A BIG WEEK FOR OBAMA
No matter what I think of this president, he had a big week this week. Three of the initiatives he favored passed (or were not overturned by the Supreme Court--SCOTUS): TPA, Gay Marriage, and Obamacare Exchange ruling.
1) The Trade Promotion Authority bill passed because Republicans knew it was the right thing to do to stimulate the lagging US economy. Democrats (except for Obama who wanted the authority to make Fast Track trade deals) took their usual wrongheaded approach and opposed their sitting president (they don't like him anyway), trying to artificially protect US jobs and help trade unions.
2) Gay Marriage was OK'd by SCOTUS, making uniform treatment of Gay "marriages" a national standard. Not a bad idea--I just wish they wouldn't pollute the word "marriage" like this. Marriage will always be, in my mind, a man and a woman (think Adam and Eve), with the ability to procreate and bear children. That doesn't mean gays can't be good parents; it just means that the single gender parent couple lacks one of the two dominant genes that determine the best parents.
3) SCOTUS ignored the specific use of the English language in Obamacare, regarding "state" (vs. Federal) insurance exchanges. As little doubt as there was to the actual words, SCOTUS chose to interpret that controversial law inaccurately, but in keeping with the drafters hopes. So much for Judicial oversight. It's dead.
However, while the president "orates" about his wins, the world around him, and the USA continue down a slippery slope that he and his policies (or lack thereof) have created and are perpetuating. What follows is a stern assessment and a warning to all Americans.
IS THE NEW NORMAL A SLOW GROWTH ECONOMY AND CONTINUALLY A GOVERNMENT & LEADER WHO LIES TO US?
Summer is here. The more some things change, the more they stay the same. We live in this critically ill but still great country, which is being run by a mixture of mad scientists, witch doctors and congenital liars--led by the inept US president, Barack Hussein Obama and his minions--in spite of the best efforts of a Congress and Supreme Court to rein them in. Obama's successor-in-=waiting, the enigmatic Hillary Rodham Clinton has proven her chops as a liar befitting the Obama tradition. There is no memory she cannot recall in a way that fits her needs--if not the facts. Unless it is one that embarrasses her, then she cannot recall it at all, and/or it is buried in her deleted/illegal private emails. And millions of people want this woman as president! Are you kidding me? "Figures don't lie, but liars figure."
The latest government "big lie" is the disclosure of the hacking of the government's OPM (Office of Personnel Management) data files. Actually two big databases were hacked: employees (4mm), and everyone who ever applied for a security clearance, and references for those applicants (over 10mm). Nobody really knows (or at least is lying about) exactly how many identities were compromised. Of course, under Obama's reign, these two were carefully disclosed separately--as if they were two different events--about a week apart, even though the FBI knew and told OPM at almost the same exact time.
(More on this in next edition: Cyber-911 Coming Soon?)
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME--BADLY MANAGED ENTITIES ULTIMATELY FAIL BADLY
In retail, Sears/Kmart's demise continues unabated. It is such a large entity, that Eddie Lampert's financial engineering continues to pull out cash and sustain the failing retailer, albeit on life support. Behemoth GE returns to its roots in making things instead of being a financial company, while it ponders bailing out of failing CT due to high tax burdens. The blue states and cities continue to devolve into disaster. First Detroit, then Chicago, now Baltimore, with a procession lined up to follow. American cities like these and a host of others have proven conclusively that Democratic control from top to bottom is a social and economic disaster. For some inexplicable reason, too many Americans are either unable or unwilling to see/accept this evidence. States like IL suffer from the burden of dominant Democratic cities like Chicago. Tax increases to fund these follies are driving employers out of IL, CT and other states. After decades of solely Democratic elected officials, these cities are the best living proof of the Dems failed ideas and policies. "Those who fail to learn from history 's lessons are doomed to repeat the mistakes."
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME--BADLY MANAGED ENTITIES ULTIMATELY FAIL BADLY
In retail, Sears/Kmart's demise continues unabated. It is such a large entity, that Eddie Lampert's financial engineering continues to pull out cash and sustain the failing retailer, albeit on life support. Behemoth GE returns to its roots in making things instead of being a financial company, while it ponders bailing out of failing CT due to high tax burdens. The blue states and cities continue to devolve into disaster. First Detroit, then Chicago, now Baltimore, with a procession lined up to follow. American cities like these and a host of others have proven conclusively that Democratic control from top to bottom is a social and economic disaster. For some inexplicable reason, too many Americans are either unable or unwilling to see/accept this evidence. States like IL suffer from the burden of dominant Democratic cities like Chicago. Tax increases to fund these follies are driving employers out of IL, CT and other states. After decades of solely Democratic elected officials, these cities are the best living proof of the Dems failed ideas and policies. "Those who fail to learn from history 's lessons are doomed to repeat the mistakes."
AMERICAN ICONIC COMPANIES STRUGGLE TO FIND PROFITABLE GROWTH--OR ANY GROWTH AT ALL--BUT COMPLEXITY STILL GROWS
I warned of this in The Complexity Crisis (2008). Now it is happening. American icons--Walmart, McDonald's, Coke, P & G, IBM and a long list of legendary companies are stuck on plateaus of flat sales and disappointing earnings. P & G has at least decided to manage complexity (finally) cutting 100 of its brands (over half of them) to focus on the important ones. McDonald's continues to wander in the darkness, losing sales and trying to recover by doing more of the same-old, same-old. A 1/3 pound Prime burger? Where was that in 2004? Extend breakfast hours--a winner for the chain. Slash the drive though menu, so it can be read from fifteen feet away, and has many fewer selections, so customers don't take so long to order. This will speed service and reduce costs and simplify the cooking system complexity. I also wrote Roadmap to Profitable Growth to address these problems. But then these insular big companies think they already know everything, so why would they imagine they might be wrong or misinformed? Einstein said, "We cannot fix todays problems by thinking the way we thought when they were created."
IF TALK WERE ECONOMIC GROWTH, BARACK OBAMA WOULD HAVE PULLED THE AMERICAN ECONOMY OUT OF ITS MALAISE
But talk is cheap, and adds nothing but more obfuscation, and prevarication to the already overflowing Obama video library. Obama's non-recovery continues on unabated--at 2% growth plus or minus an up or down quarter. His big government overreach, regulatory stifling of the private sector and socialistic, imperial executive orders will be argued in courts for months or years. His cabinet departments should be renamed: the Injustice department; Health & Human Disservices; Homeland Insecurity; Veterans Antagonism, the Environmental Penalization Agency, and so on. Then there is John Kerry, the millionaire Secretary of State, who bumbles around our enemies, bowing and scraping to get any kind of deal (and no respect). Whether Barack Obama wins or loses in the many court challenges to his imperialistic reign, the damage he has done to the USA is huge, and long lasting. A recent concerning development is the attempt to legislate higher minimum wages than low-skill workers are worth. Then he'll wonder why the economy isn't recovering and companies are replacing yet more American jobs with technology/automation. "Beware the unintended consequences of ill-informed decisions."
THE FREE ENTERPRISE MARKET WILL PROVE OBAMA'S INCOMPETENCE (Unless Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged comes to pass.)
The free market is a relentless truth-teller, and will simply avoid hiring overpriced help. Watch for more and more technology replacing overpriced, underperforming workers, in spite of the new laws. (Those who have never read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged would be wise to do so--or if you don't want to read 1000pp., get one of the "summaries.")
CONSUMERS WILL SPEND A BIT MORE--IF GAS PRICES STAY DOWN
Consumers are spending a bit more, but typically working two jobs, or one part-time job (30 hrs./week due to Obamacare rules) to get by. Employment is up, but heavily low wage jobs. It's possible that natural cycles will create some real growth, but now there are not enough qualified workers in the US to staff the technically more demanding jobs that are created when work is repatriated from Asia or Latin America. GDP growth is slightly up (to 2%) after an abysmal 1Q (0%). Some economic recovery is predictable, despite (or rather in spite of) the oppressive government bureaucracy.
REGULATION AND WELFARE UNDER OBAMA WILL CONTINUE TO SMOTHER THE FREE ENTERPRISE, WEALTH PRODUCING SECTOR
Domestic policy is typically what is to be expected under a liberal Democratic welfare "nanny-state." Take from wealth creators and give to the unmotivated, unfortunate, lazy and/or disenfranchised--who will then spend much of the welfare on "less than wise" purchases. Then call that "fairness" and count it as "growth!" Obama never has, never will know how to create jobs that produce wealth. All he does is create more government jobs that cost the country (taxpayers-wealth producers) money and burden them with stifling regulations (and those bureaucrats will work together to protect their job security).
But talk is cheap, and adds nothing but more obfuscation, and prevarication to the already overflowing Obama video library. Obama's non-recovery continues on unabated--at 2% growth plus or minus an up or down quarter. His big government overreach, regulatory stifling of the private sector and socialistic, imperial executive orders will be argued in courts for months or years. His cabinet departments should be renamed: the Injustice department; Health & Human Disservices; Homeland Insecurity; Veterans Antagonism, the Environmental Penalization Agency, and so on. Then there is John Kerry, the millionaire Secretary of State, who bumbles around our enemies, bowing and scraping to get any kind of deal (and no respect). Whether Barack Obama wins or loses in the many court challenges to his imperialistic reign, the damage he has done to the USA is huge, and long lasting. A recent concerning development is the attempt to legislate higher minimum wages than low-skill workers are worth. Then he'll wonder why the economy isn't recovering and companies are replacing yet more American jobs with technology/automation. "Beware the unintended consequences of ill-informed decisions."
THE FREE ENTERPRISE MARKET WILL PROVE OBAMA'S INCOMPETENCE (Unless Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged comes to pass.)
The free market is a relentless truth-teller, and will simply avoid hiring overpriced help. Watch for more and more technology replacing overpriced, underperforming workers, in spite of the new laws. (Those who have never read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged would be wise to do so--or if you don't want to read 1000pp., get one of the "summaries.")
CONSUMERS WILL SPEND A BIT MORE--IF GAS PRICES STAY DOWN
Consumers are spending a bit more, but typically working two jobs, or one part-time job (30 hrs./week due to Obamacare rules) to get by. Employment is up, but heavily low wage jobs. It's possible that natural cycles will create some real growth, but now there are not enough qualified workers in the US to staff the technically more demanding jobs that are created when work is repatriated from Asia or Latin America. GDP growth is slightly up (to 2%) after an abysmal 1Q (0%). Some economic recovery is predictable, despite (or rather in spite of) the oppressive government bureaucracy.
REGULATION AND WELFARE UNDER OBAMA WILL CONTINUE TO SMOTHER THE FREE ENTERPRISE, WEALTH PRODUCING SECTOR
Domestic policy is typically what is to be expected under a liberal Democratic welfare "nanny-state." Take from wealth creators and give to the unmotivated, unfortunate, lazy and/or disenfranchised--who will then spend much of the welfare on "less than wise" purchases. Then call that "fairness" and count it as "growth!" Obama never has, never will know how to create jobs that produce wealth. All he does is create more government jobs that cost the country (taxpayers-wealth producers) money and burden them with stifling regulations (and those bureaucrats will work together to protect their job security).
DEMOGRAPHICS ARE DESTINY AND THEY ARE DECIDEDLY SCARY NOW AND IN THE FUTURE
More people taking and fewer people putting in--that's the simple explanation of the problem. As developed economies age more and more people are drawing on entitlements (or in the case of the USA, Welfare in myriad forms) and fewer people are working than any time in the past 50 years. Demographic issues also impact many developed countries, not the least of which is the USA. It takes 2.1 births to replace a family and hold population steady. Most of Europe (Russia is one of the worse) are below 1.5. Japan is equally troubled. As the population ages, fewer working age people need to support programs (entitlements in the USA) for the masses of older workers. Even MIllennials, who outnumber Baby Boomers struggle with this because of their lower income jobs/earnings.
FOREIGN POLICY--WHAT'S THAT? REACTING TO WORLD EVENTS RANDOMLY, AND THEN SPEECHIFYING TO OBSCURE THE LACK OF POLICY
Foreign policy is equally awful. Acting like he's doing something, Obama's policies are slow to develop, unclear, ineffective, misdirected and or just plain stupid. There is no clear direction except to do little, talk a lot, betray allies and sympathize with (mostly) Muslim enemies. European countries, when they are not so wrapped up in their own economic disasters (PIIGS countries failing: Portugal, Spain, Italy, Ireland & Greece), realize that Obama can neither be trusted nor relied upon--for anything except platitudes, lies and obfuscation.
What are we to do? Simple (not easy): Replace the elected leaders who have created this mess. To do that, we must educate or inform the masses who believe he lies of Obama and Hillary that government can--and must--take care of everyone using "someone else's money!"
SOCIALISM DOESN'T WORK; NEVER HAS, NEVER WILL--(EXCEPT LIBERAL EDUCATORS MISINFORM OUR YOUTH THAT IT'S GREAT)
That has never worked; and it won't work now! History proves it over and over, unless presented by the revisionist teachings of liberal teachers in American schools. FYI. Two of the largest liberal concentrations are in media and education--both comfortable, powerful places where many underachievers make their careers. These are not the thought leaders America needs. Both are far too influential; yet both must be dealt with. Educators must be measured by results, not tenure, and monitored for wrong-headed teaching. School boards cannot simply be filled with bodies; they must be filled by responsible parents who will stand up and reject the wrong behavior. Weak teachers simply must be weeded out; strong ones must be rewarded and encouraged. We need something more than Common Core: a housecleaning of misguided teachers who are "reprogramming" America's youth with wrong information.
What are we to do? Simple (not easy): Replace the elected leaders who have created this mess. To do that, we must educate or inform the masses who believe he lies of Obama and Hillary that government can--and must--take care of everyone using "someone else's money!"
SOCIALISM DOESN'T WORK; NEVER HAS, NEVER WILL--(EXCEPT LIBERAL EDUCATORS MISINFORM OUR YOUTH THAT IT'S GREAT)
That has never worked; and it won't work now! History proves it over and over, unless presented by the revisionist teachings of liberal teachers in American schools. FYI. Two of the largest liberal concentrations are in media and education--both comfortable, powerful places where many underachievers make their careers. These are not the thought leaders America needs. Both are far too influential; yet both must be dealt with. Educators must be measured by results, not tenure, and monitored for wrong-headed teaching. School boards cannot simply be filled with bodies; they must be filled by responsible parents who will stand up and reject the wrong behavior. Weak teachers simply must be weeded out; strong ones must be rewarded and encouraged. We need something more than Common Core: a housecleaning of misguided teachers who are "reprogramming" America's youth with wrong information.
NEWS IS NO LONGER NEWS, IT IS NEWS WRAPPED IN OPINION AND BIASED SPIN
The media presents a different problem. Its influence is too great because the public is too apathetic, disinterested or worse--lack the ability to think and discern the truth from nonsensical reporting. Unfortunately, polarization of electronic media is almost complete. Radio & TV stations are almost all clearly left or right leaning. Neutral, unbiased reporting has become rare. Talking heads dominate, and usually there is one of each persuasion--but in the end the one favoring editorial slant of the broadcast or cable station dominates. Cleaning out pretenders like Brian Williams and hypocrites like George Stephanopolis is just a start. Favoring journalists like George Will, who often tries to carve out the middle ground and find the truth in it makes sense. Publications like the NYTimes are damaging with its liberal left bias, but so also are radio personalities like Rush Limbaugh with his conservative right bias. FOX leans right. CNN leans left. MSNBC is the Democratic party's liberal cable propaganda station. ABC, NBC, and CBS also lean left too much--largely because about 80-90% of journalists are liberals. There is little or no "quality assurance certification" for journalists--just an editor who is similarly biased. Some Internet blogs, columns and newsletters try to walk a more newsworthy line (Drudge)…but those are rare and hard to find. Human nature is to gravitate toward information sources that match their preconceived ideas--and that is a huge problem.
If this is the situation, what can we do, anyway? Are we doomed to continued gridlock and the decline of America as a country and a society? Near term--YES! Longer term NO! We are doomed only if the hard-working, patriotic and intelligent American people cave-in and let the nonsense continue. What must we do?
Fight on! Don't give up! Stand up and speak up and defend/support what we know is right and true--at least as best we can discern.
The free enterprise system has overcome obstacle after obstacle. Business people are smart, tenacious, and can find ways to win that bureaucrats never imagined. Innovate. Delight customers. Move fast and blast through resistance. Work together passionately and unselfishly. This has worked for decades (or centuries). The old adage "What comes around, goes around," is true. The only problem is how long it takes for the idiots and their plans to implode, and go down in flames!
Take the fight to the eyes, ears and campaign $upport accounts of members of Congress, and of state legislatures. Take the fight to the ballot box, but first find candidates whose beliefs and integrity you can trust and then support them…vocally and financially. Communicate with them; meet with them; find our why they vote the way they vote on issues and share your views with them. They get precious little positive, constructive communication from constituents. (Mostly they get people with a single issue or a single gripe, or that want something from them.)
America has a history of cycling through these ups and downs. It has just never had a president who was so inept, so misguided and so downright dishonest before. (Although the highly regarded FDR had many of the same flaws.)
THINK, DO YOUR HOMEWORK. LISTEN TO BOTH SIDES. UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES. THEN BECOME A MINI-ACTIVIST. ENGAGE YOUR ELECTED LEADERS AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AND BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE DOING. LISTEN TO WHAT THEY TELL YOU.(MOSTLY, THE GOOD ONES ARE TRYING HARD AND ARE FRUSTRATED TOO.)
THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET AMERICA BACK ON TRACK.
BEST, JOHN
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