When a business entity forms the largest and most important decision they make is who will lead the organization.  That decision, beyond all other decisions, has the potential to destroy the business and long-term brand image of the entity.
The National Football League has destroyed itself.  In a free-market system customers have the ability to turn away from any product or service against their interests.

Announced during a post-meeting press conference today, the N.F.L has decided not to enforce it’s own rules on player conduct.  Instead the league will continue to let players kneel or sit during the national anthem without a penalty, capitulating to demands by the athletes for free expression but potentially further alienating fans who object to the protests and feel those expressions are disrespectful to the flag and the military.
Conversely, after the meeting with union representatives and players, the social justice league promised to support causes targeted by the protesting players, including reform of the criminal justice system and continued disparagement toward law enforcement officers.
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There has been a great deal of political consternation and talking points about U.S. aid, or the lack thereof, delivered to Puerto Rico.  Indeed, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto has been a favorite of Democrats and liberal U.S. media as a spokesperson for claims the U.S. has not done enough for the island’s people.
However, a disturbing video shows Puerto Rico’s Secretary of State showing boxes and boxes of food, water and supplies being discarded by Puerto Rican officials in dumpsters, obviously not reaching the intended residents.

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Well, well, well. In what can only be described as perfectly representative of the perspectives of Canada, Mexico and the U.S., the principals within NAFTA [Robert Lighthizer (U.S.), Chrystina Freeland (Can), Ildefonso Guajardo (Mex)] showcase their unique positions during a press conference at the conclusion of round #4.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer begins with the elements of a statement that all parties agree upon. Not much. (Transcript added)
Next comes the smug, self-righteous, and virtue signaling Canadian economic parasite Chrystina Freeland; with an over-the-top emotional plea about how military cemeteries should form the basis of multinational trade deals because trade sectors should be based on her feelings, or something. Mexican economic parasite Ildefonso Guarjardo joins the CanMex position decrying the insufferable demands of the economic host: “we must understand that we all have limits.”
Then comes the hammer. Lighthizer announces to both parasites their positions are fraught with hypocrisy and self-preservation; and the time to reset the imbalance is now. Pointing out how Canada and Mexico agreed to TPP text they are now rejecting in NAFTA, and specifically identifying how their companies have become reliant on special preferences, Lighthizer lets Canada and Mexico know that the time for their feasting on the host is OVER. Watch (transcript added below):

The distance between the parties is too significant and a diplomatic “cooling off” period of one month is agreed upon; prior to entry into round #5 which will take place in Mexico, mid-November. The goal of an agreement, if any agreement is possible, concluding by the end of the year is gone.
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NAFTA Round #4 negotiations have been ongoing and resulting in little progress on the serious issues surrounding the three nation trade pact.
Word from behind the scenes, and off-the-record, finds several insiders with the opinion that the decision by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce lobbying group to conflict with President Trump and the U.S. trade team has backfired.
U.S. CoC President Tom Donohue made the decision to align in common cause with Canada and Mexico, against the interests of the U.S., and go public with his attacks against the U.S. negotiating team, the administration and President Trump personally.
Following the confrontational approach by the largest DC lobbying group, the U.S. team asked Canada to take their protectionist trade restrictions off the Dairy and Poultry sectors.  Canada was adamant they will never leave their agriculture unprotected, and rejected any consideration of open trade discussion toward those sectors.
The U.S. is standing firm on three elements that Mexico and Canada are dead-set against:
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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears with Mari Bartiromo to discuss the Iranian nuclear agreement and specifically President Trump’s call for revised security terms.
For those who travel through the deep geopolitical grass, this interview is particularly important as Netanyahu outlines the ‘why now’ aspect.  Note specifically how the Prime Minister frames the economic leverage strategy we have discussed –Backstory Here– and how the regional allies President Trump has assembled are all in concert with the larger objectives.  It’s actually a little surprising to see Netanyahu ‘out’ the Big picture.

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In the background, and as a direct counter to how President Trump is using the Trump Doctrine of economic leverage, you will note that China, Russia, Iran and other state adversaries are creating a financial network to avoid their exposure to U.S. trade currency leverage.  Their strategic action is what’s driving up the value of crypto-currencies like Bitcoin as tools to avoid Trump’s leverage and Secretary Mnuchin’s aligned economic policy influence.
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Just because western media doesn’t understand how President Trump executes a geopolitical strategy based on economic leverage, that doesn’t mean adversaries are not fully aware of the effectiveness of the approach.
The Trump Doctrine has two avenues toward dealing with national security adversaries.
The first route is direct assignment of responsibility toward the enablers: see China for North Korea; The Gulf States for Qatar (Sunni extremism); Russia for Syrian terrorism (Assad); and Pakistan for Afghanistan (Taliban); as recent examples.

However, when the geopolitical threat stems directly from the enabler, and not the enabled, the Trump Doctrine has a distinctly different and far more encompassing, approach.  Route two goes through leveraging regional allies and partners: See ASEAN and India for ¹China; and France, Poland, Baltic States for ²Russia.  And now President Trump is beginning to shift toward ³Iran.
In each case: China, Russia and Iran, unlike Western media, these powers assemble volumes of research to assist them in understanding the most likely sequence of events President Trump will take.
When we say volumes of research, we indeed mean hundreds of people researching and drafting position documents based upon every scintilla of every deal Donald J Trump has engaged in.  No expenses are spared as these state actors assemble information toward their own strategy to counter the most unpredictable adversary they have faced.
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Prior to the 2016 election (Oct ’16) consumer confidence measured by the University of Michigan was indexed at 87.2  Today that same confidence rating is 101.1  A stunning 15.9% increase.  Similarly, consumer expectations were indexing 76.8 in October 2016 and now stand at 91.3, an increase of 18.9%.

(Data)

Consumer confidence is at the highest level since 2004 and Americans have the brightest outlook for their economic future in decades.  The MAGAnomic data is clear. Yet even those who assemble the data interpret MAGAnomics with some false assumptions.

Nonetheless, consumers anticipate low unemployment, low inflation, small increases in interest rates, and most importantly, modest income gains in the year ahead. [True]
It is this acceptance of lackluster growth rates in personal income and in the overall economy that signifies that consumers have accepted, however reluctantly, limits on the pace of improving prospects for living standards.  [False interpretation]

With lowered costs associated with highly-consumable, albeit non Fed measured products (fuel, food, energy), average living standards actually increase.  It is a false interpretation of data to say consumer confidence/expectations are at the highest levels in fifteen years, and simultaneously say people have resigned themselves to stagnant living standards.
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President Trump delivers the weekly address October 13th with remarks focusing attention on the symbolism of our national flag.

[Transcript] My fellow Americans,
Every Fourth of July, we celebrate the day America declared its independence. But this month, let us also remember the day our country won its independence.
Next Thursday, October 19, marks the 236th anniversary of the day that George Washington’s Continental Army defeated the British at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.
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This is a great interview from the perspective of seeing first hand how the disconnect between historic economic theory (Kudlow) runs into the reality of a person (Ross) who completely understands how Trade and Finance are enmeshed in a completely new economic paradigm. [The Myth of Modern Free Markets]
If you have read “The New Economic Dimension” you’ll note that Kudlow represents the economist sitting in the Atlantic, only able to see the Wall Street economy; while Wilbur Ross has a satellite perspective on both the Main Street and Wall Street economic engines.
Kudlow’s financial perspective runs into Ross’s reality about two-thirds of the way through the interview when Secretary Ross asks the question: “I bet you can’t give me an example of an economically sound investment that hasn’t found capital”.  It’s just a splendid thing to watch.

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Despite his financial-centric economic focus Kudlow is a good MAGA ally.  However, Wilbur Ross understands every single pixel of the larger economic picture, and how trade interacts with the larger U.S. economy within the Main Street -vs- Wall Street dynamic.
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At 5:00am on Friday the media will be allowed to discuss the White House Iran Policy Fact Sheet (below).  At approximately 11:30am U.S. media will begin reporting on a previously on-the-record, off camera (no audio), briefing on Iran policy with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Advisor McMaster .  At 12:45pm President Trump will deliver public remarks outlining the Iran Policy.
PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMPS NEW STRATEGY ON IRAN

“It is time for the entire world to join us in demanding that Iran’s government end its pursuit of death and destruction.”
~ President Donald J. Trump”

President Donald J. Trump, in consultation with his national security team, has approved a new strategy for Iran. It is the culmination of nine months of deliberation with Congress and our allies on how to best protect American security.
HIGHLIGHTS: Core Elements of the Presidents New Iran Strategy
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