Tag: trump

Life, Politics, politicsLeave a comment

It’s time to call it what it is… #rudigate

Mark Cathcart

If you read through this and have any sense of history, you can’t wonder why we are even bothering with the whole quid-pro-quo debacle. At this point, if the President knew anything of this, he has to go. Why Giuliani Singled Out 2 Ukrainian Oligarchs to Help Dig Up Dirt https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/25/us/giuliani-ukraine-oligarchs.html What would Gil Scott-Heron say? And there are those who swear they’ve seen King Donald (who? who?) King Donald (who?) King Donald (who?) King Donald (who?) King Donald (who?) King Donald King Donald King Donald King Donald (Yeah!) Beneath that cesspool-Rudigate. Applause Four more years, Four more years, Four more … Continue reading It’s time to call it what it is… #rudigate

culture, Life, Politics, politics, technologyLeave a comment

What to do about China?

Mark Cathcart

The Presidents tariffs continue to be a source of frustration and confusion. Who pays them, where the money goes and if they are even likely to solve the problem Trump thinks they will. Meanwhile the boycotts on Huawei grow, ultimately threatening to split the technology world in two, everything that works in China and its allies, and technology that works everywhere else. The software bro’s seem to think that won’t happen, or if it does it’s no biggie, since all the software they use is US based. Apart from the arrogance, it’s also completely ignorant. I often show the “Social … Continue reading What to do about China?

Life, politics, Politics, taxLeave a comment

Rural Hospitals Redux

Mark Cathcart

The Takeaway yesterday had a good segment on rural hospitals, basically continuing to “cry wolf” about their affordability. One of the participants in the discussion is, Dr John Waits, who with his colleagues and staff at Centreville Clinic Staff, are doing their best to help their community afford their healthcare. Dr Waits struggles valiantly in the discussion to avoid using the terms profit and subsidy. This is a mistake in my opinion, while you can talk about healthcare efficiencies, people need to hear that large hospital groups are for profit, yes even the not-for-profit ones. People need to understand that … Continue reading Rural Hospitals Redux

automation, banking, politics, taxLeave a comment

Stock buybacks rule – Tax breaks enable

Mark Cathcart

As predicted, not by the tweeter in chief, but by almost anyone who understands big companies and executive, stock buybacks hit an all time high in 2018 and are likely to be higher again in 2019. This is a big deal, companies that buyback their stock, are reducing the number of shares available on the market. That generally means the share price goes up. Share prices are often one of the main ways executives are measured, their bonuses are usually dependant on the share price. Also, because the price of each share goes up, it makes it harder for lower … Continue reading Stock buybacks rule – Tax breaks enable

Life, Politics, politicsLeave a comment

State of the Union: Whither Afghanistan?

Mark Cathcart

Tonight the President will address the nation in his second state of the nation. It’s unclear if he’ll say anything about Afghanistan, he’d be wise not to. Equally, given the President is prone to tackling sacred cows, maybe he should. President Trump sent more troops and in his words America would stay until the “war is won”.  While not as notorious as Vietnam, Afghanistan is Americas longest war, all Presidents from Roosevelt are complicit. America had been involved  in/with Afghanistan from 1946 until the late 1970’s, as the Americans left, the Soviets arrived. We are now negotiating with the Taliban, … Continue reading State of the Union: Whither Afghanistan?

Politics, politicsLeave a comment

BBC Radio 4 – Faking It: Trump and the Media

Mark Cathcart

Time to take a step back from the precipice or increase the pressure? In this BBC Radio 4 audio program, Alan Rusbridger, former Editor of The Guardian, talks to journalists and news consumers across America in dispatches from President Trump’s ‘running war’ with the US media Alan asks why the media has been cast as Trump’s ‘opposition party’, how they are responding to the dilemmas and opportunities the new administration brings and whether the President is right to claim that the ‘mainstream media’ has lost the trust of the American people. Listen here: BBC Radio 4 – Faking It: Trump and … Continue reading BBC Radio 4 – Faking It: Trump and the Media

Life, Politics, politics, religion2 Comments

Sweden, Refugees and that Trump thing

Mark Cathcart

Even before the Trump administration, America has taken pitifully few refugees and asylum seekers from the crisis it started in the post 9/11 era. This is especially true when you look at it’s geographical size, and financial strength. At 20x the size of Sweden, and over 18x the GDP, America has taken just 10% of the refugees Sweden. By now anyone paying attention will have heard about the debacle of Trumps speech where he attempted to justify his Executive Order on Immigration by pointing to “what happened in Sweden last night”. If you have not, you can read the whole … Continue reading Sweden, Refugees and that Trump thing

politics, Politics, workLeave a comment

Organizational chaos or Conspiracy?

Mark Cathcart

[Updated: This post was updated at 11pm Central to include the link to Matt Macowiacks tweet as a great example.]It’s easy to fallback on the current debacle in the US administration as a massive conspiracy. Conspiracies work for people who are afraid, and lack experience, conspiracy theory assumes someone is in charge. Organization chaos theory was a big thing at the end of the 1980’s, Tom Peters book “Thriving on Chaos: Handbook for a Management Revolution” blazed a path of revolution for the newly minted management consultants through the mid-1990’s. I’ve no idea what they teach in business schools these days, … Continue reading Organizational chaos or Conspiracy?

Life, Politics, politics, tax3 Comments

Can America afford it’s rural communities

Mark Cathcart

We hear a lot about the “takers” in America, a classification for, usually inner-city people who survive on benefits, unemployment, housing, medical, food stamps and more. Mostly the venom about takers also contains a racial element, it’s directed at black and minority groups who many assume benefit from Government programs without paying in. It’s not often directed at the President himself, but as the New York times pointed out last year, Trump himself could be the ultimate taker. What we don’t hear much about is the affordability of rural towns, and even many of the suburbs. One of America’s greatest … Continue reading Can America afford it’s rural communities