Dictator Watch - Iran, All is not quiet on New Year's Day

It's a rather slow start to the new year, so it's tempting to just say I've got nothing.  But there are reports of Iran cracking down on protesters to the point of killing them.  President Trump tweeted out a missive on the people of Iran wanting, and deserving freedom.  The left in a fit of Chamberlain-ism, felt the tweet itself deserved condemnation for inflaming the situation. Not Iran - the president's tweet is the problem. Okey-dokey.

This in stark contrast to then president Obama in 2009 who ignored videotaped killings in the streets of Iran and his dismissive quiet helped ensure the ultimate failure of the Iranian Green Revolution, and the served as the seeds of the failure of his own foreign policy on Iran.

President Trump is, as in most things, attempting a new approach. Blanket, predetermined condemnation seems to be a short-sighted approach to solving the problem, but what do I, or president Trump know about foreign policy that the establishment liberalism hasn't already solved?

Happy New Year

Best wishes to everyone for a healthy, safe and prosperous 2011.

“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” ~ Bill Vaughn

Which one are you?

Why are you reading this?

It's New Year's Eve. Shouldn't you be at a party or watching a Bowl Game or something? Anything.

Well if you insist, here's some predictions for 2010.

Keep in mind my predictions for 2009 were only about 40%. But if you are still, still reading, here's some even worse guesses about 2010.

1) The GOP will take 40-50 seats in Congress in 2010, and 4-6 in the Senate.

2) President Obama's approval rating will be in the low 40's.

3) A health care bill will sadly, pass into law. NOTE: If this one holds true, I think you can bump another 8-15 Congressional seats and another 1 or 2 in the Senate into the GOP column. If the GOP vows to revoke the law if in power, then the numbers will be add the higher end of that bump.

4) The viloence in Iran will continue to escalate and will likely, sadly, be brutally suppressed. It will result in international condemnation and no other change.

5) Iran will get very close to having a nuclear weapon by the end of the year.

6) The U.S. unemployment rate will stay above 9%.

7) The inflation rate in the U.S. will show some troubling signs of rising. Interest rates will rise in the latter half of the year.

8) Either San Diego or Minnesota will win the Superbowl. It won't be New Orleans but could still be Indianapolis.

9) China will experience some financial trouble. Weird. I believe they're overextended in some respects.

10) No cap and trade will pass in the U.S.

11) President Obama will attempt another feint towards the center to help Democrats in 2010 elections.

12) Rush Limbaugh will be fine.

That's enough rope to hang my predictive self.

Best wishes for 2010 to one and all - even Democrats.