Hostess Brands (Wonder Bread, Twinkies, etc.) spent eight of the last 11 years in Chapter 11 bankruptcy (reorganization). When union negotiations broke down, the company converted to Chapter 7 (liquidation) and started selling assets in March. The Teamsters agreed to some cuts but the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union voted to reject. Wasteful union work rules helped bring the company down; job losses amounted to about 18,500.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina ascended to the Papacy, becoming the titular head of the Roman Catholic Church and its 1.2 billion disciples or about 17% of the world’s population. He became Pope Francis upon his election on March 13, 2013. His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI became Pope Emeritus, the first Pope to retire since Pope Gregory XII in 1415.
The Pope and the President of the United States are two titans of world leadership and persuasion. We will soon find out which of the two leaders triumphs when the US Supreme Court rules on required free contraception by all organizations under the Affordable Care Act.
Nelson Mandela was hailed as the person who introduced democracy to South Africa after being released following 27 years in prison. Born on July 18, 1918, he died in Johannesburg on December 5, 2013. He once said, “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” About 60,000 people paid homage to Mandela at a memorial service in a Johannesburg soccer stadium.
The US national debt continued to climb out of control. Current figures indicate that the national debt will increase by approximately $642 billion for a record-setting $17 trillion meaning that each citizen is on the hook for more than $54,000. Unfunded liabilities now exceed $127 trillion with liability of more than $1 million per taxpayer.
Revelations turned up in May that the IRS had singled out an inordinate number of conservative non-profit organizations for delays and reviews. No one lost their job and it is shocking that the IRS will be responsible for overseeing the ACA. No arrests have been made and no accountability has been assigned regarding the Benghazi or Fast and Furious debacles.
Edward Snowden, an employee of a government contractor released substantial NSA files, exposing national security secrets. Snowden has turned up in Russia and believes he is a legitimate whistle-blower. While the scope of the challenges and needed changes are unclear, the NSA enigma of collecting megadata will be circulated about in government suites for years. Remember, that’s what we pay these elected officials to do: circulate, stimulate and equivocate.
About 17% of the federal government shut down from October 1 through October 16. The Republicans were blamed but had the President accepted the postponement of the ACA for one year, he would have been acclaimed as a great mediator, there would have been no shutdown and the introduction of Obamacare would have been more successful.
New conflicts are erupting throughout the world. Bashar Assad of Syria is now adding to the estimated 130,000 killed by dropping barrel bombs while his cache of chemical weapons is being removed. Former Egyptian President Morsi has been overthrown and the Muslim Brotherhood has been outlawed. South Sudan is a hotbed of unrest. Ukraine is hitching its future to Russia. Both Israel and Saudi Arabia are unhappy with our secret negotiations with Iran.
The rollout of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been troubled since the October 1 startup. Dates have been postponed, conditions have changed; the implementation has been a disaster. Many participants are unsure if they have coverage at any price.
The winds of indecision and uncertainty seem to be carrying our ship-of-state adrift. Considering the domestic and international quandaries, perhaps the mainstream media should consider discontinuing the promotion of the Affordable Care Act as a Presidential legacy and replace it with the events of May 2nd 2011 when Osama bin Laden’s birth certificate, concealed carry permit and camel driver’s license were voided.
– Dick Baynton