BloggeRhythms

Yesterday’s entry regarded an article @latimes.com via Drudge that morning that “illustrated the horrid results encountered when clearly unqualified critics take on subjects far beyond their comprehension capabilities.”

Setting their premise the article's authors wrote: “After 10 weeks of pinballing through political and domestic fiascos largely of his own making, President Trump last week faced the kinds of wrenching external challenges no White House occupant can avoid for long.

“This was the week a reality-TV presidency faced cold reality.” 

Realities mentioned included the Syrian crisis and escalating U.S. concerns about North Korea’s ballistic missile tests and nuclear capability, “even as Trump held back-to-back summits with three visiting foreign leaders, including China's president.”  

Then, throughout the article numerous examples were provided in each of which Trump was cast in extremely negative light. Yet, in most of what the authors presented, negativity arose simply because the authors had neither the experience, appropriate education or intellectual capability to grasp Trump's problem-solving acumen, methodology, operating style or negotiation technique. 

And now, today, additional items in the news underscore that not only are typical leftist journalists out of touch with real world practicalities, but have no understanding of pragmatic leadership whatsoever. Because additional forward strides have been taken once more by the new POTUS, as evidenced in the following items.

According to Sean Moran @breitbart.com: “President Donald Trump’s campaign promises already have convinced drug companies to lower prices and increase transparency.

In January, Trump put the pharmaceutical industry on notice, explaining drug prices were too high and that drug companies were “getting away with murder.” Trump added, “PhRMA has a lot of lobbies, a lot of lobbyists, a lot of power. And there’s very little bidding on drugs. We’re the largest buyer of drugs in the world, and yet we don’t bid properly. We’re going to start bidding. We’re going to save billions of dollars over a period of time.”

As a result, since election day several large drug companies offered to lower the annual increase of prices. “Novo Nordisk President Jakob Riis promised to limit the annual increase in drug prices. Riis explained, “We hear from more and more people living with diabetes about the challenges they face affording healthcare, including the medicines we make. We take this issue seriously and have been thinking about what we can do to better support patients,” Riis said. 

“This has become a responsibility that needs to be shared among all those involved in healthcare and we’re going to do our part.”

“Novo Nordisk followed the leadership of Brent Saunders, chief executive of Allergan, who issued a “social contract,” promising to limit the annual increase of the price of pharmaceuticals. 

“Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and Lilly unveiled plans to increase their transparency regarding their drug pricing.” 

Pledging to lower the price of drugs by easing regulations from the Food and Drug Administration, which would make it easier to get drugs approved. Trump stated, “We’re also going to be streamlining the process, so that, from your standpoint, when you have a drug, you can actually get it approved if it works, instead of waiting for many, many years.”

Robert Hugin of Celgene argued that the changes encouraged by President Trump stand to benefit every American. Hugin said, “The changes he is proposing are ones that I think are going to be great for the country and consumers.” 

All of which adds up to another promise fulfillment for the new POTUS. 

Next comes the recent thoughts of Ralph Peters, retired United States Army lieutenant colonel best known in the media for his appearances on Fox News, who previously stated that “Barack Obama’s "preemptive retreat" was the reason for an ongoing “blood bath” in Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and Libya” 

Then, according to Wikipedia, “when commenting on the ongoing U.S. diplomacy with Cuba, Iran, and Russia, Ralph Peters stated that President Obama has been “date raped.” He added that soft questioning that NPR posed to President Obama regarding foreign relations was “what you need to know about the state of NPR.” 

And now, today, Colonel Peters wrote @nypost.com: “The United States is back. There are, indeed, red lines. And the enemies of humanity cross those lines at their peril. 

“Nor was the lesson lost on President Xi Jinping of China, who, with perfect timing, is our president’s guest at Mar-a-Largo. 

“The coming days will see no end of partisan second-guessing, hand-wringing and, yes, actual repercussions. But President Trump did the right thing. Relying on the strong backbones of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and, not least, our men and women in uniform, the president knocked it out of the park on his first time at bat in the foreign-policy big leagues. 

“As I write these lines, I’m unabashedly proud to be an American. Republican, Democrat or independent, you should be, too. Once again, we stood on the side of justice and humanity.

“It’s been too damned long, but we’re back.” 

However, if the Colonel is already “unabashedly proud to be an American,” it would be hard to guess at what his feelings will become when learning about new military developments as reported by Ben Kew @breitbart.com today.  

“The Trump administration is reportedly considering positioning nuclear weapons in South Korea in an attempt to fend off rising hostility from the North Korean regime.

“According to NBC News, the National Security Council has presented Donald Trump and his advisers with a range of options to counteract the North Korean threat, among them positioning nuclear weapons in South Korea or assassinating the country’s dictator Kim Jong-un.

“The possibility of this kind of action seems to fit 

“Secretary of Defense James Mattis has previously warned that any attack from North Korea on the United States would lead to a retaliation that is both “effective and overwhelming.”

Which means that military experts finally have a Commander-in-Chief they not only respect, but also can rely on.  

Bringing us to another subject, which also reflects the change in attitude at the nation’s top and the positive results gained from that.

Jenny Jarvie reports from the same latimes.com that continues finding fault with Trump, that: “Across the Southwest border, the number of immigrants caught crossing illegally into the United States has dropped dramatically. Fewer than 12,200 people were apprehended in March, a 64% decrease from the same time last year, and the lowest monthly number in at least 17 years.

Marlene Castro, a supervisory Border Patrol agent, who has worked for Customs and Border Protection for nearly 20 years, said: “We don’t really have a normal anymore.” She insists agents are not doing anything differently; the Trump administration’s executive orders are simply enforcing laws already on the books. 

“Are you going to risk a 1,000-mile journey and pay $8,000 to be smuggled if you’re not sure you’ll get to stay?” Castro said, offering a reason she thinks fewer asylum seekers are crossing over. “I wouldn’t.”

And thus it seems, by presenting his unequivocal hard stance against illegal entry, he’s given himself considerably more time to raise the funds required for his wall. It’s also quite possible that if he keeps insisting that border agents do their jobs as intended, a wall might not be needed at all.

That's it for today folks.

Adios