Amazon

War of Words

by Dave

“I’m not going to enter a war of words with anybody, including the American president,” Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, told a Danish television channel on Wednesday.  Ok, that’s right.  Don’t back down and don’t escalate,

A few days ago, I was already to post a slightly humorous comment on Greenland, saying the Prime Minister should have told Trump, “Well, if you want Greenland, then give us Puerto Rico. ”  That was going to be my joke.  Then, it came out that the White House actually discussed swapping Puerto Rico for Greenland.   That’s super crazy.

Buying Greenland was a crazy distraction.  The Prime Minister of Denmark,  Mette Frederiksen, was absolutely right to call the idea “absurd.”   Even more absurd is the cavalier way Trump proposed this.   Trump was right that this had been considered during Truman’s presidency in 1946.   But, this was done under tight security, and no one knew about it for 45 years, when it was discovered by a Copenhagen newspaper in declassified documents in the National Archives.

Today, we have a military base (Thule air base) on Greenland.   Denmark has been a strong ally of the US.  Danes have fought with the US in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.    However, unlike Trump,  the Prime Minister is a strong environmentalist, and Denmark is making great strides in reducing carbon emissions.  It would be hard not to be a strong believer in climate change, as it is so evident in Europe and of course, in Greenland.

So, Trump hopped into Air Force 1, to attend the G7 meeting in beautiful Biarritz, France where the hot issues will be Iran, trade issues and climate change.

On climate change,  President Bolsonaro  of Brazil in making his country  great again, has done great harm to the Amazon.  I warned this was going to happen.   The people who voted for him are now choking on smoke in Sao Paulo.    Donald Trump intensified the Trade War, not only with China but with our European allies.  EU is trying desperately to save the Iran Nuclear agreement, after the US pulled out.

So, the G7 meeting will be a “war of words”  with the US now more as  the trouble maker than the problem solver.

Stay tuned,

Dave

Links:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/08/16/trump-greenland-purchase-harry-truman-denmark/

amzn hq2?

by Dave

Just in case, you haven’t a clue of what I’m talking about,  it’s the second headquarters for Amazon.  Right now, Amazon headquarters is in Seattle.  The second headquarters is going to be big.   The New York Times reports:

The winner could get up to 50,000 high-paying jobs and $5 billion in investment, figures that Amazon has dangled in front of local officials, setting off an unprecedented competition to be the second home for one of the internet’s mightiest companies.

The top 20 cities have been announced.   See list at the end of the blog.

When Amazon finally decides, all the mayors will be seated in a room, and Tyra Banks will call out each of them, flash a couple pictures of their city, and tell them why they just didn’t have the right stuff to be the next  HQ2  (i.e.  well, your  airport was ok, but there was just a bit too much crime and your air smells a bit funny, so Pittsburgh you’re out).  I’m joking of course.

Amazon will make each city  beg to be HQ2, so it won’t be Washington, DC.    If they want smart people, they will go for Austin or Boston.  I’m guessing it will be an east coast city, with large international airports.   Toronto would be good in almost every respect, except the weather.  So, the winner in my opinion is:  Atlanta, GA.  A runner up choice is  Raleigh, NC.  Amazon also lists Northern Virginia in the top 20 cities, which is possible.   Yeah, I know there is no city called Northern Virginia, but with Bezo’s billions, Virginia would build one.   These are the compromise choices, half way between New York and Miami.   The sleeper would be Newark, where of course, nobody in their right mind would pick, unless all they cared about is tax breaks and being top dog in the area.  Amazon audiobook division, Audible, is in Newark.

I’m figuring Atlanta is best for executives, who are hoping on flights to Europe, Africa and Asia.  The future is about distribution.    But, just for the record, I think Toronto, Northern Virginia, Raleigh and (oh no) Newark are still in the running.  Newark would kind of being like Tyra Banks picking the ugliest model to be the next Top Model.   It really could happen, but it would be obvious to everyone they were paid off (in tax breaks)  for this choice.

— Update,  just as I posted my choice,  Yahoo – Finance posted their predictions, which were so similar to mine, I think they must have read my blog.   They predicted Washington, DC (not going to happen),  but also Montgomery County, MD which makes a lot of sense as a Miami to Boston compromise and close enough to Washington.

— Update #2,  the paddypower website for gamblers  has Boston, Austin and Atlanta as front runners.  Washington, DC is #4.  My other hunches,  Toronto, North Virginia, Raleigh and Newark are all at the back of the bus.  For Amazon employees, scared to death they could be transferred to Newark, you can rest easy for now.  Pittsburgh and Montgomery County are also in paddypower top 6 bets.

Stay tuned,

Dave

Top cities:  Atlanta,  Austin, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, OH, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Montgomery County, MD, Nashville, Newark (oh no), New York, Northern Virginia (not a city), Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, NC, Toronto (yes, we know it’s in Canada, Amazon can change this!), and Washington.