Life and Times of Alex Esguerra — Affordable Books On Line
Foreign Policy, Global Security and Target Outcome
Posted by Alexander Esguerra on
While starting my Sunday reading the,
reminds me of the years following through the various travails of different political administrations, the news media and current events.
Reminiscing back a few months prior to the November 2016 Presidential elections in the few times I've overhead topics being discussed by both Hillary and Donald, I've sort of expected today as forthcoming when regards to Foreign Policy. While I do recognize the deeper thought on putting America first and focusing more domestically, never in the history of the world that Foreign diplomacy and policy has been put aside considerably as what the initial speeches stated. Given the recent developments in Syria, the chemical attack and the missiles deployment, admittedly brings the realization for the new commander in chief that there's no such thing as domestic focused Foreign Diplomacy and Policy.
The Obama administration for sure had deliberated on the same type of missile firing yet only went that far with sanctions and over involvement in foreign diplomacy. Contrary to what this new president thought about Obama's too much involvement with Syria he had to use military force to retaliate. Exercising military force is another discussion point but the shift now has tremendously change on vital importance of Foreign diplomacy as a leading World Power.
Now the whole world watches as to what will be the next steps to the current scenario on Syria, maybe to the extent of finally ousting President Assad of Syria now that Generals are back in the core of the Inner Security Council planning strategies together with the president. Hence with these deliberations on security goes hand in hand with foreign policy strategy recommendations needed which this president might exercise or not.
So I'm going to end this short blog with Richard Haass latest bestselling book, A World in Disarray where he writes about "The United States remains the world’s strongest country, but American foreign policy has at times made matters worse, both by what the U.S. has done and by what it has failed to do.
As Richard Haass explains, the election of Donald Trump and the unexpected vote for “Brexit” signals that many in modern democracies reject important aspects of globalization, including borders open to trade and immigrants."
Alex Esguerra
ADLE International
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A Look into "A Consequential President: The Legacy of Barack Obama" by Michael D'Anto
Posted by Alexander Esguerra on
A Consequential President: The Legacy of Barack Obama Hardcover – January 3, 2017 by Michael D'Antonio
A Consequential President is an indeed generous overview of the Obama administration about Obama's message of change in 2008.
Pulitzer Prize winning author MICHAEL D'ANTONIO delivered of Obama as an individualist who prior to 2008 was certainly an unlikely presidential candidate but his change campaign led to his nomination as the 44th President of the United States. D'Antonio hails from the vibrant journalist team at Newsday who happen to also write "The truth About Trump" where he put together years and decades of interviews and coverage of incoming newly elected President Donald J. Trump.
Obama's change message gave a sign of "hope" which is similar to the new message of "Making America Great Again" by incoming President Trump. Obama's first signature as President was the Economic Recovery Act in 2008 to save the Auto Industry. The events that followed gave economic stability on the stock market and unemployment's reduction at 5%. Yet came with this were challenges on opposition from the US Congress and controversies such as the question of American citizenship.
As Obama winds down his last few days amidst a visit to Capitol Hill yesterday in trying to save his latest signature of the "Affordable Care Act", exchanges between the two major parties as to repealing it or saving this act. It is a true fact that today about 20 million Americans uses the Affordable Care Act which earlier on pave the way to ending the inadequate access of medical treatment by not having medical insurance.
This book also touches on Obama's energy policies in cutting cost of generated power from the sun, wind and even fossil fuels. It continues on Obama's efforts on climate change on global warming and nuclear weapons in Iran. D'Antonio not only writes on the major accomplishments of this presidency but also those not heard or much publicized contributing to the legacy of Barack Obama as President.
D'Antonio noted Obama the first African American minority president as an inspirational leader who had to function and navigate race relations of being black while delivering the promise of hope and change.
As any outgoing presidents in the past, books, memoirs are written as they leave the office on their life, tribulations and legacy. The past developments on the last few days in office, staying in Washington for a while and the recent Capitol Hill visit yesterday somehow gave speculations of what and how Citizen Obama will be in the coming days and years after his presidency.
For now a salute to Michael D'Antonio for writing this great book and till we meet again the 44th President Barack Obama.
Trump's Tax Reform bracket, will it benefit small independent booksellers?
Posted by Alexander Esguerra on
It seems a plan on reducing the tax bracket and income tax to 15%. S Corp's and LLC's seem to be the most benefactor from the said plan.
Through the years, deductions and the like played a big part during tax time. Though reducing the tax bill and more money coming back to an individual and a business helps, it also benefits those having huge corporate profits as well.
The question and reality lies again on the regulations and business climate to operate a small business operation. Taxes are just a segment of the long list of needs every small independent businesses lived through each day to exist.
"The National Federation of Independent Business, say 45% of business owners consider regulations a very serious business problem today. That is up from 17% in 2001. "
In addition, access to working capital continues to be a major obstacle of a small business owner. This is an area where needed regulations can be futile where the incoming Trump administration can also looked into.
Per the NFIB November report, "Four percent of owners reported that all their borrowing needs were not satisfied, unchanged from October. Thirty percent reported all credit needs met (up 1 point), and 52 percent explicitly said they did not want a loan, down 1 point. Only 2 percent reported that financing was their top business problem. Thirty-one percent of all owners reported borrowing on a regular basis (up 3 points). The average rate paid on short maturity loans rose 40 basis points to 5.6 percent. Overall, loan demand remains historically weak, owners can’t find many good reasons to borrow and invest, even with abundantly cheap money."
In such operational structures, liquidity and personal cash flow are the main funding sources for COGS - Cost of Goods Sold, etc., especially in the bookselling industry whom had been over the years continues to automate and slowly update their technology systems.
Hopefully the new SBA - Small Business Administration new chief, Linda McMahon and Trump, together, will have the ability to help revive American small business through actual government assistance (SBA loans, training and federal contract opportunities), but also through something that is even more important: building entrepreneurial confidence.- quoted from Fox News.
Entrepreneurial confidence and the essence of entrepreneurship were some of the basic principles I focused then at APEC Young Entrepreneurs Association and as APEC Youth Representative on the Young Leaders declaration in 1997.
Truly indeed it's back to basics of entrepreneurship access to capital, minimum wage, competitive and profitability structures, and coming together to address policy and regulations affecting each industry.
So my take for other fellow small business owners is that although we have our individual struggles, we have to be strong and united when it comes to policies and regulations which may affect us with the new administration. The key is "Vigilance".
Alex Esguerra
The Economy in 2017 and where we stand!
Posted by Alexander Esguerra on
Amidst the slow growth in the past 2 years globally being long term. economist projects that in the initial part of 2017, the US economy will rebound in lieu of 3-8 % increase in consumer spending since the holiday season started.
It is said the projected GDP growth in 2017 will be around 2% contrary to the projections of 4% of the incoming US President Donald Trump. Inflation was greatly controlled in 2016 due to the low price of oil and crude. The strong US dollar partly is credited to the lower oil price in the markets around a target of $50/barrel next year.
The Bureau of Labor projects that Healthcare jobs will play an increased significantly next year especially those with occupational merits having Masters Degrees. These jobs with be followed by computer related job growths as well as educators.
As the legacy of outgoing President Barack Obama in establishing the economic recovery after the financial crisis in 2008, we should focus on educating ourselves on our careers by learning more adaptive skills towards our jobs. Another area is looking at the stock market improvement towards reclassifying retirement and 401 k plans.
The initial uncertainty of a new administration on the White House will trigger an increase in interest rate and inflation on the early part of 2017 as new rules and ammedaments like the Affordable Care Act may or may not be a huge effect on the new state of the US economy.
The markets for sure will have a wait and see attitude towards new regulations and administrative orders from the new executives in the Trump administration.
As of this writing, we consumer spending towards the christmas and new year continue to revitalized the GDP.
Where we go from here in 2017 again will be a next chapter.
Happy Holidays and a more prosperous 2017.
The Slogan, "Making America Great Again"
Posted by Alexander Esguerra on
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A "Let's Make America Great Again" pin button from Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign Donald Trump wearing a Make America Great Again hat in 2016. "Make America Great Again" is a campaign slogan used in American politics that originated with the Ronald Reagan campaign of 1980. Donald Trump subsequently received a U.S. Service Mark.[1].
Reading through www.greatagain.gov, the incoming Trump administration focuses heavily on Regulatory reform as cornerstone of the Trump Administration, and the effort will include a temporary moratorium on all new regulation, canceling overarching executive orders and a thorough review to identify and eliminate unnecessary regulations that kill jobs and bloat government.
This reminds me a few years ago about the outsourcing of jobs during the Bush administration like call centers being routed to third world countries. As everything nowadays talks about the then Billionaire Mr. Trump cons and pros which might either make America great or worse we don't really know.
What we do know that each person has their own style and business entrepreneurship ideas might be an essential tool on regulatory analysis of the impediments to job creation. The only difference having seen both sides of regulation and moratorium that not all the greatest entrepreneurial approaches to the global mighty economist might work.
Why? It's simply because running a business is entirely much easier to control and manage the outcomes that political governance where even the greatest strategist cannot really conclude if the strategy will work 100%. Thus, back in the days when there was was an enormous doors being open for me from the business socio-civic endeavours to moved to the political arena, I made the decision to simply stay as a private citizen engaged in community and public service.
There were the economist, the entrepreneur moguls in developing countries whom became president that history writes were thought to have done great strides yet who had the same balance of governance failures. Of course, the main difference in politics there's always the pointing game rather than if your a small business owner, then you and yourself is the only one to blame. Quoting from www.greatagain.gov " The regulatory bureaucracy is enormous and its impact on our economy, communities and individual Americans from coast to coast is even larger". With such underlying statement, can we really gauge outcomes on the first 100 days? It validates the complexity of governance yet the incoming administration talks about sensible regulations.
When Barack Obama took the baton in 2008, it talks about the greatest recession in ages where stimulus had to be infused to the economy dealing with the stock market chaos, the auto industry, etc.., Yet as I've heard people from the midwest talking about why they needed a change for steel, plant workers and or the middle class which is why Pres. Donald Trump won in big numbers on these states. Looking at this arguments, brings my historical picture of what politics is about anywhere in the world. The bottom line as I've noted over and over through the years, what is there for "Mainstream America"?
It's too early to pre-judged yet it's not too early to constantly watch the next steps and react in proper decorum. Civil rights, equality, and respect will be a good trend gauging arena as after all these were all the rhetoric focus on this election.
