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

Spending

The problem of the $37 trillion dollar US debt is seen by many as insurmountable but the way out is to go the reverse of the way in. In 1950 the US budget was $42 billion and in 2025 it was $7 trillion. This is an annual increase of seven percent. Inflation over these 75 years was 3.5% or one half of the increase in government spending. The government agrees to limit any increase in spending to one half percent less than the inflation rate. So, if over the next 75 years the inflation rate is 3.5% and the government increases spending at 3% the following would be the result. The budget in 75 years would rise to $92.4 trillion but spending would only increase to $64 trillion and the debt would be down to $9 trillion. Currently the debt to GDP ratio is $37 trillion divided by $31.5 trillion or 120%. If the GDP increased by 3.5% it would be $384 billion and the debt to GDP ratio would be 17% instead of 120% and that would be manageable. In other words, if the government would commit to increase annual spending by one half percent less than the inflation rate the debt problem would be solved. Will elected officials have the courage to limit spending. Not! Do they have to keep spending at twice the inflation rate? No!

Leadership

The old cry of party above country is evident in the way congress votes the War Power Act. Here is a quote from Google AI: Voting on whether to allow a president to continue a war is heavily influenced by political considerations, often splitting along party lines rather than purely on the merits of the military action. No matter how good an idea may be, the party out of control will vote against it because they don’t want the other guys to get credit. This is different than the way things operate in business. The CEO will gladly give credit to his entire staff if it helps the bottom line knowing that he will eventually be the big winner. The congress is so divided that when a vote of 215 of one party and one vote from the other party occurs it is reported as bi partisan. This is one of the reasons why executive power has increased over the past 30 years. Case in point. What would the outcome be if Trump had said to the congress, you decide if the US should invade Iran. The debate would be lengthy to say the least. If an issue needs immediate attention, asking 535 people to decide, is not an effective way to get an answer. This would be one way for a president to avoid a sticky problem but that is not leadership. It is the presidents’ job to make decisions and the congress can then pass judgement. Like Truman said, the buck stops here.

Division

The division among the American people is on display. While Iranians around the world, including in Iran, celebrate the passing of Khamenei, some people in the US are protesting the attack on Iran. Today in NY City both sides will be marching in the streets. While the initial efforts to end the regime seem successful, it is time to recall the way the Iraqis reacted when the US ended the Sadam government. They were ecstatic at first, proudly showing their purple thumbs as evidence of voting in a free election but they soon returned to bickering between tribes. Large numbers of soldiers in Iran have been killing civilians and they may fear retaliation if they lay down their arms. They may choose instead to just keep killing unarmed citizens. At least for the foreseeable future, the Iranian terrorist threat to the region has ended. Will this open the door for the Arab states to work with Israel to bring peace to the region. Will it mean the end of Hamas and the rebuilding of Gaza.

Policies

Trump’s critics have adjusted their position on some important issues. Instead of being opposed to what is done they are now in agreement but not with how its done. For example, they agree that the border should be secured but not how it is done. They agree that migrant criminals should be deported but not how it is being done. They agree that Iran is a threat to peace and must be neutralized but not how Trump is doing it. They agree that manufacturing jobs must be brought home but without tariffs. This is all normal politics from the opposition party but it is a different way of looking at things.