Encore of Revival: America, June 10, 2019

One of the best-kept secrets in America is that tariffs discourage imports; if we raise tariffs, imports go down. Another best-kept secret is that if imports go down, domestic jobs go up. These two secrets are so well-kept that not even Senate Republicans know. They think that the same amount of imports will keep flowing in, even with tariffs. They think tariffs will not make consumers want to buy American-made goods again.

Even better-kept is the secret that tariffs discourage certain things in the country that makes the goods. When threatened with tariffs if “irregular” immigration wasn’t stopped their side of the border, Mexico suddenly stopped illegal immigration previously said to be unstoppable. This comes as such a revolutionary surprise, perhaps we should consider that threatening tariffs on the sun could stop global warming! Tariffs seem capable of doing things no one imagined, after all.

Another well-kept secret is that America’s government has its need to follow rules. Long, long ago, we all knew that the government has to play by certain rules. But, somewhere during the Obama years, we seem to have forgotten. Impeaching a president doesn’t remove him from office; the House impeaches, but the Senate has to hold a trial before a president can be removed. Clinton was impeached and he stayed in office. Apparently Nancy Pelosi’s voters didn’t know that. So, she explained it to them. With all the well-kept secrets in the country, one has to wonder: Why didn’t “Nervous Nancy” Pelosi just try to impeach Trump, then act surprised that he stayed president? She might have gotten more votes that way. Such lying theatrics wouldn’t have worked ten years ago, but times are changing!

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Encore of Revival: America, September 17, 2018

Trump’s sanctions about elections are about the election. Turn all eyes to Texas. The seat of Senator Ted Cruz should not be in jeopardy. Democrats have no reason to dump such large amounts of money into a Texas race where senators are trending Republican—unless they are either crazy or they happen to know about other plans that could affect the vote. They aren’t campaigning against Cruz because they think he is weak, but because he is so powerful.

Without the additional sanctions on foreign interference, it would be much easier to meddle in your opponent’s election by asking a foreign power to do the meddling. Americans know better than to meddle in American elections because they have nowhere to run. Off-shore meddlers are another story—at least they were until Trump ordered his sanctions.

This is a shot across the bow, not so much deterring foreign powers from meddling as much as making foreign powers—and any domestic cooperatives—aware that the White House is aware that there are attempts to meddle. Only a fool would think Trump’s order is purely for the optics of pleasing his unusually loyal base, which cares more about jobs and walls than defusing accusations they have already decided are fraudulent. These sanctions from the White House could be what wins Cruz his second term. We’ll see.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley lives in a unit in the famed Waldorf Astoria. She originally had the $135k/month unit occupied by Susan Rice during the Obama years. Rice had ordered $52k worth of drapes and motors to close them, but the furnishings didn’t arrive until Haley had insisted on moving to a less-than-half-the-price unit of the lavish Obama ambassador, at only $58k/month. New York is an expensive place for everyone, but Haley also rejected the set of drapes. Of course, in New York newswriting, Obama’s bad decision must be blamed on Trump. It’s all Trump’s fault what Obama did.

Senator Feinstein should be impeached and Judge Kavanaugh should be approved Monday rather than Thursday. After a long and—according to Democrats—interesting career in the White House, an uncorroborated claim from a supposed victim of a so-called assault—much less severe than anything Clinton was praised for by his base—came to Feinstein in July. The accuser didn’t mention anything in all the other years of Kavanaugh’s career, nor did Feinstein mention the accusations in July or August. Everyone waited until the last possible minute.

If it is true that Democrats don’t mention important facts until time is almost up, they should be expelled from Washington. Many voters in the #WalkAway movement seem to agree. But, this looks more like something made-up. By doing this at such a late hour, Democrats have implied that there is nothing more meaningful to discuss. Democrats are still angry that they can’t read all the private memorandum that other people wrote to other people which Kavanaugh was the confidential delivery boy for. So, they pull an Anita Hill style accusation that looks fake in every time and manner they choose. The only credibility this accuser can gain at the bottom of this ninth inning would be for Feinstein to resign in disgrace for either trying to pull a fake “September surprise” or for exploiting a victim in doing so. Fat chance on a Democrat not exploiting the victims so desperately engineered into their voter base.

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, January 9, 2017

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen (蔡英文) is in Houston, TX. Joshua Wong (黃之鋒) and a few lawmakers from Hong Kong are in Taiwan. A new wave of smog is in Beijing. And, more threats from Beijing to Trump are in the headlines.

Wong was a Hong Kong Umbrella Movement leader and is now secretary-general of the Hong Kong center-left pro-democracy party, Demosisto. The lawmakers accompanying Wong in Taiwan are Edward Yiu (姚松炎), Nathan Law (羅冠聰), and Eddie Chu (朱凱迪).

Senator Cruz gave a few educational remarks on democracy to Beijing over the Communists’ requests that US lawmakers not meet with Tsai. Tsai is on her way to Central America, but her connection in Texas brought lots of opportunity to discuss the strong and strengthening relationship between Taiwan and the US.

Back in Hong Kong, Wong and Law, elected but disqualified by the courts as a legislator, are facing charges for connection with protests that stormed a political office in Hong Kong in 2014. So continues the generational disputes. Establishments do what they will and the people, especially younger generations more willing to take action, never seem to find a way to lodge their objections in a way that is both effective and agreed to by the establishment. Perhaps, the objection to the protest was not its manner or location, but its political objective: Hong Kong Independence.

Asian news in early 2017 is back to the usual: Which territories ought to comply with China’s policies regardless of their will; and the smoke in Beijing, both environmental and political. And, of course, America is managing to remain in Asian headlines and Chinese talking points, as well as China’s backyard ocean.

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Encore of Revival: America, January 19, 2016

Encore of Revival: America, January 19, 2016

The democratic awakening from Taiwan won’t stop with China. Though the ramifications may stay more in the government, they will reach America. The Pentagon and White House, in their own ongoing feuds, will be forced to recognize their miscalculations. The people are fed up. And if 20 million Taiwanese aren’t afraid of China’s 2,000 missiles and are willing to tear down annoying establishments anyway, then 300 million Americans can’t be contained by any means—by the press or the barrel of a gun.

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Tempo: April 10, 2015

California sheriff’s deputies beat a horse thief who is tazed and down—55 times. Rand Paul answered his last question, then left; the Left calls that “walking out”; but he would never walk out on talks with Iran. Switzerland issues the first ever 10 year bonds yielding a negative interest rate, paying back less than they were sold for. Marco Rubio issues a montage video, non-specific as a Ted Kennedy speech, with music one might expect in a Transformers movie. Krauthammer also compared Rubio to Kennedy, in a good way. Hillary Clinton plans to run, as does Jeb. Eric Bolling, in for Bill-O, doesn’t like political dynasties. Microsoft makes Windows 10, the 9th edition of Windows, available to more smartphones. NRA audiences don’t like the press either. Bonus articles: April 9, 1865. The Surrender at Appomattox (Dialog of Civil War surrender) | 7 Reasons Even Really Smart People Can Be Fooled by Liars

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Tempo: April 8, 2015

Another police shooting, it has a video, it’s terrible. The press conference was hot. Rand Paul announces, Ted Cruz rakes in the dough. YouTube plans ad-free subscriptions. NASA announces announcing aliens in 2025. Japan is important to the new US Defense Secretary. Ebola hits record low, Israel reports. A CEO sends a kid to Obama’s party in his stead. And the Reddit CEO fights sexual discrimination by banning contract negotiation. Bonus article: How to Write a Great Business Plan: Sales and Marketing

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