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THE TRUMP ECONOMY

According to a recent poll, 46% of Americans approve of the way Trump has handled the economy. People seem to believe that since jobs grew, unemployment came down, and the stock market and their 401k accounts rose, Trump must have done a good job.  As a conservative, a Republican and a student of economics for over 40 years, I submit that these economic outcomes often happened in spite of Trump’s policies and that he mismanaged the economy to such an extent that he has sown significant long-term risks into our economic outlook.  The principle drivers of the economy during Trump’s tenure have been four factors: deficit spending, low interest rates engineered by the Federal Reserve, a widening trade deficit and the pandemic.  

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FALSE CHOICES AND LABELING

One aspect of American culture that has often surprised me is our tendency to put people into camps. You either believe in creation or evolution.  You believe in a women’s right to choose or the right to life.  You believe wearing a mask is imperative or it doesn’t matter. You either support Trump or you’re a “Trump-hater”.  You predominantly support black lives matter or blue lives matter.  You believe we must focus on growing the economy or protecting the environment. You believe “taking a knee” is a fit means of protesting police brutality or it’s disrespectful of our flag and country. You’re either part of the radical left or the far-right. This tendency to label and place others in camps has clearly grown with the rise of social media, news programming and divisive political rhetoric. Let me suggest that if we genuinely want to make meaningful progress on issues of faith, race, income inequality, healthcare, abortion, our environment, and education, it is imperative that we become purposeful in turning away from false choices and all the labels flying about, and look in earnest for just, pragmatic and compassionate solutions. 

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COMPASSION IN GOVERNANCE?

I’ve never been one of the sharper pencils in the box, but something that has perplexed me over the last three years is the support so many friends and colleagues have extended to Donald Trump and his policies. The Trump supporters I speak of are intelligent people of good will, whom I respect.  And yet, one question continually confounds me: If you saw a man abusing women and children or an elderly person somewhere in public, would you not step in and do your utmost to stop it? I’m confident everyone I know would. And yet, for reasons apparently beyond me, people continue to support Trump despite a wealth of speech and conduct that runs counter to the values they espouse, and clear evidence that he drives policies that hurt millions of innocent people. Here are a few examples for your consideration.  

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TECTONIC RISKS GROWING BENEATH OUR FEET

Mindful of the many sincere prayers, songs and wishes for “peace on earth” not far in our rear view mirror, it is with sadness that I submit that the risks of war are growing and at an accelerating pace. With our nation beset with current challenges and our daily lives filled with so much to do, dismissing the possibility of a war somewhere over the horizon seems a very natural response. And yet, if we consider the growing tensions between the US and Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China, the proliferation of advanced technologies and the dysfunctional process with which Trump handles foreign relations, it is not difficult to discern the risks growing beneath our feet.

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BEWARE OF FAUSTIAN BARGAINS

One thing about Faustian bargains, where we consciously choose to turn from the moral beliefs and values that define us, in favor of something we desire in the short term, is that they always end in tragedy.  Just as Faust sold his soul for worldly pleasures, selling the moral basis of our lives to achieve short term goals, even noble ones, inevitably results in long term consequences far more dire then we ever imagined and leaves us broken and filled with regret.

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A REPUBLICAN?

As a Republican of 40 years, it is not only painful and deeply troubling to witness how dramatically divisions have cut into the fabric of our country, but how fellow moderate, pragmatic Republicans have caved in to the ideological hard-right.  Given what has become an all too common tendency among so many of us to stridently lurch to support or denigrate Trump, perhaps it would be worthwhile to take a step back and ask ourselves: “What does it mean to be a Republican?” What are the core values we stand for, and let those values guide our judgments, words and votes on the policies and people leading us.  

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BEYOND THE BATTLE

When combating injustice, the tragedy of lost opportunities and the senseless loss of life, both here and abroad, for the sake of those we choose to defend as well as our own humanity, it is essential to remember to live out a “thirst for righteousness” on multiple fronts. While exposing and confronting the perpetrators of injustice with their selfishness and shortsightedness is a noble cause, it is equally if not more important to bring to light and labor together on constructive solutions to some of the seemingly intractable problems that beset us.  And beyond that, sometimes it is good and right, even for warriors, to sheath their sword, lay it down for at least a little bit, and take up the good work of lending a helping hand and a broad smile to those that are struggling and hurting.

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“AMERICA FIRST”

President Trump, during his inaugural speech, reiterated with great confidence the underlying themes of his campaign: “Make America Great Again” and “America First!”  While these apparently made for an appealing campaign pitch and many voters seem to believe this is how America ought to be governed, they immediately struck me as some of the most troubling and dangerous things a now sitting President could say, let alone say so stridently.  “Make America Great Again” and “America First” are troubling and dangerous foundations for policy because they are backward looking, selfish, counter-productive, and demonstrate a withdrawal from the moral, economic and military leadership role America has in the world.

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WINNING THE PEACE

As we mourn the loss of so many innocent people in Orlando, as well as those who lost their lives at a fireworks celebration in Nice, France, at an airport in Istanbul, a cafe in Bangladesh, and so many others taken by terrorist attacks over the last few years, let us continue to be mindful not only of the need for more effective gun controls and mental health care, but how perniciously the war on terror is seeping into our country. While hatred of gays and the LGTB community seemed to have played some role in the Orlando attack, and that should not be forgotten, we need to be increasingly mindful of the fact that we are also in the middle of a religious and cultural war with radical Islam, and one that we are not winning.  Daily we hear media coverage of terrorism committed by ISIS, our military strikes against them and their loss of territory, along with rhetoric from presidential candidates on who can be toughest against ISIS, but we almost never hear even so much as a vague plan on how to stem the growth of radical Islam and win the peace.

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IRAN, THE ECONOMY AND GLOBAL WARMING

If America and Americans want to contain the influence of Iran, improve the health of our economy, and retard growth in global warming, we have at hand a silver bullet that can simultaneously accomplish all three: reduce fuel consumption, particularly gasoline.  With a few minor adjustments to our driving habits, we can put more pressure on the Iranian government than another aircraft carrier battle group, we can reduce our burgeoning trade deficit and the upward pressure it exerts on interest rates, and we can turn the corner on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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