Saturday, April 16, 2022

Foxx right to implement bail reform, prosecutorial scrutiny


I support; indeed applaud Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx for her efforts, the first ever I believe by a Cook County State’s Attorney, to address the glaring issues of excessive incarceration for being poor (no bail money) and for being black/brown (targets of excessive, even criminal prosecution).
There is no connection whatsoever between her reform efforts and violent crime in Cook County. Prosecution and conviction rates are little different, if any, from previous administrations. Her reforms are improving the criminal justice system without endangering the public. Her reforms put the emphasis on truly violent offenders, as it should.
Foxx’s critics are simply grandstanding by making up unsupported allegations that put the entire blame for rising violent crime on her administration. Case in point is the recent frivolous bill introduced in the Illinois House by Lake County Representative Chris Bos, calling for Foxx’s recall. Bos’ bill offered not one iota of evidence in support, and his failure to respond to Foxx’s detailed rebuttal was further evidence his bill amounted to ‘tough on crime’ pandering.
Foxx was re-elected in 2020 in large part because her reforms resonate with a majority of Cook County voters. Instead of standing on the sidelines, ignoring county, state and federal efforts to curtail gun availability and provide uplift for poor, crime ridden communities, Foxx’s critics should support those efforts if truly interested in reducing violent crime.

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

America sanctioning itself into economic decline

 No one sanctions like America. Two or three dozen countries being destabilized with many thousands dying from lack of food, medicine and commerce makes no dent in Uncle Sam’s conscience.  

But there is an increasingly self-destructive downside to U.S. sanctions besides the fact they simply don’t work to achieve U.S. foreign policy goals while getting foreign innocents killed.   

All those U.S. sanctions now on steroids against Russia over Ukraine war are working to disincentive many important countries from paying for trade, especially energy resources, in the good ‘ol dollar. This will likely cause the current the 60% of world’s reserves held in dollars to begin heading south.  

China, fearing U.S. world dominance, has joined into alliance with Russia, buying their oil with Chinese yuan. India is considering doing same with rupees. Fair weather ally Saudi Arabia is also dumping the dollar in trade with China. That’s only 3 countries but over 35% of world population.   

How will that effect the U.S. economy? Let us count the ways.  

  1. Costlier imports 
  2. Higher government borrowing costs 
  3. Higher personal borrowing costs 
  4. Rising deficits 
  5. Eventual reduction of essential services damaging the fragile U.S. social safety net
  6. The U.S. printing press of inflationary dollars goes silent  
  7. Only military spending will be spared, rising endlessly toward an annual trillion dollars 

By all means, let’s continue the upward expansion of sanctions against friend and foe alike. Then watch U.S. world dominance based on our almighty dollar and almighty military, sink into the Davy Jones Locker of failed empires.