A tariff here, a tariff there, on everything but underwear

"Trump has been in office now for about 200 days. The difference in just about everything is like night and day. Tariffs however, is the thing most mentioned. Even more so than the peace initiatives which Team Trump is involved in."

Okay - maybe there is a tariff to be paid on underwear. So what. We are in a new age right now, maybe to stay long after Trump has left office, or to be dumped the second he is out the door. We do know one thing however - the "external revenue service" which Trump loves to talk about, is brimming over with cash right now. So much so, the good citizens of this great country might even get a $600/person "bonus". But what about the inflationary nature of tariffs? Not seen to date. Maybe hidden, maybe paid by manufacturers, maybe non-existent. Time will tell.

India for sure does not like out tariffs. Okay, I will bite. Last year India had a trade surplus with us of $37B. Gosh, that does not look fair! What about reciprocal tariffs that Trump is pushing? So far, no dice with India. They kind of like the status quo. However, if we want to deepen our relationship with India (I know that I do), it may be time for India to look in the mirror. Trump would much rather have a voluntary tariff agreement than just sending another country a bill.

One of the strategies which Trump has been using is paying off. If a company or country wants to manufacture in the United States, there will be zero tariffs to pay. Some have taken the bait on that one. In particular, companies which dabble in AI. By 2030, we will have ultra large data centers and chip manufacturing companies all over the landscape. Considering we are in a foot race with China for AI leadership, that is a good thing. 

Trump has been in office now for about 200 days. The difference in just about everything is like night and day. Tariffs however, is the thing most mentioned. Even more so than the peace initiatives which Team Trump is involved in. In fact, tomorrow is the big showdown in Alaska. Will Putin capitulate to a cease fire followed by peace talks, or will Trump be forced to levy the Mother of all tariffs on Russia and the countries Russia trades with. Stay tuned on that one.

Love tariffs or hate them, they are here for at least the new few years. Will the USA gain wealth because of them? Hope so. If not, they will just be sound and fury, signifying nothing.

   

Tired of smoke, tired of crime, tired of being taxed all of the time

 

"This summer, the citizens who are still here are tired of the unsolvable crime. We are tired of being taxed for just about everything, up to and including breathing. Speaking of which, noticed how hard it is to breath this summer? Thanks to our friends up north who seem flummoxed on how to put out forest fires."

Welcome to Minneapolis. At one time, Minneapolis was considered to be nothing but a "cold Omaha". No longer. Ever since the George Floyd fiasco, Minneapolis has made the big time. We are right up there with many of the other Big Blue Cities. We have crime, and we have taxes. We have our share of feral youth who insist on doing things which range from breaking out the windows in cars at night, to carjacking at gunpoint. What can the cops do to stop this mayhem? Seems like not too much.

I recently heard on the news, that one city on the East Coast (actually a blue city in a blue state) has had it with juvenile crime. So much so, that a law is being proposed that should a juvenile commit a crime, it is his or her parents who will do the time. Like maybe 90 days in jail plus a modest fine. Why punish the parents? Seems that punishing a minor is a slap on the wrist and that is it. Lots of crime, no time. However, with the parents, they can be held accountable. I like this new law, if it ever gets passed!

The city of Minneapolis has a cop problem also. Another unfortunate aftereffect of the Floyd fiasco is not enough cops. Remember? The "defund the cops" movement? Minneapolis is still down over 200 cops. And because they are having trouble filling those open positions (who would want to?), some cops have been making double overtime. And that - is breaking the bank. Mayor Frey wants to cut that out (wonder how that will work), rather than soaking the taxpayers for the excess. Once again, it is the blind leading the blind in the City of Lakes.

This summer, the citizens who are still here are tired of the unsolvable crime. We are tired of being taxed for just about everything, up to and including breathing. Speaking of which, noticed how hard it is to breath this summer? Thanks to our friends up north who seem flummoxed on how to put out forest fires. The weather pattern has been (all summer so far), wind comes from the north, no thunderstorms, but lots of smoke from Canada. Wind comes from the south, smoke gets blown back up into Canada, but here comes the thunderstorms. And so it goes. The weather guessers think this will continue on into the fall. Oh, joy.

One distressing weather report I heard of late, is the specter of "zombie fires" in Canada. That is where the peat (underground) in the artic tundra can smolder into the winter. Like, when it is snowing? Could happen. The fires in Canada have been so widespread this year, it might take months for the smoke to completely go away. 

Soon school will start, and many of the school districts are already clamoring for more money. Not enough from those stingy Republicans in the state government to help out. What does that mean? If referendums pass, more taxes. After getting assessed $4,000 to fix my street this summer, the last thing I need right now is more taxes. But Minnesota is the land of 10,000 taxes, so good luck on that one! 

  

Battlefield WDC? Or battlefield Portland Oregon?

"Pay close attention what is going on. Illegals and criminals are being shielded by the Democrats. Period. Full stop. The folks who want law and order, are being taken care of by the Republicans."

Oh boy. Now it has started. Which Big Blue City is the biggest POS and needs to come under the microscope and tutelage of the Trump Administration. Yesterday we heard that Washington DC was the city first on the list to be fixed. But wait - Mayor Bowser said everything was hunky dory in our nation's capital. This was all an act by Donald Trump for attention. The stats are looking good, Bowser said. Oh no, the Trump team responded. The books were cooked and DC is nothing more than a killing ground for thugs right now.

But wait - a rumor has gone out that Oakland is next on the list. In fact the commie mayor Barb Lee already responded to this threat. "Our crime stats show that crime is on the decline here", Mayor Lee said. Hmm, must be the same folks keeping the stats that Washington DC has. The interesting part of this story is not too long ago, some young man was doing a YouTube about Oakland. How far down it has fallen. He even interviewed some of the poor residents who were stuck in that POS. Their words - "Nobody can live in this hellscape! Cops don't respond, nobody helps." Take that, Mayor Lee!

But, by any logical measure, Portland Oregon has the most crime, disruption, and overall mayhem. I just saw a news article from Portland. Each night, every night, there are street battles between Antifa and the cops. It is making much of Portland unlivable. Keith Wilson, who is the mayor of Portland, said things are just fine, thank you (sound familiar?). And Mayor Wilson does NOT want the feds coming into town to restore order. I bet Donald Trump has other ideas on Portland.

Yesterday, Donald Trump said we can't lose our cities. Amen to that, sir! But the damage is so deep, so pervasive, it will take nothing short of a miracle to fix ANY of our Big Blue Cities. The rot is deep. Much of the rot goes back to the Great Society, which broke many of our strongest families. Now we have feral youth roaming out cities, looking to hunt innocent victims. Proof? The crime stats the Democrats refute. More and more of the more heinous crimes are done by teens or tweens.

Today, the National Guard should be on site in the nation's capitol. The next act is about to start. Pay close attention what is going on. Illegals and criminals are being shielded by the Democrats. Period. Full stop. The folks who want law and order, are being taken care of by the Republicans. Which side do you want to be on? I know where I choose to be. Law and order over crime and disorder. Should be interesting to see how the Dems defend their constituents come the midterms. 

 

 

What does Russia stand to lose? Not much...

"I have no clue to what the correct negotiation strategy will be where Ukraine walks away thinking they got a good deal. Unless, Russia has an epiphany, retreats completely, returns Crimea, and leaves the Donbas area alone. Other than that outcome, I have no clue what the satisfier will be for Ukraine."

"You can win if you cheat" at one time was a cliche used in some business settings. Of course, it was only tongue in cheek. The real saying should continue to be "Cheaters never prosper". That is, unless you are Valdimir Putin. And "All is fair in love and war" rings hollow when it comes to garnering a peace in Ukraine. Why do I say that? No matter the outcome, Ukraine will get screwed, and Russia will walk away with a partial prize. 

Some in the world may refer to Russia and Ukraine as the "warring parties", but to Ukraine, Russia has only one name - "occupiers". As much as Ukraine balks at giving up one inch of ill begotten territory to the "occupiers", losing big chunks of land to Russia, might be a fait accompli.

What will Russia need to give up during these upcoming negotiations? To stop the fighting. Stop the killing. Stop the bombing. How about Ukraine? Stop the fighting. Stop the killing. Stop the bombing. AND - maybe give up Crimea. AND maybe give up the Donbas area of Eastern Ukraine. AND maybe some of the minerals contained therein. Sound fair? Certainly not to Ukraine. To them, they are getting screwed with the largest screwdriver in Europe. What can Ukraine gain? Peace - maybe.

Russia is only a shell of what they once were. Many refer to Russia as being "a gas station with nukes". Much truth in that statement! All they really have to sell worldwide right now is their dirty oil, plus they have more nukes than any other nation. That makes them a huge threat. Their military has proven to be a joke. They wanted a three-day war with a neighboring country who had a fraction of Russia's military. One country has a battle harden former KGB Officer and the other country has a comedian turned politician. It was supposed to be a massacre. But we all know how that has turned out. After three years, a standoff, with Russia losing up to a million troops.

I have no clue to what the correct negotiation strategy will be where Ukraine walks away thinking they got a good deal. Unless, Russia has an epiphany, retreats completely, returns Crimea, and leaves the Donbas area alone. Other than that outcome, I have no clue what the satisfier will be for Ukraine. Is Russia in the catbird seat right now. That would be a yes!

Bottom line? Russia is now and has been for a while now - a bully. Take away Russia's nukes and they would be a nobody. Poland would be the real powerhouse in Europe. But Russia has nukes, and the chances of Russia given them up is about zero. And as long as Russia does have nukes, Russia will always be a bully.  

   

Federalizing Big Blue Cities

"Does Trump want to spend the resources to federalize anything? Not really - but he has no choice. In a perfect world, none of this would be necessary. But many of our cities in a post-Biden world have become cesspools. Sewers. Unfit for human habitation. But Trump the fixer, will fix them. Why? We have to. It is as simple as that."  

The two most common complaints I hear from outstate citizens on why they hate going into downtown Minneapolis are as follows: 1) Too many nut balls and 2) they don't feel safe. The nut ball thing is going to be with us until the end of time. Big Blue Cities and nut balls go hand in hand. But the not feeling safe thing? There is no reason why we have to cede our cities, blue or otherwise, to the crime lords. None.

President Trump gets a bird's eye view of Washington DC just about every day. He finds the crime and filth in our capital city to be - disgusting. I have spent many days in Washington while in the working world. None of those days did I take safely for granted. Washington may have its nice marble buildings, but it also has a soft underbelly of crime and grit. For people to come here from other countries, and see our capital city in such a mess, is embarrassing. Thus, Donald Trump is thinking about federalizing it.

Crime, drug usage, trafficking, homelessness, prostitution - you name it, you can find it in most Big Blue Cities. Los Angeles is a mess. In 2028, LA will be hosting the Summer Olympics. All I have to say is LA has a long, long way to go before we can be proud of that host city. LA is yet another candidate to be federalized. SOMETHING needs to be done! Mayor Bass does not have a clue on how to manage a city that size. Heck, Mayor Bass could not even manage a town the size of Ely.

What is going to happen to New York if Mamdani becomes the next mayor? Will Trump federalize New York? Count on it. Same with Minneapolis if Fateh becomes the next mayor in that sad sack of a town. Trump will not put up with letting commies or socialists ruin our cities. He will take over them first. Restore law and order. Make them livable again.

Does Trump want to spend the resources to federalize anything? Not really - but he has no choice. In a perfect world, none of this would be necessary. But many of our cities in a post-Biden world have become cesspools. Sewers. Unfit for human habitation. But Trump the fixer, will fix them. Why? We have to. It is as simple as that.  

    

And now, on to Alaska, searching for peace

 

"Peace is something which maybe only the author of the book knows how to broker. As many said after the election, Trump may not be a perfect man, but he is THE perfect man for America right now. Let's hope and pray that Trump can pull a rabbit out of his hat in Alaska. All eyes will be on Alaska next week."  

The above picture is Mount McKinley (Denali). I took that pic eleven years ago while in Alaska. This mountain is so big, so massive, you can see it from a long, long ways away. To see it, literally takes your breath away.

I chose this picture for this article as what might happen in Alaska next Friday (August 15th), could be equally as majestic. The long-awaited meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. No Zelenskyy, no EU members - only Trump and Putin. It is a meeting searching for peace for a nation being destroyed by war. The stakes could not be higher.

I am not here to pay any homage to Putin or his Russian henchmen. They started this war under false pretenses. For targeting civilians, they could all be war criminals. Hundreds of thousands of Russians and Ukrainians have lost their lives. Lost homes. Lost livelihoods. We all know what Putin wants - he wants Ukraine to come under his orbit, once again. Donald Trump wants what most of the world wants - and end to this carnage. This senseless killing, of mostly young men, and the destruction of a country.

The negotiations for a cease fire will be dicey. Zelenskyy wanted to join, but Putin wants only Trump in the meeting. Zelenskyy does not want to give up an inch of occupied territory; Putin wants a chunk of Ukraine as a war prize. It is up to Donald Trump and his team to stich up the huge chasm between the two positions. Is it possible to walk out of this Alaska meeting with nothing? More than possible - probable. But as the song goes, "All we are asking, is give peace a chance." That's it - can we at least come out of this meeting with a meaningful cease fire? One which is not just smoke and mirrors?

This ugly war in Ukraine has already redefined Europe. It has strengthened and enlarged NATO. It has caused nations to fortify borders. It has reduced Russia's army by thousands of armored vehicles and hundreds of thousands of troops. It has taken the breadbasket (Ukraine) of Europe and laid waste to much of it. Europe may never be the same again. Both in geography as well as trust.

As many gambles as Trump has been involved in during his civilian life, I dare say this one could be his most difficult. The stakes could not be higher. Why? Even though we tend to forget this from time to time, Russia has thousands of nukes. At any time, this conflict could go from hot to a global inferno. 

Peace is something which maybe only the author of the book knows how to broker. As many said after the election, Trump may not be a perfect man, but he is THE perfect man for America right now. Let's hope and pray that Trump can pull a rabbit out of his hat in Alaska. All eyes will be on Alaska next week.  

     

Is our desert southwest a hellscape?

"What I can see in the future is just the opposite of what is happening today. Instead of people flocking to Arizona to live, people for Arizona will be flocking back to Minnesota and Wisconsin. Why? Water and livable heat. That is, for now."

Years ago, I had the opportunity (satire) to accompany my boss to Tucson Arizona in July (twice) to discuss a business opportunity with Hughes Aerospace. My boss was wondering during our first trip, why there were so many convertible cars left unrented. So, he rented one and immediately put the top down. As we drove to the plant, riding in that convertible was like sitting in front of your oven, set at 450 degrees, with a fan blowing on you. I felt like Icarus when he flew too close to the sun. It was a long drive from the airport to Hughes, and I was never so happy when we got there, and I was back in air conditioning.

But that was years ago. And today, Arizona is getting even hotter. This week, the temps have been in the 110+ degrees for highs in Phoenix. Here is the rub - many times in the desert, the high temps will cool off at night. But in Phoenix, one of the larger cities in the country, the daytime heat gets trapped. I check this morning - the temp at Sky Harbor Airport was 92 degrees at 5am. Ouch!

We all know that Northern Canada is ablaze right now. So much so, that the Canadian government has just put out a worldwide appeal for more firefighters. Well SoCal and Arizonia are also having fires right now. As well as other states in the west and southwest. Why? Hot and dry. As much as we have tried to make an oasis out of Phoeniz, nature is starting to take over. How so? By reminding us that Arizona is part desert. And deserts get hot and dry.

As many of us know, TSMC is opening up a huge plant in Arizonia to build some of the most advanced microchips known to man. When I first heard of this, I wondered why in Arizona? Why pick a state which is strapped for water, to build a product which needs water as well as tons of electricity? I mean, TSMC makes the best chips in the world. It is smart to expand out of Taiwan since the Chicoms could come storming over the border at any day now. But why Phoenix? Why not a state which has the excess land but still has adequate power and water.

I read an article not too long ago about some of our global cities becoming hellscapes. Uninhabitable. We are within a few degrees in some of our global cities where people could just die from living there. In fact, scientists at Indiana University have come up with a temp of 95 degrees, which is the maximum a human can live in without suffering heat complications or death from prolonged exposure. Heads up Phoenix - you are way over the 95-degree mark.

What I can see in the future is just the opposite of what is happening today. Instead of people flocking to Arizona to live, people for Arizona will be flocking back to Minnesota and Wisconsin. Why? Water and livable heat. That is, for now.