Putin's Biggest Advantage Is Biden's Terrible Economic Policies

Vice President Joe Biden greets Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at the Russian White House, in Moscow, Russia, March 10, 2011.
(Official White House Photo by David Lienemann).

In the war between Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s greatest advantage is Joe Biden’s economy-crippling policies. Anyone who’s read a bit about World War II will realize quickly that big wars are won by vibrant economies. The massive fleets of bombers flying night raids over London or Munich weren’t targetting troops or enemy positions, they were targeting productive capacity. That’s why Joe Biden’s policies, especially those that drive up the price of energy are Vladimir Putin’s biggest advantage. Daniel Henninger writes in The Wall Street Journal:

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The war has reached a tipping point, with Mr. Putin playing tactical-nuclear brinkmanship after Ukraine’s astonishing military this week routed the Russians around the cities of Kherson and Lyman.

Notwithstanding Mr. Putin’s recent defeats and setbacks, it’s possible he could still win without using a tactical nuclear weapon. Deploying a nuke would guarantee an escalation in range and quality of NATO’s military support for Ukraine. But there is another weapon that could wear down the West’s will to continue this necessary fight: a world in recession led by a United States that has forsaken pro-growth economics.

Whether we are heading into a technical recession or stagnant GDP growth between 1% and 2% in 2023 is beside the point. It is time to recognize that spending money on the climate has become such a consuming obsession for the Democratic Party that it is putting at risk the recovery of the U.S. economy and national security.

For the Democrats, saving the planet is World War III, IV and V. No issue or reality, including Mr. Putin’s threat to use tactical nukes in Ukraine, will deter them from demoting every other priority to achieve their climate goals. But the Putin threat—and this week’s firing by North Korea of a ballistic missile across Japan—has pushed climate über alles out of the realm of economic forecasts by the Congressional Budget Office and onto the blazing front burner.

Consider the Biden Democrats’ policies of the past two years. Virtually everything they have done has been targeted at the climate, climate-related infrastructure outlays, increased transfer payments or the half-trillion-dollar student-debt write-off. The pay-fors come primarily through higher taxes. It is difficult to identify any initiative meant to unlock the post-pandemic energies of the broader U.S. economy.

The world’s No. 1 economic issue is inflation. The Democrats just passed the Inflation Reduction Act. Read through the White House fact sheet on the new law and it’s clear that “inflation” was virtually a Trojan horse for pushing through an array of long-sought “clean energy” subsidies and tax credits.

If Europe’s anti-Putin resolve breaks down this winter, it will be because its willingness to oppose the Russian has contributed to destructively high natural-gas prices. Mr. Biden spent the summer blaming high gasoline prices on either Mr. Putin or profiteering U.S. refiners. California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants a windfall profits tax on oil companies. The Biden Democrats’ explicit determination to suppress long-term capital investments in fossil-fuel production ensures a near-term energy and security dilemma for the Europeans.

The invasion of Ukraine forced the Europeans to admit their defense spending finally needed to rise. But with energy prices spiking amid an economic slowdown, the chances of follow-through on this long-sought U.S. goal diminish. The irony is that the European Union has backed away partially from the renewables obsession, recently voting that investment in nuclear power and natural gas is “green.” Which it is.

American financial support for Ukraine has been relatively robust so far, but if the U.S. goes into a protracted downturn, pressures will build on both the political left and right for spending “limited resources” on domestic needs. Mr. Putin’s nuclear aggression already has Elon Musk tweeting concern about the “great harm” Ukraine’s recent victories may do.

Competing priorities are inevitable, but we proved with the pro-growth policies of the 1980s that they are manageable if the world’s strongest economy leads by maxing out its potential.

Mr. Putin’s advisers can see the evidence that America’s liberals have become wholly transfixed by spending on climate, with little prospect of any significant U.S. pro-growth policies for two more years. They see that Mr. Biden has outsourced responsibility for the economy’s health to the Federal Reserve, whose only viable policy lever now is high interest rates.

If you’re Vladimir Putin, connect the dots: Your most potent weapon isn’t a battlefield nuke. It’s Bidenomics.

Action Line: A strong economy is good for Americans both at home and abroad. Business-killing regulations and inflationary policies make America weaker, not stronger. If your business is suffering in a state like California or New York, look for a better America today. Some states are working hard to provide better business conditions for their residents. These are my Super States. With Putin rattling the nuclear saber, and Biden flailing at home, many Americans are stocking up on food and water in preparation for coming trouble. If you need to get started on food and water storage, download my special reports Emergency Water Storage: How Much, Containers, Purification & More and FOOD SHORTAGE: Crazed Hoarding Is not Preparing.

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E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zildjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com To sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, click here.