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Time for Trump to Resign
Ricochet ^ | Feb 13, 2017 | Richard Epstein

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/


TOPICS: Cheese, Moose, Sister
KEYWORDS: pence; richardepstein
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To: b4me

Exactly. He’s basically saying we can’t have the President we want because we are more mature and civilized than the liberals. The bratty, destructive, and hateful behavior of the liberals must be rewarded.


61 posted on 02/14/2017 8:46:57 PM PST by Nea Wood
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To: Gasshog

“Assholes always saying that “it’s time” for this or that.”

...When they don’t even vote.


62 posted on 02/14/2017 8:57:42 PM PST by equaviator (There's nothing like the universe to bring you down to earth.)
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To: Az Joe

That’s right.
A majority of Americans who voted voted for someone other than Clinton.


63 posted on 02/14/2017 9:02:14 PM PST by Lorianne
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To: Az Joe

That’s right.
A majority of Americans who voted voted for someone other than Clinton.


64 posted on 02/14/2017 9:04:26 PM PST by Lorianne
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To: upchuck
it important

Yes, it very important. :)

65 posted on 02/14/2017 9:10:54 PM PST by Concentrate (ex-texan was right. And Always Right was wrong, which is why we lost the election. ( Pizzagate, Podt)
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To: upchuck

Quit reading at “Hillary Clinton garnered a clear majority of the popular vote.” Probably somewhere there was a true statement in the screed, but don’t have time to look for it.


66 posted on 02/14/2017 9:16:50 PM PST by Chaguito
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To: upchuck

Found this guy’s post. Excerpted:

Doctor Robert

The rage and fury of the Never Trump right differs only in direction from that of the Never Trump left.

Funny how there were no Never Hillary democrats.

LMAO

Nailed it...


67 posted on 02/14/2017 9:36:57 PM PST by DoughtyOne (NeverTrump, a movement that was revealed to be a movement. Thank heaven we flushed!)
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To: upchuck

68 posted on 02/14/2017 9:47:39 PM PST by VRWC For Truth (FU Shmuckie Shoomer (Rat-NY) and Prick Durbin(Rat-IL))
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To: upchuck

Sadly we have FReepers lapping these Liberal memes up. Good grief, the concern and pearl clutching on many of the threads today are a pathetic spectacle.

We make the Left’s job so easy for them. Good grief some of my fellow “conservatives” are an utter embarrassment!


69 posted on 02/14/2017 10:14:42 PM PST by Artcore (Donald J. Trump - 45th President of the United States of America!)
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To: TheConservator

who is this guy and why should we care what he thinks? The American voters didn’t give a damn about him and told he to bugger off on Nov. 8th.

Apparently he doesn’t read a newspaper.

What a duffus.


70 posted on 02/14/2017 11:14:53 PM PST by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: upchuck

I guess this makes him a Dreamer - send ICE after his ass.


71 posted on 02/15/2017 3:30:06 AM PST by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: upchuck

It’s for sure this nation is divided! Corruption, power, evil vs constitution, God, country’s survival.

obama opened up the can of worms and made it acceptable to openly be ugly, riot, hate, destroy... and no arrests ... just praise from the leader of the evil side.

Then Trump got into the fray to take us back to civility.. and all hell is coming out from the swamp.

I think Trump’s justice dept (when there is one) had better do something with obama and the media... doubt congress would join in the right side... but it still needs to be done... otherwise, there are no limits to what obama will do next.


72 posted on 02/15/2017 4:00:47 AM PST by frnewsjunkie
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To: Rebelbase

I’m with you on that. Grrrrr...


73 posted on 02/15/2017 5:58:04 AM PST by rlmorel (Orwell described Liberals when he wrote of those who "repudiate morality while laying claim to it.")
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