Trump and More Trade Wars?

I often wonder how much more of this American businesses and citizens can and will take?

Now Central American asylum seekers are an issue...  But making American consumers and business pay the price is not going to be popular from my perspective.

I know the current tariffs are making it hard for most farmers and manufacturers who rely on foreign markets and low cost materials.

 It is pretty surreal that the GOP is becoming the party of protectionism instead of the party of Free Trade... :-(

And other than raising the costs for Americans, I am not sure Trump has gotten one deal through...

This is an interesting piece Everyone Else is Winning the China US Trade War

For All My ProLife Friends...

No Collusion, Plenty of Obstruction...

FOX News: Mueller's statement on Russia probe is not 'no collusion, no obstruction:' Bret Baier

CNN READ: Robert Mueller's full remarks on the special counsel investigation

Lawfare Obstruction of Justice in the Mueller Report: A Heat Map

I think Mueller made it plenty clear that he thinks Trump obstructed or tried hard to obstruct justice...

Of course the Trump True Believers will deny this, even though if Obama had done the same things they would have been the one bringing the rope.  Why are people so hypocritical?  :-)

Trump Deserves Credit for This !!!

CRFB The Deficit Has Never Been This High When the Economy Was This Strong

Jerry and I were discussing deficits and I came across these excellent graphics that show how devastating the Trump Tax Cuts and Spending Increases have been with regard to increasing deficits. I hope our kids can forgive us self centered folks someday.

More Trump UnTruths...

I really have to wonder if Trump believes what he says?


AP FACT CHECK: Trump takes credit for …


Or if he believes that his True Believers are just gullible?

I Believe, Don't Complicate it !!!

I am always fascinated by the desire of most people to defend their beliefs no matter what... I assume it has a lot to do with:

• a person's self confidence and sense of worth?  
• it is just hard to acknowledge inconsistencies in their belief systems?

Some of the examples I face regularly are:

• Human life is critical, so all abortions must be made illegal.  And yet the same people absolutely refuse to discuss how to fix our terrible child abuse and neglect issue.  Or the related poverty and motherhood issue.  Or the US having higher infant mortality levels because of our broken systems.
• Giving people "free" money and services with no expectations is good.  And yes it is a complicated story but insisting that we just keep handing out money?
• Saying that Trump is a great President with excellent character.  These folks who are often Bible Banger Conservatives seem to be able to, or "need" to block out all of his past / present  sins and flaws.  I mean the man had 3 wives, and had sex with a porn star while his current wife was still at home with their new born infant...  He brags of grabbing the pussies of unsuspecting women...  How do they rationalize this with great character?  I can vote for slime like him if it is the less bad option, but I do so with open eyes.
• Insisting that the US allow millions of the world's impoverished to come to the USA as our poor still languish.  Really?

And I suppose I could go on... But I think that is enough...  Why do you think people are:

• so invested in their beliefs?
• unwilling to discuss the inconsistencies?
• so emotional when challenged?

Mail Order Abortion Drugs

Here is some good news...  Maybe I will donate to these organizations. :-)
CNN European doctor defies FDA orders to stop sending US women abortion pills by mail

What I find most amusing that no one is cracking down on mail order Viagra... But Lord knows that women drugs are fair game. Thoughts?

The Cover Up Continues

I figure Trump has to guilty since he is putting up such a fight...

The big question is what crimes has he committed?

• Actually breaking the law?
• Lying about his "successful life"

For a narcissist like him I am not sure what would be worse? 
Jail or People Knowing that it is is his Father's Money?

I wonder if it would matter to his True Believers if they learned that Trump was actually a "Trust Fund Baby"?  Probably not...

The Hill Cover Up Comments Enrage Trump
CNN 2nd Judge Rules Against Trump
CNN Mnuchin: I am not violating the law
CNN NY Passing Law to Allow Tax Visibility

We Need More Unskilled Immigrants?

VOX How Trump’s new immigration plan could hurt the economy
The US needs more low-skilled immigrants, not fewer.

It absolutely fascinates me when people:

• on one hand complain that wages are too low and that we need the government to mandate higher wages and more welfare benefits...
• and on the other hand saying that we should allow more unskilled immigrants into the country?

Here is a creative idea...

1. Keep limiting the immigration of unskilled workers
2. Cut the welfare benefits
3. Have people take the jobs that will now pay "a living wage"
4. Even if they are unpleasant demeaning hard jobs...

How did American low skilled low educated workers become so fussy?

And why did our society encourage it?

MN Tax / Budget Compromise

From MinnPost: ‘It was a draw’: State budget deal includes extension of provider tax, no gas tax increase

Well, it looks like they finally compromised...  I love divided government... :-)

Climate Change Proof?

From over here.  And based on a Flat Earther Piece.  I asked Jerry...  "What evidence would convince you that human created green house gases are causing and will continue to cause the world to heat at an increasing rate?" Jerry's response was.

Jerry's Response was:  "OK. What evidence would convince me?

• IF the actual temperature records ever started to track the much higher predictions of the computerized climate models and IF those climate models were sufficiently precise (not +/- 100%) 

• IF it could be proven that TOTAL CO2 was the proximate and essential cause of that warming.

• IF it could be shown that manmade CO2 was the principal component of the increase in CO2

then all of them together would be a basis for concern. Since NONE of those things are happening in the real world, after thirty years of doom saying and a multitude of failed predictions, count me a skeptic. Your turn."

How accurate are climate model predictions?

Analysis: How well have climate models projected global warming?

NASA Causes

EPA Green House Gases

TS.2.8 Changes in Carbon and Other BiogeochemicalCycles

Carbon and Other Biogeochemical Cycles

Why so much concern about CO2

Since I doubt I will ever convince a Flat Earther like Jerry, here are my simplistic views just to get them down in writing:

• Given the limited data available to the scientists in 1970, it seems their predictions are pretty good.
• I mean they had to forecast almost everything. How and where population would grow? What power sources would change?  What power sources they would use?
• And just think that we had just started monitoring a bunch of the factors that are in play.  I mean satellites were yet to be common.  And computers were rare.
• Per the sources above, there are many factors and gases in play.  
• The reason carbon dioxide is focused on is that it does not breakdown and disappear as quickly as the other gases.
• Also, it is a gas that we can control the human emission of.
• From my understanding, humans in essence are starting a chain reaction. When we started releasing all these gases into the atmosphere during the industrial revolution, we triggered a warming event.
• Unfortunately the warming and melting, just like the pumping, mining and burning are releasing carbon that had been securely on or in the ground, ice, etc.

So Jerry believes that humans releasing all of these stored chemicals into the atmosphere will have no negative consequence.  He believes that plants will just absorb it all or something?

This research leaves me with one question...

• If not humans, what is causing the continual rise in the levels of all of these green house gases to historic levels?

Family Net Worths

CNBC Here's the Net Worth of the Average Family

Thoughts?

Climate Change Stuff

From Jerry back here.

What you cannot deny is that the GISS temperature dataset YOU rely on, GISS, clearly shows, just as I have said:

• Total warming over the last 140 years amounts to about 1 degree C or 0.7 degrees per century. 
• Even assuming the recent "accelerated" warming [since 1960] shown by the chart is real and continues indefinitely, you are looking at 0.8 degrees C over 60 years, or 1.33 degrees per century.
• That is UNDER the LOWER target of the Paris Agreement!!"
• NOW, do you wish to deny your own preferred data?

So I said I would post some charts to see if we do know this...
NASA Climate Change Effects
NCA Vol 1
NCA Vol 2
IPCC Report

So yes the temperature has increased about 1 deg C over 100 years. And unfortunately the rate of change started to increase in about 1970. :-(  And us humans refuse to change. :-(

A Government's Purpose?

AIER An Economy Is Neither a Family Nor a Firm; It Is a Catallaxy

A friend who is more Liberatarian posted the above link on FB with this quote from it:

"Unlike progressives and conservatives, libertarians judge society and government policy by how well individuals are able to fulfill their goals; libertarians do not suppose that individuals who comprise the large collectives that we call “countries” do or should aim at fulfilling the non-existent higher goals of these large collectives."

Now what is odd about this piece is that the author starts by talking about countries and governments, then he goes off to discussions regarding economies.  Now I agree that economies are somewhat natural and have no real goal.  However I totally disagree that governments should have no "higher goal"...

I mean even the author's statement states how wrong he is...  "libertarians judge society and government policy by how well individuals are able to fulfill their goals" I mean to fulfill this simple goal a government's policy has to support a lot of "higher goals".  Some include maintaining:

• peace
• property rights
• law and order
• helping the poor to attain their full potential
• world class infrastructure
• etc

A professor once told my MBA class that the primary reason we are and can be as successful as we are is because we were lucky enough to be born in America.  A wonderful place that balances personal success with safety nets / support.

Now there are some countries that allow "some individuals to fulfill their goals very well" while others fall far behind and their capabilities are squandered.

I always think of governments / societies as a whole bunch of people rowing a boat in a race against every other country.  It is best for the country if all the rowers are trained, capable, motivated a rowing.  It is bad if a large chunk of the rowers are:

• untrained
• unmotivated
• lazy
• disabled
• etc 

Thoughts?

Busting Social Security Myths

From Laurie:  Here is an article that might interest you:
Real World Economics: Busting the Social Security myths we choose to believe


Laurie, Yes I thought it was excellent!!!  Especially the point that the systems are already very progressive.  And that a lot of people who think they "earned it", are probably getting a LOT MORE than they paid for. :-)

Facebook Ban White Supremacist and Anti-Semites

NPR Facebook Bans Alex Jones, Louis Farrakhan And Other 'Dangerous' Individuals

Thank Heavens !!!  There is no reason to give manipulative hateful people a free platform from which to work and spread their untruths.

And of course our liar in chief is supporting the manipulators.  :-(

David French at National Review doe raise a valid concern. 

"I firmly believe men like Alex Jones and Louis Farrakhan are truly loathsome. They’re toxic to our nation and to our culture. I’m also deeply concerned about Facebook’s decision.... 

I understand Facebook’s desire to rid itself of terrible speech, especially given the rise of online hate. But when considering how to deal with the worst ideas, it’s prudent to rely on principles of free speech and common law that have served America so well for so long. Facebook has a right to invent its own rules, but perhaps it’s better to exercise that right by deferring to the wisdom of the past."

The challenge of course is that FaceBook can get sued and be pulled in front of Congress when things go wrong.  Personally I agree with their decision, we need more civil discourse and ideas.  Not more conspiracy theories and hate speech.

If you are unfamiliar with Infowars and Alex Jones...

Religious Right Wants to Keep Kids Stupid. Again.

A FB friend posted this silliness regarding a portion of a bill that require schools in MN to provide sex education.  I say silliness because KARE11 MN House Heats Up over Sex Ed does a much better job of explaining the issue.

"But House members spent at least two hours debating language that would require all school districts to offer comprehensive sex education. School boards would create their own curriculum or use a model curriculum that will written by the Minnesota Dept. of Education if the bill becomes law."

 

The bill requires the model to include medically accurate and age-appropriate information on the following:

• Human anatomy, reproduction, sexual development
• Consent, bodily autonomy, and healthy relationships, including relationships involving diverse sexual orientations and gender identities
• Abstinence and other methods for preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections
• The relationship between substance abuse and sexual behavior and health

And then of course one of the commenters commented that Planned Parenthood is EVIL... When it seems to me that the PP Sex Ed curriculum and its goals pretty excellent.  And the then there is the fact that PP, the following book, and/or a required curriculum is NOT in the bill.

And Common Sense Media gives the book in question, Its Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health,  an excellent review.  Please remember the people who want to keep kids stupid are the same ones who complain about too many unintended pregnancies and abortion.  They apparently think they know better than the women themselves.

Now I agree that giving detailed sex education at age 5 is too early, but the speaker in the video made this up...  It is not in the bill.  The school districts get to pick the curriculum and timing.

Thoughts?

Ps. If most Parents were responsible and capable enough to this well at home,  It may not be needed so badly in school, but the Kentucky article and the CDC data makes it clear that they ARE NOT.

Trump vs Biden

From Laurie:


Using technology to read about Trump stresses me out.

Biden Faces Conflict of Interest Questions That Are Being Promoted by Trump and Allies

Trump is already set to use the government to destroy the Democratic nominee

Technology, Stress and Health

VOX Bored and lonely? Blame your phone.
Our emotions today are radically different from what 19th-century Americans felt. That’s partly due to technology.


Stress and Technology


I am often concerned for my children and other young people.  The younger generations are much more reliant on or addicted to their technology than I hope to ever be.


An older person in my life was frustrated that I often do not answer my cell phone or text back quickly.  They thought that since I had all this cool technology, I would be accessible when ever they wanted me...  I then explained to them that "I have this technology for my convenience, not yours..."


Of course they did not think much of that answer... :-)


What are your thoughts on this topic and the linked articles? 

MN Legislature Dysfunction

MinnPost Legislative tax plans: Equitable, inspirational or destructive?


MPR 8 big issues still on the table as Legislature hits home stretch


CP Climate Change Statement


Lake Bde Maka Ska / Calhoun Fight


Apparently the House and Senate have simply agreed to ignore each other and hope things work out some how... :-(  Why do we pay these people again?