Thursday, May 31, 2018

The return of the 2008 global economic collapse.

June 1, 2018

Scott W. Allard (click here) reveals why poverty is rising faster in suburbs than in cities

In the U.S., the geography of poverty is shifting.

According to a May report from the Pew Research Center, since 2000, suburban counties have experienced sharper increases in poverty than urban or rural counties.

This is consistent with research across the U.S. over the past decade – as well as my own book, "Places in Need."...

Penises for Potholes. (Only can this happen down under)

In the USA, it might be called defacing government property. I doubt there would be as much a sense of humor as Auckland Transport might have.

June 1, 2018
By Vera Alves

Auckland Transport (click here for video) says the man who drew giant penises on the road to highlight the potholes near his home should think about the extra cost to clean up what he created.

Tired of contacting authorities about the state of the road near his home for about 18 months and getting nowhere, Auckland man Geoff Upson yesterday painted two giant 20m long penises around the potholes on Kahikatea Flat Rd, near Waitoki.

He says he did it after 18 months of being ignored, hoping the penises would spark action from road authorities.

Upson posted a video of himself on Facebook showing the fluoro green penises, about 1.2m wide, surrounding the numerous potholes on the road, drawing attention to the hazards....

From tariffs to "The Abortion Pill," the ideologues are on the march.

America does produce and sell its own aluminum on international markets. In 2017, the United States shipped $11.6 billion worth of aluminum to its trade partners. However, American revenues from exported aluminum fall far short of the -$23.4 billion that the US spent on imported aluminum thus resulting in a -$11.8 billion product category deficit.

The USA, in order to instill tariffs has to prohibit exports to ensure reasonable aluminum costs to industries such as the automotive and airplane industries.
These are the suppliers of aluminum to the USA. Their products being imported with begin tariffs tomorrow.

I don't know what Trump is thinking, but, it makes for extremely expensive products manufactured in the USA if it is exporting it's own aluminium while importing more.

The only way tariffs make sense is if it protects American aluminum. The domestic manufacturers are getting value for their product.

The list above shows India as the first in manufacturing. India is not the first in imported aluminum YET. India is growing to be a major exporter to the USA. The same holds true with Bahrain. The list below are the current top 15 exports to the USA. We receive 86.3 percent of imports from these countries.
May 1, 2018
By Daniel Workman

In 2017, (click here) the United States of America imported US$23.4 billion worth of aluminum (British spelling aluminium) from a total 130 global trade partners. That dollar amount reflects a 49.3% increase since 2013 and an aggressive 24.9% uptick from 2016 to 2017.

Trump may be trying to pay for his tax cuts and budget deficits. 130 trading partners are a lot when considering there are 195 countries (click here) in the world. It is the only thing that makes sense to me. By imposing tariffs on 130 countries the income will be quick. It is not as though he is using the tariffs in a strategic way, but, more in volume with quick returns.

Aluminum is the world’s most used metal excluding iron. Typically blended into an alloy, aluminum is most commonly combined with zinc, copper, silicon, magnesium and manganese. Pure aluminum is silvery-white, non-magnetic and is also notable for its low density, relatively light weight and resistance to corrosion.

US import data presented below is at the two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level, specifically 76 for aluminum and articles made with aluminum.

Of the $23.4 billion in total American imports under HTS code 76 (click here), 46.8% is unfinished aluminum, 14.7% is aluminum plates and sheets, 7.4% is miscellaneous aluminum, 6% is for aluminum structures such as towers or bridges, 5% is aluminum tableware, kitchenware or other household items, 4.9% is aluminum foil, 4.5% is aluminum bars and rods, 4.4% is aluminum scrap, 3.3% is aluminum wire while 0.9% is aluminum pipes and tubes. The remaining 2.2% is for other aluminum product subcategories including fittings, powder or flakes and specialized containers.




If the USA were ever to remove income taxes of all kinds (Amendment 16 of the USA Constitution - click here), it has to have a scheme similar to this. The problem is that Americans can eventually pay no tax at all, but, it will be paying more for products either produced in the USA (imported aluminum) or abroad (tariffs assigned to products made from or with aluminum). It is sort of a back door tax. Rather than paying income tax, the cost is paid for higher prices of goods.

The Tea Party ideology, as well as the Libertarians (Rand Paul), want to repeal the 16th Amendment to the USA Constitution. When the USA was first a country it raised income through tariffs on goods. 




I am fairly certain this is about party ideology and not American jobs. Americans are losing jobs within it's borders due to the tariffs. Nothing else makes sense. There is no competition for aluminum produced in the USA. If the USA could not sell OR USE it's aluminum because it produced too much and not able to compete on a domestic and/or foreign market, the tariffs might begin to fall into line as a prudent decision to protect American jobs and manufacturing. That isn't happening. The only thing that makes sense is that tariffs will pay for the President's tax cuts and increasing budget deficits which raises the USA debt. The debt is an issue and he is making it worse with his tax cuts. This is an attempt to bring immediate income to the US Treasury to improve the re-election balance sheet. At the same time he is stroking his base in that PERHAPS with enough tariff income the 16th Amendment can be repealed.

The Tea Party ideology can be traced in most if not all Trump's decisions, including racism. The Arkansas abortion law is the same thing. It is their ideology that crosses the line between church and state. The Tea Party wants a theocracy and Arkansas is the first step forward.

The Arkansas abortion issue is a direct attack on women. It is one of the most hideous bills I have ever witnessed. It goes to the heart of the ideology that a fertilized human egg is a person. There is every indication the Tea Party ideology will remove women from the work place and this is the first indication. Women, instead of contraception (Which is what Plan B is in reality.), will be forced to get a hysterectomy to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

My concern is that hysterectomies will be sought by younger and younger women. If that were to happen the birth rate would drop as well.

Plan B is a contraception because it prevents implantation, no different than an IUD. Neither of those methods has ever been called chemical or physical abortion. The political ideology is hideous.

...Planned Parenthood (click here) said it had found no doctors willing to enter a contract because of fear of retribution.  The decision clears the way for the state to enforce its law though the court challenge will continue.  Arkansas becomes the only state in the country with an effective man on medicine abortions, considered safer than surgical abortions....

The AMA needs to set standards for women receiving abortions and include any chemical methodology and why it is safe. There is nothing stopping ideologues to put pressure on other doctors REGARDLESS the safety and good record of the surgeon. The AMA has to be the third party to these cases that leverage professional methodologies against voodoo medical politics.

According to the American Pregnancy Association (APA), (click here) a non-profit organization that promotes pregnancy wellness, a medication abortion involves two oral medications — one taken in a doctor's office or clinic, and another taken six to 48 hours later — that can be used in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy to trigger contractions that expel the fetus....

...Approximately 2 to 4 individuals out of a 100 will discover a failed abortion attempt with a continuation of their pregnancy. If this is the case, you would need to return to the clinic for a second attempt at a medical abortion or more than likely, a surgical option....

The ideologues feel a defeat regardless of the one clinic decision in Texas. To begin:

A California study in 2013 proved women's clinics with other than surgeons are very capable of performing abortions when trained AND abortion is one of the safest procedures a woman can have.

Conclusions. (click here) Abortion complications were clinically equivalent between newly trained NPs, CNMs, and PAs and physicians, supporting the adoption of policies to allow these providers to perform early aspirations to expand access to abortion care.

Then add to that the fact "The Abortion Pill" is feared to become a telemedicine drug and women can have an abortion at home through their pharmacy. This is an endorsement by Medicaid for telemedicines because it controls costs.

For purposes of Medicaid, (click here) telemedicine seeks to improve a patient's health by permitting two-way, real time interactive communication between the patient, and the physician or practitioner at the distant site. This electronic communication means the use of interactive telecommunications equipment that includes, at a minimum, audio and video equipment.

Telemedicine is viewed as a cost-effective alternative to the more traditional face-to-face way of providing medical care (e.g., face-to-face consultations or examinations between provider and patient) that states can choose to cover under Medicaid. This definition is modeled on Medicare's definition of telehealth services (42 CFR 410.78). Note that the federal Medicaid statute does not recognize telemedicine as a distinct service....

The abortion pill will never be administered through Medicaid, but, it is interesting to realize that telemedicines are an approved method of administering to patients at a distance. 

So, to complete the picture, "The Abortion Pill," could become an easy way of having an abortion within the first ten weeks of an unwanted pregnancy. As a telemedicine a state could have a single abortion clinic and yet reach women that could not normally drive to the clinic for an abortion. That is the nightmare of the ideologues. That is why "The Abortion Pill," is under assault.

Most impressive. Nothing on the video is in English, but, it doesn't take a language to know Kim is a valuable partner to Russia's future.

Click title for news article in English.

I sincerely see Kim Jong Un as a leader seeking a better future for his country and his people. I sincerely hope the level of transparency seen with Russia will continue throughout the negotiations. Transparency will bring people to the leader of North Korea, especially those in South Korea that long for peace and a re-union with the North.

...Russia's Foreign Ministry says that Lavrov also spoke to Pompeo by phone on Wednesday, the first day of the American's talks with Kim Yong Chol, North Korea's former military intelligence chief.

There is no sign yet whether Lavrov discussed his pending visit to Pyongyang with Pompeo; the Russian ministry said the two diplomats "exchanged views on several aspects of the joint agenda," citing the Syrian crisis and Ukraine.

Thursday morning, Pompeo said in a tweet that the on-again, off-again summit would bring North Korea "a great opportunity to achieve security and economic prosperity."...

The disparity in quality of life between North and South Korea must end. I think Kim Jong Un is better prepared to make decisions than perhaps his father did not find available to him.

This is how it happened before:

1985 (click here)
December 12, 1985: North Korea accedes to the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) but does not complete a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Under Article III of the NPT, North Korea has 18 months to conclude such an arrangement. In coming years, North Korea links adherence to this provision of the treaty to the withdrawal of U.S. nuclear weapons from South Korea.

1991
September 27, 1991: President George Bush announces the unilateral withdrawal of all naval and land-based tactical nuclear weapons deployed abroad. Approximately 100 U.S. nuclear weapons had been based in South Korea. Eight days later, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev reciprocates.

November 8, 1991: In response to President Bush’s unilateral move, President Roh Tae Woo of South Korea announces the Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, under which South Korea promises not to produce, possess, store, deploy, or use nuclear weapons. In addition, the declaration unilaterally prohibits South Korea from possessing nuclear reprocessing or uranium enrichment facilities. These promises, if enacted, would satisfy all of North Korea’s conditions for allowing IAEA inspections of its nuclear facilities....

Kim Jong Un has stated several times in public that he wants the region denuclearized. I think this is what he is referring to. If North Korea is on the same page with other countries to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, there is precedent for it and it worked for as long as North Korea did not use it's nuclear capacity.

I do not want to see any see-saw effect due to USA's political propaganda. I think that is a sincere issue when moving forward with agreements to denuclearize. Any political rhetoric has to end and the USA needs to be a full partner and willing to proceed with verifiable denuclearization by the IAEA.

The USA has a very bad history in trusting the IAEA. That needs a diplomat all by itself. There have been too many times when the USA has entered into agreements, then invoked independent sanctions without any support from allies. South Korea is an important ally, but, it needs to be included when decisions regarding sanctions and/or ending agreements are invoked. South Korea has more vested interest in a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. The value it places of agreements has to be respected. In the new agreements with Kim Jong Un, the USA has to be a partner to South Korea and not it's overlord.