EU and USA

President Trump, in his usual blunt manor, told the rest of the world to go and get their oil through the straits but their response is, you broke it, you fix it. Iran assumed they had the straits to bargain with the US but Trump pointed out that the US did not need the gulf oil. European countries make a habit of taking action in their own behalf and expecting the US to side with them. When the English went into the Falklands, they ask for our help with fuel and missiles and we helped even though the US was trying to improve relations with South America. When the French went into Chad they wanted refueling and reconnaissance and the US helped. When the French and British bombed Libya they asked the US to lead the way and the US helped. When Europe wanted to bomb Serbia to protect Kosovo the US did the bombing. When Russia invaded Ukraine, the EU asked for US help and got it. Now the US is asking Europe to step up and help and they are wavering. The US military has protected Europe since WW 2 and paid more than a fair share of NATO and the UN. It is time for the EU, with their 450 million people and $22 trillion GDP to start carrying their own weight.

Grandchildren

The average price of a home in MN is $335,000. With 3% down ($10,000) a 30 fixed interest loan would cost $1991 principal and interest, $300 property insurance, $79 for PMI for a total month payment of $2,627. A young family with two incomes earning a gross of $100,000 and good credit with minimal other debt can qualify for a bank loan. Your granddaughter recently married and would like to purchase a home but they don’t have the down payment. She and her husband earn $50,000 each and qualify to purchase a $335,000 home. You can make them a gift of $10,000 or you can hold onto the money and give it to them years later after your dead. Something to think about.

Medicaid trust

John, age 80 is a widower living alone in his home. His income is $2,400 per month from social security, a $1,200 per month pension and interest income from $200,000 in savings. John’s brother was in a nursing home for 6 years at a cost of $100,000 per year and John would like to avoid that situation. His main asset is his $400,000 home. If he takes no action and goes into the nursing home for 6 years like his brother, he could face the following. The nursing home would get his $3,600 per month SS and pension. The remainder of the $6,400 ($10,000 per month average cost of nursing home) to cover his expenses would come first from his savings and then from the house. In 31 months his $200,000 saving would be use up and the house would be sold. Over the next 29 months, assuming he dies after 6 years in the home, he will use up $185,000 from the sale of his house and his heirs will receive $215,000. John decides to purchase a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT) to keep his assets safe from nursing care cost. He puts the home in the trust along with his $200,000 savings and after a five-year waiting period these assets are exempt from Medicaid. During that five-year period, he can continue to receive the interest from the $200,000. He is the trustor, sometimes called the grantor, and his two children are the trustees and the beneficiaries. He cannot benefit from the trust as he is no longer the owner of the assets but he can change the trustees and beneficiaries if he desires. He goes into full care and the nursing home receives his SS and pension but his assets are protected. The house can be rented out or sold and the proceeds remain in the trust until John dies at which time the assets pass to his heirs (children) as stated in the trust and most common is in equal shares to my children. Using a qualified eldercare attorney, the cost of such a trust is about $8,000.

Women's rights

Women’s rights in Muslim countries vary but Saudi Arabia is considered one of the most liberal but in practice this is not the case. In 2018 there was much fanfare when the Saudis allowed women to drive cars but four years later only 2% of drivers, were women. Women’s lives are closely monitored and regulated through the implementation of Shaira law. Many women are in prison for not wearing the hijab or for dancing in public or tweeting their opinions. Two years ago, the government enacted the male guardianship system into law despite being one of the most deeply ingrained cultural mechanisms for oppressing women. Under the law, the husband’s financial support is expressly contingent on his wife’s obedience and she can lose her right to such support if she refuses to have sex with him without a “legitimate excuse”. This was enshrined into law in 2022 on International Women’s Day. The enforcement of dress codes like the hijab is an issue. Women who choose not to wear the hijab or wear it loosely risk facing fines, arrest, or even imprisonment. This past weekend many US women joined in the No Kings protest but many wonder if there will be any protest about the way women are treated in Iran. Prior to 1979 Iranian women experience legal and social advancements including the right to vote and expanded family rights under the 1975 Family Protection Law. This restricted polygamy and increased divorce/custody rights. Western style reforms in education and public office became more common. All that ended when the religious leaders took control in 1979 and the movement for women’s rights have been going backwards ever since. Men are allowed to have four wives in today’s Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Iran vs Libya

The invasion of Iran has turned political and it is time for a brief history lesson to remind the country of how these battles end. In March of 2011, President Obama authorized military strikes on Libya to take out Libyan air defenses and protect rebels from attack. He told congressional leaders that the involvement would last “days, not weeks”. The assault ended 7 months later when the Libyan leader Muammar, Gaddafi was killed. The US achieved its immediate tactical objective to remove Gaddafi from power and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe without ground troops. However, the long-term goal of fostering a stable, democratic Libya failed, as the country devolved into a chaotic, failed state, leading many to view the intervention as a long-term failure. When Nato helped overthrow Gaddafi in 2011, there were hopes of a new beginning. More than a decade later, a former CIA asset runs the country – and Libya has become yet another lesson in the unintended consequences of foreign intervention What will happen in Iran is yet to be seen.

Two incomes

Many middle-income families are wondering why they can’t seem to get ahead especially those two income families. Compare one earner making $80,000 and two earners making $160,000. Gross income $80,000 less ten percent into 401K plus 7.65% into social security leaves $65,860. With two children zero income tax. Now the two-income family. Gross income $160,000 less ten percent into 401K equals $144,000 taxable less $13,000 in federal and state income and less $12,200 social security leaving $118,000. Next deduct $24,000 for childcare leaving $94,800. Food cost for the average family is $1,000 per month but $2,500 for families that eat out or order in. This is an extra $18,000 per bringing the net down to $76,800. Not counting the stress on working families, the difference in incomes is $76,800 less $65,860 or $10,940. Assuming a 40-hour work week the second spouse is working for $5.47 per hour. If two income families would do this calculation many would stop working. There are other cost not included, things like the nicer clothes needed by the working spouse and a less expensive car for the stay at home spouse.

MN fraud

MN has been in the news recently regarding allegations of fraud stemming from the MN Department of Human Services. These charges were first reported in 2017. Scott Stillman was a digital forensics supervisor with the MN Department of Human Services from 2007 t0 2017. He testified before the MN Senate and House in 2017 and 2018 about his findings. He stated that MN programs are being victimized by organized crime because of lack of controls and he requested a federal investigation. He personally went to various childcare facilities and reported no children were there. He said some of the money was traced back to local politicians and when he suggested prosecution things were tied up in paper work. Recently federal prosecutors have uncovered billions in miss payments to various groups many run by Somali. These include not only childcare facilities but Food Service programs, Autism treatments and Hospice. Some have been convicted but many others remain untouched. Here is a typical example of how these convicted criminals are adjudicated. On March 30, 2026, Abdul Abubakar Ali was sentenced to one year and one day in prison. He admitted to using a shell company, Youth Inventors Lab, to fraudulently claim over $3 million for roughly 1.3 million meals that were never served.

EU

Europe has been in the economic doldrums since the USSR fell apart. They embarked upon a de militarizing policy, combined with going green and open borders. They are now building up their military, reopening coal plants, importing LNG and the latest they are setting up a deportation program for the new immigrants they welcomed in just a few years ago. MEPs voted 389 to 206 on the package of tougher immigration measures, which includes harsher penalties for migrants who refuse to leave and allows hubs to be opened outside the EU to which unsuccesful asylum applicants can be deported. They are pattering their economy after the US.

Cameras

On public radio today there was a discussion concerning Flock Safety cameras that are used to monitor traffic. The impression was that these cameras are something new when in fact they have been around since 2017 and getting more popular. In early 2024 there were 4,000 cities using these cameras. They are used by law enforcement, neighborhood associations, and businesses to track vehicle data to aid in investigations. To many these represent a privacy concern and a few cities are removing the cameras. When my car was stolen in Chicago last year the police spotted it within minutes on some highway nearby. The cameras read license plates and the computer can find any plate that is put into the system.

HELOC

AI is helping the IRS find tax problems and one in particular is about home equity loans (HELOC). These loans have grown in popularity over the past 15 years as the value of homes have increased. The original intent was to provide money to buy, build or substantially improve the home that secures the loan. When done this way the interest paid on the HELOC was tax deductible. This limitation was not clearly understood by many and the result was loans that were used to consolidate debt, to provide tuition or down payment to children or grandchildren were reported as tax deductible interest. With the new AI the IRS can now find these errant deductions and for all people over age 60 the tax man cometh. If the taxpayer has done this they have until Apr 15, 2026 to report the error and get a reprieve.

Socialist

Patrisse Khan-Cullors is the co-founder and former head of Black Lives Matter. She resigned in May 2021 after accusations of mismanagement of funds surfaced. Aside from the charges she is a committed socialist who wants to ban police and close prisons but she has become a successful capitalist. She purchased a $1.4 million home near Malibu, a $510,000 home in Inglewood, a $590,000 home in South LA and a $415,000 home near Atlanta, Ga. In socialism everyone is equal except some are more equal.

MAPT

John age 74 and Mary his wife age 70 are both retired and they have a will giving their estate to their two children in equal shares. Mary has a stroke and must go into the nursing home. What does Medicaid do to help. They look at incomes and assets. John’s social security is $2,000 and Mary’s is $800. John owned a small business and saved after tax money in the stock market until he retired and then transferred his funds to government bonds paying 3%. He had $400,000 in his account plus a house worth $500,000 with a $25,000 mortgage. They were living on their SS plus $800 interest from their bond account. The house is exempt but the $400,000 saving is divided by two leaving $200,000. Since this is over the MN Community Spouse Asset Allowance (CSAA) of $165,000, John can keep only $165,000 and the remaining $235,000 is exposed to Medicaid. He can use part of the other $235,000 to pay off the $25,000 mortgage on his house. He can use $5,000 to pay off his car loan, $3,000 to pay off credit card debt and $25,000 for prepaid funerals. That leaves $177,000 for the nursing home expenses. Since they had been living on $2,800 from SS and $800 from bond interest Medicaid will allow John to keep both SS checks and together his income would be $3,600. MN law allows Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA) of $4,000 max so John may be eligible to purchase an immediate Medicaid annuity for his life expectancy for $400 per month. That would cost about $60,000. This would leave only $107,000 for the nursing home which would be used up in ten months at the average nursing home cost in MN of $10,000 per month. After that Medicaid would continue to pay for Mary’s expenses by placing a lien against the house. Ten months later Mary dies and Medicaid wants their $100,000. The house can be sold to pay this debt and John can move into a senior living apartment or John could get a $100,000 mortgage loan using the house as collateral and remain in his home. Case 2 John age 74 and Mary age 70 are retired and living on social security and interest from savings. They have income of $2,000 and $800 respectively from SS and $800 interest from a bond account. Their home is worth $500,000 with a $25,000 mortgage and $400,000 in bonds. Concerned about nursing home cost they decide to purchase a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT). They place their house and their bonds in the trust. They no longer own these assets but they can change the trustee and beneficiary and have access to the interest generated by the bond account. Their income will not change. Mary has a stroke and goes into the nursing home. If the MAPT has been in force for five or more years these assets are not available and Medicaid pays the nursing home cost. Years later when John dies these assets pass onto the named beneficiaries in the MAPT. The most important caveat is the five-year rule.

Petrodollars

The US sits in the cat bird seat when it comes to global economics for two main reasons. First is productivity. The US leads all major countries in GDP per capita. The US has the most efficient manufacturing, the most creative research and development and the best higher education system. The second reason is the way the economic system is designed. In 1944 countries from around the world met at Brenton Woods, NH to decide the rules regarding world commerce. The war had left the US mostly unscathed from bombing and countries had purchased war materials from the US with gold. The US held 70% of the world’s gold supply at the end of WW 2. It was therefore decided that the US dollar would be the world’s currency. The price of gold had been set at $35 per ounce but in 1971 that changed. The US needed money to pay for new benefits which came from the Great Society (Medicare and Medicaid) and the Vietnam War, so the dollar was taken off the gold standard so the US could print more money. Then in 1973 the Yom Kipper War broke out when Egypt and Syria launched an attack on Israel and when the US sent weapons to Israel, Saudi Arabia instituted an oil embargo. The US then negotiated a deal with the Saudis, agreeing to protect the Saudi oil industry from foreign attack, if the Saudis agreed to sell oil only in dollars. These then became known as petrodollars and that is still the case today. So how does that help the US. Japan is a country that needs oil and they buy it from the Saudis but they must pay for it with dollars so they purchase US bonds and use that to pay for the oil. Japan currently owns $1.2 trillion in US debt. The US, unlike any other country, can print dollars and still have a market for them.

EV production

A new Hyundai EV plant is now operating in Georgia and whether it will be unionized is still undecided. The UAW is actively campaigning for a vote but Georgia is a right to work state where workers can choose not to pay union fees. As of late 2025, the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Bryan County, Georgia, employed approximately 3,200 people. The facility is still ramping up operations, with plans to employ 8,500 workers directly by 2031. Together with suppliers, the project is expected to create nearly 40,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region. Also in Georgia, Rivian broke ground in September 2025 with production scheduled of vehicles slated for 2028 Rivian broke ground on a $5 billion electric vehicle manufacturing facility near Social Circle, Georgia, on September 16, 2025. The ~2,000-acre site is set to begin production in 2028, creating 7,500 jobs by 2030 to manufacture the R2 SUV and R3 crossover, targeting 400,000 total annual units

Wages

The reindustrialization of the US economy can significantly narrow the income gap if unions actively participate in the new manufacturing facilities. Total compensation cost of union workers in the auto sector averaged $65 per hour including benefits of $25 per hour. UAW workers pay only 3% of their health care cost compared to 30% for other industries. Retirements include a pension plan for all hired before 2008 and 401K plan for those hired later. Company contributes 6.4% to the 401 K plan. They also have profit sharing, paid leave, holidays, vacation time and family medical leave. They have supplement pay for laid off workers. For the average auto worker this means about $130,000 per year including wages and benefits as compared to the average of all workers which is $83,000.

Curriculum

One of the more common complaints about schools is all of the areas outside of academia that teachers must cover. An example is a new law in MN. Beginning in the 2026–27 school year, Minnesota public high schools must offer an ethnic studies course, and all K-12 social studies curriculum will integrate new ethnic studies standards. The mandate focuses on analyzing the roles of race, racism, and indigenous sovereignty, requiring districts to offer courses exploring the experiences of diverse communities

Trust

Over the past 50 years the cost of nursing home care has risen from about $800 per month to over $10,000. The result has been that people looked for ways to avoid this cost and save their assets to pass on to their children. People tried various means to save their assets but the government would look back three years to recapture any assets that were removed from the estate. About 20 years ago this look back period was increased to five years. Any plan must take into account this five-year period. There are three popular approaches to avoid the cost of nursing homes and all three are subject to the five year look back rule, so to be effective they must be done five years in advance of the need for nursing care. The first is to give your house away, normally to your children. This is simple. There are three forms that must be filed at the courthouse. The first is certificate of trust, one for each spouse, then an affidavit of trust signed by both and a quit claim deed or warrantee deed signed by both. The second is a life estate. This is an irrevocable trust that allows the home owners to stay in the home as long as they want and at their deaths the home passes to the beneficiary. The home owner must continue to pay the taxes, insurance and maintenance. The advantage over gifting is that the house will get a stepped-up basis at later sale. For example, if the value of the house at the time the trust is funded is $400,000 and later the value has increased to $600,000 there will be no capital gain. With gifting this is not the case and taxes must be paid on the gain. This should be done by an attorney. The third and best option is a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust. This trust can accept real estate and other assets like cash, stocks, bonds and CD’s. IRA’s and 401k’s can be put in they must be cashed out and the taxes paid first. Term life insurance policies need not go into the trust since they are not counted as accountable assets by Medicaid.

Postpone Iran

Many in the news are questioning why we are where we are with Iran. When Trump was campaigning, he said he would not get into endless wars in the Middle East and in less than one year in office he bombed the nuclear facilities in Iran. This led to negotiations which were on going when Trump once again started bombing Iran. What happened. The talks were going nowhere and the US concluded that Iran was just stalling while they rebuilt their nuclear program and continued building up their missiles and drones. Iran felt safe from any ground invasion because of Trump’s campaign promise. Then on Feb 28, 2026 the US got word that 40 top Iranian leaders were meeting in one room and the opportunity was too great to pass by. Only a month into the invasion, the world is stunned by the size and number of Iran’s military build up and one can only assume that this would continue, until such time as they would only be stopped by an all-out war, much like WW 2. Iran was at a weakened point having lost the safe transfer of weapons through Syria to Hezbollah, the destruction of Hamas in Gaza the weakening of the Houthis and the devastating effects of the sanctions on their economy. The political safe action would be to just let them go and turn the problem over to the next administration.

Credit

The middle-income group, sometimes called the middle class, is shrinking and it is disappearing in two directions. About 20% have moved up while 80% have moved down. Back in the 1950’s there were restraints on spending, both from an income stand point and from a psychological end. These were the children of depression parents who taught them to limit their spending to needs as opposed to wants. The first step out of this was called lay away. Many people today have no idea what this is but you could go to a store and with a small deposit have them set aside your new toaster, for you to pick up later, when you paid for it. The first credit card was Bank America Card, later to be called VISA and this allowed people to purchase items on credit. Initial credit limits were $300 and this allowed for an immediate purchase. The old depression idea of waiting until you had the cash to buy went out the window. Prior to this most of the credit purchases were home mortgages through banks and auto purchases through the car companies like General Motors Acceptance Corporation. For other items people mostly paid cash. With the new credit card, the thinking changed from how much does it cost to how much per month. Before the credit card a family which had $500 of disposable income could only purchase that much but if they had credit cards it was like getting a raise. Something that cost $1,200 was only $50 per month. This allowed businesses to raise prices because consumers were more interested in the monthly payment instead of the total cost. Businesses lowered the monthly payment by extending the loan period. Cars that once were 24-month loans became 72-month loans. People slowly moved from buying what they need to buying what they want. During this time the moms went to work so the family could buy more stuff. The two-income family led to two cars and more eating out. As people moved to suburbia the pressure to keep up with the Joneses increased and there was no going back. In the 50’s homes were small, about 1,200 sq ft and people kept their clothes longer, took fewer and shorter vacations and rarely ate out. By the 1970’s credit cards were all over and during that time businesses began to move manufacturing jobs to countries where costs were lower. Over the next 30 years the US lost 8 million manufacturing jobs and wages for the middle-income workers stagnated. While workers lost out the big corporations made large profits so some people moved up the wage ladder while others slipped behind. In the early 1950s, the typical American household held a modest amount of debt, often less than 2% of their income. Today that figure is 81%. Today the wage gap is larger than ever and one of the reasons why young people look favorably on socialism.

Cash to Iran

The financial aspects of the Iran nuclear deal formulated under Obama in 2015 have now been made clear. First off, the $400 million that was frozen when the Shah was deposed was released. Hostage Release: An initial $400 million was delivered on Jan. 17, 2016, the same day Iran released four American prisoners. While the Obama administration initially stated the incidents were separate, they later acknowledged the payment was used as leverage to ensure the Americans were released $1.3 billion in cash was delivered to Iran is Swiss Franks and Euro’s. To avoid triggering banking regulations related to large, single transactions, the $1.3 billion was divided into 13 separate payments of $99,999,999.99, and one final, smaller payment. There is much speculation that some of this money was used to finance Hamas and Hezbollah but there is no way to follow these dollars as they were comingled with other Iranian assets.

War cost

According to the press the cost of the military incursion to Iran is one billion dollars per day but that needs further explanation. First off, there are fixed costs, whether the military is fighting or not. The additional cost is primarily the cost of munitions and these will be replaced with more efficient equipment, manufactured in US defense plants. The real cost danger is to the lives of the troops, which cannot be replaced.

Canada

The phrase Trump derangement syndrome (TDS) is used to describe certain individuals who are strongly anti Trump but it can be applied to nations. Canada had been controlled by liberals for ten years and as the 2025 elections approached the people were ready for a change. The conservative candidate Poilievre was leading in the polls until Trump made one of his ignorant remarks saying that Canada could be the 51st state and things changed overnight. The liberal candidate took the lead and won handily. The people were so offended by Trump’s remarks that they changed their vote. Nothing in the policy area changed but the emotional response made the difference. This is an example of TDS. Canada remains on the green path pushing net-zero by 2050. While Alberta wants to build a new pipeline to ship oil to China, final approval hinges on overcoming regulatory, environmental and Indigenous opposition. Without this pipeline Canada remains a captive supplier by the US. Canada under former PM Trudeau followed the path of the EU. His plan was to replace fossil fuels with wind and solar and bring in large numbers of immigrants. This cause dissention with the oil producing Albertans and housing prices that put the average Canadian out of the housing market. The new PM will continue these policies. As the emotions subside many Canadians are having second thoughts. Canada's economy is navigating a highly fragile, "on life support" state in early 2026, characterized by sluggish growth, high debt, and contracting output in eight of the last eleven months. While not in a technical recession, the economy is suffering from trade disputes, high unemployment—notably impacting youth—and weak productivity, leading many to feel like they are in a recessionary environment

Iran with a nuke

President Obama made a deal with Iran that limited their production of nuclear weapons but permitted them to proceed after some years. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal, was designed to block Iran's pathways to a nuclear weapon for a set duration, not to allow them to have one, but it did include "sunset provisions" that would lift restrictions on their program after 10 to 15 years Eleven years after this deal was signed, the Iranians say they have 1,000 pounds of 60% enriched uranium. Most feel there was more but some was destroyed when the US bombed their facilities last October.

Alpha schools

Alpha School is a private K–12 school network in the United States founded in 2014. The network uses a proprietary instructional model called 2 Hour Learning, which replaces traditional teachers with "guides" and relies on software based instruction. They find out what a student is good at and help them to get better. During their 2-hour morning "learning block," Alpha School students use personalized AI-driven software to master core academic subjects—math, reading, writing, science, and social studies—at their own pace. This high-intensity, individualized instruction is designed to help students complete a full grade level in roughly 20-30 hours. They dedicate afternoons to workshops. Key skills include entrepreneurship (pitching, selling), public speaking, financial literacy, social skills (communication, body language), and critical thinking through hands-on projects, aiming for adaptability and independence This may be the first step to having individual AI programs for each student. Right now these schools are too costly and only available to wealthy people

Common sense

The phrase common sense is popping up in news stories but what does it mean. To independents and some moderates, it means: Bringing jobs back home Having Europe pay for more of their defense No men in women’s sports Secure borders Saudis and Israelis rebuilding Gaza No gender surgery on minors Energy independence Reciprocal tariffs Nuclear power using SMR Photo ID for voting Ending the Ukraine War Fewer regulations Deporting criminal migrants Legal immigration Remove politics and these policies are reasonable and achievable

Communism

I joined many experts in making the two big economic mistakes of the past 80 years. The first was the assumption that if countries chose economic freedom that political freedom would follow. The goal was to pull China away from communism. When they opened their society to the free market in 1978 under the “Reform and Opening Up” policy under Deng Xiaoping, the result was the movement of 500 million people out of poverty but they remained communist. Their GDP grew from two billion to 20 trillion but they remained communist. The second mistake was assuming that people would become disillusioned with communism. At the end of WW 2 there were 14 communist countries in the world and by the fall of the USSR in 1991 there were only five left. They were China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea and Vietnam. While Cuba and North Korea are barely holding on the other three are still thriving. In spite of this history, many young people in the West think that socialism is a better way to govern than free market capitalism. Here is what Google AI says: Many young Americans (aged 18–29) hold a favorable view of socialism, with studies indicating up to 62% view it positively, often associating it with equality, social justice, and government-provided services rather than strict state ownership. Socialism, according to Karl Marx is the first step to communism.

San Fran

Things often change when they go to extreme. In 2022 San Francisco recalled their district attorney Suzy Loftus because she favored a deincarceration policy which included the elimination of cash bail and refusing to assist ICE. In that same year they voted to recall the school board. In February 2022, San Francisco voters recalled three school board members—Gabriela Lopez, Faauuga Moliga, and Alison Collins—due to intense frustration over slow school reopenings during the pandemic, a controversial focus on renaming schools over education, and elite admissions changes at Lowell High School. They wanted to change the names of 44 schools with names like Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln and to change admission standards from merit to other factors to promote equity. The people voted 55% to remove the DA and 65% to remove the school board members. As of early 2026, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, who took office in January 2025, has focused on a centrist, "law and order" agenda to drive a downtown recovery. His administration, which allies with the business community, has prioritized public safety, reporting a ~30% citywide crime decreases, alongside restructuring permitting processes to boost economic development and downtown revitalization

Buying stock

Under Trump, the US government is taking an equity position in private companies. In the past the government has bailed out companies in auto and aviation by offering loans and in other cases subsidies, to companies like Boeing, which has received $15 billion since 2000. Trump, being a businessman, has instead of subsidies, purchased stock in companies. In Aug 2025 the US government purchased $10 billion in Intel stock rather than giving them a subsidy. The stock price when purchased was $20 and today it is $43 so the government, could sell the stock and double its investment in just 18 months. There have been ten other companies where the government is buying stock instead of offering loans and/or subsidies. The most recent buy in is the purchase of ten percent of the stock in US Rare Earths, a company which is operating the only US rare earth mine in Mountain Pass, CA. Instead of just mining the company will also process rare earths. This is happening because China is using its monopoly on rare earths to negotiate in other areas like trade. It is all part of a long-range policy of bringing products back home to shorten supply chains and for national defense. The American people do not want their pharmaceuticals, among other things, made in China.

Iran maybe

What’s in it for the 90 million Iranian people. The sanctions would be lifted and Iran could join the rest of the world and increase the standard of living for all. The sanctions have restricted oil exports, isolated its financial sector and slashed GDP. These measures have caused high inflation (48% annual), increased poverty (35%), and weakened currency. Under the Shah (1941–1979), Iran experienced significant westernization, characterized by expanded women's rights—including voting and the abolition of the hijab, advanced education opportunities, and high levels of religious tolerance for minorities. Cultural life was generally liberal, featuring art festivals, modern dress, and social mixing of genders, though this existed alongside strict political censorship. Income per person is $5,000 vs $36,000 in Saudi Arabia, inflation is 48% vs 2% in Saudi Arabia. In addition, the country is running out of water. Peace could free up maximum oil sales and defense funds could be used to build desalting plants. Most important, the door would be opened to westernizing the country which means electing their own leaders who could promote cultural changes in the way women and minorities are treated. They could be enjoying freedom of speech and press. They can enjoy the freedoms they had under the Shah without the political censorship, including voting and the abolition of the hijab, advanced education opportunities and high levels of religious tolerance for minorities. Cultural life was generally liberal, featuring art festivals, modern dress and social mixing of genders. While Iran in the past also had tribes like the other Arab countries they were different in the fact that they had tribal structures that functioned within the framework of a large, central state. The people in the West, who enjoy all of these freedoms, are hoping that Iran will be able to rejoin the 21st century.

One on one

Two areas where AI will impact people and quite soon are education and healthcare. In the class room the teachers tend to concentrate on the poor performing students, leaving some quick learners to drift. In healthcare people are treated based on protocols that are designed for the average person but no one is average. In a just a few years students will all have private tutors using AI. Each student will be evaluated as an individual and the course work will be centered around that person. In medicine each patient will have their own private doctor in the form of an AI machine. The patient’s entire life’s history will be used to determine diagnosis and treatment. You will not be giving medication based on some data collected by evaluating thousands of people but rather information based in detail on you. In both situations the AI will know every detail about every individual’s situation. The Ai will have the ability to absorb all of the info and how each piece relates to each other piece. It will be a teacher and/or a physician who knows everything there is to know about you.

Better late than never

The invasion of Iran has brought the Middle East to the attention of the American public. Where would the average American choose to live if given the choice of any Middle East country. Most would choose Israel. In Israel they would have freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom to elect their own leaders. Women and minorities would have equal rights. In many Middle East countries, including Iran, these freedoms do not exist. None of these differences warrant invading Iran but their desire to destroy Israel and America deserves some action. Over the years they have secretly built up a formidable military force consisting of missiles and drones while they continued to work toward a nuclear bomb. Recent actions have revealed rockets that could reach European capitals and it is only a matter of time before nuclear tipped ICBM’s would be part of their arsenal. If this invasion had been postponed for another ten or twenty years the situation would be critical. Iran could then use their power much like North Korea does to threaten the West. Just as OPEC cut off oil supplies in 1973, Iran could stop oil shipments through the Straits and cause a world-wide depression. The West would find it difficult to intervene without risking a nuclear war. This was always deterred by the fear of retaliation but these leaders are driven by religious zeal and may not fear mutual destruction. The time to invade was 20 years ago but today may not be too late.

Pensions or 401K

Unions reached their peak in the US just after WW 2 when 33% of all workers were unionized. This number fell steadily to 10% in 2025. Meanwhile union workers in the public sector remained steady at 35%. During these years most private pension plans were replaced with 401K plans but the public plans stayed with the pensions. A good example of public pensions is teachers who are mostly unionized. Teacher union contract negotiators often accepted better pensions in lieu of raises and that began to change about 30 years ago. A career teacher could retire at age 62 with more income than when they were working so most retired. They realized then that they needed less money at retirement and more money when they had young families and this changed the way they negotiated. The problem is that many states now do not have enough money to pay the promised benefits and taxpayers object to raising taxes to provide retirement benefits that exceed working income. This only holds true for career teachers many of whom have 35 plus years of service. Example $90,000 salary, 35 years of service yields a pension of $6000 per month or $72,000 per year. While working this teacher pays 7.5% or $6,750 into his pension and 7.65% or $6,885 into social security for a net before taxes of $76,365 which is only slightly more than his pension. At retirement he no longer pays into the pension and social security and gets $24,000 per year from social security giving him more than $20,000 per year above what he was earning while working.

Memphis

Former Mayor of NY City, Adams, stated that the majority of crimes are committed by repeat offenders. This claim was proven in Memphis. Starting last September repeat criminals were jailed and crime has dropped significantly. The Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF) focused on violent crime, conducting over 68,000 traffic stops and seizing over 1.500 fire arms within the first few months. By early 2026, officials reported a 25-year low in crime and over 40% reduction compared to the previous year. Trump authorized the MSTF last Sept authorizing the deployment of the National Guard and 13 federal agencies to the city. Federal authorities working with local police have helped to lower the crime rate.

Airports

As the TSA employees go without pay there is pressure to privatize the TSA. There are 20 airports that currently use private security instead of TSA. While most are smaller the exception is San Francisco where checkpoints are not seeing long lines.

Tax the rich

Many who oppose higher taxes on the rich maintain that in time it will filter down to the middle-income groups. An example is the current proposed estate tax by NY City mayor Mamdani. The current estate tax, some call death tax, in NY is 16% of all money over $7.5 million. The new tax will be 50% of all assets over $750,000. Many people have homes worth that much or more. The tax is not progressive like the federal estate tax but a flat 50%. This will affect about 7 million households

Vetting immigrants

As of Feb, this year, 3,313,000 immigrant cases are backed up in the courts and of these 2,232,000 are awaiting court decisions. 201,000 new cases have been reported and 334,000 cases have been closed in 2026 and 1079 have been granted relief. In 2025 about 600,000 have been deported and another 1.9 million have voluntarily self-deported. It is easier to control immigrants as they come in, rather than trying to work out ways to determine their cases once they are here. Properly vetting immigrants also limits the numbers of criminals entering the country. Once the process is under control, then immigrants can be selected based on age and skills, with people under age 30 who can speak English being given preference.

Fraud

The budget for Medicaid is $930 billion and a number of Medicaid programs are being investigated for fraud which started in MN but now appear to be in other states. The fraud is in 13 different programs including Housing for seniors and disabled people Children with autism Personal care services Adult Day services Nonemergency medical transportation Hospice. Add to that Medicare fraud estimated at $100 billion per year and billions more in defense and the government needs a program like DOGE

NY state

In the four years since NY Governor Kathy Hochul took office, the state budget has increase from $220 billion to $254 billion or 15% per year. Florida with a population of 23 million (vs NY at 20 million) has a budget of less than half at $117 billion. New York State's structural budget deficits, including a projected $22 billion-plus gap, are primarily driven by rapid spending growth in Medicaid and public education, along with costs for housing migrants and asylum seekers Take education as an example. New York now spends the most in any state at $36,293 per K-12 student and the national average is $20,000. NY state ranks 22 on test scores. For MN the cost is $20,700 and MN ranks number.

Companies leaving

It would be logical to assume that a big corporation would be hesitant to relocate to save money if they already have millions tied up in their local main offices but that may not be the case. When laws are passed that make it difficult for companies to operate there comes a point where they will leave. Many companies are leaving California because of strict regulations and high taxation because governors acted as if that was not possible. A recent example is New York Governor speaking to business executives. In 2022, Kathy Hochul said: “Just jump on a bus and head down to Florida where you belong… you are not New Yorkers.” Well surprise, many left and now in 2026 she is saying “Maybe the first step should be to go down to Palm Beach and see who we can bring back home because our tax base has been eroded,” the Democratic governor said at a forum hosted by Politico last week. The latest proposal is that the New York state estate tax be changed from a progressive rate of all assets over $7.5 million to a flat 50% tax on assets over $750,000. That will not encourage rich people to move to New York.

Europe today

The use of small nuclear reactors, whether using thorium or uranium pellets, can provide all the power needs of the country. They offer low-cost electric power and that can be used to manufacture diesel fuel without increasing the CO2 in the atmosphere. Electric power can split water by electrolysis to make hydrogen which can then be combined with carbon dioxide extracted from the air to make diesel, gasoline and aviation fuel. When these are burned, the CO2 is returned to the atmosphere from which it came thus being CO2 neutral. These reactors are made assembly line style in factories and shipped to the use point, avoiding the need for long transmission lines and they do not need water to operate. The U.S. government is aggressively pushing nuclear energy, aiming to quadruple capacity by roughly four-fold by 2050. Led by the Department of Energy (DOE) and recent Trump administration executive orders , policies focusing on fast-tracking new reactor licensing, boosting domestic fuel production (HALEU), and supporting $80 billion in new projects. In addition, private companies—particularly major technology firms—are increasingly turning to nuclear power to meet the immense, 24/7 electricity demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers. This shift is marked by investments in both existing nuclear reactors and next-generation advanced reactor technologies.

Nuke power today

The use of small nuclear reactors, whether using thorium or uranium pellets, can provide all the power needs of the country. They offer low-cost electric power and that can be used to manufacture diesel fuel without increasing the CO2 in the atmosphere. Electric power can split water by electrolysis to make hydrogen which can then be combined with carbon dioxide extracted from the air to make diesel, gasoline and aviation fuel. When these are burned, the CO2 is returned to the atmosphere from which it came thus being CO2 neutral. These reactors are made assembly line style in factories and shipped to the use point, avoiding the need for long transmission lines and they do not need water to operate. The U.S. government is aggressively pushing nuclear energy, aiming to quadruple capacity by roughly four-fold by 2050. Led by the Department of Energy (DOE) and recent Trump administration executive orders , policies focusing on fast-tracking new reactor licensing, boosting domestic fuel production (HALEU), and supporting $80 billion in new projects. In addition, private companies—particularly major technology firms—are increasingly turning to nuclear power to meet the immense, 24/7 electricity demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers. This shift is marked by investments in both existing nuclear reactors and next-generation advanced reactor technologies.

Training

Based on announcements from March 2026, Samsung is committing over $73 billion in 2026 for chip capacity expansion, R&D, and facility improvements, with a significant focus on strengthening its American manufacturing base. They are partnering with schools and community colleges to support a diverse set of training, reskilling and education programs that build skills for careers in advanced manufacturing and the digital economy. Samsung is focused on training workers for roles in advanced manufacturing, from engineers to technicians. These new manufacturing plants will not be like old days when people stood and performed repetitive tasks but will require special knowledge to operate complex machines that will increase overall productivity which means higher compensation. This same emphasis on training workers is common in all the new foreign investments coming to the US. With over 8.5 million job openings in the US, new manufacturing and trade industries are intensely focusing on training high school graduates to bridge critical skills gaps

Iran bomb

The world is coming together on keeping Iran from getting a nuclear bomb but they are closing their eyes to the transporting of the bomb. The theory is that if Iran gets enough enriched uranium, they will be able to make a bomb and so they must be prohibited from getting the uranium. That is a red herring. We hear this week that Russia is supplying weapons to Iran. In only takes 55 pounds of enriched uranium to build a bomb, the kind that hit Nagasaki in WW 2. Russia could send them that much uranium and more. Nagasaki is 43 sq miles in area and Jerusalem is 48 sq miles. Getting a bomb is much easier than delivering the bomb to the target area. That is why it is important to prevent Iran from developing the means to transport the bomb and thus to destroy their rockets.

Bosnia

In 1999, the NATO coalition, including the United States, bombed Yugoslavia for almost three months. According to the Serbian authorities, around 2,500 people were killed and 12,500 injured. The Balkan war did not pose a vital or direct national security threat to the United States. The US intervened primarily to stop a humanitarian disaster, prevent the war from spreading to neighboring countries and stabilize Europe. The US was the primary international force in ending the war through decisive military intervention. In the end the US sent 20,000 peace keeping troops to the country.

Star Wars

As the anti-ballistic missiles continue to knock rockets out of the skies with a 90% kill rate many have forgotten how this idea was laughed at. Here are a few quotes. The U.S. media and political opponents heavily ridiculed President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), commonly known as "Star Wars". Media coverage frequently highlighted the immense cost and technical impossibility of the proposed space-based laser systems, dismissing the initiative as a "scheme" Senator Kennedy's, and other Democrats', characterization of the program as "reckless" became a cornerstone of opposition, aiming to highlight the potential for accelerating the nuclear arms race rather than preventing it. The New York Times maintained a consistently critical, often skeptical stance regarding President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), widely known as "Star Wars," during the 1980s. In today’s world these remarks would be called misinformation.

Nuke safety

The standard one gig nuclear power plant will have over 100 tons of fuel in its reactor at any given time. With a small modular reactor, the fuel is added as needed and therein lies the basic, walk away safety feature. The small reactor cannot melt down because if the power is lost the addition of fuel is interrupted and the core cools. The new small nuclear reactors use pellets of uranium for fuel. This has been enriched to 3.5%. These pellets are coated with materials that seal in much of the unwanted waste and are easy to store on site. Urenco USA in New Mexico is the sole operating commercial centrifuge enrichment facility in the US. When thorium is used as fuel it does not have to be enriched and can eliminate this step.

SS savings plan

When the discussions of how to save social security (SS) come up, one area that is pointed out it that stock holders have averaged 11% return over the past 50 years, while wages for working people have stagnated. The conclusion is that stockholders should be assessed to pay for the SS shortfall. Another way to look at the problem is to realize that if SS had been privatized 50 years ago the people not just the stockholders would have earned 11% and SS would not be in trouble. A little math shows that if that had been the case, people retiring today would have a greater benefit just from the interest from their account and would be able to pass on the principal to their heirs. Here is one example. A man starts work at age 22 and earns $40,000 and his wages increase 3% per year and he invests 8% of his wage at 11% return, how much will he have in 40 years and the answer is $2.5 million. If he lived off the interest which at 11% would be $275,000 per year, he could then pass on the $2.5 million in principle. In contrast his social security benefit would be $2,000 per month or $24,000 per year. Even if the man only earned one percent on his principle after retirement, he could still collect the same as SS but he could retain ownership of the principle. SS is 6.2% of wages matched by the employer but 2.2% must be set aside to cover disability claims and survivor benefits leaving 8% to invest. We could start to privatize SS next year and it would take 40 years to convert all workers over. Since 1986 all federal employees have participated in the Thrift Savings Plan, where their savings have been invested in stocks and it has been a resounding success.

Iran oil

Prior to the development of the oil fields by US engineers the countries in the Middle East were just desert tribes living in tents. Since that time these countries have prospered except for Iran. The GDP per capita in Saudi Arabia is $36,000, in Kuwait $32,000, in UAE $49,000 and Iran $4,000. Oil reserves in Saudi Arabia are 260 billion barrels, Kuwait 101 billion, in UAE 111 billion and Iran 208 billion. In answer to the question is the Iranian leader rich, Google AI responds: Yes, Mojtaba Khamenei, appointed as Iran's new Supreme Leader in March 2026, is reported to control a vast, hidden financial empire. Investigations estimate his wealth, built through shell companies and oil revenue, exceeds $100 billion, including luxurious real estate in London, Dubai, and across Europe, controlled via proxy It is time for the world to help the Iranian people to stand up to this autocratic regime.

Running out of workers

Countries in the West and others in the East like Japan, China and South Korea are losing population. Social security programs depend on current workers supporting current retirees and people are having fewer children and living longer. The only solution is to raise the retirement age and/or cut benefits to retirees but politicians who suggest such things are not reelected. Some feel that bringing in immigrants will solve the problem but the math shows that only postpones the problem and eventually makes things worse. Two recent attempts at using immigration illustrate the problem. Canada began bringing in 500,000 immigrants per year. This is a country with a population of 40 million. It would be like the US bringing in 4 million immigrants per year. Adding to the problem was Canada’s merit-based immigration system, that gave preferential treatment to immigrants with higher education and special skills. This allowed them to receive higher wages which drove up the price of housing to the point where native Canadians can no longer afford a house. Another example is Germany. They began bringing in millions of new comers mostly from Africa and the Middle East and the majority were Muslims. Immigration was too rapid and the new people could not or would not assimilate. Now they are deporting them. One possible solution looming on the horizon is AI. It is possible that robots could manufacture goods so efficiently that people could work less and still have their needs provided. In the 1930’s the 40-hour week became the standard. Perhaps the time has come for the 30-hour week. Then it might be more acceptable to raise the retirement age.

The Jews

During the 1600 years that the Holy Roman Church represented Christianity throughout Europe, most people were illiterate with three exceptions, the priest, the nobility and the Jews. Jewish families taught their sons to read and write so they could read the holy books. Also, during these years, the Holy Roman Catholic Church historically banned the lending of money at interest (known as usury) for centuries, considering it a mortal sin and contrary to charity and justice. This meant that in the communities only the Jews could read and write and only the Jews could lend money, so by necessity they became the bankers. As the Jewish families prospered others felt it was unfair and this led to a dislike for the Jews. In the US this dislike was seen in many areas, one in particular was medicine. Jewish doctors faced significant discrimination and were largely kept out of staff positions at many non-Jewish hospitals in the early 1900s, particularly in the US and Europe. Anti-Semitic quotas, which restricted entry to medical schools and hospital training programs, were common from the 1920s to the 1960s, leading to the creation of Jewish hospitals to provide both care and employment opportunities. The Jews responded in typical Jewish fashion by building their own hospitals where all doctors are welcome. Historically and currently, many hospitals founded by the Jewish community—often established to serve immigrant populations and train Jewish doctors facing discrimination—are ranked among the best in the world

US oil

The big Gulf Coast refineries were built years ago, the last being in 1976. At that time the heavy sour oil from Venezuela, Canada and Mexico were the main sources of crude. Later the light sweet crude from Texas became available along with oil from Saudi Arabia but these were more expensive and not suitable for the US refineries. America First Refinery is joining forces with a company from India to build a plant in Brownsville TX to refine light sweet crude from Texas and North Dakota. This will be the first new refinery built in the US since 1976. These refined oil products will be made and sold in the US. This is part of the overall strategy of making and selling products in the US as opposed to sending production overseas. This is the reindustrialization of America that will expand manufacturing in all areas.

Change in Iran

Israel became a country on May 15, 1948 and the next day they were invaded by a coalition of Arab states, including Egypt, Syrian, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon. That was followed up with 4 more wars, the last in 2006. The two-state solution between Israel and Palestine has been the goal and today that seems possible if Iran is neutralized. If the Iranian people are given the opportunity to replace the current theocratic dictatorship with a government elected by the people, Iran can become a part of the Middle East family. Next, using the Abraham Accords, the Arab countries can join forces with Israel to rebuild Gaza and set the stage for the long desired two-state solution. Countries around the world, with the exception of China and Russia, are behind the Iranian people in their quest for freedom. Iran has been a thorn in the side of the desire for peace in the Middle East since 1979 and this is the best opportunity to change the country that is considered the promoter of terrorism around the world.

SS

People often ask when is the best time to start social security but, in many ways, it is a moot question. This is because social security is like an annuity. It always pays out the same amount based on life expectancy. Example. Take $2,000 per month at age 62 or $3,500 per month at age 70. Life expectancy for a white male at age 62 is 20 years and 16 years at age 70. $2,000 per month for 20 years is $480,000 while $3,500 per month for 16 years is $672,000. If you start at invest $2,000 per month at 5% for 8 years you will have $235,000 and adding that to $480,000 you have a total of $715,000. This is one way that retired people can invest in the stock market with minimal risk. The reasons to start early are less about money but more about feeling well enough to do things when you are younger. One other point is that social security is racist. Example. A white female and a Black male both have the same work record and both receive $2,000 per month from social security. The Black male has a life expectancy of 15.5 years while the White female lives another 22 years. The male collects $372,000 and the female collects $528,000. One way to even things out is to privatize social security.

Tariff free

Germany was the economic power house of Europe all during the cold war. They manufactured high quality industrial products and exported them, many to the US. Before the Ukraine war (prior to February 2022), Germany maintained a massive, decades-long trade surplus, driven by strong manufacturing exports (machinery, cars, chemicals) and reliance on cheap Russian energy imports. In 2021 the trade surplus was $200 billion. They did this by producing quality products and using tariffs. In 2021 sending a $30,000 Cadillac to Germany cost an additional $11,000 in tariffs, fees and VAT. The cost to import a $30,000 German car to the US was $750. Germany’s debt to GDP ratio was 70% and the US was 120%. Trade deficits are counted as debt. Recent negotiations have tended to even this out with import tax on a $30,000 German car at $4,500 and the tax on shipping an American car to Germany remains the same. This encourages Germany to produce more cars in the US to avoid the tariff. As of early 2025, German carmakers are looking to expand North American output to secure their market position in the face of tariff risks, which has already seen a significant portion of German automotive jobs (up to 78,000) potentially moving to the U.S.. Tariff free is best but only if they are fair. Zero tariffs for all countries would be ideal.

Thorium first

CERN estimates that 1 ton of thorium is capable of producing as much energy as 200 tons of uranium. This is because 100% of thorium is available for fission where uranium is only .7% of usable U 235 and must be enriched to get rid of the unwanted U 238. Thorium is about 3-4 times more common than uranium in the earth's crust. Thorium's ore, monazite, generally contains higher concentrations of thorium than the percentage of uranium found in its respective ore. This makes thorium a more cost efficient and less environmentally damaging fuel source. Thorium is found in the waste products (tailings) in other mining such as iron and phosphate. Thorium is concentrated in coal ash. Over 5 billion tons of coal ash have been produced in the U.S. over the last century, with roughly 110–140 million tons generated annually. Ash from the typical coal power plant each year will contain 15,000 tons of thorium which according to Google AI could power the entire world for ten years.

Press

One important question regarding the Biden years is how much should the press influence elections. Many democrats and supporters believed that any president, even one in decline, was better than a second Trump term. While this is understandable based on politics, is it acceptable that the press feels this way. Here is Google AI Based on reporting, books, and investigations in 2025, there is a strong argument that a significant portion of the media and the Biden administration participated in, or failed to adequately report on, the president's cognitive decline, often dismissing signs as "cheap fakes". CNN, MSNBC, and other outlets often dismissed concerns as "ageism" or partisan attacks, even after reports, such as that by Special Counsel Robert Hur, suggested significant memory issues. This has affected the coverage of the president after the election. A 2025 YouGov poll found only 29% of Americans have a "fair amount" or "great deal" of trust in the media to report facts accurately and fairly, while 67% express little to no trust. This began when Trump was campaigning during his first term. Donald J Trump was not popular with America's newspapers. Of the 100 top circulation print newspapers, two endorsed him. More than 200 newspapers supported Clinton, while Trump received the backing of fewer than 20. This continues today as a recent analysis by the Media Research Center has revealed that 92% of the major network media coverage of Trump during his first 100 days Mistrust in the media is a continuation of a trend that started in the 1980’s when trust in the media was 70% and today it has dropped to 28%.

Iran attack

The last four presidents starting with George Bush, have said that it is US foreign policy that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. Bush used a diplomatic-first approach aimed at international isolation, coupled with economic pressure and the credible threat of military force. Clinton signed the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000, which authorized him to take punitive action against individuals or organizations known to be providing material aid to WMD programs in Iran. During his first term Trump pursued a policy designed to prevent Iran from acquiring nukes by dismantling the 2015 Iran deal and replacing it with a maximum pressure campaign of severe economic sanctions. Biden’s strategy was to prevent Iran from obtaining nukes by pursuing diplomacy to revive the 2015 plan while stating that military force was the last resort. So why now. The Syrian regime under Assad had collapsed closing down arms shipments from Iran to Hezbollah. Hamas in Gaza had been neutralized. Iran was in an economic tailspin and the people were revolting in the streets. Trump had damaged their underground nuclear site and Israel had grounded their air force. The US had surrounded Iran with a large military armada and the Israelis got word that the top Iranian leaders were meeting together and the time was right. Iran was the leading sponsor of terrorism in the world and for 40 plus years had been attacking US bases and soldiers and the stage was set for an invasion. The mass production of rockets and drones now revealed, tell the story of how Iran was planning on carrying out their long-promised destruction of Israel and the US, the Little Saten and the Great Saten. Iran was making 100 missiles and 10,000 drones per month while shouting death to America. This confrontation was inevitable and should have been done sooner but better late than never.

dot com

In 1997 Clinton and Gingrich agreed to cut spending and cut targeted taxes. The spending cuts would be in defense and non-defense discretionary spending. The result was that revenues exceeded spending for four consecutive years from 1998 to 2001. Much of this was attributed to the dot com bubble. When Clinton took office, the Nasdaq was at 450 and when he left it was 5000. Within 18 months after he left office the bubble burst and the Nasdaq dropped to 1100. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than smart and both Clinton and Gingrich were given credit for balancing the budget for four years. In those four years the dot com companies gained $5 trillion in value and then lost most of it in less than two years.

WW 2

In the 1930’s, as Hitler was taking over Europe, the polls in the US showed 93% of the people did not want to get involved in “Europe’s War”. Even after England and France declared war on Germany the American polls show no change in the US position. Japanese Admiral Yamamoto warned, do not wake the sleeping giant, in regards to the attack on Pearle Harbor. If Japan had heeded his warning, would the US allowed Hitler to take over Germany. Even after the attack on Pearle, if FDR went before congress to ask for the declaration of war by explaining that it would take four years and it would mean the lives of over 400,000 American soldiers and it would cost $5 trillion in today’s dollars would congress have approved. How the Iran war will turn out is yet to be determined but the upside can be revolutionary. It would be wise to withhold judgement for a while.

Bombs

As the war in Iran enters its second week, people are getting beginning to doubt the wisdom of Trumps invasion. Recent polls show that 43% disapprove and 27% approve. Just prior to WW 2 polls showed that over 90% of Americans did not want to get involved. Even after Europe declared war on Germany in Sept 1939, Americans still wanted no part of the war. It was only after Pearle Harbor the Americans changed. In 1999 when the US bombed Serbia, 60% approved with no troops on the ground. 90% opposed sending troops. During the 78-day NATO bombing campaign in 1999 (Operation Allied Force), an estimated 23,000 to 28,000 explosive munitions, including roughly 3,000 cruise missiles and thousands of cluster bombs, were launched against Yugoslavia. Other reports, often from opposing perspectives, cite up to 80,000 tonnes of bombs The polls showed 93% favored sending troops to Afghanistan at the start of the war and that number declined steadily as the war dragged on until 70% wanted to withdraw.

Iran attack

Hitler took power in 1933 and the world watched as he built up the military, something he was forbidden to do by the Treaty of Versailles. Then he embarked on a program to take the Saar Region in 1935, the Rhineland in 1936, Austria in 1938, Sudetenland in 1938, Czechoslovakia in 1939 and Memel in late 1939. Then Sept 1,1939 he invaded Poland and the West had had enough and declared war on Germany. Historians now agree that if Hitler had been challenged when took he the Saar Region, it might have prevented WW 2. Today the West is faced with the dictators in Iran building up their military. For 47 years this theocracy has stated their goal is to wipe Israel off the map. Once again, the West tried to negotiate using state craft and various sanctions but Iran kept on building more rockets and drones along with the constant threat of nuclear bombs but through it all the West responded with more threats. Jump ahead 20 years and Iran launches a major attack on Israel and Israel responds with nuclear bombs and the West is stunned. Millions are killed outright and many more suffer radiation burns. It is Nagasaki all over again only many times worse. Years later the historians agree that if Iran had been stopped earlier this could have been prevented. It is not possible to predict the future but when a dictatorship says for 50 years, they want to destroy their enemies, it is wise to pay attention. The way many have responded to the attack on Iran offers the reasons why world leaders were fearful of acting. It is always easier to put off action when possible and pass the buck.

Policy

California is the US equivalent of Europe’s Germany. Here are some of the similarities. Both are trying to replace fossil fuels with wind and solar. Both are ending their nuclear power production. Both have the highest utility cost in their respective continents. Both have strained their social safety net by allowing to many migrants Both are importing oil and natural gas Both are reducing the number of oil refineries Both are suffering from excess regulations Both are losing top industries and industrialist Both are experiencing rapid increases in debt Both are experiencing long term declines in native population Other than population, all of these changes are caused by government policy which is not changing. Just this month the Green Party achieved an election victory in Germany.

Populstion

Articles from the 1980s on world population highlighted a "population explosion" crisis, with global numbers reaching 4.4 billion in 1980 and 5 billion by 1987. Key themes included fears of environmental strain, the need for family planning in developing nations. Today the story is just the opposite in that they predict that the world is running out of people and certain countries like Japan, China and Italy are in dire straits. If indeed there is a shortage of people on the horizon, how will the world respond. First off, many experts have declared that AI will take over many jobs. Others suggest that AI will bring forth medical improvement that will allow people to work into their 80’s. A third idea is shortening the work week. This can be accomplished if productivity increases. In any event the experts had to reverse direction in just a few years.

Iran

In today’s world major changes take place almost overnight. As little as two years ago, Israel was surrounded by enemies whose stated goal was to remove Israel from the map. Syria was the pipeline of war materials to Hezbollah; Hamas and the Houthis were lobbing rockets into Irael and they were all financed by Iran. Today Assad is gone from Syria, and the others are mostly ineffective. While many of the Muslim countries restrict the rights of women, gays and Christians, Israel remains a beacon of freedom. In Israel, 21% of the population is Arab and they are citizens with all the rights accorded to citizens. Iran has been a state sponsor of terrorism since 1980 and their demise will bring peace to the Middle East and open the road to a two state solution for Palestine.

Rash actions

The change of heart in Hollywood happened over time. The mostly conservative Hollywood of the pre–WW 2 years has become a mostly liberal Hollywood. The change accelerated during the McCarthy hearings in the early 1950’s. Far right wingers motivated by their fear of communism pushed to rid Hollywood of its Commies. Many actors were black listed based on accusations and innuendo. This was followed in 1952 by the Supreme Court ruling that films were a form of free speech. Studies show that creative people are removed from reality and it allows them to empathize with others. Combine that with virtue signaling and you have a modern day progressive. This combination permits these creative people to champion minorities without thinking through the possible results of their actions. Releasing repeat criminals into society because of some past real or perceived injustice glosses over the risk of another crime. Bringing in migrants because they are escaping an intolerable situation in their homeland opens the door to molesting women and girls on their trip, leading minors into harm, making big profits for cartels who get paid to bring people to the border and reap profits from drug sales not to mention the strain on schools and healthcare facilities. Empathy must be moderated with reason before action is taken. This will minimize the possible unintended consequences.

Post Trump

Over the 250-year history of the US, the country periodically finds itself in turmoil, while it reinvents itself. The last time this happened was during FDR’s time, when the depression was followed by the Great War. During these times of crisis FDR was admired by many and feared by many. This was followed by 50 years of cold war and quiet long-term growth, which included the civil rights era and most important, the increased power handed over to the federal bureaucracy. The first step in reinventing is the violation of the norms and this can be heard in the way Trump is defined. He is not presidential meaning he is not like other presidents. He upset the republican party, the democratic party and the US relations with the rest of the world. Roosevelt also broke the norms and, in many cases, broke the laws but the country survived and grew. The current turmoil will continue for several more years and even after Trump is out of office. Some will desire to return to the world before Trump but going back will not work. Too much will have changed not the least of which is the effects of AI. The next ten years will see the greatest changes and growth in US history. Get ready young people.

Netherlands

The US income tax system has a special carveout for investors. The top income tax rate on earned income (wages) is 37% but the top tax rate on unearned income (investments) is only 20%. It has often been proposed to do away with the special break for investors and the Netherlands recent did the equivalent. They passed a law to tax the unrealized gains on investment. In the past the tax on gains would not take effect until the investment was sold. You buy stock for a dollar and year later it is worth 2 dollars but there is no tax until you sell then the gain of one dollar would be taxed at 20%. The Netherlands new law says that you will pay the tax even if you don’t sell and it will be at 37%. This in essence, removes the special tax status from the gains. If the US would adopt this then the special status for investment income would no longer exist. It would hit mostly higher income people and bring in about $10 billion per year. On the downside it would discourage investment.

National debt

Since 1950 prices have increased by 3.5% each year while government spending has increased by 7% resulting in a $37 trillion-dollar national debt. Public assistance programs including federal and state have increased by 6%. Raising taxes to reduce debt doesn’t work because when the government gets new income it spends the money on new programs. People believe that tax increases can lower the debt but polls show that people do not want their taxes raised. 70% favor taxing the rich. It is the old story, don’t tax you, don’t tax me, tax the man behind the tree. The US currently has the most progressive tax system in the world and most people want to tax the rich even more. History has shown that just increasing taxes will not reduce the debt. The answer is to reduce spending but that is very unpopular especially among people who receive public assistance. Politicians know this so it is just about impossible to stop the increase in benefits. Benefits include not only welfare (public assistance) to the poor but tax breaks for the rich, things like the home mortgage interest deduction. Once in a great while a politician will campaign on raising taxes but they do not get elected. The most famous case is the Mondale campaign against Reagan in 1984. During his 1984 presidential campaign, Democratic nominee Walter Mondale famously pledged to raise taxes to reduce the federal budget deficit, stating, Mr. Reagan will raise taxes and so will I. He won’t tell you. I just did. His plan aimed to raise $85 billion, primarily targeting corporations and wealthy Americans. Reagan won 49 states and 525 electoral votes, the most in history. He barely squeaked out a victory in his home state of MN by 3,761 votes….1,036,364 to 1,032,603. Reagan dramatically lowered taxes but he increased spending by far more and the debt ballooned from 33% of GDP to 53%. Today it is 120%.

Europe's obit

In 1941 the US stepped in to save Europe from self-destruction but today Climate change is writing Europe’s obituary. Starting about 40 years ago various climate activist groups like Greenpeace took control of the government. They believed they were saving the world by going all out to eliminate fossil fuels. It was an emotional response void of real science and pushed forward by false science. Even though the goal was carbon free they decided to close the nuclear plants which was one of the results of acting on emotion. This same lack of thinking things through, led them to believe that solar and wind could be their sole energy sources, only to later discover that Germany, the economic engine of Europe is not that sunny or windy. In 1993 they formed the European Union and turned the government over to the bureaucrats in Brussels, who saw their job was to write regulations to promote green energy. This had the effect of bringing any new innovation or industry to a grinding halt. Google AI says it this way: There is a strong consensus among business leaders and analysts that Europe is heavily burdened by regulations, which some reports suggest stifles innovation, slows competitiveness, and imposes high compliance costs. Europe, since WW 2 has depended on the US for national defense and they used their funds to build high speed transportation and social programs, often pointing out that they had national healthcare. Then came the Ukraine War and the cheap gas from Russia disappeared. At the same time the US, carrying $37 trillion in debt told Europe, they would have to increase their defense spending. To make things worse Europe is not replacing its population. In 2023 3.7 million babies were born in Europe and 4.7 million people died. The result is that Europe is deindustrializing while America is reindustrializing.

SAT

The College Board is a non-profit group that deals with the SAT and ACT entrance exams. It has been around for a hundred years and many times shown to be biased toward a certain class, mainly white and higher income. This caused many schools to do away with the SAT and revert back to GPA’s but those had suffered from grade inflation and were a poor substitute for testing. Now some schools are reviving the SAT. The College Board which is a $1.3 billion business is the only game in town. They have now moved into determining what kind of course work high schools should have and highlight Advanced Placement (AP) courses. The teachers teach to the test and many students purchase past test to review. No matter what changes they make, the more affluent and whiter the student is the better the performance. In one attempt to rectify this, the College Board started an AP class called African American Studies, which included topics like critical race theory (CRT), intersectionality and queer theory. Recent attempts to help, including Common Core and No Child Left Behind, have only caused headaches for teachers and confusion for students. The test score gap between whites and minorities continues to widen. Recent changes in the economy, based on new manufacturing jobs and AI, may move students away from college and required skills not measured by mental acuity test but more toward practical learning.

Trump right or wrong

Most people are not aware or have forgotten that Trump talked about a run for the White House going back to the late 1980’s and the was the butt of many jokes. In the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2011, Obama became famous showing off his comedic skills as he skewered and mocked Trump. He had the crowd roaring with laughter. Only a few years later the laughter continued as Trump announced his candidacy and was welcomed on programs like Morning Joe where he was roundly made fun of as he expounded on his unusual views of popular subjects. James Fallows claimed that the chance of a Trump nomination was exactly zero. Ben White said he would eat a bag of rusty nails if Trump won. Peter Fenn doubted Trump’s celebrity would translate into a primary win. Even experts in his own party considered him a joke as George Will dismissed his chances. The people who spent their lives becoming experts in the field of politics, were totally baffled by Trump and yet these people still maintain their positions as political guru’s. Every time Trump does something they immediately announce how it is the wrong thing. They seem incapable of reevaluating their original position regardless of how many times Trump makes the right move. To many readers these guru’s have lost credibility. No politician always makes the right move but sometimes they do. Trump has more right and wrong moves than most politicians because he makes more moves. He has so many irons in the fire that the press can hardly keep up.

North Korea

North Korea used negotiation time to develop a nuclear bomb. They increasing their nuclear capabilities using technology from Russia leading up to their joining the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1989. They failed to pass inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This triggered a nuclear crisis in 1994 when they would withdraw from the NPT. The negotiation continued while they were building up their nuclear program. Meetings continued and in 2006 they tested their first nuclear bomb. Iran was following the same plan hoping to build up their military while developing the bomb. Iran allegedly started the AMAD Project with the aim of developing nuclear weapons in 1989 and it ended in 2003. In 2006 they resumed their uranium enrichment. Four US presidents Bush, Obama, Biden and Trump were involved in some type of talks with Iran over a 25-year period. During these years Iran was providing assistance to groups like Hamas and Hezbollah and aiding in the attack against US soldiers. On several occasions the people of Iran took to the streets to protest against their government only to be put down by their leaders.

Rick Jackson

Another story of how great America is, has popped into the news as billionaire Rick Jackson enters the Georgia Governors race. Jackson is the founder of a large healthcare business. The self-described million-dollar Trump donor, grew up in the projects, going through the foster care system having fled abusive parents as a child. Like Trump, I’m an outsider and don’t owe anybody anything and I’m sick of career politicians. He has taken a strong conservative position on the issues including making Georgia number one in criminal deportations, keeping woke ideology out of schools, banning DEI, criminalizing reverse discrimination and cutting state income tax by half and freezing property tax. Jackson has donated to foster care programs and is deeply committed to improving outcomes for vulnerable youth. He is facing an uphill battle because Trump has already endorsed another candidate.

Pension vs 401K

A pension by definition is a guaranteed monthly retirement check for life. These were popular in the post war era but have been replace by 401K plans starting in about 1970. The number of people under pension plans have declined from 27 million in 1975 to 13 million in 2019. The only groups that maintain regular pension plans are some unions, federal, state, county workers and teachers. The private sector abandoned pensions in favor of 401K plans because they were less costly. A retiree with a pension plan has a benefit 50% higher than one with a 401K plan. In time the public sector will have to move away from pensions and toward 401K plans because there is not enough money to pay the retirees under the present public pension system. When there is not enough money to pay the promised benefits to future retirees it is called underfunded. The 1974 Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) was designed to prevent underfunding, so what happened. Go back 40 years and you are setting up a pension plan. You have to decide how many employees are going to stay with your company for the next 40 years. You must determine how much their salaries will be over the next 40 years. You must determine what life expectancy will be in 40 years. You must decide how much you must put into the pension account and how much that money will earn in the future. Because this is such a daunting task, ERISA said that the pension fund must be audited each year to make sure enough money is being added to meet future commitments. If the company decides to spend some pension contributions on another project, they would make up the difference by projecting a higher rate of return on the pension fund and therein lies the loop hole. Here is info from Google AI: Research and data from financial analysts indicate that many pension fund managers, particularly for public plans, have consistently projected ambitious or unrealistic rates of return to mask the extent of underfunding and keep employer contributions artificially low. One particularly egregious state is Illinois. They have only 49 cents in their pension account for every one dollar promised. Can they recover by adding more money? Yes, but if they added one million dollars per day extra it would take 600 years to recover. The small population state of North Dakota had to add $49 million last year to the teacher’s retirement fund to maintain benefits. When Detroit filed bankruptcy, they cut benefits to existing pensioners. Is that the future of pension plans.

US Europe

Many articles are written about the change of heart that Europe has toward the US. Europe is generally less friendly toward the U.S. now than in 2015, driven by a sharp decline in favorability following the return of Donald Trump and a preference for European autonomy. Trump himself and his VP and Secretary of State have told Europe they must make changes to survive. They must spend more on their own national defense and stop relying on the US. They should place more emphasis on fossil fuels and less on wind and solar. They should deport illegal migrants. While no country likes getting advice from another, there have been significant changes made by the US that have a monetary effect on Europe. In 2015 Europe spent 1.45% of GDP on defense and today it is 2.16% headed for 5%. In 2015 the US covered 73% of total NATO cost and today it is 67%. In 2015 Europe collected $16,500 in import taxes and fees on a $50,000 car from the US and today they collect $10,500. In the early years of the war the US sent arms to Europe for free to send to Ukraine but today they sell those same arms to Europe. Perhaps the change of heart has something to do with the change in financial arrangements.

Errors

Since the end of the cold war the US has made a series of unforced policy errors. Permitting China to use unfair trade tactics. Moving away from nuclear power Believing that EV’s are the future Thinking that wind and solar could replace fossil fuels Giving too much power to government agencies Allowing supply chains to move outside the country Letting unvetted migrants in Moving manufacturing overseas The country is now in the process of trying to right these wrongs. Demand free and fair trade and forcing the issue using tariffs. Ratcheting up nuclear investments. Pointing out that the country is not ready for EV’s because the grid can’t handle them. The mining, processing and disposal of materials needed for wind and solar is too dangerous. Reducing regulations. Bringing supply chains back home. Deporting illegal migrants. Bringing manufacturing jobs back home.

War plans

In 1994 during 100-day period, Hutu militias in Rwandan systematically slaughtered 600,000 Tutsis using mostly machetes. The rivers overflowed with body parts. The genocide was marked by extreme violence, with victims often murdered by neighbours, and widespread sexual violence, with between 250,000 and 500,000 women raped. The international community largely failed to intervene in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, with many nations actively withdrawing personnel as the killing began. The UN reduced its peacekeeping force (UNAMIR) following the murder of Belgian soldiers, and Western nations prioritized evacuating their citizens, leaving Tutsi civilians unprotected By a miracle we now have a chance to go back in time to intervene in this disaster but we have to use today’s rules. First off, the president goes before congress to lay out his plan. They want to know, how many planes, ships and troops will be needed. How many US casualties can be expected? How much will it cost and how long will it last. What will be done with the country after the fighting stops. In 100 days, the president and congress are still deciding on a plan and the genocide is over.

Team work

The best ways to grow the economy is using the private sector helped by government. This means lowering taxes on individuals to increase consumption and lower taxes on corporations to encourage investment. The government can reduce spending to keep inflation under control and lower interest rates to promote business expansion. The government can keep regulations at a minimum to allow for new business developments. The government can set trade policies that encourage foreign investments. The government investment in new military equipment can lead to new products for industry to develop. Many innovations in NASA have led to new private industries. Government investment in the National Institute of Health (NIA) can provide aid to private medical firms in the development of new products and treatments. In other words, the government can be an effective junior partner to business. The government can take the lead in developing long range infrastructure programs and private companies can do the construction. This team approach with the help of AI will provide new high paying jobs for all groups.

Spending

Can the government bring down the high cost of living by spending money? According to Chat GPT the government can do this by subsidizing things like food, fuel, electricity, public transportation and healthcare. Here is a quote from democratic house leader Jeffries: This administration somehow found the resources, has found billions of dollars for bombs but can't find any money to actually bring down the high cost of living here in the United States of America," Jeffries said. Economist say that too much government spending is one of the main causes of inflation. Putting subsidies in the hands of consumers, increases the demand for goods and that drives up prices. The key is too much. Many politicians think they can increase spending just the right amount, so as to not increase inflation. During the Biden years the spending was too much too fast and inflation spiked to nine percent. As far as Jeffries remarks go, so far, the government spending on the war has been part of the Pentagon budget and will not cause inflation. If that is surpassed and the government starts to borrow to cover the war cost, then inflation will rise. One way to accomplish what Jeffries is suggesting is to move money from defense spending to social spending, what is called in Econ 101, spending on butter rather than guns. This can be done in next years budget but not in this year’s, which has already been set.

Promise grants

The is an organization called Minnesota Promise Grants that has $100 million dollars to award to small businesses with assets under $750,000. The awards can be up to $50,000. The funds are allocated by the MN Department of Employment and Economic Development. Among the recipients are about 100 sole proprietors. The names of these people have raised some questions. There are 12 with the first name Abdi, another dozen with the name Ahmed and another dozen of Ali’s. About 90% of the sole proprietors have Somali names. With the recent discoveries of fraud within the MN programs these names raise suspicions.

Gays

Are there certain groups in the US who might consider celebrating but are silent, for example LGBTQ. Here is a quote from Google AI. Homosexuals are not treated fairly in Iran and face severe discrimination, persecution, and legal punishment. Under Iran's penal code, same-sex sexual acts are illegal and can be punished with imprisonment, corporal punishment, and even the death penalty. The government is considered one of the most discriminatory in the world against LGBTQ individuals What about Christians. Here from Google AI. Christianity is permitted in Iran only for recognized ethnic minorities (Armenians, Assyrians) but is heavily restricted, with conversion from Islam strictly forbidden. While historic churches can operate, they face surveillance and are banned from using Persian. Converts to Christianity and house churches face imprisonment and persecution. How about Blacks. Google AI. Black individuals in Iran, including Afro-Iranians, often face discrimination, marginalization, and a lack of dignity, with reports of constant scrutiny regarding their race.

War in Iran

It is interesting to watch the reactions from different group around the world in regards to the action in Iran. Many in the US, especially the democrats are immediately opposed to any thing that Trump does but others who are less influenced by US politics have varying opinions. The loudest voices are coming from those who are celebrating the demise of Khamenei led by those who live in Iran. European countries on Saturday said this was not their fight but by Monday they praised the action. The EU leadership sees this as a positive but the UN leader does not. Most individuals will wait and see which way the wind blows and then jump on that bandwagon

Israel

While the UN occasionally is critical of the human rights abuses in North Korea, it rarely makes national news. Things are different when it comes to Israel. From 2006 to 2023 the UN Human Rights Council adoped103 resolutions targeting Israel, representing 37% of all country-specific resolutions passed. Out of 193 countries in the UN the Jews are targeted 37% of the time. These two countries differ in many ways and one outstanding difference is in the contributions made to the world. Life in North Korea is akin to living in prison while Jews live in freedom. North Korea has never won a Nobel prize but Israel has won 37% of all chemistry prizes, 56% of all physics, 61% in Medicine and 9% of Peace prizes despite the fact that Jews represent only .2% of the world’s population.

Dealing with uprisings

During the Biden administration, the people of Iran protested in the streets over the death of Mahsa Amini triggered by the uprising over the “Woman, Life, Freedom” revolt. The people objected to the treatment of women by the government. The Biden administration faced significant criticism for its response to the 2022 uprising in Iran, with critics arguing that the administration did not take enough direct action to support protesters and continued to prioritize efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal In todays uprising, Trump is roundly criticized for taking action. Many agree he should do something but not what he is doing.

People want to know

The press is handling the invasion of Iran in a similar manner in which they deal with most military operations. They want details apparently not realizing that the information they receive is also received by the enemy. They want details like what is the objective, how long will it take, how many casualties can be expected and what is the plan after the goal is achieved. They prefer those plans be placed before congress before any action is taken. This would eliminate the advantage of surprise and make any incursion more difficult and put lives at risk. Most Americans would prefer not to have any foreign military engagements unless there was a direct attack on the US. If that happened most Americans would say something should have been done to prevent the attack. This happened in 9/11 when the government was severely criticizes for not being better prepared, for not having information in advance to prevent the attack.

Women in Iran

Some are asking why the women in the US are not celebrating with the women in Iran. The tyrannical regime in the theocracy has placed undo restrictions on women. Married women require husband’s permission to obtain a passport or travel, and Civil Code allows husbands to restrict their wife’s employment. Enforcement of strict dress codes, often managed by the morality police. Child marriage is permitted, with girls able to marry at 13 or younger with approvals. Women inherit half the share of men and in legal proceedings, a woman’s testimony is worth half that of men. There are few laws protecting against workplace discrimination including dismissal of pregnant women and gender-based hiring. In divorce, fathers get custody of children after age 7 Recently Iranian authorities have adopted a new draconian law that further erases the human rights of women and girls, imposing the death penalty, flogging, prison terms and other severe penalties to crush ongoing resistance to compulsory veiling, Amnesty International said today.

Preemptive strikes

One of the questions regarding Iran centers around the use of the words imminent threat or ongoing threat. This comes back to the concept of preemptive strikes. The controversy lies in the gray area. You don’t have wait to be attacked but you can’t attack for every minor incident. The legality of preemptive strikes in international law remains one of the most debated and controversial issues in global relations. This doctrine, while rooted in the idea of self-defense, challenges the established norms of international law, particularly the United Nations Charter, which governs the use of force among states. The legal tension lies in balancing a state’s right to defend itself with the prohibition of the use of force under international law, and the thin line between legitimate self-defense and unlawful aggression. Iran has consistently threatened the United States through direct state-level warnings, proxy attacks, and rhetoric, particularly amid heightened tensions in early 2026. Since 1979 several hundred US soldiers have been killed by Iran and their surrogates. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has unsealed charges and reported on multiple, separate plots by Iranian-linked operatives aimed at assassinating Donald Trump When is enough, enough? This is debatable with both sides presenting legitimate arguments