The left loves to fixate on the façade of politics and Karine Jean-Pierre is a prime example
United States President Joe Biden announced on May 5 that press secretary Jen Psaki would be leaving the White House. Her replacement would be principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who assumed the role on May 13. Psaki, a longtime Democratic politico who worked in former President Barack Obama’s White House as communications director and…
U.S. President Joe Biden gave his first state of the union address on Mar. 1. How did he perform overall? Let’s get the obvious analysis out of the way. There were many things in Biden’s address that I disagreed with. His political agenda is left-leaning and focused on increasing the size and involvement of the…
Oil and politics go hand in hand. They’re virtually inseparable. Recent events once again highlight the energy world’s dynamics. Fundamental factors have played a significant role in getting crude oil prices to the current levels. Yet, none can deny that, to a great extent, geopolitics has been behind the surging markets. Recent events underline this.…
A U.S. program to increase competition in meat-packing won’t work
United States President Joe Biden recently introduced a billion-dollar program to lower food inflation by increasing competition in meat-packing. It’s likely ill-fated. A few weeks ago, a damning report out of Washington suggested the top U.S. meat-packing plants have increased profit margins by 300 per cent since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report,…
Given Biden’s age and niggling concerns therein, there’s a non-trivial chance he won’t see full term
Just a year after giving Donald Trump his electoral walking papers, the Democrats are in some degree of disarray in the United States. It’s still early days and things may turn around before the 2024 election, perhaps even in time for the 2022 midterm elections in the U.S. But the Democrats’ jubilant triumph of 2020…
The president’s son could reap a small fortune from the sales of his mediocre art
Many public and political figures have enjoyed painting, drawing or sculpting as a budding career or a carefree pastime. United Kingdom Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill created over 500 paintings and sold a few in his lifetime. Several U.S. presidents, including Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush, displayed a…
Most likely course of action is a release of oil from emergency reserves
U.S. President Joe Biden must act – and act quickly – to rein in the crude oil markets. Pressure is coming from all sides, including from his Democratic Party. Last week, 11 Democratic senators, including several known for their concerns on climate change, urged Biden in a letter to act quickly. “As the United States…
Is Biden getting ready to cave in to Iran to help rein in oil prices?
Diplomatic pressure is mounting as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies in OPEC+ prepare to decide their next crude oil output move. Global leaders are assembling in Glasgow for the COP26 climate summit this week with considerable unease over increasing gasoline prices. The leaders seem intent on discussing ways to rein in the…
Canada must be aware that protectionism has returned which makes international trade complicated
Canada faces new pressures on any attempts to ramp up international trade. In 1994, the United States, Mexico and Canada created a free-trade region with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Considering that the U.S. has been the largest economy in the world from 1994 to now, NAFTA was a true asset for the…
A global minimum corporate tax is a 20th-century solution imposed on the 21st-century, where the digital realm is disrupting taxation
World leaders should resist U.S. pressure to enact a global minimum corporate tax, despite a recent move by the G7 countries to adopt the plan. It would harm corporations, small companies, workers and consumers while discouraging investment and wealth creation. If anything, the world needs more competition for post-pandemic recovery. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s…