The Patriot Post Digest 7-6-2017

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The Patriot Post Digest 7-6-2017
From The Federalist Patriot
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Mid-Day Digest

Jul. 6, 2017

IN TODAY’S EDITION

North Korea’s ICBM launch is a game changer, and dealing with it is a big challenge.
Trump’s military strategy is working against the Islamic State.
What’s the matter with Kansas? Well, tax cuts aren’t really the problem…
Daily Features: Top Headlines, Cartoons, Columnists and Short Cuts.

THE FOUNDATION

“How difficult it has been for mankind, in all ages and countries, to preserve their dearest rights and best privileges, impelled as it were by an irresistible fate of despotism.” —James Monroe (1788.)

TOP RIGHT HOOKS

A Game Changer in North Korean Aggression1

Tuesday’s successful test flight of North Korea’s first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) opens a new chapter in what is becoming an increasingly tense relationship between the U.S. and the hermit kingdom. Experts agree that Kim Jung Un’s ICBM has the capacity to strike Alaska, providing the dictator with the potential to pose a direct threat to the U.S. itself and not just our regional allies. This is a game changer. It must now be admitted that U.S. policy over the past two decades regarding North Korea’s continued weapon development program has for the most part failed.

“The United States strongly condemns North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement. “Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world. Global action is required to stop a global threat. Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime. All nations should publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to their pursuit of nuclear weapons.” Furthermore, Tillerson said, “As we, along with others, have made clear, we will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.”

It’s apparent that Kim has decided he is in a race for survival. Clearly, recent international pressure, including long-running UN sanctions, has done little to slow North Korea’s missile development program. Kim believes that no one will risk war with a nuclear power, so he’s gambling that he can become enough of a nuclear threat before the U.S. and the rest of the world act so as to deter any militaristic action against his rogue nation.

Now Donald Trump is faced with what will be his toughest foreign policy challenge yet. China and Russia have called for the U.S. and South Korea to end their annual joint war-games training, which the North hates, while Beijing and Moscow have also called on the North to end its missile development program. For Trump to agree to this would be a mistake, as it essentially plays right into the North’s demands — the Kim regime has a long history of breaking promises. What makes the situation that much more difficult is North Korea’s relationship with China2. Any military action taken by the U.S. against North Korea risks serious concerns over conflict with China. Even though the North has proven to be quite the headache for Beijing, the Chinese seem entirely unwilling to lose the buffer zone between themselves and U.S. ally South Korea. Or to lose their trading partner. Trump noted, “Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us.”

Herein lies the quandary: The only real shot at drawing down North Korean aggression without resorting to military action is through China. The U.S. strategy then must be aimed at pushing China to act. Trump should begin discussions on the possibility of arming South Korea and Japan with nuclear weapon capabilities to match that of the North Koreans. This will provide a strong incentive for China to act immediately.

Trump will be meeting with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jingping at the G20 Summit this week. Can Trump work to solve the North Korean crisis without the use of military action? That is the hope, but in the long run military action may be required.

Trump’s Military Strategy Is Working Against the Islamic State3

Last year, then-Candidate Donald Trump made clear his plan for dealing with the Islamic State: “Quickly and decisively bomb the hell out of ISIS,” he said. During the campaign Trump was widely panned by his opponents for lacking a realistic, dynamic or well-developed strategy for defeating the Islamic State. But Trump is proving his critics wrong. He has correctly surmised that the role of the commander in chief is that of a manager, not a producer. As a result, he has enabled and entrusted leaders and experts within the military to develop, recommend and implement the best strategies for winning.

In May, Defense Secretary James Mattis announced a new annihilation strategy, stating, “No longer will we have slowed decision cycles because Washington, DC, has to authorize tactical movements. I’ll leave that to the generals who know how to do those kind of things. We don’t direct that from here. They know our intent is the foreign fighters do not get out. I leave it to their skill, their cunning, to carry that out.”

Mattis’ statement was a direct repudiation of Barack Obama’s practice of politically micromanaging the military’s war efforts. Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula noted, “The reduction in micromanagement of tactical level actions by the White House staff during the Obama era, to the delegation of authority to conduct military actions to military professionals by President Trump is a laudatory step in assuring our national security strategy is optimally executed.”

Similar to his executive orders cutting onerous and costly regulations, Trump has cut much of the red tape that was binding the military’s efforts in combatting the Islamic State. Freed from Washington’s micromanagement, U.S. forces have been able to engage the enemy to greater effect — they’re now able to adapt more rapidly to battle conditions in determining tactical actions without having to get clearance from DC.

And as Trump promised, the bombing of Islamic State forces has increased. This past February, coalition forces conducted 831 airstrikes compared with 684 in February 2016. Essentially, the biggest change seen in the war effort from Obama to Trump has less to do with strategy and more to do with trust. Besides having created the Islamic State4, Obama calculated the political cost of every move, and micromanaged accordingly. Trump fully trusts the leadership and the soldiers of the U.S. military to do what they are trained to do. He is simply giving them the green light to go and do their job.

Top Headlines5

Congress joins Trump war on regulations, cuts a year’s worth in one week. (Washington Examiner6)

Principled conservatives show federalism is more than a talking point by rejecting voter data requests. (The Washington Post7)

New York City cop “assassinated” in the Bronx. (Fox News8.)

Police officer deaths on duty have jumped nearly 20% in 2017. (Fox News9)

Illegal immigration from Honduras is drying up. (National Review10)

The number of young men not working has doubled in 15 years. (The Daily Signal11)

ObamaCare boondoggle awarded hospital bonuses even if low-quality scores. (The Washington Free Beacon12)

Democrats’ fear-mongering over Medicaid ignores just how bad the program is. (The Daily Signal13)

Democrats are moving the goalposts on the collusion fake news. (Hot Air14)

CNN tailspin: Network bungles response to blackmail firestorm. (LifeZette15)

Policy: Four response strategies for Trump after North Korea’s new missile test. (The Daily Signal16)

Policy: Trump’s chance to seize the moment. (American Enterprise Institute17)

For more, visit Patriot Headline Report18.
Don’t Miss Alexander’s Column

Read American Liberty — At What Price?19. A few photographic reflections on the sacrifice of millions who have sustained the Liberty we enjoy.

If you’d like to receive Alexander’s Column by email, update your subscription here20.

FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS
What’s the Matter With Kansas?21

By Allyne Caan

Deeply bound in an addictive love affair with tax hikes and government spending sprees, the Left — along with which-way-is-the-wind-blowing Republicans — have pounced on the apparent “failure” of Kansas’ historic 2012 tax cuts to propagate their “spending is good, tax cuts are bad” narrative.

Five years ago, Republican Gov. Sam Brownback spearheaded the state’s tax reform, which cut the top income tax rate to 4.9% from 6.45% and eliminated income taxes on so-called “pass-through” businesses, including LLCs, partnerships, farms, sole proprietorships, and S corporations.

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The Patriot Post Digest 7-6-2017
From The Federalist Patriot
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The promise was that the overhaul would attract businesses and encourage job growth. And in some ways, the reform delivered.

As Americans for Prosperity’s Kansas state director Jeff Glendening recently wrote22, “The year the tax cuts went into effect, Kansas received over 15,000 new small business filings — a state record. That record was broken again in 2013. … The target sector of the tax cuts — pass-through entities such as LLCs — have been responsible for 54,424 new jobs since 2013, or 98 percent of private sector job growth overall.”

Why, then, are some calling the cuts a failure? And, more importantly, why did the Republican-controlled legislature recently cave to this narrative and undo much of the tax overhaul by voting — and overriding Brownback’s veto — to hike taxes by $1.2 billion over the next two years?

It seems that despite new jobs, the state is facing an estimated $900 million budget shortfall. And many are laying the blame squarely on the tax cuts … because, of course, spending is never to blame.

But what’s really casting a shadow on the Sunflower State?

The answer is twofold.

First, as remedial economics teaches, cutting revenue works best when you also cut spending — particularly if the revenue drop is sudden and any projected revenue increases from future economic growth will (understandably) take time. It’s a pretty basic principle but apparently beyond the grasp of many politicians. While revenues dropped after the tax reform, spending grew.

According to the Kansas Policy Institute23, spending is expected to increase $181 million this year, $275 million next year, and $42 million the following. This continues an upward trajectory of growth that’s been rising fairly consistently (adjusted for inflation) since at least 1995.

Joel Griffith of the American Legislative Exchange Council and Kansas State Senator Ty Masterson note24, “General fund spending has increased by more than 4 percent adjusted for inflation since 2012. General fund spending 1995 through 2017 rose approximately 55 percent, adjusted for inflation and a whopping 89 percent in current dollars. If General fund spending growth had been held to the rate of inflation throughout this period, fiscal year 2017 spending would be $1.12 billion less. … For every 1 percent in population growth, spending increased by nearly 5 percent.”

Second, as the Tax Foundation’s Joe Henchman explains25, while tax reforms in other states have eliminated special carve-outs, Kansas’ overhaul added new carve-outs for select businesses. Testifying before the Kansas House Committee on Taxation, Henchman and Scott Drenkard cautioned26, “It’s important to note here that while decreasing taxes is generally associated with greater economic growth, the pass-through carve out is primarily incentivizing tax avoidance, not job creation.”

Indeed, while in 2012 it was estimated that 191,00 entities would capitalize on the carve-out, as of 2015 the number had risen to nearly 400,000, amounting to nearly $300 million per year in lost revenue without much benefit for the state’s economy.

Henchman and Drenkard conclude, “Tax reform is about broadening tax bases and lowering tax rates. This state has lowered tax rates in some spaces, but the pass-through exemption significantly narrows the tax base, and this has made for a less stable, productive, and competitive code.”

Those who drink the tax-and-spend Kool-Aid are falling over themselves to point to Kansas as “proof” that tax cuts don’t work. But the Left doesn’t exactly have a stellar track record of convincing anyone that high-tax states are economic utopias (think Illinois27, New Jersey, California and Connecticut). Soaring taxes haven’t solved28 these states’ budget woes29.

The truth is, tax cuts didn’t cause Kansas’ fiscal problems. Chronic spending hikes combined with poorly planned and executed tax reform led to the budget crunch. Instead of forcing taxpayers to bail out state government years or even decades into the future, Kansas lawmakers should double down on restraining spending and structuring a fair tax system that empowers all Kansans — not just the favored few — to create economic growth and right the ship on the state’s budget.

MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST

How the Universal Basic Income Stifles Human Flourishing30 — Billionaire Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg thinks UBI is a fantastic idea. Here’s why he’s wrong.
Using Kids to Mock Trump31 — Just when many Americans thought the Leftmedia couldn’t be more childish, the Washington Post proved them wrong — literally.
A Red State Forewarning on Taxes28 — Illinois budgeting is a cancer that doesn’t need to spread. But some Republicans are pushing tax increases.

BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

Gary Bauer: North Korean Nukes32
Cal Thomas: A Place Where Civility Once Ruled33
Victor Davis Hanson: Fracking Industry Deserves Our Gratitude34

For more, visit Right Opinion35.

OPINION IN BRIEF

Gary Bauer: “Under multiple U.S. presidents, it has been America’s policy that North Korea not be permitted to develop weapons systems that could threaten the continental United States. The main strategy employed by previous administrations to enforce this policy — economic sanctions — has failed. The result is that the North Koreans have accelerated their progress. President Trump has no good options, and big media cannot wait to blame him for whatever happens. The Washington Post website features a top story with this headline: ‘Trump Has Never Had A Plan For Dealing With North Korea.’ And what exactly was Barack Obama’s brilliant plan? He had eight years to deal with North Korea. Trump has been in office for five months. If a military solution is pursued, it is very likely that both North and South Korea will suffer high casualties. While many leftists insist that is unacceptable, the question remains: What will we do if Kim starts blackmailing his neighbors and us? By the way, the threat is far greater than just one rogue regime in Asia. There is tremendous military cooperation between North Korea and Iran. One weapons expert recently said, ‘In the past, we would see things in North Korea and they would show up in Iran. In some recent years, we’ve seen some small things appear in Iran first and then show up in North Korea.’ Unfortunately, whatever technological advances Pyongyang just achieved, Tehran just achieved them too.”

SHORT CUTS

Insight: “If the American Revolution had produced nothing but the Declaration of Independence, it would have been worthwhile.” —Samuel Eliot Morison (1887-1976)

Upright: “Friends such as Israel have gained energy independence by fracking. In contrast, some European allies who have banned fracking out of environmental worries are more vulnerable to Russian, Iranian and Middle Eastern pressure than ever before. Fracking is not easy. It requires legally protected property and mineral rights, a natural entrepreneurial spirit, environmental concern and a free-market. In other words, it is an American way of doing business.” —Victor Davis Hanson

Village Idiots: “Is the NRA a terrorist organization? I don’t know. But I don’t think the answer is a definitive ‘no,’ and that’s troubling enough.” —Hollywood fascist Michael Ian Black

Non sequitur: “The Right has been out of step with where America is for a long time. Trump doesn’t mind alienating as long as he has his core constituencies. His core constituency is somewhere between 29 and 39 percent. That is not enough to win an election.” —Howard Dean (And yet he sits in the White House.)

The road to poverty is paved with good intentions: “We should explore ideas like universal basic income to make sure that everyone has a cushion to try new ideas. Giving everyone the freedom to pursue purpose isn’t going to be free. People like me should pay for it.” —Mark Zuckerberg, who has accountants to help him avoid paying taxes for it

Braying Jackass: “How can we truly celebrate independence on a day that intentionally robbed our ancestors of theirs? To find my independence I went home.” —Colin Kaepernick

And last… “When I saw a video with a CNN logo poorly photoshopped into it, at no point did I think ‘I must know more about who did this.’” —Frank Fleming

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Managing Editor Nate Jackson

Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of Liberty, and for their families.