Random Thoughts #78

Random Thoughts #78

Abolish TSA

The recent foolishness in not funding the TSA brought into full relief why that agency should be privatized. Reports of waiting in line for 5 hours in Atlanta and only 30 minutes in Orlando which has privatized agents should prompt the congress to let the private sector handle TSA duties. Yes I know that if TSA is privatized, slowdowns and stoppages could occur if the agents are unionized. But that may be preferred to the mess created by the congress playing in front of the cameras leaving the agents unpaid and calling in sick. At least 20 airports participate in the Transportation Security Administration’s Screening Partnership Program (SPP), which allows private companies to conduct security screening under TSA oversight. So I have two questions, why don’t all airports have this program and two why not just abolish TSA anyway? Data show that they are pretty bad at doing what they are supposed to do. There is a report that shows TSA failing to stop 95 percent of the weapons that inspectors attempted to sneak through airport screening stations as part of their regular audit program.

Markwayne Mullin – Trump’s DEI hire

I am always amused when critics of individuals who make decisions that they don’t agree with yell “DEI hire” when those individuals are not white males. Justices Sotomayor and Brown Jackson are cases in point. However, if a white male judge or justice aligned with them on an opinion no one would shout DEI hire for the white males. Sotomayor has degrees from Princeton (AB) and Yale (JD). She was a sitting judge when nominated to the court. Brown Jackson also was a sitting judge and has her degrees from Harvard where she was the editor of the Harvard Law Review and clerked for Justice Stephen Breyer. Those are credentials comparable to any on the court. Personally I think that some of their rulings are more reflective of their personal views than the law but to call them DEI hires is just a show of spite and bigotry. Even when Justice Barrett ruled in a way that the MAGA folk didn’t like, some fools called her a DEI hire too. Speaking of DEI hires, what about the new head of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin? Nothing in Mullin’s resume shows that he should even been nominated for Homeland Security. Why not Tom Homan? But after the disastrous DEI hire of Kristi Noem, Trump decided to nominate someone without a college degree and who was a native American. That way he can pander to all the MAGAs that didn’t go to college and vie for the Native American vote to boot. Mullin is a DEI hire.

Vietnam?

Here is a trivia question for you. With which country does the US have its largest trade deficit? Hint: it is not China. It is Vietnam. So in a way Trump’s disruptive trade war with China was successful – although I bet a good deal of that trade with Vietnam originated in China. Also, Trump’s trade war with Canada has resulted in Mexico displacing Canada as the largest buyer of American exports. When Trump went after China in 2018, imports from Vietnam were $49 billion. They are now $194 billion. Hey if the Germans and Japanese are now our friends and Vietnam a major trading partner, can Iran come over from the dark side as well?

Is this real money?

What are all the Trump haters going to do when his name appears on US currency? The Treasury issued this statement “In honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, President Donald J. Trump’s signature will appear on future U.S. paper currency along with the Secretary of the Treasury, marking the first time in history for a sitting president.” Scott Bessant, the Treasury Secretary and Trump translator said “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are on a path toward unprecedented economic growth, lasting dollar dominance, and fiscal strength and stability. There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than U.S dollar bills bearing his name, and it is only appropriate that this historic currency be issued at the Semiquincentennial.” What will the democrats do? Burn the currency? Ask for money that does not have Trump’s signature on it? Use bitcoin? Can I still use gold? How about barter? I bet the shrinks and Chatbox will do a booming business in freaked out college-educated white women.

Is that fast time or slow time?

The Georgia senate overwhelmingly by a vote of 45-5 passed a bill for Georgia to be on Atlantic time – hello Bermuda! Georgia will stay on daylight savings time all year round although Bermuda changes its clocks twice a year. Going to Atlantic time would mean that Georgia’s clocks would be different from all its neighbors with Florida, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee on Eastern Standard time while Alabama is on Central time. Georgia would be the only state on Atlantic Standard time and the change must be approved by the congress. I am reminded that my father told me that when he was growing up, eastern Georgia was on Eastern Standard time and western parts of the state were on Central time – much like Tennessee today. Dad said that when someone mentioned the time, the response was “Is that slow time or fast time?” Well if the state goes to Atlantic Standard. The whole state will be on slow time.