Day: May 9, 2016

‘Free Trade’ vs. Actual Free Trade

This election has brought the subject of “free trade” to the forefront….both Sanders and Trump are talking more and more about this situation….

Personally, I am sick of the so-called “free trade agreements” that benefit NO one but those that already have most of the cash…..try to sell them anyway you choose but few have benefited from such agreements.

Sorry, to say that I must put a little historical perspective in this press….it will help those that want to understand to do so a little easier….

The unlikely rise of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump has focused public attention on an issue that hasn’t gotten much attention since the Civil War era – international trade. One of the biggest controversies in nineteenth century American politics was tariffs – with Big Business manufacturers for them, and farmers and producers of other commodities […]

Source: ‘Free Trade’ vs. Actual Free Trade – Antiwar.com Original by — Antiwar.com

If free trade is one of your issues then get all the facts before you pull the wrong lever……

Five ways Trump will attack Clinton

We now have our two candidates for the two major parties….and now is when the really nasty crap will come out…..and I expect the nastiest attacks to come from Trump….because he has not held back up until now so why would he pull back when the stakes are so high?

Now that he, Trump, is the “presumptive” nominee I expect he will go after his “presumptive” Dem nominee, Clinton, with both barrels of nasty.

Donald Trump is ramping up his rhetoric against Hillary Clinton as the GOP front-runner looks beyond the primary to defeating the likely Democratic nominee in the fall.

If Trump and Clinton continue along their current trajectories, it will set up a savage battle between two candidates who appear to genuinely despise one another.

Nothing will be out of bounds.

Source: Five ways Trump will attack Clinton | TheHill

This election will be messy and ugly….(more on the ugliness in another post)……just the way Americans like their politics….ridiculous, messy and ugly……basically a reality show where the voter gets to pick the winner.

Terrorism: From the Irish Dynamite War to the Islamic State

One of the biggest and most misunderstood subjects these days is that of the act of terrorism.  It has become a stable on the campaign trail…..many promises but little understanding.

One of the first things that someone needs to know is the terrorism is a tactic not an entity that one can go to war with…..a tactic cannot be defeated……limit possibly….defeat…NO!

Unfortunately one of the only ways to get a grip on knowing what terrorism is is through a historical perspective….(heavy sighs and eye rolls)…..

I am writing a series to try and educate my reader on the subject of terrorism……I hope to enlighten some of those that truly want to know……

Bombs explode in a subway. The victims are everyday people who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. What follows is outrage: track down the perpetrators. The people who set off the bombs are monsters and inhuman fanatics, thunder the authorities. But the year is not 2016, it is 1883 during […]

Source: Terrorism: From the Irish Dynamite War to the Islamic State – Antiwar.com Original by — Antiwar.com

Will It Happen Again?

Just a little FYI for my readers…….

Remember back to 2007…..that was the year that the economy dropped like a rock…..and the housing market lead they way…..and we have been clawing back ever since……lots of lost money and lots of anger by the people of this country.

The president and the Congress worked hard (sorry that is the wrong word but for the sake of sanity I will let it go) to make sure that this type of crash never happens again…..do you believe that? (then I have a bridge I would like to talk about)…..

Here are some other troubling anecdotal signals on the housing market:

1. A major financial website recently ran a guide to the best cities to “flip” houses in. (I don’t want to encourage the behavior.) Real estate speculation via house “flipping” was another early sign of trouble ahead.

2. A few days later, news arrived that home prices in the Bronx had shot up by an astonishing 30% in the first quarter. Crazy advances in home values were, a decade ago, also a signal of trouble ahead.

3. Ads, then as now, were running on TV for “quick mortgages.”

All of these signals raise a serious question: Are we getting closer to another housing meltdown that will once again damage your investment portfolio?

Source: The seeds of the next housing crisis have been planted – MarketWatch – Linkis.com

Here we go again sports fans……

Veterans And The Choice Program

I have been an outspoken critic of the services that this country is withholding from its veterans…..and as usual Congress, especially the conservatives are looking for a “better” way for the vets to get what we owe them….

The Veterans Choice Program?  What is this?

For Veterans who have faced unacceptable waiting times for needed medical care, or for whom a regular VA medical facility is inaccessible, the Veteran Choice Program (VCP) will make it possible for you to receive the needed care from a non-VA health care provider in your community.

The Veterans Choice Card (Choice Card) has been distributed to all Veterans enrolled for care at VA. Veterans will receive a letter in the mail along with the Choice Card and information about eligibility. The cards were mailed first to those VA believes are in immediate need and meet the eligibility requirements. If you have recently moved or your primary residence has changed, complete VA Form 10-10EZR to update your information and contact your enrollment coordinator at your nearest VA medical facility.

The Choice Card will enhance other treatment options already available at VA and is designed to improve wait times and access. It does not impact existing VA health care or any other VA benefit – it just offers other options for care when VA cannot meet Veterans’ health care needs.

There seems to be a bit of a push back against this program by several veterans groups……

The nation’s largest veterans groups have lined up to oppose any expansion of the Veterans Affairs Choice program that would allow all veterans who are eligible for VA medical care to use it.

The stand, by the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and others, places the groups squarely in the corner of VA Secretary Bob McDonald, who has called proposals favoring private care for veterans over VA facilities, a “dereliction” of department duties, and at odds with seven powerful U.S. senators, including Arizona Republican John McCain, who have proposed legislation to lift restrictions on Choice.

Source: Veterans groups oppose Choice program expansion

There seems to be a gimmick when it comes to the health of our veterans….why is that?

I am not very knowledgeable about this program but if there are any vets out there that would like to shred some light on this for the readers of IST……I would appreciate the help understanding.