Posted on 02/14/2017 7:01:41 PM PST by upchuck
The nearly four weeks since President Donald Trump’s inauguration have been the most divisive period of American politics since the end of the Second World War. The sharp lines that everyone is drawing in the sand pose a serious threat to the United States. On the one side stand many conservatives and populists who are rejoicing in the Trump victory as the salvation of a nation in decline. On other side sit the committed progressives who are still smarting from an election in which they were trounced in the electoral college, even as Hillary Clinton garnered a clear majority of the popular vote.
As a classical liberal who did not vote for either candidate, I stand in opposition to both groups. And after assessing Trump’s performance during the first month of his presidency, I think it is clear that he ought to resign. However, it important to cut through the partisan hysteria to identify both what Trump is doing right and wrong in order to explain my assessment of his presidency to date.
On the positive side is the simple fact that Trump won the election. What is right about Trump is what was wrong with Clinton—her promise to continue, and even expand, the policies of the Obama administration. The day after the election, it was clear that none of her policy proposals would be implemented under a Trump presidency, coupled with a Republican Congress. As I have long argued, there are good reasons to critique the progressive world view. Progressives believe that reduced levels of taxation and a strong dose of deregulation would do little or nothing to advance economic growth. In their view, only monetary and fiscal policy matter for dealing with sluggish growth, so they fashion policy on the giddy assumption that their various schemes to advance union power, consumer protection, environmental, insurance, and financial market regulation—among others—only affect matters of distribution and fairness, but will have no discernible effect on economic growth. In making this assumption, they assume, as did many socialists and New Dealers in the 1930s, that it is possible to partition questions of justice and redistribution from those of economic prosperity.
In taking this position, they fail to account for how administrative costs, major uncertainty, and distorted incentives affect capital formation, product innovation, and job creation. Instead, today’s progressives have their own agenda for wealth creation that includes such remedies as a $15 minimum wage, stronger union protections, and an equal pay law with genuine bite. But these policies will necessarily reduce growth by imposing onerous barriers on voluntary exchange. The fact that there was any economic growth at all under the Obama administration—and even then, it was faltering and anemic—had one cause: the Republican Congress that blocked the implementation of further progressive policies and advanced a pro-growth agenda.
Read the rest here: https://ricochet.com/410945/time-trump-resign/
Memo to Epstein: FU !!
Richard Epstein - ESAD!
Time for Richard Epstein to go to hell!
Hahahahahahaha!
WE AREN’T GONNA GIVE UP UNTIL YOUR TEENY, TINY, LITTLE LIBERAL HEADS EXPLODE! (and even then)
Too funny!
LOL Whatever
There, fixed the first line.
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Honestly, I think Trump should hold a “beer summit” just to highlight their ridiculousness and hypocrisy.
If they criticize it, they’d be criticizing Obama.
Fact: trump could sign something declaring national pet puppies and kittens day, and you phags would burn cities down over it.
no Epstein, time to go back to Mr Kotter’s class flunky.
The most divisive time was when Obama was first selected pResident. you just don’t see it as such because we did not get all crazy and trash places and cause people harm and property damage as you leftists have chosen to do since Trump was elected President by we the people. :)
“...even as Hillary Clinton garnered a clear majority of the popular vote.”
48% is not a majority of anything.
Time for Mr. Urpstein to go soak his head in the toilet.
AND Hopefully forget to come up for air, since TrumpWorld is much to painful for him to bear.
From the last paragraph: “ endless train of uncivil behaviors demeaning the office of the President.” And what would those be Mr. Epstein? This writer is a fool, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The site “Ricochet” is listed as a “favorite” on Powerline. Time to rethink that John, Steven, Scott, and Paul.
I’ll agree, in about 8 years.
“...the most divisive period of American politics since the end of the Second World War”
Wow, this guy must be 12 years old or retarded. Doesn’t he remember Vietnam? How about the Johnson, Nixon or Carter era?
Heck, it was very divisive even under Clinton and Bush.
It’s like liberals have been taken over in an invasion of the body snatchers. They seem to be under a unison of mind control. Or, maybe more accurately, the Borg. They are acting truly bizarrely.
It’s going to be a long 8 or 4 years for our friends on the left. Suffer like we did you morons.
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