Thursday, December 1, 2016

Trump Tactics Towards Anyone: Bash; Belittle; Befuddle; Bribe; Befriend; Boast

“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?

Overall related articles here, here, and here (and from various other media sources).

Thanks for stopping by… My hunch: the worst is yet to befall us. Stay tuned.

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