Good or Bad for the Jews

"Good or Bad for the Jews"

Many years ago, and for many years, I would travel to Morocco to visit uncles, cousins, and my paternal grandmother. Some lived in Tangiers;...

Thursday, December 15, 2016

A Few Words on The Cabinet

I was going to write about the progressives completely losing their minds and their masks as they carry on a mad onslaught to undo the results of November 8. I was going to write about how progressivism has revealed itself, yet again, as nothing but an "ideology" that demands power, power over individuals and their choices. I may yet write that piece but for now, let's take a quick look at President-elect Trump's main choices for his cabinet.

I like the cabinet he has picked and hope they all get confirmed quickly and without too much fuss.

I am full of hope that his SecState Tillerson, SecEnergy Perry, and EPA Administrator Pruitt will work together to spearhead achievement of what I consider one of the very top priorities for our country: US energy independence. These three are no-nonsense guys with a deep understanding of the energy business and an appreciation for how unleashing the tremendous energy potential that exists in the US--oil, gas, coal, nuclear--would give a tremendous boost not only to our economy across virtually all fields of endeavor, but also to our ability to act on the international scene.

One of the most amazing and not very remarked upon developments in recent years has been the almost total collapse of OPEC thanks largely to the American fracking revolution. As I have noted in prior postings (e.g., herehere, here, and hereDESPITE Obama misadministration opposition to US energy development, the US, thanks to its innovative private sector, stands on the verge of energy independence, something not seen for at least the past sixty or so years. The new administration, one in which adults are finally in charge, must ensure that we have government policies that allow that very welcome development to continue. Let me repeat, nothing could have a bigger, more positive, and more immediate impact on our economy and global standing than finally turning the US from being an energy importer into an energy exporter. No other single step, short of nuclear war, I guess, would have a more dramatic impact upon our foes and rivals in the world than have US oil and gas production become and remain a major player in the world oil and gas market. The impact would be felt in the ability of certain states to finance terrorism, e.g., Saudi Arabia, Iran, and in other states to finance dangerous international adventures, e.g., Russia, Venezuela. With the threat of energy blackmail removed, the US would have its international options dramatically increased.

I also like the choice of General Mattis for SecDef and General Kelly for Homeland Security.

The morale of my military friends has jumped northward quite significantly since Trump announced his choice for Defense. Mattis a man with a deep philosophical understanding of warfare, and, of course, a deep personal and practical experience with conducting modern warfare. He knows how to use military power, and the limits of that power.

Kelly will have his hands full trying to restore some semblance of sanity and sound operating principles to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS is a poorly cobbled together mishmash of disparate agencies with no clear guidance form the top as to what exactly they are supposed to do. Along with Defense, State, and so many other agencies, DHS needs a major reduction in size and refocussing of its mission on core issues.

OK. That's enough for now. I am feeling just a little TOO optimistic--and optimism is not my natural state--so I have to go to the gun range and embarrass myself.

16 comments:

  1. It's General Mattis not Mathis.

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  2. Mattis: great military leader.
    Mathis: great singer.

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  3. How are you liking your new Commander?

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    1. Pick it up tomorrow after 4 pm. I carried a Colt Commander for years while overseas. It was always a favorite of mine.

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    2. Very similar to my STI Trojan 9mm. Nice.

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  4. Buckmister Fuller had an unique theory about money and the vagaries of shifting exchange rates. He wanted an universal currency based on a standard amount of work that energy produces. He called it an "energy slave" and felt that all transactions should take place using this unvarying unit. If his idea had prevailed, the USA would likely be the world's richest country (and currency traders would go out of business.)
    And as we have repeatedly seem over the last hundred years, superior energy supplies determines who wins wars. Watch for China eventually to go after Mongolia for its vast coal supplies.

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    1. How do you do, Mr. Potts?

      The value of energy is too variable--irreproducible is a better word--to make it a useful measure of anything.

      Why do non-economists feel comfortable opining on technical economic matters. Fuller would have laughed at a non-specialist opining on specialist issues in systems theory. Or would have if there actually were such a discipline as systems theory.

      China may or may not ever invade Outer Mongolia eventually, but unless the Trump Administration joins its predecessor in blocking new export facilities for the stuff, for the forseeable future she is extremely likely to buy her requirements of coal from us.

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    2. Fuller would likely respond that the cost of energy is too variable ... the value is constant ...

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    3. I know the US is the richest nation based upon the dollar ... but I am referring to us based upon energy ... a much more lasting metric ranking.

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    4. not a fan of economics, economists, or anything of the sort... unsurprising there's no Nobel Prize in economics.

      - reader #1482

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  5. Here here... great calls on a number of senior appointments, imo.
    What's hilarious is the media-attack lines.
    If an appointee is tenured in government, they call it a revolving door and a case of 'not draining the swamp' ... 'insider payback'.. or what not.. .they love to claim this on trump's appointments of generals.
    But once trump appoints a government outsider like Tillerson, they scream "no experience in government"!

    Of course, the media gave hillary and kerry a pass the entire time, because, well, they're "on our side".

    I also note that most of these picks have been of relatively low profile people. No Clintons or Kerrys (or Romneys or Ryans)... seems to be mostly people who have actual accomplishments under their belts (as opposed to having only run political campaigns).

    - reader #1482

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  6. Mr. D., given your many years in the diplomatic field, I thought you would get a grin from this.

    The art of compromise.

    This Christmas season, my wife informed me that she wanted a tree in every room in the house. I responded by telling her she was being absolutely ridiculous and that what she was proposing was overkill to the max. So, we compromised.

    Now, we have a tree in every room in the house.

    That's how its done, fellas.

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    1. John Kerry quit using the pseudonym syd B, we recognize you.

      Your surrender tour is coming to end, though not before you apparently surrendered to the emperor penguins in Antartica.

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  7. I too agree that DJT's picks have been excellent. Hopefully these men will reform the bureaucracy which seems to march to its own drummer.
    If the international oil contracts to provide oil to the US, which have been approved by government agencies because of environment concerns, are ignored, the US would be oil independent per my reading of energy reports. Regardless, fracking perfected in the US in 1948 and horizontal drilling developed by the Canadians have been joined to allowed many fields of the oil and gas thought to be depleted to be reopened. And the two new fields recently discovered have increased our known reserves. My work in Alberta, Canada utilized horizontal drilling to allow steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operations which are so much more environmentally sound than open pit removal of the oil in the sand.

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