Category: Political

Who is James Talarico?

On By Norbert HauptIn PoliticalLeave a comment

I had no idea who James Talarico was. I don’t even watch TV. But when I heard today that Colbert was blocked by his network from airing an interview with him on his show, I searched for the segment on YouTube and watched it in its entirety.

I am not a Christian, but I’d vote for Talarico in a heartbeat.

When Trump and his goon in the FCC, Brendan Carr, tried to censor Colbert and “hide” Talarico, who is out to turn Texas blue, they miscalculated. Rather than hiding Talarico, they gave him a megaphone, so much so that I, a person wholly uninformed about Texas politics, now watched him and would be willing to support him.

I just read that election forecaster Logan Phillips pointed to Google Trends data showing Texans suddenly searching Talarico’s name at a “very high rate” just as early voting approaches. That’s not coincidence — that’s momentum.

Way to go Brendan Carr.

Here is the YouTube:

Good luck James Talarico.

ICE is out of Control

On By Norbert HauptIn Atrocities, Police Brutality, Political, TrumpLeave a comment

ICE  agent body slammed a 79-year-old US citizen and arrested him.

I have been very concerned about the methods ICE  uses in our country to come after American citizens without apparent due process.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out– Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out– Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out– Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me–and there was no one left to speak for me.

— Martin Niemöller, a Nazi dissident

Now they are coming for the immigrants.

I am speaking out, because I am an immigrant.

ICE apparently attacks as groups, masked, unidentified, only with uniforms and vests labeled as ICE or Police, and armed. They take people off the streets, out of offices and factories, and throw them into unmarked vans. How do we know they are legitimate? How can any individual person defend himself? How do I know they are real? How do I call my lawyer when I am pinned to the ground by three goons with a knee on my throat?

According to the article above, when the man tried to talk with them and provide documentation, while he was pinned to the ground, they said:

“You don’t fuck with ICE. We are here.”

Suppose someone who is part of some organized crime gang (mafia, latino gang, whatever) would just buy some combat uniforms for themselves, including bulletproof vests, helmets, masks, slap ICE labels on the backs, and maraud the streets? They could pick off anyone by force. No bystander would help. We all have learned that you don’t fuck with ICE. The potential for lawlessness is vast.

The Brownshirts are already here.

Now they are coming for all of us.

I am speaking out because I am one of us.

Are we great yet?

Government Shutdown – Whose Fault is it?

On By Norbert HauptIn Political, TrumpLeave a comment

I just went to the public website of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (hud.gov) and this is what I got:

The current government controls the presidency and both houses of Congress, as well as the majority of the Supreme Court. How is it possible that a few people (the supposed radial left) in Congress can shut down the government? Who is in charge?

I am dismayed that we now have a country where we can’t trust our own government to represent reality as it really is. Instead, our public information websites feed us propaganda.

Are we great yet?

Some Fresh Air at Woodstock

On By Norbert HauptIn Political, TravelsLeave a comment

Today we visited Woodstock. Took a walk along the main street, had some ice cream, and did some window shopping. Here is the town hall:

Then I turned around and saw this sign on the other side of the street above a store:

I smiled and I felt comfortable about my country – at least for the moment.

Idiots in Federal Government

On By Norbert HauptIn Atrocities, Crack-Ups, Feelings, History, Political1 Comment

The idiocy in our current federal government is staggering. Here is our Secretary of Health and Human Services, talking about autistic children:

And these are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem. They’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.

He has obviously never met an autistic person.

What is he going to suggest next? Maybe the best thing to do is to send them all to a camp? Let’s call it a concentration camp. Maybe we should open one in El Salvador, “the Savior,” where they’ll be well taken care of?

This is wisdom from the “Pro-Life” faction of our political landscape.

“Nobody Knows the Impact of the Tariffs” – Bullshit

On By Norbert HauptIn Economy, Political, TrumpLeave a comment
GOP Senator Kennedy said that nobody knows what the impact of these tariffs is going to be on the economy.

​Several economic studies conducted by distinguished economists and prestigious institutions have analyzed the impact of tariffs on the economy, consistently finding that tariffs tend to have negative effects. Here is a list of 10 notable studies that ChatGPT pulled for me in 3 seconds:

  1. “Are Tariffs Bad for Growth? Yes, Say Five Decades of Data from 150 Countries”: Authored by Davide Furceri, Swarnali A. Hannan, Jonathan D. Ostry, and Andrew K. Rose, this study analyzed data from 151 countries over the period 1963–2014. The researchers found that increases in import tariffs are associated with significant and persistent declines in output growth. Specifically, a one standard deviation increase in the tariff rate (approximately 3.6 percentage points) leads to about a 0.4% decline in output five years later. The study attributes this decline to reduced labor efficiency, real exchange rate appreciation, and higher production costs due to increased prices of imported inputs. ​

  2. “Macroeconomic Consequences of Tariffs”: In this working paper, Davide Furceri, Swarnali A. Hannan, Jonathan D. Ostry, and Andrew K. Rose expanded on their previous research to explore the broader macroeconomic effects of tariffs. They found that higher tariffs lead to declines in output, productivity, and employment, as well as increases in inequality. The study underscores that the negative effects of tariffs are both economically and statistically significant. ​

  3. “International Trade, Distortions and Long-Run Economic Growth”: Jong-Wha Lee examined how trade distortions, such as tariffs, impact long-term economic growth. The study concluded that tariffs and exchange controls generate cross-country divergences in growth rates and per capita income over extended periods, highlighting the detrimental effects of trade barriers on economic development. ​IMF

  4. “The Effects of Tariffs and Trade Barriers in CBO’s Projections”: The Congressional Budget Office analyzed the impact of tariffs implemented since January 2018, finding that these trade barriers reduced the level of real U.S. GDP by roughly 0.3 percent by 2020. The study highlighted that tariffs raise domestic prices, thereby reducing consumers’ purchasing power and increasing business investment costs. ​Congressional Budget Office

  5. “The Macroeconomic Consequences of Import Tariffs and Trade Policy Uncertainty”: Lukas Boer and Malte Rieth estimated the macroeconomic effects of import tariffs and trade policy uncertainty in the United States. Their findings indicate that tariff shocks depress trade, investment, and output persistently, suggesting that protectionist measures have adverse economic consequences. ​IMF

  6. “Tariffs Do More Harm Than Good at Home”: Maurice Obstfeld discussed how tariffs, while intended to protect domestic industries, can be broadly contractionary, reducing output, investment, and employment in the economy. The study emphasized that such negative effects occur even if trade partners do not retaliate with tariffs of their own. ​IMF

  7. “Macroeconomic Consequences of Tariffs”: The Cato Institute reviewed empirical studies and found that tariff increases lead to declines in output and productivity in the medium term, as well as increases in unemployment and inequality. The study highlighted that tariffs do not improve the trade balance and often result in real exchange rate appreciation. ​IMF eLibrary+2Cato Institute+2IMF+2

  8. “The Return to Protectionism”: Economists Pablo D. Fajgelbaum, Pinelopi K. Goldberg, Patrick J. Kennedy, and Amit K. Khandelwal examined the effects of the 2018 trade war on the U.S. economy. Their analysis revealed that the tariffs led to higher import prices, resulting in increased costs for consumers and businesses. The study concluded that the tariffs imposed during this period caused substantial welfare losses for the U.S. economy.​

  9. “The Impact of the 2018 Trade War on U.S. Prices and Welfare”: Researchers Mary Amiti, Stephen J. Redding, and David E. Weinstein analyzed the price effects of the 2018 tariffs. They found that the full incidence of the tariffs was passed on to U.S. importers and consumers, leading to higher prices and reduced welfare. The study emphasizes that the tariffs did not lead to a reduction in foreign export prices, meaning U.S. entities bore the entire cost.​

  10. “Macroeconomic Consequences of Tariffs”: In this working paper, Davide Furceri, Swarnali A. Hannan, Jonathan D. Ostry, and Andrew K. Rose expanded on their previous research to explore the broader macroeconomic effects of tariffs. They found that higher tariffs lead to declines in output, productivity, and employment, as well as increases in inequality. The study underscores that the negative effects of tariffs are both economically and statistically significant.​

These studies collectively provide robust evidence that tariffs tend to have adverse effects on economic growth, productivity, employment, and consumer welfare.

Do you want me to cite not 10 but 200? I can keep going. It’ll just take a few more seconds.

Senator Kennedy – are your staffers asleep?

Due Process in the United States

On By Norbert HauptIn Atrocities, Political1 Comment

If you violated the law, you are not entitled to due process.
– Rep. Victoria Spartz, March 2024

An elected official, sworn to uphold the Constitution, said that people, in this case illegal aliens who violated asylum laws, are not entitled to due process.

This is wrong.

Due process exists specifically to protect those accused of violating the law. The Bill of Rights contains more provisions safeguarding the rights of the accused than on any other subject. The government can deprive you of liberty through due process, but it cannot deprive you of due process itself. In the United States, due process is not a revocable privilege. It is an irrevocable right.

Due process is the mechanism by which we determine whether someone did violate the law. It’s the protection we guarantee before we investigate and convict. That’s the whole point. We’re not supposed to arrest people, skip the trial, and make them disappear. Immigrants are detained indefinitely without hearings, or sent to overseas prisons. Protesters and students are punished based on accusations, not findings. Politicians, like Spartz in this case, make accusations without basis in fact.

What if you are wrongly arrested because somebody erroneously accused you, or because you had the wrong tattoo, or because you were at the wrong place at the wrong time? It happened recently to a few cases that attracted national attention. To how many people did it happen that we’ll never hear from again?

We will never know.

It could be you or me next. Think about that.

We can’t cherry-pick the Constitution based on who we like or what someone is accused of doing. I still remember a guy I worked with back in the 1990ies. Let’s call him Rick. He was a Second Amendment enthusiast. When I simply suggested, even back then, that we should ban assault weapons, that we should have universal background checks, he would be furious because, according to him: “You are trampling on our sacred document, the Constitution!”

At the time, I was trampling, just by suggesting common sense solutions.

Are we not trampling now?

Call Me a Pissed-Off Liberal

On By Norbert HauptIn PoliticalLeave a comment

I just heard about a poll that the approval rating of Democrats is at an all-time low. And no, it wasn’t Trump saying that.

I don’t belong to any party. I am registered as an Independent. However, I have never in my life voted for a Republican for president. I guess you can call me a liberal. I came close in 2008 with John McCain, but when he picked Palin that shut me down instantly, and then Obama rose, and that made it easy.

Today I am a pissed-off liberal. I get text solicitations every day by the likes of Mark Kelly, Jon Ossoff, Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders, Nancy Pelosi, Hakim Jeffries and dozens of others asking me for contributions to help them save democracy. This after the thousands of dollars I sent in increments of $25, $50 or $100 to anyone asking me in 2024 leading up to the election. Where did that money go? It resulted in the worst showing in decades against an opponent that should have been an easy one to pick off.

They had their chance before the election, and they failed. They didn’t read the public sentiment correctly, and now they are acting like it’s just money to correct that. I see the weakest Democratic Party I have ever seen. There is no star, there is no leader. After the stunt Chuck Schumer pulled with the funding vote, showing no fight, I am supposed to believe this party knows what it is doing? And don’t get me started on Fetterman.

I am not sure what the answer is, but 77 million voters wanted Trump to do what he is doing right now. It does not feel right to me. But I am not seeing anyone showing backbone and standing up for the other 75 million that didn’t agree.

Call me a pissed-off liberal.

Trump is the Mule

On By Norbert HauptIn Political, Trump2 Comments

I recently re-read Isaac Asimov’s  Foundation Trilogy. Here is my review.

There is a key character that appears in book 2 of the trilogy, called “the Mule.”

This is a mutant human, who has the ability to control other people’s emotions. He can inflict joy, pleasure, but also grief, sadness and pain. By influencing people’s emotional lives, he controls them. Within just a few years of discovering his power, he becomes the master of the universe. He conquers fleets, planets, and eventually becomes the ruler of the entire Empire, all within a span of just about 10 years.

The Mule is so successful because he is unique  (a mutant) and unlike anyone else. Nobody saw him coming, nobody predicted him, and there were no defenses against him. When humanity figured out what was going on, it was too late. They were all under his control.

Eventually, the Mule died and there was no successor. Nobody like him was around, and gradually the world regained its former balance – politics as usual.

Donald Trump is the Mule.

If you have read the Foundation Trilogy, you will know what I mean.

The Deficit and the Unique Skills of the Republicans

On By Norbert HauptIn Economy, PoliticalLeave a comment

These are just the numbers, not the fluff of what they are telling us.

  • Jimmy Carter added $25 billion to the deficit.
  • Ronald Reagan added $74 billion. That seemed bad at the time.
  • George H.W. Bush added $102 billion.
  • Bill Clinton reduced the deficit by $383 billion, leaving the budget in surplus when he left office.
  • George W. Bush added $1.54 trillion to the deficit.
  • Barack Obama got the deficit down to $585 billion; that is, he reduced it by $825 billion.
  • Donald Trump added $2.1 trillion to the deficit.
  • Joe Biden reduced the deficit by about $942 billion.

Do you see a pattern here?

Trump Pardons Ross Ulbricht

On By Norbert HauptIn Books, Need to Know, Political, TrumpLeave a comment

In the first few days of his second presidency, Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht. This created a news media frenzy. Ross Ulbricht was arguably one of the most successful American drug dealers of all time. He was serving a life sentence after he was convicted and had been in prison for 11 years.

It reminded me of the book, American Kingpin, by Nick Bilton, which I read and reviewed here in 2018. I thought you might be interested in Ulbricht’s story. Click on the link below for my review:

American Kingpin – by Nick Bilton

It is a very readable book, a page-turner, and more relevant today now that we know that one of the most successful drug dealers of all time is back out on the street, thanks to the Law-and-Order-President.

Pacifica – Let’s Create a New Nation – Take Two

On By Norbert HauptIn Commentaries, Geography, Political4 Comments

I ran across this Facebook post today. One would never think of remapping North America, but when the incoming President of the United States threatens Canada,  Greenland, Panama and what other countries he might come up with next, this kind of thing is inevitable.

Honestly, I would rather live in California and be part of Canada than to live in a pseudo-theocracy or oligarchy – whatever the right wing is now trying to drive our country to be. Nobody in this country would have thought this way a few years ago, but when the President, who is supposed to be a uniter of the people, drives people apart, this is almost inevitable.

Ironically, it reminds me of a post I wrote over four years ago, called: Pacifica – Let’s Create a New Nation.

My point then was tongue in cheek, but now I am not so sure. Since the statistics have changed since then, I thought I should refresh the numbers and re-publish a current post here.

In the age of Trump, where he continuously slams and attacks California, Oregon and Mexico, and where he is starting to pick fights with Canada, I think we should take a different approach.

I think we should form a new nation, called Pacifica. Some people have called the California secession the Calexit. We should invite Oregon and Washington to join us.

Then, for good measure, we should also invite Baja California and British Columbia to join us too. There is a good chance they might be interested. This would be the map of the new nation Pacifica:

We would have six states, named from north to south:

  • Columbia – we would drop the “British” part.
  • Washington – the current Washington State
  • Oregon – the current Oregon State
  • Jefferson – that would be what is now California north of the Bay Area
  • California – Bay Area to the Mexican border
  • Baja – current Baja California and Baja California Sur.

Our capital could remain Sacramento (in Jefferson State), but could also be Portland, Oregon or Seattle, Washington.

We would be the most diverse people in the world, with significant Asian and Latino populations.

To make the economic case, this is a chart of the current population and GDP of the component states:

Pacifica would be the 4th largest economy in the world with a $5.4 trillion economy, with a GDP per capita of $87,708. It would be one of the leading industrialized nations in the world.

Many of the leading tech companies, and the largest and most valuable companies in the world would be in Pacifica, including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google), Meta (Facebook) and Boeing. A few years ago I listed Tesla and SpaceX here, but they have seemingly moved their headquarters to Texas, even though much of the manufacturing and engineering is still done in California. Silicon Valley would be right in the heart of Pacifica.

Alaska and Hawaii would always be welcome to join Pacifica if they so chose.

We would have great forests in the north in Columbia, thousands of miles of pristine beachfront property in Baja to fuel a real estate boom on the peninsula never seen before (I sound like Trump here…) Tourists from all over the world would flock to Pacifica’s southern peninsula for vacations in the sun.

Given our massive economy, great weather, and enormous natural resources, we would have an unprecedented economic boom, and with a population of only about 62 million in our large country, we would welcome immigration.

Refugees coming into Pacifica through the deserts of the Southwest from Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and Mexico, would always be welcome, and we’d issue guest worker visas for them if they wanted to get jobs in Pacifica. We’d have a guest worker program that would provide a path to citizenship within five years of residency.

I am ready to start drafting the constitution!

 

Sucking the Fun out of Thanksgiving – A Comparison

On By Norbert HauptIn PoliticalLeave a comment

Joy Reid, the liberal commentator, was criticized for posting a message that “sucked the fun out of Thanksgiving.” Yes, I get it, Reid can be poignant at times. Here is an excerpt, and the full article below.

Here is the link to the article.

Donald Trump posted this message on Thanksgiving:

Trump’s message on X alone was reposted 90,000 times and had 72 million views.

Trump’s message in my opinion is a dismal statement from a person who professed he was going to unify the country. This message does not ring unifying to me. It is divisive and hateful. It’s not a message I want our nation’s children to read so they can look up to their leader.

So what is worse? Some mid-level liberal talk show host making a statement that sucks the fun out of Thanksgiving, or the president-elect doing the same, and having 72 million people view it on X alone?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Viewership of Liberal Stations Craters

On By Norbert HauptIn Commentaries, Political1 Comment

MSNBC Viewership Craters 38%, CNN 27%, While Fox News Audience Jumps 41% Post-Election

I know, because I am one of the people who stopped watching MSNBC after the election. There are two main reasons:

  1. Watching the “news” and the goings on with the government transition now is depressing. Rather than creating anger and frustration, I have decided that I have no direct impact or influence, so I’d rather be a bystander and watch only from a distance.
  2. I have come to the conclusion that I live in a news bubble. I am obviously not getting “fed” what’s really going on in the country. It’s time to change that. I am not going to turn to Fox News, I don’t need that either, but I am going to research and get my actual news from more reliable sources.

I assume there are millions of people like me out there, dealing with the same thing.