Tag: Trump39s

Donald Trump's Swamp Cleaning Service

"Drain the Swamp!" Wow, what an effective political slogan it was in 2016. It encapsulated public frustration with the boggy mess of lobbyists, money-grabbing congressmen, and regulation-making bureaucrats in Washington. Trump was just the one guy who would tear into those low-life hucksters like Mr. Clean.

As an image, swamps represent corruption and evil that must be cleaned up. Trump described Washington's swamp in terms of money's power to buy influence. Such a rich man of course would not be shackled to Wall Street and banks that had turned him down for loans. Essentially, Trump claimed to be a reformer immune to the murky diseases bred in swamps and capable of doing what no one else could do to the big money people.

That is what voters thought Trump meant when he referred to the swamp. What he really meant, as shown by cabinet appointments and personal example, was not at all what the public was led to believe.

Before comparing public expectations to what happened, we should realize that swamps are good things. Popular imagery, used so effectively by Trump, is not what our children are learning about environmental science. History books once praised the advance of civilization as swamp-draining was an impressive accomplishment in expanding human settlement. But swamps filter toxins and support wild life in ways that are extremely important. The Army Corps. of Engineers is now restoring swamps, not eliminating them, in the interest of environmental health.

Let's turn to Trump's idea of ​​bad swamps. Before the election, there were reasons for skepticism about his independence from big money, especially when he refused to release his taxes and continued a bid to open a Trump hotel across the street from the White House. Right after the election we began to see that he intended to run the country and his personal businesses at the same time. The President, he seemed surprised to discover, is the only government official who can't have a conflict of interest. My what an announcement by a man who promised reform!

Then came his cabinet appointments. The choices were notable for wealth, connections to Wall Street, and lobbying interests. He also brought his family into the White House in ways never done before.

Trump's campaign in 2016 mirrored the themes of Warren Harding in 1920, promising a return to better times. His reputation rivaled the salacious activities of Harding as well – and Mike Pence looks and acts like Calvin Coolidge. He then imitated Harding by appointing a cabinet of the very rich people he promised to be free from. It should have been no surprise when it soon became apparent they were as corrupt as the scandalous choices of Harding.

Actions proved that the swamp Trump intended to drain was not the one voters thought he was talking about.

What did he attack? First, the intelligence community – all the agencies charged with defending national security through reliable information about our adversaries – were dismissed as they exposed Russian meddling in the election, the fruits of which Trump openly embraced and gleefully used. Next, he was warned by a Justice Department official (not a Trump appointee) that his choice for National Security Advisor was compromised by a foreign adversary. He refused to act until news leaked to the press. Realizing an investigation was under way, he tried to influence the FBI and fired the director when the investigation was not stopped. As congressional investigations led to a Special Counsel, Trump began an all-out assault on intelligence agencies, the FBI, and the Justice Department, in the process undermining a congressional committee, as he demanded loyalty to himself above all else.

On top of these actions, he failed to make appointments to important diplomatic roles and pushed Rex Tillerson to clean house at the State Department. Anyone who had been there under Obama and Hillary was tainted and not to be trusted.

The swamp that has been attacked is in fact the real swamp in Washington, the one performing the health-giving functions scientists know result from their activity. Beneath the level of political appointees in every federal agency are career officials who become specialists in their programs, serving whatever party controls congress and the presidency. Those officials have personal views that are not allowed to influence their actions. When they sometimes emerge into political roles, such as FBI Director, they conduct the job in a non-partisan way.

Career employees ensure competence, continuity, and national security to the American public as political winds blow one way and then another. To Trump this was an intolerable swamp. It had to be politicized. His people must be put in, no matter how incompetent, to ensure the main criteria of service – loyalty to Trump.

Unfortunately, this is not a new trend in the Republican party. They politicized selection of district and Supreme Court judges, claiming to limit judicial overreach but ensuring dominance of their political and social views. That strategy succeeded in 2000 as a majority of Republicans on the Supreme Court stopped the counting of votes and declared the Republican candidate winner. Then Mitch McConnell and a Republican Senate refused to honor Obama's appointment of a mainstream Supreme Court justice and campaigned in 2016 for a clearly Republican justice to be appointed.

Donald Trump carried Republican disrespect for nonpartisan competence to the extreme. Republicans have supported him because that is where they have been headed for a long time.

Now we need candidates, from whatever direction they may come, whose slogan is "Bring Back the Swamp." We need nonpartisan competence in federal agencies – and a less partisan Supreme Court – to filter out the toxins that destabilize our system of checks and balances when politics seeps in to undermine loyalty to the constitution.



Source by Edward G. Simmons

This article is brought to you by Kokula Krishna Hari Kunasekaran! Visit Website or Follow back at @kkkhari

What Trump's Campaign Taught Trade Show Exhibitors

While the Clinton campaign went about the more traditional tasks of evaluating past voter analytics, developing messaging and using research tools like focus groups and polling analysis to develop their positioning statements, Donald Trump was out in the field making human contact at hundreds of live events, learning firsthand what was on people minds and in their hearts.

The results of Clinton's campaign development in the end was not really being in touch with the hearts and minds of voters, while the Trump campaign at every event gathered key research data that formed a foundation on which he built a campaign of consensus and momentum.

Like the Clinton campaign, marketers face a danger, in depending solely on focus groups and other tools when developing research, because people opinions often do not indicate how they actually feel about issues presented to them in such controlled theoretical environments.

Focus group research of this kind often ends up not developing many new ideas, but it is accepted in confirming most marketing concepts already established. In many cases, the data developed are flawed by pre-established concepts, and while people might share their ideas freely, they aren't telling you the truth about how they really feel.

It reminds me of the typical responses to research among some executives. When research goes against their conventional ideas, management questions the techniques used, and when it agrees with what their conventional ideas are, management often says it is a waste of time and money.

Focus group members are often simply sharing their general opinions about something without making a commitment to their true beliefs until asked to take personal action, like purchasing something or, in this case, casting their vote.

At a focus group organized to determine the marketability of a new consumer product, it became evident that our panel was being polite but not totally truthful about how they perceived the products we were presenting. They were being paid, and most wanted to go along to get along. After one session of general acceptance, I suggested we go a step further by asking the members of the group if they would want to purchase the product at the end of the session.

We then discovered an entirely new level of concern and consideration by asking them to make a personal financial commitment. Now their answers became much more valuable than the entire focus group exercise. Instead of asking for their opinions, we now asked them to make a purchase and the complexion of this research tool took on entirely new dimensions.

As sales professionals well know, asking for the order opens new doors and serious dialog along the route to making a sale.

Another important factor in depending solely on focus group research is the limited number of paid people involved as compared to those found on the trade show exhibit floor. In three days at a trade show, hundreds of attendees can be questioned, polled and asked to purchase show only specially priced products to determine their honest personal product opinions. But how many exhibitors actually consider using the trade show exhibit environment to conduct such important primary research?

Exhibitors using the trade show activity as a research tool are seriously interested in hearing both positive and negative answers to show special purchasing questions. Those exchanges open discussions where objections can be stated, confirmed as accurate and be successfully addressed and overcome.

The trade show research technique transforms people safe opinions into serious purchasing considerations and promises to provide the exhibitor with honest answers. That, in turn, can lead to more solid marketing and sales strategies and tactics.

Donald Trump's campaign was created and built on thousands of people personal feelings, while the Clinton campaign was created on a relatively small number of paid, uninvolved people's opinions in focus groups.

Today's marketing and sales executives cannot afford to go down the path of just listening to uninvolved people's opinions to plan future business. As Trump's campaign showed, it takes hundreds and thousands of people feelings gathered firsthand, largely at events and mass gatherings. A similar approach to trade shows and the exhibiting research that they can provide can spell the difference between success and failure.

Asking for the order will always provide challenging yet manageable information on which to build successful marketing and sales campaigns, especially when the prospect says no to your proposal. That's the time when marketing and sales professionals earn their stripes by figuring out how to overcome those pesky objections and bring the sale to a close.



Source by Peter C LoCascio

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True First Impressions About Islam After Reading the Koran – Trump's True Statements That Followed

The first impressions of reasonable individuals created from their personal observations relating to poignant issues, and the public expressions these people make resulting from those impressions are usually true and correct, regardless of what may be their lack of political correctness, or deliberate falsification for political purposes . This truism applies very aptly to the first bold, but true, statements made by Donald Trump during the Presidential primaries, about the meticulous vetting of Muslims seeking entry into the United States as prospective citizens and refugees from Islamic nations. In order to better explicate this assertion, the following scenario should be seriously considered. If there were, for instance, over a billion practicing, human heart-eating, cannibals in the world, and hundreds of thousands of those cannibals were trying to gain citizenship in the USA in order to derive spiritual strength from eating the hearts of Americans, would it be against the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights to deny them entry, naturalized citizenship, and even visas, if they claimed their cannibalism to be a religion? If it were known that these cannibals were commanded by their book of scripture to kill and cut the hearts out of all people who would not bow to their god, should that have a direct bearing on the decision of the federal government to allow them into the republic? What? You think that this comparison between Islam and cannibalism is ludicrous? Well, please allow me to expound on this comparative perspective.

If you peruse the scriptural foundation for Islam, the Koran, you will immediately discover that the book written by the gangster Mohammed mandates a theocratic-political system of control over the lives of all devout Muslims, forcing them to resign themselves to total obedience, or submission, to what it known as Islamic Shariah law. Actually, that's what the word Islam literally means, submission. The Five-Pillars of Islam, or submission, revolve around one fundamental commandment in the Koran; to despise and thwart the infidel, who happens to be Christians, Jews, or anyone not Muslim. You see, the Koran makes it very clear that infidels are to be pursued and treated very differently by Muslims than Muslims treat other Muslims, and the Five Pillars of Islam, or the means to a Muslim's personal submission, applies only to the association of Muslims with other Muslims. The Five-Pillars of Islam, therefore, consist of:

1. Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith.
2. Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day.
3. Zakat: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and needy Muslims.
4. Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan.
5. Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca.

Contrary to what the American mainstream media publishes and proclaims about Islam, the Koran contains over one-hundred explicit verses instructing, or ordering, all devout Muslims to lie to, to cheat, to deceive, and, as a final measure, to kill infidels in a process of ultimately making them submissive to the Islamic god, Allah. You would never realize this truth if the false assertions made about a, supposedly, peaceful loving Islamic religion by the mainstream media in the USA were accepted and believed as fact. Submission in Islamic culture is an imposed mandatory condition resulting from the enforcement of the commandments given by Mohammed in the Koran. These austere commandments were given to Muslims in the Sixth Century AD by Mohammed after he left Mecca and permanently migrated to Medina, and the Islamic law of subrogation, or an abrogation of earlier commandments in order to impose subsequent commandments, made those commandments supersede any other commandments given by Mohammed prior to his move to Medina. There are actually 90 verses in the Koran commanding violence against Jews, Christians, and any other people not Muslim, and this comprises the Sixth-Pillar of Islam, called jihad. The first Five-Pillars of Islam prepare the individual Muslim for the Sixth-Pillar, and it is not "personal" jihad that is intended in the Sixth-Pillar to make the individual Muslim submissive to the Islamic god. Personal submission to Allah, the Muslim god, is incorporated into the acts required by the Five-Pillars of Islam. Then the individual submissive Muslim is required to pursue infidels and other Muslims who refuse to submit themselves to the Islamic god in order to be in obedience to the Sixth-Pillar, jihad. This type of jihad is the true Sixth-Pillar of Islam.

During the 6th Century AD, heads, instead of hearts, were brutally removed by jihadist Muslims from the living bodies of millions of Christians, Jews, and non-Muslims in Europe, Asia, and the Middle-East who refused to submit to conquering Islamic Mohammedanism. Decapitation was the accepted execution for rebellion to Islam, and ISIS has, since 2011, been following the same barbaric acts as their 6th Century progenitors, and the barbarism continues to proliferate. An understanding of the theo-political nature of Islam's sharia law is necessary in order to realize how such a political system is tyrannically applied and enforced in a cultural Muslim setting. It is purely a matter of the political power exercised by a man, a supreme Islamic cleric in the name of the Islamic god, unto a nation of people through a strict application of the Koran. This particular application, practiced in Islamic theocratic countries, such as Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan, Indonesia, Somalia, and Afghanistan (the Taliban is reemerging), is what is accepted and practiced by 99 percent of the Muslim families who immigrate to the USA.

A well-known Palestinian Muslim terrorist, now deceased, named Yasser Arafat, is frequently quoted as once having said, "My greatest weapon is the womb of a devout Muslim woman." What did he mean by this? I believe that the correct inference of Arafat's statement was, and is, rather self-evident, based upon the great increase of the Palestinian population during his period of rule. Muslim women reproduce out of a sense of duty to Islam. Just think about it. Islam had its origin around 700 years after the birth of Jesus, and currently has 1.6 billion adherents currently claiming Muslim affiliation. Extraordinarily, there are, supposedly, 2.2 billion Christians currently in the world. These figures reveal that within 2,016 years, a total of 2.2 billion Christians have been recorded as living, while, within 1,316 years, 1.6 billion Muslims have been recorded. These demographic figures may actually be interpreted to mean that, since 700 AD, there have been many more Muslims born, or converted, into Islam around the world than Christians born, or converted, into Christianity. These figures are, in and of themselves, a scary prediction of the future growth of Islam, which is the current basis for its aggressive theo-political goal of Western Islamization and dominance. Sadly, most people in the USA currently don't really care about understanding and realizing the true threat of Islam to the American way of life; and that is truly tragic. The November 2016 Presidential election will ultimately determine whether more than 100,000 un-vetted Syrian men, women, and children, mostly jihadist men, will be allowed into the US population along with the 80,000+ un-vetted Syrians that have already been admitted into the country.

Abject lies have been told by the current Presidential administration and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to the American public about these un-vetted Syrians, and the other immigrant Muslims from violent Islamic nations, such as Somalia; mainly that these Muslims comprise mostly children. These lies are egregiously reprehensible. The admission of these thousands of un-vetted Syrian Muslims into the nation is no-less dangerous than freely allowing scads of illegal Hispanic aliens to cross the Southern border into the USA, among them are probably many Hispanic Muslim Muslims.

The essential bottom-line of this essay is, therefore, a full affirmation of Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump's first, negative though true, impressions of Islam and of the un-vetted immigration of Shariah-loving and liberty-hating Muslims into the USA; and a validation that Trump's statements about placing a ban on Muslim immigration are also true and correct, and not any different, at all, from the 19th Century impressions of, and statements by, noted statesmen of the danger of Islam to any democratic nation. Winston Churchill, in 1899, said the following about Islam:

"Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyzes the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Well before the birth of modern Israel, its terror tactics and drive for world domination were felt. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step, and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it (Islam) has vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome. "

Moreover, in 2009, nine-term US Representative from North Carolina, Sue Myrick, now-retired, wrote the following as a forward to the highly acclaimed book by P. David Gaubatz and Paul Sperry, "Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld that's Conspiring to Islamize America. "

"… If you are reading this book, I commend you. I commend you for wanting to know what is going on in our country. If you don't know the problem, you can't help fix the problem. American is Asleep to the danger that confronts us. Since the 1960s, there has been a concerted effort on the part of radical Islamists to infiltrate our major institutions. Front groups of terror now operate openly in our country, comprising a network of support for jihadists. Most Americans don't know about recently declassified documents detailing their secret plot to take over the United States from within — a plot launched by Islamic groups tied to the dangerous Muslim Brotherhood, which is based in Egypt and which is primarily wealth wealthy Saudis and Emirates. And these groups are already in this country, building an impressive infrastructure of support for the jihadist enemy. Our elected officials, by and large, are ignorant concerning the threat, or are afraid to speak out. The general public is no t being told about the danger. In many instances, our laws are being used against us many of the seemingly disconnected actions of these groups are actually connected in what the authors (of "Muslim Mafia") aptly describe as a highly organized "religious crime syndicate." Government officials need to stop hiding behind political correctness and keep the people informed. Until then, the people will not know the truth. The radical Islamists overseas have repeatedly told us how they intend to infiltrate all areas of our society, and use the freedoms that are guaranteed under the Constitution to eventually replace it with Shariah law. They have telegraphed their intent. Now we have the proof — from the secret documents that this investigative team (Gaubatz and Sperry) has uncovered, coupled with the ones recently declassified by the FBI — that their agents live among us have a plan in place, and they are successfully carrying out that subversive plan … We Americans must wake up before it is too late! "

Perhaps Donald Trump has heard Sue Myrick's statements about Islam, and has read "Muslim Mafia." Perhaps Mr. Trump has read the Koran for himself to realize the real danger associated with trusting Muslims. Dr. Fred Schwarz wrote the 1960 book, "You Can Trust the Communists (to be Communists) in accordance with sinister manifesto written by their mentor philosopher, Karl Marx. You can also" trust the Muslims to be Muslims and to follow Islam in accordance with their manifesto, the Koran written by their mentor philosopher, Mohammed.

As a matter of record, during the week of February 7, 2015, the current Presidential administration made the Muslim Brotherhood cordially welcome at the White House, when the standing US President physically embraced Azhar Azeez, the President of the Islamic Society of North America ( ISNA) and fourteen of his lieutenants in several days of meetings. The ISNA was founded in 1981 by the Muslim Brotherhood and, along with the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), was previously listed by the FBI and the USDOJ as unindicted co-conspirators in the Holy Land Foundation financing financing trial, and federal prosecutors have previously described how ISNA and CAIR funneled their money to HAMAS, the Palestinian terror group. What those meetings with unindicted terrorists were all about has not been publicly disclosed, but, if guilt by association is to any degree true, the current Presidential administration owes the American public an explicit explanation, which it has not yet received. Such would be almost tantamount to the Mayor of Chicago, in 1920, inviting Al Capone, and his cronies, to spend the day in the mayoral office to chat about the way the City of Chicago should be run.

What are Muslims, young and old, being taught by their leaders in their American mosques? Is it to love their non-Muslim neighbors, or to lie and deceive them into believing that Islam is "only" a religion of love and peace, when it is really not? What other things are these Muslims being urged by their clerics to do if lies and deception don't cause the infidels to be submissive to the Islamic god and Shariah law? What options, according to the Koran, do these devout Muslims have in order to wage jihad against the unbelieving infidels? If all American Christians and Jews would simply read the facts for themselves, in the Koran, they would understand that immigrant Muslims are, indeed, particularly violent, and similar in nature to those hypothetical heart-eating cannibals I used as an example. They would understand that devout immigrant Muslims cannot be allowed to enter the USA until they disavow Islam's theo-political mandate to denigrate and oppose the freedom and liberty that true Americans cherish.



Source by Norton Nowlin

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Why Trump's Words Matter: 5 Examples

Nearly everyone, whether they support, or oppose, the policies, etc, of President Donald Trump, realize and recognize, we have never witnessed, any previous occupant of the office, who used the rhetoric, he has consistently articulated! While some either agree, or object, to specific words, or the tone of his message, what might be, more significant, etc, is the overall, and specific impacts, of what he says. Fact – checkers state, Mr. Trump, has either lied, or articulated major misstatements, an average of over 5 times, per day, since his election, and, like, the story, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, eventually, even if he's truthful, many won believe him, etc. With this in mind, this article will attempt to briefly. review and consider, 5 examples, of why, the words of a prominent elected official, matter.

1. Within US: Although we have gone over half a century, since major civil rights legislation, was enacted, in the United States, it seems to many, Mr. Trump's reference to Make America Great Again , may be a subliminal message, to appeal to those, who want to go back, to the past, when certain American freedoms, might not have existed. Whether he truly is, or not, many perceive this President, to be either racist, or possess numerous biases and prejudices! Shouldn't the goal and objective, of our President, to bring Americans together, rather than be a polarizing influence?

2. International / foreign perception: The United States has always prided itself, on serving as the moral and ethical example, for the rest of the world! Today, it seems, that's no longer the case, and when I have traveled, internationally, in the past year, citizens of foreign nations, question, what's happened to us. The level of Mr. Trump's rhetoric, vitriol, threats and adversarial style, appear to be hurting the reputation and image of this nation!

3. Have we earned the right to maintain others' respect ?: Being respected by other nations, is an essential consideration, if we hope to create more cooperation, and / or consensus, for the better! This President's negative statements, regarding agreements, such as NAFTA, and the Paris Accords, has indicated, we are willing to defer, from any leadership position, around the world. While no one can be certain, doesn't it seem, when Trump taunts, the President of North Korea, makes contrary statements regarding the Middle East, Iran, Pakistan, etc, things may not turn out, well?

4. Solutions, versus bravado / blaming and complaining: It seems every time, President Trump is, or feels challenged, he resorts to blaming, complaining, or exhibiting bravado ! We need leadership, which focuses on genuine needs, goals and objectives, and expends his energy, towards creating and developing viable solutions!

5. Working with Congress: We are experiencing a level of partisan politics, unlike any, we have witnessed, in recent memories! President Trump, seems, to be unwilling, or unable, to accept, the fact, the American government, is based on Separation of Powers, with the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches, co – equal partners! The tone and vitriol of his rhetoric, seems to polarize, rather than seek quality and focus, in a cooperative manner!

Words matter, especially, when they come out of the mouth, of the President. President Trump's rhetoric and vitriol, may attract his core supporters, but, seems to turn others, off!



Source by Richard Brody

This article is brought to you by Kokula Krishna Hari Kunasekaran! Visit Website or Follow back at @kkkhari

Trump's Plan to Destroy the Dollar

I was up to my eyeballs in stocks. "If I'm wrong, we're done," I told my wife.

It was February 2009. As the markets were crashing in 2008, I had made an ALL-IN bet on the US stock market going up. Every dollar I had was in the market. And then, I borrowed money and bought even more stocks.

In hindsight, I bought too early. By February 2009, every single stock that I owned was down big. Another month or two, and I would have had to sell and take huge losses. And I'd be ruined.

However, as crazy as it sounds … I was not that worried. That's because I could tell that the tide was going to turn and soon.

I figured this out by watching the markets day and night. When you track things obsessively, like I was doing, you figure out the key things driving markets.

This market-driver is why I was not worried about being wiped out. It's what told me that my ALL-IN bet made during the worst financial crisis in modern history was going to start paying off soon.

What you should have been watching during the financial crisis was the value of the US dollar – the easiest way to do this is to follow the US Dollar Index, which measures our currency against a basket of major currencies such as the euro, the yen and the Swiss franc.

The US dollar is the titanium of currencies worldwide. In a crisis, everyone buys dollars, because people worldwide are willing to accept it. In my travels, I've used dollars to buy a soda in a village in West Africa, buy souvenirs at the pyramids in Egypt, buy food in a small town in India and pay for a bunk at a mountain hut high in the swiss alps .

Dollar Falls, Stocks Rise

This wide acceptance of the US dollar was incredibly valuable during the 2008 financial crisis. Around the world, people were selling stocks in a panic and putting their money into US dollars. As a result, the dollar soared higher as stocks crashed.

And then in March 2009, the dollar peaked, allowing US stocks to put in a bottom before soaring once again.

This pattern, which I worked out during the 2008 financial crisis, has continued to work through the current bull market. Every time the US dollar has rallied, the stock market has crashed. And when the dollar crashes, the stock market soars.

This pattern has begun to play out once again. From its low point in May 2014 to its early high in March 2015, the US Dollar Index has jumped 25%. And through 2015 into February 2016, the index has soared even higher. And of course, just like the pattern predicted … stocks around the world plunged.

In other words, people who control the big money at banks, hedge funds, etc. are still programmed to do as they did during the financial crisis. So, the moment there is something to worry about – Greece, China, the oil price crash, rising US interest rates – people dump stocks and buy US dollars.

Bottom line: If you own stocks, you want a weak dollar. Why? Because the big-money investors are programmed to buy stocks when the dollar drops.

A New Fly in the Ointment

Will this system continue to work flawlessly?

Well, there's a new detail that's just become more important to investors. It's one that I believe could cause the value of the US dollar to crash.

Donald Trump.

The businessman, who is now set to be the Republican Party's nominee for US president, has promised to spend as much as $ 1 trillion to rebuild American infrastructure. Now, I don't know if Trump is going to be elected president. However, it's clear that if he gets elected, the US dollar is going to crash.

That's because his $ 1 trillion in spending is going to flood the market for US dollars as the government suddenly increases the supply of US dollars worldwide. And unless someone wants another $ 1 trillion in our currency, the US dollar is going to go down. That's just basic supply and demand. Supply is going to vastly outpace demand, pushing the value of the commodity down – in this case, it's the dollar.

And since people still have the same habit from the last financial crisis, we know what's going to happen when the dollar tumbles – stocks are going to go up.

The Trump Dollar Crash

Companies that directly benefit from Trump's $ 1 trillion infrastructure spending could also see their shares skyrocket. And so could stocks that directly benefit from a crashing US dollar.



Source by Paul Mampilly

This article is brought to you by Kokula Krishna Hari Kunasekaran! Visit Website or Follow back at @kkkhari

Ramifications of Trump's Behavior: 6 Examples

Few objective would would deny, for better of worse, we have never, in recent memory, observed any President, behave, like our present occupant of that office. Donald Trump has spent his public career, in a way, which consistently brought attention, to himself, either by his actions, or rhetoric. Few would deny, he is a master of self – promotion, and while, that, probably, personally benefited him, it is questionable, whether, it will be in the best interest of this country, or many of its citizens. Mr. Trump's behavior, rhetoric, and actions, have certain impacts, and whether intentional, or not, will probably have significant ramifications. Therefore, this article will briefly examine and review, 6 examples, and some possibilities, and / or probabilities.

1. Environmental / climate change: Trump has often articulated a message, which seems to be, he doubts the reality of climate change, and any potential dangers. During this recent, record, cold – spell, his message, focused on calling it warming, seeming to misunderstand, people impact the future. He appointed Scott Pruitt, as Secretary, of the Department of Environmental Protection, who has spent much of his career, fighting previous environmental, protective measures. Loosening up, waste – dumping, promoting development in, previously protected lands, and encouraging energy exploration, in the waters, closest to our nation, puts the future of our nation, in terms of clean air, and water, in doubt!

2. Judicial appointments: Depending on one's political views and appointments, any President's judicial appointments, significantly, affects the future! We need open – minded judges, who are both properly prepared, and truly qualified.

3. Race / ethnic relations: Trump's rhetoric and vitriol, has expanded the ethnic and racial divide, to a level, we have not witnessed, in more than half a century! When the holder of the highest office in our land, seems to articulate a message, contrary, to the concept, of, All men are created equal , does that promote the American dream, etc?

4. Enabling hate groups: The President's message, calling, any, White Supremacists, and Neo – Nazis, Good people , and equating peaceful protestors, to those espousing messages, of hatred and bigotry, has been adopted by many of his core supporters. Doesn't this send the message, which enables haters, to believe, it's good and proper behavior, and feelings?

5. Middle East: The relationships in the Middle East, date many generations and centuries, and developing any type of meeting – of – the – minds, is, at best, extremely challenging. Many Presidents have attempted to assist the process, and only Jimmy Carter, approximately 40 years ago, had any success. Logically, since, at least 4 different religions, claim Jerusalem, as essential, to their religious beliefs and core, does it seem, somewhat obvious. if you hope to create some opportunity for peaceful resolution, you can't begin, in a confrontational manner? Why would any Muslims trust any efforts, from a man, who has consistently used, the vitriol and rhetoric, he has?

6. North Korea: Issues and conflicts, with North Korea, have gone on, as long as, nearly every living American has been alive! However, how can anyone feel safer, more secure, and closer to a peaceful resolution, when Mr. Trump has seemingly taunted, the rather, volatile, North Korean leader, consistently?

Whether you support or oppose him, it's important to realize and recognize, there are ramifications, to his actions, rhetoric, and behavior! These 6, are some of the examples.



Source by Richard Brody

This article is brought to you by Kokula Krishna Hari Kunasekaran! Visit Website or Follow back at @kkkhari

Trump's Tariffs: A Move in the Right Direction

When Donald Trump won the US presidential election the whole world was dismayed. Few people outside of the USA expected anything good to come of it and for a year and a half one disaster followed another. Millions of US citizens were deprived of affordable healthcare, nothing was done to lessen the widespread slaughter caused by lax gun control, a ban was imposed on immigrants from selected Moslem countries, the USA was withdrawn from the Paris Agreement on climate change to give free- rein to the polluting oil and coal industries, and America's NATO allies were subjected to severe criticism while President Putin of Russia was treated as a friend. These were all actions that many people both expected and feared. But now, in introducing tariffs on imported goods Mr Trump has taken a small step towards a better world.

With the great increase in international travel and communication, and especially since the arrival of the Internet, there are engineers in every land with advanced design and manufacturing skills. So we should be moving towards a situation in which everything a country needs is made in that country by the people of that country. By this means the need for international trade is minimised, restricted to essential raw materials and food items not available in the destination country. Vast reductions could be made in fossil fuel consumption, lessening sea and air pollution and slowing global warming.

Big business has for several decades been hopping from country to country in search of cheap labor while at the same time, seeking to sell its products in every land. As a result, wage rates have been rising in poor countries and held more or less stagnant in the advanced countries from which the industries have fled. As the gap closes, the advantages of chasing the cheapest labor become less. At the same time, to sell more products and services requires customers to have incomes at a level that makes them affordable. As Henry Ford is reported to have said: if you don't pay your workers well who is going to buy your cars? This is how the USA grew rich in the first place with American companies selling to American people.

Now every country can begin to become like the old USA: providing a good life for its people with a vibrant internal market and minimal external trade. Putting tariffs on imports to protect American jobs and persuade Americans to buy more home-produced goods is a step towards this Utopia which other countries are quick to follow. Every cloud has a silver lining and Trump's promised trade war could herald a better peace for all.



Source by John Powell

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Why We Need To Rethink Donald Trump's Wall – We Need It More Than We Know

Many complain that Donald Trump hates Mexicans and Immigrants because he wants to build a wall at the Mexican Border – "A HUUUGE WALL!" Actually, that's not such a bad idea. Currently, all we have is an 18 foot high fence from San Diego to Yuma, and from Brownsville, TX inland for 75 miles, along with walls near major cities and crossing points. In other places where there is a fence, it's hardly maintained, some places in such disrepair you can drive a truck through it, and even where it is strong and well-guarded there are tunnels underneath for drug runners and coyotes who are substantially paid.

No one has ever suggested we get rid of the Border Patrol or the fences, and most people want the fence maintained, but if Trump suggests a Substantial Wall, everyone freaks out and says he "Hates" Mexicans, that is the 'strawman argument' from the left, where they take what you said out of context, say something absurd and then argue the new made-up point – in this case asking why Donald Trump hates Mexicans? The Donald no more hates Mexicans than he hates money, so let's be brutally honest about the slanderous accusations the left-stream media is making here.

When it comes to who should pay for the wall, that too is a 'no-brainer' as the money should come from our dealings with Mexico, either out of tariffs, or fees for visiting work programs, immigration checks, taxes – Mexico should pay, as they are the ones causing the problem due to inept, corrupt and poor performing government. If Mexico got its act together in other words, people wouldn't want to leave, people would be migrating there instead of here, not the other way around.

Lastly, what happens when Mexico City has another huge natural disaster? Major flood, Earthquake or Volcano, and don't say it cannot happen, things like this happen often on that piece of real estate. Remember the 8.5 Earthquake in the 1980s, what if it happens again now that there are 25 million people living there, where will they go when the buildings fall and the power and water don't work? Think that can't happen, hmm? Well did you catch this piece of news or were you too busy listening to the left's political rhetoric in January?

World News article: "Popocatepetl volcano spews ash over Mexico City," which stated; "The volcano erupted for about nine hours, until 3am local time, the agency said. Mexico City residents awoke to cars coated in a light dusting of ash. The disaster agency's monitoring cameras showed glowing rocks from the volcano's crater landing more than half a mile (1,000 meters) down its slope. About 25 million people live within 62 miles (100km) of the crater of the 17,797ft (5,426-meter) stratovolcano. It has been periodically erupting since 1994. "

25 million people – where will they go? Well, I'll give you one clue as to where where their first choice to go might be? The United States of America, but we cannot take 25 more illegal aliens when we already have between 35 and 40 million here already. I think a Wall is a smart strategic plan to start with, then we can work on getting this ridiculous work visa program and immigration process fixed for legal visitors who will be living here. Think on this.



Source by Lance Winslow

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Toward Depoliticization of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Donald Trump's Constitutional Mandate

Most Americans who supported President-elect Donald Trump weren't expecting him to publicly declare outright his specific intention of depoliticizing the Department of Veterans Affairs by removing it from cabinet-level status. No, most weren't expecting a logistical master like Trump to reveal his game-changing plan before he's inaugurated as the 45th US President. Yet, I, and may other patriots, were fully expecting him to immediately announce the much needed replacement of the current politically aspiring VA Secretary, Robert McDonald, who was appointed by Obama in 2015 for definite political reasons, and who is currently known as having been changed more in the preceding months by the political processes of the VA bureaucracy than he has changed the bureaucracy for the better. Mr. Trump's astute and unprecedented nomination of an experienced and dedicated physician, Dr. David J. Shulkin, as VA Secretary, is a game-changer, since all previous VA Secretaries, since the year 1989, have been pure political cronies of the appointing presidents, starting with George HW Bush's appointment of Ed Derwinski, who was a career federal politician.

It has been said at various times throughout the history of the American republic that when federal politicians aren't kissing babies, they are stealing their candy. This sardonic caricature might be laughable to a degree, but it is unfortunately a truism that rings with a clarion call in an age when there are over a thousand federal regulatory agencies, administrations, and commissions, with their two million-plus federal employees, occupying Washington, DC and the federal workplaces through the fifty States. The VA currently has more federal employees than any other federal department, except for the Department of Defense, and this is not to be applauded to any extent. There presently exists so much mediocrity, redundancy, flippancy, and duplication of bureaucratic work processes in the VA, that the egregious waste of the hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money appropriated by Congress to the cabinet-level Department of Veteran's Affairs (the VHA , VBA (Regional Offices of the VA), BVA, and the NCA) is occurring every fiscal year of VA Operation. Most Americans don't realize that President Abraham Lincoln did not, in any way, make a promise in his second inaugural address to financially provide for America's wounded veterans, and their widows and orphans. No, he didn't! He did because he did not have the unconstitutional money machine called the federal income tax in order to create the exorbitant appropriated federal money to do so, and the People, in 1865, loathed any mention of a federal income tax. When Lincoln said, in his inaugural address, "To care for him who hath borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphans," he was not talking about federal care. He was, instead, speaking to the families of the veterans, to the States, to the churches, to the people in the states who had the resources and the moral reasons for caring for the veterans. I am sure that the honored Framers would have included stipulations in the US Constitution for financing the care of military veterans if they had deemed it proper, but they did not. The soldiers and marines of the Continental Army and Navy deemed their military service during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 as something owed by them to a government that would ensure their liberty and freedom through the creation and enforcement of just laws. The patriots of the continental army were not mercaneries. They accepted the little pay that was given them by the Continental Congress as just compensation for their service. The families of those veterans, the many Christian churches, and the state legisllatures did all that was necessarily done to provide care for the wounded and to help the widows and orphans.

There are currently thousands of VA employees, GS-9 through GS-13, who are miserably inept at doing their assigned jobs and should be immediately fired and forced to seek work elsewhere. Instead, however, these indolent and inefficient drones are allowed to keep their jobs, and their exorbitant salaries, while being shifted and shuffled around the VA organizational maze to other positions due to their proven incompetence. This duplicitous administrative process is accomplished through the efforts of shiftless VA managers and supervisors, GS-14 through GS-15, and is currently most expertly finagled by those managers and supervisors at the SES (Special Executive Selection) level who are equally inefficient at properly managing personnel and ensuring that VA appropriations are spent frugally, conservatively, and efficiently; a proper standard for the use of the sacred tax money of hardworking Americans. Some of these SES managers and supervisors even continue to receive unconscionable bonuses, in the tens of thousands of dollars, for performing miserably in their jobs; and to fire an SES-level manager has been made, by federal regulation, a long drawn-out process. Yet, the highest level of inefficiency found currently in the VA is among the career politicians, or political appointees, working at the apex of the particular VA departments, agencies, and administrations, who draw the highest salaries, but do the least work. The level of appropriation waste that occurs in the routine administrative drawers of the bureaus of the departments, or the departments within the departments and the agencies within the agencies, which create the positions for the thousands of employees who should be immediately terminated.

For instance, there is a VA Secretary-level department, that was spuriously created by Secretary Robert McDonald, called "Client Relations," which is located in one of the auxiliary DC office buildings used by five other VA and VHA administrative organizations, headquartered down the street from the VA's 810 Vermont Central Office Building. This department, Client Relations, is staffed by an SES-equivalent director, a GS-15, and eight other employees, GS-9s through GS-14s. Why was this department created? It was strictly orchestrated purely for public relations, in order to do what the approximate 1,000 Patient Advocates at the 152 VA Medical Centers and clinics around the USA aren't properly doing; that is, reaching out to assist the veterans who are patients at these medical centers and clinics, and all other veterans who currently believe that they are not receiving the VA benefits and hospital services to which they are entitled. The Client Relations group is doing the jobs of the patient advocates, GS-9 through GS-13 VA employees, who are obviously not doing their jobs properly. This is a prime example of the many, many wasteful duplications of work effort currently expended all through the US Department of Veterans Affairs, created by Robert McDonald. The really provocative fact of the matter is that, instead of firing these people and hiring master's degree-level (GS-9) people from off the street who perform the job properly, the unperforming patient advocates are allowed to retain their jobs, receiving salaries they don't deserve from the money collected from the taxpayers to pay them. One SES hospital director, who was directly responsible for veterans being deprived of hospital services, had the specious audacity to say that it's better to keep a non-performing GS-12 on the payroll than to fire the person and make him, or her, an unemployment statistic.

An ultimately galling aspect of federal bureaucracies bloated with hundreds of thousands of incompetent non-performing employees is that these federal employees actually believe that the money taken from their salaries by the government, called taxes, is actually tax money, and they are no different from the non-government American workforce. A wise and practical economist, Adam Smith, rendered as the father of American capitalism, said in his book, "Wealth of Nations" in 1730, that, "Tax money paid as government wages cannot be realistically taxed, for real tax money must be taken, by government for government operation, from money produced as income by business interests. " British economic philosopher David Ricardo echoed this same general principle of sound state economics. Appropriations made by Congress in the form of federal income tax money collected by the IRS for government operation, if used as salaries and taxed again and again from this illusionary unending tax money, will eventually dwindle to nothing. This is the evil cruz of socialism incrementally imposed upon the republic by the minions of John Maynard Keyes, such as was Franklin D. Roosevelt. The fact that all federal money paid as salaries to these millions of federal employees, and for the operation of the federal government, is borrowed money, and that the federal debt is currently over 17 trillion dollars, should alert all informed voters that the bloated federal establishment, and the US economy, are a precarious house of cards ready to collapse into total chaos; that is, in the absence of a restoration of the constitutional governance and fiscal balance. That's why the money paid to all government employees, local, state, and federal from fairly collected taxes should be regarded as sacred money, which should be used with profound fiscal prudence. In other words, tax money for federal purposes should only be paid-out to employees, and for government operations, which are essential to federal government operation. That's the way it was before 1913, when the 16th Amendment was, supposedly, ratified and the infernal federal income tax was born.

Currently the openly "suggested" hiring standards by the federal OPM tacitly require a GS-9 employee, hired off-the-street, to possess a master's degree. Yet, federal regulatory agencies, such as the VA. are free to set their own arbitrary standards. As a result, approximately 60 percent of the VA employees receiving GS-13, 14, and 15 salaries don't have graduate degrees, and approximately 85 percent of the employees receiving GS-9 through GS-12 salaries don't have baccalaurate degrees . What is even more exasperating is the fact that approximately 48 percent of the SES-level managers and supervisors don't have graduate degrees or any academic work toward such a degree; and about 25 percent of SESs don't even have baccalaurate degrees, but have been advanced based solely on the political basis of who-knows-who. Why is this so? Political nepotism occurs during the hiring process on a regular basis in the VA due to the extreme politicization in a highly dysfunctional, and uncontrolled, network of VA organizations (VISNs, regional offices, a centralized, almost autonomous Board of Veterans Appeals, which is a veritable country club of veterans' law judges). Essentially, the right hand of the VA does not know what its left hand is doing. These inexorable bureaucratic flaws have turned what should be a meritocracy into an illegitimate and poorly functioning culture of special interest; and I believe that this is due directly to its cabinet-level status and the gross number of political appointees currently working in the VA seeking to please an incompetent VA Secretary.

I believe and maintain that President-elect Trump, when he assumes the Office of the US President on January 20, 2017, will begin immediately to down-size the tyrannical, bloated, and highly inefficient federal government; for Donald Trump is a businessman dedicated to efficient business operations within Constitutional guidelines. With a Republican Congress behind him, he will, hopefully, seek and obtain an end to regulatory federal government and return all policy making power to its proper source, the Legislative branch, or Congress, with the eventual approbation of a conservatively reconstituted US Supreme Court . And the many incompetent federal employees in the VA and in all unconstitutional federal agencies will find themselves seeking employment in, either, State government (God forbid) or in the private business world, where they will be required to work much harder for a much lower salary. The swamp will, therefore, be drained over time and its parasitic inhabitants will be forced to find other accommodations.



Source by Norton Nowlin

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Ramifications Of Trump's Actions: 5 Cases

Whether one is a supporter, or opposes, President Donald J. Trump, everyone must agree, we have never, in recent memory, experienced, anyone, who has conducted himself, as he has! While he maintains the strong support of his core supporters and followers, largely because, they have bought – into his rhetorical, vision, and are motivated, and agree with his rhetoric, and vitriol, many others, feel considerably, uneasy, because of the potential ramifications, of some of his actions, and words. Mr. Trump's closest supporters claim he focuses on broad – strokes, rather than, getting involved in the details, and while, President's should not micro – manage, many believe, his lack of attention, to the details of leading a nation, are potentially dangerous, and frightening. This article will attempt to briefly review, consider, identify, and discuss, 5 cases and / or instances.

1. International relations / respect: Because this President, so often, appears to be changing his message, and relies, so heavily on rhetoric, vitriol, and name – calling, it appears, many are confused by his actions, and intentions! The world has, generally, sought calm, focused, consistent leaders, and Trump, to this point, has not generated that perception, and / or image. Calling leaders by negative labels, and resorting to name – calling, rarely garners the respect of others, or drives a cooperative spirit!

2. Race / ethnic relations: Trump's reliance on ethnic generalities, especially towards Mexicans, Hispanics, and Muslims, has created distrust, suspicion, and a level of negativity, we haven't previously witnessed! While there are certainly many Americas, who, unfortunately, share his biases and prejudice, it is not, what many others, consider the American Way. From his comments regarding his Wall, to the comments about the Mexican judge, to the descriptions, he's reportedly expressed, regarding certain African and Caribbean, poorer nations, we have never experienced this behavior, from someone in his position, in recent memory!

3. Freedoms challenged: Mr. Trump has spoken out, against the media, and press, especially those who've challenged him, in any way. His reference to Fake News, to anything which does not agree, challenges, our concept of freedom, of the press! He has challenged the rights of individuals to articulate any contrary or oppositional message, complaining when others, don't automatically applaud, and / or disagree! Some may be entertained, or, even enjoy his rhetoric, and vitriol, but it does not drive our democracy, forward!

4. Budgets / deficits: Before he was elected, Mr. Trump claimed he could eliminate, both, current deficits, as well as cumulative ones! His support for a tax reform plan, which will add trillions to the deficit, as well as his recently proposed budget, pays no attention to these, while appearing oppositional to safety – net, items, which makes many fearful, and nervous!

5. Environmental / sustainability: While the rest of the world, appears, to realize the needs, and has begun to focus on environmental concerns, President Trump, has often articulated, a message of denial of Climate Change! Appointing Scott Pruitt, as the Secretary of DEP, has clearly indicated, he, either does not feel attention is needed, or does care about protecting the sustainability of our planet, and protecting clean air, and water, as well as neglecting the future needs of generations!

Obviously, I am not a supporter of this President, but, for the common good, would hope, he achieved, for the best interests of the nation, and the planet! However, anyone who fails to consider and address ramifications, is not behaving in a responsible manner, which we need, and deserve!



Source by Richard Brody

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