Opinion and commentary on national and international politics and government affairs.
For some time now I have been arguing that June is the pivot point. I still believe it is. There is no doubt that the way things were before Convid-19 are no longer the same. Many graduates wore medical masks to graduations and the ceremonies were streamed online. The Covid-19 generation – from middle school… Read More Unemployment Continues To Get Worse
The first sign that a dictator is losing his grip on his nation is when he deploys the military to hold the line. North Korea has its military on the streets. Iran has its military patrolling their streets. In countries where the people want a change in their government, the military is deployed to the… Read More American Riots
Many are shocked with what is happening in America today. Maybe it is because of the realization that 100,000 Americans are dead due to Covid-19 the latest American divide scares many Americans. It should, but it isn’t new. The riots are a manifestation of America’s dirty secret. The secret that not all Americans are equal.… Read More Riots: Either Everyone Is An America, or No One Is
As many readers likely know, the number of unemployed workers has approached the dismal numbers of the Great Depression. Although many workers believe that their jobs are still waiting for them, the reality is that those jobs are likely not there anymore. Even if the jobs remain, many workers will be shocked to learn that… Read More Post-Covid-19 Job Crisis
As America nears the all-time high unemployment rate of 20% for May, the numerous bankruptcies indicate that unemployment is worse than most believe. Next week the unemployment numbers for May will be released. Many expect the rate to be over 20%. The problem with the unemployment numbers is that they count workers who qualify for… Read More Bankruptcies Make Bodes Worse For Unemployment Numbers
Over the last few weeks I have been producing visuals of the Covid-19 pandemic. The infographics are designed to provide complex information in an easy to digest format. The news media leads with the number of cases and deaths without giving consumers context as to what the number mean. The following are two are my… Read More Visualizing Covid-19 Global Cases and Mortality
We are a drain on the American economy they say. We seek America for benefits. We are takers and give nothing back. That is what the anti-immigrants say. That is what they want you to believe. Never mind that immigrants make America great. This has been proven many times, but the anti-immigrants refuse to believe… Read More We Are A Drain On The American Economy They Say
There is an ongoing debate on whether mandatory lock downs are hurting the economy, or they are not. Part of those who are advocating for their right to remain open support the idea that Americans are a free people and that government should not interfere with their basic rights. The problem with this thinking is… Read More June is The Pivot Point
How deadly is Covid-19 seems to be on the minds of many. And, for good reason. Although some tend to believe that the disease is unprecedented, there have been six previous pandemics to hit the United States. The first in 1910 and the latest is Covid-19. To make sense of it all it is important… Read More Covid-19 Compared to Previous Pandemics
To fully understand how incompetent the Donald J. Trump administration has been in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic one needs to look at the cold hard numbers of death. The problem is not that the pandemic was unexpected. Every country has had to deal with it. The problem is not the growing numbers of unemployment… Read More The Incompetence of Donald Trump Through The Covid-19 Numbers
As many readers likely know, Donald Trump uses the immigration debacle and immigrants as fodder for his political base. The Trump base hears immigrants are bad and that Trump has closed the borders. The reality is that Donald Trump is relying on immigrants to get the country back on track after the pandemic ends. Most… Read More The Trump Immigration Problem and The American Way of Life
On Monday, April 11, Mexican foreign relations minister, Marcelo Ebrard posted on Twitter a clarification on the diplomatic note the Mexican government had sent to the U.S. Embassy recently. The diplomatic note asks the U.S. government for information and documents pertaining to the ATF Fast and Furious operation that allowed U.S. guns to enter México… Read More AMLO, Trump and Fast and Furious
Today, there is an estimated 20.5 million Americans without a job. It is an estimate because the true numbers of unemployed is unknown. About two weeks ago in “The Pending Unemployment Catastrophe” (link) we looked the unemployment rates from the Great Depression onward. Although the unemployment numbers released for April are not the 20%, I… Read More Unemployment Numbers for April 2020
The world is full of shysters always looking for a quick buck to make. The why let a good pandemic go to waste is what is driving today’s shysters. Unless you are literally living under a pile of rocks then you have seen the many videos and ads for masks and quick “remedies” for the… Read More The Plandemic Shysters
Depending on what media outlet you are reading you are likely to get two or more versions of the real story. This has been true for years because biases are part of what is published for public consumption. Take for example remittances from Mexicans working in the United States, both legal and undocumented and the… Read More Mexican Remittances And Covid-19
Yesterday we visualized Covid-19 cases, deaths and unemployment across the nation. We also learned from various news sources that on Friday, we will learn the latest unemployment numbers. Some analysts are bracing for unemployment figures to be 16% or above. If that holds true, the unemployment rate will be close to what it was during… Read More Covid-19 And Unemployment Analysis
There is an ongoing debate about opening the country’s economy. The issue centers around the notion of whether it is safe to get back to work. In the discussion there is also the issue about the rising unemployment numbers. Although the actual unemployment numbers are yet to be collected, anecdotally they seem to be as… Read More Visualizing the Correlation of Covid-19 and Unemployment
As America starts to prepare for the reopening of the economy there is a serious problem awaiting everyone. Officially America’s unemployment rate hovers around 4.4%. That is the official government number before the pandemic killed the economy. Anecdotally, the unemployment rate is at, or above 20%. We will not know for sure for some time,… Read More The Pending Unemployment Catastrophe
When I first started my blog around 2000, I soon began to focus on El Paso corruption. Corruption is the underlining issue/problem on the border. This is true for both sides of the border. Most focus on the Mexican side forgetting that for corruption to be successful there must be willing participants. Without a complicit… Read More The El Paso Crisis
While everyone is distracted by the pandemic crisis one of America’s archenemies defied Donald Trump and launched a satellite into orbit. Trump is not only chaotically trying to get a handle on the economic crisis facing Americans because of the Covid-19 disaster, but he is now dealing with unconfirmed reports that North Korea’s leader, Kim… Read More Iran Launches Satellite
I apologize that there have been no posts in the last two days. All is well, I have just been terribly busy, believe it or not considering the pandemic. I am not complaining because I have some exciting projects I am working on. One of them is continuing to write about border politics here. But… Read More A Quick Update On What Is Up
Typically, the bureaucracy fails to deliver. I knew this was going to happen because we live in a dog-eat-dog world. I learned a long time ago that when it comes to the government, it is never a good idea to pretend that things will work out. I have tried to bid on government work only… Read More No Government Money For Me
Sometimes it is just easier to layout in video format. This is Donald Trump explaining how he is against mail-in ballots.
I have never understood the appeal of getting on a cruise ship. Don’t get me wrong, I love to travel, and as I pilot, I love to fly. I have lived in several countries over the years and many more cities. All have been interesting experiences and I would encourage everyone to get out of… Read More Why Would Anyone Get on a Cruise Ship?
The deal reached on Sunday between Russia, Saudi Arabia and other oil producing nations is not enough to solve the oil price problem. Cutting 9.7 million barrels a day is not enough to save the American shale oil companies. The pandemic has reduced oil consumption so much that the deal won’t be enough to stabilize… Read More Mexico: The Unexpected Oil Deal Winner
The unprecedented economic shutdown over the last month or so is, hopefully, about to end. The question is, what will it take to recover? Many are hoping and relying on the government to step up and offer help. But the economic chaos is going to take much more than government intervention to recover the economy.… Read More The Back 2 Work Plan
The controversy about voting via mail that is intensifying as the pandemic continues to interfere with the upcoming elections. Donald Trump has made his position clear, mail-in ballots are “fraudulent” without providing proof. Republicans seem to generally oppose mail-in ballots while some Democrats are actively pushing for them. The central issue seems to be that… Read More Why Are Americans So Afraid Of Mail-In Ballots
Many Americans decry the exporting of manufacturing jobs to other countries – namely China and México. Their argument being that Americans should have the jobs to make the products people need. Never mind that American labor is much more expensive causing the products to cost more. These same complainers about the state of manufacturing jobs… Read More Riddle Me This About N95 Masks
Those readers that are surprised by the high unemployment filings reported by the government on last Thursday have clearly not been paying attention. The numbers are the result of workers not working. The obvious culprit is COVID-19. The labor market is collapsing. Make no mistake about that. Goldman Sachs has updated its model and now… Read More The Corona Unemployment Numbers
I am a numbers guy. I like to understand issues by analyzing cold facts. The Covid-19 crisis is no different. Unfortunately, during any emergency most people are looking to make a buck. Either by offering hyped up news to bring eyeballs to the news media or hawkers trying to sell masks or dubious remedies for… Read More Covid-19 By The Numbers
Many of you may have noticed that the price of gasoline has gone down considerably over the last few weeks. Readers may be tempted to believe that the Corona Virus as the cause of the low prices of gasoline. It is part of the reason because of reduced consumption. However, the low price of gasoline… Read More The Oil Economy Disaster Under Corona
Many readers are anticipating the stimulus checks that are expected to begin arriving in bank accounts in the next few weeks. The $1,200 for most taxpayers is welcome relief for the current financial crisis. But it is important to note that the money isn’t free. The stimulus checks are officially a credit for 2020 taxes.… Read More For Most The Stimulus Checks Are Not Free Money
There are many who argue that undocumented immigrants do not pay taxes and are a burden to American taxpayers. Many also argue that America does not need immigrant labor. But the facts betray these assertions as lies. Let’s see how the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) feels about the undocumented immigrants. In 1996, the IRA created… Read More Undocumented Immigrants Sustain The Country
Typically, the government creates two standards of people, those it deems worthy and those it does not. This is the case in the legal system where those with money can buy themselves out of jail benefits and immigrants who are rounded up while at work while other immigrants who disrobe for magazines qualify for Einstein… Read More All Workers Are Essential Notwithstanding Government Orders
Many taxpayers are excited to know that Congress is on the verge of sending each American taxpayer about $1,000. As of 5:00pm, eastern time yesterday, Congress was still arguing over some details about the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. However, it seems that the proposed $1,200 checks for individuals and $2,400 for… Read More Important Questions About The Proposed Stimulus Checks
America and the rest of the world is an economic crisis. Most of us understand this. For the politicians, the economic crisis is about the November elections. For the rest of us it is about how we are going to deal with the added expenses of keeping kids home and, for some of us, having… Read More My Debt Moratorium Proposal As A Stimulus Package
We are amid major changes in the global economy and the way we live our lives. Those of us that have lived through the currency devaluations of our countries or other major economic changes mostly understand what is to come. We have lived economic chaos before. Most Americans do not understand how lives will change… Read More The Age of COVID-19
One of the controversial things about neoliberalism that Ronald Reagan championed, and that NAFTA embraced is the debate that trickle down economics is a failure. The argument that trickle down economic doesn’t work is based on a misleading argument. Trickle down economics do not work is the prevailing argument. The individuals who embrace this notion… Read More Trickle Down Economy
Yesterday we looked at what I have dubbed the toilet paper economy. In my post I opined that the hoarding of toilet paper signifies that U.S. consumers have lost confidence in the economy. But as I contemplated this some more, it became obvious to me that it all leads back to Donald Trump. Americans have… Read More Americans Have Lost Confidence In Their Government
The Corona Virus has exposed a very American fear – the fear of running out of toilet paper. Americans are hoarding toilet paper. Why, is the question many are asking as toilet paper is plentiful across the country. It is easy to blame it on the Corona Virus. But the hoarding of toilet paper gives… Read More The Toilet Paper Economy