Friday, February 28, 2020

How are the Stock Market and Coronavirus Connected? Consumer Goods!

How does the American public make sense of the news over this week regarding the drop in the stock market? Or should I ask the historic drop over 5 days? How is the rapid change in the stock index correlated with the damaging news of a dangerous spread (international) of the coronavirus? These questions are looming among the business community.

What about the average American?

The news this week is not good regarding the correlation of the coronavirus and the stock market. Regardless of which network that you receive your news, the news is bad. Why? Because the spread of the deadly coronavirus is threatening all aspects of American life. That might be a broad statement, but is eventually going to emerge to be true. How? Let me explain.

This morning on NPR, a stock analyst was interviewed about the recent historic drop in the stock market. Specifically, how the spread of the coronavirus which has created large uncertainty in business on an international scale. He stated that his organization was specifically watching the flow of goods via local routes in China. That is a direct test on the wellness of the Chinese population with respect to the coronavirus.

Indirectly, that is a test for the international flow of goods around the globe. Specifically, in America, that leaves manufacturers without goods (parts, supplies, products) to complete their sales within the United States of America. Which leaves us (the consumer) without products sold at our local stores. Stores may not be able to stock products that are commonly sold in the U.S.

Financial Standpoint?

Here are the large numbers for those who like dollar amounts impacted by the coronavirus. Stock analysts are forecasting no growth in 2020 for the S&P 500. Which is greatly concerning. The S&P 500 has lost nearly $4 Trillion dollars in market value in the last days. According to S&P and Dow indices, nearly $6 Trillion dollars in international market value has been lost over the last few days. If this is not a red light warning, I do not know what is.

Corporations are cutting back non-essential travel throughout the world. This means that many business conferences will have to decide whether travel is worth the risk. Tankers are sitting in ports in China stagnant. Japan is holding the Olympics? What is going to happen with tourism to the Olympics? How does that affect business in the longterm -- after 6-8 months? How businesses perform valuation will help push the market.

Human Health?

At present, the pathways by which the coronavirus spreads are unknown. More information will be known as international data is compiled across federal agencies acting with international agencies. Close collaboration is needed. Proper personal protection is needed on a national scale along with proper amounts of tests. The ability to overwhelm hospitals throughout the United States is completely possible. Therefore, information dissemination throughout the United States is critically needed.

Action is needed on a global scale. To recover as a nation, international work is needed too. Watching the spread of the coronavirus throughout the world will be critical toward our success as a nation in combatting the spread here in the United States. Based on the information coming out of the White House (i.e., President Trump) along with a Congressional hearing where the Secretary of Homeland Security this week, confidence remains low among Americans in combatting the coronavirus and restoring confidence in Wall Street. Time will tell.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Trade Not Aid! President's Trump's Response: Aid Again!

Photo: teepublic.com

One has to wonder whether America is better off in terms of the Trade War with China. Especially, from the standpoint of exported agricultural goods. Farmers and ranchers across America have been promised a better life. Their sacrifice in the form of starving their profits to better America in the long term has been a form of pride. Although, one has to wonder whether America really will emerge from these Trade Wars better off than previously (with free trade).

I bring this up solely due to the reporting from Politico Agriculture on the announcement from the White House of a possible 3rd round of aid to farmers:

FROM 'BIGGER TRACTORS' TO TRADE AID 3.0: Trump has tweeted that he hopes farmers will remember his trade bailout program more than his actual trade deals. That seems more likely now that he's proposing to pay producers for their trade-related losses for the third year in a row — just one week after the "phase one" agreement with China took effect, and contrary to what USDA officials have been telling the industry to expect, your host writes.

Déjà vu all over again: Trump's impromptu, all-caps Twitter announcement of more aid, potentially, came just one day after Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said farmers would need to navigate the market on their own in 2020, now that the U.S. and China have reached a deal on agricultural exports. If that sounds familiar, it's because that's basically what happened last year, when Trump ordered another bailout package during a low point in trade talks with Beijing.

— "The president's tweet was a surprise to us," Ted McKinney, undersecretary for trade and foreign ag affairs, said Friday at a USDA event, adding that the department will "go with that decision."

Mixed signals: The Trump administration's agricultural forecasts offer conflicting messages about whether additional trade aid is really needed this year. USDA Chief Economist Robert Johansson last week predicted a "return to normal trade" in 2020, along with other "more hopeful signs" for the farm economy after a recent downturn.

— Farm income is projected to increase this year despite a steep dropoff in federal farm payments as the 2019 trade aid program winds down. Perdue himself has predicted a "record year for agricultural exports" with China pledging to purchase at least $40 billion worth of U.S. farm goods in 2020 and 2021 each.

— On the other hand, some trade analysts doubt such massive exports are possible, given Beijing's insistence on following market demand and complying with WTO limitations. The coronavirus outbreak, which has slowed Chinese economic activity, is another obstacle. And USDA's own export outlook, which didn't fully account for the new trade deal, projected farm sales to China would total just $14 billion in 2020.

The bottom line: USDA has already paid more than $23 billion directly to producers since 2018, on top of other trade relief programs like commodity purchases and marketing assistance — none of which was appropriated by Congress. In the thick of Trump's trade war, the funds were a lifeline for many farmers, who represent a critical piece of his political base. Now that trade tensions are easing, the administration might be harder pressed to justify more spending on the ad-hoc program in an election year, especially with Democrats already questioning the fairness of how the funds are distributed.

What is the potential adverse impact of Tariffs on GDP?

Climate Change Indirectly Hits Farmers: Increasing Crop Insurance Premiums

Farmer's Perspective on Trump's Trade War: Interview

Surprise! American Consumers will pay for Chinese Tariffs!

China Raises Ante In Trade War With Threat Of Cutting Off Rare Metals To U.S.

"Trade Not Aid" -- A Shout out from Farmers to President Trump again

Former FDA Director Asked Congress For Clarity Regarding CBD in Food Products

Soybean Farmers Are Storing Too Much Soybean, Although Chemical Industry Is Greenlighting Trade Deals?

How many cows are needed to generate 50,000 tons of beef exports?

Trade War Hurts Farmers -- From The Farmer's Mouth Directly

"Trade Not Aid" -- The Answer For Trade War!

Parameters: Tariffs Affect Trade In Both Directions -- In And Out Of The USA

Parameters: Steel And Aluminum Tariffs Are Not Isolated - They Are Tied To Trading Of Other Vital Goods

Monday, February 24, 2020

Ralph Nader: Three Major News Stories That Need To Be Exposed

Photo: Wikipedia

I am not sure what would surprise American's today regarding President Trump's actions given the state of affairs in Washington D.C. He seems to be on a rampage loose like a loose cannon or a bull in a china shop. What is going on with Washington D.C.? Ralph Nader wonders too with the following news stories which by now Americans are nearly numb toward. Sadly to say.

Ralph Nader writes in his newsletter about the breaking 3 news stories:

Three Major News Stories That Need To Be Exposed

The news is filled with stories about President Trump and his predecessors imposing sanctions on other countries, their officials, and other prominent persons. But the media rarely spells out exactly what these sanctions are, the intermediaries who enforce them, the impacts they have on innocent civilians – women, men and children – how they are countered or evaded, and whether they fulfill or undermine their diplomatic, military, or economic purposes.

For example, sanctions against Iran by Trump increase by the year. They force banks and other financial institutions to cut off all decreed transactions, such as exports from Iran or purchase by Iran of critical spare parts, raw materials, even medical devices. Years ago, sanctions against Iraq under Saddam Hussein prohibited Iraq from purchasing chlorine to purify drinking water and children’s catheters. These sanctions produced deadly results for innocents. Iran’s economy is now in ruins and the brunt of the pain is suffered by innocent families. Under international law, disproportionate harm on civilians from sanctions is a serious violation.

Presently, from Trump there are sanctions on individuals in numerous countries, restricting their travel, their purchases and more. When banks like Citigroup and Bank of America are told by Washington to cut off any financial transactions from any companies doing business with a sanctioned country, do the banks receive payment for their trouble, or are there other quid pro quo rewards? We do not know. Secret government actions are pervasive, though sometimes a freedom of information request, followed by litigation, may pry open what is hidden.

Media alert! Sanctions are potential hotbeds for corruption and illegalities.

A little told story relates the tariffs Trump is imposing on imports from other countries, especially China. There are serious questions as to whether presidents have the constitutional authority or whether Congress must maintain authority on tariffs. Veteran constitutional law litigator Alan Morrison is now contesting sweeping executive tariff power in the federal courts. Reporting on this overreaching by the President is scarce.

Digging deeper, reporters should be asking what standards control presidential discretion or whims on imposing tariffs. The “national security flag” can’t just be waved arbitrarily.

Trump passes out many waivers for certain U.S. companies. Why, for example, did Trump give Apple CEO Tim Cook a waiver on tens of billions of dollars in iPhones imported from China, but not provide waivers to any number of smaller U.S. companies who buy products from China for their manufacturing or retail/wholesale sales?

Constitutional law specialist, Bruce Fein, says the absence of standards for giving waivers raises fundamental questions of unlawful delegation by Congress.

Media alert! Potential incentives for corruption and lawlessness in these burgeoning behind the scenes intrigues are huge.

The third hotbed of abuses relates to the charges by Washington that countries abroad tolerate “corruption,” and that security and economic relations with them are either jeopardized or unworkable. Such charges are regularly made against the governments of Afghanistan and Iraq – both militarily occupied by the U.S.

Corruption involves more than high-level officials taking bribes. Low-level public servants, so woefully underpaid, take money under the table to survive. As it happens, Ashraf Ghani, the elected president of Afghanistan, a former professor at Johns Hopkins University, was a leading expert on the nuances and functions of bribery in third-world countries. He can be a worthy source of knowledge on corruption.

U.S. agencies are a major generator of secret corruption in countries like Afghanistan. For example, cargo planes full of crisp one hundred dollar bills are shipped to Kabul and then trans-shipped to places like Kandahar. It doesn’t take much imagination to frame a reporter’s investigation—of what happens to cash in occupied, desperate societies.

Books and articles on the intelligence agencies note that cash handouts, big and small, are critical to achieve their purposes. There is so much bribery cash in Afghanistan that to stop the flow would seriously affect their shaky economy.

Bribery is a two way street – the briber and the bribee. Secret payments and bribes have often backfired against U.S. foreign policies in many undesirable ways.

Bribes to get what Washington and giant multinational corporations want from fragile countries merits more reporting, if only to show that a good deal of the bribery is under our control and within our power to reverse.

Media Alert!

Related Blog Posts:

Ralph Nader: The Vengeful, Lawless, Corporate Toady Trump Explodes

Ralph Nader: Misleading Categories and Trump’s Swamps

Ralph Nader to Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Why Not Broaden The Articles Of Impeachment?

Ralph Nader to President Trump: Making America Dread Again!

Ralph Nader: Full Impeachments for Trump will Shake Senate Republicans from Kangaroo Court

Ralph Nader: Letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi

Ralph Nader: Trump Should Be Impeached For Throwing U.S. Into Climate Chaos

Ralph Nader: “I have an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as President.” Really!

Ralph Nader: Will President Trump Implode with Lies Before He is Impeached?

Ralph Nader: Shame Of A Nation

Ralph Nader: Labor Day and the Lost Opportunities for Labor Discussions

Ralph Nader: Nader pays tribute to old Republican Paul Findley

Ralph Nader: How has Boeing avoided testifying in front of Congress for the 737 Max Airplane disasters?

Ralph Nader: "What and Who Gave Us Trump?"

Ralph Nader: Youth Can Change Corporate View of Climate Crisis

What Are Activist Ralph Nader's Opinions On Radio News Organizations Such As NPR Or PBS?

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Ralph Nader: Post Election -- Next Step -- Open Up The Existing Secretive Congress

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Ralph Nader: An Open Letter to Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon

Ralph Nader: MAGA is really MADA?

Ralph Nader: Has Corruption Become Institutionalized?

Ralph Nader Says 10 Million People Could Change Healthcare Policy - That Few?

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Thoughts: Ralph Nader On A Cashless Economy

Friday, February 21, 2020

Job Growth Is Less During Trump Administration Compared To Obama Administration

Photo: Linfield College

Happy Friday! We made it to the end of the week. Despite all of the positive news coming out of Washington, D.C. -- specifically the White House, we need to be honest with ourselves. The state of the nation, in terms of job growth, is not as great as is being transmitted via Twitter (by President Trump). The reality is different from that of his Tweets. An interesting graph was shown on the MSNBC show 'Morning Joe' stating the obvious, that job growth is greater under the Obama administration compared to the Trump administration:

The reality is that job growth is not as high as envisioned by President Trump. I will give President Trump credit that his distribution of deregulations to various agencies has caused the industry to grow. That growth has not necessarily resulted in job growth. The growth is in the pockets of shareholders. It is time to see reality for what is really happening rather than what we would like to see as a nation. Read, read, and read more. Check sources. The data often differs from what President Trump says.

Have a great weekend!

Related Blog Posts:

Science Topics, Thoughts, and Parameters Regarding Science, Politics, And The Environment!

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Do We Have Enough Robots In Society?

Photo: Quality Magazine

Automation is a growing part of our society. Technology drives automation - which is supposedly going to make our lives easier over time. Amazon has warehouses full of robots in Southern California. These robots have taken jobs and also created jobs too. No longer are workers breaking their backs lifting packages to ship out goods to customers. These employees who were displaced have now taken on a more intellectually demanding job. The new jobs are to troubleshoot/preventative maintenance on the robots that displaced their physically demanding jobs. Is that such a problem? That seems like a benefit over time -- to better society.

In a short interview conducted by Big Think, journalist and co-founder of Vox Ezra Klein gave his thoughts on the current amount (and rise looking into the future) of robots in our society:

Monday, February 17, 2020

Big Auto Companies Want To Comply With California's Air Emissions Standards When Not Under Threat By The DOJ

Photo: Transport Environment

In a previous blog post, the fact that auto companies are moving (i.e., making changes) toward improving exhaust emissions from their vehicles is a reality. After writing that blog post, all of a sudden, there were reports in the news of automakers supporting President Trump's efforts to challenge California's momentum in moving toward a more environmentally friendly standard to air emissions.

It should be noted that California is the leader in environmental movements like reducing emission exhaust. Therefore, the State's standards are stringent. With that being said, why would automakers want to support President Trump when the world is moving toward a greener (i.e., renewable) economy?

Recent reporting by Politico offers an explanation for the sudden shift in support for improving air emission standards. Reporters Zack Colman and Alex Guillen give readers a reason for the sudden change in environmental enthusiasm, which is shocking, to say the least. Upon hearing of the large automakers offering their support for stricter air emission standards, the Trump administration decided to push the Department of Justice to open up an investigation into the automakers. Why would the administration seek such a study?

The reporting uncovered the motives for the DOJ investigation were purely political. With the intent to sway the automakers back over to the Trump administration's side in support of relaxing (loosening) the air emission standards rather than improving them. In the face of climate change, the shift serves as an about-face -- opposing improving the air quality (i.e., loosening regulations).

Luckily, we have journalists who pursue the truth and feed that to society to balance out the power in Washington, D.C. Otherwise, our politicians would go unchecked, which could result in a terrible situation down the road. Automakers have long sought to comply with the stricter (i.e., cleaner) air standards in California. As the nation moves to implement measures that result in cleaner (i.e., renewable) energy to help reduce the devastating effects of increasing climate change.

Reporting such as the above by Politico tells us that the nation is moving in the correct direction. Despite what the Trump administration attempts to change with their uninformed policies. Each of us can continue to read and update our knowledge so that when speculative stories arise. Such as when car makers do not want to comply with California air standards. We can use our reasoning to understand that other motives are at play. Do not be fooled by deceptive acts by the Trump administration.

Related Blog Posts:

Who Is Going To Pay For Ignoring Climate Change While Building Infrastructure In The U.S.?

Coal Companies Are Dying Despite Efforts By Trump To Keep Open

Friday, February 14, 2020

Happy Valentine's Day!!! How Much Do Those Flowers Really Cost?

Photo: Home Depot

How many readers are running out to the stores today to get flowers for their loved ones on Valentine's Day? Before heading to the flower shop, read the article below, and decide if that is the best decision based on the cost to both yourself and the environment.

Whenever Valentine's Day comes around, I cannot help but have the urge to buy flowers and chocolates for my wife. The only problem is that she has issues with both. Starting with chocolate, I recently (we have been married for 12 years) found out that if she consumes chocolate in the late afternoon to evening -- it will turn into a nightmare. A fight will ensure, accusations will fly with a false basis, aggressive emotions will fly.

Wow!

Yes, that is for real. Some people (my wife included) have a strong reaction to chocolate in the late afternoon, which sets them off into a new dimension. I have tried the experiment over and over for the last few months -- sure enough, the results are consistent. Therefore, eating chocolate in the evening is a no go.

Flowers are next. Why not buy flowers? Upon meeting my wife and purchasing flowers, my wife said to me: Why did you buy me dead flowers?

I responded: They are beautiful, like yourself?

To which she replied: They are beautiful but dead. Why not plant flowers that are alive and will continue to grow?

I will admit that at first, I was thrown back by the comment. After considering her argument, she was correct. Upon cutting the flowers from the stem connected to the root, the flower is starting to die. Consumers will often preserve life for a short while with vitamin-based powder solutions, but ultimately, the flowers will die.

With this thinking in mind, I have changed my ways. Now, I buy a living plant to keep in the backyard. That is, of course, when she is reinventing the garden. For the rest of the flower lovers in the world, keep the following above and below thoughts in mind when receiving flowers in the future.

Back to my original question: How much do flowers really cost?

That question might seem obvious. Just look up the cost of a dozen roses on Google, and a vendor's price will be shown? Right? Not really. The actual value is considering the entire lifecycle of the roses. In a recent article on Vox, the reader is taken through the journey of flowers from South America to the United States:

When we talk about flowers and sustainability, the biggest issue is how flowers get from their point of origin to retailers across the country. During most of the year, flowers are shipped on passenger planes, Amy Stewart, an investigative reporter and author of the 2007 book Flower Confidential, told me. “They’re put on planes that are going anyway.” But hundreds of cargo planes full of flowers fly from the Andes to Miami in the month before Valentine’s Day. According to the Post, 30 cargo jets fly from Colombia to Miami every day in the three weeks leading up to the big day and a similar amount fly out from Ecuador, amounting to more than 15,000 tons of flowers delivered in less than a month.

These flights have important consequences for the rest of the planet. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, comprising 28 percent of the country’s total emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Just over a quarter of US transportation emissions come from freight over air, land, and sea. Growing aviation demand, for both passengers and cargo, helped fuel an increase in emissions in the United States last year, reversing years of decline. This is significant, as greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. Demand for roses isn’t solely to blame for this crisis, but the transportation network needed to bring delicate blossoms across oceans has an outsized environmental footprint. The International Council on Clean Transportation crunched the numbers last year and estimated that those three weeks of flower delivery flights burn approximately 114 million liters of fuel, emitting approximately 360,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Once the roses land in Miami, they get fashioned into bouquets before being loaded onto refrigerated delivery trucks that will drive across the country. The flowers need to be kept cold every step of the way, otherwise they’ll wilt. “Believe it or not, flowers are for the most part shipped with no water at all,” Stewart told me. “The key to keeping flowers alive in transit is temperature, humidity, and the mix of oxygen and CO2.”

This refrigeration causes trucks to burn more fuel, meaning they have greater carbon emissions than their non-refrigerated counterparts. On average, refrigerated trucks use 25 percent more fuel than non-refrigerated ones, Michael Ayres, managing director of the mobile refrigeration company the Dearman Group, told Take Part in 2015. Plus, as Andy Murdock wrote for Vox in 2017, most trucks in the US still run on diesel fuel, which produces more air pollutants than gasoline.

All of these emissions have a compounding effect. Carbon dioxide emissions in particular have been the biggest contributor to climate change since 1750, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. That’s largely because of the way CO2 stays in the atmosphere. Unlike methane, which leaves the atmosphere in about a decade, and nitrous oxide, which takes about a century to break down, carbon dioxide can remain in the atmosphere for hundreds or even thousands of years. That means that a lot of the carbon dioxide that was released into the atmosphere during the Industrial Revolution, for example, still lingers today. And instead of reducing these emissions, we just keep adding more.

The numbers are staggering in the above description. Just the mere fact that flowers are shipped that far (outside of the country) is staggering. I did not ever really think of the entire travel of flowers from their origin to the doorstep of my house. This story calls into question the journey of goods from all ranges of products.

Where do products come from?

What is the total carbon footprint of the product that you just purchased?

I am in no way advocating that no one buys flowers. But thinking about the total carbon footprint might just have a consequence on your next purchase.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Index of past blog sites:

1) Dimensional Analysis Of Statistics And Large Numbers - Index Of Blog Posts

2) Science Topics, Thoughts, and Parameters Regarding Science, Politics, And The Environment!

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Farmers Pay $7 billion In Tariffs For Trump's Trade Policies

Photo: Forbes

The Trump administration has made a disaster of the United States trade policies over the last few years. President Trump has repeatedly said that the farmers of America are going to 'win big' or 'win so big' that they won't be able to handle it. What? Over the last few years, a trade war with China has caused considerable stress on farmers.

Tariffs have been the so-called solution to the trade war with other countries. Really? Over the last few years, posts have appeared on this blog site documenting the changing economic (and supply/demand) climate for farmers across America. Those are below in the 'Related Blog Posts' at the end of this blog post. Let's cut to the chase though below.

Recent reporting from Politico Agriculture states the apparent magnitude of the disaster of the current trade war:

TWO YEARS OF TARIFFS TAKE A TOLL: Trump's trade war has cost consumers $50 billion since February 2018, according to data published Monday by the Tariffs Hurt the Heartland campaign. In December 2019, for example, Americans paid $6.3 billion in duties, compared with about $2.6 billion in December 2017 — just before the trade tensions began.

The numbers are a reminder of the work that remains to be done on the trade front, despite Trump's recent success in sealing partial deals with China and Japan, among others. "Make no mistake — this trade war is as active as it was in December," said Brian Kuehl, co-executive director of Farmers for Free Trade. Trump signed the limited agreement with China last month.

Tariffs Hurt the Heartland also released specific data for Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin — critical battleground states that Trump will need to win in November to secure a second term. Farmers, consumers and businesses in those five states have paid an additional $7.6 billion in tariffs because of the administration's trade policies.

Those readers who have trusted President Trump have fallen for the misinformation campaign which has been pushed over the last few years. Why? Because many of us felt like President Trump was a very successful businessman when he was a candidate for president. Upon taking office, he has been exposed to be a very successful celebrity. The two are vastly different.

Who suffers? Both the American consumer and the American farmer. Each has consumed the tariffs from the trade war with China in one or another form. Whether that is the cost at the cash register or extra fees attached to shipping orders. Why has President Trump been so successful in pulling the wool over the American citizen's eyes? We have paid dearly for the trade war which should not have been started to begin with. When are we as a nation going to realize the fact that these are extra costs incurred by each of us as a result of bad trade policies?

In closing, I would like to say, I would love to be wrong. I would love to have to eat my own words. But when I (as an instrument manager at a University) open a package and see that an added cost (due to tariff) has been imposed. Then I know that China is not paying for the tariff charge -- the University is (or me).

Related Blog Posts:

"I did the Biggest Deal in the history of our Country yesterday - in terms of trade"

What is the potential adverse impact of Tariffs on GDP?

Climate Change Indirectly Hits Farmers: Increasing Crop Insurance Premiums

Farmer's Perspective on Trump's Trade War: Interview

Surprise! American Consumers will pay for Chinese Tariffs!

China Raises Ante In Trade War With Threat Of Cutting Off Rare Metals To U.S.

"Trade Not Aid" -- A Shout out from Farmers to President Trump again

Monday, February 10, 2020

Ralph Nader: The Vengeful, Lawless, Corporate Toady Trump Explodes

Photo: Washington Post

Last week, after the Senate Republican Party decided to give President Trump a pass and not pursue impeachment with a fair trial, President Trump approached the microphone from the White House and gave the nation a real picture of himself. Yes, the real President Donald J. Trump. Everything that he had been holding back was let go during a speech with no direction but with the intent of pursuing newfound enemies of the Democratic Party. This is unfortunate, given that he has already divided the nation with his behavior thus far.

Ralph Nader captures the significant events of last week in his newsletter eloquently shown below:

The Vengeful, Lawless, Corporate Toady Trump Explodes

The day after his acquittal by the Republican Party in a trial that banned witnesses, the unhinged Donald Trump gloated for over an hour on all the television networks. Trump flattered his courtiers, one by one, and fulminated against his Congressional adversaries, Hillary Clinton and ex-FBI chief James Comey.

Donald Trump’s speech degraded his office for the ages. Trump lied about himself and others and received applause from the assembled sycophants. The morning of his speech, Trump attended a prayer breakfast. Trump never goes to church to atone for his habitual, career-long violations of seven of the Ten Commandments. His hypocrisy has no bounds.

Tightening his dictatorial grip on the U.S. government, Trump pledged to destroy his opponents— from Nancy Pelosi to Adam Schiff to the “radical, socialist Democrats.” These shameful threats cannot be taken lightly. Never forget Trump saying “I have an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as President.”

The egomaniacal Trump is inebriated with his disgraceful acquittal, convinced of his own innocence, despite the clear evidence of his guilt. No apologies, no remorse, since he never does “anything wrong.” Trump’s petulant actions could make him an object of abject pity were he not in a position to start wars, shred the Constitution, repeal life-saving regulations, and turn the U.S. government over to avaricious giant corporations. In politics, the tactical question between the contestants is who is on the offensive and who is on the defensive. Trump knows this in his gut. How do the Democrats regroup? Nancy Pelosi did not send a broad array of impeachable offenses to the Senate – some with clear ‘kitchen table’ appeal. Sending just the articles dealing with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from the Ukraine extortion assured a Republican kangaroo court acquittal. Early polls don’t indicate the imperfect trial diminishing his public support. What Democrats have going for them is the certainty that Trump will continue to commit daily impeachable offenses, including defying Congressional subpoenas. Despite these daily offenses, Trump continues to mock the Democrats. He is practically begging them to pursue a second round of impeachment charges. They should do so just to defend the critical checks and balances required by the Constitution.

Trump’s actions are a departure from those of Bill Clinton. After his Senate acquittal, Clinton spoke for only two minutes on television and he used his time to express regret and apologize. Trump exploded with rage, vindictiveness, and plans for revenge. His unseemly outburst at the annual National Prayer Breakfast smashed all precedent.

After acquittal, Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank wrote: “He described his political opponents as ‘bad,’ ‘dirty,’ ‘horrible,’ ‘evil,’ ‘sick,’ ‘corrupt,’ ‘scum,’ ‘leakers,’ ‘liars,’ ‘vicious,’ ‘mean,’ ‘lowlife,’ ‘non-people,’ ‘stone-cold crazy,’ and ‘The crookedest, most dishonest, dirtiest people I’ve ever seen.’” Mostly, the exact description of the person he sees in the mirror. Conservative columnist Michael Gerson warned further: “…we are reaching a very dangerous moment in our national life. The president is seized by rage and resentment…for all to see and hear. He now feels unchecked and uncheckable. And he has a position of tremendous power. That is what happens when a sociopath gets away with something.”

Another columnist, Catherine Rampell, lists past vengeful uses of his power to twist procurement contracts and antitrust enforcement decision against his enemies. She calls it “weaponizing the presidency.”

For example, Trump doesn’t like CNN so he ordered the Justice Department to challenge the AT&T merger with Time Warner in court (unsuccessfully).

The White House has refused to give Congress documents that could reveal whether Trump intervened for personal political advantage. Congress is the only institution that has the authority given to it by the Founders to thwart a fast-emerging monarch.

Defying Congressional subpoenas is a slam dunk impeachable offense. No resort to the courts is required. Congress has plenary power to enforce its subpoenas. When Trump ignores Congress’s constitutional authority, all other powers of Congress are debilitated. These include the powers to spend, tax, declare war, confirm nominees and, of course, to check a runaway executive branch under a dictatorial, seriously unstable, chronically lying President.

Under “Moscow Mitch” McConnell, the Senate has been shut down. The only time the Senate takes any action is when it acts like Trump’s lapdog. Senator McConnell is sitting on over 300 bills passed by the House, including legislation that would protect our elections from foreign interference. (For more information see, https://ditchmitchfund.com/).

That leaves the House of Representatives, which Trump promises to punish. What Speaker Nancy Pelosi must now do is to assemble her more than willing Committee Chairs and collect all the existing disregarded House subpoenas and continue their existing investigations which, stonewalled by Trump, will require more subpoenas.

Before he resigned, Nixon was about to be impeached, in part, for defying one subpoena. Trump’s holds the presidential record tearing up subpoenas for witnesses and documents.

He has raised the stakes as to whether the Congress as the central institution of our government will survive his executive branch shredding of the Constitution.

Given what they said, wrote, and placed into the Constitution, the number one concern of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Mason, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, was to prevent another King George III – a monarch in practice if not in name. They implemented this priority by placing the most powerful authorities by far in the Congress.

Trump is daring the House of Representatives to challenge his outlawry and abdicate the constitutional obligation to impose “checks and balances” on the Executive branch. An article of impeachment regarding mass subpoena defiance needs no witnesses, is clear-cut, and can be approved in less than a day and sent to the Senate. Then the people can see whether McConnell will say that the people need volumes of information about Trump corruptly destroying their health, safety and economic protections and turning our government over to Wall Street.

Kitchen table issues are everywhere behind those subpoenas by ongoing House Committee investigations. The spreading “Ditch Mitch” movement in Kentucky will be watching Senator McConnell.

Ralph Nader: Letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi

Ralph Nader: Trump Should Be Impeached For Throwing U.S. Into Climate Chaos

Ralph Nader: “I have an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as President.” Really!

Ralph Nader: Will President Trump Implode with Lies Before He is Impeached?

Ralph Nader: Shame Of A Nation

Ralph Nader: Labor Day and the Lost Opportunities for Labor Discussions

Ralph Nader: Nader pays tribute to old Republican Paul Findley

Ralph Nader: How has Boeing avoided testifying in front of Congress for the 737 Max Airplane disasters?

Ralph Nader: "What and Who Gave Us Trump?"

Ralph Nader: Youth Can Change Corporate View of Climate Crisis

What Are Activist Ralph Nader's Opinions On Radio News Organizations Such As NPR Or PBS?

Friday, February 7, 2020

Super Bowl Ads Are Wildly Popular, But Are Electric Vehicles By Porsche and Audi?

Photo: Consumer Reports

If a person is not a football fan and lives in the United States, chances are that the same person will still watch the Super Bowl (last weekend) for the advertisements exclusively. Each ad costs millions of dollars for seconds of America's eyeballs to view. In a period of division (and an election year), what better moment to introduce renewable energy ideas? The Super Bowl is a perfect venue to add the concept to the American public. At the very least, a small seed is planted in each viewer's mind.

This year, two automakers intertwined their messages (advertisements) with a range of well-thought-out ideas from animated characters popularly seen in Marvel comic movies to Lebron James of the Lakers. Politico Energy reported briefly how the concept of sports (electric) vehicles were introduced to the American public:

SUPER BOWL ADS GO ELECTRIC: The energy industry has frequently plopped down millions for expensive Super Bowl spots, whether it be with ads from oil companies or corporations touting their renewable credentials. Some of those have drawn scorn from environmentalists, such as the American Petroleum Institute spot in 2017 that touted wide usages for petroleum and natural gas. But last night's match-up seemed to offer up a shift in the energy world — toward electric vehicles.

General Motors, Audi and Porsche all unveiled ads on their latest EVs during the Big Game. Porsche's spot during the first quarter was the auto company's first Super Bowl ad in 23 years — making it all the more noteworthy the ad was all about its all-electric sports car. Audi's electric car spot featured "Game of Thrones" actress Maisie Williams singing "Let It Go" while driving an EV, after a radio announcer mentions rising temperatures.

"Lets drive to a more sustainable future," touts the ad that is also interspersed with images of plastic waste and vehicle exhaust. The "biggest night in American football" was the perfect time for Audi to share its "strategic path toward sustainable premium mobility with a worldwide audience," said Sven Schuwirth, head of brand Audi, digital business and customer experience, in a release ahead of the commercial.

And GM used its second-quarter airtime for an ad featuring LeBron James, unveiling its first all-electric Hummer. As the Associated Press reports, the ad marks a turning-point for Hummer, which "attracted a devoted following among SUV lovers, who were drawn to the off-road ready vehicles" but "drew scorn from environmentalists and sales never recovered after gasoline prices spiked above $4 a gallon in the summer of 2008."

That shift in the auto industry's messaging comes as electric vehicles' share of the U.S. passenger vehicle fleet steadily increases — and as presidential candidates and Democrats on the Hill have highlighted EVs in their infrastructure plans as crucial to reducing carbon emissions and staving off the worst effects of climate change. But it also follows studies that show drivers remain cautious about ditching gas-fired vehicles, as Axios recently highlighted, and as oil-backed groups oppose state campaigns to build charging stations across the country, as POLITICO's Gavin Bade reported last year.

All of the above advertisement sounds good for the unveiling of electric cars on a larger scale. That is, offering more variety to a broader range of the American population. Not all of us can afford to drive Teslas. The roll-out of electric vehicles on a much larger scale across the nation must be accompanied by the construction of electric vehicle charging stations.

I mention Tesla exclusively because if a person were driving down Interstate 5 in California, stopping for gas would be an opportunity to see charging stations with the Tesla logo on them. That is fine if a person drives a Tesla. What about GM? What about BMW? What about Honda? Toyota? The electric vehicle charging grid needs to be standardized to built out to accompany all cars built to load (and run) on electricity.

This is why the reporting from Politico Energy throughout the week has been reassuring. Just yesterday, reporting from Politico Energy revealed the proposal of a bill to build out the electric vehicle charging grid across the United States:

AOC, LEVIN TO UNVEIL EV BILL: Democratic Reps. Andy Levin of Michigan and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York will announce their EV Freedom Act today, a bill to deploy high-speed EV chargers across the U.S. within five years. Levin previewed the introduction in a tweet: "To fight climate change & create jobs of the future, we must build a network of public #EV chargers along US highways."

When I read yesterday's news, I was pleased to hear that the law was being considered. Follow that fantastic news by more from Politico Energy today on electric vehicle infrastructure:

AOC, LEVIN INTRODUCE EV INFRASTRUCTURE LEGISLATION: Democratic Reps. Andy Levin and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday outlined their EV Freedom Act that would roll out a network of electric vehicle chargers across the U.S. within five years. "This proposal will ensure that new chargers are built to keep up with new technology, so we can achieve a simple goal as soon as possible: powering up EVs in the time that it takes to fill a gas tank," Levin said at a press conference. Levin did not provide a cost estimate for the legislation but said it was crafted with support from labor and environmental groups like the Blue-Green Alliance, Sierra Club and the United Automobile Workers.

"This is the infrastructure bill that we need to be rallying behind," Ocasio-Cortez said. She added the measure "really, truly embodies" the core principles of the Green New Deal, which she co-authored: "While we talk about the Green New Deal and we say, 'Hey, we need to decarbonize our transportation,' I know a lot of naysayers will say, 'They're trying to get rid of cars.' Well, we're not trying to get rid of cars, we're trying to actually advance and improve our fleets and our vehicles, which means that we have to go electric." Bloomberg reported that Tesla shares surged following reporting on the bill. Bill text.

The story above is exciting. Moving toward renewable energy sources is terrific. Although, I must admit that opponents will counter with the fact that the electricity to charge the stations has to come from somewhere. And currently, that somewhere is from new coal power plants or natural gas power plants. The further move toward reducing our carbon footprint needs to include the decarbonization of power plants too.

The timescale may vary with States within the United States. With the current discussion occurring at this time, a renewed sense of optimism fills my heart. More and more people are concerned about the environment and are asking how they can make changes at a local (i.e., small ) level to help the environment. Which is encouraging, to say the least. Although, we need action in Washington D.C. too to complete the circle of change. The news above represents such good news. Let's keep the momentum of a move up.

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Wednesday, February 5, 2020

President Trump Once Again Divides The Nation With A Speech

Photo: CNN

Lat night marked President Trump's 3rd State of the Union Address to the citizens of the United States of America. What should have been a speech to unite a nation turned into a statement to divide the country. Without a doubt, President Trump will go down in history as the "President That Divided A Nation." Which is extremely unfortunate.

The reason I say this is that although I did not personally vote for President Trump (then-candidate Trump), I thought that he may change and be a champion of infrastructure building for our nation. A nation in need of significant infrastructural change. Instead, we have a president who has been impeached in the House of Representatives, which they will most likely be acquitted in the Senate Trial. A trial without witnesses - the first in the Senate history - I might add.

Nothing in the current time is normal. In fact, the Republican party has completely departed from reality and has chosen to let a rogue president lead us as a nation without laws. Yes, a lawless president. We are in a sad state of affairs. Last night proved my point with the following Tweet from Senator Seth Moulton shown below:

The remarks over the last few years, which were concentrated into last night's speech, are despicable. President Trump is riding the wave of prosperity from the Obama administration. His continued remarks about veterans who so proudly serve our country (myself included) are disgusting. I would like to have seen him overseas in the desert.

Thank goodness for heroes like Senator Seth Moulton. He was (rightly so) disgusted with President Trump's bullshit speech. A dividing speech. Here is a decorated veteran from the U.S. Marine Corps and served four tours in Iraq. A Bronze Star recipient. At least someone has some accountability to stand up for their values and morales. Do not support a divider-in-chief.

Monday, February 3, 2020

Ralph Nader: Misleading Categories and Trump’s Swamps

President Trump has consistently categorized the left (i.e., Democrats) as an array of names ranging from "left-wing extremists" to "the party that is spiraling down" in history in flames. Others have said that the unconstructive criticism is giving rise to further division. Below Ralph Nader talks about the categorization of the Democratic Party. Enjoy!

Ralph Nader writes in a newsletter that Democrats have allowed this categorization to occur:

Misleading Categories and Trump’s Swamps

It is remarkable how the Democratic Presidential candidates allow themselves to be pigeon-holed by the media as “moderate,” “centrist,” “extreme,” “left-wing,” and other abstract fact-deprived nomenclature.

It is also astonishing that the Democratic operatives have made something called “electability” a yardstick for deciding who to vote for in the primaries. This is particularly ironic considering the winner of the primary will be running against “crooked” self-enriching Donald and his brazen wrecking crew. Remember, Donald Trump was once considered unelectable.

Let’s start with the labels. Why are overdue and overwhelmingly popular proposals put forward by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren labeled “extreme?” What is extreme is the greed and power of the plutocrats and Wall Street, not advocates cracking down on corporate crime and ending corporate welfare. There is nothing extreme about supporting a living wage, universal health insurance, or big infrastructure investments funded by reforming the tax system.

There is nothing radical about preventing the super-rich and giant corporations from using tax havens and other tax escapes. The proposals to close the tax loopholes and properly enforce the tax laws would collect trillions of dollars over a decade and fund necessary government spending for the benefit of the American people.

Look at the Warren and Sanders proposals and see how they poll. Almost all have majority or overwhelming left/right support. What’s so radical about tuition-free higher education? From New York’s CCNY to University of California, after World War II, there was virtually no tuition. The same is true for many western European countries to this day.

What’s so “radical” about de-bloating the vast waste and redundancy of the military budget that now takes over half of the operating federal budget? Or opposing endless criminal wars of aggression like destroying Iraq?

On the other hand, what is so “moderate” about not taking these positions, or taking campaign money from fat cats and super-PACs or maintaining military contractor’s mega waste and crony capitalist handouts?

Why does Joe Biden’s history of coddling banks and credit card companies rather than protecting consumers make him a “moderate” or “centrist?” It is time to poll those retrograde, corporatist positions. What about Biden’s support of the Iraq war and other costly, brutal adventures of Empire? What about Biden’s defense of the “Delaware” corporation laws that rig the power of corporate bosses against shareholders, whether they be individual, pension, or mutual funds?

As to the issue of “electability,” that is just another name for the self-compromised Democratic Party’s defeatism and cowardliness. How can Democrats question someone’s “electability” when the opponent is the hateful lawbreaker Donald Trump?

Who wouldn’t be as electable as a Democratic presidential nominee this year? The Democrats have the money and even now the advantage in the polls.

How hard should it be up against Trump’s record of abuses, any one of which would have disqualified a person from even running for President a few years ago?

Shouldn’t it be easy to run against a brazen, serial sexual predator, whose lawyers are keeping him from being deposed under oath in numerous tort law suits by his victims? This is a time when powerful corporate chieftains, legislators, and other influential people have been forced immediately out of their jobs once exposed for doing a fraction of what the “sexual predator in chief” has done. A late November 2019 CNN poll had 61% of women wanting Trump both impeached and removed from office.

Shouldn’t it be easy to run against Trump’s actions reflecting his bigotry, racism, and daily stream of lies and fabrications about situations that matter? Shouldn’t Trump be held accountable for open incitement to violence, should he be convicted of flouting the Constitution and the rule of law?

What about Trump’s deadly undermining of life-saving government agencies? Trump and his cronies shredded health and safety laws that kept poisons from the air, water, and food. American families don’t want to breathe dirtier air and drink dirtier water. Trump is making America dread again.

What about the paltry, frozen federal minimum wage, stuck at $7.25 per hour? Workers make a pittance while Trump enriches himself and his cronies through tax cuts for the super-rich that he championed. Don’t forget the money the Trump family has made from its own hotels attracting courtiers for favors. Recall that in 2016, Trump said that American workers were overpaid. Under Trump, manufacturing jobs have declined and his regime’s attacks on worker rights have increased.

Both conservative and liberal voters get ripped off alike and bleed alike when Trump takes federal sheriffs off the corporate crime, fraud, and abuse beats. How hard is it to make a big issue of Trump’s abandoning ‘law and order’ when it comes to the corporate crime wave and letting the big boys get away with so much that seems very unfair to voters.

Most voters do not want a megalomaniac who courts foreign dictators and offends allies. Last year, Trump pontificated: “I have an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as President.” The American Revolution rejected King George III and his “King can do no wrong” doctrine. The conservative Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) ought to be worried about that Trumpian power grab.

Trump should be the most defeatable president in history. He is openly destroying the moral fiber of our society. In his business and political career Trump has regularly violated seven out of the Ten Commandments. Evangelicals take note!

Trump has continued the endless, illegal, brutal wars in several countries – wars that he pledged to end. He defies all Congressional subpoenas for witnesses and documents from committees that are investigating corruption, including his administration’s regulatory responsibilities to America. His actions are harmful to all Americans and threaten the health insurance of over 20 million people. As documented in earlier columns, a billion dollars of taxpayer and consumer health care dollars are being stolen every day. Trump does nothing to stop this commercial robbery. He doesn’t even give a “tweet” about this pillage.

Unfortunately, the entrenched corporate Democrats in Washington are just using the “electability” excuse to block the rising progressive presidential candidates who intend to upset the plutocratic applecarts and cushy fat-cat sinecures. The leadership of establishment Democrats has led to the loss of too many national and state elections to the worst Republican Party in the GOP’s history. It is time for these Democrats to shape up or ship out.

Ralph Nader: Letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi

Ralph Nader: Trump Should Be Impeached For Throwing U.S. Into Climate Chaos

Ralph Nader: “I have an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as President.” Really!

Ralph Nader: Will President Trump Implode with Lies Before He is Impeached?

Ralph Nader: Shame Of A Nation

Ralph Nader: Labor Day and the Lost Opportunities for Labor Discussions

Ralph Nader: Nader pays tribute to old Republican Paul Findley

Ralph Nader: How has Boeing avoided testifying in front of Congress for the 737 Max Airplane disasters?

Ralph Nader: "What and Who Gave Us Trump?"

Ralph Nader: Youth Can Change Corporate View of Climate Crisis

What Are Activist Ralph Nader's Opinions On Radio News Organizations Such As NPR Or PBS?