Posted on 08/31/2015 4:27:50 AM PDT by HomerBohn
When interviewing those who work for him (or who have or have had business dealings with him) negative stories about Donald Trump are curiously lacking. After all the employees he has had and all of the business deals made, there is an unmistakable lack of criticism. In fact, long term employees call him a strong and compassionate leader and say he has far more integrity and higher moral standards than many people may think.
And while it may surprise many, he’s actually humble when it comes to his generosity and kindness. A good example is a story that tells of his limo breaking down on a deserted highway outside of New York City. A middle-aged couple stopped to help him and as a thank you he paid off their mortgage, but he didn’t brag about that. Generous people rarely talk of the charitable acts they bestow on others.
But interesting as this may be, the thing that people want to know is Donald Trump’s plan for America. It’s funny how many people say they don’t know what it is, or act as though Trump is hiding it. The information is readily available if people would just do a little homework. But as most Americans won’t do their own research, here, in no particular order, is an overview of many of Trump’s positions and plans:
1.) Trump believes that America should not intervene militarily in other country’s problems without being compensated for doing so. If America is going to risk the lives of her soldiers and incur the expense of going to war, then the nations we help must be willing to pay the tab. Using the Iraq War as an example, Trump cites the huge expense to American taxpayers (over $1.5 trillion, and possibly much more depending on what sources are used to determine the cost) in addition to the incalculable cost in human life. He suggests that Iraq should have been required to give us enough of their oil to pay for the expenses we incurred. He includes in those expenses the medical costs for our military and $5 million for each family that lost a loved one in the war and $2 million for each family of a soldier who suffered severe injury.
2.) Trump wants America to have a strong military again. He believes the single most important function of the federal government is national defense. He has said he wants to find the General Patton or General MacArthur who could lead our military back to proper strength. While he hasn’t said it directly that I know of, Trump’s attitude about America and about winning tells me he would be quick to eliminate rules of engagement that handicap our military in battle and put our soldiers as risk. Clearly Trump is a “win at all costs” kind of guy and I’m sure that would apply to our national defense and security, too.
3.) Trump wants a strong foreign policy and believes that it must include 7 core principles:
a. American interests come first. Always. No apologies.
b. Maximum firepower and military preparedness.
c. Only go to war to win.
d. Stay loyal to your friends and suspicious of your enemies.
e. Keep the technological sword razor sharp.
f.See the unseen. Prepare for threats before they materialize.
g. Respect and support our present and past warriors.
4.) Trump believes that captured terrorists should be treated as military combatants, not as criminals, which is the treatment they receive from the Obama administration.
5.) Trump makes the point that China’s manipulation of its currency has given them unfair advantage in our trade dealings with them. He says we must tax their imports to offset their currency manipulation, which will cause American companies to be competitive again, drive manufacturing back to America and create jobs here. Although he sees China as the biggest offender, he believes that America should protect itself from all foreign efforts to take our jobs and manufacturing. For example, Ford is building a plant in Mexico and Trump suggests that every part or vehicle Ford makes there be taxed 35% if they want to bring it into the U. S. This would cause companies like Ford to no longer be competitive when using their Mexican operations. They would therefore move manufacturing back to the U. S. where jobs would once again be created.
6.) Trump favors passage of NOPEC legislation (No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act – NOPEC – S.394), which would allow the government to sue OPEC for violating antitrust laws. According to Trump, that would break up the cartel. He also wants to unleash our energy companies to drill domestically (sound like Sarah Palin’s drill baby, drill?) thereby increasing domestic production, creating jobs and driving domestic costs of oil and gas down while reducing dependence on foreign oil.
7.) Trump believes a secure border is critical for both security and prosperity in America. He wants to build a wall to stop illegals from entering and help put controls on immigration. (And he says he’ll get Mexico to pay for the wall, which many have scoffed at, but given his business successes I wouldn’t put it past him.) He also wants to enforce our immigration laws and provide no path to citizenship for illegals other than that which is currently included in the law.
8.) Trump wants a radical change to the tax system to not only make it better for average Americans, but also to encourage businesses to stay here and foreign businesses to move here. The resulting influx of money would do wonders for our economy. He wants to make America the place to do business. He also wants to lower the death tax and the taxes on capital gains and dividends. This would put more than $1.6 trillion back into the economy and help replace the 1.5 million jobs we’ve lost to the current tax system. He also wants to charge a 20% tax on companies which outsource jobs overseas. Those willing to move jobs back to America would not be taxed. And for citizens he has a tax plan that would allow Americans to keep more of what they earn and spark economic growth. He wants to change the personal income tax to:
a. Up to $30,000 taxed at 1%
b. From $30,000 to $100,000 taxed at 5%
c. From $100,000 to $1,000,000 taxed at 10%
d. $1,000,000 and above taxed at 15%
9.) Trump wants Obamacare repealed. He says it’s a “job-killing, health care-destroying monstrosity” that “can’t be reformed, salvaged, or fixed.” He believes in allowing real competition in the health insurance marketplace to allow competition to drive prices down. He also believes in tort reform to get rid of defensive medicine and lower costs.
10.) Trump wants spending reforms in Washington, acknowledging that America spends far more than it receives in revenue. He has said he believes that if we don’t stop increasing the national debt once it hits $24 trillion it will be impossible to save this country. Even though he says we need to cut spending, he does not want to harm those on Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security. He believes as citizens have faithfully paid into the system, these services should remain available. The American government has an obligation to fulfill its end of the bargain and provide those benefits. Therefore, he wants to build the economy up so that we have the revenue to pay those costs without cutting the benefits to the recipients. He disagrees with Democrats who believe raising taxes is always the answer for when that is done, the economy is stifled. On the other hand, lower taxes create an environment which will help businesses grow. More workers will be hired and those new workers will also pay taxes. Together it generates more tax revenue for the government.
11.) Trump also wants reform of the welfare state, saying that America needs “a safety net, not a hammock.” He believes in a welfare-to-work program that would help reduce welfare rolls and encourage people to get back to work. And he wants a crackdown on entitlement fraud.
12.) Trump believes climate change is a hoax.
13.) He opposes Common Core.
14.) Trump is pro-life, although he allows for an exception due to rape, incest or the life of the mother.
15.) He is pro-2nd Amendment rights.
16.) Trump’s view on same-sex marriage is that marriage is between a man and a woman. He also believes that this is a states’ rights rather than federal issue.
17.) Trump supports the death penalty.
18.) Trump believes that there is a lack of common sense and innovative thinking in Washington. (Hmmm… looks like he believes in horse sense!). He says it’s about seeing the unseen and that’s the kind of thinking we need to turn this country around.
He tells a personal story to illustrate the point:
“When I opened Trump National Golf Club at Rancho Palos Verdes in Los Angeles, I was immediately told that I would need to build a new and costly ballroom. The current ballroom was gorgeous, but it only sat 200 people and we were losing business because people needed a larger space for their events. Building a new ballroom would take years to get approval and permits (since it’s on the Pacific Ocean), and cost about $5 million. I took one look at the ballroom and saw immediately what needed to be done. The problem wasn’t the size of the room, it was the size of the chairs.
They were huge, heavy, and unwieldy. We didn’t need a bigger ballroom, we needed smaller chairs! So I had them replaced with high-end, smaller chairs. I then had our people sell the old chairs and got more money for them than the cost of the new chairs. In the end, the ballroom went from seating 200 people to seating 320 people. Our visitors got the space they desired, and I spared everyone the hassle of years of construction and $5 million of expense. It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a little common sense.”
On top of saving years of construction and $5 million in expenses, Trump also was able to keep the ballroom open for business during the time it would have been closed for remodeling. This allowed him to continue making money with the space instead of losing revenue during construction.
Donald Trump’s entire life has been made up of success and winning. He’s been accused of bankruptcies, but that’s not true. He’s never filed personal bankruptcy. He’s bought companies and legally used bankruptcy laws to restructure their debt, just as businesses do all the time. But he’s never been bankrupt personally.
He’s a fighter that clearly loves America and would fight for our nation.
Earlier I quoted Trump saying, “I love America. And when you love something, you protect it passionately – fiercely, even.” We never hear that from Democrats or even from most Republicans. Donald Trump is saying things that desperately need to be said but which no other candidate has shown the fortitude to stand up and say.
Looking over this list of what he wants for America I see a very necessary set of goals that are long past due. Before we criticize someone because the media does, maybe we should seriously consider what he has to offer.
Quit sniping.
-— Because you are railing against the ONLY guy that doesn’t fit the old model AND is presenting a serious threat to that model. -—
Where will you be if Trump flips?
I have no fears about Ted. He’s already stood up to the GOPe. Not just when it’s convenient.
There’s an old expression in the financial field that Trump should be familiar with. Past behavior is the best indicator of future performance.
As far as electability goes, Ted stands a much better chance in the general, with his relatively low negatives.
...and don’t forget, he wants to spend more on women’s health care too.....
...which is what you would expect (if one was using their intellect and not their emotion) from a supporter of TARP, union bailouts, Stimulus, Kelo, Canadian and Scotland style health care...etc.
You are also making a distinction without difference.
I am trying to point out that he actually DOES fit the model you so blindly think he's going to tear down.
Then you have much undeserved confidence in your persuasive powers, or a rather tenuous grasp on the law of identity.
-— ...and don’t forget, he wants to spend more on women’s health care too..... ——
The thing about that statement is that he just seemed to presume that “spending more on women’s healthcare” is a taxpayer responsibility. It does reveal a statist mindset.
We would be very lucky if it’s a Franco, or a Pinochet we get.
Most of the historical examples are very, very bad.
Hear, hear !
Like the inevitability of it happening will be a sure thing with a president not afraid to tackle the true problems of this pitiful republic.
Dismantling Lyndon Bird's War On Poverty would be a great start.
I’ve made the distinction a hundred plus times on FR...your ignorance does not invalidate my truth. I don’t owe you the entire damned explanation because you popped down into the middle of a 12 week old discussion.
It validates my thinking of you however....
That may be, but his devotees will sting you into shock for pointing out historical facts. As of now, he is a messiah. Well, at least his columns won't be styrofoam. Right?
BINGO....^^^......yes it does, and yes, he has that mindset. Yes, I know he's switched on a few issues and I know he's tapped into a kindling anger with a flame thrower - all of which is good - but so many people are willfully ignoring that the man still has - as you said - a statist mindset - or as I have said - liberal reflexes. HE DOES.
You need to separate private from public sector when discussing cronyism and the greasing of palms. Trump is a business man and to be successful in business you must play by the rules of the game as long as those rules do not violate law. Pprivate sector is about private money and if Trump can get a favorable deal from a contractor by offering him a free apartment in one if his own bldgs it is no concen to anyone else since what he is giving away is his. Not so in public sector where slimeball polls are handing out MY money and that of other tax payers as well.
You make some good points....and I’ll agree with you.....only that his palm greasing has not been limited to the private sector....and I would add that some private sector palm greasing is also illegal, and almost always unethical and immoral.
Also, keep in mind: KELO. That means you grease the right government palms and they condemn your neighbors property. Hardly private sector. That’s the real weakness with your argument vis a vis Trump, altho you and I agree on the bigger point.
The only point is this: the idea that he’s some full champion of a free market without government intervention is just not squaring with reality. It’s projection.
Executive government experience is hardley similar to executive business experience.
Histrionics are not proof. No amount of whingeing on your part is going to change the validity of my observations on your performance.
You are too stupid to know that historical proof is not histrionics.....you keep digging your own hole. Perhaps you’ve a few too many miles on you? That noggin not focusing like it used to? Low T?
We are back to 1980….same three things…you can thank the first George Bush…Fix the economy…rebuild the military and fix immigration…then move on with someone more conservative…
Low negatives are not positives, and he doesn't have them, either. Wishful thinking is not analysis.
but you can’t do any of that without having someone more conservative in there.....all of those are conservative tenets. You can’t fix the economy with a trade war while ignoring our own liberalism...you can’t fix the economy with support for TARP and stimulus and union bail outs....you can’t fix the economy if you want to run a country the way you run a single business. You can’t.
It’s all feel good stuff that fails the logic test.
I am falling for the donald, against all my better judgement. At a minimum he has taken a blow torch to political correctness and i am loving the hell outta that.
And something else. If you look at obamas myriad character defects, the one that trumps them all - no pun intended - is his hatred of america and americans. This has turned out to be thee critical factor. It poisons everything and skews every plan, idea, and outcome by its nature and sad to say he has accomplished a great deal of destruction fueled by that single trait.
So turn that around and ask how much claw back and even new gains could be achieved by one man with an equal and opposite LOVE for our country and its citizens? I do not doubt trumps love for america. It is uncomplicated and straightforwward and totally convincing. And by itself that might be enough.
Only one other candidate comes close to articulating a genuine and contagious love for america - that would be cruz. And even cruz keeps it somewhat bottled up and buried under careful messaging and dull discussions. Someone needs to let the god & country genie out of the bottle with the force of a champagne cork... or else donald trump wins my affection and my vote, by default, based on that single ray of sunshine.
(posting from tablet pls excuse punctuation)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.