President Trump’s State Visit To India

I would not be surprised at all if Trump and Modi come up with something big!

President Bush Jr. has already tried to put the U.S.-India relationship on a new footing (e.g. The Best American President India's Ever Had - Forbes). Will Trump expand on that? I bet he does!

President Bush Jr. defying criticism he recognized India as in compliance with the non proliferation regime and signed the India–United States Civil Nuclear Agreement.

President Trump’s State Visit To India | Hoover Institution: President Trump’s state visit to India in late February is being hurriedly put together, reports the NY Times, because “Mr Trump is apparently eager to get out of the Washington cauldron and as far away from the impeachment debate as possible”.

Howdy Modi

Posted: 9/16/2019

Indian media are celebrating President Trump with highest praises (S1, S3). The alliance of the 21st century appears to be emerging. President Bush Jr. already made great advances and paved the road (e.g. “the game-changing civil nuclear cooperation agreement that he pushed through between 2005 and 2008” S2)! 

Unprecedented support for India by President Trump! Largest event ever for a foreign head of state! A totally unscripted gesture by President Trump! Trump again has redefined protocol!

Perhaps a famous quote from the end of the movie Casablanca is appropriate here:

As they walk away into the fog, Rick (Humphrey Bogart) says, "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Sources (S):

1. Trump to say 'Howdy Modi', Does PM Modi power Brand India? | India Upfront With Rahul Shivshankar
2. The Best American President India's Ever Had (Forbes, 11/3/09)
3. Delighted at Trump's gesture: PM Modi on US President attending 'Howdy, Modi' (India Today, 9/16/19)

Was The Pentagon Ill Prepared In Responding To Iran's Downing Of A U.S. Drone?

Posted: 6/21/2019  Updated: 6/24/2019, 6/22/2019

Update Of 6/24/2019

It appears that President Trump is quite adept in using diversionary tactics when he told the world that he called off a military strike against Iran. Or was another branch of the Pentagon eager to get in on the action resenting that cyber warfare had precedence this time?

Meanwhile, we learnt that President Trump launched an offensive cyber attack against Iran. This in itself is still fairly a novum for the U.S. unless other attacks went unreported (of course there was Stuxnet; S1). We know that Russia has in the recent past resorted to cyber attacks against e.g. Baltic states.

We also learned that “Thursday’s [6/20/19?] strikes against the Revolutionary Guard represented the first offensive show of force since Cyber Command was elevated to a full combatant command in May.” (S1; emphasis added)

Apparently, Iran itself has created a presumably formidable cyber force. Iran is also accused of having employed cyber attacks against several countries (e.g. Israel; UK, Saudi Arabia; S1, S2). 

Sources (S):

1. Trump approved cyber-strikes against Iran’s missile systems (published 6/22/19)
2. Cyberwarfare in Iran (this Wikipedia entry appears to be dated)

Update Of 6/22/2019

Just read this very recommendable article by Michael Rubin: Is Iran close to collapse? Three things you need to know about the US-Iran showdown. Here Rubin pointedly mocks the flawed and long prevailing attitude of “conciliation trumps coercion on Iran” (nice play on words).

The very knowledgeable Rubin thinks that the regime in Iran is collapsing in the near term. The gerontocracy/theocracy has serious succession issues and issues to hold on to power much longer. Will there be a military coup?

Michael Rubin is also the author of the book with a very fitting title: “Dancing with the Devil: The Perils of Engaging Rogue Regimes”, which Rubin refers to in the above article as “... a history of US diplomacy with rogue regimes and terrorist groups, there is precedent to the Islamic Republic caving under pressure ...” (emphasis added)

Original Post

The unusual story that President Trump was “cocked and loaded” for a military strike against Iran in response to the recent downing of a U.S. drone hovering near or above Iranian air space before he aborted the mission last minute, has created quite a stir in the media.

Was Trump just giving Iran an ultimate warning to behave and negotiate or was there something else?

May I speculate that the U.S. Defense Department was perhaps ill prepared for this scenario. Even though this scenario should have been rehearsed many times over the years. Apparently, the strike was cancelled due to possibly large loss of human life or because it was not proportionate. In either case, it suggests that the Pentagon did some shoddy planning!

Former President Bush Jr. made already the enormous mistake not to warn or attack Iran when Iran was obviously and persistently killing significant numbers of U.S. soldiers in the 2003 Iraq war. President Obama, in his grand naivete and stupidity, signed a horrible nuclear deal with Iran. One can also surmise that the Pentagon did not plan for any conflicts with Iran during the Obama administration.

Bank Of America Liable For What? Countrywide

What If Countrywide Had Declared Bankruptcy?

NPR and other news outlets stress it was a jury decision! If I had been on the jury this would not have happened! Clearly, the jury was mislead. Jury nullification should be restored ASAP (see my blog post here)!

Without big government intervention under President George W. Bush, Countrywide Financial Corp. would have most likely gone bankrupt. This is what should have happened! Would then, the federal government have sued on behalf of the two GSE (government sponsored entities) to recover these alleged losses?

First The Government Forced The Purchase, Then It Sues The Buyer

This is another one of business enemy no. 1 or President Obama’s masterpieces. President George W. Bush’s Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson forced Bank of America to buy the distressed Countrywide Financial Corp. Then, President Obama’s administration sues BoA.  The previous president did not have too much of a clue about economics, but this president is totally clueless.

It used to be the business of America is business until about the turn of the 20th century. With President Obama it is bigger government at any cost.

The federal case against J.P. Morgan bank is very similar. A $13 billion settlement would be outrageous!

Friends Of Angelo Mozilo

More about it here.

The politicians extended such favorable financing included the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Christopher Dodd, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and Kent Conrad. The article also noted Countrywide's political action committee had made large donations to Dodd's campaign.

It was reported that Franklin Raines, a former CEO of Fannie Mae, received below market rates loans at Countrywide Financial because the corporation considered the officeholders "FOA's". He received loans for over $3 million while CEO of Fannie Mae.

Adding Insult To Injury

The federal government sued on behalf of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who are both major contributors to the Financial Crisis of 2008 by enabling lower or non-existing lending standards, buying sub prime mortgage loans, by securitizing mortgage loans and so on.

Without those two government run giant mortgage banks, the financial crisis of 2008 would not have happened!

Why Does Wikipedia Not Have An Article On Countrywide Financial Corp.?

Wikipedia has no article about this company and its history. The purchase is very briefly covered under Bank Of America Home Loans, but the link to this article has the URL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countrywide_Financial.

This is all very peculiar to say the least!