Letter to the Editor: Getting exactly who we voted for (or against)
To the Editor:
Just two short weeks ago billions of people around the world watched with great interest as the people of the United States of America elected their next president. I was among both groups. After observing months of campaigning and casting my own ballot the election of Donald Trump did not surprise me.
Though concerned, I resolved to quietly observe our president elect preparing to assume his awesome responsibilities in order to understand how his persona might change post-campaign. Just two short weeks later the answer is abundantly clear: We the people have gotten exactly who we voted for (or against).
We have elected a man who has little understanding of the issues that presidents face and correspondingly has no concrete plans. A man whose short attention span will make it difficult for him to comprehend these issues. A man who is so astonishingly thin-skinned that it seems cruel to put him in a position so open to criticism until you observe how cruel he is to others. A man who is every bit as egotistical and narcissistic as the image he has spent decades cultivating. A grown, 70-year-old man who will probably need to have his intemperate Twitter use curtailed at some point in his presidency.
Mr. Trump has a chief strategist who literally peddled conspiracy theories for a living. His nominee for national security advisor was retired from his previous post after losing the faith of his distinguished peers. His nominee for attorney general has a record that should be concerning to all Americans and terrifying to many.
The few verbal insights into policy Mr. Trump has alluded to are troublesome. Regarding free trade, the Trans Pacific Partnership has been declared dead and with it a unique chance to gain leverage in the world economy. That opportunity will now go to the Chinese, who will not fail to take advantage. Backing out of NAFTA has been mentioned, which would destroy rich opportunities not only for our economy but also the economies of two of our top three trading partners.
Tariffs as high as 45% on products from China have been mentioned. At best, this would mean paying a tax of up to 45% on many of the products we currently buy. At worst, it may ignite a trade war with the largest economy in the world at a time when geopolitical tensions are steadily escalating. Despite such propositions that would slow economic growth and decrease government revenues, Mr. Trump also advises that he will cut taxes, increase infrastructure spending, conduct brilliant military campaigns, and provide healthcare for everyone.
While the Republican Party has maintained control of the House and Senate and taken control of the White House, there are clear divisions within the party. This is evidenced by large numbers of Republican lawmakers and high-ranking party members that refused to endorse or vote for Mr. Trump. Now is the time for concerned citizens to reinforce to those politicians that they were correct in their assessment of Mr. Trump. Now is the time to remind our lawmakers that they represent all of us and that they are not required to support Mr. Trump should his policies be damaging to our life, liberty or pursuit of happiness. Please do this now and in abundance.
Finally, fellow Americans, please challenge your politicians and yourselves to move the USA into the future rather than yearn for a past that will not return. Our current distribution of wealth is clearly not adequate for those in the middle and bottom income levels and it will take a bipartisan effort to correct that. Promoting free trade and a worldwide economy while providing early and continuous training for skilled jobs, providing our young adults with adequate support in raising children from pre-conception planning onward, upgrading our post World War II transportation infrastructure, and continuing to reform our ruinously expensive healthcare system are items that all our lawmakers and citizens should be able to support.
Benjamin Ross
Waukon
