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How Trump can help Argentina’s comeback

President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei have a special relationship. Each is engaged in a crusade to make his respective country’s economy great again. Trump was all in on helping Milei win his elections earlier this year, and he has also offered the Argentines a $20 billion “lifeline” as they adjust to the bumpy path to needed free-market reforms. The stakes are gigantic because the whole world is watching Milei’s embrace of free-market “shock capitalism,” which so far is working. He has restored sound money (by linking to the dollar) and taken a ...

Not the best choice

If you were looking for a great choice for a terrible Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth was always your man. It was entirely unsurprising that President Donald Trump picked him. No rational person could want Hegseth anywhere near America’s chain of command, and it’s unclear that any rational person ever has. For starters, there was highly credible evidence, including from his former Fox News colleagues, that the out-of-central-casting bro drank excessively, to the point of open intoxication. There was the 2017 accusation that he had sexually assaulted a woman, and the $50,000 ...

Boss Trump?

Perhaps a fedora or a bowler hat should replace President Donald Trump’s omnipresent MAGA cap. In recent months, he seems more like an old big city boss than the head of the world’s premier power. Trump continues to dole out pardons, first to a convicted drug dealer who was once president of Honduras and Henry Cuellar, a former Democratic Congressman from Texas, as per usual, justifying the actions with a snappy explanation. Take your pick of which former New York mayor Trump resembles. He favors Jimmy Walker, who mixed his actions with both panache and style. His public ...

Where the buck stops

I was very pleased last Monday to hear Gov. Patrick Morrisey say that the decision to leave behind a volunteer contingent of West Virginia National Guard members was his. “I made the decision to have the word come down that we would ask the people if they wanted to volunteer,” Morrisey said during his first press conference with West Virginia media since the shooting on Nov. 26 of two Guard members during their Washington, D.C., deployment by an Afghan national, one of whom died. I was pleased because the weekend after the shooting, a number of social media posts were made on the ...

Cold, wintry weather has set in for Barbour County

Hello from Barbour County. I do believe that cold weather has set in. Brrr. Congratulations to the Philip Barbour High School football team, state semi finalists. Your county is proud of your achievements. Barbour County Fairgrounds is hosting Christmas “Cookies and Cocoa” today, Dec. 6 from 1- 6 p.m. at the quonset hut at the fairgrounds. There will be cookies to purchase as well as delicious cocoa. Stop by and support this fundraiser as you get ready for the Christmas season. Also today there will be a Sports and Gaming Card Show at Battlers Knob from 9 ...

Authenticity and vulnerability

Authentic and vulnerable are two words I am hearing often when I ask people what they like about the person they report to and the people in the top leadership roles. My experience is that these words are mentioned more today than in the past. While they do not mean the same thing, together they are critical in developing relationships. They are vital for self-awareness and building trust.  A couple of quick definitions: Authenticity is being genuine and aligned with your values and beliefs. Vulnerability is the behavior of being open to others. When coaching executives, I find ...