These are the stories you don't want to miss (but probably would if I didn't find them for you)...
No, Jerusalem Move Won't Really Hurt U.S.-Arab Alliances Shadi Hamid, The Atlantic
Most Arab countries won’t care much about Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, which might seem counterintuitive. The official announcement, though, comes at an important and peculiar time, when Arab regimes—particularly Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt—find themselves more aligned than ever with Israel on regional priorities. They all share, along with the Trump administration, a near obsession with Iran as the source of the region’s evils; a dislike, and even hatred, of the Muslim Brotherhood; and an opposition to the intent and legacy of the Arab Spring.
Right, because only the terrorists, who would want to eradicate Israel, would care that their capital is actually acknowledged as their capital. Only a bunch of cowards that want to continue to conduct peace talks with terrorists would otherwise bristle at us doing so. Importantly though, for the non-terrorists sponsoring governments in the region, guess what? They agree with they're grateful for the Trump administration. The Obama administration called on the Muslim brotherhood to quote "rise up" (which they did aided by the United States under Obama) and cut a deal with Iran to further enrich them and allow them to enrich their uranium.
- Despite Trump's Rancor, World Economy Is Surging David Ignatius, Washington Post
Right, so do you still prefer the President who said a lot of the right things but whose policies brought 1.8% average economic growth for eight years (worst of any administration in US history)? Or the President who may not say all of the right things but delivers on policy that cuts red tape and thousands of regulations allowing for our economy to work bringing about much stronger economic growth? It's hard to argue. Unless you literally place politics over you and your family's well-being. Here's an updated breakdown of the US economic miles stones as of right now:
Lowest base unemployment rate in 17 years
Lowest real unemployment rate in 11 years (factoring in long-term unemployed & underemployed)
Fastest sustained economic growth in 12 years
Highest average wage growth in 10 years
Third best one-year performance in stock market history
Record high stock prices
Record 401k, IRA and personal investment account balances
But wait there's more. With tax reform around the corner the average person stands to benefit by an average of around $1,500 in lower taxes next year and with the end of the ACA tax imposition. Show of hands. How many people really want to go back to the Obama economy?
Jerusalem, Now and Eternal Judith Miller, City Journal
Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah!
Until tomorrow...