Tearing Down the Pillars of Prosperity

OF THE SIX PILLARS of merican prosperity enumerated in the previous essay (Organizing For Prosperity), Donald Trump has and continues to undermine them all, and threatens to utterly destroy them. Trump's anti-immigrant attitude is well documented, as is his unrepentant racism, It was Trump who clearly expressed his desire that immmigrants come to the United States from Norway, which is the example he used. Presumably he would happily accept them from any Scandanavian country, except perhaps Denmark, whose people have outdone themselves in ridiculing that which is ridiculous, all things Trump. The common denominator, unspoken, is of course sking color. Aside from the fact that nobody fortunate enough to live in northern Europe has any motivation to reocate in a demographically third wofld country with a steady storm of mass murders, extreme poverty is virtually nonexistant in Europe, and is rampant in the U.S. Then too, most european countries have a higher standard of living than Americans. For the foreseeable future, the land of liberty must be content to either receive an influx of darkly pigmented impoverished immigrants, or to let its abundant agricultural harvest rot on the vine. The federal government support for education is drying up under Trump, at his direction. Too much liberal indoctrination in America's public schools, such as teaching kids to acccept everyone of all religions, sexual orientations, and political affiliations. The third pillar, broad based global access to American markets, if being drastically truncated by Trump's needless, economically stifling tariff regimen. Only a few economists favor tariff barriers anywhere at any time. Ravi Batra, in his book "The Pooring of America", points to tariffs as destructive to American national prosperity by raisng consumer prices. Its a balancing act; tariffs help protect domestic industry from foreign competition, but give consumers less choice. Certainly American exporters do not desire to run up against high tariffs in foreign markets. They want open, easily accessed foreign markets. Political stability is vital to a healthy, functioning national economy. The fact that the rule of law is a basic feature of American society, with a relatively stable political system, is not onlly beneficial to American prosperity, but essential. No politician in American history, arguably, has been more destructive to the rule of law than the current president, whose extensive criminal activity is well documented and known, but, evidently, of no importance to his cult of supporters. International trade is impossible without an international system of mutual security and cooperation. Trump, with his xenophobic policies and "America First-America alone" ideology, has undone decades of alliance building and cooperative international economics. Allies mean nothing to Trump, unless they are subservient to his positions and interests. He has alienated America's former allies. The final pillar, a politically independent and fiscally prudent monetary policy and supply is the primary purpose of the Federal reserve banking system, giving it credibility by freeing it and insulating it from all fleeting, ephemeral political considerations. Trump is the first American president, and one hopes the last one, to openly, unabashadly interfere with the fed by commenting on its monetary policies and threatening its objectivity, independence, and ultimately its effectiveness. Trump is, as the ancient saying goes, burning down teh city to rule over the ashes.For hism, simply being of service to his countty is of no value to him personaly, and therefore,quite unthinkable.