12.15.15
I just got done watching the Republican debate. A lot of things changed since my comments a few days ago. For one, the polls now show Trump has substantial lead again. I’m sure that won’t change for a least a day or two. It should not surprise me that Donald Trump proclaimed his loyalty to the Republican Party during the debate shortly after I made a comment about what would happen if he ran on a third-party platform. Also tonight Donald Trump recanted previous negative comments about Ted Cruz. If anybody else did that it would be called waffling, apparently with the Donald it’s just politics as usual. Let’s see if Donald is still loyal to the Republican party if he looses in Iowa or if the poll numbers change.
Overall I thought the debate was pretty informative. Dana Bash showed herself as a true party Nazi for the left tonight. She continually ask questions that were thinly veiled attempts to get the candidates to attack each other. I guess this is a way to deflect them away from the issues that face us today, and away from making negative comments about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Most of the time the Republicans were smart enough not to take the bait. I couldn’t care less what the Republicans think about each other, I want to hear what they think about all the problems that face America today. Who decides who is qualified to ask questions during these debates?
12.12.15
The Republican primary is very interesting. There’s a mix of polls showing the race is tightening between Trump and Cruz. Carson and Rubio still appeared to be in the mix, and Jeb Bush, who has spent a gazillion dollars, appears to be washed up but won’t quit. It seems apparent by now that Donald Trump is not electable for president. Trump is still making noises like he may split off from the Republican Party and run as an independent candidate. If he does that split off approximately 20% of the voters in the Republican Party may follow him. This will guarantee that the next president will be Hillary Clinton. She may well turn out to be the next president, but I want to see her win straight up against another candidate and not a split party with 2 candidates. This division in the Republicans could be the end of the party. It makes me think that the Republican Party could be on the verge of becoming irrelevant in American politics. Politically this would be a disaster, because if we became a one-party dominated government it would give the extremists in that party way too much leverage over our government. This would hold true for either party. We are far better off with two parties that are forced to attempt to compromise that we would be with any one party wielding too much power. Although I would like to see an third political party blossom on our political scene I don’t think I would choose Donald Trump as the poster boy. I envision someone a lot more centrist and a lot less reactionary.
The movement to basically eliminate the influence of the obsolete institution that is the Electoral College continues to gain ground. The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in the entire United States. Both parties continually rant about how every vote should count, yet for decades both have resisted any serious action to abolish the Electoral College. Fortunately this is finally starting to change. The E.C. is an antiquated institution that is a throwback to the 1700′s, and has no place in modern society. It may once have been needed, when the world was confined to horse and buggy technology, but in todays world this institution has no place.
In a national election, with the “winner take all” policies of most states, almost half of the electorate sees their votes fall meaningless. The shortcomings of this institution became painfully clear in the 2000 election as the whole country watched while the news media babbled about “voters intent” and “hanging chads” and a couple counties in Florida counted and recounted their ballots to see which candidate got all 25 electoral votes from our 4th most populous state. The wierdest part of it all is that Al Gore ended up with half a million more votes nationally than George Bush, but Bush won the election because he won the electoral vote.
The National Popular Vote law has been enacted by 10 states and Washington D.C., overall possessing 165 electoral votes, 61% of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate it, as it requires 270 Electoral College votes to win the Presidential election. The bill preserves the Electoral College, while ensuring that every vote in every state will matter in every presidential election. Nationally 72% of Americans support this bill. This bill has been introduced in all 50 states, hopefully this will soon be the law in all states.
For more information visit www.nationalpopularvote.com.
Definition of ‘Corporate Inversion’ – Investopedia –
“Re-incorporating a company overseas in order to reduce the tax burden on income earned abroad. Corporate inversion as a strategy is used by companies that receive a significant portion of their income from foreign sources, since that income is taxed both abroad and in the country of incorporation. Companies undertaking this strategy are likely to select a country that has lower tax rates and less stringent corporate governance requirements.”
The laws allowing Corporate Inversion drastically needs to be changed. It is absurd that it is possible for an American Corporation to change its corporate address and avoid taxes. We not only need to reconsider our corporate tax structure in the U.S., but we need to realize that it is less expensive for foreign businesses to import goods into the U.S. than it is for American corporations to export goods almost anywhere in the world. This is a good argument for tariff’s and taxes on foreign companies that sell to American consumers. America can no longer afford to support the economy of other nations. If corporations from other countries want access to the American markets they can pay for that access, at least with a tariff equil to what U.S. corporations must pay to export to the same country.
12.05.15
After watching the events in Paris and Mali and San Bernardino over the last couple of weeks it has become apparent that as long as the civilized world tolerates the hate and carnage that radical Islam is willing to dispense, these blood thirsty animals will continue to kill as many innocent people as they can. After watching these events go on for several decades it should be apparent to any rational human being that these evil creatures are willing to kill everyone that is not just like them if that is what it takes to convert the entire world to their own twisted version of Islam.
11.25.15
Article in USA Today that the Ukraine will stop buying natural gas from Russia. They are going to buy it from other European countries, who buy it from Russia cheaper than Russia sells it to the Ukraine. The majority of gas that Russia sells to Europe is piped through the Ukraine. So other countries can by gas from Russia that is delivered through the Ukraine and sell it to the Ukraine cheaper than the Ukraine can buy it direct from Russia. HUH ? ?
The temperature in the Ukraine yesterday was below freezing, and natural gas is their primary source of heat. The United States has a huge surplus of natural gas, and our government policies do not allow it to be sold internationally. Selling natural gas to our allies in Europe seems like a win-win for the people of Europe an the US, and especially for the people of the Ukraine.
The article also stated that since the conflict with Russia began in the Ukraine 8,000 people have been killed.
Republicans are complaining about President Obama’s executive action that delays the deportation of some illegal aliens. What he’s done seems to make sense. It allows people to stay here that have family members here, or that have been here since they were children. Since neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have done anything notable with illegal immigration since the Reagan presidency I think that this action is very warranted. This action seems that it will keep families together and give people a chance to do well in the society while the Democrats and Republicans work out some sort of immigration bill that makes sense.
The Raving Moderate on illegal immigration.
President Obama’s recent action in opening up relations with Cuba will probably have more positive benefits for Cuba then for the United States. As long as this relationship works out equitable and fair for both countries I think it’s a good idea. All I have heard from the Republicans is complaining about this. I think it makes sense to try to have a good relationship with a neighboring country. The Republicans should quit complaining and start figuring out how they can help make this work in the best interests of both the U.S. and Cuba. I just hope that part of our new relationship does not include giving Cuba lots and lots of free money. The last thing we need is another country to send foreign aid to, as we cannot pay our own bills as it is. Considering that this country is almost $19 trillion in debt perhaps they can work out a way to lift the embargo without promising foreign aid or putting any more burdens on the American taxpayer.
I think the recent drop in oil prices down to below $40 a barrel is great. I saw a statistic showing that the average American uses 1200 gallons of gas a year, but that’s just the beginning of the real cost of oil products to the American consumer. Nearly everything we use in some way involves petroleum products to be made. Nearly everything we buy has to be transported which requires fuel and other petroleum products. This should bring a windfall of good things to our economy.
Let’s think this one through. Cuba depends on Russia and Venezuela for its basic energy and economic survival. Russia and Venezuela depend on oil to keep their economies alive and do things like send money and petroleum products to Cuba. Do you think maybe the dropping oil prices could have something to do with Cuba’s willingness to talk to the United States. This may be a very good move by President Obama to take advantage of this economic situation and extend a hand of friendship to Cuba. We should not take over the role previously supplied by Russia and Venezuela. We do not want Cuba to be another money pit for the United States. If we can give them a hand up without giving them a handout then this policy will work. On the other hand Cuba could just be playing us like a cheap trombone to get a handout until oil prices go back up or until they can bolster their own economy. Let’s hope our president can be tough enough to do what’s right for America while offering a helping hand to Cuba. It would be nice to have Cuba as a friend, but we don’t need them as a dependent.
About 40% to 45% of this country always votes Democrat and about the same number always vote Republican. That leaves about 10% to 15% of Americans that are considered moderates. Most elections are decided by less than 5% of the vote. Moderates are the ones that really decide elections. Moderates are the “swing vote” the political commentators are always talking about. Come to the middle and truely make a differance.
I once read that you can’t cut the fat if the people in charge of cutting the fat are part of the fat. That holds especially true in American politics. Our politicians are so addicted to paying back political favors with taxpayer dollars and pork barrel projects that working-class Americans have no way of getting a fair deal under the current good ol’ boy network of politics.
California has a population of almost 40 million people. Less than 1% (about 140,000) of the wealthiest Californians pay about 40% of California’s personal income taxes. Personal income tax accounts for about 26% of California’s total revenue, so these few people account for over 10% of the states total income. California has an economy bigger than most countries, with a GDP of $2.2 trillion. Yet without the taxes from these few wealthy people the California’s finances would take a big hit. What would Jerry Brown do if they moved out?
The two greatest economic booms in the last 50 years were under Ronald Reagan working with a Democrat controlled House for all 8 years of his administration and under Bill Clinton working with a Republican controlled Congress for 8 years of his time in office. Under Clinton this country achieved a balanced budget and under Reagan the groundwork was laid that brought down the Berlin wall and the demise of the USSR. These are two examples of what America can do when the party extremism is minimized and both parties are willing to (or forced to) compromise and come to the middle.
It is a complete absurdity that we give money to both Israel and the Palestinians. We give money to two governments that continually try to kill each other. Last year we gave $440 million to the Palestine government, who just formed an alliance with the terrorist group Hamas. No doubt much of that money will go to terrorize and kill Americans and our allies. How stupid can our leaders be?
Then we go to the Middle East and try to broker peace.
Really….?