Service of Insecurity Triggers: Healthcare, Economy and 45’s Strategy
Thursday, May 4th, 2017
There’s a lot to make a person feel on edge these days. Just to mention a few issues:
In healthcare:
- Will Congress change the rules so that health insurance companies can charge what they like—as big pharma can—with the consequence that coverage will no longer be an option for millions including many who’ve traditionally been able to afford it?
- Is insuring preexisting conditions really back on the chopping
block in spite of 45s promises that it isn’t? I thought we’d settled that issue to a resounding national sigh of relief, but apparently not.
The economy:
- GDP grew in the first quarter at its slowest pace in three years with a self-proclaimed business genius at the helm, [0.7 percent].
- Who is going to make up the slack when corporations and the 1 percent get discounts on their taxes?
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The retail industry is in shambles. There are many reasons for the latter: popularity of e-tailing/online shopping, increased purchases on mobile phones, etc. This is America, land of the chronic consumer and these retailers, too, have their oars in virtual waters. Troublesome also as so many jobs are involved.
- A short article in The Wall Street Journal, “S&P’s Warning: Here Are 10 Public Retailers Most in Danger of Default: Number of bankruptcies so far this year has already come close to 2016 total,” screamed out at me. It wasn’t on the front page, but tucked in a middle one. Some names are familiar–Sears is among those that Khadeeja Safdar listed and daily we read of other household brands not in the article, such as Nordstrom and J Crew, that expect falling sales.
45s strategy to make daily headlines at all costs doesn’t help. To achieve this he is mercurial, says and does outrageous things, takes an unorthodox stance for the fun of it and damn the torpedoes. It works–he’s front page news. His followers aren’t bothered but the approach, in addition to the anxiety-provoking real triggers, is making me uneasy. Am I alone? What antidotes do you recommend?