Statements, comments and forecasts that have no substance, but just might turn out to be relevant.
1.Tom Bentley: Markets are inherently cyclical and inherently volatile, but they do self-correct before inflicting massive damage. Now you put government in the mix, it zigs when it should have zagged, and all hell breaks loose. Think of it as an airplane in a storm – it bounces around, people grab their air-sickness bags, then the plane lands and all is fine. Now let’s assume the hand of God intervenes and grabs a wing of the plane in an effort to stop the shaking – the wing will break off, and the plane will start it’s death spiral. COMMENT: Hold on tight folks. Preservation of capital trumps profits!
2.YNET: If the prime minister (Netanyahu) had any good advisors left, they would have urged him to try to strike a deal with the attorney general before it became too late; but then his fate was sealed by his confidant, the man who up until Tuesday seemed to be willing to spend his entire life in jail as long as his master remained unharmed. We won’t forget what happened Tuesday. It’s the day the walls of denial broke down. Like in the theater, when a curtain falls on the last act of a play. COMMENT: The era of Bibi is over.
3.Turkish armed forces are confronting Assad and the Russians at a place in Syria known as Afrin. Syrian Kurds, feeling betrayed by Trump and co. have turned to Assad and Russia for aid. Assad's forces have entered Afrin and the Turkish invasion has stalled. COMMENT:
The western media and North Americans (me too) are so obsessed with the Trump reality show that none of this appears to be news. Putin must be smiling to himself.
4.Prof. Alon Tal, chairman of Tel Aviv University’s department of public policy: In terms of the wide-held belief that Jews must continue to outpace Arab birthrates in order to ensure a Jewish majority, Tal said that race has already been won. “That used to be an absolutely valid argument, but today Arabs are averaging roughly 40,000 births a year and the Jews are averaging over 100,000. So if there was a demographic battle, it’s over,” he said. COMMENT: The argument espoused by the Americans and Europe that Israel would lose its Jewish identity without a Two-state solution...is total BS.
5.Since the Trump election in 2016, I have been talking about an approaching trade war. And now it is appearing on the horizon. Patrick Watson: "President Trump thinks China is acting unfairly by dumping excess steel on the world market, to the disadvantage of US steel producers. He wants to stop it, but Congress won’t go along because steel consumers, like automakers, enjoy the low prices." Now that it has been identified as a national security issue, Trump can make decisions on the matter without permission from Congress. Watson: "It could also be a huge problem for Canada if the president includes our northern neighbor in any tariffs and quotas. Canadian steel is highly integrated into US manufacturing." COMMENT: Canada built much of its steel industry specifically to help US national security—supporting each other as allies do.
6. Trump is a knife in the back kinda guy. Most American allies and trade partners are slowly getting the idea. Israel understands that sucking up to this prez will get it what it wants. So far so good. I would, however, counsel caution. Getting into bed with a man who is already compromised by the Oligarch elite is not a good long-term idea. Consequently, a negative Israeli reaction to a Trump peace plan would put the cat amongst the pigeons. Alternatively, If matters go sideways for Trump, his partnership with Netanyahu would be seen with extreme prejudice....to say the least.
7.George Friedman: "Seoul has opened its own dialogue with Pyongyang, separate from any U.S.-North Korean discussion that may have been underway." Clearly, South Korea, staring down the barrel of a gun, do not trust Trump and his shenanigans. Further, it is becoming more apparent that China is promoting a North-South dialogue, thus distancing American influence. Friedman: "South Korea, is a vast economic success. Its primary interest is retaining that economic success, which means avoiding war. Before North Korea’s recent evolution, the U.S. guaranteed the South’s security and economic success. Now, the U.S. threatens it." COMMENT: Trump's preference for the white skin color is not lost on the peninsula. The law of unintended consequences....
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter - Winston Churchill
Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; an argument an exchange of ignorance -Robert Quillen
People's minds are changed through observation and not through argument - Will Rogers
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
The Peanut Gallery
Statements, comments and forecasts that have no substance, but just might turn out to be relevant.
1.Patrick Watson: Somewhere in the Newport, Wales garbage dump is a computer hard drive that local resident James Howells discarded in 2013. He had spilled lemonade on it and thought it wasn’t worth fixing. Howells forgot that the hard drive contained the codes to access some bitcoins he had “mined” beginning back in 2009. He had about 7,500 bitcoins, worth $75 million assuming a $10,000 bitcoin price. COMMENT: A month ago the value was $140 million...wow!
2.Senator Tammy Duckworth: “I spent my entire adult life looking out for the well-being, the training, the equipping of the troops for whom I was responsible,” she continued. “Sadly, this is something that the current occupant of the Oval Office does not seem to care to do — and I will not be lectured about what our military needs by a five-deferment draft dodger.”
“And I have a message for cadet bone spurs: If you cared about our military, you'd stop baiting Kim Jong Un into a war that could put 85,000 American troops, and millions of innocent civilians, in danger." Duckworth, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, lost both of her legs when a rocket-propelled grenade shot down the helicopter she was piloting over Iraq in 2004. COMMENT: "Five-deferment draft dodger" and "cadet bone spurs"...That's about right.
3.Russian President Vladimir Putin has become the owner of a one and half room apartment in the heart of Tel Aviv. The apartment belonged to his St. Petersberg high school teacher, Mina Yuditskaya Berliner, who immigrated to Israel in 1973. They were reunited in 2005 when Putin visited Israel. Putin began sending her gifts, including the apartment. Berliner left the apartment to Putin in her will. She passed away in December. COMMENT: Interesting how easily we forget influential and so-called important people, but never forget our teachers.
4.The Turkish government has said that, despite Russia’s wishes to the contrary, it has made no commitment to limit its military operation in Syria to Afrin province. Ankara noted, however, that it was coordinating with the United States and Israel, stressing the importance of avoiding confrontation with nation-states operating in Syria. COMMENT: In case nobody has heard from the Trump frantic media, Turkish forces are operating in Syria against the Syrian Kurds in what has been described as a full-scale military operation.
5.In an interview with Israeli newspaper Yisrael Hayom, US President Trump said that while US-Israel relations were “great,” peace with the Palestinians would make them “a lot better.” He said, “Right now, I would say the Palestinians are not looking to make peace. And I am not necessarily sure that Israel is looking to make peace. So we are just going to have to see what happens.” Regarding settlements Trump said, “The settlements are something that very much complicates and always have complicated making peace, so I think Israel has to be very careful with the settlements.” COMMENT: All this from the guy who recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel LOL
6.The White House denied as false claims by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that he had spoken with the United States about a specified proposal regarding Israeli annexation of Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria. COMMENT: Looks like the competition to be crowned "The Kindergarten Bully King of Fake News" is hotting up as we approach lunch break.
7.GPF: South Korean media have painted a poor picture of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was reportedly told by South Korean President Moon Jae-in that he should stay out of South Korea’s internal affairs. South Korea continues to reach out to North Korea, with China backing its play, while the United States and Japan appear to be on the outside looking in. It’s clear Japan is the biggest loser right now. COMMENT: The military build-up in Japan is making South Korea very, very nervous.
“Are you a politician or does lying just run in your family?” ― Fannie Flagg
“Lies sound like facts to those who've been conditioned to misrecognize the truth.
― DaShanne Stokes
When they call the roll in the Senate, the senators do not know whether to answer ''present'' or ''not guilty.''--Theodore Roosevelt
1.Patrick Watson: Somewhere in the Newport, Wales garbage dump is a computer hard drive that local resident James Howells discarded in 2013. He had spilled lemonade on it and thought it wasn’t worth fixing. Howells forgot that the hard drive contained the codes to access some bitcoins he had “mined” beginning back in 2009. He had about 7,500 bitcoins, worth $75 million assuming a $10,000 bitcoin price. COMMENT: A month ago the value was $140 million...wow!
2.Senator Tammy Duckworth: “I spent my entire adult life looking out for the well-being, the training, the equipping of the troops for whom I was responsible,” she continued. “Sadly, this is something that the current occupant of the Oval Office does not seem to care to do — and I will not be lectured about what our military needs by a five-deferment draft dodger.”
“And I have a message for cadet bone spurs: If you cared about our military, you'd stop baiting Kim Jong Un into a war that could put 85,000 American troops, and millions of innocent civilians, in danger." Duckworth, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, lost both of her legs when a rocket-propelled grenade shot down the helicopter she was piloting over Iraq in 2004. COMMENT: "Five-deferment draft dodger" and "cadet bone spurs"...That's about right.
3.Russian President Vladimir Putin has become the owner of a one and half room apartment in the heart of Tel Aviv. The apartment belonged to his St. Petersberg high school teacher, Mina Yuditskaya Berliner, who immigrated to Israel in 1973. They were reunited in 2005 when Putin visited Israel. Putin began sending her gifts, including the apartment. Berliner left the apartment to Putin in her will. She passed away in December. COMMENT: Interesting how easily we forget influential and so-called important people, but never forget our teachers.
4.The Turkish government has said that, despite Russia’s wishes to the contrary, it has made no commitment to limit its military operation in Syria to Afrin province. Ankara noted, however, that it was coordinating with the United States and Israel, stressing the importance of avoiding confrontation with nation-states operating in Syria. COMMENT: In case nobody has heard from the Trump frantic media, Turkish forces are operating in Syria against the Syrian Kurds in what has been described as a full-scale military operation.
5.In an interview with Israeli newspaper Yisrael Hayom, US President Trump said that while US-Israel relations were “great,” peace with the Palestinians would make them “a lot better.” He said, “Right now, I would say the Palestinians are not looking to make peace. And I am not necessarily sure that Israel is looking to make peace. So we are just going to have to see what happens.” Regarding settlements Trump said, “The settlements are something that very much complicates and always have complicated making peace, so I think Israel has to be very careful with the settlements.” COMMENT: All this from the guy who recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel LOL
6.The White House denied as false claims by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that he had spoken with the United States about a specified proposal regarding Israeli annexation of Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria. COMMENT: Looks like the competition to be crowned "The Kindergarten Bully King of Fake News" is hotting up as we approach lunch break.
7.GPF: South Korean media have painted a poor picture of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was reportedly told by South Korean President Moon Jae-in that he should stay out of South Korea’s internal affairs. South Korea continues to reach out to North Korea, with China backing its play, while the United States and Japan appear to be on the outside looking in. It’s clear Japan is the biggest loser right now. COMMENT: The military build-up in Japan is making South Korea very, very nervous.
“Are you a politician or does lying just run in your family?” ― Fannie Flagg
“Lies sound like facts to those who've been conditioned to misrecognize the truth.
― DaShanne Stokes
When they call the roll in the Senate, the senators do not know whether to answer ''present'' or ''not guilty.''--Theodore Roosevelt
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Trump Reality Check - George Friedman
George Friedman is one of the world's most respected geo-political analysts. Its always worthwhile taking note of his thoughts.
George Friedman
Now that Donald Trump has been president of the United States for a year, I’m struck by how stable U.S. foreign policy has been. Things remain unchanged, for the most part, or are following the path they were when he was elected. His behavior has been extremely disruptive, of course, and the fact that he is disliked around the world creates the impression that U.S. behavior is altogether different. But it isn’t.
Consider U.S. relations with NATO. Trump raised the question of whether NATO was obsolete. The way he raised the question was no doubt abrasive, but considering the alliance is now 65 years old, it’s not a preposterous question to ask. And yet the answer is the same. The U.S. position has not changed. The U.S. is still a full member, and Trump has pledged to honor Article 5, which commits the United States to come to the defense of any member.
U.S. policy toward Russia, for all the vitriol that surrounds it, is remarkably similar to the policies in place before Trump’s election. The United States levied additional sanctions on Russia, which agrees with the U.S. that bilateral relations are the worst they’ve been in decades. (Notably, the sanctions were initiated by Congress but unopposed by Trump.) U.S. interests in Ukraine are largely the same – the promise to send anti-tank missiles to Kiev poses only a modest challenge to Moscow – as are U.S. commitments to the Baltics and Central and Eastern Europe, where troop deployments, rotations and exercises continue to take place.
U.S. relations with China are not so different either. The North Korea issue notwithstanding, Washington continues to demand that China change its export and currency policy. In keeping with prior administrations, Trump’s has achieved nothing substantial in this regard, but the perennial face-off with Beijing on economic matters continues unabated. Likewise, in the South China Sea, both countries continue to provoke each other, as evidenced by the deployment of a U.S. destroyer last week, but the game of gestures that has gone on for years goes on.
Then there is NAFTA, which is in the process of being renegotiated. Mexico, Canada and the United States have all declared, at various points, that an agreement is impossible. This is a normal tactic in these kinds of talks. The agreement may collapse. New terms may be negotiated. The negotiations may never end. But NAFTA is still the framework by which North America economic relations are built.
In the Middle East, the policies of the Trump administration – no major commitments – are in keeping with the policies of previous administrations. The Islamic State has been disrupted (but not destroyed) but Trump’s was not the first administration to decide to fight the group. The United States did relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, but it was a purely symbolic gesture that changes little on the ground, and incidentally was mandated by Congress years ago.
The only major difference in Trump foreign policy concerns North Korea. The crisis itself predates Trump by decades. It stems from a policy that held that the U.S. would not allow North Korea to acquire nuclear weapons. Nuclear development surged under the Obama administration and continues under Trump. Like Obama, Trump has declined to go to war, opting instead to find alternate ways to resolve the crisis.
Trump’s rhetoric on the matter has been incongruous with the aggressiveness of his actions. A more tactful translation of his language might have read: “North Korea’s development of an intercontinental ballistic missile able to strike the United States will be viewed in the gravest terms by the United States, and will be met with an appropriate response.” The fact remains that he has pursued a very cautious policy toward North Korea.
This points to something too many observers tend to forget: Over matters of foreign policy for all nations, they take rhetoric a little too seriously. What shapes U.S. policy in Korea has far more to do with the quality of intelligence on nuclear facilities and the placement of artillery along the Demilitarized Zone. What shapes U.S. policy on China has to do more with the supply chain running from China to the United States – and the costs of disrupting that supply chain. A president who ignores recommendations from the military and intelligence organs – and screws up – will have to reckon with a hostile public. A president who severs supply chains – and hurts the bottom line of American business – will have to reckon with a hostile business community. These constraints beget caution.
Trump’s rhetoric is designed to animate his support base. His actions are designed to maintain the status quo. Reasonable people can disagree on whether the status quo is what any president should aspire to. But whatever the expectations for Trump’s foreign policy may have been, the reality is that it has changed very little. It’s a timely reminder that rhetoric and reality are different things.
One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors - Plato
George Friedman
Now that Donald Trump has been president of the United States for a year, I’m struck by how stable U.S. foreign policy has been. Things remain unchanged, for the most part, or are following the path they were when he was elected. His behavior has been extremely disruptive, of course, and the fact that he is disliked around the world creates the impression that U.S. behavior is altogether different. But it isn’t.
Consider U.S. relations with NATO. Trump raised the question of whether NATO was obsolete. The way he raised the question was no doubt abrasive, but considering the alliance is now 65 years old, it’s not a preposterous question to ask. And yet the answer is the same. The U.S. position has not changed. The U.S. is still a full member, and Trump has pledged to honor Article 5, which commits the United States to come to the defense of any member.
U.S. policy toward Russia, for all the vitriol that surrounds it, is remarkably similar to the policies in place before Trump’s election. The United States levied additional sanctions on Russia, which agrees with the U.S. that bilateral relations are the worst they’ve been in decades. (Notably, the sanctions were initiated by Congress but unopposed by Trump.) U.S. interests in Ukraine are largely the same – the promise to send anti-tank missiles to Kiev poses only a modest challenge to Moscow – as are U.S. commitments to the Baltics and Central and Eastern Europe, where troop deployments, rotations and exercises continue to take place.
U.S. relations with China are not so different either. The North Korea issue notwithstanding, Washington continues to demand that China change its export and currency policy. In keeping with prior administrations, Trump’s has achieved nothing substantial in this regard, but the perennial face-off with Beijing on economic matters continues unabated. Likewise, in the South China Sea, both countries continue to provoke each other, as evidenced by the deployment of a U.S. destroyer last week, but the game of gestures that has gone on for years goes on.
Then there is NAFTA, which is in the process of being renegotiated. Mexico, Canada and the United States have all declared, at various points, that an agreement is impossible. This is a normal tactic in these kinds of talks. The agreement may collapse. New terms may be negotiated. The negotiations may never end. But NAFTA is still the framework by which North America economic relations are built.
In the Middle East, the policies of the Trump administration – no major commitments – are in keeping with the policies of previous administrations. The Islamic State has been disrupted (but not destroyed) but Trump’s was not the first administration to decide to fight the group. The United States did relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, but it was a purely symbolic gesture that changes little on the ground, and incidentally was mandated by Congress years ago.
The only major difference in Trump foreign policy concerns North Korea. The crisis itself predates Trump by decades. It stems from a policy that held that the U.S. would not allow North Korea to acquire nuclear weapons. Nuclear development surged under the Obama administration and continues under Trump. Like Obama, Trump has declined to go to war, opting instead to find alternate ways to resolve the crisis.
Trump’s rhetoric on the matter has been incongruous with the aggressiveness of his actions. A more tactful translation of his language might have read: “North Korea’s development of an intercontinental ballistic missile able to strike the United States will be viewed in the gravest terms by the United States, and will be met with an appropriate response.” The fact remains that he has pursued a very cautious policy toward North Korea.
This points to something too many observers tend to forget: Over matters of foreign policy for all nations, they take rhetoric a little too seriously. What shapes U.S. policy in Korea has far more to do with the quality of intelligence on nuclear facilities and the placement of artillery along the Demilitarized Zone. What shapes U.S. policy on China has to do more with the supply chain running from China to the United States – and the costs of disrupting that supply chain. A president who ignores recommendations from the military and intelligence organs – and screws up – will have to reckon with a hostile public. A president who severs supply chains – and hurts the bottom line of American business – will have to reckon with a hostile business community. These constraints beget caution.
Trump’s rhetoric is designed to animate his support base. His actions are designed to maintain the status quo. Reasonable people can disagree on whether the status quo is what any president should aspire to. But whatever the expectations for Trump’s foreign policy may have been, the reality is that it has changed very little. It’s a timely reminder that rhetoric and reality are different things.
One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors - Plato
Friday, January 19, 2018
The Peanut Gallery
Statements, comments and forecasts that have no substance, but just might turn out to be relevant.
1.Once again CNN has shown its anti - Israel bias. They recently ran with a headline that the Israeli Parliament had passed a law requiring a supermajority vote (81 votes) to divide Jerusalem suburbs from the city as a whole. According to CNN commentators, this law is of major significance and would prevent a two-state solution from ever being implemented. What they did not mention is that this law could be repealed with a simple 61 majority in a Knesset of 120 members, making the new law only a symbolic statement of no importance. COMMENT: Perhaps this has something to do with a large number of Palestinian employees at CNN's Atlanta headquarters. On a more de facto basis CNN ratings are in collapse mode with CNBC taking over the leadership reigns of liberal media in the US. CNN should try reporting all the facts.
2. Trump tweet - "please inform him (Kim) that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!" - COMMENT: So-called intelligent people voted for this ""stable genius"...wow!
3.Globes: How do you know that a real estate venture in Israel is as real as Donald Trump's hairdo? You put Trump's name on it. It worked excellently well over the past decade; in 2006, it was reported that Trump would build the tallest tower in Israel in Ramat Gan (on the site of the Elite chocolate factory), then the mayor of Netanya said that she had met him in order to promote construction of the "Trump Hotel" on the Netanya beach. Then community leaders in Ashkelon, Israel's southern Riviera, said that Trump would build a giant golf course on the sands of Ashkelon, which would, of course, bear his name. Well, they said it. Fake news, anyone? COMMENT: Trump station? What a farce. Nobody is really planning to dig a railway station and tracks under 3,000 years of archeology.
4.Three of Israel's top banks (Leumi, Israel Discount and First International) are currently led by women. So is the Bank of Israel. At Leumi 40% of top management are women. So is the supervisor of banks, the director of the capital markets, insurance and savings authority and others. COMMENT: #metoo
5.Less than a week after taking up her position as the president of the Supreme Court, Esther Hayut on Monday presided over a swearing-in ceremony in which several appointments were made. Of the seven appointees, five were women, prompting Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked to remark that 54% of judges in Israel are female. She also pointed out that whereas in Israel there have been three women presidents of the Supreme Court, the United States has not had a single female chief justice. COMMENT: #Timeisup
6.Shoshi Jambar, a 31-year-old Ethiopian-Israeli single parent, worked her way from office cleaner to manager at Israeli enterprise guidance and engagement platform WalkMe within three years. Jambar’s story is one of about 50 featured on the Women of Startup Nation Facebook page introduced in January 2016 to raise awareness of Israeli women’s accomplishments in high-tech. COMMENT: Apartheid eh?
7.Recently unclassified documents relating to JFK assassination reveal CIA arranged for Jordan's King Hussein to meet Jewish American actress Susan Cabot; two allegedly had an affair, and rumor has it Cabot's son—who later murdered her—was Hussein's illegitimate child. COMMENT: Wow! This is almost as good as the Steele Dossier. Read more https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5072040,00.html
Don't confuse confidence with arrogance. Arrogance is being full of yourself, feeling you're always right, and believing your accomplishments or abilities make you better than other people. People often believe arrogance is excessive confidence, but it's really a lack of confidence. Arrogant people are insecure, and often repel others. Truly confident people feel good about themselves and attract others to them - Christie Hartman
The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits - Albert Einstein.
Mr. Trump, If I wanted to kill myself I'd climb your ego and jump to your IQ - Planet Earth
1.Once again CNN has shown its anti - Israel bias. They recently ran with a headline that the Israeli Parliament had passed a law requiring a supermajority vote (81 votes) to divide Jerusalem suburbs from the city as a whole. According to CNN commentators, this law is of major significance and would prevent a two-state solution from ever being implemented. What they did not mention is that this law could be repealed with a simple 61 majority in a Knesset of 120 members, making the new law only a symbolic statement of no importance. COMMENT: Perhaps this has something to do with a large number of Palestinian employees at CNN's Atlanta headquarters. On a more de facto basis CNN ratings are in collapse mode with CNBC taking over the leadership reigns of liberal media in the US. CNN should try reporting all the facts.
2. Trump tweet - "please inform him (Kim) that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!" - COMMENT: So-called intelligent people voted for this ""stable genius"...wow!
3.Globes: How do you know that a real estate venture in Israel is as real as Donald Trump's hairdo? You put Trump's name on it. It worked excellently well over the past decade; in 2006, it was reported that Trump would build the tallest tower in Israel in Ramat Gan (on the site of the Elite chocolate factory), then the mayor of Netanya said that she had met him in order to promote construction of the "Trump Hotel" on the Netanya beach. Then community leaders in Ashkelon, Israel's southern Riviera, said that Trump would build a giant golf course on the sands of Ashkelon, which would, of course, bear his name. Well, they said it. Fake news, anyone? COMMENT: Trump station? What a farce. Nobody is really planning to dig a railway station and tracks under 3,000 years of archeology.
4.Three of Israel's top banks (Leumi, Israel Discount and First International) are currently led by women. So is the Bank of Israel. At Leumi 40% of top management are women. So is the supervisor of banks, the director of the capital markets, insurance and savings authority and others. COMMENT: #metoo
5.Less than a week after taking up her position as the president of the Supreme Court, Esther Hayut on Monday presided over a swearing-in ceremony in which several appointments were made. Of the seven appointees, five were women, prompting Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked to remark that 54% of judges in Israel are female. She also pointed out that whereas in Israel there have been three women presidents of the Supreme Court, the United States has not had a single female chief justice. COMMENT: #Timeisup
6.Shoshi Jambar, a 31-year-old Ethiopian-Israeli single parent, worked her way from office cleaner to manager at Israeli enterprise guidance and engagement platform WalkMe within three years. Jambar’s story is one of about 50 featured on the Women of Startup Nation Facebook page introduced in January 2016 to raise awareness of Israeli women’s accomplishments in high-tech. COMMENT: Apartheid eh?
7.Recently unclassified documents relating to JFK assassination reveal CIA arranged for Jordan's King Hussein to meet Jewish American actress Susan Cabot; two allegedly had an affair, and rumor has it Cabot's son—who later murdered her—was Hussein's illegitimate child. COMMENT: Wow! This is almost as good as the Steele Dossier. Read more https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5072040,00.html
Don't confuse confidence with arrogance. Arrogance is being full of yourself, feeling you're always right, and believing your accomplishments or abilities make you better than other people. People often believe arrogance is excessive confidence, but it's really a lack of confidence. Arrogant people are insecure, and often repel others. Truly confident people feel good about themselves and attract others to them - Christie Hartman
The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits - Albert Einstein.
Mr. Trump, If I wanted to kill myself I'd climb your ego and jump to your IQ - Planet Earth
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Trump - A Peanut Gallery Special Edition - Part Two
Statements, comments and forecasts that have no substance, but just might turn out to be relevant.
It interesting how the media gets itself into a hysterical tangle trying to speculate whether Trump is guilty of obstruction of justice, collusion etc. Whether any of this is true, only time will tell. I prefer to follow the money.
In 2009, Russian tax accountant Sergei Magnitsky died in a Moscow prison after investigating fraud involving Russian tax officials. While in prison, Magnitsky developed gallstones, pancreatitis and was refused medical treatment for months. After almost a year of imprisonment, he was beaten to death while in custody. As a result, a bipartisan bill was passed by the U.S. Congress in November–December 2012, intending to punish Russian officials responsible for the death of Sergei Magnitsky. To be clear the bill went after not the Russian people, but the elites who stole from them with brazen impunity. Their assets in US banks and real estate were frozen.
Some say that Vladimir Putin is one of the worlds richest men, in the same category as Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. Unofficial estimates say he is worth at least $100 billion. When Putin came to power he made a deal with the oligarch powerbrokers. Cash for favors. Something similar to the Clinton Foundation "pay for play" or the Republican/Democrat big donor confluence. The fascinating part about these funds is that the majority are in accounts outside of Russia. Perhaps Putin is not able to move funds, but his oligarch partners have bank accounts all over the world. They invested heavily in US real estate, and until the Magnitsky Act, the US was one of the easiest and most profitable destinations for the money laundering oligarchs.
Then Russia invaded the Ukraine and annexed Crimea. Europe slapped further sanctions on the oligarch elites and froze their assets. What good is all this money and assets if they cannot be accessed? Enter the Trump Family, Manafort & co., Flynn & son....the rest will soon be history. What went down was financial corruption on an epic scale that makes political corruption look like child's play. The truth is staring us in the face, but as they say..."there are none so blind as those who will not see". The Russian oligarch elite led by Vlad have mounted an all-out political and intelligence attack on democracies in the US and Europe. They want their money and assets back!
Donald Trump has never criticised Vladimir Putin. The GOP helped by Flynn and Manafort changed the Republican platform to accommodate Russia in the Ukraine. Trump has never released his tax returns. So arguably Trump could be removed for obstruction of justice,
sexual harassment or even collusion with a foreign power during an election. Trump, however, should definitely go because he has been compromised by a foreign power and is little more than a Russian flunky in the oval office.
It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office - H. L. Mencken
The torch America carries is one of decency and hope. It is not America's torch alone. But it is America's duty - and honor - to hold it high enough that all the world can see its light - Mitt Romney
Those who fight corruption should be clean themselves - Vladimir Putin
Power doesn't corrupt people, people corrupt power - William Gaddis
It interesting how the media gets itself into a hysterical tangle trying to speculate whether Trump is guilty of obstruction of justice, collusion etc. Whether any of this is true, only time will tell. I prefer to follow the money.
In 2009, Russian tax accountant Sergei Magnitsky died in a Moscow prison after investigating fraud involving Russian tax officials. While in prison, Magnitsky developed gallstones, pancreatitis and was refused medical treatment for months. After almost a year of imprisonment, he was beaten to death while in custody. As a result, a bipartisan bill was passed by the U.S. Congress in November–December 2012, intending to punish Russian officials responsible for the death of Sergei Magnitsky. To be clear the bill went after not the Russian people, but the elites who stole from them with brazen impunity. Their assets in US banks and real estate were frozen.
Some say that Vladimir Putin is one of the worlds richest men, in the same category as Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. Unofficial estimates say he is worth at least $100 billion. When Putin came to power he made a deal with the oligarch powerbrokers. Cash for favors. Something similar to the Clinton Foundation "pay for play" or the Republican/Democrat big donor confluence. The fascinating part about these funds is that the majority are in accounts outside of Russia. Perhaps Putin is not able to move funds, but his oligarch partners have bank accounts all over the world. They invested heavily in US real estate, and until the Magnitsky Act, the US was one of the easiest and most profitable destinations for the money laundering oligarchs.
Then Russia invaded the Ukraine and annexed Crimea. Europe slapped further sanctions on the oligarch elites and froze their assets. What good is all this money and assets if they cannot be accessed? Enter the Trump Family, Manafort & co., Flynn & son....the rest will soon be history. What went down was financial corruption on an epic scale that makes political corruption look like child's play. The truth is staring us in the face, but as they say..."there are none so blind as those who will not see". The Russian oligarch elite led by Vlad have mounted an all-out political and intelligence attack on democracies in the US and Europe. They want their money and assets back!
Donald Trump has never criticised Vladimir Putin. The GOP helped by Flynn and Manafort changed the Republican platform to accommodate Russia in the Ukraine. Trump has never released his tax returns. So arguably Trump could be removed for obstruction of justice,
sexual harassment or even collusion with a foreign power during an election. Trump, however, should definitely go because he has been compromised by a foreign power and is little more than a Russian flunky in the oval office.
It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office - H. L. Mencken
The torch America carries is one of decency and hope. It is not America's torch alone. But it is America's duty - and honor - to hold it high enough that all the world can see its light - Mitt Romney
Those who fight corruption should be clean themselves - Vladimir Putin
Power doesn't corrupt people, people corrupt power - William Gaddis
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
The Peanut Gallery
Statements, comments and forecasts that have no substance, but just might turn out to be relevant.
1. Six ME countries have severed ties with Qatar. Trump is taking credit and so he should. Sometimes keeping things simple is the easiest way forward. Perhaps the president should have stayed in the background but thats not always his style. Qatar has been a sponsor of terrorism for years. At a minimum, confronting them head on places this problem on the table and talking to them via Kuwait keeps the negotiating option open. Good move by Trump. COMMENT: This is a departure from the Obama doctrine (Kerry and the State Dept used to talk to Hamas via Qatar). In the Arab world occasionally bulldozer diplomacy is more effective than lip service. The Trump national security team appears to get it.
2. GPF: There are reports that Syrian Kurdish forces are attacking Raqqa, the capital of the Islamic State. This was expected. What was not expected are reports that Syrian government forces are preparing to attack the city as well. Reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Al-Masdar News say the Syrian army has crossed into Raqqa province and is garrisoned roughly 50 miles from the city. But according to an unconfirmed report from by Lebanese Al Mayadeen TV, the army has actually reached the city itself. The assaults, nearly simultaneous, cannot be a coincidence. COMMENT: this combined assault could indicate a new understanding between Moscow and Washington. It appears that Trump has given his NS team the go ahead to get the job done. This will be a long and bloody campaign.
3. The United States is preparing to go to war in North Korea. The Americans have assembled a huge maritime and air armada in the vicinity. Obviously a diplomatic solution would serve all sides. However, any diplomatic solution at this time would look like a North Korean capitulation. COMMENT: This will be a moment of truth for China. They understand that the US intends to use substantial force to get the job done including the possible use of an EMP device. An attack on NK will potentially send world markets into a tailspin, so stay tuned.
4.Yuval Steinmetz (Israeli energy minister) :“Even if there’s a 50 percent likelihood that climate change and global warming are caused by human activity, it is our duty to act to minimize risks,” Steinitz posted on Facebook Thursday, the same day as Trump’s announcement. “The Paris accords were a rare occurrence in which the world united — save for Syria and Nicaragua — to care for the welfare and health of future generations.” COMMENT: Anybody who does not believe that the planet is in dire straits, should simply step outside and smell the coffee. This phenomena is putting our kids and grandkids in danger and needs to be addressed urgently.
5. So Trump has decided not to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. TOI: "Disappointing Jewish and Evangelical supporters in Israel and the US, but not really surprising anyone, Trump set his signature underneath the exact same “presidential determination” that Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama made before him. The president has already publicly urged a most unhappy Netanyahu to rein in settlements, and openly differed with him over Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s readiness for peace." COMMENT: Israel's supporters were ecstatic at Trump's words of friendship. Now apparently Trump doesn't want to upset the "peace process" applecart. Been there...done that!
6.Mark Yusko: "According to the CDC, the fertility rate in the US is at its lowest level since records began in 1909. This, coupled with the fact that 10,000 people turn 65 each and every day in the US, means growth in the working-age population will remain at record lows... thus weighing on any economic expansion." In addition by removing labor costs, automation is driving down the price of core goods. But no longer is this just in manufacturing. In a recent study, PriceWaterhouseCooper found that 38% of US jobs will be automated by 2030. COMMENT: Automated vehicles, automated manufacturing...this does not bode well for Trump voters or Chinese manufacturers. lets hope these folk don't get left behind. Leadership is required!
7.WPO: Ricky Best was stabbed to death last Friday on a Portland light-rail train when he and two other passengers tried to calm a man yelling anti-Muslim slurs at two teenage girls. Best and the two other stabbing victims have been hailed as heroes. Now, Portland police say that as Best lay helpless, someone apparently made off with his wedding ring and backpack. The suspect is described as a “white male with a blonde hair mullet, wearing a black Jordan Brand baseball cap, a black T-shirt featuring an image of Marilyn Monroe and an American flag. COMMENT: God Bless America!
Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out - Bullyville.com
Bullying builds character like nuclear waste creates superheroes. It's a rare occurrence and often does much more damage than endowment - Zack W. Van
That millions of people share the same forms of mental pathology does not make these people sane - Erich Fromm, The Sane Society
1. Six ME countries have severed ties with Qatar. Trump is taking credit and so he should. Sometimes keeping things simple is the easiest way forward. Perhaps the president should have stayed in the background but thats not always his style. Qatar has been a sponsor of terrorism for years. At a minimum, confronting them head on places this problem on the table and talking to them via Kuwait keeps the negotiating option open. Good move by Trump. COMMENT: This is a departure from the Obama doctrine (Kerry and the State Dept used to talk to Hamas via Qatar). In the Arab world occasionally bulldozer diplomacy is more effective than lip service. The Trump national security team appears to get it.
2. GPF: There are reports that Syrian Kurdish forces are attacking Raqqa, the capital of the Islamic State. This was expected. What was not expected are reports that Syrian government forces are preparing to attack the city as well. Reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Al-Masdar News say the Syrian army has crossed into Raqqa province and is garrisoned roughly 50 miles from the city. But according to an unconfirmed report from by Lebanese Al Mayadeen TV, the army has actually reached the city itself. The assaults, nearly simultaneous, cannot be a coincidence. COMMENT: this combined assault could indicate a new understanding between Moscow and Washington. It appears that Trump has given his NS team the go ahead to get the job done. This will be a long and bloody campaign.
3. The United States is preparing to go to war in North Korea. The Americans have assembled a huge maritime and air armada in the vicinity. Obviously a diplomatic solution would serve all sides. However, any diplomatic solution at this time would look like a North Korean capitulation. COMMENT: This will be a moment of truth for China. They understand that the US intends to use substantial force to get the job done including the possible use of an EMP device. An attack on NK will potentially send world markets into a tailspin, so stay tuned.
4.Yuval Steinmetz (Israeli energy minister) :“Even if there’s a 50 percent likelihood that climate change and global warming are caused by human activity, it is our duty to act to minimize risks,” Steinitz posted on Facebook Thursday, the same day as Trump’s announcement. “The Paris accords were a rare occurrence in which the world united — save for Syria and Nicaragua — to care for the welfare and health of future generations.” COMMENT: Anybody who does not believe that the planet is in dire straits, should simply step outside and smell the coffee. This phenomena is putting our kids and grandkids in danger and needs to be addressed urgently.
5. So Trump has decided not to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. TOI: "Disappointing Jewish and Evangelical supporters in Israel and the US, but not really surprising anyone, Trump set his signature underneath the exact same “presidential determination” that Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama made before him. The president has already publicly urged a most unhappy Netanyahu to rein in settlements, and openly differed with him over Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s readiness for peace." COMMENT: Israel's supporters were ecstatic at Trump's words of friendship. Now apparently Trump doesn't want to upset the "peace process" applecart. Been there...done that!
6.Mark Yusko: "According to the CDC, the fertility rate in the US is at its lowest level since records began in 1909. This, coupled with the fact that 10,000 people turn 65 each and every day in the US, means growth in the working-age population will remain at record lows... thus weighing on any economic expansion." In addition by removing labor costs, automation is driving down the price of core goods. But no longer is this just in manufacturing. In a recent study, PriceWaterhouseCooper found that 38% of US jobs will be automated by 2030. COMMENT: Automated vehicles, automated manufacturing...this does not bode well for Trump voters or Chinese manufacturers. lets hope these folk don't get left behind. Leadership is required!
7.WPO: Ricky Best was stabbed to death last Friday on a Portland light-rail train when he and two other passengers tried to calm a man yelling anti-Muslim slurs at two teenage girls. Best and the two other stabbing victims have been hailed as heroes. Now, Portland police say that as Best lay helpless, someone apparently made off with his wedding ring and backpack. The suspect is described as a “white male with a blonde hair mullet, wearing a black Jordan Brand baseball cap, a black T-shirt featuring an image of Marilyn Monroe and an American flag. COMMENT: God Bless America!
Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out - Bullyville.com
Bullying builds character like nuclear waste creates superheroes. It's a rare occurrence and often does much more damage than endowment - Zack W. Van
That millions of people share the same forms of mental pathology does not make these people sane - Erich Fromm, The Sane Society
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Trump-A Peanut Gallery Special Edition-Part One
Statements, comments and forecasts that have no substance, but just might turn out to be relevant.
General Michael Flynn is spilling the beans. The Trump team is freaking out over the leaking boat and the US is preparing for war on the Korean Peninsula.
Michael Flynn is making a deal with the FBI. You can take that thought to the bank. In order for him to to get immunity he has to give up somebody higher on the food chain. The president. All the FBI leaks lead back to Flynn and the bad news for the Trump Train is that the investigation is much more advanced than the leaks might indicate. The science behind the leaking is straightforward. Once the investigators confirm a fact, it is leaked at an appropriate time putting the cat amongst the pigeons. The targets are then interviewed and entrapped trying to cover up and have to make a deal. Other targets are followed to see whom they contact...and so the investigation widens. The two main channels in the investigation are collusion and financial...specifically money laundering.
GPF: The U.S. Navy has announced that the USS Nimitz will leave Bremerton, Washington, on June 1, for the Western Pacific. This is the third carrier battle group to be sent to the region – enough to support a broader military mission – and it will take roughly a week to get to its station, after which it will integrate with the fleet. So here’s the situation: Soon the United States will have its naval force in waters near North Korea. It already has strategic bombers in Guam, and it already has fighter aircraft in Japan and South Korea. The US is preparing for war in preparation for a situation where North Korea does not back down. A moment of truth for the administration, the tough talk and the markets.
Recently I was asked by a member of the anti-Trump media on my thoughts as regards the way forward in Trump saga. My advice was simple: Supporters of Donald Trump have no moral clarity. It does not bother them that this already married man chews on a tic-tac before grabbing married or unmarried pussy or his obsession with kissing young beautiful women. It does not bother them that he mocks the disabled or labels immigrants as rapists. It does not bother them that he is selectively disdainful of Goldstar families or of Senator John Mcain's military service. Climate change to them is a Chinese hoax.
So what would they understand? The great leveller that most of humanity understands is a monetary subterfuge. In the Trump believer world world a financial con man reverberates...even at the bottom of the barrel. Which brings us to the money laundering part of the investigation. Perhaps this is the most damming part of the collusion between the Russians and the Trump machine. The numbers are the numbers, Trump refuses to release his tax returns and his poodle Kushner meets in secret with the head of VEB Bank, a Putin Poodle. You can run baby but you cannot hide. Stay tuned.
I've always loved movies about con men. I think con men are as American as apple pie - Bill Paxton
One of the key problems today is that politics is such a disgrace, good people don't go into government - Donald Trump
A Criminal always returns to the scene of the crime - proverb
General Michael Flynn is spilling the beans. The Trump team is freaking out over the leaking boat and the US is preparing for war on the Korean Peninsula.
Michael Flynn is making a deal with the FBI. You can take that thought to the bank. In order for him to to get immunity he has to give up somebody higher on the food chain. The president. All the FBI leaks lead back to Flynn and the bad news for the Trump Train is that the investigation is much more advanced than the leaks might indicate. The science behind the leaking is straightforward. Once the investigators confirm a fact, it is leaked at an appropriate time putting the cat amongst the pigeons. The targets are then interviewed and entrapped trying to cover up and have to make a deal. Other targets are followed to see whom they contact...and so the investigation widens. The two main channels in the investigation are collusion and financial...specifically money laundering.
GPF: The U.S. Navy has announced that the USS Nimitz will leave Bremerton, Washington, on June 1, for the Western Pacific. This is the third carrier battle group to be sent to the region – enough to support a broader military mission – and it will take roughly a week to get to its station, after which it will integrate with the fleet. So here’s the situation: Soon the United States will have its naval force in waters near North Korea. It already has strategic bombers in Guam, and it already has fighter aircraft in Japan and South Korea. The US is preparing for war in preparation for a situation where North Korea does not back down. A moment of truth for the administration, the tough talk and the markets.
Recently I was asked by a member of the anti-Trump media on my thoughts as regards the way forward in Trump saga. My advice was simple: Supporters of Donald Trump have no moral clarity. It does not bother them that this already married man chews on a tic-tac before grabbing married or unmarried pussy or his obsession with kissing young beautiful women. It does not bother them that he mocks the disabled or labels immigrants as rapists. It does not bother them that he is selectively disdainful of Goldstar families or of Senator John Mcain's military service. Climate change to them is a Chinese hoax.
So what would they understand? The great leveller that most of humanity understands is a monetary subterfuge. In the Trump believer world world a financial con man reverberates...even at the bottom of the barrel. Which brings us to the money laundering part of the investigation. Perhaps this is the most damming part of the collusion between the Russians and the Trump machine. The numbers are the numbers, Trump refuses to release his tax returns and his poodle Kushner meets in secret with the head of VEB Bank, a Putin Poodle. You can run baby but you cannot hide. Stay tuned.
I've always loved movies about con men. I think con men are as American as apple pie - Bill Paxton
One of the key problems today is that politics is such a disgrace, good people don't go into government - Donald Trump
A Criminal always returns to the scene of the crime - proverb
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