Day: December 12, 2016

Closing Thought–12Dec16

There have some questions asked of the possibility of a conflict of interests with Pres. Trump and his many business ventures….could it be that his interests could outweigh the good of the country?

Could there be a problem with our foreign policy?

This is an op-ed that I wrote for my dear friends at Ace News Room…they are in the UK and wanted me to give some American impressions of this last election…….this is one of my efforts….

There is lots of back and forth from the pundits about the forthcoming Trump government…..I admit that I am concerned about his new foreign policy team, whoever they will be…..I am concerned because of his rhetoric during the campaign….although I did hear a bit of policy that I could get behind…..

But my biggest concern at least right now is his business concerns that he is involved in…..if he does not choose the right path then I can see where there will be problems with ethics……

Source: A Conflict Of Interests?

After I wrote this piece I read a good article in the Politico…that ask the questions do the American people care about some conflict of interests?

Republicans see the same ethically challenged complications lurking in Donald Trump’s business portfolio that Democrats are squawking about. They just think Americans don’t care about these entanglements anymore.

Indeed, the GOP is so easily dismissing Democratic threats of investigations and ethicists’ calls for divestment out of a belief that the political landscape has shifted. Voters rewarded Trump in part on the idea that success in business will equal success in government, and Republicans are therefore unwilling to encourage the president-elect to put distance between the Oval Office and Trump Tower, or between himself and the children who serve him as trusted advisers.

Source: GOP wagers Americans don’t care about Trump’s conflicts – POLITICO

Alexander Hamilton was pretty clear on this subject……

Obviously, I think there could be a problem with the conflict of interests….I really do not care about how much money he will make…..just what effect it would have on national security…..but what about you, my readers, do you see any problems?

One last thought:  If Trump does not divest himself from his holdings…will his billionaires in the cabinet follow suit?  Will these people continue to make money hand over fist will running the country?

That my friends is the VERY definition of….”Conflict of Interests”!

SecState–Good News/Bad News

I admit it….I am a foreign policy wonk….I believe that we can tell a lot about a future government when we see who the new prez puts his faith in for the top diplomat spot on his cabinet, Secretary of State….

I have said all along that I would wait to see where Pres. Trump put his trust when it came to the SecState position.

So far I have not been very impressed with his choices in other arenas…too many generals and billionaires to my liking.

But I did get some good news over the weekend…..Rudy, Mr. 9/11, withdrew from the SecState position……

You can whittle Donald Trump’s long list of Secretary of State candidates down a bit: Rudy Giuliani has pulled his name out of contention, per Trump’s transition team. “Rudy Giuliani is an extraordinarily talented and patriotic American. I will always be appreciative of his 24/7 dedication to our campaign after I won the primaries and for his extremely wise counsel,” Trump said in a statement Friday. “He is and continues to be a close personal friend, and as appropriate, I will call upon him for advice and can see an important place for him in the administration at a later date. … Rudy would have been an outstanding member of the Cabinet in several roles, but I fully respect and understand his reasons for remaining in the private sector.” Giuliani will stay on as vice chairman of Trump’s transition team, per CNN.

As Politico puts it, the former New York mayor “had previously publicly campaigned for the post,” and it’s unclear why he’s pulled out of the running for not just Secretary of State but any position in Trump’s administration, a move the transition team said happened on Nov. 29. Reince Priebus, who will be Trump’s chief of staff, said Giuliani had been fully vetted for any potential conflicts of interest and “passed with flying colors,” and that his business ties had nothing to do with his withdrawal. Giuliani said in a statement that he still “[looks] forward to helping the President-elect in any way he deems necessary and appropriate.” His biggest rival for the Secretary of State post was thought to be Mitt Romney; other possibilities include Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson, retired Adm. James Stavridis, Sen. Bob Corker, and former Ford CEO Alan Mulally.

I did not like the idea of Rudy for this position because of his ties through his consulting firm to foreign governments…..besides I think he is close to being senile.

Now for the bad news…..our new prez has made his choice for SecState…….it appears……

NBC News, the Washington Post, and other outlets are reporting that Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson will be the next secretary of state. Two sources close to Donald Trump say the president-elect is going to nominate Tillerson, likely next week—though nothing is official until he does. Tillerson apparently jumped ahead of other candidates like Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, who withdrew himself from consideration. Tillerson, who has been head of Exxon since 2004, has a “close business relationship” with Vladimir Putin.

The Post notes that Tillerson’s work in Russia on behalf of Exxon is likely to result in “intense scrutiny” during the confirmation process. Heavy has a list of five things to know about Tillerson, including that he opposes sanctions against Russia, has no experience as a diplomat or in government, and has said the world will keep using fossil fuels “whether they like it or not.”

More on the bad news front…..uber war monger, John Bolton will be Tillerson’s deputy………so we will have a billionaire and a neocon running the State Department…..what could go wrong there?

Source: Report: Trump Chooses Tillerson for State and Picks Bolton as His Deputy | The American Conservative

I think it is a bad choice because of his, Tillerson, close ties to Russia, Putin to more exact, plus he has zero experience acting as a diplomat….plus he is a energy CEO that could be disastrous for the US in international negotiations.

The plutocracy takes shape……

Obamacare: GOP Has Ideas?

Repeal and Replace!  Over and over and over…..

But does the GOP have any ideas for either of those two promises?

“GOP may stall Obamacare replacement for years” reports Politico: “…GOP leaders on both sides of the Capitol are coalescing around a plan to vote to repeal the law in early 2017 — but delay the effective date for that repeal for as long as three years. They’re crossing their fingers that the delay will help them get their own house in order, as well as pressure a handful of Senate Democrats — who would likely be needed to pass replacement legislation — to come onboard before the clock runs out and 20 million Americans lose their health insurance.”

Few want Obamacare repeal, in Kaiser poll: “… one-fourth of Americans (26 percent) wanting to see President-elect Donald Trump and the next Congress repeal the entire law … many of the law’s major provisions continue to be quite popular, even across party lines…”

Trump pledge on Medicare in doubt. The Hill: “His campaign promoted the article’s headline — ‘Why Donald Trump Won’t Touch Your Entitlements’ — on its website. But [his HHS pick Tom] Price does want to touch entitlements … Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), meanwhile, tweeted an image of Trump’s promise last year not to touch entitlements, including Medicare. Sanders asked if Trump ‘has any intention of keeping the promise that he made, or has he played the American people for suckers?’”

Dems poised to fight on Medicare. NYT: “Senate Democrats intend to press Mr. Price on this subject during his confirmation hearings. They see a wide opening for political gain, given the 57 million older Americans who rely on Medicare — including many white Midwesterners with financial worries who voted for Mr. Trump … A Medicare fight is also a potential political lifeline for Democrats in red states who could be in very tough contests in 2018.”

I read some place that the GOP has at least 7 different plans….now I have not seen any of them except a take on Obamacare….which they are suppose to repeal and replace…..

Let’s be honest …Obamacare is a more conservative plan than Romneycare which was a more conservative plan that one purposed by Richard Nixon….so for 40 years their plan is a basic Obamacare…..

But what about those “other” plans, right?

If there’s one thing Republicans have been clear about for the past six years, it is that the top of their agenda includes repealing Obamacare.

But Obamacare repeal would leave an estimated 22 million Americans without coverage and wreak havoc on the individual insurance market. It’s becoming increasingly clear that Republicans can’t just repeal Obamacare — they need to replace it with something.

It turns out Republicans have a lot of choices: There are at least seven different replacement plans that Republican legislators and conservative think tanks have offered in recent years. I’ve spent the past week reading them, and what I’ve learned is this:

Source: I read 7 Republican Obamacare replacement plans. Here’s what I learned. – Vox

But since they have few ideas then maybe I can offer a plan that would work and need little start-up problems…..but I realize that I am not a general or a billionaire so the Prez will not hear a word I say…….

Eliminating private insurance and the high premiums, co-pays and deductibles will save families thousands of dollars, free up millions for businesses, increase wages for workers, and save hundreds of billions for taxpayers

Source: Repealing Obamacare? Here’s a Better Idea – Medicare for All | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community

Since some of you hate Obamacare with a passion………How about you….any ideas?

Iraq/Syria Update–12Dec16

Since the MSM feels there is not much news in the conflicts in Iraq and Syria—I have taken it upon myself to try and keep my readers informed…..at east they will know……these are the run downs that Western media gives its readers….this is the news that most Americans try to forget…..

Iraq

Iraq’s parliament speaker says an airstrike targeting an Islamic State-held town in western Iraq near the Syrian border has killed and wounded “dozens” of civilians. – Associated Press

The spiritual leader of Iraq’s Yazidis said his people need international help to recover from the worst atrocities they have suffered in more than a century and to reintegrate thousands of women who were enslaved by Islamic State. – Reuters

Bernard-Henri Levy writes: The fire must be stamped out. And very soon. To bring this about, one looks to Barack Obama, who might prove willing to quicken the pace so as to end his second term with a victory for civilization over the pseudo-state that presently threatens every real state in the world. Failing that, we might have to hope that, come Jan. 20, Donald Trump remembers the speech he delivered the day after his Super Tuesday victory in the Republican primary. In that speech he said of ISIS: “Their days are numbered.” – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)

Iraq’s Kurds, having played a major role in the fight against Islamic State, are banking that the incoming Trump White House will expand U.S. military and political support for Iraq, taking on a larger role in stabilizing the country after the defeat of the terror group in Mosul. – Washington Times

U.S. warplanes carried out a deliberate bombing of a hospital Wednesday at the request of Iraqi forces who were under attack from Islamic State fighters in the building, a military spokesman said Thursday. – Military.com

With the Islamic State group’s “caliphate” seemingly nearing its downfall in Iraq, the country’s security agencies are preparing for a different fight against the militants, shifting away from ground offensives to a focus on intelligence work, surgical airstrikes and a higher level of cooperation with the West. – Associated Press

Iraqi troops who briefly seized a Mosul hospital believed to be used as an Islamic State base were forced to withdraw from the site, but managed to establish a base for army tanks nearby after days of fierce back-and-forth fighting, residents said. – Reuters

Syria

Syrian government forces swept through the Old City of Aleppo on Wednesday as rebel forces — besieged and facing certain defeat — debated when to withdraw from their shattered stronghold. – Washington Post

Syria’s Sunni opposition doesn’t have many reasons to be optimistic these days as the reinvigorated regime conquers Aleppo amid international indifference. But leaders of the rebel alliance cling to the hope that when Donald Trump tackles the Syrian crisis, his longstanding hostility to Iran will offset his desire to improve relations with Russia. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)

Syrian rebels and six western governments have called for an urgent ceasefire in Aleppo as President Bashar al-Assad’s forces edge closer to taking the opposition stronghold. – Financial Times

Russia raised hopes on Thursday for a deal to end the fighting in Aleppo, the Syrian city battered by a weeks-long assault by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces aimed at recapturing it from rebel fighters. – Financial Times

Russia said late Thursday that the Syrian military has suspended its combat operations in eastern Aleppo to allow civilians to leave the city and that it had reached agreement with the United States to negotiate the safe departure of rebel fighters. – Washington Post

The State Department on Thursday indicated there could be some imminent progress between the U.S. and Russia on a way to restart negotiations over how to reduce the violence in Syria, and specifically in Aleppo. – Washington Examiner

Syrian government forces pressed an offensive in Aleppo on Thursday night and into Friday with ground fighting and air strikes, Reuters witnesses, rebels and a monitoring group said, part of a push to retake all of the city’s besieged rebel-held east. – Reuters

And then for those that actually care…..

Some 200 US troops will be sent to Syria to help an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters seize the Islamic State group bastion of Raqaa, Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said on Saturday.

The new batch of fighters will complement 300 American special forces already in Syria to assist US-backed Kurdish-Arab fighters who in recent weeks began their offensive on Raqqa.

“I can tell you today that the United States will deploy approximately 200 additional US forces in Syria,” Carter told Gulf policymakers in the Bahraini capital Manama.

Then news from the 82nd Airborne….more troops to Iraq……

Early next year, roughly 1,700 soldiers from the brigade will begin to deploy to Iraq to assume the train, advise and assist mission alongside their Iraqi counterparts.

Col. J. Patrick Work, commander of the Falcon Brigade, held court from the center of the swarm of paratroopers, who gathered together following a 4-mile brigade run and a surprise event – a brigade-wide tug-of-war tournament in which the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment emerged victorious.

It seems that every month or so the troops deployed to Iraq and Syria tick up and up…..and NO one seems to notice….

On a very sad note…..another American soldier has died because of his service in Afghanistan….

A Fort Hood soldier from Maryland died this week from the injuries he suffered when an improvised explosive device went off in Bagram, Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced Wednesday.

Sgt. First Class Allan E. Brown, 46, was supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, according to a news release.

He died Tuesday at Walter Reed National Medical Center, in Bethesda, Maryland. His hometown is listed as Takoma Park, military officials said.

The IED went off Nov. 12. Two other soldiers — Sgt. John W. Perry, 30, of Stockton, Calif.; and Pfc. Tyler R. Iubelt, 20, of Tamaroa, Illinois — died in the same incident on the day it happened.

IST sends our condolences to the family…may your family member rest in peace.

Reclaim the Identity of the Left

Back in my younger days I was a radical and worked to change the political system….I worked within the confines of the system to exact change….Reagan reinvigorated my resolve to make change…Bush1 was just an extension of my desire….and then the country threw us on the Left a mickey….the election of Bill Clinton, a conserv in Dem clothing……we tried to warn the country but few wanted to hear what we were saying…..and look what that brought.

Many on the Left are crying in their beers…..but that will not bring the change they so want….the Left needs to set about making the changes needed to start representing the working class….something they have NOT done in 25+ years…..if they truly want to win…then the ONLY concern should be that of the working class.

This election has been something that the American left had never dreamed of: The rise of a demagogue spouting fascist rhetoric against the roaring cheers of white America.

An authoritarian right will now rule over a Republican-held Congress, with the choosing of new Supreme Court justices on the agenda.

The anger fueling Trump’s rise was palpable because it wasn’t new. Economic stagnation has been happening for decades as deindustrialization, neoliberalism and union busting took its toll. The Rust Belt rusted over and small farms were forced into foreclosure. That anger had a narrative thrusted upon it, and it didn’t come from the left.

Source: Trump’s Victory Is an Opportunity to Reclaim the Identity of the Left

Good advice if you want to regain your standing with the American people….

For sake of argument…….. the National Review wades into the conversation…..

The Left is not going to learn any lessons from 2016, apparently. Democrats in the House just crushed an upstart challenge to Nancy Pelosi’s decade-long leadership, rejecting Tim Ryan, a 43-year-old congressman who represents a swath of post-industrial Ohio from Youngstown to Akron and co-chairs the Congressional Manufacturing Caucus, for the 76-year-old San Francisco congresswoman who has presided over the largest House losses in modern memory, and who famously said that the House had to pass the Affordable Care Act “so you can find out what is in it.” As for leadership outside the halls of Congress, the favorite to head the Democratic National Committee has been Keith Ellison, a Muslim congressman from Minnesota who has extensive ties to the Nation of Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood, and who has compared the September 11 attacks to the burning of the Reichstag.

Source: American Left, We Need You to Recover Your Sanity | National Review

I will agree that the Left, the true Left, needs to re-group and find a better way forward…..reverting back to the 1990’s is NOT the way forward.
Thoughts?  But please if you want to go on some socialism rant save it for your crazy uncle Bill over Christmas dinner.