Current Affairs Quiz

The Fragility of the US Banking System and the Looming Economic Crisis

• Regional banks are at risk of collapse due to people withdrawing their money in search of better rates of return, leading to liquidity drying up and the possibility of a cascade of bank failures like in 2008.

• 186 more banks are at risk of failure, and if only half of their uninsured depositors withdraw their funds, the banks will collapse.

• Most bonds are currently paying a fixed interest rate that becomes attractive when interest rates fall, but many regional banks trusted the federal government and put their assets in bonds, which the government has devalued through inflation.

• Commercial real estate loans are coming due in the next few years, and refinancing at higher rates increases the risk of default, leading to widespread financial pain.

• The government continues to spend endless amounts of money, exacerbating the economic crisis, and Joe Biden maintains that he wants to continue spending.

• The chance of a debt deal to solve the inflation problem is low, and Democrats refuse to negotiate over the future of the economy.

• The unemployment rate remains low, and the jobs market is robust, which means that inflation will not come down anytime soon.

• The city of New York refuses to police crime, leading to a normalization of living in garbage conditions and an attempt to suggest that you are only a believer in equity if you allow yourself to be victimized on the subway.

• The death of Jordan Neely, a mentally ill repeat criminal, has turned into a game of blaming systemic American racism instead of the city's refusal to police crime.

• Representative Jamal Bowman suggests that there were 10 other things that could have been done before the 24-year-old Marine put Neely in a submission hold and choked him to death, but he does not offer any solutions.

• The government continues to avoid responsibility for the economic crisis, and a thriving economy with a serious future requires the government to cut spending and restructure entitlements.

• Diversifying would be the smart move in this economy because no one is taking responsibility to solve the problems that will lead to a cliff and a sudden collapse of the economy.Left Normalizing Abuse on Public Transit System

• New York City has resources for mentally ill people, but schizophrenic people are not taken off the streets.

• The left has settled on a theory that normal taxpaying citizens must undergo being abused in public areas by mentally ill, drug addicts, or criminals.

• Running a business can create HR issues and Bambi provides access to a dedicated HR manager starting at $99 per month.

• Roxanne Gay's article in the New York Times titled "Making People Uncomfortable Can Now Get You Killed" suggests that it is becoming increasingly unsafe to be in public.

• Gay argues that society must focus on larger humanity and life instead of the immediate discomfort of being abused on public transit.

• Emma Vigeland on the Majority Report suggests that feeling safe on public transit is bourgeois and that people must suppress those feelings and accept being abused.

• San Francisco has deployed the National Guard to combat trafficking and drug addiction on the streets.

• The tolerance for drug use in society has risen, which has contributed to the rise in crime, homelessness, and odd behavior.

• A government-funded study suggests that marijuana may be driving a surge in schizophrenia cases among young men, and teens who smoke cannabis are six times more likely to get schizophrenia.

• Society is experiencing a complete fragmentation of the social fabric, leading to skyrocketing rates of mental illness, homelessness, and drug use.

• The Surgeon General has put out a report on the epidemic of loneliness and isolation, which has public health ramifications.

• Loneliness is a spiritual issue, and society must address the fragmentation of the social fabric to combat the rising rates of mental illness, homelessness, and drug use.The Surgeon General's Report on Loneliness and Isolation, and the Destruction of the Social Fabric

• The Surgeon General's report highlights the serious threat loneliness and social disconnectedness pose to physical and mental health.

• Social isolation and loneliness increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression, dementia, and infectious diseases.

• Half of Americans claim to experience loneliness, and less than 40% feel very connected to others.

• The amount of time Americans spend alone has increased by nearly 30 minutes from 2003 to 2019 and over 20 minutes more in 2020.

• The amount of time young people aged 15 to 24 spend with friends in person has dropped nearly 70% from 2003 to 2020.

• Risk factors for loneliness and isolation include being a racial or ethnic minority, identifying as LGBTQ, experiencing discrimination, having lower income, and living alone.

• The Surgeon General recommends six pillars to address the loneliness epidemic: strengthen social infrastructure, develop pro-connection public policies, train healthcare providers to identify at-risk individuals, reform the digital environment, cultivate a culture of connection, and reduce polarization.

• The government has destroyed the social fabric by replacing social connections with government incentive structures and promoting subjective individualism.

• The government replaced economic support systems rooted in duty with welfare programs, destroying kinship structures, community networks, and religious communities.

• The government has imposed a social culture in which subjective individualism is the only way to think of oneself, leading to the atomization of society.

• The backlash to this atomistic individualism is starting, and Bud Light's recent decline in sales due to their hiring of a man pretending to be a woman as an influencer is a sign of this backlash.

• Americans are rejecting Bud Light and other companies that promote social leftism and foster the fraying of the social fabric.The Fraying of the Social Fabric in America

• Bud Light sales have dropped significantly due to the pandemic, and people are avoiding areas that showcase the fraying of the social fabric.

• Anthropologie faced backlash for a photoshoot featuring a man in women's clothing, and the negative response caused them to disable comments on the post.

• TV show Ted Lasso's latest season has received criticism for being unwatchable due to its focus on social justice lectures instead of humor.

• Illegal immigration has become a hotly debated topic, with Democrats accused of promoting an open border policy that undermines the social fabric of the country.

• The crisis at the border is worsening, and Democrats are being forced to adjust their messaging due to the negative impact of their policies.

• Eric Adams, Mayor of New York, criticized Governor Greg Abbott for sending illegal immigrants to Black-led cities, but later walked back his comments.

• Democrats are increasingly being held accountable for their policies, and Republicans could be more competitive if they ran better candidates.

• Ikiru, a 1952 Japanese film directed by Kurosawa, has been remade as Living with Bill Murray in the lead role.

• Living follows the story of a bureaucrat who discovers he has six months to live and becomes obsessed with building a park for children.

• The film's message is that small everyday activities can make people's lives better and contribute to building the social fabric.

• The original film is conservative and emphasizes the importance of finding meaning in life through service to others.

• The fraying of the social fabric can be addressed by focusing on conservative values and promoting everyday acts of kindness and service.