Donald Trump campaigned on promises to deliver the “greatest economy ever”. However, his actions since taking office are unlikely to deliver anything resembling that which he promised.
Trump’s tariffs have had a devastating effect on the economy. The price of imported goods is skyrocketing. The stock market (as of this writing) has dropped 15% and shows no sign of slowing. An acquaintance recently complained that his 401k retirement fund lost over $90 thousand. Foreign nations are retaliating with their own tariffs which will have a devastating effect on those who produce goods for sales abroad.
While the economic losses of Trump’s policies have been devastating, his policies and behavior have created even greater losses.
We have lost our pride. Through his thoughtless actions (e.g., mass government firings, attacks on opponents, personal attacks on foreign leaders), his total disregard for the Constitution, treaties, foreign commitments and common decency, Donald Trump has wreaked havoc and shame on our nation.
We have lost our stability. For nearly 250 years, our government has been stable, making people feel secure, encouraging foreigners to immigrate and encouraging economic investment. With Trump, everything is uncertain. No one knows what he will do tomorrow and how that will affect our lives.
We have lost our credibility. Through his lies, breaches of agreements, breaches of international protocols, arbitrary actions and total disregard for the concerns of others, we have lost the trust of other nations. No one can trust that America will stand by its agreements or meet it’s obligations .
We have lost confidence in our government. What is going to happen to Social Security? Will we have Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the indigent? What will happen to our schools that are already suffering? These are questions that people are asking, but Trump’s only answer is “we are making America great”.
We have lost much of our security. There is a considerable risk of a foreign war because we have an irascible and irrational President that has been given license to wage undeclared war wherever and whenever he chooses. Should the next war be with a nuclear armed state, the consequences would be devastating. Even worse are the internal threats to our government. Trump’s rhetoric and actions have so divided the nation that the risk of civil war is no longer negligible. His threats to undermine the Constitution with claims that “there are other ways” to serve a third term raises the risk of a hostile takeover of our government.
Finally, we have lost our sense of direction. Where is America headed? What do we want for our future? There is no longer a clear vision. There are only empty rhetoric and baseless assertions of “greatness”. Even that lacks definition. What is greatness?
It would appear that the only things Trump is making great are our losses. Unfortunately, some of those losses are irrecoverable.