Mona Charen: Trump — The Anti-Business Businessman

expat_panama

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Apr 12, 2011
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We've been instructed not to take our new president literally but instead seriously (in the felicitous phrasing of Salena Zito). As I write, there are hints that the inaugural address will focus on the theme of "America First." President-elect Trump may or may not be familiar with the historical taint of that phrase, but in any case the meaning he attaches to it has been clear enough.

Throughout his career, Donald Trump has been consistent on two issues: trade and admiration for strong men. He departs from the consensus about American leadership in the post-World War II era. Rather than seeing the United States' security guarantees and promotion of trade as providing the means through which the world (and the U.S.) has seen unprecedented growth, peace and prosperity, he thinks we've been chumps.

"America First" is a declaration of "No More Mr. Nice Guy."... ...there is reason to doubt that Trump's comments are simply veiled threats...


...Trump's views on trade have been consistent since the 1980s. In 1987, he bought a full-page ad in The New York Times denouncing trade with Japan...


...Manufacturing jobs are being lost to automation above all. Also, commerce (another word for trade), unlike war, has winners on both sides...


...possible ironies here are voluminous.

1) The people who will suffer from trade protectionism are the poor and working classes...


2) China is benefiting even now from other nations' fear of U.S. retrenchment on trade...

3) The U.S. is the world's largest trading nation. Protectionism is a punch in our own eye...

The president has a great deal of independent power on trade matters. Here is something for Republicans in Congress to mull: If President Trump, the great businessman, ignites a trade war and tanks the economy, voters will draw the lesson that "those free-market Republicans have done it again. Capitalism equals depression."

source: http://www.investors.com/politics/columnists/mona-charen-the-anti-business-businessman/

[NOTE: Many of us don't concur w/ everything here, but as an investor we really do need to know what folks are thinking and saying, even dumb ideas that are later repudiated can end of affecting asset prices for a while...]
 
We've been instructed not to take our new president literally but instead seriously (in the felicitous phrasing of Salena Zito). As I write, there are hints that the inaugural address will focus on the theme of "America First." President-elect Trump may or may not be familiar with the historical taint of that phrase, but in any case the meaning he attaches to it has been clear enough.

Throughout his career, Donald Trump has been consistent on two issues: trade and admiration for strong men. He departs from the consensus about American leadership in the post-World War II era. Rather than seeing the United States' security guarantees and promotion of trade as providing the means through which the world (and the U.S.) has seen unprecedented growth, peace and prosperity, he thinks we've been chumps.

"America First" is a declaration of "No More Mr. Nice Guy."... ...there is reason to doubt that Trump's comments are simply veiled threats...


...Trump's views on trade have been consistent since the 1980s. In 1987, he bought a full-page ad in The New York Times denouncing trade with Japan...


...Manufacturing jobs are being lost to automation above all. Also, commerce (another word for trade), unlike war, has winners on both sides...


...possible ironies here are voluminous.

1) The people who will suffer from trade protectionism are the poor and working classes...


2) China is benefiting even now from other nations' fear of U.S. retrenchment on trade...

3) The U.S. is the world's largest trading nation. Protectionism is a punch in our own eye...

The president has a great deal of independent power on trade matters. Here is something for Republicans in Congress to mull: If President Trump, the great businessman, ignites a trade war and tanks the economy, voters will draw the lesson that "those free-market Republicans have done it again. Capitalism equals depression."

source: http://www.investors.com/politics/columnists/mona-charen-the-anti-business-businessman/

[NOTE: Many of us don't concur w/ everything here, but as an investor we really do need to know what folks are thinking and saying, even dumb ideas that are later repudiated can end of affecting asset prices for a while...]
This piece is consistent with the Mona Charen I remember from a decade or more ago, even if she did dislike Bill Clinton. A logical and future thinking Republican. May her kind from both parties prevail.
 
We've been instructed not to take our new president literally but instead seriously (in the felicitous phrasing of Salena Zito). As I write, there are hints that the inaugural address will focus on the theme of "America First." President-elect Trump may or may not be familiar with the historical taint of that phrase, but in any case the meaning he attaches to it has been clear enough.

Throughout his career, Donald Trump has been consistent on two issues: trade and admiration for strong men. He departs from the consensus about American leadership in the post-World War II era. Rather than seeing the United States' security guarantees and promotion of trade as providing the means through which the world (and the U.S.) has seen unprecedented growth, peace and prosperity, he thinks we've been chumps.

"America First" is a declaration of "No More Mr. Nice Guy."... ...there is reason to doubt that Trump's comments are simply veiled threats...


...Trump's views on trade have been consistent since the 1980s. In 1987, he bought a full-page ad in The New York Times denouncing trade with Japan...


...Manufacturing jobs are being lost to automation above all. Also, commerce (another word for trade), unlike war, has winners on both sides...


...possible ironies here are voluminous.

1) The people who will suffer from trade protectionism are the poor and working classes...


2) China is benefiting even now from other nations' fear of U.S. retrenchment on trade...

3) The U.S. is the world's largest trading nation. Protectionism is a punch in our own eye...

The president has a great deal of independent power on trade matters. Here is something for Republicans in Congress to mull: If President Trump, the great businessman, ignites a trade war and tanks the economy, voters will draw the lesson that "those free-market Republicans have done it again. Capitalism equals depression."

source: Mona Charen: Trump — The Anti-Business Businessman

[NOTE: Many of us don't concur w/ everything here, but as an investor we really do need to know what folks are thinking and saying, even dumb ideas that are later repudiated can end of affecting asset prices for a while...]

Howdy! How are you this fine day?
 

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