The world and USA in 2025
Gary Young
February 22, 2025
As I recall, the percentage of our gross domestic product that is manufacturing is still within about 1% of what it was 30 years ago. What is different is because of gains in productivity, it is done with a lot fewer people. It is the increase in this sort of productivity that has raised our standard of living. Speaking of which, our standard of living is about twice the European standard and increasing faster. Our population's fourth quartile lives better than the European third quartile and is closing in on the second quartile.
Our government spending is a problem and Trump's first term was bad in that regard. I think we will see a big improvement this time. I am in favor of what DOGE is doing. Musk came here because he perceived the US as the shining light on the hill. His greatest fear is our debt will be so high that that it will take all the money the government takes in leaving none for anything else like social security, (or rockets?).
Trump is a jerk but he is my preferred jerk. I don't like what he is doing about Ukraine nor tariffs. Greenland only makes sense if there was global warming such that the Arctic ocean would be open all year long. you, I, and a host of others know that is not going to happen. Then again, all 50,000 Greenlanders may want to become the 51st state so they too could enjoy a higher standard of living. (That is about the same number as just the Central American gang bangers Biden let in our country!)
I think the right course of action on Ukraine is us and NATO keep supplying them until Russia collapses. A collapse is how we rid the world of Putin. Stopping the war and lifting sanctions now would mean Putin getting to re-arm and he will attack again. Russia has three times the population of Ukraine, but the Ukrainians are presently killing Russians
about four to five to one.
Here is the kicker. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine had about 40% of the nuclear weapons. We had an agreement to defend Ukraine if they would give up the weapons. Unfortunately, it was not a treaty level event but stronger than a gentlemen's agreement. Russia was the other party in the agreement. We should honor our word.
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