THE LEFT WAS RIGHT...THERE IS RIOTING IN THE STREETS.

In the lead-up to November's Election the Left / Progressives said that post election there would be rioting in the streets...and boy were they right.

But as we all recall, they qualified their prediction somewhat by saying that the rioting would only take place if Donald Trump Lost the Election.

Of course Trump won the election...so why the Rioting?

And for those of you who say it began with his most recent order to put a moritorium on Muslim Immigration ...you'd be wrong of course since the civil disobedience occurred even before Trump was inaugurated.

So what gives?

When I heard the Progressives first talk about rioting in the streets if Trump lost - I knew they were wrong - ordinary folks are too busy raising their families to have either the time or inclination for such antics. Put simply they are decent, law abiding folks.   Indeed, if there was any inclination toward such juvenile delinquency we would have seen it when the Tea Partyers were peacefully protesting Obama during his first term in office.

So what, Dear Reader, are the Elites and Professional Rioters going on about?  

Is Trump, as they say, blundering on all fronts?

Let's look at his record:

January 20th

Obamacare: 

Within hours of his inauguration, Trump took his first step toward appealing the Affordable Care Act, signing an

executive order calling on government agencies to "ease the burden" of the policy.

Trump's order asked federal agencies to "prepare to afford the states more flexibility and control to create a more free and open healthcare market."   

My Note:  Obamacare was a disaster from start to finish, it cost jobs, reduced choice and dramatically increased premiums.  There was and still is a need to provide care for the 20 or so % that do not have it - but that needs to be done by directing all efforts to incorporate that relatively small number rather than interfere with the vast majority who had been happy with their coverage.

Federal regulations: 

Trump also ordered a freeze on all new federal regulations that had not been finalized.  My Note: Governments love to grow and one thing modern administrations are good at is regulating us to death.  It is about time this nonsense was stopped. 

23rd.

Abortion:

Trump signed a presidential memorandum reviving a rule that prevents US funds from going to certain health charities around the world that counsel on abortions. Known as the Mexico City policy, it was first instituted by former President Ronald Reagan in 1984 and has been on and off the books ever since.

My Note:  Why would the US fund abortions especially those performed outside their country?  If it has that much freed-up money - spend it on providing the world with clean drinking water.

Federal workforce: Trump ordered a temporary hiring freeze for federal workers, except for the military and certain security positions.  My Note:  In the face of a $20 Trillion Dollar Debt this makes imminent sense.

24th

Oil pipelines:

Trump signed executive orders that would make it possible to complete the Dakota Access and restart the process for the construction of theKeystone XL oil pipeline from Canada.  

Note: Another good move.  Not only will it create thousands of jobs it will cement America's goal of being Energy Self-sufficient.   I have said on many occasions that the tumult in the Middle East was caused by George W. Bush's reckless incursion into Iraq followed by Obama's inaction over 2 terms.  But the real cause of trouble in the Middle East goes backs to the $Trillions and Trillions of Dollars the West paid to Arab States for their Oil.  Without the money - there'd be no present day wars / violence.

25th

Border security: 

Trump signed an executive action directing federal agencies to prepare for immediate construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border -- a controversial project that was at the center of his presidential campaign.  My Note:  Another good move.  The fact is the US did not have a southern border.  If you believe countries can retain their independence while losing their ability to control who enters their country...there is nothing I can say which will change your mind.

Immigration enforcement:

The president signed an executive order to strip federal grant money from so-called "sanctuary cities" -- U.S. municipalities that protect undocumented immigrants from federal prosecution. 

Note:  another good move.  These so-called sanctuary cities are protecting out and out criminals who hide amongst legitimate refugees. They need to be rooted out for two reasons -first  to protect society in general and second to enable true refugees to receive help.  

27th

Military strength: 

Trump signed an executive order to provide new resources and equipment to strengthen the U.S. military. The order promises to "rebuild" American armed forces and upgrade national and global security as part of a strategy that dictates "peace through strength." The order directs Defense Secretary James Mattis to assess the country's military and nuclear capabilities.  Note:  The Military had been allowed to deteriorate under Obama.  For instance the Navy had 900 warships at the beginning of Obama's first term.  That number dwindled to 600 today and was headed to 300 had Obama been allowed to run again.  No wonder countries like Russia and China have started to flew their muscles. 

Visa vetting:

Trump signed an executive order that calls for more intensive security checks for foreign nationals seeking U.S. travel visas. The action stems from a controversial proposal Trump made during his campaign -- to prevent certain refugees from nations of concern, like Iraq and Syria, from reaching U.S. shores until they can be cleared.  Note:  I am not going to deal with this one now since I have promised to do a full Blog on this important subject next. 

30th

Federal regulations:

Trump signed an executive order requiring that for every new federal regulation on small and large businesses, two existing regulations must be removed. He signed the document after a meeting with small business leaders. Trump said he wants to end regulatory discrepancy between big and small business.  Note:  I have already dealt with this generally above but again anything to get us out from under the avalanche of regulations will be most helpful to business both big and small and in-between. We have seen the Stock Market go beyond 20,000 which is amazing and with other measures promised such as reducing Corporate Tax Rates from 35 to 20 or even 15% will spur the markets even higher.  At the same time it will create massive more full-time employment.

So if the above confirms that Trump is blundering on all fronts...bring it on. 

Rather what I see is that finally someone is in charge who is doing the right things.  

And as for the rioting I attribute it to poor losers and to professional shxx disturbers which we always seem to have in our midst.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher' 

MY UNCLE FRED....Tragedy Continued To Follow Him Even Into Death.

Before I get started on today's Blog concerning my late Uncle, I just wanted to mention the Trump Moratorium on Travel to the USA from 7 Select Arab Countries.

I indicated at the end of my most recent Blog that I would be dealing with this subject 'soon' but have decided to delay that somewhat due to the hysteria and untruths surrounding this subject.  ...Stay Tuned.

Now Back to Uncle Fred:

My Uncle Fred was the kindest most gentle chap you could ever imagine but... like the lovers in Romeo and Juliet, he was star-crossed.

Uncle Fred was a farmer from a long line of farmers.  He was my grandmother's brother from a family of 6 girls and 2 boys.

Uncle Fred and his brother - Uncle Percy, purchased a farm a few concessions below their father's farm in the early 1920s.  It was there when the first tragedy occurred. One of his young nieces, who was visiting their farm, was hit on the back of the head by a heavy wooden swing and died.  Uncle Fred personally felt responsible for this poor child's death.  

He married the local school marm - Annie-Mae and was soon blessed with a daughter Helen.  Tragedy 2 occurred when his wife passed away in her early 40s leaving him alone to raise his young daughter.

He then married Ella also a widow and retired into a small rural town nearby. My mother and father, for a short time, lived in that small town and my mother recalled tutoring Helen who was now in her teens and attending high-school.  She was helping Helen with her math ...(it's a good thing she did not come to me for help since Math was by far my worst subject).

(As a note here - Aunt Ella had also lost a young son to a swollen creek during an early Spring run-off.  A search over the course of several days failed to find the young boy's body however in a dream, a local farmer saw where he lay. Early next morning, the farmer went to the spot shown him in his dream and there was Ella's son). 

It was around this point that I vividly recall visiting Uncle Fred and Aunt Ella.  Two things always struck me on my visits the first was Uncle Fred's profound deafness and the second was the source of water to the house - an olde hand pump found in the kitchen. 

One other thing stuck out for me and that was playing checkers with my Uncle.  He always won and I seldom even got passed the first few moves.  I can still remember the infectious twinkle in his eyes. 

My parents told me that Uncle Fred was a proficient fiddle player prior to going deaf and I can picture in my mind his playing at the numerous barn dances that likely took place in the rural countryside.

But back to tragedy.  In due course Helen left home, got married and had three children of her own...all boys.  Her oldest was named Gregory...Greggie for short and was the apple of Uncle Fred's eye. Looking back I believe Greggie had what we would now call some developmental challenges but save for that, he was a regular kid and along with his two brothers no doubt kept their parents busy.

When Greggie was about 8 years old, Uncle Fred passed away. During the last few days of his life, my mother - a Registered Nurse - was at Uncle Fred's bedside.  She recalled that near the end he had tried to 'blow out' his bedside lamp mistaking it for a candle. His mind at that point was clearly back to an earlier and possibly much happier time for him.

Soon after Uncle Fred's passing...Young Greggie drowned in the nearby River. The river was mostly shallow and one had to walk out a great distance to reach deep water. The strong suspicion, among the family, was that Greggie had deliberately drowned himself in order to be with his Grandpa - our Uncle Fred - in Heaven. Tragedy 3

My cousins and I acted as pallbearers at his very sad funeral.

The next tragedy was not long in coming.

Helen, her husband and her remaining 2 boys found themselves in a winter blizzard and were soon engulfed in a major car pile-up. Helen was killed instantly.  Tragedy 4

Her two young sons were both seriously injured in the crash and within weeks, one of her injured boys succumbed to his injuries.  Tragedy 5

Again my cousins and I found ourselves carrying his casket to the nearby cemetery. 

One of those pallbearers - Aunt Ella's grandson, was killed a few years later when the transport truck he was driving went off the road.  Tragedy 6

Then Aunt Ella's son - also a farmer, got his leg caught in a threshing machine and if it was not for the quick thinking of a neighbour farmer working with him that day, he too would have perished.  As it was, he lost his leg up to his hip.  Tragedy 7

Many years later my parents received a letter from Helen's surviving husband saying that in his early 30s the final grandson of Uncle Fred had also passed away.  Doctors tending the young man at his death laid the responsibility for his death on that terrible Winter Car Crash of many years back.  Tragedy 8

Uncle Fred's Lineage was no more. 

When I am having days when things just seem not to go right, I think of my Uncle Fred and remember the twinkle in his eyes and realize just how lucky I really am.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

TRUMP'S BARK WORSE THAN ...HIS BITE

In seeing Donald Trump Elected I was hopeful that he would back-off on some his dumber positions.

The three major ones for me were his classing NATO as obsolete; FREE TRADE as not working...at least for Americans; and the third being his open support for TORTURING captured combatants.

Thankfully, barely a week into his Presidency he has already changed his position on two of the three - NATO & TORTURE.

Regarding NATO, I have made the pitch that it is needed more than ever with aggressive Russia determined to extend its reach in Europe and the Middle East and with wealthy China spending more and more on its military. In the face of this, rather than idle chatter about closing shop, NATO should be looking to expand its membership to countries in all parts of the world most notably to include India and Japan.

Trump though was correct when he criticized NATO Countries which do not spend 2%* of their annual GDP on their respective militaries. Indeed, only 4 of its 28 country membership meet that target. Canada for instance spends a paltry .9%.  
                                *2% GDP spending on its members military is the target set by NATO.

It may end up that those who do not meet the 2% target are kicked out of the Organization.  But, if it was up to me I would reorganize NATO into full and associate membership with those countries meeting the 2% levy being given the exclusive right to vote. 

As for Torture and assuming the West ever again decided to use it, it would come down once again to the question of who is more bad. Both the Terrorist and the White Knight West would find themselves on the same Spectrum of Evil with the Terrorists at a point of greater evil than the West and yet both still classed Evil.

So barely a week into his Presidency and Donald Trump looks far less worrisome. 

That said, the above two changes of heart leaves outstanding Trump's flawed understanding of the dynamics between Free Trade and Isolationism.  The Dirty Thirties showed that Isolationism only ensured that all countries beggared themselves individually. If Isolationism really worked, so to would State Run Economies such as those found within Communism. Why we'd all be driving Ladas - expensive non-workable junk. 

The last 50 years have seen the world move to a more Global Economy - read Free Trade, with the effect that fewer and fewer find themselves in poverty.  The US Agency for International Development reported recently that over the last 30 years extreme poverty has been cut in half..by over 1Billion People.  Their findings are supported by a host of other reputable world organizations.  For instance, the UN calls the rise out of poverty 'epochal' and believes that by 2030 poverty will be eradicated in it's entirety. 


Thankfully, Republicans are generally speaking, Free Traders and I am betting that they will be able to bring President Trump over to their way of thinking.


And speaking of changes in approach, I am thinking that Mssrs. Putin and Company will very shortly find themselves in for a rude awakening. 

What is clear for me through all of this is that even though Trump is all puffery, his instinct for reading the will of the common man and for eventually doing what is right ... is spot on.

As I write today's Blog the latest anti-Trump Protests are centered around his temporary ban on certain Muslim migration to the United States.  I will do a Blog on this controversial subject shortly.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'