War-Rumors-Iran-Trump-Bob Davis Podcast 832

Presidential Election Ahead…Cue The War Drums

War and rumors of war. This time between the United States and Iran. These days you don’t know what’s real. We’ll talk about it in War-Rumors-Iran-Trump-Bob Davis Podcast 832.

The Devil’s In The Details

In addition I’ll provide details and perspective you don’t get from breathless cable news channels, talk radio and advocate commentators. Once a crisis develops advocacy media will try to convince viewers for or against.

Complicated Issues

Iran is a much more complicated issue.

First of all, at issue is the so called JCPOA. The Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action.

The JCPOA was signed by all five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Iran during the Obama administration.

Moreover in exchange for Iranians giving up weapons grade uranium some US and European sanctions dating back forty years were temporarily waived.

The Worst Deal Ever…Might Have Been Working

In 2016 republican presidential candidate Donald Trump campaigned on getting rid of the JCPOA calling it ‘the worst deal I’ve ever seen’. In contrast some  sources say Iran was actually abiding by that agreement. By the way, the deal Trump signed with North Korea recently pledging to de-nuclearize the Korean Peninsula was in fact a communique like the JCPOA, with fewer conditions.

Trump Imposes Sanctions

No matter. President Trump has taken the US out of the deal and imposed sanctions last year. Just recently the US has reimposed sanctions on Iran’s oil exports as well as copper, aluminum and steel most recently. The economic effects have not been good for Iran.

Iran Uses Proxies To Retaliate and Threatens To Start Enriching Uranium

Reportedly Iran has retaliated using Houthi rebels in Saudi Arabia to attack oil pipelines and shipping in the Persian Gulf.

Trump Sends The USS Abraham Lincoln

Trump ordered a US carrier battle group into the gulf. The Saudis want Iran ‘defanged‘ and have called for ‘surgical’ US Airstrikes.

24 Hour Cable News Channels and Talk Radio Love War

Here come endless loops of jets leaving carrier decks. Pundits talking over shock and awe. Headlines across the bottom of screens showing US troops in Iraq.

Deja Vu All Over Again

Finally we have been through all this before. It did not end well. In fact it has not ended. The Iranians are not paragons of virtue but they are no Iraq or Afghanistan either.

In conclusion we ought to think about that before we’re snookered into another war.

(Editor’s Note: I refer to PPP when giving Iran’s per capita income at about 22,000 a year. In US Dollars it’s probably about 8,000 a year. In addition I gave Iran’s oil export total as 1.2 barrels a year. Even more it is roughly 1.2 million barrels a day.)

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War-Rumors-Iran-Trump-Bob Davis Podcast 832

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trump Foreign Trade Fight-Free Trade-Protection-Bob Davis Podcast 737

President Trump slapped tax increases on goods imported to the US from Europe, China, Mexico and Canada. Our trading partners retaliated with their own tariffs. Now what? Find out in Trump Foreign Trade Fight-Free Trade-Protection-Bob Davis Podcast 737.

What Is A Tariff Anyway?

Finally someone has defined what a tariff is. Moreover you might be surprised to learn the history of trade legislation in the United States goes back to 1789.

These days we are awash in charges and counter charges in the media. Trade Wars and Rumors of Trade Wars. This kind of coverage doesn’t serve anyone.

1945 Looms Large In Trade Discussions

Most noteworthy is the impact of World War 2 and the advent of nuclear weapons in 1945. Since then, trade deals have been  considered central to keeping the peace and stabilizing the world.

Trade Has Been A Political Football since Hamilton

Trade has been regional and national issue in the United States in every political era. None other than Alexander Hamilton was an advocate of high taxes on imports going back to 1789.

Trump A Throw Back To The 1840’s?

Moreover tariffs were an issue in local and national politics in the US until the introduction of the Income Tax in 1913. Is President Trump a throw back to the 1840’s? Find out in Trump Foreign Trade Fight-Free Trade-Protection-Bob Davis Podcast 737.

NAFTA China Mercantilism Free Trade

We hear so much in the news about trade but few of us understand it. China. NAFTA. Mercantilism. Trade Protection. Free Trade. As citizens we need to make informed decisions about what is best for each of us individually and the country. With all the noise about trade it’s almost impossible for people to do that.

Especially Relevant Today As It Was Back In The Day

In conclusion with yet another new trade bill in the offing the question of whether the US should protect its markets or open them is as relevant today as it was in 1789.

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Trump Foreign Trade Fight-Free Trade-Protection-Bob Davis Podcast 737

News-Information Vacuum-Personality Cults-Propaganda-Podcast 731

I find it more difficult these days to talk about breaking news. Propaganda passes for actual news. Find out more in News-Information Vacuum-Personality Cults-Propaganda-Podcast 731.

Attack or Leaping To Defend

In addition correspondents are on the attack or leaping to defend the president’s summit with the North Korean leader. Furthermore, rather than report on the economy talking heads assert there is a ‘boom’ without new GDP numbers to support their contention.

The Narrative Is Controlled By The Wizard Of Oz

What happened to news reporting? Now the narrative is controlled by the president. Media personalities seeking relevance are expected to defend Trump’s increasingly bizarre assertions or say he can’t do anything right. Moreover the media seeks to predict elections before they happen.

Twitter and Catfights

Moreover, newsrooms don’t cover issues.

Reporters cover twitter feeds and catfights.

Since the president inflates any small accomplishment as a world beater it’s especially relevant to talk about actual results.

Results? We Don’t Need No Stinking Results

What are the results of the Trump-Kim meeting? The so called booming economy? The draining of the ‘swamp’? Find out in News-Information Vacuum-Personality Cults-Propaganda-Podcast 731.

Trump Political Vacuum

Welcome to the Trump Political Vacuum. You’re either defending or attacking Trump. Everything else is fake news. Trump is the antichrist. Trump is under the protection of God. The president is a child, or playing “four dimensional chess“. Take your pick. There’s no in between.

Welcome To the Delusion

In conclusion people suffer in the vacuum. Finding a good source is almost impossible. Discerning what’s real and opinion is even more difficult.

So, we live in a dreamworld of delusion.

Finally without facts surrounding an event a free society cannot make informed political choices. I can identify two times in history when it was this bad. Neither ended well. Moreover, this kind of situation erodes the foundations of a free society.

(Editor’s Note: These days in these rambling podcasts sometimes I make confused references. This time I made a reference to the Berlin Wall falling ‘in 1983 or 1984’. Of course I know the fall of the Berlin Wall occurred on November 9th, 1989. Subsequently the Soviet Union collapsed in December of 1991.)

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News-Information Vacuum-Personality Cults-Propaganda-Podcast 731