Random Thoughts: Krugman, Tennessee, New Zealand and Obama and Trump

AROUND THE BLOCK

Random thoughts…

Some random thoughts from this morning’s news and commentary.

Paul Krugman

Paul Krugman posted, and I read, two columns today.

Now, I know that many of you wouldn’t read a Krugman column even if he paid you (Nobel Prize notwithstanding) but bear with me.

Krugman’s original column (Trump's China Shock) was about the mass shooting in El Paso, but as he writes in his second column, 

“I didn't know that the Dow was going to drop 750 points, so my latest column is El Paso-related, probably the right choice anyway, because US-China is moving so fast that anything in the print paper would be out of date. But it does look as if I should try to explain (a) what I think is happening (b) why the markets are going so nuts.”

Krugman goes on to talk about tariffs, currency manipulation and Trump’s trade wars.

 “…it’s pretty clear now that he refuses to give up on his belief that trade wars are good, and easy to win; his plan is to continue the beatings until morale improves..." 

And ends with this chilling statement, 

“So how does this all end? I have no idea. More important, neither does anyone else...At this rate, we may have to wait for a new president to clean up this mess, if she can.”

As I write this, the Dow is up around 100 points. I guess that since Trump measures the success of his economic policies(?) on the stock market, he’ll probably declare a victory. 

[-750)]+ [+100)]= [-650)]. 

Oh yeah, I forgot…Trump knows words; he has the best words. Numbers? Not so much!

Krugman’s original column (Trump, Tax Cuts and Terrorism), as he mentioned, is about El Paso, opening with this question, “Why has the Republican Party become a systematic enabler of terrorism?”

But you might ask, Krugman is an economist not a social scientist. What does enabling terrorism have to do with his specialty? 

“This agenda (passing tax cuts for the rich, defunding Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act) however, is unpopular. Most voters believe that the rich should pay more, not less, in taxes, and want spending on social programs to rise, not fall. 

 “So how do Republicans win elections? By appealing to racial animus. This is such an obvious fact of American political life that you have to be willfully blind not to see it...And the election of our first black president really kicked hatred into overdrive.   

“The result is that there are more and more angry white people out there willing to commit mayhem — and able to do so because those same Republicans have blocked any effective control over sales of assault weapons.”  

So, Krugman concludes, why does the GOP enable terrorism? “Follow the money.”

CBS News – Nashville, TN

In Krugman’s El Paso column, to help assist in his characterization of Republican politicians, he mentions that Nathan Bedford Forrest, who helped found the Ku Klux Klan, was recently honored by the Republican governor of Tennessee. 

“Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a proclamation declaring July 13 Nathan Bedford Forrest Day. Forrest was a Confederate general, slave trader and an early leader of the Ku Klux Klan. A Tennessee law dating back to 1971 mandates that the governor must issue proclamations for six state holidays each year, including days for Nathan Bedford Forrest and Robert E. Lee. 

 “According to the Tennessee code, the governor must declare January 19 as ‘Robert E. Lee Day’; February 12 as ‘Abraham Lincoln Day’; March 15 as ‘Andrew Jackson Day’; June 3 as ‘Memorial or Confederate Decoration Day’; July 13 as ‘Nathan Bedford Forrest Day’; and November 11, as ‘Veterans' Day.’ 

 "’I signed the bill because the law requires that I do that and I haven't looked at changing that law,’ Lee said Thursday.” 

Wait, what? He signed a bill declaring “Abraham Lincoln Day” in Tennessee? Really? Hasn’t he learned anything from his fearless leader in the White House? If he doesn’t want to follow the law he can just invoke an executive order.

New Zealand Abortion Law

The Associated Press reported that the New Zealand government “announced Monday that it plans changes to the country’s abortion laws that would treat the procedure as a health issue rather than a crime. 

“While abortions have been available in New Zealand for decades, the procedure is still regulated under the Crimes Act, which came into force in 1961. Many say that presents unnecessary obstacles for women who are seeking abortions. 

 “In order to get an abortion under the current law, women must be able to prove to their doctor that their pregnancy presents a danger to their physical or mental health. The proposed law would remove that requirement for women who are up to 20 weeks pregnant. For those more than 20 weeks pregnant, a doctor would still need to approve the procedure. 

 “The new law would also allow anti-abortion activists to be banned from demonstrating near abortion clinics if they were harassing patients. 

 Justice Minister Andrew Little said the changes would bring New Zealand into line with other developed nations.”

Not so fast, Minister Little. There’s a large developed nation across the Pacific that seems to be ready to leave the line. American Exceptionalism indeed!

Oh, and talking about New Zealand, how long did it take the Kiwis to pass gun control after a mass shooting? Like the next day?

Obama and Trump

Former president Barak Obama issued a statement yesterday decrying racism, white supremacy and terrorism. He said, in part, 

"We should soundly reject language coming out of the mouths of any of our leaders that feeds a climate of fear and hatred or normalizes racist sentiments; leaders who demonize those who don't look like us, or suggest that other people, including immigrants, threaten our way of life, or refer to other people as sub-human, or imply that America belongs to just one certain type of people."  

When I read the statement yesterday, my only criticism was that whenever he mentioned “our leaders,” he should have really said, “…our leaders, like the President of the United States,” to make his sentiments absolutely clear.

Boy, was I wrong!

In a tweet-storm this morning, the aforementioned president of the United States, egged on by his buddies at Fox and Friends said, 

“‘Did George Bush ever condemn President Obama after Sandy Hook. President Obama had 32 mass shootings during his reign. Not many people said Obama is out of Control,'” Trump tweeted. “'Mass shootings were happening before the President even thought about running for Pres.' @kilmeade @foxandfriends” 

 “‘It’s political season and the election is around the corner. They want to continue to push that racist narrative.’ @ainsleyearhardt @foxandfriends. And I am the least racist person. Black, Hispanic and Asian Unemployment is the lowest (BEST) in the history of the United States!” 

By the way, how many times does a person have to say something like “I am the least racist person…” to make it believable. 

Psychologists out there, isn’t there some kind of syndrome that explains this?