It’s counterproductive to rail against Donald Trump because, like it or not, for the next four years he will be The President of the United States. Where does this road lead?
The News Media Irrelevant
As Paddy Chayefsky’s ‘Network’ gradually became reality and ‘The News’ degenerated into ratings based ‘if it bleeds it leads’ headlines, competing for attention with Kim Kardashian’s ass and fake ‘facts’ on the internet, nobody knows what to believe anymore. For Mr. Trump, the press is simply a tool to be manipulated, using one-way Twitter in place of two-way press conferences. And, for the most part, nobody cares.
Cult Of Personality
Donald’s personality and priorities developed in the ‘dog-eat-dog’ world of high-stakes real estate, under the tutelage of a ruthless tycoon father and Roy Cohn, mob lawyer and former aide to Senator Joseph McCarthy. Told never to apologize, and as the absolute ruler of his various companies, able to fire anyone who disagrees, his belief in autocratic rule (and rulers) is understandable. For Mr. Trump ‘winning’ is everything and his decisions will be contingent upon how he alone perceives that ‘win.’ No doubt based on money, power and expediency with little or no regard for morality. This is not necessarily a bad trait in a country’s leader as history is shaped and written by the victors, but a definite change in our presidential attitude and identity.
The Trump Cabinet – A New Direction
After years of political gridlock and bureaucratic waste and inefficiency, despite his personal inadequacies, Trump’s ‘outsider’ message resonated with a fed-up public. His appointments of non-politician big-business CEOs and military generals reflect that attitude. With the added caveat that any who disagree with him along the way will probably be replaced, here’s some of the domestic changes we might expect:
- · Reduced taxes and restrictions on big business and no raise in the minimum wage·
- Renewed emphasis on fossil fuels leaving alternative energy solutions to the private sector
- · De-emphasis on environmental protection
- · Re-evaluation of federal spending, including defense spending
- · Programs for rebuilding our infrastructure
- · No further gun control laws
- · Increased support for chartered schools
- · The addition of a conservative Supreme Court justice
Other more controversial things might include:
- · A renewed ‘right-to-life’ anti-abortion initiative
- · Revisiting the need for the Electoral College
- · Re-evaluation of our entire tax structure
- · Repeal and replacement of ObamaCare
- · Changes to Social Security and Medicare
- · A more restrictive and protectionist immigration policy, including a wall of some kind
A Change In The World Order
Although the domestic agenda may be a change in direction, it pales in relation to a possible international realignment. If in fact President Trump continues to perceive Putin and Russia as a possible friend and ally and China as our arch rival, the world becomes a very different place. At first it might seem a brilliant maneuver. Convinced to do business with Iran rather than tear up the deal, uniting with Russia and Assad to destroy ISIS his approval rating will soar. No one in this country will really care if the Ukranian government collapses. With the European alliance crumbling under the pressure of immigration and popularism, NATO will become increasingly vulnerable. Meanwhile, China will more aggressively militarize the South Sea and its Manchurian border with Russia. With the hint of protectionist trade policies, we could then end up in a devastating trade war with China, and once Putin gets what he wants in territory and power, he’ll dump Trump, just in time for our next presidential election… just saying… it could happen.
The End Of The Road
So where will all this leave the disillusioned blue-collar workers who voted for him… For the first few years ‘happy days will be here again.’ With one party control, bills will once again start passing through congress. Big business repatriation of funds and favorable tax laws along with loosened bank restrictions will send Wall Street soaring back into the pre-recession bubble. Legislation will discourage companies from sending manufacturing jobs overseas or retraining our workers, and infrastructure initiatives will bring unemployment to an all-time low, bolstered by protectionist trade policies. The fossil fuel industry will once again flourish at the expense of clean energy with coal miners headed back underground instead of learning new skills. ISIS will be bombed out of existence by a U.S./Russian coalition and Russian hacking will abate.
Then somewhere along the way, the bill will come due… China will have supplanted us as the world’s leading trade partner, and a trade war will send domestic prices soaring as salaries here remain low. With our European partners fractured and weakened, when Putin feels he’s strong enough, he’ll turn on us and them, in retribution for years of sanctions. Having relinquished our leadership in clean energy and environmental protection, new technology jobs and business will flow elsewhere as our broken education system and outdated industry gradually becomes non-competitive. Isolated on the world stage, the U.S. dollar plummeting, another Wall Street crash will send our economy careening into a very different kind of wall. At which point I sincerely hope I don’t have to say ‘I told you so.’
L.E. Kalikow's "Sex, No Drugs and Rock n’ Roll (Memoirs of a Music Junkie)" is available in paperback, iBook, Kindle, & AudioBook online.
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