Round The Way Girl Joins Bob Davis-Podcast 630

Round The Way Girl Joins Bob Davis-Podcast 630

Neighbors and friends for years. In today’s world that means family. Round The Way Girl joins the Bob Davis Podcasts to talk about life challenges. I get a street slang lesson. We talk about the new HBO Bernie Madoff movie and more. In Round The Way Girl Joins Bob Davis-Podcast 630.

Bde Maka Say What?

Let’s put the madness in Washington on hold, drink some coffee and talk. Round The Way Girl and I wonder at the new bizarre name for the main urban lake in Minneapolis. Both of us conclude people will never say, “Meet me at Bde Maka Ska”, they’ll just say, “Meet you at Calhoun”, no matter what the official name may be.

Prince Stole My Motorcycle

Whether it is Round The Way Girl’s recent adventure, when we get together a single podcast barely scratches the surface. We talk about my Prince dream, our television viewing habits and the kids playing soccer in the park next door. She tells stories about me I have long forgotten. That’s the whole point of having a neighbor and friend who knows you. In Round The Way Girl Joins Bob Davis-Podcast 630.

It’s called Having A Conversation

Before social media, twenty four hour cable news, people shouting at each other and constant provocations there was a thing called the art of conversation. Talking about nothing and yet everything. This is how people used to share the challenges of their life. To learn from others. To have fun in the evening, or anytime. Maybe even tell each other secret fears or triumphs.

Red Flag!

When I was a kid, my mom’s best friend did not have a phone. When she wanted to come over for coffee, or have my mom over, she would run a red flag up their flag pole. That’s how two friends knew it was coffee time.  At least these days we have text messaging. “Getting back from Yoga about 8:30. Come on over we’ll do a podcast!”. That’s what started Round The Way Girl Joins Bob Davis-Podcast 630.

Round The Way Girl Never Disappoints

We’re having an incredible May in the upper midwest. 2 weeks ago it was snowing. Now it’s in the 80’s and the trees full. Birds are singing. Suddenly the latest machinations on cable news and talk radio have started to fade. Of course they’ll be back. For the time being, though, it’s nice to just sit down, drink some coffee and have some fun.

Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul.

Round The Way Girl Joins Bob Davis-Podcast 630

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Has United States Been Socialist For A Long Time? Podcast 625

Has United States Been Socialist For A Long Time? Podcast 625

We hear a lot of words used to describe various political factions in the US. Most will say the US economic system is capitalist but is this just an illusion? Are we socialist? Have we been socialist for a long time? It seems to me, we have. In Has United States Been Socialist For A Long Time? Podcast 625.

Socialism Is Everywhere

Just because a country’s economic system is socialist, does not mean it’s a tyranny. Denmark and Canada aren’t dictatorships. Singapore is a Socialist Market Economy. Places where ‘the people’ own or control the means of production. Most socialist countries these days enjoy democratic political systems.

Government and Non Profits Dominate State Economies

Americans think of themselves as capitalists. The thing is, the top three employers in my state are public institutions. Americans depend on social security, medicare, or medicaid ‘entitlements’. Home buyers get tax subsidies. We enjoy many tax deferred investment options. Farmers get subsidies. Public workers get pensions. All kinds of grants for education exist. Then there are the business subsidies and government contracts. Some popular business personalities receive billions in subsidies from the government. We’ll talk about it in Has United States Been Socialist For A Long Time? Podcast 625.

Both Parties Support Socialism

Democrats complain about light rail projects running through their backyards, but support government programs because ‘It’s the right thing to do’. Republicans complain about big government unless it’s the military, support for their businesses, home mortgage tax credit, social security and 401K programs.

The Right Thing To Do

It’s true that many of these programs date back to the depression in the 1930’s. Also true that creation of these programs came with the best intentions. Whether we like it or not, government is deeply involved in our lives. Of course, what the government giveth, the government takeaway. We’ll talk about it in Has United States Been Socialist For A Long Time? Podcast 625.

Classic Liberalism Is Forgotten

Republicans and Democrats argue the same side of the coin. Both are collectivists. Neither adhere to Classic Liberalism, a philosophy of limited government with the sole purpose of securing a maximum amount of individual liberty, property rights and free markets. While no political scientist would argue the US is Socialist maybe we should consider the possibility we are and have been for some time.

Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul and X Government Cars

Has United States Been Socialist For A Long Time? Podcast 625

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Donald Trump's Fantastic Incredible Awesome Rhetorical Presidency-Podcast 620

Donald Trump’s Fantastic Incredible Awesome Rhetorical Presidency-Podcast 620

Foreign Policy Based On Cable News and Twitter

Wars. Rumors of wars. In Donald Trump’s Fantastic Incredible Awesome Rhetorical Presidency-Podcast 620 Trump breaks another promise. Remember 2013? That’s when Trump said Obama should forget about Syria. Save his powder for something more important. In the debates, then candidate Trump said the same thing. Leave Syria alone. We’ll get nothing out of attacking Assad.

Trump Fine With Assad Until…

At the end of March Senators McCain and Graham were pleading to attack Assad. However as late as last week Nikki Haley was telling her UN Counterparts and the world Assad could stay. Then came the chemical attack on Syrian civilians. Children. Pictures on cable news. President Trump saw the pictures and got mad.

Cable News Made President Mad

As Trump and his team met with the Chinese at his resort in Florida, he ordered a counterstrike. 59 missiles. 70 million dollars. The runway where the planes took off is still intact. Syrian military aviation continues to fly sorties from that runway. On a dime this president has changed US foreign policy. Changed one of the cornerstones of his campaign. Another major promise broken.

North Korea Too

Over the weekend the USS Carl Vinson Strike Force was detailed to the Western Pacific. Off the Korean Peninsula. Suddenly Donald Trump has become George W. Bush. If you voted for Trump is this what you voted for? We’re a long way from building the wall and getting China to send all those jobs back now, Toto.

Alt Right Deeply Misinformed

Then there are the rumors. The bad reporting. The discourse on social media. One hundred fifty thousand US troops to Syria? Says so right here. China deploying another one hundred fifty thousand of their troops to the Yalu river, China’s border with North Korea. Russia and Iran say they’ll respond if there are any more US attacks. Word is the Russian Navy is very busy in Europe. More activity than the cold war.

How About Those Twins?

Voters who didn’t want to talk about foreign policy because it was too complicated might want to bone up. TV producers and Radio Program directors and talk show hosts may want to drop the banter about sports and the weather. Republicans should take a look at the bargain they made with this president and ask themselves just what they bought and must now defend.

Trust Me. It’s Gonna Be Great

Welcome to Donald Trump’s Fantastic Incredible Awesome Rhetorical Presidency-Podcast 620. Tax Reform, a trillion dollar stimulus program and another run at repealing ObamaCare loom. The US is twenty trillion dollars in debt. On top of that, perhaps a war in Syria he campaigned against and a crisis in North Korea. Don’t worry though. The president will tweet about it. Foreign Affairs crisis? Bah. More tweets. In Donald Trump’s Fantastic Incredible Awesome Rhetorical Presidency-Podcast 620.

(Editor’s Note: Late Tuesday the President told the New York Post, “We are not going into Syria”, and blamed the confusion on his ‘aides’. Which would be his ambassador to the UN among other fairly senior administration personnel. Oddly enough regime change remains a new goal. He also said, “We’re sending an armada” to North Korea. Rhetorical Presidency indeed.)

Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul.

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