The aides to President-elect Donald Trump, in response to critics who say Trump is not doing what he said he would do during his campaign, are saying we shouldn’t have taken what Trump said literally. As I tried to tell you, you can’t believe a word he says. The things that he might, tweet late at night, ain’t necessarily so.
The rhetoric went like this ... “They won’t dare take jobs to Mexico,because if they do I’ll levy a 35 percent tariff on any goods they ship back into the United States.” Don’t take that literally. What Trump really meant is that he would do exactly what he has accused Obama of doing — bribe them.
If the company happens to be in Indiana, the president-elect will have the current governor of Indiana, the vice-president elect, give them $700,000 of tax dollars, every year for 10 years, that’s $7 million to keep 750 jobs in Indiana. It’s not 1,100 jobs as Trump told us, because 350 research and development jobs were going to stay there anyway. Carrier is still sending between 550 and 1,300 jobs to Mexico.
It’s not “such a deal,” when you consider the costs. In addition Trump has promised them tax breaks and other goodies to stay in the United States. It walks and talks like bribery. All we heard during the campaign is what a tough negotiator Donald Trump is. Baloney.
Trump accused Hillary Clinton of selling out to Wall St, because she was paid a hefty sum to speak at a Goldman Sachs’ function? Currently, several former or current Goldman Sachs’ employees have been appointed to Trump’s cabinet or as close advisers.
My, oh my. What about his promise to drain the swamp? Don’t take him literally. Trump is surrounding himself with more swamp dwellers than there are in the Okefenokee.
Obviously you can’t take his promise to lock up Hillary Clinton literally; he’s already said he will not have her prosecuted. Makes sense, even the president can’t lock-up innocent folks. His crowds still shout “lock her up.”
“Don’t take him literally.” Does that mean he ‘s not going to build that wall? Probably. We can’t afford it and there’s no chance Mexico will pay for it.
When he tells his supporters to stop beating and harassing Muslims, Hispanics and African Americans does he really mean it? Who knows. In any event it is not bloody likely that his white-Supremacists followers will stop mugging minorities.
The current unemployment rate is 4.6 percent, the lowest in nine years. Trump says he will put people back to work. To whom is he referring? Do you really think he can lower it much more? I may be wrong, and I hope I am, but I think the unemployment rate will go up, the deficit will go up, the interest rate will go up and the tax breaks will all go up-up to the top 10 percent. The rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer.
The Republicans will control all three branches of government so things could get much worse. For sure they will repeal the Affordable Care Act, and about 18 million will lose their health insurance immediately. Paul Ryan and Trump’s HHS cabinet appointee, Tom Price, a House representative from Georgia, have both stated they will proceed with plans to privatize Social Security and Medicare. At the very least you will see a reduction in Medicare benefits and perhaps a reduction in Social Security payments. Lord, I hope I’m wrong.
The Republicans will cut entitlement programs to pay for Trump’s huge tax cuts for corporations, major companies and the wealthy like himself. They say cutting taxes for businesses will mean more employment since the money will trickle down. When have we heard that before? It doesn’t work. Businesses only hire when necessary, not because the government gives them tax relief.
In the meantime automation will continue to cost us more jobs, the middle class will not get Trump’s promised tax cut, the crime rate in the inner-cities will go up, the environment will go to pot, gasoline prices will rise, and healthcare costs will increase dramatically. The U.S. ranks about sixteenth among developed countries in healthcare, for which we pay the most. We’re not much better in education.
There’s a possibility the super-hawks in Trump’s cabinet might lead us into a war involving nuclear weapons. Lord, help us.
My next column will not be about politics, but it will be about our favorite movies. Let me know who your favorite actors are and what movies are your favorites. I can be contacted, as usual, at glynn@phonewave.net.
Glen McAdoo, a Fallon resident, can be contacted at glen@phonewave.net.