MODI-TRUMP MEETING WILL RESULT IN MODI WALKING AWAY WITH MAJOR CONCESSIONS

September is Key West’s quiet month. Few visitors. Some restaurants and shops closed.

Something was needed to fill in the blank month. Nine years ago a group of locals got together and decided a music festival of sorts for locals.

The Key West Musicians Festival was held this weekend. Local musicians showcasing local music. The event was held at Smokin’ Tuna. Afternoon and evening, saturday and sunday.

Big crowds! Boisterous! Enjoyable!

A portion of the proceeds are set aside for a local charity, the Sister Season Fund.

On this day in 1954, Hollywood producer Hal Wallis was in Key West. He was scouting for a place to shoot Tennessee Williams’ The Rose Tattoo.

Hallis settled on a house on Duncan Street. Two doors from Tennessee Williams’ home. One and a half blocks from Lisa’s home today.

The movie starred Burt Lancaster and Anna Magnani. Magani won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.

Big event in Houston yesterday! India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump met at a rally at Houston’s NRG Stadium. Fifty thousand spectators. Not there for Trump. There for Modi.

Texas has 400,000 Indian-Americans living in Texas. The 50,000 at the stadium were Indian-Americans. Seats only by reservation.
Sold out a month before the event.

Instead of the mountain going to Muhammed, Muhammed came to the mountain. Trump wants the Indian-American votes. Most are registered Democrats.

Modi and Trump walked around…..Holding hands! The crowd chanting Modi, Modi, Modi. Never once did the crowd yell Trump’s name.

There were 12,000-15,000 protestors outside.

Modi’s major accomplishment thus far is Modicare. Universal health care for all citizens. Free healthcare for the 500 million living in India.

The plan has only been in effect one year. Time will tell if it works.

I know little about it. Tried to learn. A lot of detail.

Modicare is privately owned. By one very wealthy Indian.

The U.S. is in a pissing match with India. The U.S. has levied tariffs on Indian products. India presently hurting economically otherwise also.

Why was Trump in Houston holding hands with Modi! Trump wants the large texan Indian-American vote. The vote that went to Hillary in 2016.

I suspect Modi may be a better politician than Trump. Modi has been reelected. He first was elected in 2014.

India’s economy was fast moving and on the rise till last year. Now slowing down. Dramatically. Battered by global and domestic forces.

It has been described as “fraying.”

Alan Greenspan is one of the world’s great economists. At one time Chairman of the Federal Reserve. He always said if you want to know where India’s economy is going, look at their sale of men’s underwear.

India is a major manufacturer of men’s underwear. Greenspan said when things get tough financially, the last thing men replace is their worn out underwear. No one can see it.

India is hurting. Men are not replacing their worn cotton briefs and tank tops. World wide.  In one year, sales are down 50 percent. The briefs and tops lying on shelves in factories.

Car sales are down also. Thirty two percent. Car manufacturers expect to lay off 1 million in the next year.

Prices are rising. Lenders are skittish. Make it difficult to borrow money. The global economic slowdown is not helping. The spike in oil prices hurts. Again, Trump’s tariff battles with India not helping.

India’s unemployment rate has risen to 8 percent. It is expected to continue to rise.

Trump was courting when he went to Houston. He wants those Indian-American votes. Modi wants the tariffs off and everything else the U.S. can do to help India.

A marriage made in heaven. Modi will walk away with much more than Trump gets. This also evidences how Trump thinks. The trip, holding hands, etc. was for the personal good of Trump, not the U.S. He wants to be reelected President.

Trump understands little. Another area he has begun screwing around with is education. College education at the moment.

Duke University and the University of North Carolina share a joint program. Its purpose to remake a Middle east studies program so it reflects today.

The U.S. government supports the program with a grant of $235,000. An insignificant amount to the two large universities.

Secretary of Education Betsy De Vos has interjected herself into the program. She considers the curriculum as presently taught not teaching enough “positive” imagery of Judaism and Christianity in the Middle East. She claims “considerable emphasis placed on understanding the positive aspects of Islam as opposed to other religions.”

Sounds like some sort of twisted affirmative action program to me.

What happened to freedom of education? Have we reached a point where only that which the government permits can be taught? Looks like outright censorship to me.

Someone crazy here. Know the opposition. The opposition Islamism, not Judaism or Christianity.

Trump has been pushing a pro-Jewish philosophy since taking office. Too much anti-Semitism in the air the past 2 years. De Vos claims the present teachings of the 2 schools is anti-Israel.

I think also Trump wants to look good with his evangelical base. Now he can run to them and say look “…..What a good boy am I!”

The 3 day U.N. Summit begins today. Normally, every nation present. For various reasons, Russia, China and a few other countries will not be present.

The major thrust of this year’s Summit is climate change.

Trump is opposed to climate change. Does not buy it.

An important climate change meeting will take place during the 3 days. Trump in an embarrassing situation. I would assume he did not want to attend.

No problem. He is President of the U.S.

Word is Trump’s office called the U.N. last week and arranged for a “religious meeting” to be added to the schedule. The meeting to be chaired by Trump. And of course, scheduled at the same time as the climate change meeting.

So it has been done. The purpose of Trump’s meeting to protect “religious freedom.”

Many think Trump accomplishes a double header here. He gets a justifiable reason to miss the climate change meeting and instead chair a meeting that will have great approval of his Evangelical base.

Iran’s Rouhani will be present. No meeting between he and Trump planned. The President of the Ukraine will be there also. A meeting is scheduled for the two.

On the road tonight! Dueling Bartenders and dinner later at probably La Trattoria.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

8 comments on “MODI-TRUMP MEETING WILL RESULT IN MODI WALKING AWAY WITH MAJOR CONCESSIONS

  1. Budweiser is now making beer using 100% wind energy. Who needs Trump, I ask? Will he force Bud to go back to burning coal or oil?

    • So gullible … Budweiser is buying energy credits to make the claim it is using 100% wind power. People believe what they want to belief!

      • Gullible? That’s a rather pejorative take on what is a noble cause and sounds a lot like what the right wing press is preaching with their negative effort to denigrate ANYTHING to do with renewable energy, as if it was a bad thing. The truth about Budweiser is significantly more positive than your attempt to smear this issue. It is also more complicated and far and away more hopeful. They are not just doing something, they’re doing a lot and its all good. Which is not what you and the so called conservative right with their constant message of doom and gloom is always doing.

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