Start with his ego. No doubt he has earned a yuge ego, but many will dislike him for that. I'm certainly not a fan of it. He does seem to be able to put it in check when meeting to hear from business leader and such though. He is also sloppy with what he says when speaking off the cuff. That doesn't bother me too much, as it didn't with GWB. There are certainly those who go ballistic from it though. No doubt in the past there have been folks who came up short in dealing with him. Again, I'm OK with that, but we know that many people don't like having winners and losers. Of course, when you learn to wear your big boy underwear, there are winners and losers. It's nice to have a winner on our side.
I see Q4 GDP came in at a "disappointing" 2.6%. It's great that 2.6 is disappointing rather than beating expectations!
But if you’re going to miss forecasts, this report was the way to do it.
First, the level of growth, of 2.6%, was actually pretty good. It was below the level of the prior two quarters and missed the 3% mark, but overall, it’s on the high side of what the U.S. has been experiencing after the Great Recession.
Second, the reason U.S. growth lagged estimates was because of inventories and trade.
Inventories can be a tricky number to interpret. That inventories fell could mean businesses growing more pessimistic about the future and cutting back stockpiles. But current conditions give a more plausible explanation, that they sold goods and services so quickly in the fourth quarter that they didn’t adequately forecast demand ahead of time and had to sell out of their stockpiles.
Other economic indicators — from high levels of consumer and business confidence, to low levels of unemployment — point to this interpretation. The GDP report, with personal consumption of 3.8%, itself also lends credence to that theory.
The other element which dragged on GDP was trade. But in the fourth quarter, exports were strong, growing 6.9%. It’s just that imports were even stronger, surging 13.9%.
Donald Trump may well have run on a campaign that a widening trade deficit was bad for America. He still says that. But he also doesn’t seem to mind, as he did in Davos on Friday, triumphantly pointing out U.S. economic conditions.
If you’re going to have a deteriorating trade balance, this is the sort of deterioration you’d like to see.
And this is the sort of GDP miss you’d like to experience.
Gross domestic product increased at a 3.0 percent annual rate in the April-June period, the Commerce Department said in its second estimate on Wednesday. The upward revision from the 2.6 percent pace reported last month reflected robust consumer spending as well as strong business investment.
Even it that's it, there's plenty of volume of this to pick on. The point is, what is being complained about, if you are so inclined, without resorting to fabricating things to complain about. I think that's true of most people, myself included.
Source? Has this figure been "corrected" yet?
Today's headlines, and not it's not been corrected yet.
I'm not an economy wonk (nor do I play one on BWB). I've followed this person for some time, and they always seem to have a good grasp of (and ability to elucidate on) the numbers:
quote:
The increase in real GDP in the fourth quarter reflected positive contributions from personal consumption expenditures (PCE), nonresidential fixed investment, exports, residential fixed investment, state and local government spending, and federal government spending that were partly offset by a negative contribution from private inventory investment. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased.
2017 Annual GDP:
The acceleration in real GDP from 2016 to 2017 reflected upturns in nonresidential fixed investment and in exports and a smaller decrease in private inventory investment. These movements were partly offset by decelerations in residential fixed investment and in state and local government spending. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, accelerated.
In both cases what is holding our country and economy back is the IMPORTS that we are reliant upon. Notice in the 4th Quarter and for the 2017 year, there was an increase (acceleration) of imports which is subtracted from our totals. Our President and his Killers absolutely understand that this was the plan of GHB, Bill Clinton, GWB and BH0. NAFTA and China becoming part of the WTO are the two creatures that was born and nurtured by these POS.
The fact our President was able to grow the Economy by 2.3% in 2017 versus BH0 1.5% with imports increasing is a testament to him and his team. Our President is right when he says that growing GDP by 1% adds an additional $2.5 Trillion dollars and an additional 10 million jobs. He nearly accomplished that in his first year by outpacing his predecessor by 0.8%.
Realistically, a goal of 3% for the 2018 year is what we should all aim for. The idea of 4% or 5% is not realistic at this time. The reason being our need for imports. We saw Chrysler announce they are closing a factory in Mexico and expanding their factory in Michigan. Campbell Soup is closing their factory in Toronto, Canada and bringing their entire operation back to the US. Samsung and LG are opening new factories in SC and TN this year. Mazda and Toyota are expanding their production in the US with their factory in Alabama.
If the Mexicans and Canadians don’t agree to our terms with NAFTA, we need to get the hell out of there immediately. This will cause many new announcements of companies coming BACK to the US. Putting these tariffs on solar panels and washing machines may effect the price by $50 but it allows Whirlpool and other US companies an opportunity to compete. Our President will be announcing massive tariffs on steel and aluminum within the next 90 days. Once again it will cost US consumers some additional money but it will bring our steel and aluminum companies back to life.
Some key takeaways from initial 4Q GDP estimate: Americans have more money in their pocket, and they were spending it. Disposable personal income in the 4Q gained 3.9%, up from 2.1% in 3Q.
"Then how the hell is 4Q lower than 3Q? I know this is the initial estimate but geez... we will have to wait until end of Feb for 2nd calculation."
Richard Baris @Peoples_Pundit: Unfortunately, yes we'll have to wait until February 28. We're looking at it, but it's possible hurricane weakness spilled into first 3 weeks of 4Q. But maybe not. They're stressing like there's going to be a big revision. Trade deficit is really a drag though. Big one.
Keep in mind that to economists a strong dollar is a problem because it reduces exports. Most economic pundits are of one faith or another. Really religions with revealed wisdom from a founder and no science or algorithm of prediction. Just rules of thumb that sometimes work.
An economy is the buying habits of billions of individuals. Chaos. In the mathematical sense. Lots of guesses involved in predictions.
But "let them keep more of their own money and they'll spend it, boosting the economy" usually works. As opposed to the Pelosi "take more of your money and give about a quarter of that to poor people. To boost the economy" which reduces the total amount in circulation and isn't as good by a "settle for less" quantum jump.
“Package delivery company FedEx Corp said on Friday it will spend more than $3.2 billion on wage increases, bonuses, pension funding and capital investment, taking advantage of the U.S. tax overhaul signed into law in December.”
Questioning Assumptions – Revelations of Key FBI Officials Leaking To WaPo Should Cause Review of Underlying Media Narratives CTH, January 26, 2018
With the latest information revealing that FBI Agent Peter Strzok and DOJ/FBI Attorney Lisa Page were specifically leaking to their media sources to shape the underlying story of their political efforts, everything presented by the recipients of those leaks should now be questioned.
Page and Strzok were the “sources” for stories written by Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post.
As such, obviously the network of Page and Strzok’s professional colleagues would also be considered part of a grouping of people who would benefit from specific leaks intended to shape the stories.
One of those initial stories was a December 2nd, 2017, WaPo outline describing Page and Strzok against the backdrop of the DOJ Inspector General Horowitz investigation.
The Washington Post presented the story of Lisa Page and Peter Strzok having an affair to the world.
That presentation became the underlying assumption for all reporting that followed (despite the lack of supporting evidence). That WaPo story (narrative), “The affair” was written by Devlin Barrett, who we now know was in direct contact with Page and Strzok.
As with all new information, all assumptions –driven by that WaPo original story– should be carefully reconsidered.
As an example: were Peter Strzok and Lisa Page actually having an affair? Or, was the “affair” simply an effective narrative, entirely constructed to describe the scope of their communication and cover-up a larger and far more looming truth, a bigger conspiracy?
Amid a vastly growing release of text messages, there’s nothing to indicate a relationship between Lisa Page and Peter Strzok based on anything except collaboration to politicize their jobs to the benefit of Hillary Clinton and against all her political opposition.
For several years CTH has been pointing out how the larger U.S. intelligence community has a pattern of leaking specific information to specific outlets.
Information from Justice Department leaks and the Intelligence Community (writ large), generally appear in the Washington Post, New York Times, NBC, and -depending on content- the Wall Street Journal. Information from State Department leaks generally flow to CNN, CBS and ABC.
Each of the initiating media reports of the leaks are then cited by their peer group: ‘media reports on media reports’. It is a pattern that has become transparently visible for those who follow politics and media.
Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, better known by their stage name Diamond and Silk, are active American video bloggers and YouTube personalities. They are biological sisters from North Carolina who voice their opinions about "media bias, political babble, and repetitive political tactics that [they] feel the average American is tired of being subjected to."
The duo came to wider prominence in 2015 as supporters of Presidential candidate Donald Trump after posting a video criticizing former Fox News host Megyn Kelly for asking what they considered irrelevant questions during the first GOP candidate debate.
These leaks long predated Donald's political career.
CIA traitors leaked that George Bush the Younger asked for plans to attack Iran. Thus preventing that attack, leading directly to the deaths of over a thousand U.S. troops and a hundred thousand Iraqi civilians caused by Iranian bombs and jihadists staged through Iran.
The legal remedy would be open trials before execution and the traitors names being listed next to the Rosenbergs and Benedict Arnold. Also acceptable would be secret graves to preserve benefits to the families. Unacceptable is their continued service in intelligence where they have proven their arrogant believe in their superiority over the civilian government and ruling the country in secret from their desks.
Men with such inflated egos, revealing the highest military secrets to the enemy taking foreign policy in their own anonymous hands must be prosecuted. What other evils could such men do? Have they done?
Perhaps run a false flag operation like the Vegas terrorism attack to subvert the Constitution? Someone knows. The traitorous scum at least and their tools.
Watergate? Penny ante cover up on a prostitute blackmail scheme. The fury that donors rewarded with a call girl might become public names explains the raw hatred for Nixon by Democrat leaders & media.
How telling that treason resulting in countless dead is ignored as long as it foils George Bush.
Obviously the prospect of murder and mass murder, treason and support of the enemy to drag down the Most Hitler of Hitlers, The Donald, generates no reluctance or misgivings for Clinton and Obama or their appointed minions.
What possible reason for this leak? The man is suddenly and mysteriously dead. ( sure, people fall down, hitting theirs heads and die alone all the time. )
The thing that gets me (and the MSM either doesn't get, or actively ignores) is...Trump is extraordinarily eloquent in a BUSINESS setting.
He sucks balls at POLITICS.
Put him in his "element"...he's untouchable.
Presidential staff and "handlers" take note: make EVERY DAY into a business meeting, and eliminate all impressions of politics, That is now Job One, for all of you.
Indeed I do. Great piece in total, deserves to be read by anyone who's suffering the blues from all the bullshit the Mainly Slime Media has puked out this week.
From the article:
quote:
[President Trump's visit] was great entertainment. But more importantly than that, it was great statesmanship. Like his similarly brilliant Warsaw speech last year, Trump’s speech in Davos today establishes him as – by some margin – the most significant and inspirational and ideologically robust leader of the free world since the era of Ronald Reagan.
The folks in Davos, titans all, received and treated our president like the statesman he is.
President Trump was shown tremendous respect, and gave same in return.
He didn't apologize for America, or her present return to greatness, nor did he talk condescendingly to the leaders gathered there. But.......he was firm:
quote:
My job is "America First."
We've waited a long time for a president like President Trump.
Savor every day, peeps - this is history in the making, right before our eyes.
Well, well, well…. that’s a shift in language. Congressional Rep Matt Gaetz: “I believe there’s been a criminal conspiracy”… This specific language elevates the current political dynamic toward an exponential level of risk for those within the “conspiracy”.
On Notice – Senator Chuck Grassley Sends Letters Requesting Information CTH, Jan. 26, 2018
WASHINGTON – As part of their ongoing oversight efforts to ensure that the FBI’s law enforcement activities are free of improper political influence, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) yesterday sent six letters seeking information and documents regarding Christopher Steele’s work on behalf of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary for America.
The letters seek information and documents relating to those political organizations’ knowledge of and involvement in Mr. Steele’s work and his reported interactions with the FBI while he was working on behalf of these political organizations.
For the period from March 2016 through January 2017, please provide all communications to, from, copying, or relating to: Fusion GPS; Bean LLC; Glenn Simpson; Mary Jacoby; Peter Fritsch; Tom Catan; Jason Felch; Neil King; David Michaels; Taylor Sears; Patrick Corcoran; Laura Sego; Jay Bagwell; Erica Castro; Nellie Ohr; Rinat Akhmetshin; Ed Lieberman; Edward Baumgartner; Orbis Business Intelligence Limited; Orbis Business International Limited; Walsingham Training Limited; Walsingham Partners Limited; Christopher Steele; Christopher Burrows; Sir Andrew Wood, Paul Hauser; Oleg Deripaska; Cody Shearer; Sidney Blumenthal; Jon Winer; Kathleen Kavalec; Victoria Nuland; Daniel Jones; Bruce Ohr; Peter Strzok; Andrew McCabe; James Baker; Sally Yates; Loretta Lynch; John Brennan.
Regarding "plans to attack Iran", I wasn't in the military, but it has been my understanding that the Pentagon has all sorts of contingency plans that are periodically refreshed and available for implementation. It would seem pretty damn derelict to get caught flat-footed and not have plans like that. The Dem pols know that, but are happy to spin to sound like having a plan equals execution.
