Plenty of news topics recently: North Korea, tariffs, immigration, and the IG report on the FBI. And regardless of the facts, there always seems to be at least two sides to argue over.
After President Trump met with the North Korean dictator for a day in Singapore, many of us wanted to reach an immediate conclusion. Was Trump successful, or did he give away the store? Here’s my view: be patient, pay attention to comments by Secretary of State Pompeo rather than Trump’s tweets, and realize it may take at least a couple of years before we know if North Korea has gotten rid of all nuclear weapons and missiles. And stop talking about a Nobel Peace Prize. The rest of the world seems upset with the threat of new tariffs on our imports, especially steel and aluminum. Our friends in Europe, plus Canada and Mexico are mad at President Trump for demanding “free and fair” trade. I heard that at the G7 meeting in Quebec that Trump suggested the elimination of ALL tariffs. Wasn’t that what those other leaders were demanding? Of course not. They want to keep their tariffs, but for us to eliminate ours. Now, tariffs are not good; they made the Great Depression far worse in the 1930s. Higher prices caused by tariffs are paid by consumers, not politicians. On immigration, seldom have we seen such a violent reaction to the separation of children from their parents who crossed our border illegally. The adults are put in jail until their application for asylum is decided, and the children are cared for in a separate facility. The parents knew this before crossing the border but they came anyway. Yes, it is a sad situation. But if you ask the critics for a solution, they have none that will work while controlling illegal immigration. The long-awaited report of the Justice Department’s Inspector General (IG) on the FBI came out last week. Democrats hailed it as proof that Hillary Clinton lost the election because of Director Comey’s actions in July and October 2016. Republicans loved it for identifying top FBI officials who were determined to keep Donald Trump from getting elected. At the center of the controversy are two FBI lovebird lawyers, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who spent most of their time each day exchanging hundreds of text messages. My question: would any business allow their employees to waste hours a day texting? Oh, and Happy Father’s Day! Historic quotes by Will Rogers: “I propose a Father’s Day. No flowers, no fuss – just let him use the car himself and go where he wants to.” DT #1183, May 11, 1930 [at the end of a wonderful message on Mother’s Day, Will added this…] “Father had a day, but you can’t find anybody who remembers when it was… It’s been so confused with April the first.” Radio, May 12, 1935 [related to the IG lawyer report] “If it’s in a few words and is plain and understandable only one way, it was written by a non-lawyer.” WA #657, July 28, 1935 |