Politics as of 31 March 2016

You know, I really don't care much for any of the candidates running for President this time around, and I have even less use for those who plan to enter the contests during the conventions.

Donald Trump, the Republican (?) leader, is causing horrors within the party and nightmares without. I would like to call him the ultimate egomaniac, but I might offend Hillary. The Donald has hit many of the buttons Americans are hot over. And, typical of the press, they have twisted his words to such an extent that to mention his name in public is an invitation to either pucker or to duck. I am not sure what the man believes about many issues. He has been a master of generalities and avoided details. And he may be the most polarizing candidate since Abraham Lincoln himself.

Ted Cruz shares many viewpoints I believe in but his inability to even entertain the thought of attempting to see the other persons viewpoint, much less negotiate with them, leaves me thinking "if we think we have gridlock now, just wait until he is elected". He was a Teaparty dream boy but there is also an ego hatching from a shell of narcissism that is just plain difficult to like.

John Kaisch sounds great and sensible on the surface but underneath there is just something I do not trust. Perhaps it it is his profession... Politics. He worries me. I feel he has been bought and paid for by the establishment. And to make matters worse in my eyes, if personalities were set aside I am not sure if he is much different from the same ol, same ol that we have grown to detest about Beltway people.

Hillary is, well, Hillary. She has been Bill's fixer forever and has done a marvelous job of keeping she and her husband on the outside of Leavenworth Prison. And as amazing an accomplishment as that is, she has little else in the achievement department to be proud of. The level of DIStrust people feel about her is enormous. I would almost like to see a third term Obama than this madam President.

Then there is Bernie. Good old Bernie. He has such popular appeal one might have mistaken him for a politician who actually did something. But he never has. His idea to rob the rich to share with the poor plays well, but there is only so much to go around. Even if we took ALL the huge salaries and bonus dollars every Wall Street banker and corporate CEO and divided it among us we could barely afford a McDonalds coffee. Under Obama we have printed money (quantitative easing). Four more years of it and Bernie would have our economy as solid as The Maldives.

Those "not running", Ryan and Romney in particular, are very shrewd politicians who quietly hope to steal the nomination at a deadlocked convention. To be that dishonest is simply continuing with more of the same.

Who, then, would I vote for? I just do not know right now. I wish there was a box marked "none of the above".

My greatest fear is that the drive towards globalization will continue no matter who is elected. Corporations send our good jobs overseas because Wall Street analysts demand it. Courier, the air conditioning manufacturer, is closing a plant and sending the jobs to Mexico where they will pay workers $19 per day instead of per hour. And the move is because Wall Street said they had to or lose corporate profits for shareholders.

We can blame Wall Street I suppose, but we also have to remember who the shareholders are. Everyone of US who have a retirement account are shareholders. Every college, university and nonprofit organization who have trust accounts are shareholders. Every religious institution, charity, museum and such who have bequests that support them are shareholders. In essence, you and I are the shareholders who are demanding a higher yield on our investments. WE are the ones demanding jobs go offshore.

Hummmmm.

So it maybe is time to rethink our enticement investment strategy. Do we was that additional 1% in earnings badly enough to put our neighbors out of work? Because that is what is happening. YOU and I are the ones who own the shares that fund managers control... The same fund managers who will get rid of Courier shares if they aren't performing well enough.

It may just be time for a very simple economics speech from someone important enough to listen to. Because otherwise we are all going to be working part time at Starbucks.


Agree? Disagree? Please let me know. I will post most replies, but reserve the right to edit out words, phrases or thoughts that, in my sole opinion, are offensive, prejudicial or in otherwise bad taste. Ideas, opinions and words used on this site are not endorsed by any Church, organisation, business or individual listed on this website.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

This election will determine the future for both The Constitution and our Nation

Who will be Thrown Under the Bus?

Revisionist Historians and Donald Trump