FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Dec 13

Did you “misspoke” or were your words “misconstrued”?

by bcurry

A recently elected Republican from Tennessee to the House of Representatives, Mark Green, claimed that his previous statement about autism being linked to preservatives in vaccines was “misconstrued”. Other politicians, celebrities or business leaders have often made seemingly controversial statements, only to later retract their comments by stating that they had “misspoke”.  Others have claimed that they were “misinformed” by some source and thus misstated their views based on faulty or wrong information.

Perhaps what we are seeing in this day and age is partly the result of new technologies and instant communication. Much information is at our finger tips and the ability to instantly share our views is readily available through the immediacy of social media.  The old assertion that one should think before one speaks may have gone the way of the dodo bird.  Yes, we are being inundated daily with a lot of misinformation from a variety of sources, including social and on-line media.  However, this is no excuse for each of us not to first verify the legitimacy of those sources and the reliability of the information.  Perhaps from time to time we need first to take a step back instead of offering uninformed opinions or view points.

The fact is that one of the worst culprits for misinforming the public is President Trump, whose tweets and public addresses frequently include erroneous facts and unsubstantiated view points. What’s worst, the President has never admitted to have misspoken or misinformed his audience.  Other times, he simply claims that he was “misunderstood”.  Unfortunately, his followers appear to take his every statement as being the gospel.

All that I ask is that our leaders and representatives — be they in industry, the arts or government — think before they talk or make assertions on social media. Furthermore, if asked for their views on any matter, there is nothing wrong with merely stating that they have nothing to say at that time or they need to further investigate the matter.  Hopefully, this will avoid future follow-up retractions by declaring that they misspoke or their words were misconstrued.

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Nov 25

The President Knows Better Than Even His Own Experts on Climate Change!

by bcurry

Under the auspices of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, the Fourth National Climate Assessment Volume II was recently released.  Thirteen American government departments and agencies, from the Agriculture Department to NASA, were part of the committee that compiled the new report.  Like other similar reports, the White House dismissed the congressionally mandated report as inaccurate. However, this expert report may be a little more difficult to ignore given recent environmental disasters that have occurred in the U.S. and elsewhere. Let’s take a quick look at some of the report’s summary conclusions:

  • More frequent and intense extreme weather and climate-related events, as well as changes in average climate conditions, are expected to continue to damage infrastructure, ecosystems, and social systems that provide essential benefits to communities.
  • Regional economies and industries that depend on natural resources and favourable climate conditions, such as agriculture, tourism, and fisheries, are vulnerable to the growing impacts of climate change.
  • Rising air and water temperatures and changes in precipitation are intensifying droughts, increasing heavy downpours, reducing snowpack, and causing declines in surface water quality, with varying impacts across regions.
  • Climate change is also projected to alter the geographic range and distribution of disease-carrying insects and pests, exposing more people to ticks that carry Lyme disease and mosquitoes that transmit viruses such as Zika, West Nile, and dengue, with varying impacts across regions.
  • Climate change has already had observable impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems, and the benefits they provide to society.
  • An aging and deteriorating infrastructure is further stressed by increases in heavy precipitation events, coastal flooding, heat, wildfires, and other extreme events, as well as changes to average pre­cipitation and temperature.
  • Rising water temperatures, ocean acidification, retreating arctic sea ice, sea level rise, high-tide flooding, coastal erosion, higher storm surge, and heavier precipitation events threaten our oceans and coasts.
  • Outdoor recreation, tourist economies, and quality of life reliant on benefits provided by our natural environment will be degraded by the impacts of climate change in many ways.

Scientists have once again demonstrated this past year that much of the impact on climate change is caused by man-made emissions, especially that resulting from older technologies using fuels such as coal and oil for producing energy. These conclusions are obviously at odds with the Trump administration’s pro-fossil-fuels agenda.  What this report illustrates is that the economic consequences of continuing on the administration’s course of action are extremely serious, far outweighing any costs to businesses and the economy as a result of implementing policies in support of promoting green technologies and penalizing emitters of greenhouse-gases.

As it is, we will all have to begin to adapt in the short-term to the existing impact of climate change by upgrading our infrastructures, altering our agricultural production and introducing more green technologies. Climate change is a massive threat to long-term growth, and the most economically efficient way of avoiding it is a wide tax on greenhouse-gas emissions. This will force industries and consumers to reduce emissions over time.  Some people will argue that it may already be too late, forcing us to simply adapt to climate change at great immediate cost to everyone.  However, I would argue that drastic circumstances such as those highlighted in the report call for more drastic measures sooner rather than later — not only regionally but globally.  What we need is real honest leadership and vision, not unreal excuses.  We owe it to future generations.

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Sep 28

What’s Sad — It’s Still An Old Boys’ Club In The U.S. Congress!

by bcurry

Watching Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh testifying on September 27th before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee really brought home the image of the Senate as still being an old boys’ club.  There you had a cast of old Republican senators sitting in judgement of Dr. Ford, preferring to have hired an Arizona prosecutor Rachel Mitchell to ask questions on their behalf. This was of course a political stunt to avoid giving the impression of a bunch of old guys ganging up on a woman.  What’s worse, the whole circus was conducted as if it were a criminal trial instead of a Supreme Court confirmation hearing.

This event brings me back to a recent study by the Pew Research Center in the U.S. which looked at the proportion of women to men in senior positions in governors’ seats, state legislatures, Congress, businesses and education institutions. What the study found is that only 20 percent of Congress is women, although women make up over half of the American population.  Women represent about 22 percent of senators.  The density of women in the House of Representatives is just below 1 in 5.  In both cases, most women are Democrats.  Hopefully, there could be more than 60 women who assume new seats in Congress after this November midterms — most of those women being Democrats. In addition, the Center found that Democratic presidents have had more heavily female Cabinets than Republican administrations.  There are far fewer women in Trump’s Cabinet than there were in Obama’s.

Other Western countries have achieved much more equality of government representation than the U.S., and even Canada. Moreover, Judge Kavanaugh comes from a primarily white male environment, attending the right prep schools and having the accepted middle-class conservative pedigree.  What’s there not to like, especially within the old boys’ club in Washington.  There are currently only three female associate judges on the nine member Supreme Court, with the one existing vacancy.  Just for once, maybe the President could have considered nominating another respected female jurist to the Supreme Court, conservative or otherwise.  However, unfortunately we know what Donald Trump thinks about women!

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Sep 21

Are We Heading Towards Another Global Recession?

by bcurry

After following numerous financial experts and economists aligned with various reliable sources, it has become clear that there is no real agreement or consensus on what will happen to the global economy in the next year. Ten years after the great recession, everyone agrees that the economies of most countries have bounced back, but are still somewhat tenuous.

But then comes along President Trump and his protectionist policies, including tariffs on products from China, Canada and the E.U. The trade war with China is especially dangerous. We must not forget that the continuous upsurge in the Chinese economy and their fiscal-monetary policies helped many economies to recover after 2008.  However, the Chinese economy’s growth has slowed down and trade is less a factor than it was 10 years ago.

Domestic corporate, government and consumer debt has climbed in most industrialized countries, including in the U.S. and Canada. Much of the debt increase has of course resulted from the continuing low-interest rates for borrowing used to stimulate economies, but potentially at a considerable future cost.  At the same time, any significant growth in wages has not occurred, leaving many people to rely on debt to maintain current standards of living.  The richest people have greatly benefited from capital tax policies and by corporations who have preferred to benefit their shareholders.  Most companies have also paid out big executive bonuses rather than reinvesting profits into their firms and R&D.  In the U.S., executive compensation now represents more than 400 percent of the average worker’s annual wages.

As if in some kind of self-denial, stock markets have continued to climb despite a number of recent ominous economic signs. Given that we are in unknown territory with little room for manoeuvrability, even central banks appear to be at a lost as to what to do next.  Most experts agree that there needs to be a major market correction given that the value of many stocks is out of whack with reality.  In addition, the economies of E.U. countries are still in turmoil, especially with Britain’s decision to leave the Union and other members possibly following suit. Moreover, all you and I can do is sit and wait and hope for the best.  After all, we don’t have the power of the American President to influence the global economy.

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Aug 17

Mid Summer Madness of the Trump Regime – Summer of 2018

by bcurry

In recent months, actions and tweets by President Trump have become even more erratic and unpredictable than usual. His bizarre behaviour may lead some people to believe that he is suffering from heat stroke.  Let’s review what he’s been up to this past summer:

  • As a reprisal against Turkey for jailing one lone American citizen, the S. levied harsh sanctions against this NATO ally which threaten the derail that country’s economy or drive Turkey into Vladimir Putin’s circle of influence.
  • The President said local politicians “wanted a number so ridiculously high”, around $92 Million, that he canceled a planned military parade that the Pentagon had already postponed until next year. He blamed Washington officials for inflating expected costs for an unwanted parade.
  • Trump revoked former national security advisor John Brennan’s security clearance, which may be the latest sign that the president is determined to punish anyone connected to the Russia investigation. Kind of reminds one of the Richard Nixon days and the political “revenge” factor.
  • The President referred to one of his former White House staff, Amarosa Manigault Newman, as being a “dog”, in anticipation of her soon to be released book, “Unhinged”. His office also denied unconvincingly that he had never used the “N” word, a charge made by Ms. Manigault Newman.
  • He has threatened to impose tariffs on automobiles assembled abroad and on automotive parts, something that the auto industry has warned would cause all kinds of havoc and productivity losses.
  • His administration has threatened more tariffs on Chinese goods, causing major problems for U.S. supply retail and manufacturing chains.
  • Over 300 news media have issued a statement that the continued reference to “fake news” by the President is threatening to undermine the freedom of the press.
  • Etc., etc.

Yes Mr. President, it’s been a hot summer. Your administration is in constant turmoil with contradictions and outright lies flying everywhere — signs of continuing disarray. Unfortunately, when the U.S. sneezes, most other countries tend to catch a cold. The state of the world economy and politics is at stake.  Maybe it’s time to get off the ongoing campaign trail and act more Presidential.  Every tweet and personal attack now causes further consternation and disdain among Americans and allies abroad.

The summer is coming to an end, and one can only hope that the fall will bring better things. The big question is whether the November elections will bring a gust of fresh air.  It’s time for Americans to respond and support democracy by voting.  Let’s hope that common sense prevails, and the President stops acting like a mini-Musollini.

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Jul 26

If Tariffs Are “So Great”, How Come Trump Appears To Be Backing Off?

by bcurry

President Donald Trump backed off his threat to levy tariffs on cars imported to the U.S. from the E.U. during a recent meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. It appears that Trump had warned that he would move forward with 25 percent tariffs on auto imports if the meeting with Juncker didn’t go well, prompting the E.U. to respond that such a move would bring significant retaliatory measures on U.S. goods. Wow!  Now Trump indicates that he’s willing to open up further trade negotiations with the E.U.

Trump has also tweeted that his administration is considering introducing tariffs on auto imports from Canada and Mexico, much to the displeasure of the American auto industry. You see, in today’s world, many auto parts are supplied from sources outside the U.S.  Indeed, the average Big Three vehicle is comprised of anywhere between 40 to 60 percent of parts manufactured outside the country.  American auto tariffs will simply disrupt the supply chain, reduce efficiencies, increase costs, cause a major downturn in the industry, and eventually increase the costs of all vehicles to American consumers.

American tariffs on Chinese goods, including steel and aluminum, are already having an impact on the agricultural sector, especially on soybean exports. As a result, Trump has pledged $12 billion to farmers to help ease trade pain caused by tariffs aimed at China which had retaliated against U.S. farm products. However, farmers have made it clear that they don’t want handouts, but prefer to be able to sell their products and are concerned about the long-term damage caused by tariffs.

As for negotiating separate trade agreements with Canada and Mexico, the chances are pretty slim that either country would agree to do so. Mexican and Canadian officials have reiterated that talks on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will remain a three-way negotiation. Canada has a strong participant in Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland who has proven to be an excellent representative from the Canadian Cabinet. She has made it very clear that Canada is working to obtain a modern NAFTA which is fair and beneficial to all three countries. Minister Freeland met with Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who will take office on Dec. 1rst, and was given assurance that Mexico also has the same objectives for a trilateral trade agreement.

I firmly believe that President Trump has underestimated just how much the E.U., China, Mexico and Canada are willing to go to protect their interests and promote free trade. Before the terrible and costly consequences of international trade wars happen, I would suggest that the President take a close look at his strategy and consider backing off even more.  I’m sure even the Republicans, who historically promoted free trade as opposed to protectionism, would very much support such a move.  We can only hope.

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Jul 15

When One Takes the Humanity Out of Government, What’s Left?

by bcurry

Recent actions by the Trump administration have left me scratching my head. One action that I can’t understand is that of separating parents who are seeking asylum in the U.S. from their children, some under five years old! Not only did this action outrage many Americans, but it also brought on criticism from other countries, church groups and international organizations.  Talk about stupidity!

This is not the way that democratic governments should go about their business. Is this a reflection of American society today?  No matter the excuse, why would any society punish young children in this way?  The pictures of the internment camps for the children were heart breaking.  Imagine, as parents and grandparents, if this kind of separation happened to your children or grandchildren.  Even the courts are ruling that these actions are cruel and unusual punishment and have ordered the federal authorities to reunite these children with their parents as soon as possible.  Unfortunately, the administration has spread the parents all over the country and any reunification will most likely take weeks if not months in some cases.

Sending Trump’s wife out to visit some of the current youth internment facilities doesn’t do much to alter the terrible situation. This is the “I don’t care, do you” parent.  If anything, it’s just another attempt by the administration to down play the problem and put on a caring face.  Talk about hypocrisy!  One can only hope that Americans will remember what is happening.  After all, when one takes the humanity out of government, what’s left?

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Jul 1

This Canada Day, We Stand On Guard For Thee

by bcurry

We celebrate July 1st in recognition of the 150 years since the formation of the country called Canada. The U.S. of course celebrates July 4th in recognition of its independence day.  The two countries have a lot in common, including the longest unguarded border in the world.  We fought two World Wars and the Korean War together.  Canadian troops served in Afghanistan. Canada and the U.S. formed the continental defence body called the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). We share a common language “English”, although Canada also has “French” as a second official language.  Many Americans and Canadians work and play in each other’s countries.  Canada is America’s single largest trade partner and have a free trade arrangement in place, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

However, since the emergence of President Donald Trump’s administration, the relationship between our two countries has seriously deteriorated to having now become the worst in decades. The relationship has not only soured because of the current re-negotiations respecting NAFTA and recent U.S. tariffs placed on Canadian steel and aluminum products, but because of Trump’s continuing personal attacks on Canadians, including our Prime Minister.  These and other attacks on our European and Latin American allies have further aggravated world tensions, both economic and political.  Trump’s protectionist and ‘America First’ policies may play well among his base in the U.S., but it is unravelling decades of international cooperation.

There are no winners in this current atmosphere of constant turmoil and instability, much of which is reflected in the stock markets in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Europe and China. Should the trade war continue, many experts predict that the world could be in for another major global recession.  Here in Canada, businesses, workers and consumers are preparing for the worst. As Canada now has an integrated economy with the U.S., industries like the automotive sector will suffer on both sides of the border in the advent of the imposition of further tariffs. Canadians perceive the imposition of American tariffs as a deliberate attack on the Canadian economy and have responded accordingly with new tariffs on a wide range of American products.  Indeed, there are now national ‘Buy Canadian’ campaigns aimed at promoting Canadian brands over American brands.  Numerous Canadians have already decided not to vacation south of the border, and mutual tourism will suffer.

Jobs will be lost on both sides of the border, but I’m certain that the economic impact will be worst for Canada as a trading nation. The results will be an increase in Canadian opposition to the Trump regime and a growing frustration with its unfair policies.  After all, Americans are supposed to be our friends and a good neighbour.  We have never taken this for granted.  However, Canadians are a proud people and will resist any such bullying tactics by external sources, no matter how difficult conditions may become.  The question then becomes how long these conditions will continue and how long it will take to mend fences in the future?  Your guess is as good as mine.  In the meantime, as Canadians we will stand on guard for thee.  Happy Canada Day! Oh yeah, and hopefully a happy Fourth of July!

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Jun 25

All Is Not Well in Washington, D.C.

by bcurry

It would appear that the U.S. capitol is suffering from something we could call “Trumpcolic”. The symptoms are painful and exhibit a continuous flow of wind from the intestines and bowel movements.  The smell alone can be dreadful.  This malady has affected Republicans on the Hill in particular, leaving them scurrying about in search of some medicinal relief, especially since praying has not offered any comfort.  While the cause of this epidemic is known, there appears to be no clear remedy at this time.  It’s difficult to treat since the symptoms are never consistent and change almost on a daily basis.  Indeed, the cure may be almost as bad as the disease itself.

Explanations keep emerging from the White House, but frequently are contradictory in nature. Given its almost daily instability, providing a clear prognosis has become increasingly difficult.  What is worst, the health of an entire nation is at stake!  American and foreign experts have thrown up their arms in frustration.  They have seen many a period of incontinence in the past, but nothing like this.

There are already signs that this disease has spread beyond the capitol’s boundaries. The Democrats are pushing to find a cure in the fall, while the Republicans are struggling to contain any further outbreak.  A sense of dread can be felt in all four corners of the country.  Many Americans have taken to searching out some form of immunization to protect themselves from this scourge.  Others remain convinced that the disease is fake and simply a fabrication of the established media.

Never in the history of the country have so many been challenged by such an outbreak. Despite expert opinion, no one appears to know who is to be believed anymore.  Even more important, Trumpcolic has now spread to other countries.  This has forced these countries to ally themselves in order to prevent a world-wide epidemic.  However, it may be too late because the symptoms have begun to appear in Italy, Germany, Austria, and Eastern Europe. Unfortunately, the stench is becoming that much stronger.

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Jun 11

President Trump’s Behaviour At The G7 Meeting In Canada Was Disrespectful To Host Leader

by bcurry

Justin Trudeau is the Prime Minister of the sovereign nation of Canada and as such deserves the normal respect given to any head of state. For the past four decades, Canada has been a recognized member of the G7 Group. This body is there to provide a valuable opportunity for the seven participating countries to discuss a number of important world issues, including trade.  Normally, at the end of each meeting a joint communiqué is issued highlighting the results of the discussions. However, although the U.S. delegation appeared to have endorsed the draft communiqué, the American President abruptly left the meeting refusing to sign off on the document. Instead, Trump launched a tirade against Prime Minister Trudeau calling him “dishonest and weak”.

Other leaders and delegates were surprised by Trump’s outburst, although not completely shocked given recent events. After all, some of these leaders have been disparaged by Trump’s statements in the past.  Some observers have labelled the tirade released by Trump and his advisors against the Canadian PM as a form of ‘bullying’.  Having placed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, Canada has indicated that tariffs will be imposed on a number of American products exported to Canada.  In addition, Trump is not too happy with the negotiations surrounding the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which have been going slower than he would have liked.  Both Canada and Mexico believe that negotiations on a new agreement need to be thorough in order to achieve a fair and equitable result for all three nations. Given the complexity of some of the trade items, this process cannot be done over night.

President Trump needs to realize that the Prime Minister has the full backing of not only his government, but also the opposition members and Canadians in general. Unlike recent contradictory statements by Trump, the Canadian position on the NAFTA negotiations and on free trade in general has been consistent.  Indeed, the Canadian position reflects that of many of its European allies who have also been hit with American tariffs.  Regrettably, the U.S. protectionist situation leaves Canada, Mexico and the European Union with no other option but to retaliate in kind. No one wants to give in to a bully.  Unfortunately, workers and consumers in the U.S. and the other affected countries will ultimately suffer.

It’s time that Donald Trump realises that he is no longer part of a reality T.V. show. He is now on the world stage and needs to act in a respectful, informed and reflective manner.  Name calling and bullying have no place in diplomacy.  Years of cooperation and trust among nations are at stake.  Trump’s administration needs to be very careful as to whom it defames and attempts to discredit.  It’s one thing to launch a trade war and quite another to start diplomatic conflicts among one’s allies.  There could be grave consequences for the so-called leader of the free world.

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