chinese. So, Chinese ships end up with preferable time slots, smaller wait times, and discounted tolls, while ships from the rest of the world make up the difference. Bag is glad to see Trump putting a stop to that nonsense.
Dot #3.
“It’s strictly business.”
At a Feb 3rd press conference, Trump himself stated that Ukraine will be expected to pony up the “Rare Earth metals” located in their country in exchange for all the support the US has already given them. Yes, all the tanks, missiles, drones, planes, bombs, bullets, etc. will all be paid for by the signing over of title of Ukraine’s mineral rights. In effect, Trump is clawing back all the Aid the Biden administration so foolishly granted them. Of particular note from this press conference was the man standing on Trump’s left. It was Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor-Fitzgerald, and the new US Secretary of Commerce. If ever there was a guy capable of turning those rare earth metals back into the 100’s of billions we flushed down that Ukraine shit hole, Howard is the guy.
Dot #4
“You shove in all your Sausages and Meatballs.”
Less than a week ago, Trump signed an executive order creating the United States Sovereign Wealth fund. It is a savings account, or stated another way, a place to store assets for the country. Hmmmmm. It will likely be seeded initially with the 200,000 or so Bitcoin the US currently holds. Trump has also stated that he wants to add equity positions from various companies. He mentioned a 50% stake in TikTok in exchange for the license to operate in the US. If Twitter was worth 44 billion, TikTok should easily fetch 100 billion. That’s just the start. How many shares would Exxon Mobil throw in the fund for the right to sink wells in the continental shelf? Or BHP to pull out the rare earths? Or Lockheed Martin to continue making drones and helicopters? There is no world where this sovereign wealth fund is not worth Trillions by the time Trump leaves office.
Dot #5
“Can you get me off the hook, for old time’s sake?”
In a December 10th dinner meeting between then President-Elect Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, they discussed the subject of Trade between Canada and the US. Trump pointed out that Canada has been ripping off the US to the tune of about 300 billion per year, and that a tariff would be just the tool needed to restore balance. Trudeau claimed that tariffs would be very damaging to the Canadian economy and asked what could be done to avoid them. Trump responded, “Perhaps Canada should become the 51st state, and you, Justin, could be the Governor.” Many in the mainstream media took that Trump comment and wrote it off as a joke. My friends, it is no joke, Trump will pressure them. It doesn’t matter if Canada has been a friend and an ally for generations. Either they get with the program and kiss the ring, or they will get the Tessio treatment.
Dot #6
“They hit him with five shots, and he’s still alive.”
When Trump started his first term in 2016, Bag believes that Trump did not expect to win. This left him unprepared for what faced him on day one. Consequently, as the swamp creatures, like the Pompeos, the Faucis, etc, coalesced around him, he gave deference to many of them. Whether you like Trump or hate him, you must admit that the man learns from his mistakes. He had four long years between terms to think about what he got wrong. You can see the difference in his cabinet appointments as there is not a swamp creature in sight. They are all HIS people. Gabbard, RFK, Hegseth, Patel, and Bondi are America first principled patriots intent on taking a wrecking ball to corrupt Government institutions. Hell Yeah!
At the same time, Lutnick, Musk, and Trump - all highly successful businessmen - will do what businessmen do best: get our financial house in order. To that end, Bag expects to see the “great monetization” of the US balance sheet over the next four years. The Trump administration will drive home the point Bag made in his last article, which is that income (or lack of one) doesn’t matter; assets do. The US currently owns nearly a trillion in gold, roughly 650 million acres of land, and another 3 billion acres if the continental shelf is included. Underneath much of that is a bevy of resources: Oil, Gas, Gold, Lithium, Copper, Potash, Uranium, Silver, etc…. Adding up the value of those resources, we are not talking billions or even trillions - we are talking tens of trillions. Toss in the Rare Earths of Ukraine, maybe even some of their (best in the world) farmland, the Greenland buffet, the near-endless supply of Canadian lumber, nat gas, oil, and freshwater - and suddenly the 36 trillion dollar US debt starts to look like pocket change.
Connecting the Dots….
“We’ll get there, pop, we’ll get there.”
Trump fully intends to end wars, usher in world peace, and have his cabinet rip out corruption, root and stem. The left knows it too; it is plain to see in the hysteria and visceral fear emanating from the Warrens, Sanders, AOCs, etc. It’s the kind of fear a dog can sense a mile away. The marshaling of assets from Greenland, Canada, and Ukraine is just the first step. The monetization of those assets, along with our own, will balance the budget, put a massive dent in the US Debt, and turn the US back into a financial juggernaut. At the same time, his sovereign wealth fund will grow the assets side of the US balance sheet to the point where Income tax may well become a thing of the past, and the IRS abolished. Accomplish that, and as far as Bag is concerned, Trump will have earned the right to grab a couple of Cocktail waitresses and, as Moe Greene would say, pull himself a “Fredo.” While he does that, the rest of the country will figure out how to make the picture below a reality.
