WHITE HOUSE UPDATES
Hmmm…new predictions from the White House give us some food for thought:
2013 budget year ending 9/30: the deficit will be below $1 trillion –someplace between $973 billion and a still lower $670 billion.
As a % of economy, the deficit would be less than HALF what it was when Obama entered office; pretty close to the Obama promise of cutting it in half in the first term –despite all the roadblocks to success he encountered.
It’s comforting to know we are improving at a faster rate that the previous administration SPENT.
The March “automatic spending cuts” will SLOW DOWN economic growth by about .2%.
Projections for unemployment will average 7% in 2014 and reach 6.8% in final quarter of 2014. This is pretty much ON TARGET with “neutral” economic predictions during Bush Administration of how BAD the meltdown was and how LOLNG it would take.
So much for all the nay-saying, self-proclaimed “fiscally responsible” Republicans, don’t you think?
In spite of putting aside even a pretense of cooperation /collaboration/responsibility for improvement going forward, the Republican Party is being “foiled” again….so beware of what their NEXT destructive moves will be!
Obama is indeed doing what he promised on the economy; we are getting results.
JUST THINK WHERE WE WOULD BE IF THE WHOLE CONGRESS had been focused on the Country’s best interest instead of consistently trying to foil their enemy Barack Obama…and by inference, the MAJORITY of the American people that voted him into office – not ONCE, BUT TWICE! Not bad for a young African-American” whipper-snapper” that according to the Republicans and a whole lot of the Press Corps – has done nothing right since he took office.
Just think what he may have accomplished had he not been blocked by the angry old birds of the 20th century at every turn he took?
THE US COAL INDUSTRY
In the midst of the US Coal Industry’s recent cries of FOUL, we learn today of more evidence of how bad coal is for our health.
500 MILLION Chinese citizens in Northern China died 5 years sooner than the expected life span DUE TO heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and respiratory illnesses caused by the FREE COAL for heat policy – through much of the last half of the 20th century. Unfortunately, that policy did INDEED create air pollution and all the expected human health issues.
The irony of this? Southern Chinese did not benefit from the “free coal program” because they were TOO poor- and the result of this discrimination by the government: The Southerners lived longer!
If that lesson is not enough for our Coal Industry, let’s try another approach. Remember the Tall Ships of days gone by? They were replaced by the growth of steamships, and more advances that ultimately created nuclear powered ships.
I am sure the Tall Ships manufacturers most likely were crying “foul” just like the Coal Industry today. Ask yourself, where would we be as a country had we listened?
As for me, I suggest we not continue to support an industry “past its prime” that is harmful to our air, land and more important – KILLS people!
FROM WORST CASE SCENARIO TO GOOD OPTION:
Back on the drawing board is the ZERO OPTION for Afghanistan. Get out totally is becoming a realistic option in Afghanistan.
Personally, I think we have done enough to drag them out of the middle ages and their feudal society. Let them exist on their own with the understanding that any aggression against neighbors or US means a NUKE!
Although I always stood firm against the Iraq War, I was less out-spoken and more conflicted on the Declaration of War in Afghanistan. Nevertheless – had I had a blog then, there probably would be a history of me raising the question: Why are we going to war in just a month after 9-11 against a country that did not attack us, but is indeed giving asylum to someone who did. Surely we should negotiate first, or look for ways to “take him out” that does not call for a war that we most likely will never WIN. Yes, never win, based on the years and years of war waged against the Afghans by the Russians, and the fact that those years later, in 2011, there were a whole lot of American –supplied weapons in Afghan hands – given to them by us in hopes of defeating the Russians!
Instead the war-mongering neo-cons could not waste another minute! And since they had already spent 9 months of their first year in office planning the Iraq War they wanted to FINISH – left over from the first Bush President’s administration – they were chomping at the bit to have at it so if its Afghan instead of Iraq II –so be it…and so, off to war we went and have been killing people, being killed and throwing good money after bad for TWELVE YEARS.
And of course Afghanistan did not DIVERT them from Iraq as we know…it just gave them more time to solidify their plans and build their SUPPORT OUR TROOPS campaign to neutralize any naysayers that might have tried to stop them.
Just put it in perspective. How would the country react today if the Obama Administration went to war with Russia – or Venezuela- or Bolivia because someone who planned harm to our country – Snowden – is given asylum? I can hear the cries already from all those that support Snowden’s actions. We are already hearing the dissent because the US is diplomatically discouraging support. And please don’t say – but Bush was justified – it was on our soil; it killed over 3000 people and it made a mess of New York City. None of us can comprehend the damage that could be in the works right now due to Snowden’s need to be a temporary hero.
created by CEK 