There are many ways to evaluate the performance of trump six months later. But I was struck by the missed opportunity. During the campaign it was clear that Donald trump’s many shortcomings, he was faced with the real problems facing the United States, and deep disappointment in the political system. Besides, he has supported and expressed — sometimes inconsistent — populism that go far beyond the differences of right and left. How would it look if trump ran in a pragmatic manner reformer, focused on the creation of jobs and the “forgotten” Americans, what he keeps saying?
There is no standard example to aid our imagination. After the election, trump petranovskaya a small group of intellectuals (left and right) have teamed up to create a magazine of American Affairs, promised “discussion of the new policy, which goes beyond the usual dogmas.” This is the best way of articulation of the ideology that have made trump the President. The magazine has caused such interest that a second edition was dedicated to the editorial policy of the publication.
With regard to trade, immigration and foreign policy, editors support some changes to the standard policy of the United States, some of them offers White house. But on the key issues of domestic economic policy position of American Affairs was completely different and really populist. Speaking of taxes, the editors stated that “very skeptical of the conservative views that are reflexive prescribe to lower taxes as the cure for all diseases”. Although corporate tax reform is justified, “reducing income tax rates will hardly help to solve the basic economic problem.” Instead, they recommend eliminating the mechanisms by which the rich evade taxation. In addition, the magazine condemned financial deregulation and called for an increase in taxes for hedge Fund managers and private capital management. Health editors openly advocated universal access and proposed two options: a single payer system or a version of the Swedish system, which essentially prescribes Obamacare.
Needless to say, this is not a trump. But reading these good ideas, the question arises: why not? Proposed would help the “forgotten” people who brought trump to power.
At the moment, there were two main features of the presidency of the trump. First: victory is not a breakthrough of populism, it was the result of quite traditional Republican agenda: repeal Obamacare, weakening reform wall street and consumer protection Dodd-Frank, lower taxes, deregulation of production. Weak trump’s plan for infrastructure is nothing more than tax breaks for private investors. The only real contrast to Republican traditions appeared in foreign policy, where trump is very strange and fickle policy, which, apparently, he was inspired by his own desires and his annoying things — a ban on entry, the requirement of the Board with allies, the support of autocrats, flattering him and his family.
The second defining feature of the administration of the trump incompetence. As many have said, if trump decided to start cadence with a major infrastructure bill, the Democrats would have their hands tied. They would have to support him, even if it angered the leaders of the party. Instead, trump chose health care is a complex issue that definitely would serve to unite the opposition and divide the Republicans. But do was very little. Obamacare has not been canceled, the money wall on the border no one is singled out, NAFTA is still in place, the bill for taxes is not, as agreement on raising the upper threshold of public debt. Even the issue of deregulation, where the President has very broad powers, managed a little something to achieve. Many actions trump lies in “review” of the various measures. As I told one of the eco-activists, in order to lighten the mood of his colleagues, trump’s words, fortunately, rarely end in success.
Trump would quickly reconsider American policy. He could discern the voices that are not listened to others, understood what it was like to hear these people said these things. But when the time came to act, it turned out that he has no strong ideas, no politics, no desire to look for them. He just wanted to be President, to meet with world leaders, to take photos of the Oval office, flying on air force 1, giving policy in the hands of the speaker and Vice-President. So while trump looks a lot less revolutionary than expected: a standard Republican big business, although incompetent, and wrapped in a populist wrapper.
