Trade In The Era Of Trump

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Trade In The Era Of Trump

D. S. Mitchell

As an epic economic and diplomatic tour, empty-handed. His tactics of insult and bullying did not play well.

Here in the United States there is white knuckle fear that NAFTA will once again become central in Trump’s great trade experiment. Of course, there are valid points made by the administration. There is trade imbalance, but most US industries are looking for a few tweaks, not abolishment of a treaty that has produced many benefits for US industry and farmers.

NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, is a 1994 pact between Canada, US and Mexico. I’m from NW Oregon and many Mexican markets were opened to Northwest wheat growers. In fact, exports increased by 400%. At the same time many of these farmers have complaints about Canadian wheat pricing. You can’t make everybody happy, but that does not mean these folks want to tear up the historic treaty.

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Trump Moves Quickly To Reshape Appeals Courts

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Trump Moves Quickly To Reshape Appeals Courts

D. S. Mitchell

Sounds pretty boring, talking about the US judicial system. But here goes, because what Trump is doing could change court decisions in this country for the next two plus generations.

There are 179 judgeships on the US courts of appeals as authorized. The judges are all nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. These positions have lifetime terms.

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I’m Back, And I’m Optimistic

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I’m Back, And I’m Optimistic

D. S. Mitchell

The last post written by me specifically directed at Donald Trump was written on October 14, 2017. Since that date, I have mostly been writing about environmental issues, domestic problems and the American health scene. The reason quite honestly, is that after completing my 7 part series, Trump: Behind The Curtain, I was so disgusted and repelled by the revelations that I felt I needed to step back, and take those proverbial deep breaths. But, I am back now, and I am feeling hopeful.

The elections across the country on Tuesday November 7, 2017, the one year anniversary of the election of Donald J. Trump as president of the United States, brought out a lot of  people who are madder than hell at the direction that Trump and the GOP are taking this country. Women, people of color, immigrants, the college educated, suburbanites, the LGBT community, came together to vote for decency and inclusion.

Our history is imperfect, but our direction toward inclusiveness and decency has been ongoing and progressive.  The results of Tuesday’s elections make it clear that the American people want to continue on the road forward and not turn backwards to a time when a person was defined by their race, their sex, their wealth; not their intelligence, their creativity, their courage and their moral character.

If you are part of the Resistance, you can be proud and happy for Tuesday’s victories, but I believe that very success will lead to greater efforts by the 1% donors, Russian meddlers and old line Republicans to suppress the vote, demoralize and discourage participation by Democrats and Independents.

Turn out is the key. Voting for what you believe in and not staying home because you feel powerless. Your vote is America’s future. It is easy to leave it up to someone else to make those decisions, but if you are committed to progress then you must take responsibility for your actions.  If you want change, if you want progress, you must speak up, you must speak out. No bystanders allowed.

Calamity Politics is an active, progressive on-line political news magazine that proudly admits to a Progressive agenda. Join us weekly for opinion and analysis of the national political scene.

Join the Resistance.

Dar

27 Things To Make You Smile

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I love week ends. On Fall and Winter days I hang out with the dog, drink Irish coffees and watch old movies.  On Sundays I try to think of things that make me smile. Here are my 27 things to make you smile.

1.) Plan to do something good  2.) A yellow convertible VW bug           3.) Burning up 100 calories per hour, by just existing  4.) Hot baked potato skins covered with melted cheese  5.) The sound of the last load of laundry tumbling in the dryer  6.) Spa towels big enough for two  7.) Spinning spaghetti on a fork  8.) Crescent rolls leafy and hot, dripping in butter  9.) Emerald cut diamonds 10.) The giant Harvest moon of Autumn  11.) Baby’s first tooth  12.) Men in topcoat and hat  13.) Lights of Las Vegas   14.) A day on the boat  15.) Men in uniform  16.) Standing at the fridge, door open, wondering why you are standing there  17.) The soft creaking of wood floors  18.) Getting the chance to brag a bit.  19.) Ceramic mugs of steaming coffee   20.) A well-worn pair of jeans that fit just right 21.)  A bonfire on the beach  22.) Old friends and a Ouija board  23.) “No problem” instead of “Thank you.”  24.)  An Amaryllis blooming on the dining room table  25.) Reserving that special corner table  26.) Midnight snowmobile rides  27.) Knee deep in fallen leaves

That’s it. Thanks for joining me for a few smiles.

Calamitypolitics.com is an on-line political news magazine pointing a pissed off finger at the actions of the American government.  Call your senator and representative and demand the impeachment of President Donald J. Trump.

Join the Resistance.

Darlene

Are You Thinking About Getting A Dog?

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Are You Thinking About Getting A Dog?

D. S. Mitchell

Dogs save lives in more ways than one. But sometimes we, or the family, are not in the right place, time-wise, geographically, or emotionally to bring a new friend laden with responsibilities into our lives. With the holidays fast approaching, many of us think, “wouldn’t a puppy make a perfect Christmas gift for Johnny, or Jenny Jr?”

Maybe, maybe not.

The time commitment required for a new puppy is often ignored. Before you start looking for that new pup, make sure that you have the time and the energy required to daily commit to your new best buddy. Puppies will need to go out every hour until they are house trained. You or your children will need to be ready to commit no less than two hours daily for play, exercise, socialization and stimulation. Additionally, puppies because they are rapidly growing, need to be fed and watered three times a day.

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The Color Of My Hand

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The Color Of My Hand

D. S. Mitchell

Random Question: If you were blind and wandering confused in an unfamiliar landscape, would you care the color of the offered hand?

Join The Resistance
Calamitypolitics.com is a progressive on-line news magazine working for a future that will benefit everyone, and not just the few. Speak up, speak out, sometimes you only have one chance to make your voice heard. Make it Blue in ’18.
Dar

10 Tips On Dealing With Collection Agencies

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10  Tips On Dealing With Collection Agencies

D. S. Mitchell

Economic times have improved around most parts of the country, and the future is now optimistic. However, many people over the last several years experienced some very hard financial times. Many of those delinquencies remain unpaid and there are collection agencies who are still pursuing payment on those accounts. If you are in such circumstances the collection calls continue. It is important to remember, every citizen has legal rights when dealing with collection agencies. After a conversation with my long time friend Ed McKee, owner and senior broker of EME Funding services, Portland, OR he offered the following tips to pass on to my readers. Here are Ed’s 10 tips to help keep you from getting ripped off.

RULES FOR HANDLING COLLECTION AGENCIES:

1.) Realize that collection agents usually work on commission. So, obviously, the more money they get you to pay, the larger their paycheck.
2.) Please do not argue with the agent. Such behavior will not help. Stay calm and state your case clearly and succinctly. 3.) Don’t ask to speak to the agent’s supervisor. The supervisor got his or her job because they were good at collecting the most money. 4.) Never give information over the telephone. If it is an authentic collection agency they already have all the information they need. 5.) Use Money Orders or Certified funds to make all agreed payments. 6.) Keep records of everything. Make sure that anything you send through the mail has a return receipt. 7.) Make sure that you get written confirmation of any negotiated pay offs. 8.) Never accept the collection agent’s first offer. They will always call back with a better offer. Remember, nobody at the collection agency gets paid until you send in the money. 9.) Use strong sentences, “This is all I can afford to pay.” “This is all I will pay.” 10.) You will eventually want to repair your credit, during that process keep all correspondence between your credit repair service, and keep all copies of credit reports.

If you are currently experiencing tough times, or you have in the past, and are still dealing with collection calls, hopefully this short list will give you the basic information you need to keep as much money in your pocket as possible.

Calamity Politics is an on-line news magazine focusing on a progressive agenda. Join us regularly for hot headlines from the major news services, caustic comment and opinion.

Join the Resistance.

Dar

An Obligation To Preserve Health Care

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The Obligation To Preserve Health Care

D. S. Mitchell

The Trump administration seems bent on destroying health care in America. Despite promises to “guarantee health care for all” while on the campaign trail, Trump has moved back to the GOP corner, now calling for Repeal and Destroy.

Open enrollment for the ACA (ObamaCare) starts on November 1st and extends through December 15, 2017 for health care policies starting January 1, 2018.  I would wager that a large part of Americans are unaware of these important approaching dates.

Why wouldn’t they know?  The problem comes from the Trump administration’s dramatic cut backs on efforts to tell people about deadlines and other matters related to the ACA.  The strategy is to openly sabotage the national health care system. Americans should be given time to check their current coverage and make health care decisions to avoid being trapped in a policy they don’t like, or in a policy that no longer fits their needs.

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Plastic Is Killing Our Oceans

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Plastic Is Killing Our Oceans

D. S. Mitchell

Plastic is one of the most common materials in our daily lives. We eat and drink from it. Stuff is packaged in it, stuff is shipped in it. If current practices continue plastic dumping into the ocean is expected to double by 2025. That’s only seven years from now!

Ninety seven per cent of the Earth’s livable habitat is found in our oceans.  The oceans of the world are home to more than 700,000 known species and they generate more than half of the oxygen that we as living organisms breath.  Something must be done soon. We are standing by, seemingly paralyzed, as our oceans are becoming the biggest waste dump in the world. Our oceans are choking on plastic. We dump the equivalent of one garbage truck of plastic into the ocean every minute of every day, non-stop.

We produce more and more throwaway plastic garbage, much of which we don’t really need. Recycling projects are failing to keep up with the threat. Plastic pollution is quickly transforming our seas into the biggest waste dump on the planet.

Plastic does not break down naturally. Things that had a useful life of just a few minutes or hours remains in the environment for 100’s of years.  These plastics kill ocean wildlife and enter the food chain, as plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. Plastic bags, cosmetic micro-beads and other types of plastic trash have spread throughout the ocean, from the surface to the deepest ocean canyons. Plastic debris washes back on to our beaches creating an ugly reminder of this ongoing environmental disaster.

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Let’s Walk, Run, and Bike

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Let’s Walk, Run, And Bike

D. S. Mitchell

Our society is becoming more sedentary and overweight. Many of us spend hours behind a desk at our jobs.  We drive our cars to the fast food drive thru, never even getting out of our cars.  We use our computers to shop, without ever leaving the house.  With decreased activity people are increasingly complaining of posture related aches and pains, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.

Just like we enjoy eating and drinking too much, we enjoy sitting too much. We are surrounded by cars, snacks, elevators, sugary drinks and fast foods. The problem has become serious enough that the World Health Organization has a new agenda focused on encouraging physical activity.

A “Black Dog Institute” of Australia study found that 1-2 hours of exercise per week can prevent depression. In addition to improved mental health multiple world-wide studies have shown that vigorous movement can stave off heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, fatigue, diabetes and even cancer.

Our country, and most of the industrialized economies are suffering from a “sitting disease”.  Physical inactivity is one of  the top 10 causes of disease and disability according to a recent UK government study. That study attributed 1 in 6 deaths to “sitting” which is equal to smoking in that country.

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