Filling the Swamp?

I have little doubt that President Trump intends to “drain the swamp”….to make a positive difference. But he is going to find it really hard to do.

His first problem is the lack of money. With U.S. public debt at 106% of GDP (compared to 33% when Reagan took office), Trump does not have room to fund his plans via debt. Reagan was also going to drain the swamp, but he failed even though he had a lot more wiggle room economically.  Moreover, the swamp is much more full now than it was in the 1980s.

He wants to build his Mexican Wall, the military, public infrastructure, and spend money on border protection and veterans benefits. Not much room to borrow that money. Yes, borrow….he says he’s cutting taxes, doesn’t he?

His second problem is that his economic plans do not promote prosperity. He seems opposed to free market principles. For example, he has announced that BMWs imported from Mexico will be levied a 35% tariff. What happened to NAFTA?  BMW has pointed out that their largest plant in the world is in South Carolina. So they hold a few cards of their own.

He also is escalating conflict with China. His recognition of Taiwan, while reasonable, will cause a problem with a country that is already tense over the nearby USA military presence.

Third, he has the establishment against him. Some of those people are very powerful. And some of them are dangerous. They started by fanning the Russian election interference story so as to invalidate his presidency.

In short, I will not be surprised to see the Trump administration crash and burn. I hope not, because I think the USA needs a disruptive president rather than a business as usual one.  But I think the swamp is about to get a whole lot deeper.

Wrapping up the Marshall

Maybe the greatest warrior in history was William Marshal who became Marshall of England. I started posting about him at http://gordon-feil-history-observations.blogspot.ca/2017/01/getting-ready-for-william-marshall.html and then in a couple of other posts. He began accruing wealth by winning jousting tournaments (http://gordon-feil-history-observations.blogspot.ca/2017/01/the-undefeated-william.html). He came to the attention of Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of Henry II and eventual mother of several kings and queens. From there it was easy to go into the service of Henry who ruled an empire that included the British Isles and the western half of today’s France. For Henry, William was Marshall, a position somewhat like a Field Marshall (or five star general for you Americans) today. 

William eventually married the widowed Countess of Pembroke, the wealthiest heiress in the realm and perhaps in the world.  The Pembroke land holdings, like those of John of Gaunt later, were approximately beyond computation.  The new Earl of Pembroke and his wife had 5 sons.  Back to them shortly.

William was protective of his wife and her honor. King John was deprecatory of people generally and sometimes made various ones the brunt of his insults. He said something about the Countess of Pembroke which William would not suffer. Others sucked up the insults, but not the 66 year old warrior who had won hundreds of jousting tournaments and had never been unseated. He challenged John to combat on the spot, and allowed the king to appoint 2 champions as his proxy in the fight. John could not find two men willing to take on the aged Marshall.

William got into a dispute with an Irish cleric over the ownership of a manor house in Ireland. It was a nothing type of property to the Pembroke domains, but William was stubborn about it. The cleric cursed the Marshall’s family, pronouncing that his name would die out. The story of the 5 sons is amazing.  All of them died without male issue, and through strange circumstances.

William served Kings Henry II, Richard I, John and Henry III.  And he did so loyally.  He wanted to retire at age 70, but with the ascendency of the boy Henry III, he was pressed to act as Protector of the kingdom. 10 years later he died, and Hubert de Burgh, the original Humpty Dumpty, stepped into the void.

History Mystery (from a very old email)

Have  a history teacher explain this----- if they  can.     Abraham  Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846. John F.. Kennedy was  elected to Congress in 1946. Abraham Lincoln was elected  President in 1860. John F. Kennedy was elected President in  1960. Both were particularly concerned with civil rights. Both wives lost their children while living in the White  House. Both Presidents were shot on a Friday. Both  Presidents were shot in the head Now it gets really  weird. Lincoln 's secretary was named  Kennedy. Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln . Both were assassinated by Southerners. Both were  succeeded by Southerners named Johnson. Andrew Johnson, who  succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.  Lyndon Johnson, who  succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.      John  Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in  1839. Lee  Harvey Oswald, who was accused of assassinating Kennedy, was  born in  1939..    Both  assassins were known by their three names. Both names are  composed of fifteen letters. Now hang on to your seat. Lincoln was shot at the theater  named 'Ford'. Kennedy was shot in a car called ' Lincoln ' made  by 'Ford'. Lincoln was shot in a theater and  his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse. Kennedy was shot from a  warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theater. Booth  and Oswald were assassinated before their trials. ...  Now, here is where we enter the Twilight Zone        1)  Fold a  $20  bill in half...  2)  Fold again, taking care to fold it exactly as below   3)  Fold the other end, exactly as before   4)  Now, simply turn it over...         What  a coincidence! A simple geometric fold creates a catastrophic  premonition printed on all $20 bills!!! COINCIDENCE?  YOU  DECIDE  As  if that wasn't enough...   Here  is what you've seen...   Firstly The Pentagon on fire...          Then   The  Twin Towers. It  gets even better 9 + 11 = $20!           .