Predictions 2018 - Oh boy

I guess we've made it through 2017.  As I said, 2017 was pretty much a year of chaos politically, but it was also a year of growth as well.  I know that this past year has been a real year of growth for me.  From my work to my attitude in how I approach my relationships with other folks, I certainly have seen the Almighty direct me through those.  I've had opportunities to grow wiser and smarter.  Whether I have or not only He really knows.  However, I seek the strength that He provides me.

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; - 2 Peter 1:5

So let's go back to my 2017 predictions.  There were only 3 of them, which apparently is good for how they turned out.

1) I will attend 3 weddings in 2017.  I attended 2 weddings.  Hmm, a bit aggressive I guess. 
CORRECTION: I've been informed that I hit this one right on the button.  Goldilocks prediction, or was that Nostrawongamus (who hasn't appeared recently, hmm)

2) I will be debt free by the end of 2017.  I did not foresee me purchasing more property in 2017.  So since I took out another mortgage, we're not trending in the right direction there.


3) The SG BUTR will not have the same number of members at the end of 2017 as it does today. Oh soooo close. There has be petitions for additions and threats of subtractions. I'll just say stayed tuned in 2018. 

So here are my predictions for 2018.

1) The SG BUTR will not have the same number of members at the end of 2018 as it does today.  (Check prediction 3 from 2017 for details).

2) The Democrats will win the popular vote, but the domination of the GOP in state legislatures over the past decade has gerrymandered the districts to its strong advantage as well as national satisfaction with the economy that the GOP will still hold control of the House of Representatives.  In fact, the GOP will gain a seat or two in the Senate.

3) Regarding gerrymandering, the Supreme Court of the US will decide in a 5-4 decision on Gill v. Whitford that such a practice for political purposes is unconstitutional.

4) I will be much closer to debt free by the end of 2018.

5) There will be a strong move towards driverless cars in the Twin Cities by the end of the year.

So there you have my 2018 predictions.  Hopefully I'll be able to reflect on them a year from now.

The Donald Era: Year 1 - Embrace the Chaos

Well, we've nearly made it one year of the Presidency of Donald Trump and I have to say it's been quite a year.  If there is one word to defined this past year, for me it's CHAOS.

* The year has been shadowed by a cloud of suspicion that Donald colluded with the Kremlin to win the 2016 election.  So much so that Donald's appointed and confirmed Deputy AG, Rod Rosenstein, appointed longtime former FBI director Bob Mueller to conduct and independent investigation over the matter.  Mueller, before well-respected as a public servant, has come under great scrutiny for whether he is conducting the investigation even-handedly.  This has largely been done by the Administration and his supporters pointing out apparent conflicts of interest on members of Mueller's investigative team.

* The Donald, through his Twitter posts as well as his public statements, continued to create media swirls by his provocative statements (many of them directly at the media, calling them "Fake News"), inciting rumor, anger and never-ending media fires.  The effect is a permanent state of disorder: a de-stabilized media, an exasperated citizenry, and a fractured opposition, divided and pulled into mudslinging sideshows.

*Legislative accomplishments have been elusive for much of the year.  Successes such as the reforms of the Veterans Administration and latest tax bill (more on that later) were largely overshadowed for much of the year by not just one, but two, massive failures to repeal and replace Obamacare.  

I have say that I don't prefer this style of leadership where we don't have an orderly process on how things happen. Going with this apparent 'seat of the pants'  decision-making style with provocative statements interspersed (like calling North Korea dictator Kim Jong Un "Rocket Man")  is certainly a real change of pace that just not my cup of tea.  

However, despite all this chaos, when I look back on the past year, the Donald has been quite effective in implementing his agenda.

*Confirmation of SCOTUS Justice Neil Gorsuch
*ISIS is being crushed in the Middle East, largely accomplished by Defense Sec Jim Mattis's initiative to aggressively pursue them as well as to train up local ally forces to join the fight.  There's been so much success that Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi said the following:

"Dear Iraqis, your land has been completely liberated, and your towns and villages have been returned to the homeland.The dream of liberation became a reality. ISIS dream has come to an end. We must remove all its effects and should not allow terrorism to return again."

* 12 Judicial appointments confirmed at the Court of Appeals 

* Massive reduction in undocumented immigration

* Massive rollback of the regulatory state

* Unemployment and the stock market going strongly in positive directions

* The tax bill signed that accomplished the following: (1) Significant corporate and individual tax rate reductions (2) Opens up the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge for energy exploration, 40 years into the making (3) Repeals the Obamacare individual mandate, not even Chief Justice Roberts can dispute that is a repealed law, (4) Slightly broadens the tax base.

* Keystone pipeline and coal exploration re-opened.

I'm missing quite a few, but I think you get the point.  Now I will state again that I didn't vote for Donald in the past election and I do have disagreements with him on policy issues (notably trade), but to say he hasn't accomplished anything I would say is incorrect.  I just think this is the way this Administration will work.  So due to what the first year results are, I would say that many are just going to Embrace The Chaos, because he's fighting for real Americans:

Have a Merry Christmas!