It is no secret that Australia is a weak country, as I stated above. You must kiss the backside of the U.S., you have no choice in the matter.
To the Brits, much love.
There’s no better feeling than pride and country over an outsider, but unfortunately you can’t say the same. 
@SmallPaul, You are so full of shite… Australia is one of the safest, best quality of life Nation’s on the Planet… One of the best Passports to have…
Top 10 Countries with the Highest Quality of Life - U.S. News Best Countries Report 2023
Don’t see the United States in the Top 10…
Australia in the Top 10 again… Don’t see the United States… Again…
Even according to your Leftist News Outlet Yahoo Finance… Australia is Ranked 14th for countries with the highest quality life compared to the United States way back in 21st…
As usual … You have no idea what you are talking about… The Clown you voted for opened the Border and has wrecked the US’s Economy and quality of life for years to come…
Interesting list.
Regarding Canada, ranked first in that list …
My daughter, born in the US, has dual US/Canadian citizenship and lives in Canada (British Columbia) with her family. She and her husband are totally contemptuous of Justin Trudeau, the woke-wussy Prime Minister of Canada. but they seem content with their Provincial government in British Columbia. And overall, they much prefer life in Canada, to life in the US.
On my various visits to Canada — both eastern and western Canada — I have not witnessed major discontent, on the part of Canadians, with their economic circumstances. So, I was very surprised to read the following article by Byron King in The Rude Awakening — surprised that there seems to be growing discontent among the population, and surprised also that the source of this information is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the national police force of Canada.
Who knew that socio-economic research and analysis is a police function in Canada?
If this article is an accurate representation of sentiment in Canada, it challenges their No. 1 ranking in the list you posted.
Here’s a link to the Byron King article: Canada’s Downfall | The Rude Awakening
And here are some excerpts from that article:
Canada’s Downfall
According to Canada’s National Post, from which I borrowed the headline above, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has warned the government in Ottawa that “Canada may descend into civil unrest once citizens realize the hopelessness of their economic situation.”
Per the RCMP, “The coming period of recession will … accelerate the decline in living standards that the younger generations have already witnessed compared to earlier generations.”
You want doom and gloom? Downfall? Look north, to Canada. And again, this message comes not from some bellyaching newsletter editor; no, it’s straight from the RCMP, Canada’s national police force, which runs a branch focused on social, political, and economic analysis.
By way of background, in mid-2022 – just after the “Trucker” event; see below – the RCMP began work on a report for high-level political actors in Ottawa, the seat of Canada’s federal government.
The first cut of the RCMP report painted such a funerary image of a diminished future that it was officially classified as “Secret.” But some things are so incendiary that they don’t long stay under wraps. Heavily redacted, the report is now out there.
U.S. assistance is still needed for this weak country.
As a result of Biden’s immigration policies and the border crisis, this is potentially the year when the curse is broken.
2024 will mark a sorry anniversary for the Republican Party: 20 years since President George W. Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign won both the popular and Electoral College votes. That feat has since eluded three GOP presidential nominees and one incumbent.
The critical question is, “Are Republicans capable of nominating a winning ticket to halt this embarrassing losing trend?” I doubt it since rapidly changing demographics are reducing the Republicans’ popular vote count in battleground states.
In 2016, Donald Trump was elected president by winning only the Electoral College — a political fluke that he did not repeat in 2020. Moreover, the demeaning label “illegitimate president” can haunt a commander in chief who wins without the popular vote. Just ask George W. Bush, circa 2000.
To understand how this forthcoming non-celebratory 20th anniversary of continuous political loss manifested itself, let’s begin with notable 2004 state voting data and compare it to 2020 state results.
But first, the basic facts: Incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in a demure, respectable campaign by today’s standards. Bush won the popular vote 50.7 to 48.3 percent and the Electoral College vote 286 to 251.
Subsequently, four states totaling 32 electoral votes that contributed to Bush topping 270 in 2004 have since become GOP Electoral College “dropouts.” Starting in 2008, every Democratic presidential ticket has won the following states (with their 2024 electoral votes in parentheses): Virginia (13), Colorado (10), Nevada (6) and New Mexico (5).
Where does the Republican Party go to replace those 34 electoral votes? Good question. GOP presidential candidates dream about turning back the clock but wake up to face this daunting data:
In 2004, Bush won Virginia by a safe 8.2 percentage point margin, but in 2020 Biden won by an even safer 10.1 points.
Colorado used to be Bush country by a comfortable margin of 4.7 percentage points. Then in 2020, Biden achieved an astounding 13.5-point victory.
New Mexico was a 2004 Bush squeaker where he won by 0.7 percentage point. Yet, Biden triumphed with 10.8 points.
Then in Nevada, Bush took the state by only 2.6 points, and Biden won with a 3-point margin.
As referenced earlier, the comparative data from those four states demonstrate a more significant demographic voter problem that will dog the Republican Party into 2024. Here is the major obstacle using data from the Roper Center from 2004 and 2020:
In 2004, whites composed 77 percent of voters, a share that shrunk to 67 percent by 2020. Bush was reelected in 2004 after winning the white vote 58 to 41 percent over Kerry. But in 2020, Trump lost reelection to Joe Biden even after winning whites 58 to 41 percent — the same percentage Bush won in 2004.
Hence, that 10 percent drop in whites as a share of voters from 2004 to 2020 proved detrimental to Trump. And in 2024, the white percentage will continue shrinking (perhaps by three points), the same decrease from 2016 to 2020, when white voters dipped from 70 to 67 percent.
By comparison, 1984 Roper data show that 86 percent of voters were white when President Reagan won his reelection landslide, winning them 66 to 34 percent over former Vice President Walter Mondale.
While still heavily relying on white voters, the Republican Party continues to lose states that had historically been red — most prominently Georgia and Arizona in 2020. So again, let’s compare both states to Bush’s 2004 benchmark victory to grasp the GOP’s precipitous decline.
Bush won Arizona by 10.5 percentage points. Sixteen years later, Biden eked out a 0.3 percentage point surprise defeat over Trump — who in 2016 had won Arizona by 3.6 percentage points. Thus, in 2024, Arizona catapults to the highest tier of battleground states with its 11-vote Electoral College prize.
Trump, who lost the popular vote in 2016, was elected president because he busted through the triple blue wall by winning an extra 77,744 votes spread across Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin — earning 46 electoral votes. Then in 2020, those three states reverted to blue when Biden won with similarly close margins as Trump in 2016.
The Republican Party faces a crisis due to its shrinking white voter base unless it makes commensurate gains among the growing non-white electorate, which totaled 33 percent of voters in 2020 and which Biden won 71 to 26 percent over Trump. That 33 percent will increase in 2024.
Nearly 20 years after he became the last Republican to win the popular and electoral votes, George W. Bush has ironically become an outcast in a Trump-dominated party. GOP voters in 2024 are unlikely to nominate a candidate who can match Bush’s 2004 achievement, which will require a major realignment and rebranding.
@Clint As you would be aware… Like Canada, Australia is another Commonwealth Nation which relies on the Westminster style of Government… With all the positives… And the negatives…
Australia has a very similar society to Canada… And a major commodities export reliant economy with very similar strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
We are currently Governed by the Australian Labor Party… A leftist rabble of ideologues… More interested in ideals and narratives than the good of the people and the long term prosperity of the nation… Sound familiar…?
Hundreds of Millions of dollars being wasted on vanity project’s that have no baring on the improvement of society… Hospitals, Social Services and Police forces stripped of funding while State Labor Governments spend billions on infrastructure that will be used by ~10% of the population…
“There’s not a dollar of someone else’s that Australian Labor doesn’t want to spend…”
Just like the Trudeau Government, they are hellbent on crushing all fossil fuels for energy generation and the implementation of unsustainable green initiative’s (Climate Taxation) that is driving the cost of living for the average Australian into the stratosphere…
Western Governments across the globe have forgotten what their sole purpose is…
“It’s not to ensure their re-election… It’s to ensure they make a difference…”
Australians have nothing against the United States… We breathe a similar culture, fight the same wars… As Konstantin Kisin said during his recent first visit Downunder. " Australia is a country that looks like America, that is full of British people that aren’t miserable…"
Unfortunately… A few in this thread have no concept of what goes on outside of their Borders…
I had to take a moment and laugh at this statement, I would say Australia is a nice country.
Throughout our history we have been involved in wars and conflicts large and small for decades, I won’t go to far back, we can start with Franklin Roosevelt in 1933.
Since World War Two, the United States has had 15 presidents. They all have dealt with an America at war, dealing with varying degrees of conflict. Most of them, such as President Trump, who took office in January of 2017, or President Biden, who took office in January of 2021, inherited wars begun or left over from their predecessors. Here is a listing of wars and conflicts under each president, beginning with the administration of Franklin Roosevelt in 1933 through the current administration of Joe Biden. As events warrant, new wars and conflicts will be added.
Inherited:
U.S. Occupation of Haiti, which Roosevelt ended in 1933
Initiated:
U.S. involvement in World War Two
Wars of Harry S Truman (1945-1953)Inherited:
World War Two. Truman made the decision to use two atomic bombs on Japan
Initiated/Engaged:
U.S. involvement in the Cold War against the Soviet Union and associated communist states and organizations
U.S. involvement in the Korean War
Cold War Crisis/Incidents:
Soviet Occupation of Northern Iran
Greek Civil War (U.S. supplied aid and military advisors to aid Greek government against communist rebels)
Berlin Crisis of 1948 and Berlin Airlift
Communist victory in Chinese Civil War. The U.S. supported the losing Nationalist Chinese side that then moved to the island of Formosa (now Taiwan), when they lost the war to the Communists.
Inherited:
Cold War
U.S. involvement in the Korean War
Initiated/Engaged:
Covert U.S. action in Guatemala and Iran
U.S. military intervention in Lebanon in 1958
Military Intervention in Vietnam (advisors sent in 1955. The U.S had 900 U.S. troops in Vietnam by the end of 1960)
Cold War Crisis/Incidents:
Taiwan Straits Crisis of 1954
Hungarian Revolution (Hungarians unsuccessfully rebelled against Soviets in 1956)
Fidel Castro’s victory in Cuban Revolution and his alliance with the Soviets. U.S. begins covert operations against Cuba, including planning for invasion by Cuban exiles.
U2 Spy Plane Shootdownand Crisis (1960)
Inherited:
Cold War
Covert Operations against Castro’s Cuba
U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War
Initiated/Engaged:
Increase of American involvement in Vietnam and Laos. By the time of Kennedy’s death in 1963, nearly 16,000 U.S. troops were in Vietnam.
Cold War Crisis/Incidents:
Berlin Wall Crisis of 1961
Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba by Cuban Exiles with U.S. aid in 1961 (planning had begun under the Eisenhower Admninistration)
Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962-Nearly led to war with Soviet Union
Inherited:
Cold War
U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. By the time Johson left office in January, 1969, over 500,000 U.S. troops were in Vietnam.
Initiated/Engaged:
U.S. Invasion/Intervention in the Dominican Republic in 1965
Cold War Crisis/Incidents:
Korean DMZ Conflict. Low-level combat along the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea. This conflict lasted from 1966 to December of 1969. The U.S. suffered 43 dead and 111 wounded.
USS Pueblo Crisis of 1968 North Korea attacked and captured the U.S. Naval ship the Pueblo off the Korean coast.
Six-Day Arab-Israeli War of 1967. The U.S. supported Israel, while the Soviets supported Egypt, Syria, and Iraq
Inherited:
Cold War
U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. During the Johnson Administration, the war escalated to the point that in 1968, more than 500,000 U.S. troops were serving in Vietnam. Nison also sent troops to fight North Vietnamese forces in Cambodia and Laos as part of the Vietnam War.
Cold War Crisis/Incidents:
American North Korean Shootdown U.S. Navy EC-121 reconnaissance plane in 1969. The North Korean attack resulted in 31 U.S. servicemembers killed.
1973 Arab-Israeli War. Soviet-supported Arab states attacked Israel. The U.S. supported Israel. Intense U.S. and Soviet support of their allies nearly led to war.
Inherited:
Cold War
U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War
Initiated/Engaged:
Final combat of the Indochina/Vietnam War in May of 1975, with the attempted rescue of the SS. Mayaguez from Cambodian communist rebels.
Cold War Crisis/Incidents:
Soviet and Cuban interventions in Africa.
1976 Axe Murder at Panmunjom. North Korean troops kill an American soldier at the truce village of Panmunjom, Korea.
Inherited:
Cold War
Initiated/Engaged:
Cold War Crisis/Incidents: Soviet and Cuban interventions in Africa
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. After the Soviet invasion of Afghanista, Carter initiated U.S. assistance to the Afghan resistance.
Inherited:
Cold War
Ongoing hostility with Iran
Initiated/Engaged:
U.S. Intervention in Lebanon
Covert War on Nicaragua (Contra War)-part of Cold War
Salvadoran Civil War-U.S. provided military assistance and advisors to aid the government of El Salvador against communist rebels, who were supported by Cuba and Nicaragua.
U.S. Invasion of Grenada- part of Cold War. U.S. forces engaged in combat with Cuban troops for the first time in the Cold War
U.S. Conflict with Libya
U.S. Involvement in Iran-Iraq War (Tanker War and Iran-Contra Arms Deals)
Cold War Crisis/Incidents:
Soviet and Cuban interventions in Africa. The U.S. provided both overt and covert assistance to nations and armed groups in Africa opposing Soviet and Cuban interventions in Angola and Ethiopia.
Soviet Occupation of Afghanistan (U.S. actively aids Afghan resistance against Soviets)
Inherited:
Cold War-With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Cold War ended in 1991
Ongoing hostility with Iran
Initiated/Engaged:
U.S Invasion of Panama in 1989
Persian Gulf War to liberate Kuwait against Iraq in 1990-1991
No-Fly Zone War in Iraq (U.S. and Britain enforced no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq, while also initiated a virtual military occupation of the Kurdish areas of northern Iraq
U.S. Intervention in Somalia
Inherited:
Ongoing hostility with Iran
U.S. Intervention in Somalia
Ongoing conflict with Iraq (No-Fly Zone War)
Initiated/Engaged:
U.S. Invasion of Haiti in 1991-Operation Uphold Democracy
Bosnian War (1992-1995)-The U.S. participated, along with NATO, in a war against Bosnian Serbs and Serbia in Bosnia.
Kosovo War of 1999- The U.S. participated, along with NATO, in a war against Serbia in order to facilitate the independence of Kosovo.
1998 Bombings of U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania by al-Qaida terrorists.
U.S. Retaliation against al-Qaida in Sudan and Afghanistan -These incidents are often referred to as the actual start of the U.S. war with al-Qaida and Islamic Jihadist groups. This retaliation was called Operation Infinite Reach.
Inherited:
Ongoing hostility with Iran
No-Fly Zone War against Iraq
Conflict with al-Qaida
Initiated/Engaged:
Hainan Island Incident (2001)–A U.S. Navy EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft operating above the waters of the South China Sea was struck by a Chinese Air Force interceptor jet.
September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks
War in Afghanistan-The U.S invaded Afghanistan to fight al-Qaida and the Taliban
Invasion and Occupation of Iraq
Inherited:
Ongoing hostility with Iran
War in Afghanistan
War in Iraq-The U.S. officially withdrew from Iraq in December of 2011.
Conflict with al-Qaida-includes Drone War against al-Qaida and other Jihadist groups in Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, and elsewhere.
Initiated/Engaged:
Libyan War of 2011
War with ISIS-The U.S. military returned to Iraq in 2014 to fight against the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL). This war also takes place in Syria, Libya, Yemen, and other nations.
U.S. aid to France in Mali War (2014)-U.S. provides air support, logistics, and other aid as France intervenes to stop Jihadist offensive in Mali
U.S. intervention in Joseph Kony conflict-U.S. troops aid Ugandan and other African militaries hunt down insurgent and terrorist Joseph Kony.
U.S. Intervention in Libyan Civil War (2014-Present)-U.S. involvement is primarily directed against Jihadist elements in Libya.
U.S. Intervention in Yemen Civil War -U.S. involvement is primarily directed against Jihadist elements in Yemen.
U.S. Intervention in Somali Civil War U.S. involvement is primarily directed against Jihadist elements in Somalia.
Inherited:
Ongoing hostility with Iran. This ongoing conflict escalated sharply in December 2019 and January of 2020, with Iranian-proxy forces (Iraqi Shiite militias) attacking U.S. bases in Iraq, killing American personnel. U.S. responded by killing a Shiite militia leader and a major figure in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Iran responded with missile attacks on two U.S. bases in Iraq, injuring over a hundred American troops.
War in Afghanistan
Wars Against ISIS, al-Qaida and other Islamic Jihadist groups in Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, northern Africa and elsewhere.
American Missile Strike on Syria (April 6, 2017)-In response to the Assad regime’s apparant use of chemical weapons on a civilian target, the April 4 chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun, United States President Donald Trump ordered a retaliatory strike against the Syrian air base at Al Shayrat. See also: American-Syrian Wars.
Inherited:
Ongoing hostility with Iran.
In response to attacks (rockets and drones, primarily) the U.S. has launched retailatory strikes against Iran-backed (i.e. proxies for Iran) on these dates:
February 25, 2021: President Biden ordered retaliatory airstrikes on Iraqi Shiite militia targets located in eastern Syria. This was in response to an attack on February of 2021, when Iranian proxies (again, Iraqi Shiite militias) launched three attacks on American targets inside Iraq. One U.S.-mployed contractor was killed and U.S. troops were injured.
June 27, 2021: President Biden ordered retaliatory airstrikes on Iraqi Shiite militia targets located along the Iraq/Syria border. This was in response to drone attacks on bases in northern Iraq that housed U.S. forces. The two Shiite groups hit were the Kata’ib Hezbollah and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada militia groups. Iraqi media reported that four militia members died in the attack.
June 28, 2021: In response to the previous day’s airstrikes, militia forces respond with rocket attacks on U.S. troops on the ground in Syria near al-Omar. The U.S. reported no American casualties, and responded with artillery fire at the “rocket-launching platforms.”
War in Afghanistan (President Biden withdrew American forces on August 30, 2021).
Wars Against ISIS, al-Qaida and other Islamic Jihadist groups in Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, northern Africa and elsewhere. This ongoing conflict with the terrorist group includes a successful special forces raid on the leader of ISIS, conducted in February of 2022. American forces attacked the ISIS -held building in the Idlib area of Syria. The ISIS leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, died in the raid on February 3, 2022. Rather than be captured, al-Qurashi blew himself, and his family up. The U.S. forces reported no American casualties.
In addition to the ongoing war with ISIS, U.S. forces have also sporadically been drawn into conflict with the Houthi faction in the Yemeni Civil War. The U.S. under Presidents Obama and Trump supported the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthis, though President Biden rescinded that support in 2021. However, in February, 2022, Houthi and allied Shiite Iraqi militias (the True Promise Brigades) conducted missile and drone attacks on targets in the United Arab Emirates (the UAE). The UAE is a member of the anti-Houthi coalition. American anti-missile defense units stationed in the UAE (where the U.S. has military bases), launched Patriot missiles at the incoming missiles. This was the first combat use by the United States of Patriot Missiles since the 1991 Gulf War. Source: Military Times
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the United States has increased support for Ukraine, providing weapons, training, money, and economic and political support. It is not out of bounds to say that under President Biden, a new Cold War has developed with Russia. Given Iranian, North Korean, and Chinese support for Russia, the prospects of a new, global cold war are increasing.
In October, 2023, the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel in a surprise offensive. President Biden declared American support for Israel in this new war, sending a U.S. Navy carrier group to nearby waters, while promising delivery of weapons and ammunition to Israel. Several American citizens were killed in the Hamas attack, which could also further U.S. involvement.
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas War, American involvment has increased. The U.S. is supplying massive amounts of munitions and equipment to Israel. Also, President Biden ordered a second Carrier Task Force to the region. As expected, Iranian-allied (and most likely Iranian-controlled) Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria have targeted American forces in the region. Also, a U.S. Navy Destroyer interecpted mulitple missiles and drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi regime that were aimed at Israel.
-Oct. 18, 2023-U.S. troops at al-Tanf base in Syria targeted by drones launched by Iran-allied Shiite militia. One drone was shot down, the other hit the base, causing minor injuries.
-Another drone targeted the U.S. base at al-Asad in western Iraq. The drone was shot down. Rockets hit the Baghdad airport, where U.S. and coalition forces are based. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iranian-backed militias, claimed responsibility for the attacks.
-Oct. 19, 2023–USS Carney, in the northern Red Sea, shot down four cruise missiles and 15 drones over a period of nine hours launched by Houthi forces in Yemen. The attack appeared headed toward Israel.
U.S. retaliatory strikes on militia targets in Syria and Iraq have continued, but attacks on American and Coalition forces continued.
By January, 2024, American forces in Iraq and Syria had incurred dozens of casualties in over 80 attacks by Iran-backed militia forces. In addition, on January 11, 2024, U.S. and UK forces retaliated against Houthi targets in Yemen. Allied airstrikes continued, though Houthi attacks on ships continued.
The Trumpster throwing some shade over one of the shadowy figures calling the shots in the White House during this O’Biden Administration…
A Stumbling, Mumbling, Bumbling US President Joe Biden instantly mocked Donald Trump about this meme he posted on X…
I’m surprised Joe didn’t tell a story about seeing the last eclipse while riding a train with President Xi across the Francis Scott Key Bridge while talking to that Amtrak conductor Negri…
Biden last saw an eclipse in 1770… He was standing with George Washington at the time…
Unfortunately… A few in this thread have no concept of what goes on outside of their Borders…
All presidents have advisers and policy makers around them, so it’s not difficult
Of course, the president can have an idea such as loan forgiveness and ask his advisers to come up with a plan.
by the late 20th century, major policy functions that used to be performed outside the White House were now integrated into the White House:
Domestic policy development that had been done in the policy shops and by the staffs of departmental secretaries was now dominated by the White House domestic policy staff.
National Security policy advice and planning had moved from the Departments of State and Defense into an expanded National Security Council staff.
Legal advice to the president, which had been dominated by the Department of Justice, was now provided by the White House Counsel and a team of White House lawyers.
Trade policy, which had been developed in departments such as State, Commerce, and Agriculture, was now centralized in the US Trade Representative’s Office in the Executive Office of the President.
Additionally, political functions that had previously been performed by the political parties and in Congress were now located in the White House:
Recruitment of political appointees, which had been dominated by political parties and heavily influenced by members of Congress was now centralized in the Office of Presidential Personnel, with a large staff during transitions and a significant role throughout a presidential administration.
Outreach to interest groups, which had been done by political parties, was now conducted by the Office of Public Liaison in the White House.
Party politics, which had been dominated by the Republican and Democratic National Committees, was now centralized in the White House Office of Political Affairs.
There were reasons for these changes, of course; the executive branch is huge, comprising a plethora of conflicting and overlapping bureaucracies, and presidents need a coordinating and integrating capacity to rein in and control policy direction in the executive branch. Presidents now, however, take for granted that these functions are in the realm of the White House staff.
Meanwhile, cabinet secretaries understandably resent “interference” from White House staffers. Presidents fill their cabinets with experienced leaders from around the country. These leaders must have some combination of executive experience, policy expertise, partisan credentials, or personal loyalty to the president. They symbolize presidential priorities, represent demographic groups and marshal the support of the clientele of the department they will be leading.
Once in office, cabinet secretaries are seen as advocates for their policy domain, champions for the workers in their departments, and aggressive seekers of budget resources. Predictably, they want presidential attention for their own policy priorities. In recruiting cabinet secretaries, presidents often tell them that they are essential to the success of the administration, that they will be the primary advisers in their policy areas, and that they will have a reasonable amount of discretion in choosing their political appointees. Recent history, however, shows that presidents seldom can keep these promises.
The reality is that cabinet secretaries’ duties and inclinations often put them on a collision course with White House staffers, who are trying to rein them in and harness them to presidential priorities. As Charles Dawes, the first director of the Bureau of the Budget put it “cabinet secretaries are assistant presidents for spending, and as such are the natural enemies of the president.”
Cabinet secretaries naturally resent being overshadowed by White House staffers, who are usually younger than they are and are often seen as political loyalists rather than policy experts. Staffers have access to the president and seem to impose their personal preferences on the cabinet. President Obama’s cabinet secretaries did not appreciate chief of staff Rahm Emanuel treating them as his “minions.”
To illustrate this dynamic, when President Obama came to office, he initially intended to delegate legal policy on detainees at Guantanamo to his attorney general and friend, Eric Holder. Holder accepted the position with the understanding that he would make legal decisions independently of the White House, though of course the president would have the final say. In delegating some of the key legal decisions regarding detainee policy to Attorney General Holder, President Obama wanted to be seen as not letting politics interfere with legal principles. Obama told Holder to make legal decisions on the merits of the law rather than on political grounds.
Exercising his delegated authority, Holder decided to try some 9/11 terrorist suspects in criminal court rather than by military tribunals, and he chose New York City as the venue. The decision caused a political uproar, with congressional leaders threatening legislation to mandate military commissions at Guantanamo and not in the continental United States. Holder’s decisions reinforced White House staffers’ suspicion that he was not sufficiently sensitive to the president’s political interests. Ultimately, the White House staff, particularly chief of staff Emanuel, convinced Obama that the political repercussions of Holder’s decisions were more important than Holder’s legal judgments and his independence from the White House. Obama’s experiment with delegation foundered at the hands of the White House staff, illustrating the imperative of centralized White House control of policy.
Thus President Obama continued the 20th century trend of centralizing control in the White House staff, ensuring the frustration of cabinet secretaries. But in the modern presidency, coordination of administration policy from the president’s perspective is essential. The challenge is to maintain a healthy balance between too much centralization and the opposite problem of lack of coordination of policy making and implementation in departments and agencies.
@SmallPaul “All presidents have advisers and policy makers around them, so it’s not difficult…”
The difference is who’s leading who… Biden just does whatever the staff tells him…
The current White House is a Weekend at Bernie’s situation? Biden is literally incapable of coming up with his own words or making decisions and they are writing everything for him?
US President Joe Biden has Handlers and Carers… Not Advisors and Policy Makers…
BTW Stop posting great swathes of cut and past text… No one in this forum is going to read such waffle… It proves beyond doubt you have no idea how to articulate an intelligent response…
Trump could throw poop on his fans and tell them it’s chocolate and they would eat it, so he’s out the White House and he’s telling you who’s calling shots, and you beleive him, one thing about trump he knows his fan base
Are there really traders in the USA that are pro-Democratic Party? 
Democrat President+ Democrat Cobgress = US citizens aren’t allowed to trade.
Not good for the home team
I’m not sure, as far as I know, the regulators have it on lock, have the burden been lessen within the last 20yrs
I’d like to see a return to liberals and conservatives. Tip ONeill and Reagan figuring things out.
I respect RFK. I’d be fine with him as President.
Anymore the Democratic Party seems to represent the interests of illegal aliens, jihadis, communists, perverts, neocon war mongers, and globalists.
Its a big tent full of crap!
I don’t see how they are helping any of the regular people anymore.
Its not the 1960s.
Sad what the party has become. My 2 cents is please vote for amyone except the Democrats!
Every Democrat I respect has left the party. (and there were quite a few Democrats I respected 10 years ago).
The Biden Administration is a train wreck.
We need to vote him out of there. I don’t care if its RFK or Trump, just please no more Biden!
I completely agree with you that Biden must go. Let’s see what Trump does during his next term
BTW: I was hoping the Trump administration’s rollback of Dodd-Frank would benefit forex traders, but it didn’t, It wasn’t for the small guy
Agreed. That was disappointing. Hoping a term 2 would see more aggressive measures…
On topic of your “The Hill” article, I don’t think Democrat race baiting is going to work. There is a lot of the population that is beige lol and doesn’t give a rat’s ass about our neighbor’s skin pigment.
News flash, people of all races vote Republican or Independent
Sorry, party of the slave owners can’t play that game in 2024. Most of us are sick of it and smarter than they think we are.
Even if USA is only 40% “white” Democrats are not guaranteed to win
There’s no doubt about it, the Democrats relied too much on race and some will argue the Republicans do as well. but neither party will be able to rely on race in the future.
It’s pretty much over, the burden was lessened on the banks, and that’s all that matters
The little guy is always forgotten, and you should know that more than anyone else.
