Iran then and now

The Shah of Iran Reza Pahlavi a US backed dictator was overthrown in 1979 and a religious dictator took control. These new leaders immediately held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days while the US stood helpless for fear that the oil supply would be cut off. Thus began 47 years of rule by a theocratic dictatorship led by Ayatollah Khomeini. Citizens were controlled by the Mullahs and women’s rights were curtailed based on Sharia Law. In 1980, Iraq led by Saddam Hussein invaded Iran and started a war that lasted until 1988, costing both nations massive resources and lives which strengthened the control by the Mullahs. During the war, the US sided with Iraq and sent chemicals that could be turned into weapons along with materials to make anthrax. These were used to synthesize mustard gas, sarin, tabun and VX and all were used against the Kurds and Iranians. Years later when Bush 43 was president he went in to Iraq based on the threat of WMD but he asked the wrong question. He asked where are the WMD instead of what happened to the WMD. Iraq claimed they destroyed them but would not say where because the ground could have been tested to confirm the destruction. While US troops encountered some scattered remnants of WMD, they did not find an active or large-scale site where the weapons were destroyed. Led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran embarked upon expanding their influence in the area. They set up and financed the Hezbollah in Lebanon, the PMF in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen and various groups in Syria. The use of proxies provided Iran with “plausible deniability” and allowed them to continue their goal of destroying Israel. Iran sees Israel’s military power as a direct security challenge and a reason to develop nuclear bombs. After Khomeini’s death in 1989, the new Ayatollah Khamenei became Supreme Leader and they continued to export the revolution. Over the years Iran has attacked Americans. In 1983, 220 American servicemen were killed when an Iranian proxy blew up their Beirut barracks. President Reagan immediately pulled all US soldiers from the area and once again the US refused to confront Iran just as they did during the 1979 hostage situation. Then in 1996 several hundred US soldiers were injured when another Iranian proxy blew up the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia and true to form President Clinton did not retaliate. Iran continued down the path of disrupting the area and added Hamas to their list of proxies. In recent years a combination of events has put Iran in a weakened condition and the US and Israel combined forces to take military action. Iran lost their supply path to Hezbollah when Assad was deposed in Syria. Attacks by Israel in Palestine had weakened Hamas and the inability to supply Hezbollah with weapons allowed Israel to move into Lebanon. The Houthis were weakened when they tried to close the Red Sea and this left Iran without their proxies. The economic sanctions had put the Iran economy into a tail spin and the time was right to finally put an end to the regimes ability to cause havoc. The US was no longer dependent on Middle East oil and could finally act without fear. The question now is, will the American people be willing to put up with high gas prices to end the long running rogue nations desire to bring death to Israel and America or will they go back to the old days of just watching and waiting.

Iran surrender

The US plan is to cut off all supplies to Iran and force them to negotiate. Iran can go this route if they decide to fight to the end. The Guard that is now in control understands that the people see them as the ones with the guns, the ones who have already killed thousands of citizens who attempted to revolt and so they will not allow freedom for the masses. They fear retaliation. Just before the blockade began Iran stopped all exports of chemicals and directed them for home use. They are willing to sacrifice the country rather than capitulate, so this will go on for some time. They can import food overland but would have to rely on Pakistan and Turkey to allow passage. If that happened the US would bomb the rail ways. The US will try to put pressure on these countries but over time the military will get the last of the food and the people will starve. At that point the general population may rise up against the guns and a slaughter will follow.

Time saver

We constantly hear about how AI will make things more efficient but how will this be done in a way that most people can understand. I will use myself and an example. For years, I have spent time on my computer researching various new ideas and then using what I learned to help me understand the new things. Many times, this required extensive calculations that took a lot of time. Now instead of me calculating, I just use Google AI. I explain what I am trying to figure out and in less than a minute I have my answer. If AI can help a mere amateur like me, I am sure that it can be a significant time saver for those working on more complicated issues. When you are not spending time calculating you have more time to spend thinking and therein lies the real savings.

NGO fraud

DOGE was the latest attempt to reduce government spending and they were run out of town by the press, who promptly published reports on every one and every group that suffered, with the defunding of any program but they had one big success. They ended the US foreign aid (USAID) program. This was used to hand out $40 billion dollars per year to various NGO’s who in term distributed the funds to needy causes. Upon investigation it was discovered to be a kind of slush fund for different politicians. It was exposed when some of the programs were found to border on the ridiculous. To list just a few: $32,000 for transgender comic books in Peru, $2 million for sex changes in Guatemala and $20 million for an Iraqi version of Sesame Street. Later this method of waste and fraud was found in state government. In MN billions was siphoned off of Medicaid through the Minnesota Department of Education by way of various NGO’s. Fraudsters working through legitimate groups whose purpose was to provide food, childcare and homes for the poor, stole millions. Just as the strange programs of USAID should have been a warning, the fact that people were flying out of the Minneapolis Airport weekly, with suitcases full of cash did not alert any law enforcement agency of possible fraud. I am reminded of the song about the pool table in Fiddler on the Roof. Either you are unaware of the caliber of disaster represented by the presence of a pool table (fraud) or you are closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge. Another possibility is that the higher ups knew and were being rewarded in some way or another to look the other way.

Canadian reaction

Canada was stung by the Trump remarks about becoming the 51st state and the voters reacted by electing a liberal government. This was not the direction the people wanted to go but it was an emotional reaction that many now regret. The new PM Mark Carney was particularly upset by Trump and has put forth his zero-carbon agenda aggravating the Western Provinces. In an attempt to face down the US, Carney has recently made an agreement with China to import 49,000 EV’s in exchange for lower Chinese tariffs which were imposed by the US. This at a time when the North American auto industry is writing off $70 billion dollars in loses due to low demand for EV’s. This will have a negative effect on the Canadian auto industry but it will show the Americans that they cannot do what ever they please. One could expect individuals to react with petty squabbles but not leaders of countries.

Personal attacks

Researchers note that "affective polarization"—growing animosity toward the opposing party—has increased significantly since 1980, with party affiliation now dictating personal lifestyle decisions, such as where to live or who to marry. The women's liberation movement popularized the slogan "The Personal Is Political," They meant that work such as housework, childcare and domestic abuse were not individual failures but issues of a society rooted in patriarchy. This was followed up in the 1980’s when conservative views on talk radio and the formation of the silent majority gained momentum. Next came the expansion of social media where individuals could rant to sizable audiences. Then a dozen years ago, Trump comes on the scene using blunt, harsh and sometimes outlandish language to describe his political opponents. The left responded by going further left and we stand today with both sides in their respective corners no longer willing to listen. The debate has shifted from policy to personality where disagreements are perceived as threats to a person’s core sense of self. This is further aggravated by the idea of identity politics where people are grouped by some characteristic like race, gender, sexuality or religion. Terms like racist, misogynist, homophobic, and antisemitic are used in everyday conversation. Instead of discussing economic policies like job creation and economic growth, conversations center around different personalities using personal insults to explain their positions. With the proliferation of podcasts to make money by selling ads based on clicks the situation worsens. You can get readers by saying outlandish things rather than the mundane daily news reporting. This leads to the extremes and fosters conspiracy theories. The solution is to get back to policy but that is not very exciting.

World climate meeting

Over 50 nations are gathering in Santa Marta, Colombia, from April 24–29, 2026, for the first-of-its-kind First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels. I read the report in this meeting and found that there was no mention of the environmental problems associated with the mining, processing and disposal of the materials needed for wind and solar. In addition, there was no mention of the use of nuclear power. Just as the US used the New Green Deal to redistribute wealth under the guise of going to zero carbon, the international community is using climate change to redistribute wealth from rich countries to poor countries. Just as some want reparations to compensate Blacks for past discrimination, some want the rich countries, who are partly responsible for the increase in global temperatures, to pay to develop poor countries who are suffering because of the actions of the rich countries. The solution to climate change is for the rich countries to develop small nuclear reactors to replace fossil fuels and next to send these reactors to the poor countries to help them with their energy needs. This however would not involve the transfer of wealth and is not considered in the plans. If the politics were removed from the planning this would be the obvious solution.

Eurasian land bridge

I have always found conspiracies to be fascinating and now have developed one on my own. It has to do with the real reason the US invaded Iran and goes back to the old fear of losing the petrodollar. The US navy controls the oceans and can stop any oil going to China by controlling the Straits of Malacca, the Straits of Homuz, the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal. Over the past few years China has built a land bridge from China to Iran. They can transfer oil and other products the whole way in 15 days which is half the time by sea. They signed contracts to buy Iranian oil at a discount price and more importantly to pay for the oil using Juan rather than dollars. China cannot afford to have Iran come under new leadership, especially one friendly with the West. This would put the petrodollar back as the world’s currency and leave China dependent on the West. The rail line passes through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan ending up in eastern Iran. If Iran cannot be stopped by current US plans the next step would be to bomb the rail line.

Fire aid

On January 7, 2025 more than 16,000 structures including homes, apartments and businesses were destroyed by California fires. As of March 2, 2026, of the 6,571 homes destroyed in the Palisades County, a total of 13 have been rebuilt, one in the Palisades and 12 in Eaton. One of the problems is the lack of control perhaps by design. Here is one example. The $100 million raised during the FireAid benefit concerts held in Jan 2025 did not go to fire victims as promised but to non-profits who then decide where the money goes. Much of the $2 billion in federal aid from FEMA is also doled out by local non-profits. This money has a way of falling through the bureaucratic cracks.

Islamophobia

During Trump’s first term he banned visitors from seven Muslim countries Order (Jan 2017): Initially banned citizens from seven countries—Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen—from entering the U.S. for 90 days, while suspending refugee admissions. No one was banned from the other Muslim countries. Here are the top ten based on population 1. Indonesia: ~242 million (87% of population) 2. Pakistan: ~235 million (96% of population) 3. India: ~213 million (15% of population - major minority) 4. Bangladesh: ~150 million (91% of population) 5. Nigeria: Significant population (approx. 100+ million) 6. Egypt: ~90+ million 7. Turkey: ~70+ million 8. Iran: ~80+ million 9. Algeria: ~40+ million 10. Morocco: ~35+ million This was reported in the press as a Muslim ban and called Islamophobia.

Control of government

Congress is constitutionally responsible for tariffs, as Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution grants the legislative branch the power to lay and collect duties and regulate foreign commerce. However, Congress has delegated significant authority to the Executive Branch (the President) to impose or adjust tariffs through various laws, particularly for national security or unfair trade practices. This is normal for congress as they delegate authority to various agencies to carry out the laws they enact. Often times things go awry because congress fails to follow up on what the bureaucrats are doing. Oversight is made difficult by multiple layers of authority with 17 signatures of various levels needed to present to a cabinet minister. It is well known that congressmen often vote on bills they haven’t read so asking them to review the process many layers down is a lost cause. The government is just to big and unwieldy to keep under control and waste and fraud are rampant.

Housing costs

Places like NY City and LA have problems with the high cost of living most notably in housing. Housing is heavily regulated due to a combination of strict, outdated zoning laws, intense local community opposition (NIMBY), complex environmental review processes, and rent control measures. These limit supply, and increase development costs, protecting existing low-density structures. It is difficult to change because the system is fraught with fraud. Instances of housing regulators, inspectors, and public housing officials engaging in corruption—including bribery, extortion, and taking kickbacks (often referred to as "skimming" or "pay-to-play" schemes)—have been documented in large cities, most notably in New York City. The long delays in new construction are to give time for each agency to skim without getting caught. Those who have the authority to change the system are the ones benefiting from the current system. It would be like asking congress to enact term limits.

Maduro's oil

China was buying most of Venezuela’s oil at a $20 discount. Venezuela was producing 400,000 barrels per day and now that is up to 1.1 million barrels. When oil was $60 Venezuela was earning $16 million per day but today, they are earning $66 million dollars per day at $60 per barrel. This extra $50 million represents 15% of the countries GDP. The oil is now going to India rather than China. It is a familiar story. Nicolas Maduro's family, including his wife Cilia Flores and their relatives, are accused of amassing vast, unexplained wealth and luxury lifestyles while Venezuela faces severe economic hardship. Reports suggest they control properties worth millions, with luxury homes, and are involved in high-level corruption and money laundering.

No tax

The income gap keeps getting larger and has led to the cry that the rich aren’t paying their fair share. Does the country raise taxes or lower spending? On any government level be it federal, state, county or municipal there is no stomach for lower spending. Every year people want more government benefits not less. The number one reason why the rich keep getting richer is that they borrow instead of selling. Rich people live on their capital where the non-rich depend on wages. They use the concept of unrealized capital gains and a policy called “Buy, Borrow, Die”. A person buys a million-dollar asset, could be property or stock, and they keep it until they die. The property has grown to 2 million and upon their death it receives what is called a “step up in basis” meaning there is no tax on the one-million-dollar gain. The heirs inherit a two-million-dollar asset tax free. This is not only income tax free but is not included in estate taxes. Next the assets grow to 4 million and the same thing happens. Over the years the rich keep increasing their wealth without every paying any tax just by living on borrowed money instead of cashing the assets. Forcing people to sell appreciated capital assets—often proposed as a "mark-to-market" tax and would effectively eliminate the unrealized gain problem by converting "paper profits" into realized, taxable gains, thereby ensuring appreciation is taxed before death. Americans with more than $100 million in wealth are estimated to hold $8.5 trillion in unrealized capital gain. If you bought $1,000 of Amazon stock at the IPO value in 1997 it would be worth $2.7 million today. If you died and passed it on to your children, they would receive the full amount tax free. Anywhere along the way that you needed money you would put up stock as collateral and borrow against it and deduct the interest as business interest.

Cash

Approximately $350 million cash was flown out of MN airport in 2025 after $343 million left the same way in 2024. This amount, which has tripled in recent years, averages nearly one million dollars per day, with funds often legally declared and transported by couriers to destinations like Somalia, raising federal fraud investigation concerns. The cash is often transported in suitcases and legally declared by Somali-American couriers, primarily heading to Dubai and Somalia. Bank Secrecy Act (31 U.S.C. § 5316), which allows the transportation of any amount of currency provided it is reported.

Fraudsters

One common refrain concerning taxes is, I don’t mind paying if the money is properly used. All too often examples of waste and fraud keep coming to the surface. Tax the rich and use that money to help those who are not rich. In practice, too many times much of the money is siphoned off by various agencies and sometimes criminals before it gets to it intended purpose. Here is one of many examples: A 2024 California state audit found that the state spent roughly $24 billion on homelessness programs over five years, yet failed to consistently track the effectiveness or outcomes of this spending. Despite this investment, the homeless population grew to over 181,000, with critics arguing the approach lacks accountability, transparency, and sufficient data to justify the high costs. The question of what happened to the money cannot be answered because the controls needed to follow the money were not properly installed. California is now proposing a tax on billionaires to fund healthcare and education expected to raise $100 billion dollars but will the money go where it is intended. Will this be another slush fund for unscrupulous fraudsters? MN was a little better. Money was stolen from government projects designed to help feed children, house poor families and treat autism and much of it was sent overseas and additional sums were used to purchase luxury items for the thieves.

Starbucks

What’s happening in Washington State. Shortly after her election in November 2025, Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson joined a union protest and urged a public boycott of Starbucks to support striking baristas. Wilson, a pro-labor figure, declared, "I am not buying Starbucks and you should not either," citing unfair labor practices. The move highlighted tensions between Seattle city leadership and the coffee giant Less than two years later Starbucks is moving corporate headquarters to Nashville Starbucks is establishing a major new corporate hub in Nashville, Tennessee, investing millions to create a Southeast base that will house up to 2,000 employees within five years Next up the Governor. Signed into law in March 2026 by Governor Bob Ferguson, Washington's 9.9% "Millionaires' Tax" (Senate Bill 6346) imposes a tax on annual income over $1 million The money to be used for The revenue is aimed at funding K-12 school meals, lowering child care costs, and expanding the Working Families Tax Credit.

Friedman

Often times people will not reveal how they feel when their thoughts are not deemed acceptable but sometimes things come out showing the underlying truth and such is the case of columnist Thomas Friedman. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman stated he is "torn" about the military defeat of the Iranian regime because he does not want President Trump or Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to gain political strength from it. While acknowledging the regime is "terrible" and its removal would benefit the region, he described both leaders as "awful human beings" and expressed reluctance at them getting credit for a victory.

Iranian women

For more than 47 years various forms of negotiation with Iran have been tried without success. Today military force is added to economic sanctions in an attempt to bring about change. The goal is freedom and full citizenship for the Iranian people especially for women. Here is what Google AI says about the situation in present day Iran. Women in Iran do not have equal rights to men and face systemic, legal discrimination in almost all aspects of life, including marriage, divorce, custody, inheritance, and personal freedom. Laws require women to have male guardian permission for travel, enforce strict dress codes, and prioritize patriarchal interpretations of law, treating women as second-class citizens. In 2017 450,000 women marched on Washington to protests Trumps derogatory remarks about women which included his now infamous statements in the Billy Bush tape, his calling women pigs and criticizing their appearance, and a threat to abortion rights. While these are worthwhile objections the mistreatment of women in Iran seems more severe. Will the American people be willing to put up with $4 gas to bring the women in Iran into the 21st century?

Cages

In 2014 the number of unaccompanied minors entering the country increased rapidly and the Custom and Border Protection (CBP) built chain length enclosures to handle the overflow. These children were only supposed to stay no longer than 72 hours but many stayed longer sometimes months. These enclosures were used to separate young men from young women and adults from children. Children were separated from their parents when one of the parents had a criminal record. During 2014 minors were held in appalling and inhumane conditions designed for short-term stays of 12 hours or less and were often overcrowded. They were called hieleras or iceboxes by detainees due to their frigid low temperatures. They slept on concrete floors with thin blankets. They lacked basic hygiene supplies like soap, diapers and toothbrushes. Toilets were open and shared. This was the situation when Trump took office and instigated a zero tolerance for criminal migrants and when parents were detained for prosecution the children were separated from their families and kept in facilities around the country. More than 5,000 children fell into this category. They were later reconnected with their families and by the time Biden took office there were still 1,000 separated. During the next four years more than 300,000 unaccompanied minors crossed the border and were lost by the border patrol and since Trump started his second term 130,000 of those lost children have been found.

States

The states are often used as labs to test out new policies. Because of the rising income gap there are states which are introducing policies that transfer both wealth and income from the rich to those who are not rich. California has been a leader in this type of government and there are serious problems. The top one percent of earners pay 50% of all state income tax and they are currently considering a wealth tax. Meanwhile the state has significantly increased spending on education, healthcare and public services and they are facing deep deficits. Low- and middle-income people are unable to provide for their families because of the high cost of food, housing, utilities, rent and transportation. Add to this excessive regulation, the push for zero carbon and a large homeless population and the people cannot live a decent life. The result is that people are leaving the state and that includes rich people. Other states like New York, Illinois and New Jersey are following a similar path.

Oil price

The US produces 13 million barrels of oil per day with total petroleum production exceeding 21 million barrels per day and they import 6 million mostly from Canada and they export 5 million per day. This makes the US energy independent. The US produces and uses 22 million barrels per day. The difference between the 13 million b/d of crude and the 21 million b/d of total petroleum products is called refinery gain. In refining many parts of natural gas along with biofuels are blended into the final products. If the oil from the Middle East is shut down while the Ukraine continues to hinder the exporting of Russian oil the world price will rise quickly. If the price of gasoline keeps rising in the US the President has the power to cut exports which would cause the world price to rise even further. The result is that far east countries like China and Japan along with Europe would be hit with high prices while the US would maintain current prices. This would mean that the US price of oil would hover around $80 while the world price would rise to $200. This will cause countries around the world to put pressure in Iran to concede to the US demands and join the world community.

Iran today

The war in Iran has the experts predicting what will happen while others predict what would have happened it the war were not started. The answer to the first question will be forthcoming but the second can only remain speculative. While the focus was on Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, they were quietly building up their supplies of missiles and drones. While shouting death to American they were quietly concentrating on the other oil countries in the Middle East. Just as Saddam invaded Kuwait they were eying not only Kuwait but also UAE, Iraq and the big enchilada Saudi Arabia. With their overpowering military force, they could intimidate and even take over these other countries giving them control over the world oil market. In the past, the US would have been willing to use force to protect the Saudis but since the US has become energy independent that is no longer the case. It would be Europe and China at the mercy of Iran. The war has shown that the real power in Iran is the military and not the civilian government or the Mullahs. This greatly diminishes the nuclear threat since those in power recognize that the use of a nuclear bomb would mean the destruction of the country. The military people are not willing to die to go to heaven as many of the religious leaders were. One US submarine in the Persian Gulf could destroy the entire country in a matter of minutes.

Who not what

Often times it’s not about what is done but who is doing it. Yesterday the appeals court blocked Trump’s order suspending asylum access at the border. The judges said that the law gives people the right to apply for asylum at the border and the president cannot circumvent that law. During the Obama years, asylum seekers were turned back at the border in a policy known as “Metering” which led to the “Remain in Mexico” policy. Obama increased the use of expedited removal which involves rapid deportations without court oversight, including those who had legitimate asylum claims. Despite early promises to target criminals, ICE under Obama through programs like “Secure Communities” detained thousands who posed no public safety threat, including those with only minor traffic violations. This procedure went off with few problems because the cities worked with the feds. During the Obama years 3 million were deported most without a court hearing.

Waste in government

Presidential candidates have used the campaign slogan of providing benefits for the people and paying for them by cutting the waste, fraud and abuse out of government. The problem exists in all levels including state, county and municipal. Everyone is aware that government is inefficient and costly but the problem is so overwhelming that it seems unsolvable. It is easier to understand the situation by breaking it down first to a particular state and next to a single problem. Case in point is the homeless problem in California. In the five years between 2019 and 2024 California spent $24 billion on homelessness and an audit revealed that the state failed to consistently track if this massive outlay helped. This is from Google AI California spent approximately $24 billion on homelessness between 2019 and 2024. However, a major state audit released in 2024 revealed that the state failed to consistently track whether this massive outlay of public money actually improved the situation or where exactly all of it went Homelessness in California has risen significantly during Gavin Newsom's tenure as governor, with reports indicating a roughly 30% to 40% increase in the total homeless population since 2019. A similar situation arose in MN where three programs, feeding children, autism and childcare were fraught with waste and once again the government seemed unable to cope. Some have suggested for years that government is just too big to control. Congress passes laws and turns things over to bureaucrats to create regulations to carry out the laws but they are so many and so complex that the system bogs down. Stealing from various government groups is big business where often times business and government regulators are in cahoots by way of the infamous revolving door.

NATO today

Does Europe like NATO? What’s not to like. The NATO budget is $5.3 billion and the US contributes $900 million or 17% even though there are 32 countries in the group. After much prodding by Trump the EU, with a population of 450 million, has upped their spending on defense to $400 billion as compared to the US, with a population of 340 million, spending $900 billion on defense. The US supplies 62% of the military equipment and 60% of the soldiers. Many Americans are not familiar with the mutual defense for countries in NATO. What this means is if Russia attacks Estonia, a country with a population of 1.3 million, the US would be expected to attack Russia. Most Americans do not know where Estonia and many have never heard of the place. When the subject of NATO comes up, most Americans with little knowledge of the organization, are all in favor.

U235 in Iran

The uranium in Iran is in the news. Uranium comes naturally in three different types called isotopes. One is U 235 and is only .7% while another is U 238 which represents most of the remaining 99.3% and trace amounts of U 234. It is the U 235 that is valuable for bomb making and used in nuclear power plants. Starting with natural uranium, by a process called enrichment, the U 235 is concentrated but it is not a linear process. It takes just as long to go from .7 % to 20 % as it does to go from 20 % to 90 %. The uranium used in power plants is 4% but 90% is needed for bombs so the uranium in Iran is at 60% and well on the way to bomb grade. The concern is over 970 pounds of 60% uranium that Iran has but Russia has 140,000 pounds of highly enriched (90%) and could easily ship a thousand pound to Iran. Iran has often stated it is enriching uranium for power plant use but 60% is far beyond that. In addition, the West has agreed to send Iran 4% enriched for use in power production but they refused to accept. Also, North Korea could easily ship a complete bomb to Iran and many wonder why that hasn’t already happened.

Women in Iran

The women in Iran are treated as second class citizens. In 2019, 2022 and last December they took to the streets to demand equal rights. The police shut down the Internet and used force to quell the protest. Unlike the US, the people have no guns so the police just started shooting civilians and they went into hiding, where they remain today. Over the years, many around the world complained that nothing was done to help these women but there were no public protests. The West remained silent as these events took place.

Flat tax

The idea of a flat tax to replace income tax is once more in the news. The proposal is an 18% flat tax on all purchases with a $35,000 personal exemption for a family of four. Right now, a family of four with and income of $75,000 pays zero income tax. Subtract $35,000 and 18% of the remaining $40,000 would be $7,200 in taxes. Now compare that to family earning $1 million. Under current law they would pay $261,000 in federal income tax plus state income tax. Using the flat tax this family would pay $180,000 assuming they spent the entire one million. The higher the income goes the greater the disparity between the rich and the non-rich. This plan is not likely to garner enough support to become law.

Democrat policies

The democrats, being the out of power party, see their job as keeping Trump under control. As the outs they see their job as pointing out failures and not being responsible for solutions. This is the norm for US politics. If the democrats had to lay out policy it would be simple and straight forward and based around redistribution of income and wealth. They would use the progressive tax system to equalize income and a wealth tax to close the wealth gap. They would be responsible for taking money from one group and giving it to another with them maintaining control over who gets what, when and how. This puts the power of the purse strings under their control. A glimpse of this can be seen in the policies of NY Mayor Mamdani. He plans to increase taxes corporations and high-income residents along with a wealth tax on luxury homes. With this money he plans to offer free bus service, build city owned grocery stores, build 200,000 homes and provide universal childcare. In addition, he plans to freeze rents and a $30 minimum wage. He has not proposed any plans to grow the economy and create new jobs. He faces a $5 billion dollar deficit this year but continues to spend $4 billion per year on illegal migrants including food, shelter and medical. This is considered a compassionate and caring way to help the poor.

Trump policies

While the news tends to concentrate on the various quirks surrounding Trumps words and personality oddities, his policies remain out of the news. What are these policies and what do most people think of them? He wants to bring back manufacturing meaning better paying jobs. He wants to double the industrial capacity using domestic and foreign investments. He wants Europe to pay more for their national defense and rely less on America He wants to secure the border and deport illegal migrants. He wants to combine the power of Saudi Arabia and Israel to rebuild Gaza. He wants reciprocal tariffs. The US rate equals the rate of others. He wants nuclear power to replace fossil fuels. He wants to get rid of critical race theory (CRT) and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) He wants to keep biological males out of women’s sports and locker rooms. He wants to get rid of gender surgery on children. He wants NATO and world groups like the UN, WTO and WHO to pay their fair share. He wants the US to be energy independent. He wants lower taxes He wants a peaceful end to the Ukraine War. He wants to prevent Iran from terrorizing the world. He wants a strong military and is willing to back local police.

Trump ways

The controversy surrounding Trump can be explained in many ways, one of which, is often stated as he is not presidential. There is no doubt that he is different from the normal president but the question is, in what ways. One way to better understand this is to look carefully at other politicians, especially other democrats. Many Democrats are actively trying to appear more authentic and "normal," aiming to bridge an "authenticity gap" that critics say has made them seem out of touch with average Americans. While it seems odd to speak about learning to be authentic, in this case it means overcoming the habits of people-pleasing and fear-based thinking. A recent news report stated they were trying to find their own Joe Rogen a person who exemplifies authenticity. Trump is the poster child of authenticity and this is seen as an asset by some and a fatal flaw by others. Once again, a good way to understand this is by comparing him to others and the best example is former President Obama. When Obama speaks, he mentally considers every word before he speaks. The long pauses between sentences and often times between words give the impression that he is trying not to say something that could be misinterpreted. Trump is just the opposite, much to the dismay of some of his followers, who often say Trump is his own worst enemy. In a recent rally he said, “I hate my enemies”, and people gasped. Many politicians may feel that way but they would never say it that way. There have been many times over the past years that Trump has made un presidential remarks and the press considered them as career ending but he survived. In his own crude and un presidential way he is authentic. He just comes out with it and opens himself up to harsh criticism but he doesn’t change.

Seats

The redistricting plan for Virginia is in the news primarily because of Arlington County which is where most of the people who work in DC live. The county votes 80% democrat. This is understandable because republicans are always preaching small government while the democrats push to enlarge government. A person who works for the federal government sees republicans as a threat to their job security. Based on data from early 2026, the second Trump administration has significantly reduced the federal workforce, cutting roughly 220,000 to 355,000 positions by April 2026 through hiring freezes, buyouts, and structural changes. Some republicans are upset with the Indiana which has as republican governor and a super majority in both house and still refuses to redistrict between censuses. The republicans expect to gain seats in the 2030 census since people are leaving red states and moving to blue states, often because of high taxes and high cost of living. These population shifts are expected to cost the democrats ten seats in the upcoming 2030 census.

Education

Over the past 50 years test scores in K-12 education have not improved but the cost per student has quadrupled in real dollars. Teacher salaries have kept ahead of inflation and class size has been reduced from 22 to 15. During these years the experts have tried things like No Child Left Behind and Race To The Top but these have only made things more complicated for teachers. Some have proposed that student discipline problems have disrupted the system and others go even further to suggest that this is because of the lack of fathers in the home. Teachers are being asked to take on the responsibilities of parenting. Students who receive private tutoring show marked improvement and this leads to the question of using AI as a one-to-one student/teacher program. Something different is needed.

More tax on the rich

Since the end of WW 2, government intervention in the economy has expanded social safety nets characterized by increased regulation, growth of entitlement programs and increased popularity in ideas like universal healthcare, childcare and free college. The number of federal government regulations have increased from 400,000 in 1970 to over one million today. Government spending increased from 31% of GDP in 1980 to 120% of GDP today. Where did the money go? Between 1989 and 2026 the top one percent gained $21 trillion in assets while the bottom 50% lost $900 billion. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer. During these years and continuing today the cry of tax the rich has been heard and in 1980 the top one percent of earners paid 19% of all income tax and today that number is 38%. The concept of income redistribution sounds reasonable but is not working. As the rich paid more the gap widened. The same can be said for the education gap. In 1970 the cost per student was $4,000 per year (inflation adjusted) and by 2020 it was $15,000. In 1970, 39% of high school grads were reading at grade level and in 2020 that number was 37%. Once again, money is not the answer. Perhaps it is time to try a new approach. This will be difficult because the cry of tax the rich sounds so good. As a matter of fact, tax anyone but me sounds good to most people.

Tests

When new products and procedures are introduced to the general public the government often times will vouch for the safety of these things. Recall between 1951 and 1962, one hundred above ground nuclear bombs were tested in the Navada desert. At the time the government allowed many soldiers, along with scientist and press people to observe these tests. Over the years about 400,000 soldiers witnessed these tests and they were told there was no danger. Studies later showed that these tests led to health problems that are still happening today. There are statistically higher rates of leukemia, thyroid cancer and respiratory cancers. A 1997 study estimated 10,000 to 75,000 potential thyroid cancer cases from fallout.

State debt

Many states in the US are facing long term debt problems which are adding to the cost of living and causing people to move to states that are not affected by this. A good example is Illinois. For more than 50 years state workers watched their pension benefits grow and the state failed to prepare. As the population ages and more people retire the problem gets worse. The state then has to raise taxes to cover the debt which means young working people will leave the state leaving fewer people to tax. Thus, taxes must be raised again and more people leave and leads to a death spiral. Illinois is trapped in the worst pension crisis in the nation. The state’s five pension systems carry about $144 billion in unfunded liabilities. Illinois families pay the highest effective property taxes in the country, with most of those dollars being spent to keep up with overpromised pensions rather than to create better schools, safer streets or improved services. In the past Illinois has diverted pension funds into the general fund. Illinois lost a congressional seat in the 2020 census and is scheduled to lose another seat in the 2030 census. This means fewer federal dollars coming in. New York and California are in similar situations. It is easy to hand out benefits today that you don’t have to pay for until later but later has arrived.

Time and money

Financial advisors often speak of the miracle of compound interest and use an example to illustrate the point, to encourage young people to save early. The first person, starting at age 25, saves $1,000 per year at 5% interest for ten years at which time he has $12,577 and then he lets that accumulate at 5% for the next 20 years and has $33,066. The second person saves $1,000 per year for 20 years starting at age 35 and in 20 years has $33,370. The second person set aside $20,000 and had only $300 more than the first person who set aside $10,000. The moral is to start early.

Migrants

The latest figures show that during the Biden years, 8 million illegals crossed the southern border along with 1.5 million got a ways. About 40% of these paid coyotes to help them and the cost varied by location. From Cost Mexico 7000 to 10000 Central America 16000 to 18000 Asian 40000 to 75000 If the average was $12,000 that comes to over $100 billion dollars. While the border patrol spent time on the illegals there was less time to interdict drugs and OD’s increased as did the number of drugs that were missed by border patrol. Many of these migrants were convicted felons and 300,000 children became unmonitored, meaning lost. The government approved $170 billion to deport illegals and the process caused protest across the country. There were many reasons why these migrants were allowed entry but one of the most important is that US citizens were concerned about the safety of the migrants.

Income gap

As the income gap becomes wider the cry to raise taxes on the rich becomes louder. The top 20% earn an average of $300,000 while the bottom 20% earns only $18,000. The top one percent earns $750,000. Most people see a difference between a person who starts a new business and earns a high-income vs those who work for a company and earn a big salary. The average salary for a CEO in the top 500 companies is $20 million per year. When the CEO salary is high then the underling VP’s get higher incomes. Salaries include base pay plus bonus and are tied to performance (stock price).

China

Modern day China had its beginnings in 1978 when Deng Xiaoping became leader. This followed the revolution under Mao Zedong that killed 40 million plus another 40 million who died of hunger between 1949 and 1976. This type of government called Maoism was revolutionary communism, emphasizing peasant led insurrection to transform society to agrarian socialism. The goal was that everyone was equal in all ways and this appealed to the poorest of the poor. After Mao died, Deng Xiaoping took control and opened up the economy to a quasi-free-market business system called party-state capitalism which allows individuals to thrive. The per capita GDP which had hovered around $100 per year during Mao’s time began to rise doubling by 1982 and doubling again by 1992. When China entered the WTO in 2000 the per capita GDP was at $1,000 and rose quickly to $12,000 by 2020.

16th

The 16th amendment was ratified in 2013 and it allowed the federal government to tax income. Prior to that the federal government got income from tariffs and excise taxes (liquor and tobacco). The citizens felt that these taxes fell mostly upon the poor working people and they saw the progressive income tax as way to shift the burden to the rich. The result was that within four years the income tax replaced tariffs and excise taxes. The first tax brackets were one percent of income over $3,000 and up to 6% for higher earners. At that time the average family income was $700. Thus, the new income tax only effected 3% of the population.

GM stock

Mary Barra became CEO of GM in 2016, a few years after the government had to bail out the company through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Her salary was $22.6 million and she pushed the company to develop electric vehicles. In 2025 the company had to write down $7.6 billion in charges due to a slump in EV demand. Then in early 2026 they recorded another $9 billion write downs because of EV’s. She is still CEO and her salary has increased to $29.5 million. Here is a quote from the beginnings of the EV switch. General Motors CEO Mary Barra has heavily promoted electric vehicles (EVs), positioning them as GM's "North Star" and the company’s long-term "end game Mary Barra remains CEO of General Motors despite significant EV-related costs primarily because she has delivered record financial performance for the company overall, driven by high-profit gas-powered trucks and SUVs, and has maintained strong investor confidence through stock buybacks. The keyword is buybacks. This strategy has propelled GM stock to all time highs reaching $80 by the end of 2025. The profits could have been much higher without the write downs but keeping the stockholders happy is the name of the game.

New fraud bill

A citizen reporter named Nick Shirley investigated and uncovered government fraud in MN and then moved on to California doing the same thing. In response California is not thankful for the fraud that Shirley exposed but are trying to restrict any further such behavior. California is considering a bill, AB 2624, nicknamed the "Stop Nick Shirley Act," that critics argue would restrict independent or citizen journalists from conducting investigative work on taxpayer-funded organizations. The bill aims to protect immigration support providers by restricting the publication of their personal information and images, but opponents fear it will be used to silence journalists. The objection is based on privacy. Anyone being investigated can sue the investigators who publish their images on social media, to protect their privacy. If this passes it will deter investigations by cub reporters.

TIPS

India thorium

India moves toward thorium in a three-stage long term program to achieve carbon free energy independence. Stage one starts with pressurized heavy water reactors and moves to stage 2 fast breeder reactors to produce plutonium to breed uranium 233 from thorium and finally to advance thorium-based reactors. Step one became operational on April 6, 2026 when 500 Mwe went into service. India not only has the world’s largest supply of thorium but fast breeder reactors can use up stored nuclear waste. Thorium is not by itself fissionable but is changed into uranium 233 and then converted to energy. India will become energy independent by using its vast supplies of thorium.

Anti Jew

When Israel invaded Gaza in response to the Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel demonstrations broke out in the US. By Dec 5, more than 1 million Americans had participated in protest over the conflict, across 2,600 events: 442 in support of Israel and 2,100 in support of Palestine. Worldwide when the US/Israel invaded Iran there were 3,200 demonstrations in the first month. By contrast, there were 3,700 demonstrations in the first month when Russia invaded Ukraine and 6,100 in the first month of the Israelis war on Gaza. There is a difference between the way the people of the world, including the US, react when it comes to Israel. The historical dislike toward Jews is alive and well.

Speech

Starting about ten or fifteen years ago, certain people in government and others in the news business came to the conclusion, that the average American could no longer determine what is their truth because of misinformation. Because of the vast amount of information available to the citizenry, people would be overwhelmed and easily misguided to believing things that according to government were not true. Then pressure was put on social media to begin censoring and removing what was called misinformation or disinformation. This was a direct attack on the first amendment. Many countries have free speech in their constitutions but most have exceptions for hate speech which means they don’t have free speech. While many countries in Europe and elsewhere criminalize hate speech, harassment, or defamatory language, the U.S. protects most speech, even if it is considered offensive or hateful.

Tax for wages

Normally when the government increases taxes on corporations, they can absorb this additional cost from profits (pay less to stockholders) or raise prices. If corporate taxes increase 5% with the condition that the company could either pay the tax or increase wages it might encourage companies to pay the money to the employees and this would help to reduce the income gap. Here is what Google AI says: The government could structure tax policy this way, effectively creating a "tax-or-raise-wages" option. This could be implemented by raising the headline corporate tax rate while offering generous tax credits or deductions specifically for increasing employee compensation. The goal would be to encourage investment in labor over paying higher taxes, though such policies often face complex economic trade-offs. This would encourage thinking out of the box for ways to help increase wages.

Income gap

Rich people use their money the same as the poor, they spend it, invest it, save it and give it away. Any of these four options promotes economic growth. The difference is that the rich generate a larger share of the income from investments, meaning they earn their money from capital, while the poor earn money from labor and over the years capital has grown faster than labor, thus the income gap keeps getting wider. If it is assumed that the income gap is too large then what steps can be taken to change. The obvious is to raise taxes on the rich and to increase wages for the poor. What can be done to encourage business to increase wages without increasing prices. Invest in new technology to improve productivity. Offer profit sharing to encourage employees to work more efficiently. Allowing remote work to save on office space. Reduce turnover to cut recruiting and training cost. Invest in new training to enhance employee skills including company and outside programs. Offer benefits like vacation time, sick leave, maternity leave, childcare, healthcare, pensions, life and disability insurance, and personal days. These benefits give employees more disposable income. Multiple studies demonstrate that employees with good wages and benefits perform better. Higher compensation improves motivation, increases productivity, and attracts better candidates, while comprehensive benefits boost retention, loyalty, and overall job satisfaction. Research indicates that "good jobs" often pay for themselves through higher output and decreased turnover.

Mejia

Analilia Mejia is running for congress in New Jersey and she represents the progressive wing of the democratic party. She has solid democratic bona fides after starting as a union organizer, she was political director for Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign and in the Department of Labor under President Biden. Her platform includes canceling student loan debt, abolition of ICE, Medicare for all, guaranteed sick leave on a federal level, impeachment of Justices Thomas and Alito, $25 federal minimum wage, regulating AI data centers and Big Tech companies, says Israel is committing genocide, childcare for all, increase taxes on the rich and supports defund the police. Some of these ideas are unpopular but most would help reduce the income gap particularly if she helped strengthen unions. She is the favorite to win since democrats currently hold the governorship, both houses and all state wide offices. New Jersey currently has the second highest debt per capital at $23,000 just behind Connecticut. If Mejia can increase taxes on the rich to cover some of the spending she is proposing, it could help the working people.

The new way

The income gap between the rich and everyone else has been increasing by every major measure for more than 30 years. Much of this has been caused by globalization but that is coming to an end. One way to understand this disparity is to compare CEO salaries. In 1950 the average CEO earned 25 times as much as a factory worker and today it is 300 time more. The way to reverse this trend is to do a couple of things each year. This year the government should start taking social security tax from all earned income instead of stopping at $184,000. Second increase the child tax credit from $2,200 to $4,000. Collecting SS tax on all income would bring in $475 billion per year and increasing the child tax credit would only cost the government $100 billion. This would mean a family of four earning $100,000 would pay zero income tax or $3,000 less than they now pay. Some states are implementing state income taxes on millionaires. For this to be effective it must be national otherwise people will just relocate to another state. A 5% surtax on all earned income over $1 million per year would bring in $80 billion.

Income gap

The income gap between the rich and everyone else has been increasing by every major measure for more than 30 years. Much of this has been caused by globalization but that is coming to an end. One way to understand this disparity is to compare CEO salaries. In 1950 the average CEO earned 25 times as much as a factory worker and today it is 300 time more. The way to reverse this trend is to do a couple of things each year. This year the government should start taking social security tax from all earned income instead of stopping at $184,000. Second increase the child tax credit from $2,200 to $4,000. Collecting SS tax on all income would bring in $475 billion per year and increasing the child tax credit would only cost the government $100 billion. This would mean a family of four earning $100,000 would pay zero income tax or $3,000 less than they now pay. Some states are implementing state income taxes on millionaires. For this to be effective it must be national otherwise people will just relocate to another state. A 5% surtax on all earned income over $1 million per year would bring in $80 billion.

REE

China uses acid solvents to extract rare elements (REE) and this presents an environmental hazard. The result is that the ground water is now contaminated to the point that the Yellow River, water supply to 150 million people, is now unsafe. A new company, Phoenix Tailings is much cleaner. First off, instead of mining the rare earths, Phoenix uses tailings from existing mines, along with coal ash from closed down power plants as the source of rare earths. In processing they do not rely on chemicals but instead use electrolysis to separate out the different metals. This will allow them to catch up with China much sooner and do so in a more environmentally favorable way.

Rare earth elements

The big mistake the US made was in the mining and processing of rare earth metals. The United States was the world's leading producer of rare earth elements (REEs) from the 1960s through the mid-1980s, largely driven by the Mountain Pass mine in California. This was closed down in 2002 because of environmental concerns. Meanwhile the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping realized the importance of these metals and famously said, The Middle East has oil, China has rare earth. After a series of bankruptcies, MP Materials acquired the California site in 2017 and is now mining and processing rare earths. Over the past 30 years China continued its production without any environmental concerns and today mines 65% of all rare earths and processes 90% of the world supply. The US is now scrambling to catch up and China is using their rare earths as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the US.

Deportations in Europe

Starting about ten years ago, European countries began to realize that they had a shortage of young people, the group that represented both the producers and consumers. In an attempt to alleviate the problem, they opened the door to immigrants. The result was increases in crime, drugs and gangs. The welfare system was overwhelmed and schools and medical facilities were over crowded. The result is that countries have undertaken massive deportation programs where over 500,000 are forced to leave each year. It was one more example of good intentions going awry. The same thing happened to Canada and they too are deporting.

Spending

Using states as experiments to determine national policy is considered helpful in setting up national policy. The "laboratories of democracy" concept, popularized by Justice Louis Brandeis, allows U.S. states to test innovative social and economic policies without risking the entire nation 39 states currently have one party control of the governor, state senate, state house and all state wide offices, 23 Republican, 16 democrat and 11 with divide government. The biggest three democratic states by population are California, New York and Illinois and the biggest republican states are Texas, Florida and Georgia. The three democratic states have a combined total debt of $2.4 trillion and the three republican states at $130 billion about 1/20 as much. The current budget for the three democratic states is $658 billion and the three republican states add up to $324 billion. Both groups have similar populations with the democratic states at 71 million and the republican states at 66 million. The top income tax rate in the three democratic states averages 9.4% and the average for the republican states is 2%. The federal government with a $37 trillion debt is much like the democratic states. This is the result spending more than income.

Veterans

When an active-duty military person dies they are eligible for government benefits and the amount depends on rank and time of service. For an E-3 with two years and a base salary of $2,836 per month the Disability and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefit is $1,700 for the spouse and $420 for each child. In addition, social security would provide $1,200 per month for the spouse and another $1,200 per child. For example, a young soldier age 30 with two years of service and rank of E-3 dies leaving a wife and one child. His family is eligible for $2,120 from DIC benefits and $2,400 per month from social security for a total monthly income of $4,520. The SS benefit ends when the child is 18 but starts up again when the mother is age 60. His family receives a onetime tax-free payment of $100,000. The family will continue to receive the other benefits associated with active-duty service things like subsidized housing and GI bill and most importantly healthcare. The GI bill is available for spouse and children. Veterans on partial disability can collect their disability checks and SS but not the DIC benefit. The disability benefit can be partial or full salary depending on the severity. Most of the other benefits continue other than the $100,000 tax free cash.

Work or not

What is life like in American for low-income families and zero income families. With zero income a mother with two children receives $250 per month from WIC, $785 per month from SNAP, TANF in MN $1,200 per month, SSI $2,000 per month, two meals per day during the school year, free healthcare through Medicaid. This comes to $4,235 per month or $50,820 per year. If the mother could get some help with baby sitting and earn $2,500 per year, she would be eligible for $2,000 per year from EITC and $4,400 per year in child tax credit so her annual income would be $59,720. Some mothers choose to take in a baby for 20 hours per week and they earn $400 per week. This would cause some of their benefits to be reduced but their EITC would increase to $7,000 per year which is designed to offset any loss of public assistance. This would bring her annual income to over $60,000 per year. There are also programs to help with utility cost. Some mothers can get Grandma to baby sit which allows them to work full time at Walmart earning $20 per hour or $40,000 per year. She would then qualify for $10,000 per year from EITC and child tax credit bringing her income up to $50,000. Even under these circumstances many would prefer not to work. This is why some say the only real poor in America are the people living on the street who mostly have drug or mental problems.

Misjudgements

Three times in the past 60 years, major misjudgments were made by elected officials because 95% of congress lacks any scientific background. This has allowed them to be misled and sometimes manipulated. The first started in the 1960’s with groups like Greenpeace. Using fear as their weapon, they convinced the general population that nuclear power was dangerous and had to be stopped. They used the fear of a melt down that could lead to a release of radioactive materials into the atmosphere, some even suggesting a possible nuclear bomb explosion. They followed this up with exaggerating the problem of storing waste material in unsafe ways across the country. This led to over regulation to the point where the 100 reactors that were scheduled to be built were cancelled and not one new site was constructed over the next fifty years. The activist had won. The second mistake was also promoted using fear and that was global warming. In this case, the activist joined forces with certain scientist who profited from the fear, to convince the people that fossil fuels were the cause and set a goal of zero carbon by 2030. The UN and the Paris Accords added to the fear and promoted the idea of zero carbon. Important elected officials led by Presidents Obama and Biden called climate change an existential threat and laws were passed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The experts saw the solution to the problem was to replace fossil fuels with wind and solar. This was pushed by the new green deal, that combined social programs with the production of solar panels which opened the door to campaign contributions by way of government subsidies. Once the program became political it automatically had support of half the population and the promoters were well aware of this fact. The third big mistake was the subsidizing of electric vehicles. Once again this became a political issue and government subsidies followed. The fact that the cars needed long charging times, that there were very few charging stations and that many of the stations got their power from fossil fuels did not dampen the enthusiasm for EV’s. The excitement caused car companies to invest billions before they realized the consumers did not want the hassle of dealing with these cars and they are now writing off loses totaling tens of billions. This was a classic case of putting the cart before the horse. Common sense is slowly taking over and nuclear power is seen as the solution to climate change. It has taken almost a hundred years to recover from these mistakes but help is on the way.

Virtue signaling

Virtue signaling is not limited to individuals but applicable to countries and even continents. Europe is in an economic decline that started 30 years ago. They decided to join the zero-carbon fad. The results can best be seen by looking at Germany and more specifically at BASF the largest chemical company in the world. Germany set upon a path of going green by closing down the coal plants, closing down the nuclear plants and refusing to frack. They believed they could survive on wind and solar using natural gas as a go between while they changed. The Ukraine War disrupted these plans and the cost of energy quadrupled. Now BASF is shifting production to China where energy costs are lower because China gets 60% of their energy from coal. This is a kind of bait and switch which allows Germany to say they are going green by shifting their air pollution to China. This is an example of corporate, country and continent virtue signaling. In order to save face Germany is secretly planning on reopening its coal plants. Interestingly enough Canada is now following the same path as they increase their wind and solar while exporting 4.5 million barrels per day of oil to the US.

Differences

Looking back over the last hundred years or so many cultural norms have changed. Not too long ago marrying outside the faith was traumatic for some families. The same was true for ethnicity. Remember the movie about the Greek Wedding. In time things progressed to interracial marriage and gay marriage. As these changes take place some people are more willing to accept the new ways than others. This is understandable as humans are that way. One area of concern is how people judge one another based on how far along they are in adjusting to the new ways. Often times people who view themselves as the more tolerant begin to feel morally superior. Sometimes a White couple can accept their daughter marrying a Black man without any reservation. Sometimes a straight couple can accept their son marrying another man without much concern. Other couples will have great difficulty in adjusting to these new circumstances. In many cases there are people willing to adjust without a full commitment but their love for their children allows them to except the change. In their hearts there is a small voice saying, I wish things were different. It is probably wise not to pass judgement too quickly. One way that some use to allay the stress with these types of circumstances is to follow the rule, hate the sin but love the sinner.

Thorium power

The most efficient path to carbon free transportation comes by way of small thorium reactors. These are built in factories, assembly style and shipped to the use point. At scale they produce almost endless quantities of electric power and at low cost. This power is used to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen and use the hydrogen for fuel, the only by product being water. Hydrogen can then be combined with carbon dioxide taken from the air to synthesize diesel and aviation fuel. When this is burned the CO2 returns to the air in a neutral cycle. Cars and trucks can still be driverless as technology allows. Thorium is four times more abundant than uranium, produces less dangerous by products and offers walk away safety which prevents melt downs. China has been operating a thorium reactor for the past two years.

EV's and weight

Most articles about EV’s, recognize that the power source must be green, or the whole purpose of the car is lost and they lead off with how the cost of solar panels have come down over the past 20 years and this is a fact. What they don’t write about is the materials needed to produce EV’s which include lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, graphite and copper along with rare earths neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium. These are left out because of the environmental harm caused by the mining, processing and disposal of these elements. The second area left out is how airplanes and heavy equipment will operate on batteries. Both military and commercial planes are jets and ocean liners, tanks, bull dozers and large farm equipment need more power than batteries can supply. A Tesla long range semi-truck weighs 23,000 pounds including the 11,000-pound battery. An Abrams tank weighs 128,000 pounds and would require a 61,000-pound battery. When out on the battle field where would the charging station be. A diesel locomotive weighs 450,000 pounds and would need a 215,000-pound battery. When it comes to ocean liners and oil tankers the numbers are out of sight. Overwhelmed by the excitement of EV’s many of these problems are ignored. The problem of building EV’s before charging stations are installed and these cannot be supported without updating the grid is just putting the cart before the horse.

Pollution in China

China mines 70% of the world’s rare earths and processes 90% which is where most of the contamination comes from. Mining and processing rare earth elements (REEs) in China have significantly contaminated the Yellow River and surrounding environments. Chinese people, particularly those living along the Yellow River basin, have been and continue to be adversely affected by the river's condition, with issues ranging from historical catastrophic floods to modern-day severe pollution and ecological degradation. Cancer rates—particularly digestive tract cancers—are elevated and, in some cases, rising in rural areas near the polluted middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Environmental contamination, specifically polluted drinking water, is considered a key factor, with high-incidence "cancer villages" identified in these regions. In spite of this China continues to manufacture solar panels and parts for wind mills and selling them to the US. In addition, the West is the biggest manufacture of high-tech products that need these rare earths. Not only do they have to contend with bad water but as of April 2026 air quality in China remains poor, with some major cities experiencing air in the unhealthy range posing serious risk to residence especially children and elderly. These problems are rarely reported in the West.

Investment income

The two main tax advantages for rich people are capital gains and maxed out social security contributions. Compare a person working for wages earning $180,000 per year vs a rich investor earning $2 million per year from investments. The person earning $180,000 will pay $34,000 in federal income tax and $9,000 in state income tax plus $13,775 in social security and Medicare tax leaving him with $133,000 or 73% of his gross. The capital gain tax on $2 million is $369,000 leaving him with 82% of his gross. This is because there is no social security tax on investment income. A single person earning $180,000 per year from investments only would pay $20,317 in total taxes netting him $160,000 or 88.7% of gross. This is why Warren Buffet once said that his secretary pays a higher tax rate than he does.

Grades

What happened to higher education. Back in the 1950’s universities like the Ivy league, Stanford and MIT accepted students based on academic performance. This meant that students from elite high schools and student who took advanced placement (AP) courses would have an advantage. Thus, when they were in college they competed against other students with rigorous training. After affirmative action started in the 1970’s, students with less vigorous training were admitted. This made it difficult for students who came in, having taken less strenuous course work, to compete. Studies are mixed on this, some showing it had little effect and other showing higher drop out rates. Professors were uncomfortable with the new admissions because they witnessed students having a difficult time. One result was grade inflation. In the early 1990’s Harvard students received an A grade about 25% of the time and today that is 60%. Teachers responded to struggling students by lessening the work loan and offering higher grades. Companies hiring Harvard grads are coming to understand that they no longer have the same academic abilities they had thirty years ago.

Intel stock

As part of the Biden Chips act, Intel was to receive $11.1 billion which included $5.7 billion in cash and the rest in grants. Trump intervened and instead purchased $8.9 billion in stock which included 433 million shares at $20.47 per share. Yesterday Intel stock closed at $62 meaning a paper profit to the US government of $10 billion. This purchase is not without controversy. Here is from Google AI. Whether the government's 9.9% non-voting stake in Intel constitutes "socialism" is a matter of political and economic debate. Critics label it a "step toward socialism" or [right-wing nationalization], while others, including supporters, argue it is pragmatic industrial policy and a form of [state capitalism] aimed at protecting strategic technology interests The average voter would see buying the stock as a better deal for the government than just handing out money, especially since it was non-voting stock.

More taxes

Over the past fifteen years and increasingly so in the last five years, the movement of people and companies from high tax states to lower tax states has been in the news. One example that illustrates the point, is the trend of the financial industry moving from NY City to Dallas, TX. These moves are not just for tax savings but include a much lower overall cost of living. This is from Google AI: Overall, the cost of living in Dallas is significantly lower than in New York City, with expenses, particularly housing, roughly 50-60% less in Dallas. Average monthly rent $3,698 vs $1,295, Home prices $3 million vs $460,000, income tax 12% vs 0, corporate tax 22% vs zero. Big financial companies are moving there businesses out of NY City. Led by Apollo Global Management, Alliance Bernstein, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan now have more of their business outside of NY City. Texas has surpassed New York in total financial service employment as of 2025. Since 2021, New York State has applied higher tax rates for individuals earning over $1 million, $5 million, and $25 million. As of April 2026, there are active, popular proposals for an additional 2% city income tax increase on residents earning over $1 million annually to address budget gaps. As taxes are raised on the rich, more move out and this creates more taxes on those who remain.

Iranian women

While no government is without faults, some are much better than others. This is the case when comparing Iran before the 1979 revolution and after. Under the Shah, who ruled from 1925 to 1979, there were heavy restrictions on political freedom, freedom of the press and assembly with the state cracking down on dissidents and labor unions. During his rule Urban areas, like Tehran, were cosmopolitan with modern cafes, cinema, music and Western fashion. Women were active in public life, including serving as doctors, judges, and ministers, and were allowed to wear what they chose, including Western-style clothing. The "White Revolution" aimed for rapid industrialization, land reform, and increased literacy rates. One stark difference was the Family Protection Laws of 1967 and 1975. These laws restricted a man from taking multiple wives without court permission and the consent of the first wife, making the practice rare in urban areas. In addition, they modified patriarchal interpretations of Shari’s law which put men in dominant positions in regards to families, things like divorce and child custody. At this time when women in Iran risked standing up to these injustices, women in the West remain silent. Some feel this is the time for Western women to protest the male dominated society in Iran but they remain quiet.

Food scam

During the pandemic, the USDA waived several standard oversight requirements for child nutrition programs to ensure children were fed while schools were closed. The conspirators used these loosened rules to rapidly open sites that were not subject to rigorous verification. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) obtained the funds for the Feeding Our Future program from federal COVID-19 relief money allocated to the Federal Child Nutrition Program, specifically through waivers approved during the pandemic. Feeding Our Future expanded exponentially, growing from handling approximately $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million by 2021. The Minnesota-based nonprofit used the pandemic-era expansion of federal nutrition programs to sponsor over 250 sites, ultimately, over $240 million in fraudulent funds were disbursed through their scheme. Fake businesses enrolled and created fake meal sites, including invoices, and list of children to receive reimbursement for meals not served. They used Excel formulas to assign random ages (between 7 and 17) to the fake names on rosters. Money was laundered through shell companies disguised as "consulting" or "maintenance" firms. Many of the participants were related and most of the 65 people convicted so far are Somalis.

Government funds

In 1998, the states were given $200 billion as settlement for the law suit against the tobacco industry over false claims about the health hazards from smoking. Much of that money was redirected to cover general operating expenses. Many states have used funds from the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) to pay for general operations, plug budget holes, and pay off state debt rather than for tobacco prevention or health programs. While the settlement was intended to help states recover Medicaid costs from smoking-related illnesses, most of the money has been used for non-health purposes. Something similar is happening with money given to the states from the infrastructure bill passed in 2021. Some states and local entities have used or are considering using federal infrastructure funds—specifically those from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and previous COVID-relief packages—to help cover general operating expenses and address budget deficits. The tobacco payouts were designed to take place over 25 years but many states couldn’t wait and accepted a lower amount to get the money up front. Spending is the key to reelection for local politicians. Many states used Covid money for general operating expenses. Many states used federal COVID-19 relief funds, particularly from the American Rescue Plan's State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), to cover general operating expenses and replace lost public-sector revenue.

Uranium

The concern over the 1000 pounds of 60% uranium that Iran has is somewhat bewildering. Russia, their ally holds 680 tons of 90% enriched uranium and could easily send some to Iran. Russia controls 44% of the world’s supply of bomb grade uranium. Would the US risk the lives of American soldiers to retrieve the uranium if it could be quickly replaced?

GM

There was a time in the US when tariffs could have benefited the country. The big auto companies led by GM were unionized and had defined pension benefit plans. In 1980 these plans were enhanced to include the 30 year and out feature. This meant you could start at age 18 and received retirement benefits at age 48. By the time Japanese imports became popular in the 1980’s, GM had 210,000 retirees that was costing about $1,500 per car. By 2003 that number had risen to 460,000. Toyota came to the US and built non union plants with no retirement cost because it would be many years before any of their employees were eligible for retirement. Their plants were new and more efficient meaning more productive so their profits were higher. This was the time the company could afford a tariff and make for more fair competition with American companies. These retirement costs were a major factor in the 2009 GM bankruptcy. For many the Toyota’s were a better-quality car which was a management failure at GM.

Hostages

It is often said that Trump doesn’t act presidential and that stems from the fact that he is not a politician. This can be seen in his Iran policy. All presidents since 1979 have pushed the Iran problem down the road and into the lap of the next president. This was the safe thing to do politically but Trump, of course, is different. Some today ask the question, would Trump do the same if he could back up 6 weeks and many say the answer is yes. They repeat the news that for more than four-decades, Trump has called for invading Iran, seizing its oil, and preventing it from gaining a nuclear weapon. In an interview with NBC in 1979 he said that the Iran hostage crisis was a sign that America no longer commanded international respect. When asked if the US should invade and bring the hostages home, he said, “I absolutely feel that, yes”. Now, in retrospect, some feel that invading Iran over the hostage situation might have solved a problem before it became one but that is just conjecture. The what if game is rarely productive.

Exit tax

As states like Washington, Minnesota, California, Massachusetts, New York and Illinois adopt different types of wealth taxes, they find companies and individuals leaving their states and moving to lower tax states like Texas, Florida and Tennessee. They are responding by installing exit taxes, meaning when you leave the state you will have all of your assets evaluated and pay an exit tax on the total. Some assets like stocks and bonds can be easily assessed but others like personal property are more difficult. This will lead to moving assets out of state before moving while using other methods to avoid counting assets. The income gap is wider today than any time in the past hundred years so this is the time to tax the rich. Combine this with higher paying jobs as manufacturing comes back home and it would be a way to reduce the gap.

Using nukes

The concern over Iran getting a nuclear weapon is not that they would send an ICBM over New York but that it would prompt other countries, particularly in the Middle East, to acquire nukes. With Iran’s long-time pledge to irradicate Israel, the clock would be ticking for the next all-out nuclear war. The US would not fear Iran anymore than North Korea. North Korea is aware that if they fired off a missile toward the US, before it landed, two hundred nuclear weapons fired from an Ohio class submarine a few miles off the coast would hit with an average power of 300 kilotons each, more than 15 times larger than the bombs used in WW 2. This would mean the destruction of the 200 largest cities in North Korea in less than 30 minutes. They use their nukes to keep from being attacked not to use offensively against the US. Iran is a different story for some experts see them as willing to lose their country to achieve their objective of destroying Israel. This is based on their religious beliefs. This is from Google AI: The ruling elite of Iran’s Islamic regime, guided by a Shiite apocalyptic vision, believes that destroying Israel is a theological imperative to hasten the return of their messiah, the Twelfth Imam (Mahdi)

Wars and more wars

The news is out and once again America loses a war but the good news is that the US is losing faster. The Korea War lasted 3 years and 35,000 American soldiers died but North Korea was still standing. Vietnam cost 50,000 lives and lasted 19 years and North Vietnam was still standing. Afghanistan lasted 20 years with the loss of 2,400 soldiers and the Taliban remained. The second Gulf War lasted 8 years and 4,500 US soldiers died and it spawned ISIS. Finally, the Iran War lasted 6 weeks and 13 soldiers died. The trend is clear, the US is getting better at losing. The last war that American won was WW 2 and the major difference was the killing of civilians with fire bombing cities and the use of two nuclear bombs. This change in tactics was prompted by the rules of war as laid out in the 1949 Geneva Convention. Following these rules means there will always be losers in war but not winners. The winners win when they rise from the rubble and say we’re still here. Even the 45-year cold war ended when the USSR changed its name to Russia and the same leadership remained. Strange as it may seem this has to be considered progress when it comes to war. In mankind’s relentless search for self-destruction the world will have to wait until the next combatants go after each other with nuclear weapons, which will not be able to segregate the civilians from the soldiers and there will finally be a real winner again. Will Iran rise like the phoenix from the ashes to start the long-anticipated WW 3?

Candidates

The candidates that run for political office who have the best chance to win are those who run for a purpose and lay out a plan to achieve that goal. Many democratic candidates are missing this concept. Instead of laying out plans on how they will accomplish their objectives, they are wasting time attacking Trump. A winning candidate will have a strong internal commitment to lower taxes on middle income groups, to provide safe neighborhoods and to improve test scores. It cannot be some goals that evolve from polling but must come from the heart. This is what authenticity is all about. A burning desire built around specific goals will allow the person to inspire voters. Does this fit the profile of any of the potential 2028 hopefuls?

Win or loss

In the high-tech world of today the new MBA’s are scientist and engineers. Case in point is Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of Space X. She holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters of Science in Applied Mathematics. Working for Elon Musk she follows his business strategies one of which is using Parkinson’s Law. This states that, “work expands so as to fil the time available for its completion”. She pushes new developments to the limits when setting a date of 2030’s for a human landing on Mars and 2040’s for establishing a city on Mars. The only down side to this is facing ridicule in the press for failing to meet the predicted time line. The upside is that things get done in accelerated manner. This is similar to the way Trump operates. He sets almost impossible goals and often times fails to reach them but he advances further than most expect. He does face the negative press but he sees beyond that. Most politicians take the safe road and try not to promise too much but Trump is a businessman not a politician. In the Iran conflict the press will say he didn’t accomplish all of his objectives so he lost but Trump will look at how Iran’s program was set back and see a win.

Policy on Iran

The Powell Doctrine regarding war includes the statement, using overwhelming force to ensure a quick victory. In laymen’s terms one interpretation is, if you are going to war, go to win, or otherwise stay home. When to go to war is not always easy to determine and sometimes requires a change in plans. When President Wilson ran for his second term his campaign slogan was, “He kept us out of war”. He took office on March 4, 1917 and declared war on Germany on April 2, 1917 just 29 days later. When Trump campaigned for his second term, he was quite clear on Iran. Trump doesn’t even pretend to have human rights or democracy concerns with Iran, just as he doesn’t with the rest of the world. He squarely restricts his demands on Iran to a change in its nuclear and foreign behavior. His position was modified after he was elected to: Based on 2026 reports, Donald Trump has expressed vocal support for Iranian protesters, warning Iranian authorities against killing demonstrators and urging the population to take over their government.

Why Iran and why now

During the Revolutionary War which lasted 8 years, 25,000 soldiers died and that would be the equivalent of 350,000 dying today based on population. This was a fight for freedom and was against a far superior force. The war today is seen by many Iranians as their fight for freedom but they have no weapons. Trump says that the people want the US to help but there is no confirmation from inside Iran to support this. What we do know is that the people were protesting in the streets. This is from Google AI as reported by Al Jazeera: Protests erupted in Iran in late 2025 and early 2026, driven by a severe economic crisis—including skyrocketing inflation, high food prices, and a crashing currency (the rial)—and long-standing frustration with systemic corruption and authoritarian rule. These nationwide demonstrations escalated into broader political demands for the removal of the clerical leadership and greater freedoms, particularly regarding women’s rights. In 2011 the US intervened in Libya to stop Gaddafi from attacking civilians, protect human rights and support rebels, ultimately leading to a regime change. Hillary Clinton Susan Rice and Samantha Powers convinced Obama to attack Libya based on the “Responsibility to Protect” rule. The Responsibility to Protect (R2P or RtoP) is a global political commitment endorsed by the UN in 2005 to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. It mandates that states protect their populations; if they fail, the international community must intervene via diplomatic or, as a last resort, military action.

War crimes

Iran specifically targeted power generation in Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE with little notice in the press but Trump announce such a strategy and some in the US said this would be a war crime. Going back to the Gulf War in 1991 and a half dozen times since the US has attacked the electric grid infrastructure in foreign countries. This was also used extensively in WW 2. During WW 2 this was only part of attacking civilian areas. Cities with no military bases or weapons facilities were bombed and millions of civilians were killed and injured. This was a deliberate attempt to demoralize the enemy which was considered the best way to win the war. Far more people in Japan were killed by firebombing cities than were killed by the two nuclear bombs. The threat to bomb power plants posed a new problem, when Sen Jeff Merkley condemned Trump’s threat to bomb power plants and urged US service members to refuse any orders to do so. This was reminiscent of when Gen Milley back in 2021 called China and said: In the calls, Milley sought to assure Li the United States was stable and not going to attack and, if there were to be an attack, he would alert his counterpart ahead of time, the report said.

Leaks

Trump announced today that someone leaked the fact that one of the pilots downed over Iran was not rescued. Then Iran ordered all people to be on the lookout for this pilot. This of course, put this airman in danger. Something similar happened when the US was looking for Osama bin Laden It is widely believed that media reporting on U.S. intelligence capabilities in the late 1990s—specifically a 1998 Washington Times article—disclosed that the U.S. was monitoring his satellite phone usage, leading Osama bin Laden to stop using it and go "off the grid". This made it more difficult for the US to capture him. Is it acceptable for the press to publish info that may be harmful to US troops? This is a question of free speech and is not easily resolved. Back in WW 2 the saying was loose lips sinks ships.

Vote for

Senator Van Hollan has proposed the Working Americans' Tax Cut Act" (WATCA). It will eliminate federal income taxes for individuals’ earnings under $46,000 and for married couples under $92,000. The tax relief is phased out for marrieds up to $153,000. It will be paid for by a tiered surtax on income over $1 million for singles and $1.5 million for marrieds. In addition, it increases the child tax credit up to $3,600 for children 6 and older up to age 17 and $4,320 for children under 6 with a baby bonus of $6,360. Senator Cory Booker has a somewhat similar plan. This is interesting from two standpoints. First it will help reduce the income gap and second it is a proposal by democrats instead of just opposing Trump. It gives people something to vote for.

Obama removals

Obama’s border policy while he was in office. He emphasized that border security must be strengthened and stated that those who cross illegally should be held accountable. He deployed more agents and technology to the southern border. His administration focused on deporting individuals apprehended at the border, as well as those with criminal records. During his two terms he deported 3 million and turned back another two million at the border. About 75% of deportees were removed via, non-judicial removals, meaning without a judge to determine asylum status.

China or Mexico

Mexico is becoming the new China. Starting after the end of the cold war in 1990, China began its rise as the newest manufacturing model. Their big draw was low wages and companies from the West were willing to invest large sums to make products in China and sell them in the West were the consumers with money lived. The government of China, while maintaining its communist political side, recognized that the true economic growth was based on selling products to the West and in particular the US. They set up a pseudo free market and set government policies to encourage exports. It was a resounding success and the GDP of China went from $400 billion in 1990 to $11 trillion in 2015 a staggering 24% annual increase. The first signs of trouble came when US relations began to crumble. The West realized that shipping all of their production to China was a national defense problem. During this period labor cost in China tripled and by 2019 the average wage in China was $4.50 compared to Mexico at $3.95. Thus started the great process of near shoring and reshoring. During this time period the cost of the standard 40-foot shipping container from China to the US increased from $3000 to $18000 or a six-fold increase. People became concerned that important products like pharmaceuticals were no longer made in America. Trade deals with China and Mexico gave a big edge to Mexico. The US has now undertaken steps to reduce the drug traffic from Mexico and offer safety to trade routes. The trade deficit with China declined from $295 billion in 2024 to $202 billion in 2025 while the deficit with Mexico increased from $175 billion in 2024 to $197 billion in 2025. This trend is expected to continue as the US builds up its industrial base as it brings back manufacturing jobs back home. This process of America First is taking place in many industries where the US can no longer rely on foreign countries for necessary goods.

Excise tax

Washington State has no state income tax at least up till now. Washington enacted a 9.9% tax on household income over $1 million (SB 6346) in March 2026, targeting high earners. Signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson, this tax on annual income above $1 million takes effect in 2028, with initial payments due in 2029. It affects roughly 21,000 residents and aims to fund tax credits, child care, and school meals. This is an example of what is called luxury beliefs. It is highly unlikely that this new tax will affect any of the legislators who enacted the law. Most people do not object to taxing the other guy. The Washington State constitution prohibits state income tax so this will be called an excise tax. This will be an uphill battle because: Excise taxes are indirect, consumption-based taxes levied on specific goods (gasoline, tobacco, alcohol) or activities, usually paid by businesses and passed on to consumers, making them often hidden. In contrast, income taxes are direct taxes imposed on personal or corporate earnings, generally proportional to wealth and paid directly to governments

Spending

Governments like big corporations can get too big over time. At the height of WW 2 there were 2,000 active-duty flag officers (generals and admirals) with an active-duty force of 12 million. This is one flag officer for every 6000 soldiers. Today there are 848 flag officers and 1.8 million active-duty troops or one flag office per 2122 troops. Since the end of WW 2 the average inflation rate in the US has been 3.5% while government spending has increased 7.5%. Part of this spending can be seen in the military budget and it is the same in social spending.

Bernie Sanders

Senator Bernie Sanders about a decade ago represented the left in this country when he opposed President Obamas TPP. In 2015, Bernie Sanders opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), arguing that reducing tariffs through such deals hurts American workers, lowers wages, and fuels job outsourcing. He consistently advocated for fair trade over free trade, blaming previous trade deals for the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs He was for tariffs back in 2008 In 2008 and around that period, Bernie Sanders was a staunch critic of U.S. free trade policies, advocating for protectionist measures like tariffs to counteract the loss of manufacturing jobs to countries like China and Mexico In his 2016 campaign he opposed open borders. In 2015, Bernie Sanders opposed open borders, calling the concept a "Koch brothers proposal" that would depress wages for American workers. During his 2016 presidential campaign, he argued that an open-border policy would make the US poorer and argued that a nation-state requires controlled borders Today his big push is redistributing the wealth Bernie Sanders' 2026 plan to redistribute wealth, introduced as the "Make Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share Act," proposes a 5% annual tax on the net worth of Americans with over $1 billion. This tax on approximately 938 individuals aims to generate trillion over a decade, funding direct payments to families earning under $10,000.

Dream

In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s immigrants poured into the US by way of Ellis Island. They came with few possessions but the dream of a better life. They were willing to work long hours for low pay with the goal of providing a better life for their children. That is still possible today. Juan and Marie both 18 arrive in America. They have the dream. They get a full-time job of stocking shelves at Walmart on the night shift for $15 per hour. They each work 20 hours per week at a fast-food restaurant. They attend night school to improve their English two hours a day, five days per week. They are earning $1,800 per week and in four years they have saved $200,000. They lived the life style of the earlier immigrants where all they did was work, learn English, eat and sleep. At age 22 they have enough for a down payment on a small home. Walmart promotes from within and 75% of managers started as hourly employees. Their attitude about work is you never complain about going to work just be glad you’re able to go and when you get there, always do more than your share. These hard-working young people would soon catch the eye of management. They asked to be moved to different departments and express interest in management and soon opportunities come up and they are on their way. Marie as a department manager and Juan enrolls in the Walmart Truck Driver program. Moving up the ladder at Walmart, where roughly 75% of management started as hourly associates, requires high performance, initiative, and building relationships. Key strategies include mastering your current role, seeking opportunities in different departments, finding mentors, expressing interest in promotion to management, and being willing to relocate By age 30 this couple is on their way to achieving the American Dream.