Trump finally took strong action against "them"!

After Trump signed an executive order upon entering the palace, he took serious action against habitual offenders of zero-dollar purchases: any city that implements “zero-dollar bail” will be cut off from federal funds, and the Department of Justice will prosecute habitual offenders on federal charges. On December 5, eight teenagers from Philadelphia stole $2,217 worth of goods from a sports shop in Florida; the sheriff held a press conference to publicly reveal high-definition mugshots, with each facing two felony charges that carry a maximum sentence of 7 years. California's Proposition 36 passed with a 70.4% support rate, treating repeat offenders as felons upon the third offense.

Trump's three axes strike at the zero-cost purchasing industry chain

Trump's crackdown on zero-dollar bail is not just a lot of noise without substance, but rather a comprehensive siege from the federal to the local level. The first move is an executive order to cut off funding, with a presidential order signed in August that is straightforward and ruthless: any city that dares to implement “zero-dollar bail” will have its federal funding immediately cut off. This move is indeed ruthless; no matter how much the Democratic mayors promote political correctness, they cannot withstand the reality of lacking funds to maintain their large bureaucracies.

The so-called zero-dollar bail, scientifically known as “cashless bail,” is a creation of the Democratic Party. They claim that the bail system is unfair to the poor, so criminal suspects can return home without having to pay money while awaiting trial. The cost is that police are apprehending people at a softened pace, resulting in suspects walking in and out of the station with ease; the next day, they change clothes and continue robbing in a mall. Is this really crime? It’s more like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The second tactic is the escalation of federal prosecutions. Trump instructed the Justice Department to pursue federal charges against habitual offenders of zero-dollar purchases as much as possible. Once in federal prison, it's a matter of seeking hammers, and the criminals can only sit quietly. This contrasts sharply with the lenient treatment of local prosecutors, as federal judges do not play the political correctness game.

The third move is to catch typical cases to warn others. The incident involving 8 teenagers in Florida is a demonstration case personally promoted by Trump. These teenagers from Philadelphia originally attended a football game but collectively sneaked into a sporting goods store to conduct a free raid, taking 47 items worth a total of $2,217. They thought Florida was like Philadelphia, where the staff wouldn't dare to intervene and the police wouldn't bother to arrest, but they forgot that this is the stronghold of rednecks, Trump's iron plate.

The police arrived within a few minutes, and before they even left the parking lot, they were caught with the stolen goods. What’s even more outrageous is that the Polk County Sheriff held a press conference and displayed high-definition, uncensored close-up photos of the eight juveniles on a big screen, clearly stating their names. Florida Governor DeSantis specifically shared the video with a comment: “Welcome to Florida, but they chose the wrong state and the wrong county. We do not tolerate freeloaders, let alone robbers.” Ultimately, the eight juveniles each faced two felony charges, with a maximum sentence of seven years in juvenile detention.

The Historic Turn of California's Anti-Referendum and Proposition 36

Surprisingly, the first to backtrack was California. It is well known that California is a stronghold of the Democratic Party and a sanctuary for liberal ideologies, often preaching about human rights and inclusivity. However, on the day Trump won the election, the people of California did something significant: they officially passed a referendum on Proposition 36, with a support rate of 70.4%. This is meant to patch up the notorious Proposition 47.

In 2014, California passed Proposition 47, which mainly has two key points: first, it raised the threshold for felonies, so that theft or robbery of property valued at less than $950 is considered a misdemeanor; second, it provides protection for repeat offenders committing misdemeanors, as long as the amount involved in a single case is ≤ $950 and there is no serious violent criminal record, they will be treated as misdemeanors regardless of how many times they are caught. The original intention was to alleviate prison overcrowding, but it directly led Los Angeles into reality.

California has also introduced an upgraded version of the SB-82 bill, which states that as long as there are no deaths and no heavy weapons are used, robbery is not considered a big deal. In no time, major supermarkets in California have become ATMs for criminals, with a group of people using calculators to restock, stopping only when they gather enough to reach $949. Running to ten stores a day and making over ten thousand a day is not a dream.

The latest 36th bill stipulates that even if you can't get 950, with two prior offenses, the third time will be considered a felony. This illustrates a principle: when the knife truly cuts into the flesh, all political correctness must take a back seat, and the world has long suffered from zero-yuan purchases.

The Benefit Triangle Behind Zero-Cost Purchases

Democrats want votes: The base has a large number of African Americans and lower-income people. Indulging in zero-dollar purchases is a way to pander to this group. They need chaos and hatred to burn Republican ballot boxes. Harris even suggested during her campaign that the threshold for theft should be raised.

Arms dealers want profit: The more chaotic society becomes, the less security people feel, leading to an increased need to buy guns for self-defense. In 2020, gun sales in the United States hit a historic high of nearly 40 million units, and behind the hundred billion market lies bloody buns.

The bottom layer needs to vent: With high inflation and a large wealth gap, the government does not want to implement deep reforms or tax the rich, so it can only open a small outlet for the lower class to grab something to release their anger, sacrificing small business owners to stabilize the entire society, which can be seen as a form of robbing the rich to help the poor to some extent.

The Double-Edged Sword Effect of Cutting Benefits

Trump's iron-fisted policies seem to be resolute, but can he solve the fundamental cause of zero-dollar purchases—poverty? It's difficult, and it can even be said that the series of policies from the 'knowledgeable king' may make the situation worse. In his grand “big and beautiful” plan, he intends to cut nearly a trillion dollars in healthcare funding over the next 10 years and slash billions from the food stamp budget.

The reasons sound very much like the “American Dream”, where there are no free rides and survival of the fittest. The bill stipulates that to receive welfare benefits, there must be a work hour requirement, and stricter audits for receiving health insurance. It is estimated that this will cause millions of Americans to lose health insurance and millions to lose food assistance. According to a Federal Reserve survey, 37% of Americans cannot come up with $400 for emergencies, which is the “line of slaughter” in America, cold and ruthless, ready to cut off those who fall behind.

Many people think that America is full of gold, and you can live in a villa just by washing dishes. But the reality is that there is no safety net in American society. A Silicon Valley engineer with an annual salary of $200,000, after deducting federal tax, state tax, retirement contributions, and paying off the mortgage, car loan, student loan, insurance, property tax, and maintenance fees, may be left with less than $2,000 in cash every month. This is a typical “stop work, stop income” situation; as soon as one experiences a layoff, a serious illness, or a severe car accident, the cash flow can instantly break.

It often takes just a few months to go from middle class to homeless. Data shows that the average lifespan of a homeless person in the United States is only three and a half years. Either they quickly turn to drugs to escape reality, or they become ill without timely treatment, or they might be killed for trying to steal a piece of bread.

A social powder keg of dry kindling everywhere

A report published by “USA Today” states that in 2023, 16 million Americans participated in zero-dollar purchases, accounting for 5% of the total population. However, in September 2024, a White House spokesperson proudly claimed that the violent crime rate had dropped by 10%, reaching the best public safety level in 50 years. Why does the Biden administration dare to boast about the decline in crime rates? This is where we have to admire the essence of “redefining studies” and American statistics.

You say the crime rate is high? Then just change the definition of crime. The threshold for felony theft has been raised, with California at $950 and Washington at $1,000. As for enforcement, local areas have become even more extreme; as long as the robbery does not exceed this amount, the police can choose not to file a report. Naturally, the data shows “no crime”.

Now Trump is back, and waiting for him are not only tens of millions of habitual offenders but also a bottomless social black hole. When the 16 million who participated in the zero-dollar shopping, along with tens of millions of people living on food stamps, suddenly find themselves with no way out; when the feeling of hunger overcomes the fear of the law, and the instinct for survival outweighs the dread of prison, the next script is likely to be far more complicated than just zero-dollar shopping.

It is worth mentioning that every major upheaval in American history has started from the bottom where people cannot afford to eat. A spark can start a prairie fire, and now in America, there is dry tinder everywhere.