Disconnect

I've tried to make this point before ... that Trump's demeanor is like a stone around his neck ... yet he keeps moving forward identifying and solving problems for the American people. Our president's detractors are legion ... most of the media, the Deep State, Hollywood, most Democrats, higher education, establishment Republicans, George Soros and his many well-funded tentacles, suburban woman, and big tech. A very formidable set of adversaries ... yet, so far, he survives ... and keeps getting things done.

To get back to his demeanor ... he is pompous, egotistical, simple-speaking, insulting and truth stretching. And, to all these labels that the media have painted him with, add  white supremacist, liar, antisemitite, mentally unbalanced, Islamophobe, racist, misogynist, Putin puppet, autocrat, etc. It's a wonder that he has any supporters at all. Yet he packs arenas to overflowing ... while prominent Democrats pad out their meager audiences with paid-for chaff.

Yet Trump has solved or seems to be solving many of America's knotty issues, trade, economic growth, employment and household income growth, higher consumer confidence, putting North Korea and Iran in a box, stronger military, more conservative courts, solving immigration issues, fixing NATO funding, better Israel relations, squashing ISIS, etc, etc.

So how can such a bad guy do such good things? Why the disconnect between his demeanor  and his deeds? Perhaps it is because he loves his country more than himself?

Obvious Truth #21

Is anyone surprised that the cost of higher education is through the roof? Our colleges and universities are country clubs with bloated administrations, feel-good courses and non-liberal Liberal professors catering to millennial snowflakes who too often are mortgaging their future for a worthless piece of sheepskin. -- Anon.

Fond Memories

Those were the the days when:

- Commercial breaks were 60- second spots for a single company or product

- Movies caused you to suspend disbelief

- Democrats didn't disparage their country

- Higher education didn't require you to mortgage your future

- There was a "free speech" movement

- Food stamps were actual stamps

- Our immigration system was working

- PBS didn't have "promotional" interruptions

- It was impolite to be on your phone in a social setting

- News stories gave you who, what, when and where

- Schools were safe spaces in and of themselves

- Voters did not outnumber those registered

- Gee, that old LaSalle ran great

Raw Truth

Higher education gone astray ... student loan debt = $1.5 trillion

Moonbeam's Legacy

Current Napa Valley wildfire

California's mis-governor, Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown is leaving his state in a pretty mess:

- perennial out-of-control wildfires

- thousands of illegal alien felons protected by his sanctuary state

- unsustainable fiscal insanity

- upward spiraling taxes and regulations

- the middle class being driven out of state

- an adversarial relationship with our federal government

- myopic and anti-agriculture water-resource regulations

- narrowly-focused environmental planning

- well-advertised and ill-advised open borders

- political correctness running amok

- standing by for the loss of free speech

- dumbing down of an once-exemplar higher education system

- rampant homelessness befouling the state's major cities

Culture Wars

The Republicans now control Congress, the White House, the Supreme Court and 2/3rds of the states' legislatures ... obviously a huge win in the political wars. This is a bit surprising since the Democrats keep winning the cultural wars ... as exemplified by Bill O'Reily recent ouster from Fox News. The Democrats, by diluting the Fox message, now have even a bigger strangle hold on the media. And since they also control Hollywood, higher education,Wall Street, most of the music business, foundations, the Internet social media and, increasingly, sports broadcasting, they are bound to make a political comeback if they can just find a few likable candidates.

Unless, of course, conservatives can somehow begin to make equivalent inroads in the cultural wars. But how? Well, the longest journey starts with a few steps.  I can think of two modest initial targets ... journalism schools and foundations. This won't be easy as these two institution are loaded with progressives. Let us look at each one separately:

- For the journalism schools, may I suggest that some wealthy conservatives endow some inspirational and conservative professors to teach courses like Journalistic Ethics or The Rule of Law or Facts vs. Opinion. Perhaps a few students might be disuaded from being proxy politicians.

- For the foundations, I would suggest that a few lawsuits might be initiated to insure that now-liberal foundations be forced to comply with their original charters ... many of which are far afield from that which they now practice. I suspect that many of those who set up foundations for noble ends are spinning in their graves over what has happened to their beloved intentions.

Just accomplishing these two started goals would be a good win in the other, equally-important battle ... the  conservatives' battle to win back the culture wars. But in any case it should be a long slogue.

Counterpoint

Recently I wrote a blog specifying all the good things that can be said about the United States ... see: Rose-Colored Glasses. However, daily we see media articles that show these advantages often slip-sliding away. To illustrate this I have juxtaposed below, next to my previously-stated advantages, media stories that show the slow dulling of our nation's edges:

We have a capitalism-driven growing economy ... the largest in the world. See: China Overtakes the U.S. as World;s Largest Economy.

We have a plentiful supply of cheap labor to our south ... anxious to experience our American life. See: Donald Trump Was Right.

We have a premier higher-education system ... the envy of the world ... and one which keeps supplying us with gifted entrepreneurs. See: Higher Education -- Not What It Used To Be.

We have the geographic advantage of being isolated from most of the rest of the world by two large oceans. See: How Geography Explains The United States.

We have a very low inflation rate. See: What Official Inflation Figures Aren't Telling Us.

We have a generally benign climate. See: Scientists Warn Sun Will Go To Sleep In 2020, Cause Temperatures To Plummet.

We have a national park system that is the envy of the world. See: Obama Designates More Than 1 Million Acres For Three New Monuments.

We have the world's best health-care professionals and technology. See: Healthcare Is Getting Worse Under Obamacare.                 

Despite continuing declines, we still have an enormous manufacturing capacity. See: Fast Track To Lost Jobs.

We are currently not in a hot war draining our treasury and supply of young people. See: Pentagon Official Lists Militants, Russia and China As Threats To The U.S.

Most crime in this country is on the decline except in a few hot spots. See: Murder Rate Surges In Major U.S. Cities.

We have a democratic-elected government and all the freedoms provided by our Bill of Rights. See: The Constitution Is Eroding.

We are abundantly supplied with raw materials. See: How Putin's Russia Gained Control Of A U.S. Uranium Mine.

We have a stable currency ... the basis of most world-wide commerce. See: Momentum Builds To Label Chinese Yuan A Reserve Currency

We have the strongest military in the world. See: Lawmakers Blast US Army Force Cuts.

We have a very large middle class that supports our democracy and our way of life. See: The Shrinking American Middle Class.

We have an enormously efficient food-supply chain. See: America.s Fragile Food Supply Chain.

We lead the world in most technological advances. See: U.S. Moving From Technology Leader To Laggard.

We still carry a large surplus of prestige with most world governments. See: The Decline Of U.S. Power?

Now you see "the rest of the story."

10 Self-evident Truths

- The climate changes
- The way to a man's heart is through his penis
- Most politicians are self-serving blaggards
- Women have been liberated
- Too many Muslims tolerate violence
- Bill Clinton is not monogamous
- Americans indulge their children
- Buying something advertised on TV is a big mistake
- Suicide bombers seldom if ever stand trial
- Higher education is way too expensive

Inflation

The New York Times recently published an article which included a very interesting 9-year comparison of the rates of inflation in various sectors of the U.S economy. It is very revealing as seen below (click on image to enlarge it):

If you wish to read the source article , go to: New York Times Story.  Now, it doesn't take anyone too clever to notice something in this chart ... the primary inflation drivers in our economy are higher education, health care, and child day-care. All other items are nearly flat or declining. And, surprise ... surprise, these three items are all subsidized by the federal government ... either through entitlements, tax credits, or student loans.  These other better-behaving sectors are all under the control of the private sector.

So, dear reader, what does this tell us as the tentacle's of our ever expanding government as it is reaching further and further into our private lives? (And our fearless leader said that Obamacare was going to bend the health-care cost curve down.) You guessed it ... we will be hosed ... and good ... by more Democrat governance. Please remember this lesson when you vote this coming November.

Tip of the hat to Joe Asche from Dartblog.