Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.
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Chaos, Corruption and Incompetence in the executive branch
Does anyone here think that what is going on at 1600 has a profound impact on your wealth? Our investments don't operate in a vacuum but these discussions seem to ignore the reality on the ground.
Thanks for your comments. I have different opinions of course. But your opinions on the affordable Care act are way misinformed. I have been a health insurance broker since 1988 and know the in and outs of health insurance from day to day experience. If the goal of the legislation was to get the most Americans covered short of single payer,,, it was and is, successful. As a self employed business person who has paid for my own health insurance since 1988 I can assure you that medical insurance inflation didn't start with the ACA. And who among use would not want all of our fellow citizens to have access to health care? Only the members of one party. There,,,, I said it.
"And who among use would not want all of our fellow citizens to have access to health care?"
@larryB- Aw, common Larry... you know darned well that "those people" (that would be the lazy, shiftless, incompetent, or unfortunate) don't deserve nothin' (spesshuly no daggone health care) until they get off their lazy, shiftless, incompetent, or unfortunate rear ends.
@Old_Joe- of course you are right. But I always felt bad when some lazy, shiftless so and so wanted to buy health insurance and could afford health insurance but were turned down because they had the nerve to have some minor medical issue. Or they worked 50 hours every week but just couldn't afford it. Yuup,,, that party that cannot be named here sure knows how to treat people. And they know that all the other major industrialized countries in the world have it all wrong.They know it's cool to let people lose everything cause they were dumb enough to get cancer, or to let them go without treatment cause they just weren't successful enough to afford coverage. That party is so much smarter and more moral than those L_____s. Go ahead ,,,, censor this!
"I know that [grandma] would have scoffed at one of the unanticipated consequences of the Trump presidency. I am referring to the endless self-flagellation among well-educated liberals — “the elites,” in pejorative parlance — about their failure to “get” the concerns of white working-class voters. Gran never expected anyone to “get” her. She was determined to educate herself for what she considered the privilege of citizenship. "Our current political discourse is corrupted by two equally flawed narratives about the relationship between social class and politics. The first is a fable accepted by many intellectuals, who have found themselves guilty because just enough white working-class voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin handed Mr. Trump his Electoral College win in 2016. Many fear that this year’s midterm elections will once again result in a rejection of “elitism” by the same voters. "In a second, equally flawed narrative — adopted by a segment of both blue-collar workers and intellectuals — the American working class is so victimized that almost none of its members are capable of accepting the responsibility of civic self-education. "These narratives sometimes collide within families. On a trip to Detroit last spring, I met a professor of political science who seemed to believe that “elitist” obtuseness had lost Michigan for the Democrats. He told me that he felt responsible because his aunt and uncle — postal workers in suburban Macomb County — had voted Republican for the first time in their lives, mainly because they believed Mr. Trump’s false campaign assertion about New Jersey Muslims cheering the Sept. 11 attacks. He had been unable to convince them otherwise. "Why should he feel guilty, I asked, if his relatives had chosen to ignore extensive evidence that the cheering never occurred? “I guess because I feel I ought to speak their language and I don’t,” he replied."
Regarding supply side economics referenced in the article, I don't think many of the politicians/economists Krugman is rightly skewering actually believe in supply side eco as he claims. I think it's worse than that. I think they know it's bunk, but see propaganda for it as a means to an end--lining their own pockets. Supply side eco was always a rationalization for the existing class structure, a specious argument for why the rich should not only stay rich but grow richer for the benefit of society. My question is: When Arthur Laffer was fabricating his joke of an economic model on a cocktail napkin--americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1439217--who was buying the cocktails?
In response to the original question - be careful. So far, Trump has been very pro-business via deregulation and the tax cut. We'll see about the tariffs. From an investors perspective, what you need to fear is some 'black swan' event. There are too many scenarios that could lead to the start of an impeachment process and that, I fear, would not be good for the market.
As for the overall state of the economy in the states, the middle class has been largely exterminated over the past 20-25 years. This was not because of technology, nor globalism, not smart phones. It was because we're shifting from an Industrial Age economy to an Information Age economy and Washington has not only ignored it but actually compounded the problem.
Historically, there were two major pathways to the middle class - education and/or a manufacturing job. The former has been priced out the reach of many Americans and those that need financial help the most are saddled with debts from which they have not relief AND serve as an albatross around the neck of the economy as the new grads have to postpone purchase of cars and houses.
The factory jobs are gone without education.
You don't raise tariffs to protect obsolete jobs, you retrain the workers. You don't continue to subsidize coal mining, you start building wind turbines or solar panels in WV. Find me one coal miner that would rather be building wind turbines.
As for health care, it is inexcusable that an American should lose a limb or their sight or their life because they cannot afford the care. Since when did basic health care become a 'for profit' industry? We need a one pay system not unlike Canada or Great Britain where BTW, they now have a lower infant mortality rate and longer life span than we do.
We're investors and we know that the sleaziest slimiest most disgusting industry on the planet is the insurance industry. They lie about their products and fees and always have. I have been telling you for years that buying an investment from an insurance company is like buying your golf clubs at McDonalds. Scumbags.
Comments
@larryB- Aw, common Larry... you know darned well that "those people" (that would be the lazy, shiftless, incompetent, or unfortunate) don't deserve nothin' (spesshuly no daggone health care) until they get off their lazy, shiftless, incompetent, or unfortunate rear ends.
/sarc
"I know that [grandma] would have scoffed at one of the unanticipated consequences of the Trump presidency. I am referring to the endless self-flagellation among well-educated liberals — “the elites,” in pejorative parlance — about their failure to “get” the concerns of white working-class voters. Gran never expected anyone to “get” her. She was determined to educate herself for what she considered the privilege of citizenship.
"Our current political discourse is corrupted by two equally flawed narratives about the relationship between social class and politics. The first is a fable accepted by many intellectuals, who have found themselves guilty because just enough white working-class voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin handed Mr. Trump his Electoral College win in 2016. Many fear that this year’s midterm elections will once again result in a rejection of “elitism” by the same voters.
"In a second, equally flawed narrative — adopted by a segment of both blue-collar workers and intellectuals — the American working class is so victimized that almost none of its members are capable of accepting the responsibility of civic self-education.
"These narratives sometimes collide within families. On a trip to Detroit last spring, I met a professor of political science who seemed to believe that “elitist” obtuseness had lost Michigan for the Democrats. He told me that he felt responsible because his aunt and uncle — postal workers in suburban Macomb County — had voted Republican for the first time in their lives, mainly because they believed Mr. Trump’s false campaign assertion about New Jersey Muslims cheering the Sept. 11 attacks. He had been unable to convince them otherwise.
"Why should he feel guilty, I asked, if his relatives had chosen to ignore extensive evidence that the cheering never occurred? “I guess because I feel I ought to speak their language and I don’t,” he replied."
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/16/opinion/sunday/elites-stop-apologizing.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/opinion/donald-trump-trade-.html
In response to the original question - be careful. So far, Trump has been very pro-business via deregulation and the tax cut. We'll see about the tariffs. From an investors perspective, what you need to fear is some 'black swan' event. There are too many scenarios that could lead to the start of an impeachment process and that, I fear, would not be good for the market.
As for the overall state of the economy in the states, the middle class has been largely exterminated over the past 20-25 years. This was not because of technology, nor globalism, not smart phones. It was because we're shifting from an Industrial Age economy to an Information Age economy and Washington has not only ignored it but actually compounded the problem.
Historically, there were two major pathways to the middle class - education and/or a manufacturing job. The former has been priced out the reach of many Americans and those that need financial help the most are saddled with debts from which they have not relief AND serve as an albatross around the neck of the economy as the new grads have to postpone purchase of cars and houses.
The factory jobs are gone without education.
You don't raise tariffs to protect obsolete jobs, you retrain the workers. You don't continue to subsidize coal mining, you start building wind turbines or solar panels in WV. Find me one coal miner that would rather be building wind turbines.
As for health care, it is inexcusable that an American should lose a limb or their sight or their life because they cannot afford the care. Since when did basic health care become a 'for profit' industry? We need a one pay system not unlike Canada or Great Britain where BTW, they now have a lower infant mortality rate and longer life span than we do.
We're investors and we know that the sleaziest slimiest most disgusting industry on the planet is the insurance industry. They lie about their products and fees and always have. I have been telling you for years that buying an investment from an insurance company is like buying your golf clubs at McDonalds. Scumbags.
and so it goes,
peace,
rono