Trump's Fake Economy

I predicted that the Trump-Republican economy would fail when I published Regenerating America with Sustainable Economics by James A. George and James A. Rodger (c) 2017 Archway Publishing. I knew that few people would read it because most Americans have been brainwashed into believing that capitalism is the best economic model.

In truth, capitalism and democracy are incongruent. Capitalism promotes profiteering at the extreme, sacrificing social and environmental responsibilities. Democracy promotes individual freedom, though moderated to achieve equality and shared resources resulting in balanced economic, social, and environmental concerns.

The way ahead is for the nation's economy to be based on renewable energy, principally solar power and advanced storage technologies. That focus will drive changes in how we live and travel. The pursuit will regenerate the nation in extraordinary ways including foreign policy.

There is no need today to be blindly allegiant to Middle-East dictatorial regimes because they have oil. We don't need them. Focusing on the correct energy policy will change our foreign policy and affect our military policy in positive ways.

Read my book and I explain the way ahead.

Republicans have spent our future once again. They are takers, not makers. They are short-term thinks and actors.

Trump and the Republicans will produce bad economic results between now and 2020, and it is up to Democrats to right the course with sustainable economics.

"The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down about 600 points an hours before close on Tuesday afternoon."

'Nationalism is not Patriotism'

The American dictator, Donald Trump, has been rebuked by a majority of Americans as reflected by the Democrats regaining control of the US House of Representatives. Trump has also been rebuked by the French President, Macron, who reminded him that "nationalism is not patriotism." Trump may not understand that and many of his followers are too ignorant to get it.

One need only to look at history to gain the negative meaning of nationalism as it morphs into racial supremacism and worse. Thank heaven that there are more intelligent persons voting than ignorant ones. However, somehow, we must educate the masses and stem the tide away from bad behavior that is promulgated by Donald Trump as the scourge of America and the world.

Trump traveled all the way to the French battlefield and could not visit 1,000 graves of American WWI soldiers because it was too rainy. What about those soldiers who laid in the rain-filled trenches, you fool? Stop embarrassing our nation.

Furthermore, Trump failed to walk in solidarity with our allies in the memorial ceremony. Why did he bother to attend other than his military parade was canceled in the US?

Trump doesn't represent this citizen journalist in America and must be impeached for a cause.

Image: CNN

Trump Takes America in Wrong Direction

"Nationalism" is a historical mistake. What is wrong with it? Advocacy of sovereignty and independence at a time when the planet Earth needs collaboration and consensus is an opposite. The trouble with Trump's nationalism is that it is extremely right-wing, akin to his father's beliefs and participation in the KuKluxKlan movement, for instance.

Using patriotic sentiment slips into xenophobia, chauvinism, and jingoism, all of which are displayed in Trump and Republican Party behavior. Those things are dangerous for America, a threat to Democracy far greater than migrants at the border.

Making America great is about embracing economic, social, and environmental responsibility, the rule of law, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that the Trump administration fails to do. Therefore, in the eyes of the world, We the People are failing.

World Wars I and II were seeded by dictatorial regimes that were bent on nationalism. Trump's presence at the WWI Memorial in France is an affront and embarrassment as he demonstrates the lessons were not learned.

The wars were won and authoritarianism defeated by combined forces from democracies. Now, the free-world cannot depend on America while Trump is in office.

"President Trump will join a group of more than 60 world leaders in France this weekend to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. The war lives on in the Western imagination as a hideous (and arguably needless) conflict that killed millions, turned the fields of Europe into moonscapes, collapsed empires and prefigured an even bloodier war a generation later. Its memory and legacy still offer profound lessons for the present. 

In hosting the ceremonies, French President Emmanuel Macron hopes to score a political point. World War I was a clash of violent nationalist passions, fueled by a coterie of power-hungry elites. Now there’s a rising tide of nationalism in Europe, with far-right leaders in Western Europe and illiberal statesmen in countries such as Hungary challenging the liberal ideals of the European Union and the cooperation and multilateralism that once guaranteed its prosperity." 

The Washington Post

Trump Antagonized the Free-Press and Democratic Congress

President Trump attacked CNN reporter Jim Acosta as he attempted to ask why he characterized the caravan of people seeking freedom as being an invasion force worthy of calling out the US Military while the unarmed people are hundreds of miles away from the border.

CNN management issued a statement in defense of Jim Acosta and the free press noting that the free press is something that Presidents are sworn to defend. It was a proper question and Trump's using false information in his campaign speeches and advertising is un-American.

Yes, Trump is un-American as was his threatening the US Congress not to pursue investigations of him and his cabinet or he will retaliate. It is the duty of Congress to provide oversight of the executive branch and possible abuses of power.

Nancy Pelosi said that there won't be any scatter-shot investigations and that she and the Democrats will try to work with Trump where they can.

The President continues to provide more evidence that he is not abiding by the Constitution and his oath of office and those actions pile onto the already loaded investigations into his performance and behavior as President as he undermines the rule of law.

Image: The Independent 

Trump's Hideous Spectacle

Today, a few days before the Mid-term election, Donald Trump went to the bully pulpit to address the "immigration problem." Bear in mind that President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress had all last year to produce legislative changes. They did not accomplish that, and Trump persists in blaming Democrats. That is utter nonsense.

Obvious to anyone of average intelligence, Trump is grandstanding and employing a fear tactic to get people to vote Republican. His speech today is filled with so many lies and distortions that one commentator said it will take a few hours to chronicle all of the lies.

The just of it is that Trump profiles immigrants in an unfactual way and seeks policy changes that are an affront to the rule of law. Instead of working with his own Congress to make changes he believes are necessary, he intends to act by Executive Order. The courts have struck down his past edicts many times because they violate the law that he is sworn to uphold.

Trump declares that the nation is being invaded by a caravan of criminals who seek asylum without merit. He says the courts can't handle the caseload. How about asking Congress to beef up the judges and staff to process the cases on merit? He is nonsensical.

Instead, he sends thousands of troops the border to build tent cities to contain the migrants with the intention of locking them up.

It is not that there isn't an immigration problem. The trouble here is that Trump is creating hysteria and inciting hatred toward immigrants, and those actions are unAmerican.

It is way past time to impeach Donald Trump.

'Sickening': New anti-immigrant Trump campaign ad stokes outrage 

Trump's latest attack on immigrants comes amid accusations that his rhetoric incites violence.

Just a shame

US Foreign Policy Guatemala

Independent Analyst View:

Guatemala is like a majority of nations in the world which lack a sustainable economy. (The US is also confronting the challenge for economic sustainability.) Two starting positions should be the foundation for US Foreign Policy:

1. Recognizing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as it applies to Guatemala.

2. Recognizing the specific and unique social, environmental, economic, and political situation in Guatemala.

Looking at the CIA World Factbook, one can see the starting condition assuming the CIA is keeping the facts current. (Sometimes the book is out of date.) Second, listen to the US State Department for policy specifics. Then, go back to the two items above to reconcile the appropriateness of today's policy.

"The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the internal conflict, which had left more than 200,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, about 1 million refugees." 

CIA World Factbook

An anthropologist from Guatemala provides a historical overview that is better than the "official documents." Her assessment is published by The New York Times.

Consider her report that spans 1954 to 2013. Several points are made:

1. Capitalists exploit the nation without regard for Democracy.

2. US Governments favor capitalists aka corporations over democratic principles.

3. US Presidents, including prominent Republicans, supported policies that resulted in the massacre of populations.

"Guatemala Suffered for U.S. Foreign Policy
Irma Alicia Velasquez Nimatuj 

Irma Alicia Velasquez Nimatuj, a member of the K´iche´ ethnic group, is a social anthropologist. She writes a weekly column for ElPeriodico, a national Guatemalan newspaper 

MAY 19, 2013, 7:01 PM 

The inequalities that led to the armed conflict in Guatemala and eventually to genocide against the Mayan population are embedded in a long history of colonization, dispossession, exclusion, contempt and structural racism. 

But these inequalities were exacerbated in 1954 when the United States, in the name of anticommunism and in the defense corporate interests of the United Fruit Company, helped depose the democratic government of Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán. 

By financing and training counterinsurgency forces that slaughtered indigenous people, the United States shares blame for genocide. 

From that moment on, the United States assured that an ultraconservative line remained in power until 1985. The United States financed brutal counterinsurgency campaigns with forces it trained in the School of the Americas. By interfering in state policies and it shared responsibility for the genocidal campaigns carried out by the military regimes in Guatemala, including the government of Ríos Montt. 

Ronald Reagan, in particular, supported and exalted the regime of Ríos Montt, reducing the massacres and dehumanization of indigenous communities to a “bum rap” for Ríos Montt. The anticommunist sentiment shared by the two leaders provided an incentive for the armed forces to continue carrying out a genocide against the 22 Maya groups of the country. 

The long-term effects of the massacres are not only visible in the loss of lives and brilliant minds but on the current fragmentations of Guatemalan society. U.S. foreign policy tore apart the social fabric of the country. These policies struck the indigenous population mercilessly, especially in rural areas. Unfortunately, the manner in which Ríos Montt’s defense behaved at trial hindered the possibility of learning more about the U.S. role in Guatemala directly from the ex-dictator.  

The tide has somewhat turned. In 1999, President Bill Clinton, during his visit to Guatemala, recognized and apologized for the errors committed in our country. The U.S. embassy of the United States has said the Ríos Montt verdict should be respected, earning the wrath of the business sector, conservatives and the military, which find their former ally’s current stance treasonous. 

But what does this mean for Guatemalans after the damage has been done? What will U.S. economic, technical and possibly military support mean for the future of the country when we have an administration headed by a former military leader who, alongside his cabinet, continues to criminalize social movements and indigenous people? 

This moment is only the beginning of a long process for indigenous peoples to restore the collective historical memory of the country and to regain the dignity of which we have been robbed.  

The United States should accept its responsibility not only by issuing apologies but also by actively working to make sure its current foreign policies don’t contribute to a new wave of abuses against indigenous people who still have a long struggle ahead." 

https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/05/19/what-guilt-does-the-us-bear-in-guatemala/guatemala-suffered-for-us-foreign-policy

From the CIA World Factbook

Economy: GUATEMALA
Overview: 

Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America with a GDP per capita roughly half the average for Latin America and the Caribbean. The agricultural sector accounts for 13.5% of GDP and 31% of the labor force; principal agricultural exports include sugar, coffee, bananas, and vegetables. Guatemala is the top remittance recipient in Central America as a result of Guatemala's large expatriate community in the US. These inflows are a primary source of foreign income, equivalent to two-thirds of the country's exports and about a tenth of its GDP. 

The 1996 peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a significant obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala has since pursued significant reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. The Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) entered into force in July 2006, spurring increased investment and diversification of exports, with the most significant increases in ethanol and non-traditional agricultural commodities. While CAFTA-DR has helped improve the investment climate, concerns over security, the lack of skilled workers, and poor infrastructure continue to hamper foreign direct investment. 

The distribution of income remains highly unequal with the wealthiest 20% of the population accounting for more than 51% of Guatemala's overall consumption. More than half of the population is below the national poverty line, and 23% of the population lives in extreme poverty. Poverty among indigenous groups, which make up more than 40% of the people, averages 79%, with 40% of the indigenous people living in extreme poverty. Nearly one-half of Guatemala's children under age five are chronically malnourished, one of the highest malnutrition rates in the world. 

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$137.8 billion (2017 est.)
$133.7 billion (2016 est.)
$128.4 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 78"

Observe that Guatemala is not the worst country in the world regarding the economy. Poorly governed, Guatemala would benefit from the following:

1. Favorable trading partner relationship with the US

2. Commitment by the US government to work with corporations to address systemic economic needs with a focus on engineering a sustainable economy.

3. Working with Guatemala to develop a government committed to upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Note: The trouble is, the American government under the current regime is not committed to providing Americans with a sustainable economy and is abusing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The People

The Location

Guatemala 

'Enemy of the People'

US President Donald Trump has engaged the free press media in which he alleged that "the media" has become the "enemy of the people" because of ninety percent of the news stories about him are negative. Let's discuss.

He claims that he is accomplishing what he had promised his followers and that the economy is performing well and that people should be happy and satisfied with that.

He believes that 63 million people elected him and want what he is accomplishing. That ignores these facts:

Donald J. Trump    Republican    62,980,160
Hillary R. Clinton    Democratic    65,845,063

A small majority of citizens didn't want what Trump and the Republicans are doing. However, Republicans control the Congress and the Executive branch and operate in a bully fashion to accomplish their aims. They are not bipartisan.

Trump's bullish style makes no effort to unite the nation and to effectively demonstrate that his policies are best for the nation. For instance, giving corporations and wealthy persons a giant tax break was supposed to provide "trickle down" benefits for the middle-class and poor. The economic facts are that wages are not improving. The middle-class did not benefit from the tax cut. True is that Wall Street and Corporations are benefiting.

Also true is that the national debt and deficit is exploding again. That is the consequence of failing to generate sufficient tax revenue. Republican's and the President's response is to attack Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid that further degrades the middle-class and poor, which is entirely unacceptable.

The President's reporting economic good news is done with the caveat not to look into the future because we are headed for the cliff again.

The President is an incessant and apparently incurable liar. All Americans can see and hear that. As such, he is like a lying witness on the stand in court. What are we supposed to believe from someone so untruthful?

That is why the media pepper the President for details and probe his character and challenge his truthfulness. On behalf of all people, that is what the free-press does.

In the wake of horrible catastrophes in the news and on his watch, the President has mixed the right words while drowning out his message with the wrong and inappropriate ones. That is his behavior that undermines attention to his accomplishments.

The media track his progress and report it. For instance:

"Donald Trump made a string of promises during his long campaign to be the 45th president of the United States.

Many of them made headlines - from banning all Muslims entering the US to building a wall along the border with Mexico.

So how is he doing?"

Below, I am quoting from Reuters and the BBC.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37982000

Tax Cuts

"Before election: Trump promised to lower the corporate tax rate and huge tax cuts for working Americans.

After: The Republican tax plan finally passed in December 2017, and it largely ticks the box for the president although its merits are hotly disputed. He has had to compromise on his pledge to bring corporation tax down from 35% to 15% (it will be 21% instead). And the tax cuts for individuals will expire, although Republicans say future governments will simply renew them. But wealthy Americans are expected to benefit more than poorer ones."

Paris Climate Deal

"Before: As a candidate, Mr. Trump derided climate change as a hoax concocted by China and the regulations of Paris as stifling to American growth.

After: After three months of prevarications behind the closed doors of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the president came down decisively on the side near the exits. Quitting the Paris deal, signed by nearly 200 countries, will take a few years but this is unequivocally a promise kept."

Is that a good thing? Most scientists, environmentalists, and intelligent people don't think so.

Supreme Court Nominee

"Before: "I am looking for judges and have actually picked 20 of them. They'll respect the Second Amendment and what it stands for and what it represents."

After: He vowed to appoint a conservative justice and he has - Neil Gorsuch. It took a procedural change to Senate rules, but it's a victory nonetheless."

Next, he nominated and posted Brett Kavanaugh. While he succeeded, Kavanaugh can expect close oversight by the Supreme Court Justice and follow-up investigations about allegations of sexual misconduct.

Do most Americans agree with the outcome? Probably not.

Bombing the Islamic State

"Before: During a speech in Iowa in November 2015, Mr. Trump warned that he would, using an expletive, bomb so-called Islamic State into obliteration.

After: The president dropped the biggest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal on an IS-stronghold in Afghanistan. He also takes credit for accelerating progress in driving IS out of parts of Iraq and Syria."

Then, he turned the entire mess over the Russians with dictator Bashar Al-Assad still in power.

Trade Deals

"Before: Mr. Trump called Nafta "a disaster" and warned that the TPP "is going to be worse, so we will stop it."

After: Mr. Trump pledged to withdraw from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). He did in his first few days.

He also vowed to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Association (Nafta) and, after threatening to pull out, the White House.

The new deals with Canada and Mexico have been accomplished, though the results and impact is unknown at this time.

Ban on Muslims

"Before: Mr. Trump initially promised to ban all Muslims entering the US - a "total and complete" shutdown should remain until the US authorities "can figure out what's going on".

But he switched to "extreme vetting" after he became the party's presidential candidate.

After: As president, he introduced two travel bans which become ensnarled in the courts but the third had more luck. The US Supreme Court ruled President Trump's ban on six mainly Muslim countries can go into full effect, pending legal challenges.

The decision is a boost for Mr. Trump's policy against travelers from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.

Cuba Thaw No More

"Before: Mr. Trump said in September 2016 that he would reverse the deal President Barack Obama had struck to reopen diplomatic relations and improve trade.

After: As president, he told an audience in Miami that he was "canceling the Obama administration's one-sided deal." But in reality, he has only rolled back certain parts, placing restrictions on travel and business."

Obamacare

"Before: One of Mr. Trump's trademark rally pledges was to repeal and replace Obamacare - his predecessor's attempt to extend healthcare to the estimated 15% of the country who are not covered.

It is widely hated by Republicans, who say the law imposes too many costs on business, with many describing it as a "job killer" and decrying the reforms - officially the Affordable Care Act - as an unwarranted intrusion into the affairs of private businesses and individuals.

After: The Republican healthcare plan has been unable to pass the Senate, and has been mauled by doctors' groups, hospitals and other parts of the medical industry, mainly because of its deep cuts to Medicaid, the health programme for the poor, and fears that millions would lose insurance.
But Mr. Trump has been able to dismantle parts of the law - the fine for people who did not get health insurance has been eliminated as part of the tax plan. Some fear that may have a spiraling effect on premiums as healthy people choose not to get insured."

To be continued. Republicans want to drop protection for people with pre-existing conditions.

Moving Israel embassy

"Before: Mr. Trump pledged during his campaign to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a divided city which both Israelis and Palestinians claim.

After: In December, he said he formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and approved moving the US embassy. It will open in May 2018, to coincide with Israel's 70th anniversary."

He moved the Embassy.

Troops in Afghanistan

"Before: Long before he ran for president, Mr. Trump posted a number of tweets calling for an end to US involvement in Afghanistan. They were similar in tone to this one from 2013: "Our troops are being killed by the Afghanis we train and we waste billions there. Nonsense! Rebuild the USA."
But his stance changed during last year's presidential election when he said US troops would probably have to stay in order to avoid the total collapse of the Afghan government and to keep a check on neighboring nuclear-armed Pakistan.

After: He has committed the US Army to the open-ended conflict, saying his approach will be based on conditions on the ground and will not have time limits. He also said he would get tough on Pakistan, who he criticized for offering "safe havens" to extremists - claims rejected by Pakistan.
US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis confirmed Mr. Trump's strategy in an announcement that the US would send 3,000 additional troops to Afghanistan."

A border wall paid for by Mexico

Before: His vow to build a wall along the US-Mexican border was one of the most controversial of Mr. Trump's campaign promises. Mr. Trump also insisted that Mexico would pay for it.

After: Mexico maintains it will never pay for it, and even Mr. Trump has conceded that the US will have to pay up front and then seek reimbursement in some way.

The US Congress is exploring funding options for the wall, but many Republicans will be unhappy about footing a bill which could rise to $21.5bn (£17.2bn), according to a Department of Homeland Security internal report.

There are also landowners who protest against a "government land grab" - and a lawsuit from an environmental group launched in April. Prototypes are being built but not one brick has been laid of the "big, beautiful wall".

Deporting all illegal immigrants

"Before: Mr. Trump repeatedly told his supporters that every single undocumented immigrant - of which there are 11.3 million - "have to go".
After: As polling day approached, his stance began to soften slightly, then after the election, he scaled it back to some two to three million deportations of people who "are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers".

Setting aside the fact that the number of illegal immigrants with criminal records (including border crossings) is thought to be below a million, the president has failed to deliver on this promise.

In the fiscal year 2017, deportations were at 211,068 which is lower than they were in the previous year. That is despite a huge jump in arrests since Mr. Trump took office. The number of removals peaked in 2012 and has been falling since.

The future of young undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers hangs in the balance because Mr. Trump has canceled the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) programme, which allows some 700,000 people to remain in the US. The case is now in legal limbo."

Ditching NATO

"Before: Mr. Trump repeatedly questioned the military alliance's purpose, calling it "obsolete". One issue that bugged him was whether members were pulling their weight and "paying their bills". In one New York Times interview in July 2016, he even hinted that the US would not come to the aid of a member invaded by Russia.

After: But as he hosted Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House in April, the US president said the threat of terrorism had underlined the alliance's importance. "I said it [Nato] was obsolete," Mr. Trump said. "It's no longer obsolete.""

China as currency manipulator

"Before: Mr. Trump repeatedly pledged to label Beijing a "currency manipulator" on his first day in office, during an election campaign when he also accused the Asian powerhouse of "raping" the US. China has been accused of suppressing the yuan to make its exports more competitive with US goods.

After: He told the Wall Street Journal in April that China had not been "currency manipulators" for some time and had actually been trying to prevent the yuan from further weakening."

Torture

"Before: Mr Trump said he would approve waterboarding "immediately" and "make it also much worse", adding "torture works".

After: But after his inauguration, the president said he would defer to the opposing belief, espoused by Defence Secretary James Mattis and CIA director Mike Pompeo.

Mr Pompeo said during his confirmation hearing said he would "absolutely not" reinstate such methods."

Prosecuting Hillary Clinton

"Before: "Lock her up" was one of the main rallying cries of Mr Trump's supporters.

They wanted to see Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in prison over the use of her private email server while secretary of state.

And Mr Trump was more than willing to back their calls for, at the very least, a fresh investigation. During the debates, he told Mrs Clinton: "If I win, I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation."

After: The president-elect's tone changed almost as soon as he had won, describing the woman he had said was "such a nasty woman" as someone the country owed "a debt of gratitude". Later, he said he "hadn't given [the prosecution] a lot of thought" and had other priorities.

On 22 November, Mr. Trump's spokeswoman said he would not pursue a further investigation - to help Mrs. Clinton "heal".

The guy who invented "Lock Her Up" is now an admitted felon that is Michael Flynn. He's going to jail.


Rebuilding Infrastructure

"Before: The country's infrastructure "will become, by the way, second to none, and we will put millions of our people back to work as we rebuild it", he said in his victory speech in November.

After: Has repeated his vow to spend big on the country's roads, rail, and airports, but as yet, there is no sign of action."

No progress.