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;...

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Give the Man an Eleven: Trump's Address to Congress

I am not a big fan of the typical State of the Union speech or other addresses to Congress by the President. Those are usually full of nonsensical promises and word smithing trying to go Shakespearean and proving overwrought and pedestrian instead--kind of like that sentence. I have to make an exception for President Trump's address to the Congress on February 28.  It was simply outstanding.

There was little in the way of fancy rhetorical flourishes and Trump does not have the mellifluous actor's delivery of Ronald Reagan, but . . . Dang! That was one helluva speech! It was aspirational, inspirational, and practical all at the same time. He spoke some great truths about our time and delivered it in strong, clear language easy to understand and hard to ignore. He was optimistic even as he painted a dire picture of our current state. It was a superb piece of writing, and laid out an ambitious but, I think, doable scheme for the next four to eight years.

Trump did not pull punches. The Democrats who have been smearing and deriding him as a simpleton and a racist, got outflanked not only on their right but on their left. He opened with a powerful call for an end to anti-semitism and other forms of violent hatred; he hammered away at his standard theme that the progressive policies, including education, of the past decades have caused great harm to black urban Americans. He came at the immigration issue in a way this humble blog has advocated for a long time (here, here, here): our immigration policy is a disaster both in national security and in economic terms. The unrestricted immigration we now have depressed wages, puts a strain on public assistance programs, and produces serious threats to the safety and lives of ordinary citizens. He hit the poorly negotiated globalist trade deals for their impact on the American worker--even soliciting applause from Bernie Sanders--and doubled down on revamping them so that we would have "fair trade." He boldly challenged Congress, controlled by an at-times wavering Republican majority, to end the fake health insurance known as Obamacare, to approve a new tax code that will promote investment and jobs, and to launch a Yuge private-public infrastructure development plan. He vowed a non-interventionist foreign policy but one based on military and economic strength.  He also said the taboo words, "radical Islamic terrorism."

Let me return to the subject of Obamacare on which he stated,
Obamacare premiums nationwide have increased by double and triple digits. As an example, Arizona went up 116 percent last year alone. Governor Matt Bevin of Kentucky just said Obamacare is failing in his State -- it is unsustainable and collapsing. One third of counties have only one insurer on the exchanges --- leaving many Americans with no choice at all. 
Remember when you were told that you could keep your doctor, and keep your plan? 
We now know that all of those promises have been broken.
 Having heard Trump say that, I was surprised by the somewhat bizarre Democratic response. It was delivered by no-less than the previous governor of Kentucky, Steve Beshear, sitting in a cafe trying very hard to look folksy and just coming off as old and tired. Beshear doubled down on Obamacare, bragging about its implementation in Kentucky, precisely the state in which, as Trump reported, the current governor says it's a total disaster. Anyhow, read it for yourselves and I think you will find it an odd and insipid "rebuttal."

OK, OK, I know that a lot of what Trump said he wants to do would cost megabucks, but, but if we can get the economy moving again, there is no reason we can't pay for this stuff.

That's my two-cents at this late hour. Maybe upon further reflection I will write more, but for now I am happy to note that we seem to have a very real president. Very different than what we've had for the previous eight years.

34 comments:

  1. I think it was meant to fail, so the Progressives could come up with something that would allow them even more control over people.

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    1. Oh yeah. Obamacare was designed to fail after Peace Prize was out of office. The plan was for Hillary to then usher in single payer as the fix.

      BC

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    2. I don't think it's safe to assume Trump won't implement single payer.
      He talks a lot of sense, but also has some liberal bents too.
      But I'm guessing even if that comes to pass, it would be instrumented in such a way that people can work hard and get better health care as a result, which is what progressives hate.

      - reader #1482

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    3. Medical costs are escalating, as a fraction of income, because they *should*. 'back in the day', there simply wasnt much of value to be done in the medical field. You got sick, and if antibiotics couldn't fix it, you died. No MRI, maybe a useless xray, but no computed tomography.

      In comparison to housing, food, and recreation, the benefit of putting a dollar into medicine has escalated. This isn't too say that medicine has improved in absolute value, but in a marginal comparison against the relatively stagnant value of housing, food and recreation, an increasing fraction of our incomes *should* be going to medicine.

      It's a peave of mine when people cite escalating costs of health care without cutting escalating benefits.

      - reader #1482

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    4. ObamaCare was never anything except a stalking horse for single payer.

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    5. "In comparison to housing, food, and recreation, the benefit of putting a dollar into medicine has escalated" - right diminishing returns, we have to pay more in technology and development cost to get the next big thing, if that's what you mean, I agree.

      On the other hand, subsidized care, specifically low cost healthcare, has a way of being perceived as low value, causing people to use it superficially. An example is going to the ER for a cold, because you'll only have a $75 deductible for the whole visit. The American tax payer didn't have skin in the game like they do now, except the demands on the system are at an all time high due to the population demographics.

      Single payer, absolutely that was the end state. But to fix it and keep the cost low based on demand, utilization and economic sense means pain for everyone. Always has. People don't like pain and would rather find other ways albeit unpleasant, just less unpleasant, to fix the problem.

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    6. yeah, our 'health care system' is a messed up hodge podge of 'actual insurance' plus "buyer's coop". But I'd rather pick the organization the will decided how my health care is rationed, rather than have the government assign it to me.

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  2. Your federal government is broke, with huge debts that it will probably have to default on, one way or another. Talk of huge spending on infrastructure or the Armed Forces is pie-in-the-sky without huge cuts in other expenditure. What do you want to cut? Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security? You wanted a Western European welfare state? You've got one. Now fund it or cut it or reduce the costs. Will he have the insight and the spine to hammer all the cartels that make American health care so extortionately expensive? Can a President do that or would Congress always obstruct him?

    Anyway, why does he want to spend on the forces after having discovered what a rip-off it often is: he spotted it with the F-35. Has he forgotten already? I'll admit that spending to update (repair? maintain? make safe?) your nuclear weapons might be a good idea, but much of the rest would probably be money wasted. In particular, much of your Navy is probably obsolete, providing not much more than targets if you ever fight a war against a serious country. Buy some more subs and start scrapping much of the rest. Admit that you've been conclusively defeated in Afghanistan and fetch your troops out. Do it now, while you can still blame W and O.

    As the months pass the "at least he's better than Hellary" mantra will remain true. But at some point he'll have to show some backbone and sort out the treachery in the spy agencies, and throughout the federal civil service.

    As for infrastructure: what ? Where? Will it be as badly executed, or ill maintained, as that alarming Californian dam has been? Will it be roads to nowhere, on the Japanese model? Will it be relevant to your future prosperity, or backward-looking to former prosperity?

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    1. Couple quickies:

      1). To get out of debt you need a combination of more income and less expense. Economic Growth tends to provide a nice help. And you do need to spend money to make money - ask any farmer who didn't invest in decent seed how his crops turned out. It is all balance and management.

      2). Forces need rebuilding. End of question. Has to happen.

      3). You don't get the pick on how they are rebuilt. There are enough mission goals that one boo-boo band-aide isn't a solution. They hire you if they want your suggestions (or mine - not on both counts).

      4). Unraveling weakly led foreign campaigns will be complex, unless one is willing to throw everyone there, and everything earned to the winds. Having the will to win may well be the solution.

      5). We're seeing an ownership of a inherited problems with an acknowledgement of a current mandate to repair. Screw blaming anyone, just fix it. Blame game is for losers who never earn a profit, they just steal from the stiffening corpse of the economy they killed.

      6). The intel organs are only part of the Deep State that needs to be cleansed. It is already happening, though the MSM won't tell you much. This is unfortunately a playing field where defeats are widely known, and victories almost always are secret.

      7). Cool beans on bringing up the California Dam - ask yourself why might its needs have been ignored? Because the fake Global Warming crap was sold to those responsible, and their indoctrinated faux-scientists lied to them by telling everyone there was no worry as it will never rain so much. Fake Science led to Political decisions that targeted saving money over risk control. Kalifornia "deserves" the problem as it is one-hundred percent their own making, based on lies they told each other until they started to think it truth.

      8). Forward vs Backward? Best go listen to Trump again, there is no question it is Forward.

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    2. "This is unfortunately a playing field where defeats are widely known, and victories almost always are secret."

      I remember thinking this some time ago when the whole world was mocking the US because all our intelligence assets in the Eastern bloc were supposed to have been compromised during the cold war.

      And we were going to say no they weren't!

      Davod

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  3. >"Talk of huge spending< on infrastructure or the Armed Forces is pie-in-the-sky without huge cuts in other expenditure."

    Nuther cupatea wit yer pie dearie?

    :) You must've missed the part about the 'cash flowing in' from our 'civilized' allies who've had a long overdue epiphany 'bout their survival in the darkening world of 'savages'!

    And, Remember too sweetie <3 the art of the deal is all about negotiation, timing, and hutzpah... The Boss is telling the world, including our enemies, that the USA won't be the pushover and cash-cow the Obama mosque has been selling down the drain!

    With respect to your prescription that we "Buy more subs", that might be a welcome addition to the fleet, but have you seen the price of those babies lately - not to mention training 2 crews for each boat! I'd be happy just to maintain and replace the SUBFORS we've got!

    Happy Days are here again. . .

    On Watch~~~
    "Let's Roll"

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  4. I was sadly struck by how most Democrats sat on their hands after Trump called for the total defeat of radical Islamic terrorists and ISIS. Are they still slavishly stuck on how their former leader was unwilling to say these terms or take anything other than token efforts in this direction. I was reminded of those all-gray zombies in that old Apple super bowl 1984 ad.

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    1. " I was reminded of those all-gray zombies in that old Apple super bowl 1984 ad." - GWP

      Yup, and the Donks and their comrades remain brainwashed if not braindead by BO's Islamo-progressive miasma! The "1984" ad 33 years ago also cemented Apple/Mac in the classrooms of America-- a better way to create the new snow flaky minds of mush, err useful idiots!

      Seeing on the tube, those sad-faced clowns Nancy Pelosi, Keith Ellison, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, etc etc etc... one wonders how we allowed such crap to float to the top of National politics!? Yesterday Rush had a segment on the role that 'victimization politics' has played on the psyches of the Democrats rank n file -- its adherents forever hitched to depression and morbid worldview! Thank you God and Donald, for saving US from Hillary!

      "Let's Roll"

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  5. With warm regards to our Host, and Presidential Speech analyst, BULLSEYE!
    Thanks and btw, I mentioned you and this blog again on the Last survey the CinC sent me, he asked what on-line source for news do I trust most, I linked him to:

    http://www.thediplomad.com/2017/02/madness-and-chaos-left-in-time-of-trump.html

    Timely huh, as if on cue!

    On Watch~~~

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  6. As for Obamacare, I'd like to see that prick Jonathan Gruber, who wrote the law and laughed afterwards about how stupid the American public is, go to jail for fraud. Have US Marshals appear at his home and escort him out of the house in handcuffs with camera's rolling. That would be a start to fixing all of this, hell, my health would improve immediately if I saw that on TV!

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    1. He could be the first celebrity guest on the new execution channel. Very popular!

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    2. That would be about the only thing on cable worth watching.
      Well, that and another speech by President Trump with Chuckles Schumer sitting on his hands in the audience with a look on his face like he'd been sucking lemons.

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  7. As for Obamacare, I'd like to see that prick Jonathan Gruber, who wrote the law and laughed afterwards about how stupid the American public is, go to jail for fraud. Have US Marshals appear at his home and escort him out of the house in handcuffs with camera's rolling. That would be a start to fixing all of this, hell, my health would improve immediately if I saw that on TV!

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  8. One of my African-American colleagues listened to the speech and thought it excellent, even though she remains generally wary of Trump himself. I regret that I did not listen, even though I picked up a few snippets on Fox and CNN this morning.

    My own thoughts are that Trump needs to be a bit more aggressive in bridge-building, especially in stressing points of agreement across party lines. The campaign ended on Election Day, and the work of governing is now the chief priority that needs facing.

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    1. The proposed infrastructure package will offer President Donald J. Trump some excellent opportunities for bridge building, both literally and figuratively.

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  9. Dealing with Obamacare, and erasing the majority of the rules and regulations from the past 8 years, and beginning a rebuilding effort for our armed forces, are top priorities. And they deserve first attention.
    However, at some point the country will have to deal with the bright blue line on the chart here: https://www.cato.org/blog/trumps-budget-situation

    Demographics dictates that the 3 big entitlement programs cannot continue along that path. No matter how much the economy might improve, it cannot grow enough to dig us out of that deficit model.

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    1. This is pretty complex, so explaining it in a blog comment is a challenge. Obamacare was designed to 1)control expanding health care costs and 2) extend more general control over all of us, a process that would continue over time. It included an expansion of Medicaid, with grants to the states to pay for that, but, grants that would gradually be reduced. Texas and several other states did not take that poisoned apple, and now, Medicaid in Texas, and other states, I am sure, but do not know in detail, will end in October. That is, Medicaid kids will be shunted into HMO's, which were always available, but not too many people joined up. As of 1 October, they will no longer have options. The result is that Texas's expenditure for Medicaid will diminish. It was always much more generous than the other states' programs. So, entitlement capping is quietly proceeding. (Almost certainly reducing my own employment opportunities in home nursing care, but that's life.)

      Michael Adams

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    2. Nicely done MA!
      However,I would substitute the word concocted for "designed" ie. Obamacare was >concocted< to 1)control expanding health care costs...

      On Watch~~~

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  10. If you didn't see this about the current state of DOS six weeks into the Trump Administration, I commend readers to peruse this new Atlantic article:

    https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/03/state-department-trump/517965/

    I'm not shedding much of a tear for any of them, if the truth be known. Having been screwed out of a public diplomacy job by the 7th-floor bureaucracy in Bush 43's term because I had GOP all over my resume, this collapse couldn't have happened to a bunch of more deserving people. (Still not happy after all these years about how I was treated by them, but I've done well since then in other fields. One moves on in life.)

    The institution itself can be rebuilt; that just takes time if the right people are put in place and a whole lot of the wrong people are shown the door. Trump's on the right track with the department, but there is still a arduous journey ahead.

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  11. https://altright.com/2017/03/01/joint-session-reaction/

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  12. >>"I commend readers to peruse this new Atlantic article:"<< Poshbouy

    https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/03/state-department-trump/517965/

    Why in Hell would anyone find anything written by Julia Ioffe worth a read, a peruse, or expect journalistic integrity? Well maybe if they printed it off, it could serve as a wipe in the field! Yes she's the foul mouthed twit who hurled the now infamous tweet at Donald Trump and his daughter!

    http://www.mediaite.com/online/journalist-apologizes-for-tasteless-tweet-about-donald-and-ivanka-trump/

    Sheesh!

    "Let's Roll"



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  13. Yes, it was a great speech. Trump wants to get the economy moving again and with his plans it could very well do that but.... I see a sinister Resistance shaping up. When I first read that Obama wouldn´t leave Washington " because of the girls schools", I suspected that he would be at it again. And now I read ( Daily Mail ) that Valerie Jarrett is moving into that huge gated fortress that the Obamas rent in Washington. This will obviously be the offices of the shadow government they seem to be establishing. And these people will not want the US economy moving ( only their own of course ). They will want the US economy in shambles and people angry and divided. Was there ever an ex-president like Obama ?

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    1. Was there ever a president like Obama?

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    2. BO is one of a kind, and I sincerely hope, for the good of the country and our progeny, that the mold is smashed!

      "Let's Roll"

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  14. The Left is remarkably callous about people killed by illegals, (note the gasps when DT offered help for families of those killed) yet needs to feel good about themselves so they're happy to offer amnesty to anyone needy. If you offer amnesty, it is merely an invitation for more illegals who will believe that if they've been here for a while they'll get amnesty too. Incentives matter.

    It's currently not the Mexicans but people escaping the failed Central American States which need help in battling gangs and corruption. CIS suggests that The Wall would be paid for by the percentage decline in illegals who end up costing the country a lot more than the cost of the Wall.

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  15. Americans should have a chance to earn the money before Trump spends it.

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    1. Why? Obama certainly never did. And if Trump keep slashing there will be a lot more to go around.

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  16. If there's one 'visionary piece' available to Trump, it would be in reducing any federal regulatory hurdles for driverless automobile technologies. I'm not sure I'd advocate any kind of government 'investment' in such, but getting the government 'out of the way' would at least help. Heck, introduce a patent moratorium like back in the early days of aircraft development!

    - reader #1482

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    1. Really not ready for driverless cars. Technology aside, very little thought or effort has been put into the legal aspects.
      A surge in driverless car accidents - we're already seeing it start - will flood the courts which are already going to be busy ejecting illegals.

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