The Race is On

 The race  between MAGA Republicans and Democrat progressives is on.  Who will win? Trump has transformed the Republican Party.  Most Republicans appear to support his bold plan to transform America.  He hopes to revive American industries and create an economic golden age.  He plans to achieve this by the application of tariffs, deregulation, and lower […]

Tariffs Redux

Note: Since retaking the Presidency, Trump has unleashed a war against globalists as part of his campaign to restore American greatness..  His major weapon in ths fight is the imposition of tariffs and a rejection of long term beliefs in free trade.  Perhaps it would be well to review what I wrote about Trump and […]

Trump and Tariffs

As he prepares to take office, President-elect Trump threatens to use tariffs as a diplomatic weapon in dealing with foreign states and to protect American industries from foreign competition. Now comes the backlash. The free-trade advocates, Democrat and Republican, are howling. For the last hundred years the belief in free trade has had a broad […]

Inflation

The cost of consumer goods rose 4.2 percent during the month of April.  That is the biggest monthly jump in thirteen years.  The possibility of serious inflation is frightening.  I remember those ridiculously high interest rates in the late 1970s when people were paying as much as 18% for home mortgages.  If it happens again, […]

Ghost Towns

Some months ago I returned from a brief trip through several states in the American South.  As I drove through a few of the small towns I was struck with a sense of loss.  The old cotton mills, tobacco factories, and furniture manufacturing facilities have virtually disappeared, and most small-town residents have either migrated to […]

The Lines are Drawn

The lines are drawn in the Presidential election.  It will be Biden and Harris vs Trump and Pence. There is a sharp contrast. Neither side appears to have a distinct advantage over the other.  Biden seems to be somewhat cognitively impaired, but he was never the brightest of the bright.  Nevertheless, his nomination acceptance speech […]

Capitalism vs Socialism

From our very beginnings of our nation, our society has been built on a foundation of capitalism, an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. The same economic model developed in all nations of western Europe.  Inevitably, some people fell behind in the competition, and […]

Change of Course

I have no inside knowledge, and I am certainly no expert;  nevertheless, I believe that toward the end of April our national leaders will need to make a very difficult decision about a new way forward in dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic.  Thus far we have confronted the problem with a policy of social distancing […]

Coronavirus

What a sad state of affairs!  The coronavirus has played havoc with our lives, and no one knows how long this will continue.  With everything closing (church, senior center, restaurants, etc.), I feel as if I’m a prisoner in my own home.  Nevertheless, I thank God that I am healthy, and I pray that I […]

The Real Skinny

During the 1950s I first heard the term “the real skinny.”  This appellation was used to describe what were believed to be the “true facts” about any subject under discussion.   During the past month or more I have read everything I could about our current political situation.  I have read liberal/progressive commentators, and I […]