Admin: We'll be busy the next two mornings. My wife will have cataract surgery tomorrow and Tuesday is the follow up appointment. Could be slow posting.
"MAGA requires being in it for the long haul. The problem is that the US constitutional order isn’t conducive to long term strategic planning in an imperial context. It was designed for a representative republic, but in an imperial context it turns out to be all about instant gratification for vested interests."
This really hits the crux of the matter. In particular, the benefits of the tariffs (in terms of repatriation of manufacturing) will not accrue until long after their negative influences are felt in the economy - including consumer inflation. Trump is in a sense engaging in a sacrificial act (detrimental to his own shorter term political interests and popularity) for a longer term good. Will the economy and the markets turn around in time for a J.D. Vance to realize the popular benefits of this policy while running in 2028? Will the public have the patience not to penalize the Republicans in the 2026 mid-terms? A real balancing act going on here with real implications to the longer term health of the economy and the country.
For these reasons, I do wish the tariffs had been introduced more gradually and incrementally, and with more education of the public beforehand (including the corporate world - large and small - and foreign governments). Some of the shock and the negative impacts may have been avoided. We talk about the Nixon shock from 55 years ago. Will we be talking about the "Trump shock" 55 years from now? Well, I won't...
"Trump... is attempting to reverse well over 50 years of American economic and geopolitical history, with **most of the ruling class strongly opposing him because they interests are invested in American decline**"
What role do Israel firsters play in seeking "American decline"?
In 2002 Dennis Ross chaired the new "Jewish People Policy Institute." It's first paper/project was Salomon Wald's paper on Jewish-China Relations file:///Users/shepherd/Downloads/policyarchive_file_17716.pdf "in light of the decline of US primacy."
Is Israel still hedging a bet that the US will decline in favor of China, or is Israel part of those whose "interests are invested in America's decline?"
Over the years there has been strong suspicion that Israel transferred US derived military tech to China, like Israel also transferred Pollard's tech to the USSR.
Never forget that Janet Yellen left Trump a ticking time-bomb of $9 trillion in short term debt that must be rolled over in 2025. Those new bonds must sold to buyers or the Fed must print more fiat monetary units. The former will demand higher interest rates and the latter will push up inflation significantly. Either way, this is a non-trivial problem that only accelerates in the coming years if not nipped in the bud. Trump must thread this needle or be saddled with a huge financial crisis in 2026; just in time for the mid-term elections. Neither kicking-the-can nor muddle-through are not going to work much longer, and hence desperate times call for desperate measures.
Everything Yellen did was to promote Zionist interests at the expense of the USA. Yes, she purposefully left him a gigantic problem. How many Zionist financiers have we put in charge of our Fed or our Central Bank and how many times in the last 50 years have we had giant fiscal problems under their watch?
Yes, you have given a very good description of a problem I have mentioned before. Yellen basically "poisoned the Treasury well" for Trump for a couple of years - on purpose. It doesn't help that the market for long term Treasuries is now being negatively impacted by foreign sales and de-leveraging of the basis trade.
It may be important to remember that May of 2024 Putin installed an economist with no military background as his head of the Russian military - Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation -
Andrei Belousov - Graduated with distinction from the Faculty of Economics at Moscow State University in 1981. Belousov has no record of military service; did not serve in the Russian armed forces in any capacity, his career has been entirely civilian; economics and public administration.
Part of Putin’s preparation for a prolonged conflict; Outlasting the West [ a war of attrition ] while protecting Russia’s economy despite sanctions.
. Forward thinking and besting the West - I opine Brilliant -
Advisor to prime ministers during Putin’s first two terms (2000–2008).
Deputy Economy Minister (2006–2008).
Headed Putin’s economic team as prime minister (2008–2012).
Economic Development Minister (2012–2013).
Presidential economic aide (2013–2020).
First Deputy Prime Minister (2020–2024), overseeing budget planning and military-industrial investments.
Compare US Peter Hegseth
Secretary of Defense of the United States manages the U.S. military, including 1.3 million active-duty troops, with a budget of over $800 billion.
Bachelor’s degree in Politics from Princeton University (2003), Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government (2013).
Major in the Minnesota Army National Guard (2002–2021)
Contributor (2014–2017) and co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend (2017–2024) at Fox News
. Other than military service and rising to rank of Major in National Guard Prior to entering his position with Trump administration - Fox and Friends Co-Host his primary life accomplishment/experience
I'm not really sure what it takes rise to the rank of Major in the Minnesota Army National Guard there was probably a lot of competition in Minnesota
and then the springboard to Fox and Friends consultant and then co-host
But I am quite certain the decision to bomb Yemen was taken with the utmost professional investigation and understanding for I read the texts that were exchanged - and the results speak for themselves - fantastic
I’m trying to give DJT the benefit of the doubt right now, but I have to admit that with so many moving parts in motion at the same time I don’t see much light at the end of the tunnel. Unless the headlights on the oncoming freight train count. Sure seems like we’re rapidly approaching a, “Houston, we have a problem” moment.
I am constantly reminded of the Biblical admonition that “Pride goeth before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction”…..
Struggling US taxpayers are now supposed to pay for conquest of Odessa? ...3/25/2025, “The Fraud of Endless War,“ dissidentvoice.org, by John Rachel
“There is not a single war or serious military confrontation since WWII involving the U.S. that needed to be fought.“...
"The entire narrative of “protecting and sharing our values” has become hollow propaganda. Because the US has engaged its military in more theaters of war and invasion than we can even keep track of anymore. The US armed forces don’t protect democracy or human rights around the world,
they protect the financial interests of America’s elites, including the military-industrial complex….
What doesn’t help is to take
yet another stab at Putin and say “Vladimir Putin is an evil man, and he is intent on evil deeds”, as McCain [did] does in a [posthumous] forthcoming book. If that’s the best you can do, your best-by date has long since passed.
Vladimir Jabotinsky came from Odessa. His biographer states that Odessa did not have a strong Jewish community, & that VJ was not at all involved with Jewishness. A problem student & youth, to the extent young Jabotinsky developed intellectual habits, they involved Russian literature. Until, that is, upon leaving home he spent 3 years in Rome -- "If I ever had a spiritual fatherland, it was Italy more than Russia."
Zionism: the refuge of Jews very confused about their identity.
Uplifting news from Tulsi…until I saw this. Professor Sachs in Turkey at an international diplomatic forum telling his audience to take off their rose-colored glasses. Gonna be a real struggle, as Mark has been at pains to demonstrate, for Trump to thread the needle for real peace, both in the ME and in Ukraine.
Trump shattered the Overton window that the U.S. will always have low tariffs due to an almost religious belief in free trade, due to fears of a repeat of Smoot-Halwey tariffs act that is perceived to have caused the great depression.
Trump has shown the US can increase tariffs at any time, and to remove uncertainty, you need to manufacture in the U.S.
Admin: We'll be busy the next two mornings. My wife will have cataract surgery tomorrow and Tuesday is the follow up appointment. Could be slow posting.
Praying for you.. Thanks for the enlightment with each posting..
Bon courage to both - it’s good to take a break too!
Go Tulsi! I really want her to run for President again in 28.
I'm sharing this from RealClearWorld, written by Francis P. Sempa.
Trump's Team of Realists
https://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2025/04/12/trumps_team_of_realists_1103669.html
"MAGA requires being in it for the long haul. The problem is that the US constitutional order isn’t conducive to long term strategic planning in an imperial context. It was designed for a representative republic, but in an imperial context it turns out to be all about instant gratification for vested interests."
This really hits the crux of the matter. In particular, the benefits of the tariffs (in terms of repatriation of manufacturing) will not accrue until long after their negative influences are felt in the economy - including consumer inflation. Trump is in a sense engaging in a sacrificial act (detrimental to his own shorter term political interests and popularity) for a longer term good. Will the economy and the markets turn around in time for a J.D. Vance to realize the popular benefits of this policy while running in 2028? Will the public have the patience not to penalize the Republicans in the 2026 mid-terms? A real balancing act going on here with real implications to the longer term health of the economy and the country.
For these reasons, I do wish the tariffs had been introduced more gradually and incrementally, and with more education of the public beforehand (including the corporate world - large and small - and foreign governments). Some of the shock and the negative impacts may have been avoided. We talk about the Nixon shock from 55 years ago. Will we be talking about the "Trump shock" 55 years from now? Well, I won't...
"Trump... is attempting to reverse well over 50 years of American economic and geopolitical history, with **most of the ruling class strongly opposing him because they interests are invested in American decline**"
What role do Israel firsters play in seeking "American decline"?
In 2002 Dennis Ross chaired the new "Jewish People Policy Institute." It's first paper/project was Salomon Wald's paper on Jewish-China Relations file:///Users/shepherd/Downloads/policyarchive_file_17716.pdf "in light of the decline of US primacy."
Is Israel still hedging a bet that the US will decline in favor of China, or is Israel part of those whose "interests are invested in America's decline?"
Over the years there has been strong suspicion that Israel transferred US derived military tech to China, like Israel also transferred Pollard's tech to the USSR.
Never forget that Janet Yellen left Trump a ticking time-bomb of $9 trillion in short term debt that must be rolled over in 2025. Those new bonds must sold to buyers or the Fed must print more fiat monetary units. The former will demand higher interest rates and the latter will push up inflation significantly. Either way, this is a non-trivial problem that only accelerates in the coming years if not nipped in the bud. Trump must thread this needle or be saddled with a huge financial crisis in 2026; just in time for the mid-term elections. Neither kicking-the-can nor muddle-through are not going to work much longer, and hence desperate times call for desperate measures.
Everything Yellen did was to promote Zionist interests at the expense of the USA. Yes, she purposefully left him a gigantic problem. How many Zionist financiers have we put in charge of our Fed or our Central Bank and how many times in the last 50 years have we had giant fiscal problems under their watch?
Yes, you have given a very good description of a problem I have mentioned before. Yellen basically "poisoned the Treasury well" for Trump for a couple of years - on purpose. It doesn't help that the market for long term Treasuries is now being negatively impacted by foreign sales and de-leveraging of the basis trade.
.
It may be important to remember that May of 2024 Putin installed an economist with no military background as his head of the Russian military - Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation -
Andrei Belousov - Graduated with distinction from the Faculty of Economics at Moscow State University in 1981. Belousov has no record of military service; did not serve in the Russian armed forces in any capacity, his career has been entirely civilian; economics and public administration.
Part of Putin’s preparation for a prolonged conflict; Outlasting the West [ a war of attrition ] while protecting Russia’s economy despite sanctions.
. Forward thinking and besting the West - I opine Brilliant -
.
Russia - Andrei Belousov
Advisor to prime ministers during Putin’s first two terms (2000–2008).
Deputy Economy Minister (2006–2008).
Headed Putin’s economic team as prime minister (2008–2012).
Economic Development Minister (2012–2013).
Presidential economic aide (2013–2020).
First Deputy Prime Minister (2020–2024), overseeing budget planning and military-industrial investments.
Compare US Peter Hegseth
Secretary of Defense of the United States manages the U.S. military, including 1.3 million active-duty troops, with a budget of over $800 billion.
Bachelor’s degree in Politics from Princeton University (2003), Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government (2013).
Major in the Minnesota Army National Guard (2002–2021)
Contributor (2014–2017) and co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend (2017–2024) at Fox News
. Other than military service and rising to rank of Major in National Guard Prior to entering his position with Trump administration - Fox and Friends Co-Host his primary life accomplishment/experience
.
Hegseth Military Experience
Military Experience:
Served in the Minnesota Army National Guard (2002–2021), rising to the rank of Major.
Deployed three times: Service is said to be as follows:
Guantanamo Bay (2004–2005): Led a platoon guarding detainees.
Iraq (2005–2006): Served as an infantry platoon leader in Baghdad and a civil affairs officer in Samarra, earning a Bronze Star.
Afghanistan (2012): Taught counterinsurgency tactics, earning a second Bronze Star.
Received additional honors: Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, and two Army Commendation Medals.
All logical stepping stones to becoming SecDef. :-)
I'm not really sure what it takes rise to the rank of Major in the Minnesota Army National Guard there was probably a lot of competition in Minnesota
and then the springboard to Fox and Friends consultant and then co-host
But I am quite certain the decision to bomb Yemen was taken with the utmost professional investigation and understanding for I read the texts that were exchanged - and the results speak for themselves - fantastic
I’m trying to give DJT the benefit of the doubt right now, but I have to admit that with so many moving parts in motion at the same time I don’t see much light at the end of the tunnel. Unless the headlights on the oncoming freight train count. Sure seems like we’re rapidly approaching a, “Houston, we have a problem” moment.
I am constantly reminded of the Biblical admonition that “Pride goeth before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction”…..
Struggling US taxpayers are now supposed to pay for conquest of Odessa? ...3/25/2025, “The Fraud of Endless War,“ dissidentvoice.org, by John Rachel
“There is not a single war or serious military confrontation since WWII involving the U.S. that needed to be fought.“...
"The entire narrative of “protecting and sharing our values” has become hollow propaganda. Because the US has engaged its military in more theaters of war and invasion than we can even keep track of anymore. The US armed forces don’t protect democracy or human rights around the world,
they protect the financial interests of America’s elites, including the military-industrial complex….
What doesn’t help is to take
yet another stab at Putin and say “Vladimir Putin is an evil man, and he is intent on evil deeds”, as McCain [did] does in a [posthumous] forthcoming book. If that’s the best you can do, your best-by date has long since passed.
That’s language fit for a 4-year old. And George W."...5/14/2018, "A Life Wasted, " Automatic Earth....https://www.theautomaticearth.com/2018/05/a-life-wasted/
Vladimir Jabotinsky came from Odessa. His biographer states that Odessa did not have a strong Jewish community, & that VJ was not at all involved with Jewishness. A problem student & youth, to the extent young Jabotinsky developed intellectual habits, they involved Russian literature. Until, that is, upon leaving home he spent 3 years in Rome -- "If I ever had a spiritual fatherland, it was Italy more than Russia."
Zionism: the refuge of Jews very confused about their identity.
Or they lie about it.
Uplifting news from Tulsi…until I saw this. Professor Sachs in Turkey at an international diplomatic forum telling his audience to take off their rose-colored glasses. Gonna be a real struggle, as Mark has been at pains to demonstrate, for Trump to thread the needle for real peace, both in the ME and in Ukraine.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/most-important-4-minutes-americas-middle-east-wars-we-have-ever-heard
Outstanding!!! Send it!
Like the list. (except #5), however I'll drop it off at the WH some time during the week... probably on my lunch break. Hope that works.
re Nixon:
https://trump-isnt-first-president.tiiny.co/
Trump shattered the Overton window that the U.S. will always have low tariffs due to an almost religious belief in free trade, due to fears of a repeat of Smoot-Halwey tariffs act that is perceived to have caused the great depression.
Trump has shown the US can increase tariffs at any time, and to remove uncertainty, you need to manufacture in the U.S.
Free trade? It doesn't exist.