"White Lies", bugie bianche, ma che vuoi che siano...?

Si chiama Hope Charlotte Hicks, trenta anni, ex indossatrice, responsabile della comunicazione nella Casa Bianca, un incarico creato specificamente per lei dal presidente che voleva avere al suo fianco questa splendida professionista.

Al punto che le malelingue di Washington sibilavano che tra i due vi fosse del tenero da tempo e cioè da quando Speranza gestiva la comunicazione della campagna presidenziale di Donald Trump.

Ma i fatti della vita avevano ben presto smantellato i pettegolezzi della capitale quando si veniva a sapere che la fanciulla in effetti se la intendeva con un altro stretto collaboratore di Donald, tale Robert Porter, lavoratore infaticabile nella Casa Bianca e marito manesco a giudicare dalle foto delle due ex mogli una delle quali presentatasi negli uffici dello FBI con un vistoso occhio nero.

Hope Charlotte Hicks è stata interrogata per otto ore dal comitato intelligence della camera dei deputati.

E per otto ore la signora si è rifiutata di rispondere alle insinuanti domande che i membri del comitato le rivolgevano a proposito dei suoi trascorsi professionali nel periodo della transizione di Donald verso il giorno della inaugurazione della sua presidenza.

Anche se non ha invocato il 'privilegio esecutivo', come invece ha fatto Steve Bannon il potente consigliori di Donald poi licenziato perché si allargava troppo con i suoi progetti di una democrazia riformata, la fascinosa signora ha ammesso di avere ricevuto dalla Casa Bianca l'ordine di non rispondere a domande sul periodo di transizione.

I media già avevano anticipato che Hope non avrebbe risposto alle domande dei commissari della camera dei deputati.

Ma quello che ha costituito in questi giorni un tema di dibattito sugli innumerevoli tavoli di commento televisivo è stato il fatto che la signora ha comunque ammesso che durante il periodo passato alla Casa Bianca lei si è cimentata in "white lies", ovvero in bugie "leggere", qualcosa come un peccato veniale.

E siccome è statisticamente accertato che le persone belle riescono quasi sempre a convincere chi le esamina grazie al loro fascino, il fatto di avere mentito stando alla Casa Bianca in una posizione di altissimo riguardo ha sollevato solo tiepide proteste.

Hope Charlotte Hicks comunque e' stata convinta a dare le dimissioni.

Ed anche questa e' America.
Oscar

Dick's Sporting Goods will no longer sell assault-style rifles, says 'thoughts and prayers are not enough'

Following the mass shooting at a Florida high school, one of the nation's largest sporting goods stores announced Wednesday that it will enact tougher gun sale restrictions — including no longer selling assault-style rifles.

Saying "thoughts and prayers are not enough," Dick's Sporting Goods CEO Edward Stack announced several gun sale restrictions at its over 600 nationwide chains. The chain will stop selling assault-style rifles, end the sale of firearms to buyers under 21 (up from federal minimum age of 18), stop selling high-capacity magazines and continue to never sell controversial bump stocks, the company said.

(NBC)

Il Genero e' 'manipulable' , secondo fonti straniere

By Shane Harris, Carol D. Leonnig, Greg Jaffe and Josh Dawsey (The Washington Post)

Officials in at least four countries have privately discussed ways they can manipulate Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, by taking advantage of his complex business arrangements, financial difficulties and lack of foreign policy experience, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports on the matter.
Among those nations discussing ways to influence Kushner to their advantage were the United Arab Emirates, China, Israel and Mexico, the current and former officials said.
It is unclear if any of those countries acted on the discussions, but Kushner’s contacts with certain foreign government officials have raised concerns inside the White House and are a reason he has been unable to obtain a permanent security clearance, the officials said.
Kushner’s interim security clearance was downgraded last week from the top-secret to the secret level, which should restrict the regular access he has had to highly classified information, according to administration officials.
H.R. McMaster, President Trump’s national security adviser, learned that Kushner had contacts with foreign officials that he did not coordinate through the National Security Council or officially report. The issue of foreign officials talking about their meetings with Kushner and their perceptions of his vulnerabilities was a subject raised in McMaster’s daily intelligence briefings, according to the current and former officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Within the White House, Kushner’s lack of government experience and his business debt were seen from the beginning of his tenure as potential points of leverage that foreign governments could use to influence him, the current and former officials said.
They could also have legal implications. Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has asked people about the protocols Kushner used when he set up conversations with foreign leaders, according to a former U.S. official.
Officials in the White House were concerned that Kushner was “naive and being tricked” in conversations with foreign officials, some of whom said they wanted to deal only with Kushner directly and not more experienced personnel, said one former White House official.
Kushner has an unusually complex set of business arrangements and foreign entanglements for a senior White House aide, experts have said. But his behavior while in office has drawn more scrutiny and raised concerns that he would be unable to obtain a final security clearance, which he needs to perform the many jobs Trump has entrusted to him, from negotiating foreign trade deals to overseeing a Middle East peace process.
“We will not respond substantively to unnamed sources peddling second-hand hearsay with rank speculation that continue to leak inaccurate information,” said Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Kushner’s lawyer.
The official said that McMaster was “not concerned but wanted an explanation. It seemed unusual to him.”
In the months since, McMaster and Kushner have worked to coordinate so that the National Security Council is aware of Kushner’s contacts with foreign officials and so Kushner has access to the council’s country experts to prepare for meetings.
“General McMaster has the highest regard for Mr. Kushner, and the two work well together,” said council spokesman Michael Anton. “Everything they do is integrated . . . it’s seamless.”
Foreign governments routinely discuss ways they can influence senior officials in all administrations.
“Every country will seek to find their point of leverage,” said one person familiar with intelligence intercepts of foreign officials discussing Kushner.
But Kushner came to his position with an unusually complex set of business holdings and a family company facing significant debt issues.
A Mexican diplomatic source said that Kushner “has remained strictly professional” in his dealings with the country, “with both sides looking after their interests but trying to find common ground.”
Officials from the UAE identified Kushner as early as the spring of 2017 as particularly manipulable because of his family’s search for investors in their real estate company, current and former officials said.
Officials at the embassies of China, Israel and the UAE did not respond to requests for comment.
Kushner’s lack of a final security clearance has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks. He had an interim clearance that gave him access to information at the top-secret level, as well as more highly classified information, such as the president’s daily intelligence briefing. But the application for his final clearance dragged on for more than a year. The downgrading of his interim clearance from top secret to secret was first reported by Politico.
On Feb. 9, Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein alerted White House Counsel Don McGahn that significant issues would further delay Kushner’s security clearance process, according to four people familiar with their discussions.
Kushner has repeatedly amended a form detailing his contacts with foreign persons. Not fully disclosing foreign contacts ordinarily would result in a clearance being denied, experts said.
On Friday, Trump said White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly would make a final decision on whether Kushner would continue to have a security clearance.
In 2016, Kushner was simultaneously running his family business, Kushner Cos., and helping to oversee Trump’s campaign. One of his top business concerns was what to do with his family’s investment in 666 Fifth Ave. in New York, which the company bought under his direction for $1.8 billion in 2007, the highest price paid at the time for a U.S. office tower. The purchase became troubled as the Great Recession hit, and Kushner refinanced it, leaving the company with a $1.2 billion debt that comes due in January 2019.
The Manhattan property has been a particularly nettlesome problem inside the government because Kushner’s company has sought foreign money on the project.
Kushner and his company had proposed a redevelopment plan that would double the building’s size, requiring major new investment. Before Trump took office, Kushner and other company officials explored several options for the financing. They met with an executive of a Chinese-run insurance company, Anbang, which had bought the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. They also discussed a possible investment by the former finance minister of Qatar, who oversaw an investment fund. But after Kushner served as Trump’s senior adviser for a few months in the White House, questions arose about potential conflicts of interest, the financing talks ended, and neither Anbang nor the Qatari fund signed on.
Thomas Barrack, a close Trump friend who asked the Qataris to consider investing in the Fifth Avenue property, has told The Washington Post that the refinancing efforts were “crushed” because Kushner’s move to the White House “just about completely chilled the market, and [potential investors] just said, ‘No way — can’t be associated with any appearances of conflict of interest,’ even though there was none.”
Questions have also been raised about whether Kushner discussed financing with a Russian banker. He met in December 2016 with Sergey Gorkov, the top executive of Vnesheconombank. The bank has said they talked about “promising business lines and sectors,” but Kushner told Congress that the meeting did not involve any discussion about his family’s company.
Kushner, upon entering the White House, divested his stake, which is now controlled by family members. With the deadline for the $1.2 billion debt looming, the company has continued to search for a lender. The redevelopment plan appears to be on hold after the company’s main partner, Vornado, run by Trump friend Steve Roth, deemed it “not feasible.”
Kushner’s father, Charles Kushner, who plays a major role at the company, told The Post in a recent interview that he and the firm have not been contacted by Mueller. The company, which is privately held, has stressed that the Fifth Avenue property is a small fraction of its assets and that it is doing well financially.

Michael Kranish contributed to this report.

DELTA, vituperio dei repubblicani della Georgia

I sopravvissuti del massacro al liceo Stoneman Douglas di Parkland in Florida cominciano a dare sui nervi ai repubblicani, al presidente Donald Trump e ai dirigenti della NRA, la National Rifle Association che ha oltre 4 milioni e mezzo di fanatici delle armi.

Questi ragazzi, che oltretutto dimostrano una preparazione inconsueta se rapportata a quella infima delle scuole pubbliche di ogni ordine e grado negli Stati Uniti, passano da una televisione all'altra scagliandosi contro il Congresso che, a larga maggioranza repubblicana, sta cercando di mettere la sordina al massacro del loro liceo.

Chiedono, insieme ai genitori delle giovani vittime, che le armi semiautomatiche come il famigerato AR 15 siano tolte dalla vendita al dettaglio.

Se gli alcolici non possono essere serviti pubblicamente a giovani di  meno 21 anni, non si vede per quale ragione lo stesso limite non possa essere adottato per la vendita delle armi.

Secondo le più recenti indagini oltre il 70% degli americani sarebbe favorevole ad una revisione delle norme che disciplinano la vendita delle armi negli Stati Uniti, paese nel quale ogni anno muoiono più di 30.000 persone per armi da fuoco mentre sono 60.000 i feriti.

La preoccupazione dei repubblicani trova conferma nel fatto che molte importanti industrie hanno deciso di svincolarsi dagli accordi di collaborazione che avevano con la NRA.

Tra queste  aziende ha destato particolare impressione la decisione della DELTA airlines che ha il suo più importante hub ad Atlanta in Georgia sino dal 1941.

Delta ha stabilito che non userà piu' un occhio di riguardo per gli iscritti alla NRA.

A difesa della associazione degli armieri è partito lancia in resta il governatore della Georgia che ha annunciato il ritiro degli sconti fiscali sugli approvvigionamenti di carburante della DELTA.

Ad aumentare la confusione generalizzata si sono fatti vivi i governatori democratici di altri Stati che hanno aperto le porte dei loro territori alla grande compagnia aerea garantendo agevolazioni di ogni tipo.

Lo hub di Atlanta da' lavoro a oltre 35.000 dipendenti.

Continua lo show quotidiano della Casa Bianca di Donald Trump che per un paio di notti ha interrotto il flusso dei suoi Twitter e la gente si chiede se abbia qualche problema di salute.

Come è noto la figlia Ivanca è andata in Corea del sud suscitando le ire del ministro degli esteri e del chief of staff della Casa Bianca, il generale John Kelly, che sembra averle fatto una lavata di testa.

Altro problema è quello delle autorizzazioni che consentono a personaggi super qualificati della Casa Bianca di venire a contatto con le informazioni più riservate destinate al presidente.

Ivanca ed il marito sino ad ora ne avevano fatto a meno pur avendo accesso alle pratiche più delicate che passavano sulla scrivania di Donald Trump.

John Kelly, il chief of staff, avrebbe deciso di non dare questa autorizzazione alla coppia.

Le agenzie di intelligence, spionaggio e controspionaggio hanno confermato pubblicamente che sette Stati della Federazione hanno subito l'attacco cibernetico dei russi durante la campagna presidenziale del 2016 compromettendo il risultato delle elezioni. Gli Stati inquinati dai russi sono Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Texas e Wisconsin.

E visto che i più stretti collaboratori del presidente durante la campagna elettorale hanno cominciato a cantare sotto la strizza del consigliere speciale Mueller tutti si chiedono quale sarà la prossima mossa di questo personaggio che i repubblicani accusano di essere un novello Torquemada, dimenticando che anche Mueller è un repubblicano di alto lignaggio.

Ed anche questa e' America.

Oscar

Ciao carissimo Guido

Attenzione al 'fishing'!!!!!!
Gentile Lettore e Gentile Lettrice, 
Mi dicono che qualche delinquente sta utilizzando questo account per trasmettere a mio nome immagini hard e altre porcherie.
Fate attenzione, please, e- se del caso- comunicateci le vostre esperienze.
Vi ringrazio per la vostra attenzione.
Oscar Bartoli
Letter From Washington
_______________________________________________

Il delinquente è lei che continua a fare spamming credendo di fornire contenuti interessanti laddove sono spazzatura.

ALESSANDRO NODARI
alessandro.nodari@gigroup.com;

Oscar: Gentile Mr. Nodari. Il problema della democrazia e' che ci sono individui come Lei, pronti all'offesa. Per fortuna la maggioranza dei nostri Lettori (e sono decine di migliaia) si distingue per comportamenti civili sia che condividano o meno quello che pubblichiamo nel blog

4 Marzo si vota in Svizzera dove il popolo e' veramente sovrano

In Svizzera il 4 Marzo si svolgeranno due votazioni per cambiare la Costituzione. Si tratta:

Di un “referendum obbligatorio” su un decreto approvato il 16 Giugno 2017 dalle due Camere riunite in assemblea. I due terzi dei soldi che oggi incassa la Confederazione (da qui in avanti la chiamo “lo Stato”, così è più chiaro) sono generati dall’IVA e da una “imposta federale diretta sui redditi”. Le entrate totali dello Stato Svizzero nel 2015 sono state 67,58 miliardi di franchi, di cui 43 generati da IVA e dalla imposta sui redditi delle imprese e delle persone fisiche. Il diritto dello Stato di incassare questi soldi è previsto nella Costituzione, ma non è eterno. C’è un limite temporale che i Cantoni e i cittadini Svizzeri rinnovano periodicamente. L’ultimo rinnovo (se non sbaglio era il nono) copriva il periodo dal 2007 al 2020. Dunque lo Stato Svizzero fino al 2020 ha il diritto di incassare questi quattrini, ma se tra pochi giorni i cittadini e i Cantoni non approveranno il nuovo prolungamento dell’attuale ordinamento finanziario , che è previsto fino al 2035 dal decreto oggetto del “referendum obbligatorio” del 4 marzo , lo Stato Svizzero dal 1 Gennaio 2021 non incasserà più né  l’IVA né  l’imposta federale sui redditi. Lo Stato perderebbe in questo modo circa il 63% delle sue entrate. Il decreto delle due camere sarà sicuramente approvato, ma io trovo fantastico che siano i cittadini a decidere quanti soldi dare allo Stato perchè svolga i compiti che gli enti territoriali (i Cantoni) gli delegano. Questo è importante: non dimentichiamo che in quel fortunato paese la sovranità non è dello Stato centrale ma è degli enti territoriali. Sono loro, i Cantoni, i titolari della sovranità. Non lo Stato ! E sono loro che decidono quali compiti delegare allo Stato, che in questo modo non è un “padreterno contro natura” come da noi, ma è al servizio degli enti territoriali e svolge i compiti che gli vengono delegati.

Di una “iniziativa popolare” per cambiare l’articolo 93 della Costituzione. Si tratta non solo di abolire il canone radiotelevisivo di 451 franchi che oggi si paga in Svizzera ma anche di modificare l’articolo 93 della Costituzione (“Radiotelevisione”) in modo che lo Stato non sovvenzioni alcuna emittente radiotelevisiva, non gestisca emittenti proprie e metta all’asta le concessioni. I giovani liberali che hanno raccolto le 100.000 firme necessarie per mettere in votazione questo cambiamento della Costituzione ritengono a) che oggi, grazie al canone, la SSR ( Società Svizzera di Radiotelevisione) goda di una posizione privilegiata e ostacoli le emittenti private, e che b) l’abolizione del canone consentirebbe una concorrenza più leale. Il canone di 451 franchi corrisponde a circa 390 euro, è senz’altro il più alto d’Europa, ed è necessario perchè si tratta di rispettare quattro lingue (Tedesco, Francese, Italiano e Romancio) e ben più di quattro differenti culture, storie e tradizioni. Il Governo e le due Camere del Parlamento raccomandano di respingere questa rivoluzionaria iniziativa popolare, ma il voto del Parlamento non è stato alla unanimità. Infatti il Consiglio Nazionale ha respinto l’iniziativa con 129 voti, contro 33 favorevoli e 32 astensioni, mentre il Consiglio degli Stati ovviamente ha decisamente respinto l’iniziativa dei giovani liberali con 41 voti contro 2 favorevoli e 1 astensione. Credo che questa iniziativa popolare il 4 Marzo sarà respinta , ma siamo abbastanza sul filo di lana. 

Giancarlo Pagliarini

Guido Colomba ci ha lasciati

Qui sotto trovate il BIO di Guido.
La notizia della sua dipartita nella sua villa dell'Olgiata ci ha colto nelle prime ore di una mattinata uggiosa per nebbia e pioggia qui a Washington.
Una cornice naturale che ha incastonato il ricordo, tanto doloroso, di Guido.
Superfluo dire che in queste circostanze si scatenano i minuetti delle condoglianze rituali dietro le quali molto spesso vi è poca empatia.
Per noi Guido era una persona speciale che ti faceva sentire migliore con la sua presenza culturale, l'energia dialettica che si acquietava quando era giusto non travalicare il rapporto vero di affetto e di amicizia.
Siamo stati onorati di averlo come nostro collaboratore di questo blog perché i suoi articoli erano degni di altissima considerazione tecnica.
Ci uniamo in un abbraccio congiunto con Manola ed i Figli.
Dire che Guido ci mancherà è dire poco.
Riposa in Pace carissimo Amico.
Oscar
_________________________________________________

Guido Colomba,  economista e giornalista professionista del quotidiano della Capitale italiana Il Messaggero.  Laurea in Giurisprudenza all`Universita’ di Roma  Master in Economia Aziendale, ha diretto il Centro Internazionale di Analisi Finanziaria. Vincitore di borse di studio internazionali e’ stato allievo del prof. Kindleberger (Harvard, Economia internazionale, Salzburg).  Durante il primo anno negli Usa e` stato insignito di due cittadinanze onorarie a Cedar Rapids (Iowa) e Clarksville (Tennessee). Un suo dipinto ad olio (Brick house in winter time) e’ esposto alla City Hall di Cedar Rapids. Per molti anni e’ stato stretto collaboratore di famosi economisti italiani come Federico Caffe’, Paolo Sylos Labini,  Francesco Parrillo. Ha vinto il concorso pubblico di agente di cambio ed eletto nel board della Borsa Valori di Roma. Presidente nel 2001-2004 della Associazione di categoria Unionsim. E’ socio AIAF (Financial Analyst Association), fondatore di Assofinance, associazione dei consulenti finanziari indipendenti con sede a Milano. Nel giornalismo e’ stato inviato speciale, giornalista parlamentare, corrispondente a Mosca durante gli anni di Gorbaciov, ha intervistato molti dei personaggi piu’ famosi a livello mondiale.  Nominato consigliere nazionale dell`Ordine dei Giornalisti ha presieduto il convegno a Riva del Garda “Helsinki Pact e Liberta`di Informazione tra i paesi membri”. 

Docente di numerosi seminar post-graduate alla Universita’ Luiss e alla Universita’ Dante Alighieri di R.C.  Ha scritto numerosi testi su Finanza etica e  tutela del risparmiatore. Membro del Rotary International dal 1989 (Past president del Rotary Club Roma Cassia), socio del Canova Club (banca e finanza).  E’ direttore della agenzia stampa “The Financial Review”.

                                                                                      

Ogni giorno negli Stati Uniti 96 persone sono uccise per armi da fuoco.

By Editorial Board  of The Washington Post



IT WAS a stunning moment: The father of a 14-year-old girl killed in a mass shooting at her high school confronted a U.S. senator: “Look at me and tell me. Guns were the factor in the hunting of our kids in this school this week. And look at me and tell me you accept it and you will work with us to do something about guns.”

Those words from Fred Guttenberg at CNN’s town hall just seven days after his daughter Jaime (“the energy in the room ”) was one of 17 people murdered at a South Florida school were unnerving to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and we hope to other members of Congress. Finally they must recognize that there is a crisis of guns in this country, and that they have an urgent responsibility to do something about it.

We know. We have been here before: after 32 people were killed at Virginia Tech in 2007; after a U.S. congresswoman was grievously wounded and six people killed in 2011 in Tucson; after 28 people, most of them just 6 or 7 years old, were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. After nine people were killed at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 2015. And, after 58 people were killed at a music festival in Las Vegas last year in what was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

This time, though, it seems there is a difference. Students who lived through the horror at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School refuse to let the deaths of their friends and teachers — and the terror they felt hiding in closets and running from bullets — fade from memory, as has happened too often before. These wondrous young people have marshaled grief, fury and energy into a potent grass-roots movement. It may be — and we say this guardedly, still stung by the absence of action after Sandy Hook — a breakthrough moment.

The first step, as Mr. Guttenberg emphasized, must be to actually say what the problem is — and the problem clearly is guns. Yes, there are other issues at play, such as mental health and violence in our culture, and they too must be addressed. But troubled people and violent videos exist in other countries and yet only the United States is awash in gun deaths — from homicides, suicides, accidental shootings and the ever-increasing mass shootings.

Americans, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, are 25 times more likely to be murdered with a gun than people in other developed countries. On an average day, 96 people are killed with guns in the United States, and for every person killed two more are injured. In addition to the human toll, there are enormous financial costs in the form of medical bills, lower property values and higher taxes; some estimate the annual tab at upward of $100 billion. Behind those sobering facts is another statistic: Americans make up about 4.4 percent of the global population but own 42 percent of the world’s guns. To seriously confront gun violence — save lives and prevent injuries — there have to be fewer guns. We would start with banning the semiautomatic rifles that — along with large-capacity ammunition magazines — have become the weapon of choice of mass shooters wanting to kill as many people as possible in the shortest period of time. A radiologist who treated gunshot victims from Stoneman Douglas wrote in the Atlantic about the devastating effect of high-velocity bullets delivered by the AR-15. Internal organs were obliterated “with nothing left to repair” leaving the victims “with no fighting chance at life.” These weapons are for war, not civilians. Those who say they enjoy the sport of shooting them as target practice need to ask themselves if their hobby is really worth the lives lost and the fear that has been instilled in such simple customs as going to school, worshiping at church or watching a movie.

The ban on assault weapons that was in place in the United States from 1994 to 2004 helped reduce the frequency and lethality of mass shootings, according to analysis by The Post’s Christopher Ingraham. There were some limitations but, after the ban expired, mass shootings increased. Australia imposed sweeping gun control, including regulations for storing guns and requirements for gun registry, and started a buyback program in the wake of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre that killed 35 people. The result was that gun homicide rates and suicides plummeted. Reacting to a wave of gang shootings in the early 1990s, Connecticut started requiring people to get a purchasing license and pass a background check and a gun safety training course before buying a handgun. Killings fell.

We should be learning from that history and not wasting time on silly talk about arming teachers, walling off schools or fitting children’s backpacks with Kevlar shields. That there has been some acknowledgment — including by President Trump — of the need to raise the minimum age for some gun purchases and strengthen the background-check system is encouraging. But the modest improvements outlined in a bipartisan bill now before Congress don’t go far enough. The background checks should be universal, with no exceptions for gun shows or buying from a stranger on Craigslist. And the FBI needs to have more than three days to collect information and determine who is high risk. Just as there is the expectation of responsibility and accountability for people who drive cars, so there should be for people who own guns. That means requiring registration, training and insurance.

Other steps are needed. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives should be strengthened so it can do its job of regulating and tracing guns. Innovations should be encouraged that make weapons safer, such as improved gun triggers or smart guns. Laws should be amended to keep weapons out of the hands of domestic abusers. And research funding should be directed at determining what has worked in reducing gun violence.

Don’t be scared by the hysteria that the National Rifle Association is trying to drum up about the Second Amendment being shredded and the government coming after you. Be scared that Congress again will do nothing, and that another inalienable right — that to life and happiness — will be furth
_______________________________________________

Caro Oscar, 

Nell'incontro tra il primo ministro australiano ed il presidente degli Stati Uniti e' risultata evidente la differenza della strada seguita tra i due paesi: l'Australia ha limitato la vendita delle armi e questo ha praticamente eliminato in venti anni i massacri del tipo di quelli che succedono periodicamente negli USA. Il nostro presidente segue la strada opposta: armare coloro che stanno piu' vicini alle potenziali vittime, come i maestri nelle scuole.

In questa maniera gli USA si mettono allo stesso livello di quei paesi ove le armi sono disponibili a tutti, come Iran, Iraq, Siria, Afganistan, Etiopia, Libia, etc. dove non sembra che il possesso generale di armi abbia contribuito a ridurre la violenza ed i massacri.

Paolo Vidoli

Florida Gov. Scott breaks with Trump over proposal to arm teachers

Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Friday rejected calls to arm teachers with guns to prevent school massacres. The stance breaks with a proposal put forth by the president after a gunman killed 17 people with an AR-15 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last week. Scott, a Republican, unveiled a plan to boost school security that would bar "violent or mentally ill" people from purchasing weapons, prohibit persons under the age of 21 from buying guns, and outlaw so-called bump stocks that make it possible for semi-automatic weapons to fire faster. Those policies are in contrast to positions taken by the NRA.

"I media liberali amano i massacri"

Dana Loesch e' la portavoce della National Rifle Association che riunisce oltre quattro milioni di fanatici delle armi.

Dana Loesch ovviamente è un tipo grazioso, estremamente deciso nel suo modo di argomentare la difesa degli interessi della associazione della quale fa parte.
Ma ha destato scalpore la dichiarazione fatta durante i lavori della organizzazione che riunisce i conservatori degli Stati Uniti, CPAC.

Ha accusato i media.
"Ora io non dico che voi amate le tragedie. Ma io dico che voi amate gli ascolti. Per voi le madri bianche che piangono sono percentuali di ascolto d'oro."


La madre del ragazzo sopravvissuto al massacro ddel liceo in Florida che per primo è riuscito a bucare gli schermi televisivi accusando i politici di non fare il proprio dovere, ha dichiarato di avere ricevuto minacce di morte.

L'ipotesi che Donald Trump autorizzerà i docenti a portare armi certamente galvanizza i dirigenti della NRA.

Molti studenti di scuole del Texas intervistati dalla Cnn hanno dichiarato che apprezzano questa proposta del presidente.

Secondo la portavoce della NRA il limite di età per l'acquisto di armi semiautomatiche da guerra dovrebbe essere addirittura abbassato a 15 anni.

L'America è nelle mani dei fabbricanti di armi che fanno capo alla NRA.

Sono loro che fanno leva sulla diffusa cultura alla John Wayne che ignora e vuole ignorare qual è la situazione in altri paesi nei quali almeno il fenomeno delle uccisioni di massa nelle scuole e' estremamente limitato se non inesistente.

I media conservatori si sono distinti nella accusare i ragazzi sopravvissuti alla sparatoria in Parkland di avere interpretato a pagamento le opinioni liberali contro la diffusione delle armi, in particolare di quelle da guerra.

Come il lettore italiano può facilmente percepire, qui negli Stati Uniti si vive in una atmosfera di pesante polarizzazione che incrina i rapporti di convivenza amichevole, ma quel che e' peggio, non fa intravedere soluzioni positive a medio termine.

Oscar
____________________________________

Bravo Oscar

leggo sempre con piacere i tuoi post. Riesci a descrivere bene l'America al netto del glam di come la percepiscono in Italia.

Vero, sono tempi bui in questo paese.

Liliana

Quattro sulla rampa di lancio

Reuters

Longstanding friction between U.S. President Donald Trump and two top aides, the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff, has grown to a point that either or both might quit soon, four senior administration officials said.

Both H.R. McMaster and John Kelly are military men considered by U.S. political observers as moderating influences on the president by imposing a routine on the White House. They have also convinced Trump of the importance of international alliances, particularly NATO, which he has criticized as not equally sharing its burdens with the United States.

However, all the officials were quick to add that the tensions could blow over, at least for now, as have previous episodes of discord between the president and other top officials who have fallen out of favor, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Asked about sources saying that either National Security Adviser McMaster or Chief of Staff Kelly, or both, might be leaving, White House spokesman Raj Shah on Thursday did not address the possibility. He said, "the president has full confidence in each member of the team." Press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Tuesday that Trump "still has confidence in General McMaster."

Neither Kelly nor McMaster responded to requests for comment on whether they would remain in the administration.

Trump swatted McMaster in a Twitter post after his comments at a European conference last weekend that he was certain Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. election campaign, which Trump has been reluctant to acknowledge.

Kelly and McMaster have chafed at Trump's treatment of them in public and in private, which both at times have considered insulting, said all four officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The current and most potent irritant, they said, is Kelly's effort, supported by McMaster, to prevent administration officials who have been unable to obtain permanent high-level security clearances from having access to the government's most closely held secrets.

Under pressure to act last week, Kelly strengthened the security clearance process in response to a scandal involving Rob Porter, a former official accused of domestic abuse by two ex-wives. Staffers whose interim clearances have been pending since June would have them revoked on Friday.

That would bar Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner from reading the president's daily intelligence brief, which often contains information on covert operations and intelligence collected from spy satellites, spies, and close U.S. allies.

"There have been running battles between Trump and his generals," said one of the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Kelly is a retired Marine general and McMaster an Army lieutenant general.

"But the clearance business is personal, and if Trump sets special rules for family members, I'm not sure if Kelly and McMaster would salute," the official said.

White House officials were working to find a compromise that would allow Kushner to continue his work as a senior adviser to Trump, another source familiar with the situation said, also speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal White House matters.

Under current law and regulation, the president has authority to grant any level of clearance to anyone he chooses, but officials wanted to avoid that option, this official said. There was no sense that Kushner would be leaving his job.

Kelly declined to comment on anybody's specific security clearance. He said in a statement that he had told Kushner days ago that he had "full confidence in his ability to continue performing his duties in his foreign policy portfolio."

Kelly said those duties include overseeing the Israeli-Palestinian peace effort and serving as an integral part of the U.S. relationship with Mexico.

McMaster's support for Kelly on the security clearance issue is only his latest difference with Trump. Officials in the Defense Department said there have been discussions about him returning to the Army, possibly as head of the Forces Command at Fort Bragg, in North Carolina. McMaster, 55, previously served as deputy commander there.

Although he has been supportive of Trump on many issues, including threatening North Korea with military action, McMaster has taken a harder stance on Russia than his boss.

After U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller charged 13 Russians, a Russian propaganda arm and two other firms on Feb. 16 with tampering in the election to boost Trump, McMaster said the evidence of Moscow's meddling was "incontrovertible."

Trump publicly chastised McMaster in a Twitter post, saying McMaster "forgot to say that the results of the 2016 election were not impacted by the Russians." (Reporting by John Walcott; Additional reporting by Steve Holland and Mark Hosenball; Editing by Mary Milliken and Grant McCool)

Quelli che speculano anche sulla morte....

A conferma che questa presidenza di Donald Tramp galleggia in una bolla di mala sorte ci si è messo di mezzo anche un piccolo David, al secolo David Hogg, diciassettenne studente del liceo di Parkland in Florida teatro della strage di 17 studenti e insegnanti avvenuta sotto le raffiche di in Ar 15, mitragliatore da guerra di facile acquisizione nella maggioranza degli Stati della Federazione. Sono bastati 20 secondi di una dichiarazione fatta alle principali televisioni nazionali nella quale chiamava in causa come testimone oculare della tragedia abbattutasi su i suoi compagni i politici dello Stato della Florida e lo stesso presidente Donald Trump. Il ragazzo ha bucato lo schermo con il suo "Enough is Enough", facendosi portavoce di tutti gli altri compagni della scuola ferita che chiedono, quanto meno, che se non è possibile smantellare il Secondo Emendamento della Costituzione pilastro fondamentale per la cultura delle armi negli Stati Uniti, che almeno si vieti la vendita al pubblico di un'arma come lo Ar15, mitragliatore semiautomatico e armi similari. Sono partite le bordate a palle incatenate dei media conservatori con in testa la corazzata Fox News che hanno accusato il giovane David di essere un attore prezzolato dalla propaganda democratica con l'aggravante di avere un padre ex agente dello FBI. In mezzo a questa canizza urlante di esagitati estremisti ci si è messo anche Donald Jr. figlio di tanto padre il quale parlava evidentemente per conto dell'aulico genitore. Definire cialtronesco e idiota il comportamento di tanta parte del partito repubblicano e del mondo dell'estrema destra americano è fare a questa componente di una società irrimediabilmente polarizzata un complimento. Nella capitale della Florida, Tallahassee, un centinaio di studenti del liceo Stoneman Douglas di Parkland ha tentato inutilmente di farsi ricevere ed ascoltare dai parlamentari rinchiusi nel Campidoglio locale. A Washington altri studenti del liceo traumatizzato hanno manifestato davanti al Campidoglio insieme a molti cittadini della capitale degli Stati Uniti. Ma ci potete giurare che tra qualche giorno anche questo grave episodio di una società imbarbarita sarà presto dimenticato. E ci metteranno una pietra sopra anche quei parlamentari del partito democratico che ricevono sostanziosi aiuti dalla NRA. L'importante è che non si parli col manovratore e quanto al giovane David che si dia una calmata anche perché sicuramente tra qualche anno avrà di fronte a sé un ottimo futuro come giornalista televisivo.
Oscar
PS: Donald Trump ha ricevuto una delegazione degli studenti, professori e genitori del liceo di Parkland che hanno chiesto al presidente di impedire almeno la vendita al pubblico delle armi semiautomatiche.
"Sono il padre di una ragazza che non puo' parlare questa sera perche' e' stata uccisa da nove colpi di un'arma da guerra" ha detto un genitore circondato da tre figli adulti . Aeroporti, ambasciate, istituzioni sono sotto sicurezza meno le scuole. Lei deve trovare una soluzione a questa situazione." Samuel Zeif, piange mentre chiede a Trump come sia possibile dopo questa tragedia continuare a vendere al pubblico un'arma da guerra.

Trump: se Manafort parla Donald ha due settimane per dimettersi

Palmer Report

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has spent months trying to force former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort to flip on Donald Trump in the Russia scandal. Now that Manafort’s sidekick Rick Gates is cutting a plea deal against Manafort, it very much appears that Manafort will end up having to cut a deal of his own in order to avoid dying in prison. Now one MSNBC contributor says that if Manafort does flip, Trump will run for the exits. Gates is expected to officially plead guilty this week, and he’s already given his proffer interview, which means that Mueller now has the goods on Manafort. We’ll see how quickly this translates into a seemingly now-inevitable plea deal from Manafort. What is known is that Manafort has intimate knowledge of Trump’s political and financial life. Manafort ran Trump’s presidential campaign. In addition, Manafort, whose finances are one big international money laundering scheme with a heavy focus on Russian banks and Russian oligarchs, has bought real estate property from Trump. Here’s how Democratic Coalition co-founder and MSNBC on-air contributor Scott Dworkin is now characterizing the situation: “If Mueller gets Manafort to flip, Trump would likely resign within 2 weeks after a plea deal goes public. Manafort knows too much. About everything. Especially Trump, the campaign & Russia. They’ve known each other since as early as 1980. 38 years of scamming.” This analysis is apt. Paul Manafort does indeed have the goods to send Donald Trump to prison. If and when Manafort flips, even the ever-delusional Trump will understand that he’s hosed. He’ll try to negotiate some degree of criminal leniency in exchange for his resignation. Of course, even if Robert Mueller and the Feds are willing to give Trump a plea deal, he’ll still end up facing criminal charges brought by New York State the minute he leaves office.

Codice rosso per la democrazia americana

By Thomas L. Friedman

New York Times

Our democracy is in serious danger.

President Trump is either totally compromised by the Russians or is a towering fool, or both, but either way he has shown himself unwilling or unable to defend America against a Russian campaign to divide and undermine our democracy.

That is, either Trump’s real estate empire has taken large amounts of money from shady oligarchs linked to the Kremlin — so much that they literally own him; or rumors are true that he engaged in sexual misbehavior while he was in Moscow running the Miss Universe contest, which Russian intelligence has on tape and he doesn’t want released; or Trump actually believes Russian President Vladimir Putin when he says he is innocent of intervening in our elections — over the explicit findings of Trump’s own C.I.A., N.S.A. and F.B.I. chiefs.

In sum, Trump is either hiding something so threatening to himself, or he’s criminally incompetent to be commander in chief. It is impossible yet to say which explanation for his behavior is true, but it seems highly likely that one of these scenarios explains Trump’s refusal to respond to Russia’s direct attack on our system — a quiescence that is simply unprecedented for any U.S. president in history. Russia is not our friend. It has acted in a hostile manner. And Trump keeps ignoring it all.

Up to now, Trump has been flouting the norms of the presidency. Now Trump’s behavior amounts to a refusal to carry out his oath of office — to protect and defend the Constitution. Here’s an imperfect but close analogy: It’s as if George W. Bush had said after 9/11: “No big deal. I am going golfing over the weekend in Florida and blogging about how it’s all the Democrats’ fault — no need to hold a National Security Council meeting.”

At a time when the special prosecutor Robert Mueller — leveraging several years of intelligence gathering by the F.B.I., C.I.A. and N.S.A. — has brought indictments against 13 Russian nationals and three Russian groups — all linked in some way to the Kremlin — for interfering with the 2016 U.S. elections, America needs a president who will lead our nation’s defense against this attack on the integrity of our electoral democracy.

What would that look like? He would educate the public on the scale of the problem; he would bring together all the stakeholders — state and local election authorities, the federal government, both parties and all the owners of social networks that the Russians used to carry out their interference — to mount an effective defense; and he would bring together our intelligence and military experts to mount an effective offense against Putin — the best defense of all.


What we have instead is a president vulgarly tweeting that the Russians are “laughing their asses off in Moscow” for how we’ve been investigating their interventions — and exploiting the terrible school shooting in Florida — and the failure of the F.B.I. to properly forward to its Miami field office a tip on the killer — to throw the entire F.B.I. under the bus and create a new excuse to shut down the Mueller investigation.

Think for a moment how demented was Trump’s Saturday night tweet: “Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable. They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign — there is no collusion. Get back to the basics and make us all proud!”

To the contrary. Our F.B.I., C.I.A. and N.S.A., working with the special counsel, have done us amazingly proud. They’ve uncovered a Russian program to divide Americans and tilt our last election toward Trump — i.e., to undermine the very core of our democracy — and Trump is telling them to get back to important things like tracking would-be school shooters. Yes, the F.B.I. made a mistake in Florida. But it acted heroically on Russia. What is more basic than protecting American democracy?

It is so obvious what Trump is up to: Again, he is either a total sucker for Putin or, more likely, he is hiding something that he knows the Russians have on him, and he knows that the longer Mueller’s investigation goes on, the more likely he will be to find and expose it.

Donald, if you are so innocent, why do you go to such extraordinary lengths to try to shut Mueller down? And if you are really the president — not still head of the Trump Organization, who moonlights as president, which is how you so often behave — why don’t you actually lead — lead not only a proper cyberdefense of our elections, but also an offense against Putin.

Putin used cyberwarfare to poison American politics, to spread fake news, to help elect a chaos candidate, all in order to weaken our democracy. We should be using our cyber-capabilities to spread the truth about Putin — just how much money he has stolen, just how many lies he has spread, just how many rivals he has jailed or made disappear — all to weaken his autocracy. That is what a real president would be doing right now.

My guess is what Trump is hiding has to do with money. It’s something about his financial ties to business elites tied to the Kremlin. They may own a big stake in him. Who can forget that quote from his son Donald Trump Jr. from back in 2008: “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross section of a lot of our assets.” They may own our president.

But whatever it is, Trump is either trying so hard to hide it or is so naïve about Russia that he is ready to not only resist mounting a proper defense of our democracy, he’s actually ready to undermine some of our most important institutions, the F.B.I. and Justice Department, to keep his compromised status hidden.

That must not be tolerated. This is code red. The biggest threat to the integrity of our democracy today is in the Oval Office.

Rancore sociale

Guido Colomba

Se ne è accorto anche Paul Krugman, il premio nobel americano, fortemente anti-Trump. A dieci anni dalla crisi l'Europa si è ripresa ed ha salvato l'euro. Nel 2008 quasi nessuno negli Stati Uniti avrebbe scommesso un dollaro sulla sopravvivenza dell'euro. Ed ha citato le famose tre parole di Draghi che hanno salvato l'euro: "Whatever it takes". Il mutamento si è riflesso anche sullo scenario pre- elettorale italiano. Forse per la prima volta, tutti gli osservatori, di destra, di centro e di sinistra, stanno facendo le pulci alle promesse elettorali, quasi tutte destinate in caso di attuazione ad aggravare il debito italiano. Sarà bene ricordare che, in soli tre anni, il debito è aumentato di 120 miliardi di euro ad un ritmo medio di quaranta miliardi l'anno (nonostante ciò gli investimenti pubblici sono crollati del 30 per cento...). "Vi è stata una svalutazione interna - osserva Paul Krugman -da parte di Paesi che negli anni precedenti alla crisi sono stati sopravvalutati a causa degli imponenti afflussi di capitali e dell'inflazione". A cominciare dalla Spagna, seguita da Grecia, Italia e Portogallo. Di fatto l'Europa meridionale ha pagato un prezzo altissimo. Alla fine, dopo una transizione dolorosa, la svalutazione interna ha funzionato. "La vera sorpresa - afferma Krugman - é stata di natura politica: la volontà delle élite al potere di pagare questo prezzo anziché rompere con l'euro". Con il risultato che, a distanza di dieci anni, l'Europa è tornata ad essere un sistema economico funzionante con la valuta che si sta rafforzando nei confronti del dollaro. Cosa ci riserva il futuro postelettorale? Secondo Jacques Attali, economista e consigliere di quasi tutti i presidenti francesi, "le decisioni importanti della vita si prendono nell'interesse dei figli. L'economia è positiva solo quando va a beneficio delle generazioni future oltreché della nostra". L'economia sociale (sostenibile) rappresenta oggi il 10% dell'economia mondiale ed è in rapida ascesa. Inoltre, Attali prevede che il "crowd funding" (finanziamento diretto alle imprese dei singoli risparmiatori) salirà a 1000 miliardi di dollari già entro il 2020. Per l'economista Lucrezia Reichlin "un governo ha due modi di incidere: (1) investendo sulla qualità del sistema educativo, grande assente nei programmi elettorali. (2) Formulando un programma che favorisca l’adozione delle nuove tecnologie basato su incentivi, azione regolamentare ed infrastrutture". Su questo il governo uscente si è cominciato a muovere con la cosiddetta “Industria 4.0”. Ed è significativo che Confindustria, abbandonando per la prima volta le richieste di nuovi sgravi fiscali, abbia proclamato a gran voce alle assise di Verona, l'esigenza di una seconda stagione di riforme per l'Italia trovando piena concordanza con il premier Gentiloni. Dunque, un "soccorso" tempestivo degli imprenditori in presenza di una politica che non funziona. Tutto bene? Non proprio. La recente riunione del Gruppo dei Venti, presieduto e animato dall'economista Luigi Paganetto, ha fatto emergere due verità. (a) la politica di bilancio è sempre vista, sia con governi di destra che di sinistra, sul lato delle entrate. La dinamica e la struttura delle spese vengono dopo confermando così la occasionalità delle decisioni di spesa; (b) ciò porta alla seconda verità, quella legata alla precarietà della finanza pubblica spesso giudicata sull'"orlo del precipizio". Un elemento che spiega il perché dei costanti ritardi nei pagamenti della P.A in tutte le direzioni persino verso i rimborsi per le spese relative all'accoglienza degli immigrati. Un affanno che alimenta il "rancore sociale" richiamato dal sociologo De Rita.

Giovanni Faleg (fossero tutti come lui)

e’ forse anche un bravo ragazzo con delle belle intenzioni, e’ nel partito sbagliato. 

Un partito di imbecilli, che hanno fatto una legge elettorale di merda , al servizio dei mafiosi e di Berlusconi.

Caro Oscar sei lontano e male informato.

Vincenzo Grasso
______________________________________________

Mi faccia capire: ma lei puo' intervistare un candidato e non gli altri? Con lei la legge della par condicio non si applica?

Luca Palazzotto
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Caro Oscar,

Non ho capito bene dell’intervista cosa sia il progetto elettorale di Faleg (il Fiorentin Fuggiasco), un giovanotto interessante, preparato, ma ignaro della realtà degli italiani all’estero, in particolare di quelli del Centro e Nord America ( la sua circoscrizione). 

Ho notato tra l’altro il tono paternalistico e accondiscende che ha caratterizzato i famosi 5 minuti di notorietà che gli hai benevolmente concesso. Un tono che fa parte, io credo, di un filone politico che ha distrutto, con il suo perbenismo, l’Italia e gli italiani. Mi rincresce che ancora una volta il Pd abbia perso un’occasione per redimersi, almeno tra noi “poveri emigranti”. 

Con stima.

Domenico Delli Carpini 

Birel ART India Continues to Shape Careers of Young Indian Drivers

The Citizen
DARSHAN CHOKHANI | 17 FEBRUARY, 2018
Lack of infrastructure is the biggest issue
It has been two years already since Birel ART made its presence in the Indian shores in 2016. The popular Italian manufacturer committed itself to the Indian National Karting Championship by setting up a factory team through partners Marco Bartoli and Preetham Muniyappa.

The goal was to provide a platform for young Indian hopefuls, dreaming of Formula 1 and professional racing. With the Birel ART having a significant ladder until the FIA Formula 2 Championship – the F1’s foremost feeder series, it remains an enticing manufacturer to join hands with.

Over the years, the Indian arm has seen a good number of drivers competing with them, and last year the team’s driver Ruhaan Alva made his first appearance internationally in the Easykart Championship in Italy, which is run under the Birel ART banner.

The 11-year-old from Bangalore finished as the vice-champion in the 60cc class despite missing the first round and was fifth overall in the Easykart International Finals. He was also second in the Micro Max class in the Indian championship, while he finished 12th in the Rotax World Finals, before he was disqualified for being underweight.

Alva will graduate to the 100cc class in the Easykart series and to the Junior class in the national series. Joining Alva in the 100cc and the Junior category respectively will be Rishon MR, who finished third in the Micro Max class in 2017.

Among others, Micro Max 2017 champion Arjun Rajiv will move up to the Junior class together with Vivaan Chiripal, joining Alva and Rishon. Chiripal and Mihir Avalakki will do several rounds in Easykart too, eying a spot in the International Finals.

The Micro Max class will be formed by Yashas Morae, Aadi Karande and Kunal Vinod, with Shreyansh Jain returning full-time in the Senior class. It is expected that more drivers could join the team before the season starts later in the year.

“Ruhaan's performances in Europe showed that Indian drivers can definitely compete and succeed at the top level of go-karting in Europe,” said Bartoli, when asked on Indian racers capabilities. “Ruhaan gained a lot of respect among Italian and foreign drivers who competed in Italy.

“After witnessing Ruhaan's performances, a lot of people in Italy started to look at India differently. They realised, to their surprise, that India can be a great source of talented drivers, who can compete at the International level.”

Despite the improvements made in the Indian motor racing sector, the drivers still face troubles in matching up to the competitors at the world stage. A lack of proper medium which includes practice, finance and exposure has hit the racers hard.



These are the few reasons for which we have only seen Narain Karthikyan and Karun Chandhok make it to F1. Indeed, there are guys like Armaan Ebrahim, Aditya Patel, CS Santosh, Aravind KP, Sarath Kumar, Rajini Krishnan, etc, who have made their names in different streams, but budget wise they still struggle.

“If you consider that India has a population of 1.3 billion people, you would expect to have a lot more drivers and engineers climbing through the ranks of International motorsport,” said Bartoli. “The past and current results just don't match the law of the numbers.

“Lack of infrastructure is the biggest issue as there are not enough go-kart tracks to enable kids in major cities in India to start a career in motorsport, whereas Europe has thousands of tracks, enabling a larger pool of athletes.

“Lack of awareness is another thing, where in Europe the media coverage is huge, but Indian sports have traditionally been dominated by cricket,” explains Bartoli, who adds that even though other sports have gained some popularity in recent times, but it still is limited when compared to cricket.

While Bartoli admits that the problem of cost of racing is common everywhere, but he feels the population in India actually puts it in an advantageous position which it doesn’t reap benefits from. “If you estimate the wealthiest 20 percent of the population who could afford to pay for their children's racing, it would still leave you with a market of 260 million people, which is huge pool of potential athletes.”



In terms of experience, Bartoli says that while in Europe, a driver can compete in 30+ races, in India it is only limited number with just the five National Championship’s rounds along with one Open Cup event. Even though, the 2018 season may see an additional two-stroke event, but it still less opportunities for the Indian racers.

“It may take Indian drivers five years to accumulate the same amount of experience that a European driver can gain in a single year,” which he feels is hugely contrasting. “In addition to experience, practicing also becomes an issue.

“For some reason, and I don't know why, a lot of drivers in India don't practice that much during off days. If anybody has serious aspirations of competing against the best drivers in Europe, he/she should practice extensively to improve his/her racing skills,” which was key for Alva to succeed in his first year of Easykart run.

Along with practice, Alva’s performances were also down to continuous driver coaching as per Bartoli. “There’s misconception that coaching can be a one-time event, but in reality, to succeed in any sport at the international level, an athlete needs constant and on-going training.

“[That’s why] we have a program of 10 to 15 days of coaching per month, where we work on racing drills, racing skills, race simulation, qualifying simulation, chassis set-up knowledge, data analysis, as well as mental and physical training.”



In terms of set-up, the Birel ART squad had a challenging time to start with since India is still a developing nation when it deals with motor racing. Bartoli and Muniyappa had to think ‘out of the box’ to find solutions to the issues, but overall they were happy with the progress made.

The idea to move Indian drivers to Europe was formalized when the Birel ART India heads met up with Ronni Sala, the President of Birel ART. It was then decided that in order to gain further experience, they need to start with the Easykart Championship, which ‘creates a true level-playing field’ for drivers.

Despite the difficulties, Bartoli says he wasn’t surprised when he entered India since Muniyappa undertook market research prior the launch which gave a better picture. Being in the country for over a year now, the challenges seem common to him.

“There is definitely scope for improvement,” he said. “Last year, Akbar Ebrahim, who was responsible for the initial growth of the Indian go-karting industry and for bringing the Rotax Championship, was elected President of the FMSCI. So, now India has a FMSCI President who is deeply passionate about go-karting. This can definitely help the go-karting's growth in the country.”

Che succede se Donald e Melania divorziano?

Aramide Tinubu  CheatSheet



Marriages are all very different. However, when it comes to observing couples in major positions of power, especially the United States Presidency, the American public is used to seeing a united front. The first couple is typically bound together to be admired and to further reinforce the stability of the nation. However, like everything else that has to do with his presidency, Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump don’t have a traditional marriage. The couple, who has been married since 2005, constantly seem at war with one another. From strange body language, hand-swatting, allegations of sexual harassment, rumored affairs, and rude treatment, we wouldn’t be shocked to learn that the Trumps were headed to divorce court. The latest news of the president’s affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels might have put the final nail in the coffin. Even before Trump’s presidency, the first couple seemed content on living separate lives. Recently, after the whole Stormy Daniels affair hit the media, the first lady canceled at trip with the president to Davos and rode to the State of the Union address apart from him. According to The New Yorker, Mrs. Trump said, she’s “not a nagging wife.” Since Melania is used to doing her own thing, being forced into the role of first lady probably didn’t do much to help her marriage. If there is one thing we know about Melania Trump, it’s that she’s a devoted mother. Obviously, her husband’s presidency has sent her life and her son Barron Trump’s life into a tailspin. We don’t need a body language expert to tell us that the president and the first lady aren’t exactly warm with one another. However, body language expert Susan Constantine says that the couple’s relationship has deteriorated since they’ve been in the White House. I think [Melania’s] a very unhappy person, and I think their marriage is in deep, deep trouble … You can see that this is all show, there’s no connection. I just cannot imagine that these two are going to stay married; they don’t have even the elementary foundation of couple love and compassion and physical-ness between them. There’s none of that; I don’t see it. I wish there were but, this might be the first presidential candidate in office that goes through a divorce at the same time during his candidacy. At present, half of all marriages in the United States end in divorce, so a White House divorce wouldn’t be a shock to the public’s system. After all, Trump himself has been divorced twice. Ronald Reagan was the first previously divorced person ever to elected to the presidency. However, there has never been a sitting president to pull the plug on his marriage. Still, we all know that Trump doesn’t do anything by the book. He could also call his dear friend, Russian President Vladimir Putin, to get pointers. After all, Putin split from his ex-wife while running the country. In both of Trump’s previous marriages, he had prenups in place, but both of his ex-wives contested them. His first ex-wife Ivana Trump (mother of Ivanka, Donald Trump, Jr., and Eric) was awarded a hefty $14 million and several properties. Tiffany Trump’s mom, Marla Maples, was awarded $2 million after contesting. If the Trumps do dissolve their marriage while the president is in office (which hopefully won’t be for much longer), Trump will probably be advised to handle the situation with grace and dignity. Prominent divorce lawyer Sandy Ain told the Washingtonian, “I suspect if they got divorced, he would pay her a lot of money, and it would be done in an appropriately dignified way. You don’t say ‘you’re fired’ to your wife.’ You say ‘here’s a really nice severance package—and it’s gonna be more than $130,000.’”So how much money would Mrs. Trump actually get if she left her husband? We don’t know what exactly is in their prenup, but we can assume that she’s going to get a hefty amount of money.Jacqueline Newman, a managing partner at Berkman Bottger Newman & Rodd, explained to Town and Country Magazine, “In this situation, if she has $50 million, she can afford to buy something. But $50 million, while it’s definitely a lot of money, in New York City, for what she’s used to, she wouldn’t be able to replicate what she has now. He probably had a good sense of what kind of lifestyle they’d be living, so I would imagine the payout would be fairly generous.” Unfortunately, Trump rarely does anything quietly. According to Newman, it’s very hard to get a New York state prenup overturned. However, if Trump is smart (or if he listens to his advisors), he’ll probably pay Melania much more than the prenup indicates.
After all, he would want her silence. We already know that The White House isn’t equipped to handle a scandal of this magnitude, they’re barely hanging on as it is.We all know that the first lady adored her life in NYC. She lived in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue and took care of her young son. Mostly keeping to herself, she spent her time taking her son to and from school at Columbia Prep. If there is one thing we know about Melania Trump, it’s that she’s a devoted mother. Obviously, her husband’s presidency has sent her life and her son Barron Trump’s life into a tailspin. We don’t need a body language expert to tell us that the president and the first lady aren’t exactly warm with one another. However, body language expert Susan Constantine says that the couple’s relationship has deteriorated since they’ve been in the White House. I think [Melania’s] a very unhappy person, and I think their marriage is in deep, deep trouble … You can see that this is all show, there’s no connection. I just cannot imagine that these two are going to stay married; they don’t have even the elementary foundation of couple love and compassion and physical-ness between them. There’s none of that; I don’t see it. I wish there were but, this might be the first presidential candidate in office that goes through a divorce at the same time during his candidacy. At present, half of all marriages in the United States end in divorce, so a White House divorce wouldn’t be a shock to the public’s system. After all, Trump himself has been divorced twice. Ronald Reagan was the first previously divorced person ever to elected to the presidency. However, there has never been a sitting president to pull the plug on his marriage. Still, we all know that Trump doesn’t do anything by the book. He could also call his dear friend, Russian President Vladimir Putin, to get pointers. After all, Putin split from his ex-wife while running the country. In both of Trump’s previous marriages, he had prenups in place, but both of his ex-wives contested them. His first ex-wife Ivana Trump (mother of Ivanka, Donald Trump, Jr., and Eric) was awarded a hefty $14 million and several properties. Tiffany Trump’s mom, Marla Maples, was awarded $2 million after contesting. If the Trumps do dissolve their marriage while the president is in office (which hopefully won’t be for much longer), Trump will probably be advised to handle the situation with grace and dignity. Prominent divorce lawyer Sandy Ain told the Washingtonian, “I suspect if they got divorced, he would pay her a lot of money, and it would be done in an appropriately dignified way. You don’t say ‘you’re fired’ to your wife.’ You say ‘here’s a really nice severance package—and it’s gonna be more than $130,000.’”So how much money would Mrs. Trump actually get if she left her husband? We don’t know what exactly is in their prenup, but we can assume that she’s going to get a hefty amount of money.Jacqueline Newman, a managing partner at Berkman Bottger Newman & Rodd, explained to Town and Country Magazine, “In this situation, if she has $50 million, she can afford to buy something. But $50 million, while it’s definitely a lot of money, in New York City, for what she’s used to, she wouldn’t be able to replicate what she has now. He probably had a good sense of what kind of lifestyle they’d be living, so I would imagine the payout would be fairly generous.” Unfortunately, Trump rarely does anything quietly. According to Newman, it’s very hard to get a New York state prenup overturned. However, if Trump is smart (or if he listens to his advisors), he’ll probably pay Melania much more than the prenup indicates.
After all, he would want her silence. We already know that The White House isn’t equipped to handle a scandal of this magnitude, they’re barely hanging on as it is.We all know that the first lady adored her life in NYC. She lived in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue and took care of her young son. Mostly keeping to herself, she spent her time taking her son to and from school at Columbia Prep. If there is one thing we know about Melania Trump, it’s that she’s a devoted mother. Obviously, her husband’s presidency has sent her life and her son Barron Trump’s life into a tailspin. We don’t need a body language expert to tell us that the president and the first lady aren’t exactly warm with one another. However, body language expert Susan Constantine says that the couple’s relationship has deteriorated since they’ve been in the White House. I think [Melania’s] a very unhappy person, and I think their marriage is in deep, deep trouble … You can see that this is all show, there’s no connection. I just cannot imagine that these two are going to stay married; they don’t have even the elementary foundation of couple love and compassion and physical-ness between them. There’s none of that; I don’t see it. I wish there were but, this might be the first presidential candidate in office that goes through a divorce at the same time during his candidacy. At present, half of all marriages in the United States end in divorce, so a White House divorce wouldn’t be a shock to the public’s system. After all, Trump himself has been divorced twice. Ronald Reagan was the first previously divorced person ever to elected to the presidency. However, there has never been a sitting president to pull the plug on his marriage. Still, we all know that Trump doesn’t do anything by the book. He could also call his dear friend, Russian President Vladimir Putin, to get pointers. After all, Putin split from his ex-wife while running the country. In both of Trump’s previous marriages, he had prenups in place, but both of his ex-wives contested them. His first ex-wife Ivana Trump (mother of Ivanka, Donald Trump, Jr., and Eric) was awarded a hefty $14 million and several properties. Tiffany Trump’s mom, Marla Maples, was awarded $2 million after contesting. If the Trumps do dissolve their marriage while the president is in office (which hopefully won’t be for much longer), Trump will probably be advised to handle the situation with grace and dignity. Prominent divorce lawyer Sandy Ain told the Washingtonian, “I suspect if they got divorced, he would pay her a lot of money, and it would be done in an appropriately dignified way. You don’t say ‘you’re fired’ to your wife.’ You say ‘here’s a really nice severance package—and it’s gonna be more than $130,000.’”So how much money would Mrs. Trump actually get if she left her husband? We don’t know what exactly is in their prenup, but we can assume that she’s going to get a hefty amount of money.Jacqueline Newman, a managing partner at Berkman Bottger Newman & Rodd, explained to Town and Country Magazine, “In this situation, if she has $50 million, she can afford to buy something. But $50 million, while it’s definitely a lot of money, in New York City, for what she’s used to, she wouldn’t be able to replicate what she has now. He probably had a good sense of what kind of lifestyle they’d be living, so I would imagine the payout would be fairly generous.” Unfortunately, Trump rarely does anything quietly. According to Newman, it’s very hard to get a New York state prenup overturned. However, if Trump is smart (or if he listens to his advisors), he’ll probably pay Melania much more than the prenup indicates.
After all, he would want her silence. We already know that The White House isn’t equipped to handle a scandal of this magnitude, they’re barely hanging on as it is.We all know that the first lady adored her life in NYC. She lived in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue and took care of her young son. Mostly keeping to herself, she spent her time taking her son to and from school at Columbia Prep.
Looking from the outside, it’s quite clear who is the more hands-on parent with Barron Trump. The elder Trump has also been vocal about his role as an aloof parent, with the first lady doing the bulk of the child-rearing. Since the president would be presumably busy doing whatever it is that he does each day, we’d assume Barron would live with his mother full-time.Newman told Town and Country Magazine
, “It’s handled by the courts. Given what I’ve read in the tabloids, it doesn’t seem as if there’s going to be much question as to who the primary caretaker is. My guess is that she would get primary custodial rights and he would get access whenever he happens to be in town.”Newman told Town and Country Magazine
, “It’s handled by the courts. Given what I’ve read in the tabloids, it doesn’t seem as if there’s going to be much question as to who the primary caretaker is. My guess is that she would get primary custodial rights and he would get access whenever he happens to be in town.”
Divorce attorney Cheryl New told the Washingtonian, “[Trump] would not be able to do this in a way that would be quiet. I don’t think he’s constitutionally capable of that. He’s so cocksure that he would put this out there for everybody to see. I think he underestimates Melania totally. She is a chess player. He is a checkers player.” We wouldn’t exactly call the first lady well-liked. After all, she’s complicit in her husband’s horrendous behavior and policies, but we would guess that the majority of the public would be on her side.
With a decent lawyer, we’d be willing to bet the Melania Trump walks away from her marriage to Trump with a decent check. (At least we hope so.) Even if she doesn’t get a hefty cash payout, Barron Trump will be well taken care of.When Trump divorced Marla Maples in 1999
, she only got $2 million in cash, but she received money for Tiffany Trump’s private school tuition, payments for nanny costs, and coverage for medical expenses.
Though Trump would most likely unleash all of his thoughts and feelings about the demise of his marriage to the world (he’d probably find a way to try and blame immigrants), we’d expect the first lady to keep it classy.The court systems would also be on her side
, and any reasonable judge would seal any agreements in an attempt to protect the privacy of the first couple.
If we’ve learned anything from Melania Trump’s body language in the past couple of years, we know that her husband’s presidency is a circus that she did not sign up for. (Neither did we.) However, something is keeping her at the president’s side, and love doesn’t seem to be it.As Attorney New told the Washingtonian
, “If he wants to keep her around for the remainder of his presidency, she could say, ‘You want me to be quiet? We need to do a little postnup.’”
After reports of Trump’s infidelity hit the media, the first lady’s secretary tried to dismiss them, but the facts are that she wasn’t seen publicly with her husband for over a month. Melania Trump might not be ready to pull the plug on her marriage just yet, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t plotting her way out.Until then the president is probably going to play nice with his wife until she “gets over it.” According to Life & Style
, “Trump risks losing favor with his supporters if Melania was to leave him, which could hurt his chances of getting reelected in 2020. We expect Trump to do whatever he can to ensure that Melania doesn’t leave him.”It might seem astounding now, but we’re pretty sure the moment Melania Trump got fed up didn’t actually have anything to do with her marriage, at least not directly. In fact, it all stemmed from some comments made by the president’s first wife, Ivana Trump. According to CNN
, Ivana has been calling herself the real first lady in her new memoir.
The president didn’t respond to the comment, probably because he and Ivana are still friendly, but the first lady wasn’t having it and she came out swinging. Her communications director, Stephanie Grisham, released a statement calling the comments, “attention-seeking and self-serving noise.”
Clearly, Melania isn’t letting everything blow over her head.