60 Minutes Interviews Matteo Renzi of Italy

      The opening segment this past Sunday featured Italy and its young Premier, Matteo Renzi, the 41 year old leader of this Western European mainstay.   He revealed his position concerning this coming Sunday's referendum Election..   He has staked his political future on the outcome.  He hopes to change how politics is done on the peninsula.  He wants to reduce the number of senators in parliament in an attempt to reduce the roadblocks that exist to thwart legislation that is needed to push the economic growth of the nation.  Growth or lack there of has hampered all segments of the economy.  The banking sector stands out as the weak link of the entire economy.   Hundreds of millions of Euros in bad loans has weakened the banks ability to fund business expansion.  The ECB, managed by Italian Mario Draghi, has been doing all it can to promote business development and economic expansion without much success for the past 3 years.
     Matteo Renzi represents a significant change from business as usual in Italy.  At age 39, he was the youngest premier in Italy's history.  The former mayor of Florence rocketed to the top spot in record time.  Timing was on his side as unemployment rose and the ECB promoted austerity at all costs.  Wages were cut and businesses closed, putting people out of work from north to south.
     The election is Sunday.  The members of the EU await the outcome, knowing there is change in the wind.  (See UK and France and USA).   Will the populist approach find fertile ground in Italy?  The 5 Star MOvement is waiting in the wings.  This radical party of followers of Beppo Grillo the comedian hope to secure a large segment of Parliament.  Horrors.
We'll see.

Nancy Pelosi: Queen of the Infertile Coast

      So, birth rates are plummeting in the US among white residents.  Closer examination locates the low rate areas on both east coast and west coast.  Hmmm.   Aren't these the fortified bastions of liberal voters and constituents?  Yes, they are.  And where does the minority leader in the House, Mrs. Nancy Pelosi, hail from?  Why San Francisco, of course, the navel of Democratic One-Party leadership.   So, the 76 year old Grandmother will continue to dole out party favors to the Old Guard Dems who are still reeling from the November 8th setbacks at the polls across the fruited plain.  Absent the irascible Senator Harry Reid(1 more month), Nancy is the de facto leader of all Dems.
     A leadership challenger to Ms. Pelosi did so in a half-hearted attempt at change; but this was for show and not taken seriously by folks with brains.    Maybe she really is waiting for the electorate to swing back to the Dems, but it is more likely that she'll be sent home to Fog City long before that happens.  The voters wanted real change and they got it, come what may.   No more business/politics as usual, Thank you very much, Mr. Trump.   Hillary did not play her advantage well at all, and Ms. Pelosi hardly helped her cause.   Rarely was Grandma seen on the campaign trail: who wants that  support?  Not Hillary.   The Clintons will resort to speech making and tending the grandchild, and counting their ducats in the counting house at Chappaqua.
      The bigger problem facing the Dems, really, is the birth rate.  No kids= no votes.  Recent published figures indicate that Dems don't want families.  A survey of nationwide stats indicate very low or nonexistent replacement rates on both coasts.  Where the money/jobs are= no new children.  Hmmm.  Any chance of turning this around?   Not really: too much student debt, too much job insecurity; too much money; and too much narcissism.   Time will tell, but it doesn't look good for Dems.

Justin Trudeau: Laughing Stock of Western Hemisphere

      We could forgive him because of his relative youth; but we won't on that score or any other.  He 's the leader of  a modern democracy that enjoys excellent relations with its neighbor(s) to the south and the rest of the free world(note word -FREE).
     So, here we have this kid commenting on the passing of the Red Dictator Fidel Castro, architect of the imprisonment of a nation, CUBA.  Now we could go ahead and list the crimes of this modern day maniac, but they have been listed by others of late.  At the least, Mr. Trudeau should know better.  Why yes, Canadians have been visiting this island of no human rights for years; drinking rum, laying on the beach, hanging out in Old Havana as though nothing has changed since Batista's days before the Jesuit-trained Commie pushed the old order aside with promises of a "new" Democracy.
    Ha.  First thing the pirate did was execute 500 opponents and rivals.  "Up against the Wall" became a slogan of revolutionaries here, there and everywhere.  His band of cut-throat pirates even sent a few of their own up against the wall for even whispering dissent.  The lucky ones were sent to some hell hole prisons, like Guantanamo(Cuban version, only worse).   Even Fidel's protege, the murderous Che Guavera, the Argentinian pirate, took off from the island and went to Bolivia to try his version of Fidel's "revolution".  The Bolivians didn't appreciate his efforts and executed him in the jungle after he and his pirates were hunted down like so many dogs.
      So, now the Heritage Foundation will classify Mr. Trudeau as a "Pinko" and lower his rating to BBB-, or close to junk, where he belongs.  What an idiot!

Cuba: The Wicked Witch is Dead

       At 90 years +, Fidel Castro has succumbed to Father Time, finally.   He leaves behind little Bro Raul, another follower of the Bolshevik Revolution that has died out worldwide excepting a few minor tyrannies.
     The Island of Cuba and its residents have been under the yoke of this failed system for almost 60 years.  That's a long time to live under constant threat of arrest and incarceration at the whim of a dictator.   But old Fidel managed to keep his myth alive by all the usual methods perfected in the Soviet Union during Stalin's rule and a few of his successors.   But eventually, the system crumbled.  In Cuba, despite its proximity to the Land of the North, 90 miles away, the Castro Brothers figured it out: give a little, lie a lot, and round up the dissenters right away.
     Now Cubans just have to wait for Little Bro to kick the bucket.  Shouldn't be too long, despite his rhetoric.   President Obama has reached out to the island, but little has been done to promote good will between countries.  Wary Raul doesn't want to bring down capitalism before Fidel is in the ground.   So, we will wait and see.
      Meanwhile, good riddance to bad rubbish.

Turkey President Lambasts EU

      Well it seems President Erdogan of Turkey is unhappy with recent announcements from Brussels and points West.  It appears that the coup attempt has unhinged this man, releasing all his demons.  He just recently(last Tuesday) fired 15,000 civil servants/gov. employees.  This follows various censorship moves, shutting down newspapers and shuttering media outlets.
      The former agreements to provide migrant control at the Turkish border appear to be in jeopardy.  Despite the EU's provision of E3 billion's to finance the effort, the Turkish government has made statements that this agreement is being reviewed.   All this political exchange underscores the ongoing Middle East quagmire as Russya steps up aerial bombing in the Syria city of Aleppo as the Assad regime attempts to drive out rebel forces.

Weather Front to Dump White Stuff

     Maybe it's not the ideal schedule, but come on-we need it.  The forecast for the rest of the weekend includes some serious snow mixed with some rain.  Word to the wise: if you have to get home before Monday morning-leave tonight.  That's right.  Do yourself and family and friends a favor, avoid the rush and the inevitable congestion on I- 80.  Well, maybe you don't care or you feel that the skiing will be great for the powder skis.
     Go ahead, gamble with your sanity.   This holiday weekend could set the tone for the entire winter ski season, including the Christmas holiday period.  The temps will hover around freezing, so there will be some slush and ice, both of which will contribute to difficult driving.  Postponed putting on snow tires?  Well, get smart: do it this morning before you can't/before you won't.  You owe it to your neighbors in Meeks Bay/Tahoma/Homewood.
    For the residents/permanents: enjoy the holiday and all those leftover turkey parts.  Make some soup.

Nicolas Maduro Gets a Message From US DOJ

     The trial of two relatives of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro came to an end last week with two convictions.   The 2 nephews of the president were both convicted on multiple counts of drug trafficking and conspiracy to sell and distribute drugs in the US.  Captured by US authorities, the 2 were brought to the States and held for trial.   They were caught before they were allowed to carry out their dirty deeds.   They assumed that they would be immune from prosecution because of their relation with the president.   However, they were wrong, and now they face decades in US prisons for their crimes.
     Welcome to the US and its system of justice which continues to work just fine, unlike that in most Latin American countries, including the brothers' home in Venezuela.
     Maybe President Maduro, who is having his own troubles, will come north for a visit to check up on the 2 young drug dealers.  Maybe not.