American business managers and executives offer skills and perspectives often missing in the federal government. However, many are discouraged from serving because they are forewarned they will face a dishonest political establishment and unprincipled media intent on destroying their reputation.
Respected, successful business women and men nominated for cabinet positions are subjected to venal nitpicking, loathsome character assassinations and the demonization of their former employers. That is their reward for having the audacity to volunteer to serve in Washington.
Democratic Party senators are the most notorious practitioners of the politics of personal destruction. Armed with unsubstantiated dossiers, they bully any business leader put forward as a cabinet nominee. Exhibit A is the hectoring of Steven Mnuchin, the nominee for Treasury secretary.
From the opening of the ongoing Senate hearings, it was clear Democrats had two problems with Mnuchin. First, he is a multi-millionaire. Democrats loath wealthy business leaders, unless they are donors to their party. Affluent Democrats are compassionate, while rich Republicans are greedy.
Secondly, Mnuchin had the misfortune of having careers in banking and hedge funds. Ever since the financial collapse, Democrats have smeared anyone connected with Wall Street. Yet the party collects millions in political donations from these Manhattan aristocrats. Talk about hypocrisy.
During the hearings last week, Democrats pounced on what they considered an egregious example of the Treasury nominee's predatory business practices. The charge involved a company called OneWest, which was a sub-prime mortgage lender once operated by Mnuchin.
Democrats attacked Mnuchin over the foreclosure on a Lakeland, Florida, homeowner who made a 27-cent payment error. The incident was even more inflammatory because the homeowner was a 90-year old woman with a reverse mortgage.
Obviously, Democrats had tipped off the media in advance of the hearing. Reporting on the alleged foreclosure was dripping with indignation. "Bank Owned By Trump's Top Treasury Pick Foreclosed On A 90-year-Old Over 27-Cents," screamed headlines on The Huffington Post.
The charge was repeated in numerous media, including CBS, CNN, the New York Daily News, Vanity Fair, Yahoo News and many others. Mnuchin's former firm was branded the 'foreclosure machine.' The nominee was chided for being 'ethically challenged', 'shady' and 'the ultimate Wall Street insider.'
The mud-slinging soiled Mnuchin's once pristine business image, while ruining his reputation and irreparably damaging his character.
However, facts have now surfaced, exposing the Democrats' intentional use of false information to cripple the nominee's chances for confirmation. It turns out Mnuchin had nothing to do with the foreclosure on the elderly homeowner. He had sold his stake in OneWest at the time of the incident.
An investigation shows that OneWest did file for foreclosure in November, 2014, but dropped the matter once it discovered the homeowner had bungled the paperwork. Lost in all the fake news about the incident was the fact that OneWest had worked behind the scenes to help the homeowner.
In 2011, the mortgage firm found the homeowner was deficient in coverage for hazard insurance. OneWest advanced the woman a $1,883.30 line of credit to maintain coverage and satisfy the loan covenant. The elderly homeowner eventually paid off the loan, but only after four years.
After the clarification, there were no apologies from the media or Democrats, even after Mnuchin told Senators his bank had extended over 100,000 loan modifications to borrowers who had fallen behind on their payments. They were not interested in the truth. They wanted a scalp.
The experience of the Treasury nominee is a cautionary tale for any business leader who might be mulling a cabinet position. You must be willing to sacrifice your good name on the altar of crass political partisanship. That explains why many well-intentioned women and men demur.
The American people are the losers in this shoddy political gamesmanship. Their government is robbed of the leadership and managerial skills business people have to offer. In Washington, the insiders prefer academicians, cronies and political hacks who will do their bidding.
Monday, January 30, 2017
Monday, January 23, 2017
Media and Democrats Buck Inaugural History
In the run up to the inauguration, the nation's legacy media unleashed a torrent of choreographed reporting designed to undermine the new administration before its first official day in office. The goal was to fuel public hysteria, impugn the new president's reputation and invalidate the election.
The propaganda campaign, orchestrated by the Democratic Party, opened with the narrative that the Russians had hacked the election. The intended inference was Vladimir Putin directed an operation to change votes and corrupt voting machines in order to help Donald Trump win.
Of course, it was fake news. The only credible charge was that the Russians hacked into the the Democratic National Committee's server, a far cry from stealing an election. Whatever the Russians did, it had nothing to do with the drubbing of Hillary Clinton in the presidential contest.
On the heels of this canard, the media leaked a scurrilous report about a dossier on Mr. Trump secretly compiled by the Russians. Virtually every aspect of the baseless story was discredited, but that didn't stop the media cabal from recycling the bogus report for a week.
Days before the swearing in ceremony, the media dredged up polls showing that Donald Trump's public approval rating had dipped to 40 percent. These polls, like those trumpeted during the election, were rigged to produce a desired outcome.
Rasmussen Reports, a Democratic polling organization, released its own data that found 52 percent of those surveyed had a positive opinion of the new president. The difference was Rasmussen polled likely voters, rather than skewing the results by selecting only certain demographics.
Some Hollywood urchins seized on the manipulated polling data to suggest this was grounds to negate the election results and cancel the inauguration. Democracy be damned. It was a display of mind-numbing ignorance, malicious arrogance and petty disregard for the American electorate.
The relentless media blitzkrieg featured daily updates on which entertainer had snubbed the inaugural, a litany designed to bully pro-Trump performers. Then one-by-one petulant Democrats began announcing they would boycott the installation of the 45th president of the United States.
Even after it was announced that Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton would be on the platform with Mr. Trump, they refused to budge. Ms. Clinton deserves special praise, as does 92-year former president Jimmy Carter, for ignoring the dark voices of partisan hatred.
The classless display by the absent Democrats treated Americans to an ugly spectacle unlike any in our nation's proud history. The peaceful transfer of power, symbolized every four years by the inauguration, was mocked and dishonored. Yet these malcontents saw themselves as principled.
Any American with a grain of knowledge about history understands the inauguration is not about the incoming president. It is a unique symbol of how a democracy seamlessly shifts power after a presidential election often marked by contention and partisanship. It is a unifying moment.
Since George Washington took the oath of office in 1789, it has been a sacred tradition for Americans to celebrate the inauguration, regardless of party affiliation or circumstances surrounding the election. No exceptions. But this time the losers wanted revenge at any cost for voters' rejection of their party.
For this historian, it is a reminder of the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. Lincoln won a scant 40 percent of the popular vote, but waltzed to victory in the Electoral College by carrying the large Northern states. That sparked cries of foul from his three defeated opponents.
Within a month of the election, South Carolina seceded from the union. Six more states thumbed their noses at Lincoln and struck out on their own before the new president's inauguration. The nation was in turmoil. Under this cloud, Lincoln took the oath of office on March 4, 1861.
Even his arrival in the nation's capitol was cloaked in murkiness. Amid rumors of an assassination plot, Lincoln boarded a special train and was spirited off in the middle of the night. Fear gripped his entourage and he was guarded by a cadre of soldiers.
Although current historians consider Lincoln's first inaugural speech a stunning masterpiece, it was greeted with contempt in his day. The Charleston Mercury excoriated the address, calling it insolent and brutal. The newspaper attacked the new government as a "mobocratic empire."
Likewise, the media characterized Mr. Trump's inauguration address as a "dark" speech, despite its vision of better days ahead for America. His speech was a manifesto for returning government to the people, a populist theme that frightens the entrenched political establishment, including the media.
Mr. Trump's supporters can take heart in what happened after Lincoln's inauspicious start. His legacy grew and today he is generally acknowledged as one of America's greatest presidents. Presidents are ultimately measured by what they achieve, not by the scandalous attacks of the media and partisans.
The tone for the next four years has been set by the rancorous inauguration theatrics. Democrats and their lapdog media, both stung by their loss of power, have made a pact to do whatever it takes to undermine the presidency of Donald J. Trump.
They don't give a damn if in the process their antics destroy America.
The propaganda campaign, orchestrated by the Democratic Party, opened with the narrative that the Russians had hacked the election. The intended inference was Vladimir Putin directed an operation to change votes and corrupt voting machines in order to help Donald Trump win.
Of course, it was fake news. The only credible charge was that the Russians hacked into the the Democratic National Committee's server, a far cry from stealing an election. Whatever the Russians did, it had nothing to do with the drubbing of Hillary Clinton in the presidential contest.
On the heels of this canard, the media leaked a scurrilous report about a dossier on Mr. Trump secretly compiled by the Russians. Virtually every aspect of the baseless story was discredited, but that didn't stop the media cabal from recycling the bogus report for a week.
Days before the swearing in ceremony, the media dredged up polls showing that Donald Trump's public approval rating had dipped to 40 percent. These polls, like those trumpeted during the election, were rigged to produce a desired outcome.
Rasmussen Reports, a Democratic polling organization, released its own data that found 52 percent of those surveyed had a positive opinion of the new president. The difference was Rasmussen polled likely voters, rather than skewing the results by selecting only certain demographics.
Some Hollywood urchins seized on the manipulated polling data to suggest this was grounds to negate the election results and cancel the inauguration. Democracy be damned. It was a display of mind-numbing ignorance, malicious arrogance and petty disregard for the American electorate.
The relentless media blitzkrieg featured daily updates on which entertainer had snubbed the inaugural, a litany designed to bully pro-Trump performers. Then one-by-one petulant Democrats began announcing they would boycott the installation of the 45th president of the United States.
Even after it was announced that Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton would be on the platform with Mr. Trump, they refused to budge. Ms. Clinton deserves special praise, as does 92-year former president Jimmy Carter, for ignoring the dark voices of partisan hatred.
The classless display by the absent Democrats treated Americans to an ugly spectacle unlike any in our nation's proud history. The peaceful transfer of power, symbolized every four years by the inauguration, was mocked and dishonored. Yet these malcontents saw themselves as principled.
Any American with a grain of knowledge about history understands the inauguration is not about the incoming president. It is a unique symbol of how a democracy seamlessly shifts power after a presidential election often marked by contention and partisanship. It is a unifying moment.
Since George Washington took the oath of office in 1789, it has been a sacred tradition for Americans to celebrate the inauguration, regardless of party affiliation or circumstances surrounding the election. No exceptions. But this time the losers wanted revenge at any cost for voters' rejection of their party.
For this historian, it is a reminder of the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. Lincoln won a scant 40 percent of the popular vote, but waltzed to victory in the Electoral College by carrying the large Northern states. That sparked cries of foul from his three defeated opponents.
Within a month of the election, South Carolina seceded from the union. Six more states thumbed their noses at Lincoln and struck out on their own before the new president's inauguration. The nation was in turmoil. Under this cloud, Lincoln took the oath of office on March 4, 1861.
Even his arrival in the nation's capitol was cloaked in murkiness. Amid rumors of an assassination plot, Lincoln boarded a special train and was spirited off in the middle of the night. Fear gripped his entourage and he was guarded by a cadre of soldiers.
Although current historians consider Lincoln's first inaugural speech a stunning masterpiece, it was greeted with contempt in his day. The Charleston Mercury excoriated the address, calling it insolent and brutal. The newspaper attacked the new government as a "mobocratic empire."
Likewise, the media characterized Mr. Trump's inauguration address as a "dark" speech, despite its vision of better days ahead for America. His speech was a manifesto for returning government to the people, a populist theme that frightens the entrenched political establishment, including the media.
Mr. Trump's supporters can take heart in what happened after Lincoln's inauspicious start. His legacy grew and today he is generally acknowledged as one of America's greatest presidents. Presidents are ultimately measured by what they achieve, not by the scandalous attacks of the media and partisans.
The tone for the next four years has been set by the rancorous inauguration theatrics. Democrats and their lapdog media, both stung by their loss of power, have made a pact to do whatever it takes to undermine the presidency of Donald J. Trump.
They don't give a damn if in the process their antics destroy America.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Obama's Legacy: Lost Opportunity
For a man who spent the last eight years fretting about his legacy, President Obama leaves office with a lackluster list of achievements that will tarnish his carefully nurtured image. Even his crowning glory, the passage of the onerous health care reform bill, is in imminent danger of extinction.
In his long goodbye, the president has taken to the airwaves and the stump to pat himself on the back for economic recovery, climate change progress, improved foreign alliances, a nuclear deal with Iran and normalization of relations with Cuba. He even brags about a scandal-free administration.
The president must reside in some alternative universe.
The facts show the U.S. economy has suffered through eight years of anemic growth. Terrorism has spiked at home and around the world. Big city crime is soaring. Fewer percentage of people are in the workforce than at any time in recent history. More people are living below the poverty line.
The rest of the world is a boiling cauldron of unrest. Syria is killing hundreds of thousands of its citizens. Iran is seeding its brand of terror across the Middle East. Russia annexed part of Ukraine while the world sat on its hands. Terrorists attacks are the subject of daily headlines in Europe.
Apparently, the president also has a short memory. His administration oversaw the biggest scandal in history when the Internal Revenue Service was used to throttle conservative organizations. This egregious abuse of power went unpunished and largely ignored.
He departs the White House with a closet stacked with other skeletons. The Justice Department secretly obtained phone records of journalists. The administration falsely blamed a video for the attack on a U.S. Embassy in Benghazi. The ATF supplied weapons to Mexican drug lords.
It makes you wonder about the president's definition of scandal.
But none of the aforementioned tops his most glaring failure. Barrack Obama, the first African-American elected president, had an opportunity to write a new chapter in race relations. He was the face of what was possible for every child of color in the United States.
Instead, the president wasted his good fortune. His first foray into race relations set the tone for his tenure. In 2009, he railed that police 'acted stupidly' in arresting a Harvard University black professor at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He spoke before all the facts were known.
Mr. Obama tried to smooth over the incident by hosting a beer summit with the local police officer and the educator after an investigation proved law enforcement people acted reasonably. This was to become a pattern throughout his eight years in the Oval Office.
He weighed in on the Trevon Martin shooting before the investigation was complete. He blasted police in Ferguson, Missouri, over the shooting of a black man. Mr. Obama lectured Americans on the legitimacy of the Black Lives Matter movement after the slaughter of five Dallas cops.
The president never let the facts stand in the way of jumping to conclusions about police brutality. As a result, 2016 saw a dramatic uptick in police shootings. Perhaps, it is unfair to blame the president, but his incendiary rhetoric inflamed negative attitudes in the black community about the police.
During his presidency, the plight of African-Americans did not improve. Black homicides rose. African-American unemployment eclipsed all other ethnic groups. Blacks have the highest rate of poverty. High school drop out rates among blacks remain higher than whites.
A poll last year conducted by Pew Research Center found deep racial divisions in the country. Nearly nine in ten blacks says the country needs to do more to help their race obtain equal rights. Only eight percent think the country has achieved racial equality.
Mr. Obama's election as president was historic. It should have been the tipping point for charting a new course for improved relations among the races. The president choose instead to further divide the country and pit one group against the other.
An opportunity like this may never come again. It is a sad postscript to a presidency that began with such high expectations and ended with lost opportunities for elevating the race discussion in America.
In his long goodbye, the president has taken to the airwaves and the stump to pat himself on the back for economic recovery, climate change progress, improved foreign alliances, a nuclear deal with Iran and normalization of relations with Cuba. He even brags about a scandal-free administration.
The president must reside in some alternative universe.
The facts show the U.S. economy has suffered through eight years of anemic growth. Terrorism has spiked at home and around the world. Big city crime is soaring. Fewer percentage of people are in the workforce than at any time in recent history. More people are living below the poverty line.
The rest of the world is a boiling cauldron of unrest. Syria is killing hundreds of thousands of its citizens. Iran is seeding its brand of terror across the Middle East. Russia annexed part of Ukraine while the world sat on its hands. Terrorists attacks are the subject of daily headlines in Europe.
Apparently, the president also has a short memory. His administration oversaw the biggest scandal in history when the Internal Revenue Service was used to throttle conservative organizations. This egregious abuse of power went unpunished and largely ignored.
He departs the White House with a closet stacked with other skeletons. The Justice Department secretly obtained phone records of journalists. The administration falsely blamed a video for the attack on a U.S. Embassy in Benghazi. The ATF supplied weapons to Mexican drug lords.
It makes you wonder about the president's definition of scandal.
But none of the aforementioned tops his most glaring failure. Barrack Obama, the first African-American elected president, had an opportunity to write a new chapter in race relations. He was the face of what was possible for every child of color in the United States.
Instead, the president wasted his good fortune. His first foray into race relations set the tone for his tenure. In 2009, he railed that police 'acted stupidly' in arresting a Harvard University black professor at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He spoke before all the facts were known.
Mr. Obama tried to smooth over the incident by hosting a beer summit with the local police officer and the educator after an investigation proved law enforcement people acted reasonably. This was to become a pattern throughout his eight years in the Oval Office.
He weighed in on the Trevon Martin shooting before the investigation was complete. He blasted police in Ferguson, Missouri, over the shooting of a black man. Mr. Obama lectured Americans on the legitimacy of the Black Lives Matter movement after the slaughter of five Dallas cops.
The president never let the facts stand in the way of jumping to conclusions about police brutality. As a result, 2016 saw a dramatic uptick in police shootings. Perhaps, it is unfair to blame the president, but his incendiary rhetoric inflamed negative attitudes in the black community about the police.
During his presidency, the plight of African-Americans did not improve. Black homicides rose. African-American unemployment eclipsed all other ethnic groups. Blacks have the highest rate of poverty. High school drop out rates among blacks remain higher than whites.
A poll last year conducted by Pew Research Center found deep racial divisions in the country. Nearly nine in ten blacks says the country needs to do more to help their race obtain equal rights. Only eight percent think the country has achieved racial equality.
Mr. Obama's election as president was historic. It should have been the tipping point for charting a new course for improved relations among the races. The president choose instead to further divide the country and pit one group against the other.
An opportunity like this may never come again. It is a sad postscript to a presidency that began with such high expectations and ended with lost opportunities for elevating the race discussion in America.
Monday, January 9, 2017
Self-Driving Cars: No Longer Science Fiction
Self-driving cars, piloted by computers and guided by GPS, were once considered a gee-whiz phenomenon with limited practical usage. There were too many safety concerns for autonomous driving to ever be sanctioned. Those issues are receding, paving the way for automated cars.
That represents a dramatic shift from just three years ago when the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) urged states to ban driverless-cars from their roads. The agency has since softened its stance and test trials are underway today in four states and the District of Columbia.
Today the move toward autonomous driving vehicles seems irreversible. Ford's CEO Mark Fields predicted last year that his company planned to offer fully self-driving automobiles by 2021. The vehicles will be manufactured without a steering wheel or pedals.
Other car makers are joining the stampede to debut self-driving cars and light vehicles. Toyota, BMW, General Motors, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and, of course, all-electric car manufacturer Tesla have announced plans to produce and market vehicles which require no human involvement.
Not only traditional car manufacturers have answered the clarion call for automated driving. Tech titians Google and Apple are busy designing autos that are basically a computer on wheels. Many believe these new entrants may have a decided technological advantage over traditional car makers.
With this much momentum, there is no longer any doubt that the future of human travel is self-driving vehicles. Safety concerns remain and not all the tests have gone flawlessly. However, the math is squarely on the side of removing humans from the driving equation.
First and foremost, more than 38,000 people die annually in road crashes. An additional 2.35 million are injured and disabled. Highway and road accidents cost the United States $230.6 billion per year, according to the Association for Safe International Road Travel.
Even if there are crashes involving driverless cars, the worst case scenarios forecast a precipitous drop in fatalities. Almost all the accidents on American roads are caused by human error, safety experts agree. Distracted driving has become an epidemic, thanks to technology and cell phones.
Beyond safety, there are other numbers that argue for a future without human driven vehicles. Government and industry figures show the numbers of elderly and disabled are rising each year. Many get behind the wheel of a vehicle every day, endangering themselves and others.
Licensed drivers over the age of 65 have increased by 20 percent in the last decade. And their numbers are growing. By the year 2030, 70 million Americans will be over the age of 65 and the majority will be driving, reports the American Automobile Association (AAA).
Beginning at age 75, drivers are increasingly involved in fatal crashes. They are 17-times more likely to die in auto accidents than 25-to-64-year-olds, the AAA reports. These statistics often are cited by care givers and adult children to force seniors to give up their cars and their independence.
Disabled drivers face the same hazards as the elderly. There are about 57 million disabled people living in the United States, according to the latest U.S. Census. Most report difficulty seeing, hearing and engaging their legs and arms. Yet many still drive, thanks to laws that bar discrimination.
Wouldn't the roads be safer and people more empowered if the elderly and disabled could maintain their independence and still travel in cars? The answer is a resounding, "Yes." Some worry that the result may be more cars on the nation's already cramped highways and streets.
Currently, the Bureau of Transportation counts 254 million passenger and light vehicles registered in the country. But one of the advantages of autonomous driven cars is that the vehicles can navigate more efficiently through traffic than those operated by humans, decreasing bottlenecks.
Some forecasters predict the advent of driverless cars will actually reduce personal automobile ownership. People will opt to use driverless services providers, such as Uber and Lyft, because the costs will be less than owning, insuring, parking, maintaining and fueling your own automobile.
Think about it. Your grandchildren may never own or drive a car.
No doubt that today's driverless cars are not quite ready for prime time. There are still issues with technology that allows cars to constantly send and receive wireless signals from other vehicles. But enough money and effort is being invested by large companies to overcome these obstacles.
There is a revolution over the horizon that will disrupt the automobile industry and change the nature of car ownership. This development will usher in the most significant transformation of transportation since the invention of the automobile.
That represents a dramatic shift from just three years ago when the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) urged states to ban driverless-cars from their roads. The agency has since softened its stance and test trials are underway today in four states and the District of Columbia.
Today the move toward autonomous driving vehicles seems irreversible. Ford's CEO Mark Fields predicted last year that his company planned to offer fully self-driving automobiles by 2021. The vehicles will be manufactured without a steering wheel or pedals.
Other car makers are joining the stampede to debut self-driving cars and light vehicles. Toyota, BMW, General Motors, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and, of course, all-electric car manufacturer Tesla have announced plans to produce and market vehicles which require no human involvement.
Not only traditional car manufacturers have answered the clarion call for automated driving. Tech titians Google and Apple are busy designing autos that are basically a computer on wheels. Many believe these new entrants may have a decided technological advantage over traditional car makers.
With this much momentum, there is no longer any doubt that the future of human travel is self-driving vehicles. Safety concerns remain and not all the tests have gone flawlessly. However, the math is squarely on the side of removing humans from the driving equation.
First and foremost, more than 38,000 people die annually in road crashes. An additional 2.35 million are injured and disabled. Highway and road accidents cost the United States $230.6 billion per year, according to the Association for Safe International Road Travel.
Even if there are crashes involving driverless cars, the worst case scenarios forecast a precipitous drop in fatalities. Almost all the accidents on American roads are caused by human error, safety experts agree. Distracted driving has become an epidemic, thanks to technology and cell phones.
Beyond safety, there are other numbers that argue for a future without human driven vehicles. Government and industry figures show the numbers of elderly and disabled are rising each year. Many get behind the wheel of a vehicle every day, endangering themselves and others.
Licensed drivers over the age of 65 have increased by 20 percent in the last decade. And their numbers are growing. By the year 2030, 70 million Americans will be over the age of 65 and the majority will be driving, reports the American Automobile Association (AAA).
Beginning at age 75, drivers are increasingly involved in fatal crashes. They are 17-times more likely to die in auto accidents than 25-to-64-year-olds, the AAA reports. These statistics often are cited by care givers and adult children to force seniors to give up their cars and their independence.
Disabled drivers face the same hazards as the elderly. There are about 57 million disabled people living in the United States, according to the latest U.S. Census. Most report difficulty seeing, hearing and engaging their legs and arms. Yet many still drive, thanks to laws that bar discrimination.
Wouldn't the roads be safer and people more empowered if the elderly and disabled could maintain their independence and still travel in cars? The answer is a resounding, "Yes." Some worry that the result may be more cars on the nation's already cramped highways and streets.
Currently, the Bureau of Transportation counts 254 million passenger and light vehicles registered in the country. But one of the advantages of autonomous driven cars is that the vehicles can navigate more efficiently through traffic than those operated by humans, decreasing bottlenecks.
Some forecasters predict the advent of driverless cars will actually reduce personal automobile ownership. People will opt to use driverless services providers, such as Uber and Lyft, because the costs will be less than owning, insuring, parking, maintaining and fueling your own automobile.
Think about it. Your grandchildren may never own or drive a car.
No doubt that today's driverless cars are not quite ready for prime time. There are still issues with technology that allows cars to constantly send and receive wireless signals from other vehicles. But enough money and effort is being invested by large companies to overcome these obstacles.
There is a revolution over the horizon that will disrupt the automobile industry and change the nature of car ownership. This development will usher in the most significant transformation of transportation since the invention of the automobile.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Top Ten Predictions For 2017
An English prophetess with a shadowy past is an appropriate patron saint for modern day soothsayers. This sorcerer was known as Mother Shipton, although that wasn't her real name, and her prophecies were appallingly inaccurate or otherwise discredited.
Born about 1488 as Ursula Southell, this medieval prognosticator was credited with writing a pamphlet that predicted the Great London Fire. However, critics claim her manuscript refers to another catastrophe: the lack of liquor in downtown London.
Apparently, Mother Shipton confused the destructive inferno of burning buildings with fire water (alcohol). It can happen to the best of oracles. With that in mind, your scribe offers these predictions for 2017:
The Dow Jones Average flirts with 21,000 in the second quarter before dipping below 20,000 and rallying in the final quarter to end the year at 20,887. Rising interest rates, weak top-line growth at major companies and an unsettled global economy tamp down enthusiasm for a break-out market.
After eight years of no uptick in interest rates, the Federal Reserve finally emerges from its cocoon and announces two increases in 2017 as the economy improves. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen comes under attack from Republicans, who accuse her of playing politics by failing to tinker with rates during the Obama presidency.
A year after the United Kingdom's vote to exit the European Union, the nation's politicians continue to slow-walk negotiations with their continent partners before announcing plans to hold another election on the issue. The decision ignites protests across England and the current prime minister is forced to stand for election.
On-board intelligent voice control becomes the new must-have feature in automobiles, replacing today's add-on systems. Ford becomes the first auto maker to introduce features in its cars that allow the driver to do everything from lower windows, set the cruise control and initiate turn signals using voice commands.
A disgruntled FBI agent releases documents showing the investigation of Hillary Clinton's email server was compromised by interference from the Obama Department of Justice. The revelation sparks calls for reopening the probe, but recalcitrant Republicans urge the new Attorney General to drop the matter.
America's economy as measured by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) finishes the year at 2.9 percent growth, the highest in eight years. The economic comeback is spurred by the growth in small businesses, particularly those in the Internet economy.
President Trump butts heads with Republicans over his signature issue of immigration reform, prompting some in the House of Representatives to call for the ouster of House Speaker Paul Ryan. The contentious issue involves how to deal with illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States.
After eight years of hailing the nation's financial recovery, the mainstream media suddenly unleashes stories about the lousy state of job growth in the United States, blaming President Trump for being too distracted by plans to build a wall on the southern border. The media will point to statistics about the falling Labor Participation rate and the anemic increase in job creation.
A major cyber attack on the White House communications system rattles the nation, finally raising a red flag about the failure of the country to harden its IT infrastructure against malicious hackers. Initially, intelligence community officials point to Russia, but the culprit turns out to be a cyber gang operating in Iran.
Eighty-three-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, becomes seriously ill but refuses to resign. After months of speculation, she dies in office, leaving two vacancies for the new president to fill during his first term. With the naming of two justices, President Trump stamps the court with his own brand of judicial temperament.
Like Mother Shipton's visions, these predictions may also wind up being derided by historians with the hindsight of time. But at least for today, the forecasts have not proven to be inaccurate, something the good mother could appreciate if she were still around.
Born about 1488 as Ursula Southell, this medieval prognosticator was credited with writing a pamphlet that predicted the Great London Fire. However, critics claim her manuscript refers to another catastrophe: the lack of liquor in downtown London.
Apparently, Mother Shipton confused the destructive inferno of burning buildings with fire water (alcohol). It can happen to the best of oracles. With that in mind, your scribe offers these predictions for 2017:
The Dow Jones Average flirts with 21,000 in the second quarter before dipping below 20,000 and rallying in the final quarter to end the year at 20,887. Rising interest rates, weak top-line growth at major companies and an unsettled global economy tamp down enthusiasm for a break-out market.
After eight years of no uptick in interest rates, the Federal Reserve finally emerges from its cocoon and announces two increases in 2017 as the economy improves. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen comes under attack from Republicans, who accuse her of playing politics by failing to tinker with rates during the Obama presidency.
A year after the United Kingdom's vote to exit the European Union, the nation's politicians continue to slow-walk negotiations with their continent partners before announcing plans to hold another election on the issue. The decision ignites protests across England and the current prime minister is forced to stand for election.
On-board intelligent voice control becomes the new must-have feature in automobiles, replacing today's add-on systems. Ford becomes the first auto maker to introduce features in its cars that allow the driver to do everything from lower windows, set the cruise control and initiate turn signals using voice commands.
A disgruntled FBI agent releases documents showing the investigation of Hillary Clinton's email server was compromised by interference from the Obama Department of Justice. The revelation sparks calls for reopening the probe, but recalcitrant Republicans urge the new Attorney General to drop the matter.
America's economy as measured by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) finishes the year at 2.9 percent growth, the highest in eight years. The economic comeback is spurred by the growth in small businesses, particularly those in the Internet economy.
President Trump butts heads with Republicans over his signature issue of immigration reform, prompting some in the House of Representatives to call for the ouster of House Speaker Paul Ryan. The contentious issue involves how to deal with illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States.
After eight years of hailing the nation's financial recovery, the mainstream media suddenly unleashes stories about the lousy state of job growth in the United States, blaming President Trump for being too distracted by plans to build a wall on the southern border. The media will point to statistics about the falling Labor Participation rate and the anemic increase in job creation.
A major cyber attack on the White House communications system rattles the nation, finally raising a red flag about the failure of the country to harden its IT infrastructure against malicious hackers. Initially, intelligence community officials point to Russia, but the culprit turns out to be a cyber gang operating in Iran.
Eighty-three-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, becomes seriously ill but refuses to resign. After months of speculation, she dies in office, leaving two vacancies for the new president to fill during his first term. With the naming of two justices, President Trump stamps the court with his own brand of judicial temperament.
Like Mother Shipton's visions, these predictions may also wind up being derided by historians with the hindsight of time. But at least for today, the forecasts have not proven to be inaccurate, something the good mother could appreciate if she were still around.
Monday, December 19, 2016
Fake News: Santa's Shocking Revelation
At a hastily called news conference at the newly built North Pole Tower, the world's most talked about person (not named Vladimir Putin) revealed that he intervened in the presidential election. Santa Claus make the shocking admission after weeks of speculation the Russians were involved.
"I decided to come clean," a repentant Claus disclosed to reporters. "Russians get blamed for everything these days. It would have been easy for me to remain silent, but that kind of behavior would wind up putting me on my own naughty list."
With a teary-eyed Mrs. Claus standing at his side, the jolly red-suited spirit of Christmas said he had spoken to the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey. Contacted by email, the FBI director said no charges would be filed against Mr. Claus.
"We call it the "Hillary Clinton Rule," Comey wrote. "Clearly, what Mr. Claus did was a violation of election laws, but he just wanted to have a little fun with the presidential outcome. He was careless but his intent was not malicious."
Pressed to explain how he tampered with the election, Santa unleashed a laugh that make his ample belly shake like a bowl of jello. "It was really easy," the corpulent man admitted. "I sent elves to every voting precinct in America. No one would turn away an elf, even without a voter ID."
According to Santa, the elves waited until after all the votes were cast, then snuck into the building and jiggered with the electronic machines. "You know elves are very mechanical; they were able to change the results with just a screw driver and a hammer."
To distract the poll watchers and election officials, Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer pranced outside each precinct. "Everyone stopped what they were doing and went outdoors to watch that darn blinking red nose," Santa said with a grin. "That gave the elves just enough time to switch the votes."
While Rudolf put on a show, the other reindeer marched with signs that warned the Russians were planning to steal the election. A sampling of the signage: "Put a Putin Puppet In the White House;" "Vladimir Doesn't Dig Chicks In Pantsuits;" and, "The KGB Loves Free Elections."
"It was all a diversionary tactic," Santa explained. "The clever spooks at the NSA deciphered the signs and came to the conclusion that the Russians were planning a malicious campaign to decide the outcome of the American presidential election."
Santa expressed surprise that America's intelligence community fell for the ruse of a Russian election sabotage. "Even President Obama ordered an investigation," Santa said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I wonder if Hillary Clinton had won, would there have been a probe?"
Under pressure from the White House, Santa was forced to delete Mr. Putin from the "nice list" this year. "That was cruel," Santa complained. "Last year, I gave him Ukraine for Christmas. He was so appreciative. This year he wanted Eastern Europe. It would have been huge."
Santa found a kernel of good cheer in the episode. "The little mischief I concocted had all the media reporting fake news about Russian intervention in our election. Even The New York Times and The Washington Post took the bait. Of course today, the news is mostly fantasy just like me."
On a serious note, Santa said the election outcome had left Ms. Claus in a serious funk. "She was a big Hillary supporter," Santa told reporters. "She hasn't slept in our bed since election night. I think she is suffering from elect-tile dysfunction. She has even threatened to move to the South Pole."
As reporters filed out of the media conference, Santa returned to the podium in a flash and bellowed into the microphone: "Merry Christmas everyone! And don't forget to leave a plate of gluten-free cookies by the fireplace this year."
"I decided to come clean," a repentant Claus disclosed to reporters. "Russians get blamed for everything these days. It would have been easy for me to remain silent, but that kind of behavior would wind up putting me on my own naughty list."
With a teary-eyed Mrs. Claus standing at his side, the jolly red-suited spirit of Christmas said he had spoken to the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey. Contacted by email, the FBI director said no charges would be filed against Mr. Claus.
"We call it the "Hillary Clinton Rule," Comey wrote. "Clearly, what Mr. Claus did was a violation of election laws, but he just wanted to have a little fun with the presidential outcome. He was careless but his intent was not malicious."
Pressed to explain how he tampered with the election, Santa unleashed a laugh that make his ample belly shake like a bowl of jello. "It was really easy," the corpulent man admitted. "I sent elves to every voting precinct in America. No one would turn away an elf, even without a voter ID."
According to Santa, the elves waited until after all the votes were cast, then snuck into the building and jiggered with the electronic machines. "You know elves are very mechanical; they were able to change the results with just a screw driver and a hammer."
To distract the poll watchers and election officials, Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer pranced outside each precinct. "Everyone stopped what they were doing and went outdoors to watch that darn blinking red nose," Santa said with a grin. "That gave the elves just enough time to switch the votes."
While Rudolf put on a show, the other reindeer marched with signs that warned the Russians were planning to steal the election. A sampling of the signage: "Put a Putin Puppet In the White House;" "Vladimir Doesn't Dig Chicks In Pantsuits;" and, "The KGB Loves Free Elections."
"It was all a diversionary tactic," Santa explained. "The clever spooks at the NSA deciphered the signs and came to the conclusion that the Russians were planning a malicious campaign to decide the outcome of the American presidential election."
Santa expressed surprise that America's intelligence community fell for the ruse of a Russian election sabotage. "Even President Obama ordered an investigation," Santa said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I wonder if Hillary Clinton had won, would there have been a probe?"
Under pressure from the White House, Santa was forced to delete Mr. Putin from the "nice list" this year. "That was cruel," Santa complained. "Last year, I gave him Ukraine for Christmas. He was so appreciative. This year he wanted Eastern Europe. It would have been huge."
Santa found a kernel of good cheer in the episode. "The little mischief I concocted had all the media reporting fake news about Russian intervention in our election. Even The New York Times and The Washington Post took the bait. Of course today, the news is mostly fantasy just like me."
On a serious note, Santa said the election outcome had left Ms. Claus in a serious funk. "She was a big Hillary supporter," Santa told reporters. "She hasn't slept in our bed since election night. I think she is suffering from elect-tile dysfunction. She has even threatened to move to the South Pole."
As reporters filed out of the media conference, Santa returned to the podium in a flash and bellowed into the microphone: "Merry Christmas everyone! And don't forget to leave a plate of gluten-free cookies by the fireplace this year."
Monday, December 12, 2016
America's Addiction to Pain Killers
More Americans die from overdoses of pain killers than are killed in auto accidents or murdered by guns. While lawmakers and activists are demanding action to reduce the carnage on the highways and on the streets, there is little outcry to deal with the rampant rise in opioid-related deaths.
There has been scant media coverage of the escalation of both the legal and illegal opioid use by Americans. The number of legal prescriptions for opioids has skyrocketed from 76 million in 1991 to nearly 207 million in 2013, according to Congressional testimony.
Opioids are a class of drugs that include well-known prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine and fentanyl. You might recognize the drug brand names: Vicodin, OxyContin and Percocet. The illicit drug heroin is also an opioid.
These drugs work on the nerve cells in the brain and nervous system to produce euphoric effects and to relieve pain. When used properly, opioids help the more than 100 million people in the United States who suffer from chronic pain.
Despite the legitimate uses, opioids are often diverted for non-medical uses by patients or their friends. In many cases, the drugs are sold on the street. It has been estimated that non-medical use of opioid pain relievers costs insurance companies up to $72.5 billion annually.
In 2012, more than five percent of the U.S. population over the age of 12 used an opioid pain reliever for non-medical purposes. "The public health consequences of opioid pain reliever use are broad and disturbing," testified Dr. Nora D. Volkow, M.D., to a Senate caucus in 2014.
Doctor Volkow is director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse at the National Institute of Health. She has been sounding the alarm about the increasing worldwide problem of opioid abuse, which affects nearly 36 million people across the planet.
Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. There were 47,055 deaths in 2014. The most recent statistics shows gun deaths in 2015 were 13,419. Automobile accidents killed 38,300 people last year. Why is there no outrage over the drug overdose epidemic?
The answer to that question underscores the problem with dealing with abuse. Over the past 20 years, laws governing the dispensing of opioid prescriptions have been relaxed. That has led to more doctors writing scripts for the drugs to patients who often demand the pills for minor pain.
Drug companies are also complicit, aggressively marketing the the safe use of pain killers. However, there have been no studies on the longer-term affects of usage. Despite the lack of evidence, pain killers are often viewed as benign by both doctors and patients.
The American Society of Addiction Medicine reports growing evidence of a relationship between non-medical usage of opioids and heroin abuse. It estimates that 23 percent of individuals who use heroin develop an opioid addiction. Four out of five new heroin users were first hooked on opioids.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that women more often than men become addicted to pain killers because they are more likely to have chronic pain. Studies show doctors often prescribe higher doses over longer periods of time to address the continuing symptoms.
In a 10 year period ending in 2010, 48,000 women died of prescription pain reliever overdoses, the center found in its ground breaking study entitled, "Prescription Painkiller Overdoses: A Growing Epidemic, Especially Among Women."
Urgent action is required to address this issue. Opioid addiction is the main driver of the staggering rise in drug overdose deaths in the U.S. In 2014, there were 18,893 overdose fatalities related to prescription pain killers. That is 40 percent of all deaths caused by drug overdoses.
Even more disturbing, abuse by adolescents (ages 12 to 17 years old) has spiraled out of control. A study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration documented that 168,000 adolescents are addicted to prescription pain relievers. Many graduate from opioids to heroin.
The problem will only worsen without a declaration of war on opioid usage.
Prevention of opioid abuse begins with education. Although these drugs can be effective in reducing pain, primary care doctors and patients need to armed with more information about the dangers associated with continued use and the linkage to heroin abuse.
Other solutions include more research on the treatment of pain without the use of opioids. More clinical studies are required to develop new drugs and compounds that do not have the same risks as opioids for dependence. Prescribing opioids should be a last resort, not the first treatment option.
Lastly, treatment of opioid addiction remains in the infant stages. More research should be undertaken to help patients deal with withdrawal symptoms and to regain control of their health. New medications need to be introduced as an essential part of weaning patients from opioids.
Dealing with opioid abuse must become a national priority. If not now, when? How many deaths will it take to awaken Americans to the problem? Whatever the number, it is too high. With so many lives at stake, further delay is unacceptable.
There has been scant media coverage of the escalation of both the legal and illegal opioid use by Americans. The number of legal prescriptions for opioids has skyrocketed from 76 million in 1991 to nearly 207 million in 2013, according to Congressional testimony.
Opioids are a class of drugs that include well-known prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine and fentanyl. You might recognize the drug brand names: Vicodin, OxyContin and Percocet. The illicit drug heroin is also an opioid.
These drugs work on the nerve cells in the brain and nervous system to produce euphoric effects and to relieve pain. When used properly, opioids help the more than 100 million people in the United States who suffer from chronic pain.
Despite the legitimate uses, opioids are often diverted for non-medical uses by patients or their friends. In many cases, the drugs are sold on the street. It has been estimated that non-medical use of opioid pain relievers costs insurance companies up to $72.5 billion annually.
In 2012, more than five percent of the U.S. population over the age of 12 used an opioid pain reliever for non-medical purposes. "The public health consequences of opioid pain reliever use are broad and disturbing," testified Dr. Nora D. Volkow, M.D., to a Senate caucus in 2014.
Doctor Volkow is director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse at the National Institute of Health. She has been sounding the alarm about the increasing worldwide problem of opioid abuse, which affects nearly 36 million people across the planet.
Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. There were 47,055 deaths in 2014. The most recent statistics shows gun deaths in 2015 were 13,419. Automobile accidents killed 38,300 people last year. Why is there no outrage over the drug overdose epidemic?
The answer to that question underscores the problem with dealing with abuse. Over the past 20 years, laws governing the dispensing of opioid prescriptions have been relaxed. That has led to more doctors writing scripts for the drugs to patients who often demand the pills for minor pain.
Drug companies are also complicit, aggressively marketing the the safe use of pain killers. However, there have been no studies on the longer-term affects of usage. Despite the lack of evidence, pain killers are often viewed as benign by both doctors and patients.
The American Society of Addiction Medicine reports growing evidence of a relationship between non-medical usage of opioids and heroin abuse. It estimates that 23 percent of individuals who use heroin develop an opioid addiction. Four out of five new heroin users were first hooked on opioids.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that women more often than men become addicted to pain killers because they are more likely to have chronic pain. Studies show doctors often prescribe higher doses over longer periods of time to address the continuing symptoms.
In a 10 year period ending in 2010, 48,000 women died of prescription pain reliever overdoses, the center found in its ground breaking study entitled, "Prescription Painkiller Overdoses: A Growing Epidemic, Especially Among Women."
Urgent action is required to address this issue. Opioid addiction is the main driver of the staggering rise in drug overdose deaths in the U.S. In 2014, there were 18,893 overdose fatalities related to prescription pain killers. That is 40 percent of all deaths caused by drug overdoses.
Even more disturbing, abuse by adolescents (ages 12 to 17 years old) has spiraled out of control. A study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration documented that 168,000 adolescents are addicted to prescription pain relievers. Many graduate from opioids to heroin.
The problem will only worsen without a declaration of war on opioid usage.
Prevention of opioid abuse begins with education. Although these drugs can be effective in reducing pain, primary care doctors and patients need to armed with more information about the dangers associated with continued use and the linkage to heroin abuse.
Other solutions include more research on the treatment of pain without the use of opioids. More clinical studies are required to develop new drugs and compounds that do not have the same risks as opioids for dependence. Prescribing opioids should be a last resort, not the first treatment option.
Lastly, treatment of opioid addiction remains in the infant stages. More research should be undertaken to help patients deal with withdrawal symptoms and to regain control of their health. New medications need to be introduced as an essential part of weaning patients from opioids.
Dealing with opioid abuse must become a national priority. If not now, when? How many deaths will it take to awaken Americans to the problem? Whatever the number, it is too high. With so many lives at stake, further delay is unacceptable.
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