Podcast 371

The Islamic State. Now What? Just recently the perfumed princes in Washington were thrilled about a Delta Force Operation that killed one of the Islamic State’s top leaders and included the arrest of his wife. It was the kind of adventure story the American Media loves, and they gleefully turned the raid into a cartoon complete with reports of casualty free hand-to-hand combat and lurid reports of the freeing of a slave held by the couple. It was a good story and served as a narrative the White House used to prove the President’s strategy was indeed ‘degrading’ the ISIS military capabilities. I decided to wait to talk about this story, because I knew another shoe would drop. Sure enough, within a few days we were greeted with grim reports of the rout of the Iraqi Army defending Ramadi, in the Anbar province, less than 70 miles from Baghdad. Even worse, as the Iraqis ran, they left lots of shiny new military equipment from the United States, which will now be employed against Iraqis and ultimately Americans. Within a few days it has become clear President Obama’s strategy isn’t working. Now what? The problem is, this country’s media, its politicians, and its leaders have no idea what to do about this problem. We need to have a conversation that starts with what the Foreign Policy of the United States is, and what it should be, rather than fifty reporters chasing a 68 year old woman around Iowa, while she has breakfast with ten or eleven people at a time, or demanding a former governor and head of a super pac tell the country what he would have done in 2003. Don’t hold your breath. Given the fast food nature of America’s media and political environment, I am surprised anyone even knows where Anbar province is, unless they had the honor of serving there. Yet the question remains. Do you want to invade Iraq again to stop ISIS? Should we stop ISIS, since they’re fighting Iran? What are we doing, when our allies don’t understand or trust our President, and 38 people are running for President? Are we in favor of early interventions in problem areas? Does it work? A new world is being birthed, and whole sections of the planet are slipping back in time, rather than progressing. When economies in the West, and in Asia start growing in earnest again we’re going to move very quickly forward. Some places are going to be left behind. When that happens, we’re going to see some bad things happening. Are we prepared? Are you prepared? Do you know what to advocate? Do you have an opinion about what’s best for the United States? Is there a politician that can articulate and execute that idea, after 2017. Because chances are, the next black swan event that changes the world will either be economic, or foreign related, or both. As ISIS beheads, burns, cages, kills children and adds to the chaos that is the Middle East these days, the US political clown show, including the one in the White House, doesn’t give me much faith. What about you? Sponsored by X Government Cars. (Photo from the New York Post) 

Podcast 362

No Growth Economy. New numbers say the US Economy grew by only .2 percent. Yet still, the Federal Reserve says the economy should grow now in the second quarter. Never mind all the ‘experts’ predicted 2015 would be a ‘blow out’ year, and that they have been revising their predictions down all through the quarter, they were still way above what the numbers actually show. Excuses? They have a few. The weather. The work slow down at the Port in Los Angeles. The weather. The strong dollar. Did I mention the dollar? The US has now had quarter after quarter of slow, no, or only anemic growth, and yet the Obama administration and its apologists, and the bone headed financial media call it a ‘boom’. Meanwhile small and medium sized businesses all over the country know it for what it is. A no growth economy. Why do business writers believe things will change if the policies don’t change? Does the consumer really account for 70 percent of the economy? What if we’re using the wrong tools to stimulate the wrong things? What’s that old saw about the definition of insanity? Banks aren’t lending because they can make more money borrowing at the discount window, reinvesting in the stock markets. Companies aren’t investing because they’re buying back their own stocks. The US corporate tax rate is the highest in the world (by far), and the tax code is so complex it costs us dearly in productivity lost (while we comply with the tax code) and literally billions of dollars spent complying with its byzantine rules. Regulations of all kinds make it almost impossible for small and medium sized businesses to grow. What are the policy ideas we need to hear from candidates (which we’re not hearing) to fix the economy. It’s not about inequality. It’s not about ‘reformicon’ tax policies (which are actually democrat tax policies warmed over), or making the government work more efficiently. In this podcast, some ideas you may agree or disagree with, but it will definitely start you thinking. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating and X Government Cars

Podcast 326

Live From The Mall of America. In the wake of shadowy threats of terror attacks at the Mall of America, a ‘courageous’ podcast live from the mall on a Monday night. (Editor’s Note: Maybe someday I will be able to embellish this story to make it sound like I braved tribal fighters, and small arms fire to bring you this podcast, but not really.) As Congress debates defunding as a protest over President Obama’s executive orders on illegal immigrants, the Department of Homeland Security begins to plan for the imminent ‘shutdown’. Except the department doesn’t really shut down. Some fifteen thousand employees – mostly in the TSA – will be ‘furloughed’. The rest of its employees and managers show up for work, though they may miss a paycheck or two. Keep in mind, federal employee benefits and pay are much higher than the private sector. So, while Dave the TSA guy may have to stay home for a few days, he has a job when this whole thing is over. But when you get laid off from that major retailer, you’re out of a job. So, pardon me for not gnashing my teeth over the DHS ‘Shutdown’. This year’s Oscar telecast may as well have been a Sunday morning talk show on MSNBC for all the posturing and political speech, not to mention its ratings. What does Hollywood do when it has a bad year? Trot out stars to make political statements, so people talk! Apparently the word is, the producers of the Oscar telecast think that since the Academy is mostly old, white and rich, they needed to spice it up. The problem is, middle America has just about had it with billionaire screen stars telling them what they ought to believe about anything. It’s becoming obvious Hollywood and Washington are out of touch. In this podcast a little about the history of Hollywood’s involvement with Washington, and its shadowy ties to the Chicago Outfit. And if the scolds telling you what to think isn’t enough, now the Federal Government wants you to switch to a plant based diet. Yep, they want to make your dad a vegetarian, and monitor his television viewing. That’s all we need. The good news is the redemption of coffee. Researchers now say the Black Gold is one of the best things for you, and you can drink a lot more than you do. Sponsored by Depot Star