Donald Trump

There Is A Cancer Eating At Our Economy, But Does Washington Get It?

Imagine a situation where nearly four cents of every dollar you earn is taken away, charged as a tax, yet contributes nothing. As a citizen, this charge provides no services, no schools, no national defense, no social services; in the words of economist Lacy Hunt, it is simply a "

Today's America And The Just War Theory

Since the end of World War II, America has been on the "warpath," a series of regional wars stretching around the globe: first the Korean Police Action, then Vietnam, more recently the Iraq incursion, and this past weekend, the bombing of Iran. These are just the highlights of

The US Attack On Iran Shows A President Stuck In The 1960s

Last night, US President Donald Trump ordered an attack on three Iranian Nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Distributed across the Iranian countryside, the attack on Fordow was reportedly carried out by the US stealth B-2 Bomber, using the overwhelming GBU-57 Massive Ordinance Penetration Bomb (MOAB) -considered the only weapon

How A Critical Financial Market Reacts To President Trump's Policies

One of the most fascinating aspects of our current society is the tendency to equate nearly every public policy with the Stock Market. This is more than understandable as many Americans have their future tied up in various financial accounts, from retirement accounts, college education accounts, endowments, and estate planning.

The Economic Impact Of The Israel-Iran War

On Friday, June 13 (remember the Jewish day begins at sundown), Israel attacked Iran. In an audacious move, the IDF managed to hit selected nuclear enrichment facilities, as well as assassinate several Iranian military leaders and atomic scientists. The back-and-forth volley of ballistic and hypersonic missiles, as well as drones

Was The US Involved In Israel's Attack On Iran?

The United States is Israel's closest, most important ally. Most military operation that Israel undertakes involves US support, if only in supplying weapons and ammunition. The US is far and away the most important logistical supporter of the Middle East nation. So, before we know anything about the

Where Is The Economy Headed? Will Trump Policies Help Or Hurt?

Today, we’ll take a bird’s-eye view of the economy to gain perspective on President Trump’s Economic Policies in light of the Administration’s Budget Proposal, the “Big, Beautiful Bill, now being debated in the US Senate. The first thing to appreciate is that the Federal Government, and

Does Anything Good Come From International Trade?

On April 2, 2025, “Liberation Day,” President Donald J. Trump presented the world with his list of tariffs to be applied to virtually all nations. This was the climax of a process that he had begun a couple of weeks before. He aimed to reduce the annual trade deficit that

Why Walmart Can't Pay The Tariffs, And To Ask Is Absurd

Over the weekend, Treasury Secretary Bessent and President Trump suggested that the solution to Walmart's higher prices is simply to have Walmart pay for the new tariffs. After all, Walmart's net profit in its latest fiscal year (completed in January) was $20 billion. Surely, that'

Are The Shelves Stacked? How Tariffs Disrupt The Retail Business Model

Although it seems like there are many things that America doesn't get quite right—there's too much crime and too many drugs, to name a couple of examples—there is one thing that we do better than just about anyone else: shop. We are the world

America And The Chinese Merchant

The Chinese Merchant has been the most revered and feared force in the Far East for over a millennium. They are revered for their vast trade goods and products, but feared as agents of control and subjection. Throughout Southeast Asia, China projected its political control over countries like Korea and

Preparing For The Trade Wars

The story is told of my Grandfather, at San Pedro Harbor in the late 1930s, watching a couple of cargo ships filled with iron and scrap metal headed across the Pacific to Japan. “They’re sending Japan the steel to fight against us,” said Grandpa. On December 7, 1941, his

Why Wall Street Was Bound To Hate Trump's Tariffs

It’s easy for Investment outsiders to underestimate the pressure to perform on Wall Street. From the largest Mutual or Hedge Fund Manager (with the greatest AUM) to the lowest regional Stock Broker, the demand to produce solid returns year after year is intense. It’s the reason many financial

"Your Banker's Calling" Reflections On The Nation's Debt

For anyone who's ever had a bank loan, from a credit card to a home mortgage, you know the chill that runs up your spine at the mention of a phone call from your favorite bank lender. The thought that you've missed a payment, or even

The Massive Task Of Returning America To Self-Sufficiency

For over 50 years, America has moved its production overseas. It’s been the easy answer to many of our nation’s most pressing issues. Are you concerned about the environment? Are you worried about clean water, clean air, and the many pollutants associated with traditional manufacturing? Move production offshore.

How Trump's Tariffs Will Likely Affect Your Wallet

In a world where technology and capital are highly transferable, there is a real risk that comparative advantage comes to be defined as whose labor force will work for the lowest wage. Robert Kuttner At the height of last year’s Presidential Campaign, then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote to

Donald Trump And The Geopolitical "Deal"

In 1987, Donald Trump published his magnum opus, the treatise that he is likely to be remembered for most: “The Art Of The Deal.” It was mandatory reading for all of us in Sales. Over the years, it has been the one item I have most often received as a

Is Bitcoin The Next Reserve Currency?

"Processes related to the use of other instruments are taking place naturally. For example, bitcoin, who can ban it? Nobody. And who can prohibit the use of other electronic payment instruments? Nobody, because these are new technologies. And no matter what happens, no matter what happens to the dollar,

The Hazelnut

The world changed last Thursday. That's the day Russia launched a missile they call the Oreshnik, the "Hazelnut." Utilizing never-before-seen technology, the "Hazelnut" can reach speeds of Mach 11, which is 8,370 mph. The missile contains six multiple independent warheads, each warhead containing

Trump Is Doing More Than Appointing A Cabinet, He's Framing The Public Debate

Today, Washington denizens and political commentators are up in arms about Trump’s Cabinet nominations.

Notes From The Epicenter: Election 2024

I live in eastern Pennsl-tucky, that rural stretch between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It's the beginning of Flyover Country, that great expanse of the country that has more farms than shopping centers and more land than people. Yesterday, I made my two-mile trek to the local Community Church to

Trump v. Harris, How They Would Manage The US Dollar

It may be the best indicator of our nation’s future prosperity — the relative performance of the United States Currency, the Dollar. After all, we are a nation of consumers, and in the latest reported month (August 2024), our country purchased over $340 billion from overseas. At the same time,

Donald Trump's Second Chance In Pennsyl-Tucky

I live in rural Pennsylvania, on the eastern side of those same mountains, the Appalachians that JD Vance writes about in his book, "Hillbilly Elegy." Donald Trump's recent rally occurred not far away in a small town called Butler.