President Trump delivers considerable remarks prior to the beginning of a Cabinet Meeting in the White House.
Against growing immigration policy backlash, early results in the Austria election show the center-right People’s Party (OVP), led by Sebastian Kurz, winning with around 31 percent of the vote. The second place party, Freedom Party (FPO), with around 27% is even more euro-skeptic and nationalistic minded. The Social Democrat Party, the former lead party, has dropped to third place with around 26%.
(Via Express UK) The People’s Party (OVP) got 30.2 per cent of the vote, according to exit polls from Austrian news channel ORF.
Mr Kurz’s party is tough on migration, easy on taxes and widely Eurosceptic after rebranding itself over the last few months to propel its popularity in the wealthy Alpine nation.
He is expected to form a coalition with the right-wing populist Freedom party (FPO), who got 26.8 per cent of the vote, according to the latest projections.
Speaking after 85 per cent of the votes were counted, he told his cheering supporters: “Today we have won a huge mandate to change this country, and I promise you I will work with all my energy for change.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears with Mari Bartiromo to discuss the Iranian nuclear agreement and specifically President Trump’s call for revised security terms.
For those who travel through the deep geopolitical grass, this interview is particularly important as Netanyahu outlines the ‘why now’ aspect. Note specifically how the Prime Minister frames the economic leverage strategy we have discussed –Backstory Here– and how the regional allies President Trump has assembled are all in concert with the larger objectives. It’s actually a little surprising to see Netanyahu ‘out’ the Big picture.
One of the more anticipated interviews this weekend is Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussing the Iran Nuclear Agreement (JCPOA) with the insufferable Jake Tapper.
One of the things noted from both Trump’s national speech on Iran, and Tillerson’s statements this morning, is open and unusually visible public support for the “Green Movement” (political opposition) in Iran.
Just because western media doesn’t understand how President Trump executes a geopolitical strategy based on economic leverage, that doesn’t mean adversaries are not fully aware of the effectiveness of the approach.
The Trump Doctrine has two avenues toward dealing with national security adversaries.
The first route is direct assignment of responsibility toward the enablers: see China for North Korea; The Gulf States for Qatar (Sunni extremism); Russia for Syrian terrorism (Assad); and Pakistan for Afghanistan (Taliban); as recent examples.
However, when the geopolitical threat stems directly from the enabler, and not the enabled, the Trump Doctrine has a distinctly different and far more encompassing, approach. Route two goes through leveraging regional allies and partners: See ASEAN and India for ¹China; and France, Poland, Baltic States for ²Russia. And now President Trump is beginning to shift toward ³Iran.
In each case: China, Russia and Iran, unlike Western media, these powers assemble volumes of research to assist them in understanding the most likely sequence of events President Trump will take.
When we say volumes of research, we indeed mean hundreds of people researching and drafting position documents based upon every scintilla of every deal Donald J Trump has engaged in. No expenses are spared as these state actors assemble information toward their own strategy to counter the most unpredictable adversary they have faced.
(more…)
Prior to the 2016 election (Oct ’16) consumer confidence measured by the University of Michigan was indexed at 87.2 Today that same confidence rating is 101.1 A stunning 15.9% increase. Similarly, consumer expectations were indexing 76.8 in October 2016 and now stand at 91.3, an increase of 18.9%.
Consumer confidence is at the highest level since 2004 and Americans have the brightest outlook for their economic future in decades. The MAGAnomic data is clear. Yet even those who assemble the data interpret MAGAnomics with some false assumptions.
Nonetheless, consumers anticipate low unemployment, low inflation, small increases in interest rates, and most importantly, modest income gains in the year ahead. [True]
It is this acceptance of lackluster growth rates in personal income and in the overall economy that signifies that consumers have accepted, however reluctantly, limits on the pace of improving prospects for living standards. [False interpretation]
With lowered costs associated with highly-consumable, albeit non Fed measured products (fuel, food, energy), average living standards actually increase. It is a false interpretation of data to say consumer confidence/expectations are at the highest levels in fifteen years, and simultaneously say people have resigned themselves to stagnant living standards.
(more…)
This is a great interview from the perspective of seeing first hand how the disconnect between historic economic theory (Kudlow) runs into the reality of a person (Ross) who completely understands how Trade and Finance are enmeshed in a completely new economic paradigm. [The Myth of Modern Free Markets]
If you have read “The New Economic Dimension” you’ll note that Kudlow represents the economist sitting in the Atlantic, only able to see the Wall Street economy; while Wilbur Ross has a satellite perspective on both the Main Street and Wall Street economic engines.
Kudlow’s financial perspective runs into Ross’s reality about two-thirds of the way through the interview when Secretary Ross asks the question: “I bet you can’t give me an example of an economically sound investment that hasn’t found capital”. It’s just a splendid thing to watch.
On August 22nd, 2017, President Trump began a very familiar process toward Pakistan within the foreign policy approach known as the “Trump Doctine”: the accurate ownership of responsibility by honestly calling out the historic nature of the relationship.
The approach toward the Taliban through the enablers in Pakistan followed an identical pattern: ♦noted in the Muslim Brotherhood’s enabling via Qatar; ♦noted in Assad’s enabling via Russia; ♦noted in North Korea’s enabling via China.
In each example President Trump positions his chosen policy leverage toward the enabler, toward the root cause, and not direct confrontation with the symptom. The results from this approach are quite remarkable.
Well, today:
(more…)
After reviewing the latest press conference by Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo a few issues rise to the surface. America doesn’t need tears – America needs answers.
First, on the matter of Lombardo’s defensive act, and anger toward people creating alternate theories to reconcile their official contradictions. It is ridiculous for law enforcement (2 weeks post shooting) to claim they want the public’s help, and yet simultaneously hold press briefings where they refuse to answer questions.
If they want the “alternate theories” to stop – then simply deliver honest and accurate information. It has been two weeks. For the FBI and LVMPD to claim they cannot yet present a valid and reasonable sequence of events in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history is abjectly indefensible. Apparently the internal definition of “public servant” has been lost.
If there are, as continually claimed, NO ADDITIONAL “subjects of interest”, or “additional actors”, in the crime – there is no reasonable excuse for not providing information.
It then becomes further ridiculous for the same sheriff to direct his ire against those who seek information from law enforcement, yet simultaneously claim a desire for transparency and refuse to answer reasonable questions. These mutually exclusive statements and behaviors do not reconcile.
(more…)
As President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump depart the White House the president answers questions from reporters and gathered pool media.
President Trump has continued, through sheer will, to establish firm political footing on a series of substantive issues, domestic and international events; and confidently responds to oppositional media constructs from a position of non-partisan common sense.
This is OUR president. This is the common sense and practical outlook we voted for. Owning and admitting the downsides; steadfast inside the hurricane of crisis; not pretending every solution will equally benefit. This is a brutally honest president who remains focused on elevating competency and directly facing the challenges.
