“The End Justifies
the Means”
(Always)
Introduction: Am I a fan of Donald Trump, no I am not,
but I am willing to see what he accomplishes and how he accomplishes it, or how
he tries. However, thus far, and he is not even in office yet, but based on his
appointments and nominees to date, things do not look that great. He gives the
distinct impression that he intends to operate government like a giant business
consortium he just acquires. He will deal in the standard P&L and annual
bonus stuff based on past practices around globe as he hangs his trademark name
on each deal as the sole deal maker as it were. But, that is not my focus
today; this is:
Background: It's not possible to be an offshore manufacturing profiteer
and to simultaneously champion keeping jobs here at home without being a
hypocrite. No one can prove that point better than Donald Trump; hypocrite par
excellence…!!!
He loves to insult China and Mexico saying they want our people to
starve, or they're taking our business away. We have seen millions of jobs move
off-shore, but have the “taken our jobs?”
I say: How about we have given them away,
say for cheaper (less-expensive goods that flow back to Walmart or wherever
including the Trump stores?).
On top of that, Mr. Trump also has pledged to
start a trade war with Beijing – that ought to prove interesting based on these
few facts:
David Letterman awhile back decimated Trump and his swaggering bluster
about restoring jobs that have been moved to China and other off-shore locations
as he brought up Trump's “exclusive signature line of clothing.”
Trump was ready for the chance to market his eponymous men's fashion
apparel as he started bragging: “It is ties, shirts, and cuff links, sold at Macy's,
and they're doing great. It's the number-one tie sold anywhere in the world.”
Note: Trump had earlier
claimed that he didn't know where his clothing line was manufactured and it was
obvious Trump was not ready for Letterman's follow-up when he displayed a
couple of Trump shirts, noting that they were made in Bangladesh. Then
Letterman pulled out a few ties from Trump's commercial line and asking him
where they were made. Trump didn't respond. Then Letterman pointed out clearly
saying: “The ties are made in China.”
All Trump could do was shrug
and roll his eyes. There's an entire billion dollar industry of corporate mass
media asking Trump frivolous questions in 2015, and often failing to pin down
his demagogic bluster. However, Letterman exposed him as a profiteering
hypocrite in 2012 with two shirts and a few ties.
Now it seems that Trump
threatened Carrier with loss of Federal contracts, higher tariffs when their
Mexican-made products come back across the border, or whatever else we don’t
know what he and IN Gov. Pence promised. But, brag Trump is doing with relish, which
is his style…
So, I simply ask: Is this what we can expect from a President
Trump? It is rational and logical question to ask isn’t it?
Tied to this question, consider
this article from Forbes, posted here in part:
Donald Trump’s appeal is said to be his straight talk. But when it
comes to international trade, he sounds like a hypocrite, the classic “Do what
I say, not what I do” politician. While bashing companies for investing in
foreign countries, Donald Trump’s own company has shown no inclination to
invest and build only in America. In fact, a significant percentage of his
company’s hotels and major real estate properties are located abroad.
“Mr. Trump is either inexcusably hypocritical or inexcusably ignorant
of economics. There is zero economic difference between, say, a U.S. car
company’s investments abroad in factories and Mr. Trump’s own investments
abroad in hotels: both are meant to improve the bottom line of companies
headquartered in the U.S. by taking advantage of profitable economic
opportunities outside of the U.S.” (According
to Donald J. Boudreaux, a professor of economics at George Mason University).
Yet a staple of Trump the candidate’s speeches has been to bash Ford
Motor for building a plant in Mexico. “Trump has repeatedly said that if
elected, he would not allow Ford to open a new plant in Mexico,” reported the Detroit News.
“At his campaign
announcement speech in New York in June, Trump said he would call [Ford CEO
Mark] Fields “to explain the bad news” this way: “Let me give you the bad news:
Every car, every truck and every part manufactured in this plant that comes
across the border, we’re going to charge you a 35% tax. They are going to take
away thousands of jobs.” (Trump’s own campaign words, not mine).
Again, is this our future way to deal: use harsh business tactics in
foreign relations or international fellowship?
Thanks for stopping by… My
hunch: the worst is yet to befall us. Stay tuned.
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