Old Film Reviews: 'It Happened One Night' (1934)

 

by Laura Lai/Review

Ellen Andrews – Claudette Colbert (Best Actress Academy Award, 1935)

Peter Warne – Clark Gable (Best Actor Oscar)

Director – Frank Capra (Best Director Oscar)

and the Academy Award for the Best Picture

On Saturday evening I watched again – on TV this time – one of my favorite movies inspired by a true story: ‘The Queen’. Last time, I watched it in cinema, in 2006, when I was in Switzerland researching for my doctoral thesis. Lately, I have been busy improving different aspects of my writing process. For example, I learned how to write children’s books in PowerPoint and I have just finished a mini-series of three volumes. For the last one, I enjoyed learning to edit pictures and paint.net was just enough as a tool for what I needed for this series. 

            I love embracing different writing experiences – despite authors saying that each writer needs to find its niche – because I think that different ideas need a different writing form to be best expressed. As long as international borders remain close and my process of relocation abroad stagnates, I want to use this precious given time to write and to learn to master new techniques that will always stay useful regardless of how busy my life may turn later. Therefore, I continue practicing on this Writing Blog comments, essays and reviews.

Today, I continue the series of reviewing the old movies of the 1930s. Here is the queen of the 1935 AcademyAwards:‘It Happened One Night’ (1934), directed by Frank Capra. This movie can be characterized in two words: ‘decency’ and ‘surprise’.

            Ellen Andrews (Claudette Colbert) is the daughter of a Wall Street banker, Alexander Andrews (Walter Connolly). She is engaged to a man from her high-society, but she elopes and she travels to New York with different transport means. On this trip, she meets Peter Warne (Clark Gable) – a journalist. In the meantime, the father publishes her daughter’s picture in all newspapers and offers $10,000 for relevant information.

            This story, directed by Frank Capra, puts in contrast the American county life and the city of New York, mainly the Wall Street, as well as the difference of mentalities between these two worlds. There is a scene showing Ellen travelling by bus and telling an agent: ‘I’ll be ten minutes late. Please tell the driver to wait for me.’ The humor of this movie relies precisely on this difference of code of conduct between society’s layers. Another element of humor – that may not have been envisaged as such in 1934, but that is so perceived in 2020 – is the decent use of sexuality: in several scenes, the two protagonists need to share a two-bed room, and they also use a blanket as a curtain between the two beds.

            It is said that even the funds Columbia Pictures had at disposal to produce this movie were also … decent, which not a surprise is given the Great Depression circumstances of the 1930s. Despite the limited funds, the actors were professional. And what happened next, was the box office surprisingly great success! What surprised me at this movie was Frank Capra’s decision to represent in this movie (in 1934 when the society was more patriarchic than nowadays) the man cooking breakfast for his ‘alleged’ wife. In the 21^st century, some young women complain that even after the first night together, the man asks: ‘What do we have for breakfast?’

            The question that remained unanswered to me relates to the title. Why ‘It Happened One Night’ since the elopement lasted more than one night? In one scene, Ellen says that it is the first time she is alone with a man in a room. But this can only be half of the answer. It can’t be that simple! Frank Capra is one of the greatest directors of the 1930s. There must be something Peter does, too, that suggests the title. My opinion is that in which concerns him, the answer is more subtle: when he hitch hikes, he uses his thumb – one thumb. You are very welcome to watch the movie and to have your opinion on this matter that may be very different than mine!

On the occasion of this movie, I liked to have a review of the 1934 American newspapers. And I learned a new word: ‘autogyro’. Ellen’s high-society groom announced in a national newspaper (!) that he would come to his wedding by ‘autogyro’. I waited (impatiently, I would say) to see what that was. It is the predecessor of the ‘private jet’ or the ‘helicopter’. It is interesting to notice that the suggested cooking breakfast concept did not fully make it to the 21^st century, but the habit to come to your wedding with the helicopter (even if it is not organized on the top of the mountain) successfully got to the 21^st century! I have imagination, but I have never ever had fantasies parachuting myself at my own wedding! J

 Enjoy the movie!

Plotter or Pantser? This is the Question!

 ©Laura Lai - my first edited photo!

by Laura Lai/ Essay

As many writers, so many writing processes – this is what the AWC’s article reconfirmed to me. Conducting its research on twenty authors, the short study revealed who prefers to plot in advance the story and who does not (pantser), as well as some of the reasons why they prefer to do so. Plotter or pantser – This is the question!

On the one side are the plotters. The plotter is the author that has an idea of a story, prepares a structure, and knows what happens next in the story and the way the story ends. It prepares a synopsis and sticks to it. For some authors, plotting is the only way (Laura Greaves). The arguments are different from author to author: plotting helps some authors to see their books coming together quicker (Dr. Kim Wilkins), or the need to have a planned structure for a novel-length project (Gary Kemble), and sometimes is the background, such as the screenwriting one, that taught on the importance of having a structure first (Margret Morgan).

On the other side are those authors who call themselves ‘definitely a pantser’ (Tamsin Janu), ‘ultimate pantser’ (Natasha Lester), ‘absolute pantser’ (Sandie Docker), or ‘fundamentally a pantser’ (Lisa Jewell). It is hard not to notice the determination in the answer of all these authors! There are authors who tried to be a pantser, but the call of the plotting voice was stronger. Others used to be pantser, but after being published turned to plotting. Some authors combine both plot and no-plot. For example, Ben Hobson who considers himself only a 90 percent pantser, Carole Wilkinson plots some parts, and Gabrielle Tozer who has at least the beginning prepared. Therefore, the pantser is the author who enjoys the freedom of writing, who let the story take her/him, while s/he enjoys the writing adventure.

Am I a plotter or a pantser? – Good question! I love different writing experiences. For essays, comments, and reviews, as well as humorous sketches I do not plan, but I think before I switch on my computer and start writing. Sometimes I need to research first (watch a movie before the review, read an article, etc.) and I take notes (names, dates, etc.) that accompany me while I am writing.

When it comes to political plays, from the moment I have the idea of a story to the moment I sit and start writing, there are several months I think of the story. The actual writing does not take too long, but the thinking of it takes months. And I think all the time: when I walk, drink my coffee, cook, or do the dishes. From the moment I pick up a topic, there is a thought that constantly preoccupies my mind.

I first make a large research on the topic that only 25-30 percent will show in the play. It is during the research that the story unfolds well in my mind. By the time I start writing, the story is already in my head. I settle on a premise that is unchangeable, but only a general structure (based on drama rules) that is in my mind. I write down words, timetables, and other issues that are relevant and I do not want to omit them. A very detailed outline and concrete synopsis – that I tried – makes me feel preventing new great ideas from sparking anytime during the writing process – and ideas I love. Writing drama is writing dialogue and dialogue is for me more spontaneous, more of a pantser-type, although a certain unfolding plan is ‘imposed’ by the drama rules.

First and foremost, I love the incredible feeling that writing gives. That is the reason why since very young I tried to make time to write some humorous sketches – when one has school and homework, time is limited. Life arranged itself in such a way that later I could research and write all day long. I cannot possibly know how long this divine treat will still last. As it is still given, I make the best use of this time and I am grateful for the joy - a particular type of joy that all authors – plotters or pantser – definitely feel.

Tweeting on Twitter

by Laura Lai/ Uncategorized

Long time no see? It’s been one month break from blogging! It was an August staycation with a precise do to list. With lots (I mean lots) of discipline, I succeeded in ticking almost everything on my list: I learned new things, I read new things, and I also started tweeting – well, not properly, but figuratively, of course!

When? Who?  Since August 2020, I’m also @LaiWriter.

How?            I found a good tutorial on the way to use Twitter (watch here). Then I followed a short tutorial on the proper use of #hashtags on Twitter. Specialists recommend the use of a maximum of two hashtags, expressed in one word, and if there are several words together, to use capital letters for each word (watch here).

 

Why?     My main reason for starting ‘tweeting’ was my wish to meet the #WritingCommunity and those squeezing their minds to participate in the #FuriousFiction contest of the Australian Writers’ Centre. Bytheway, the criteria for the month of August were 500-word funny text containing the following words: dizzy, exotic, lumpy, tiny, twisted, and the word ‘sandwich’. It was an unusual lovely feeling to be alone in front of the computer, but, in the same time, to know that in those 55 hours many great writers are doing their best to answer the challenge and the fun of this monthly writing contest. Despite pandemic restrictions, the month of August was full of emotions: I’ve watched authors opening boxes with their delivered books, I’ve read from authors, who have published their books, I celebrated #InternationalDogDay and I tried to answer the best I could interesting questions and polls.

 

What…      do I tweet? I try to bring the best input I can to the followers and the #CreativeCommunity. I tweet great articles I find on arts in general and writing, in particular; I tweet great political achievements and cartoons; and I tweet great environmental concerns. And when any of my manuscripts are published or self-publish, I’ll let people joining me in enjoying the news.

 

Where…        did I subscribe? I follow mainly writers, as well as film festivals, the White House (because whatever happens in the US impacts the entire globalized world), and I sweeten the sour taste of politics following two great chefs: the #cakeboss Buddy Valastro and Paul Hollywood. Valastro’s cakes are pure art and with Paul Hollywood, the cuisine is not only a creative (practical) field, but a creative science (about the air inside a dough or the way to arrange a dough so that it grows vertically not horizontally, etc.).

 

If the month of August were a bit longer, I would have finished learning to photoshop, but it is just yesterday that I started to learn some tricks. I need to photoshop some pictures for a picture book series project I recently started and enjoyed far more than I expected. After writing a (political) play that is objective and realistic, I write a children’s book to find myself in a true fantasy world, but now, after the last play, I found myself in a short series of pictures books! J

23-Word Story Challenge

by Laura Lai/ Uncategorized

         Last week was a regular happy writing working week. Indeed, ‘home staycation’ writing holidays. My holidays to New Zealand from the beginning of April are postponed until this pandemic virus will get under better control by an appropriate vaccine and New Zealand will open its borders to tourists, too.

 I’m convinced that the New Zealanders miss us and I know that I’m looking forward to meeting them, but as a political scientist, I perfectly understand that the main task of a government is to protect its citizens’ heath, property and lives. Most of the discussions around the world are about the way each government is doing that. New Zealand’s government decided to close the borders to secure the health, life and property of its citizens. And, broadly speaking, to protect me, as a tourist, too. People seem divided on this virus matter in those who believe in the existence of the virus and those who don’t. I subscribe to the side who believes that this virus exists. And as I know myself to have been very healthy all my life – thank God! – I personally prefer traveling when I know this virus tamed by a vaccine. I’ve heard myself about the great efforts of the Americans, British and Chinese to be frontrunners in finding a vaccine – an ‘ABC’! How lovely! I only can hope for the best and watch with great respect the ongoing efforts to give the world a vaccine.

And as I was happily working writing, I received in my mailbox a question from the Australian Writers’ Center (AWC): ‘Are you feeling creatively drained after these past few weeks of “here we go again-ness”?’ I didn’t even get the chance to answer that to myself that I read further: ‘We get it… so we thought it might be a good week to give you a bonus tiny fiction challenge!’ Now, I could finally answer to myself: ‘No kidding?! – as the AWC always has something challenging in its mind (and I love their writing challenges, but don’t tell anyone!). Then I saw the picture they sent. My eyes were fixing that gorgeous elephant. It’s from a documentary that I know that the elephants move their ears in order to hear better. And they can hear noises from 250 km. None of the information I knew about elephants could help me here. The AWC wanted a 23-word story inspired by the picture above. I took the challenge and this is what I wrote: ‘The room looked too small for the great idea she suddenly got. And she started writing right away – the manuscript had blank pages.’ (23 words)

What 23-word story inspire you this photo?

Who’s the MAN in the post – HuMANitarian Crisis at the U.S. Southern Border?

by Laura Lai/ Essay

This month last year I was asking myself in a blog essay: ‘Who’s the MAN in the [southern border] HuMANitarian crisis? (to read the article click here). Although I answered my question in that essay, now I am asking myself: ‘Who’s the MAN in the post – Humanitarian crisis? I am wondering if it is still the same person… 

            The U.S. Southern border with Mexico is mainly a Normandy-barrier border meant to stop vehicles from illegally crossing into the United States. It definitely cannot stop drug smugglers, human traffickers and illegal migrants. Although this border has been illegally crossed for many decades, it is starting with 2018 that the number of crossings became growing overwhelmingly. The month of May 2019 was the third consecutive month topping 100,000 apprehensions. And it was for the first time since polls were made that 23 percent of the Americans were naming illegal immigration among the threats to the national security.

            The constantly growing number of illegal crossings had also several other implications: an overburdened Border Patrol, overstretched services and overcrowded facilities. Furthermore, many of the illegal migrants were posing as false families – kidnapping, buying, using or re-using other people’s children – in order to benefit from laws that favor families with children. According to the law, an adult with a child cannot be held in custody for more than a couple of days; then they are released into the United States and they never show up at the court hearing for asylum. What happens to the children after the ‘false family’ adult gets into the United States? Some of them are recuperated on the way, but obviously, they are a tremendously vulnerable category of people.

            It is in this context that the U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency situation at the southern border and asked the Congress to approve a $4,6 billion for humanitarian aid and border assistance. The reasons for constant delays in getting through this crisis were several: the American political system and the Democrat majority in the House of the Congress; Democrats’ preoccupation to impeach the president; their doubts that this fabulous sum of money would be used for the wall-building rather than for humanitarian and border assistance; their reluctance to accept the existence of the crisis itself, and so on. However, it was on 2^nd July 2019 that Donald Trump signed the $4,6 billion in humanitarian aid and border assistance prizing the bi-partisan victory. Therefore, the ‘man’ in the humanitarian crisis was the one constantly accused of being lacked of compassion, but actually having acted with compassion in working out this crisis: the U.S. President himself. If ‘man’ were spelled at plural as ‘men’, then the ‘men’ in the ‘humenitarian’ crisis were definitely also the Border Patrol officers, who kept doing their jobs the best they could amid politicians’ fights, and the Church organizations, which faced and helped this humanitarian crisis with little dons and great divine strength and inspiration.

Trump Administration’s approach to this migration crisis was holistic. Internally, it fought on two fronts: on the one side, to convince the U.S. Congress to approve the aid, and on the other side to change the immigration laws and the asylum system. Externally, it worked closely with the Mexican President Lopez Obrador, whose collaboration and commitment to respect Mexico’s part of the deal, played a major role in decreasing the number of illegal crossing (and, implicitly, of the sufferance (of kidnappings, of traffickers, of raping, etc.) that goes with it).  I am wondering: ‘Who’s the MAN in the post – Humanitarian Southern Border Crisis?’

            A significant decline in apprehensions was evident in the months that followed the crisis, with September 2019 at its lowest point (52,000) and October (42,000). The month of November was the sixth consecutive month when the illegal apprehensions dropped. In December the illegal crossings were 32,858 (of whom two-thirds were adults and 10 percent unaccompanied children) in comparison to the May-peak with 132,887 apprehensions, or in comparison to the 170,000 unaccompanied children that surrendered at the border, of whom more than 50 percent were under the age of 12. Although a clashing point between the Democrats and Republicans, the Border Patrol officers name firstly the building of the border wall between the United States and Mexico with spyware technology as a main factor to decrease the illegal crossings, human smuggling and assaults on the border officers. In June it was reported that other 200 miles of the border wall were built – on pace to build the 400 miles by the end of the year. And positive statistical results came with it: general illegal crossings are down to 84% from this time last year, while illegal crossings from Central America are down to 97% from this time last year; and 450,000 pounds of drugs were seized by the border officers.

These numbers translate a less burdened Border Patrol, less stretched services and less crowded facilities. And since October 2019, the Border Patrol officers have more time to conduct DNA testing that were dramatically expended, in order to identify the false families. This resulted in the identification of 238 false families and 50 adults posing as minors; other 350 people are prosecuted for false statements, illegal entry and other felonies. The illegal migrant crossings from 2019 showed that many women were raped on the way to the border and all girls above 10 years old were given pregnancy tests, let alone the illegal drugs that cost lives or put at risk youngsters and the society in general. These statistical results translate a higher number of safer children and women from dangerous and merciless gangs and traffickers.

The President of Mexico Andres Obrador paid recently a historic working visit to the White House to discuss trade, health, immigration and other issues of mutual concern. It is on this occasion that the U.S. President Donald Trump publicly declared:

 ‘I want to thank Mexico because Mexico is doing a lot right now; they have almost 20,000 soldiers between the two borders. They have 6,000 on their southern border by Guatemala. And they have about . . . 16,000 at our southern border.’

The common efforts caused a drop of illegal apprehensions from 132,856 last May to 21,475 in May 2020, but what the U.S. President Donald Trump seems to say is that he acknowledges the President of Mexico to be the ‘man’ in the post –humanitarian crisis at the border between the United States and Mexico. And dinner at the White House was included in the program in the honor of the President of Mexico.

REFERENCES:

https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1182363303722569729

https://dailycaller.com/2019/10/17/ice-cbp-migrants-family-status/ 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/press-briefing-acting-cbp-commissioner-mark-morgan-2/?utm_source=ods&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1600d 

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-court-ruling-allowing-construction-of 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/illegal-border-crossings-in-december-dropped-sharply-from-peak-in-may

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/illegal-immigrant-crossings-fall-78-once-overcrowded-cells-are-empty

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/new-border-wall-blocks-90-of-illegal-crossings-up-from-just-10

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/dhs-warns-150-000-immigrants-from-72-coronavirus-nations-at-border

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/mar/10/trumps-decision-to-end-catch-and-release-stops-the/

https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1275505341493579777

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-and-lopez-obrador-will-talk-long-term-solution-to-illegal-immigration

Reflecting on the USMCA’s Deadlock. A Follow Up (I)

by Laura Lai/ Comment

Last year in November I was ‘Reflecting [on this blog] on the USMCA Regional Free Trade Agreement’s Deadlock’ (click here to read the article). My reflection's starting points were that the regional free trade agreements were as old as the Australian-New Zealand ‘CER’ agreement in the 1920s and that every continent has its free trade agreements: North America had NAFTA, South America has MERCOSUR, Asia has the ASEAN, and so are the European and the African continent – with the difference that the European Union evolved from an economic project to a political supranational entity with a certain degree of national sovereignty loss.

            Another point I was making was the fact that NAFTA (‘The North American Free Trade Agreement’) was an outdated agreement, whose shortcomings were evident particularly in fields that were not even under discussions in 1994, such as biotechnology. Donald Trump was one of NAFTA’s earliest critiques and the updating of this old agreement to USMCA (‘United States – Mexico – Canada Free Trade Agreement’) – that addresses more fairly all the trade imbalances – was included in the campaign to ‘Make America Great Again’.

            I was pointing that 12 million jobs depended on the USMCA and I was bringing concrete examples of commercial links between some of the American States with either Canada or Mexico: the State of Indiana (main trade deals are with Canada and Mexico and more than 17,000 jobs depend on this trade, let alone the fact that Indiana is second largest automobile manufacturer in the U.S and home to several car brands);  the State of Minnesota (undertaking more than 70,000 farming operations exports mainly to Canada and Mexico); the State of Colorado, which is quite in the middle of the United States, not necessarily in the vicinity of either Canada or Mexico, did a $2,7 billion trade with Canada and Mexico in 2017, mainly in processed food and machines; and the examples can go on with Missouri, Pennsylvania, Alaska and others.

            Mexico was the first country to ratify the USMCA, Canada ratified soon after, but despite the official visit of the Canadian Prime Minister to the United States to urge the ratification of the USMCA, and despite the U.S. President’s hope to see this trade agreement passing the Congress before the Thanksgiving recess, the USMCA was facing a deadlock because the Democrats were investing lots of time in impeachment procedures and because they needed impact assessments of the USMCA on the environment, workers’ rights and job creation particularly in areas with a job loss in the last 25 years.

Almost half of the U.S. trade involves three countries: its neighbors Canada and Mexico, and China. It makes perfectly sense, if a candidate runs with a slogan ‘Make America Great Again’ to renegotiate the trade agreements with these three countries. It was mid-January when it was announced the triumphant end of ‘Phase One’ of a trade agreement with China. China’s commitment to purchase American agriculture goods worth $50 billion was considered a ‘monumental achievement’ (1). Following this dynamic in US-China trade negotiations and positive steps made to replace NAFTA with the USMCA, the ‘Wall Street Journal’ quoted an agricultural trade publication in which 83 percent of farmers and ranchers approved this Administration’s performance. (2) Previous to this successful ‘Phase One’ trade agreement with China, Donald Trump concluded a $7 billion agreement with Japan - following a trip to Japan. And it was at the end of January 2020 that the U.S. President could sign the USMCA agreement.

            I wonder what part from the negotiations between the Democrats and the Republicans took the longest: Shall it be the impact on the environment? Shall it be the workers’ rights? Or the job creation in the areas with a severe job loss in the previous 25 years – under different administrations. I can’t possibly know, but it is also not the object of this writing exercise on this Writing Blog. However, although the USMCA signed, was not yet into force.

In the meantime a coronavirus pandemic seemed to have slapped countries and woke us up to a different reality to which all people and countries, somehow, needed to adapt. The United States was no exception. Surprisingly, the U.S. Bureau of Statistics were issuing in March encouraging employment results: 20,000 jobs were added in February, which brought the unemployment rate to a 50 years low to 3,5 percent. (3) Donald Trump himself expressed his surprise on the ‘really unthought-of’ achievement’ on the Hispanic American employment rate. (4) In May, although not yet fully healed by the pandemic and the U.S. already added 2,5 million jobs. (5) And for June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced an all time historical record of 4,8 million jobs created. (6) (to be continued)

Reflecting on the USMCA’s Deadlock. A Follow Up (II)

click on the picture for a maximized image

by Laura Lai/ Comment

I am  not reflecting on the USMCA deadlock anymore, but on these fantastic numbers. Obviously the measures the Executive/the Administration takes are miraculous in terms of job creation. I obviously cannot explain how, but we may all find out from the next book about success signed by Donald Trump. Anyway, what I can tell for sure is that it is on July 1^st, 2020 that it went into force. It is on this occasion that the U.S. President issued a statement:

‘The USMCA is the largest, fairest, and most balanced trade agreement ever negotiated and contains innovative provisions to help grow the economy and support American jobs.  It is a tremendous victory for our manufacturers and autoworkers, meaning more cars and trucks will be produced in the United States.  The USMCA is also a historic breakthrough for American agriculture.  Canada will provide greater access for American dairy products, poultry, and eggs, and finally give fair treatment to American-grown wheat.  In addition, the USMCA includes groundbreaking provisions to address digital trade, services, small business, and more, which will protect America’s competitive edge in technology and innovation.’ (7)

The advantages of the USMCA are numerous (8) particularly for the agriculture and the auto industry. It is a win-win type of agreement for all three signatories: Canada, Mexico and the United States. For example, in order for a car to be considered duty free on the North American market it has to have 75 percent of its components made in North America (not purchased cheaper from other continents) by workers that are paid at least $16 per hour – which is great improvement for the Mexican workers. It is expected to add other 76,000 jobs in the auto industry and to spur $34 billion in new investments in this industry. Furthermore, the USMCA addresses intellectual property rights, digital trade, biotechnology and other issues that were not included in the NAFTA agreement (to read the opinion of the U.S. Trade Representative on this ‘state-of-art’ agreement, click here).

To sum up, each continent has a free trade agreement, with the exception of Europe that was both an economical and a political project and that has been evolving in this supra-national direction. The North American continent had since 1994 the NAFTA agreement that required an update to correct both commercial imbalances and to address new issues such as: biotechnology, digital trade, etc. The USMCA that replaces NAFTA was signed and ratified by both Canada and Mexico in the shortest delay, but it was in the United States that it was subject to a certain deadlock. It finally entered into effect, on the 1^st of July 2020. Till this date the U.S. Labor Statistics was publishing all time historic records of job employment. The USMCA will only add others.

            Fortunately, there is no more USMCA deadlock to reflect on, as many people are now impacted by the USMCA in a positive way. In plain English, this means many happy people and, for me, one topic less to reflect on. There will be other topics to practice online comments, essays and reviews on this Writing Blog.

            The Trumps and the Administration were an inspiration for many authors. To me, too! It inspired me a play that I am working to self-publish. Donald Trump himself is surprised by this all time historic record after record in employment rate – meaning, in plain English, that he knew that he was competent, but not that competent. I wonder what inspires him. The U.S. President applied on a ‘building’ infrastructure project to ‘Make America Great Again’, but he proves a ‘job generator genius’. I hope he will write about this in his new book about success and that it will inspire other governments – because we are many looking for and wanting a job.

As a political scientist who loves theory and writing (and I went even for the writing of a doctoral thesis on a theoretical political topic), I am skeptical about politics in practice. Although data can be manipulated, it is hard for me to believe that this outstanding employment data can be manipulated month after month by an Administration in power that seems to have more subjective critiques than objective appreciations. It is the first time in many skeptical years, when based on this performance after performance, that I start to believe in the political words of a character newly converted to politics: ‘and the best is yet to come’. To which I would only add: ‘So help us God!’ (the end)

           

OTHER LINKS on this topic:

https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/trump-usmca-deal-christian-whiton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApANiPz9Qis

https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/505493-usmca-is-the-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-for-our-economy

https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1268930637819449344