An American Mother Speaks

Mother tearfully pleads for release of her husband, who she says has been detained by ICE.

"My kids did not even get to say goodbye to their father—and they shouldn't have to." https://t.co/feYl8sj4Ca pic.twitter.com/uVOP5sMvxe

— ABC News (@ABC) June 21, 2018

Opinion | The Devil and Tom Donohue – The New York Times | My Comment

Walter Rhett

Charleston, SC 5h ago

Economics is more than politics; more than law; economics is more than security and safety nets; economics is more than trade, defense allotments, healthcare, budget cuts, GDP, interest rates, inflation, fraud, privatization, pensions, and jobs.

Fundamentally, economics is the organization and distribution of goods and services that express certain values–economic choices about resources big and small that define unseen the many details of our lives–economics is the activity that shapes our sense of security and community, defines our paradoxes and contradictions, our path to prosperity and wisdom, and dream-driven freedom.

That said, economically America is making many dreadful mistakes. Trump gets the simple stuff wrong, which means the US will not be able to keep pace.

Trade is a snapshot, a balance sheet–it does not express productivity, growth, jobs, or innovation. Think New Zealand: the Pacific Island country often runs large deficits in its balance of trade, but is the 53rd largest national economy–because trade doesn’t indicate goods and services sold for profit, only the value of those received and shipped. The key to much of trade is not its balance, but commodity pricing.

Tariffs are fiat pricing (fixed by the government); it make things cost more. It just takes longer in a mature economy to notice. Trump sells economics that later becomes toxic.

18 Recommend

Walter Rhett Charleston, SC5h ago Economics is more than politics; economics is more than law; economics is more than security and safety nets; economics is more than trade, defense allotments, healthcare, budget cuts, GDP, interest rates, inflation, fraud, privatization, pensions, and jobs. Fundamentally, economics is the organization and distribution of goods and services that express certain values–economic choices big and small that define unseen the many details of our lives–economics is the activity that shapes our sense of security and community, defines our paradoxes and contradictions, our path to prosperity and wisdom. That said, economically we are making many dreadful mistakes. Trump gets the simple stuff wrong, which means the US will not be able to keep pace. Trade is a snapshot, a balance sheet–it does not express productivity, growth, jobs, or innovation. Think New Zealand: the country often runs large deficits in the balance of trade but is the 53rd largest national economy–because trade doesn’t indicate goods and services sold for profit, only those received and shipped. The key to trade is not its balance, but its commodity pricing. Tariffs are fiat pricing; they make things cost more. It just takes longer in a mature economy to notice. Trump sells economics that later becomes toxic. Reply18 Recommend

Paul Krugman: The Devil and Tom Donohue – The New York Times | My Comment

Walter Rhett

Charleston, SC 4h ago

Economics is one of the easiest ways to inflict abuse on communities while using a narrative that says the abuse is in their best interests. This is a favorite technique of Trump’s. He argues if we settle our grievances, we will see greater prosperity, but his whole narrative depends upon blame, without it he has nothing to rail against.

So we see imaginary objects of blame and fear reoccur: the reappearance of Middle Eastern terrorists crossing the Southern border with children; their first reappearance since the travel ban. No evidence or details are presented–another favorite flaw of Trump’s claims, they lack support or truth. We see blatant lies and smears. Canada’s Trudeau is dishonest, claimed without proof (doesn’t everyone have the same numbers?). Exactly how is the world’s  largest economy, a victim?

Using economics to end training exercises with South Korea by claiming costs were too high unconditionally surrenders to China’s military hegemony. Refusing to carry out Russian sanctions voted by Congress means Putin thinks Trump’s a joke. He’s not alone!

27 Recommend

 

 

Trump Wasn’t First to Separate Families, but Policy Was Still Evil – The New York Times | My Comment

Walter Rhett

Charleston, SC 2h ago

Trump is a man who issued an executive order to fix a problem of his own making: that order holds in place the separation of more than 2,000 children from their families, as tales emerge of children being permanently lost by the system, and the threat of cognitive/emotional/psychological damage through neuro-chemical imbalances increases daily.

Law is inflated as an absolute and a substitute for justice; law is stripped of restraint, placed above humanity and the context and circumstances of the “crime” (for over 90% a first offense misdemeanor!). The humane violations of family as a sacred universal institution are omitted by a callousness that revels in cruelty and that implicitly argues for a punishment that doesn’t not fit the crime nor is bound by humane restraint, choosing to blame victims wholly for the excesses perpetrated by the government.

Trump has replaced justice with excessive power and privilege, adorned as care and political coin.