Lake America? Life expectancy. Lindsey Clancy. South Korea.

Lake America? Life expectancy. Lindsey Clancy. South Korea.

Lake America?

Canada’s prime minister Carney is not the only Canadian official to recognize Trump’s unreliability. “Everybody knows the American president by now, he’s erratic, he’s irresponsible, and he’s not to be trusted,” said Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba, “And this is the person that we were supposed to make a deal with, and we’re going to make additional concessions for it. That’s why I say you can’t make a good deal with a bad person, because who’s to say it’s not going to be undone?”

The Wall Street Journal has called this “The dumbest trade war revisited.” That is putting it kindly. Trump justifies his new tariffs using Section 338 of the 1930 Tariff Act, which allows a 50% tariff on countries that discriminate against the commerce of the United States. The president says that the discrimination here is that Canada discriminated against the US when it retaliated against his tariffs on Canadian automobiles. Excuse me, but this is beyond dumb, it is beyond dumbest, it is stupid.

Trump said “On January First, 2027, Tariffs on all Cars, Trucks, both large and small, Automotive Parts, and Steel, will be increased to 50%.” Ford’s Jim Farley noted that the cost to American automakers would be $25 billion and that would “blow a hole” in the U.S. auto industry. Trump also said that we don’t need anything from Canada, forgetting about Canadian oil and energy (Ontario supplies electricity to 10 states). It also supplies the US with high grade nickel for defense and uranium for nuclear-power plants.

Ontario’s premier Doug Ford said “He can kiss my a** as far as I’m concerned.  We’re gonna go at him full-steam.” Trump countered by saying “The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to be doing much business with Ontario any longer.” I’m a bit surprised he did say “Lake Donald J. Trump.”

Just about living on borrowed time

I was sad to see that Dolly Parton died. She was only 80. RIP.

Ironically, the CDC just released life expectancy data. Not surprising it has recovered from the Covid dip. The life expectancy for women is 81.4, while that for men is 76.5, demonstrating again the impact on men from living with women. The life expectancy for black women is 76.6, and for black men it is 70.3. I would guess that the low number stems from the high death rate for young black men. The CDC life tables show that if a black male reaches the age of 65, his life expectancy is 81.4. If a black woman reaches 65, her life expectancy is 84.7. Regardless, I am 81.1. So beginning December 3, I will be living on borrowed time. BTW, most writings on racial disparities in life expectancy ignore the high death rate of young black men when they list reasons for the difference between races, rendering much of what is written as basically useless. https://www.black-mens-health.com/what-is-the-life-expectancy-for-black-men

Support for Lindsey Clancy?

Lindsey Clancy killed her three children, aged 5, 3, and 8 months. She admits her guilt. So why are hundreds of women dressed in pink showing up at her trial to voice support for a baby (babies) killer? I don’t get it. Her GoFundMe account has raised over $1 million for her defense – insanity, naturally. Her attorneys argue that she suffered from bipolar disorder and a psychotic episode brought on by postpartum psychosis. Great excuses, all. But that does not excuse killing her babies. How could any woman – much less hundreds – support her? (Oops, I forgot about the millions who kill their babies in vivo rather than in vitro.) Just another example of the world – or at least part of it – going stark raving mad. If my wife were out there doing that and we had children, I would immediately file for divorce and custody of the children, including a restraining order.

What about South Korea?

While at the farm, I drove down to Pooler, GA, to visit a lifelong friend. I passed the Hyundai plant that was raided by ICE and thought about Trump’s recent spat with South Korea. Angry that the country wasn’t helping him out in his war on Iran, he ordered the Pentagon to cut the annual joint military exercises. He tweeted “These exercises are not only costly… but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful.” He is referring to that socialist paradise North Korea and his buddy Kim Jong Un. Trump also posted “I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ‘No thanks!’” Trump is also at South Korea for not aggressively going forward on its trade deal last year to lower Trump’s auto tariffs in exchange for Seoul’s commitment to invest $350 billion. The president’s reaction was to raise their tariffs to 25%. South Korea has not announced details of its investment plan. But with 28,500 US troops stationed there to deter North Korea which is still technically at war with the south, it is doubtful if South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will openly defy Trump.

Did Trump ever apologize to South Korea about the ICE invasion of the Hyundai plant? He did say that he was “very much opposed” to the massive ICE raid last month at a Hyundai factory in Georgia, where hundreds of workers were arrested, shackled with chains around their hands, ankles and wrists and deported back to South Korea.