Posted on 11/12/2015 10:42:27 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
He said it last night during the debate, then he said it again this morning on MSNBC — both times in the context of a question about the minimum wage, it should be noted, although I think he’s talking about all wages here. His point is about global competition: If you want to sell goods more cheaply than China, you’re going to have to cut labor costs as part of that. Cutting the wages of the least-skilled workers while letting everyone else’s rise won’t solve that problem by itself.
Watching him give this answer reminded me of Dave Weigel’s interview with a bunch of Trump supporters in Michigan in mid-August, an effort to piece out what was driving Trumpmania. Was it Trump’s alpha-male bravado? Sort of. Was it his immigration policy? That certainly figured in. The broader theme, though, was that Trump’s blue-collar fans took his pledge to “make America great again†as a de facto pledge to make American jobs, specifically, great again. Protectionism under President Trump would repatriate jobs that had been outsourced and give American workers a wage that would help them thrive. Now here’s Trump suddenly warning that if we’re going to beat the Chinese, workers will actually have to tighten their belts — and he’s saying this on camera, twice, in high-profile television formats. In full view of the Democrats’ oppo research people.
Josh Kraushaar wonders what happens now:
Trump’s politÂicÂal base is domÂinÂated by workÂing-class voters who have been devÂastÂated by the reÂcesÂsion and subÂsequent slow reÂcovÂery. Many of them are drawn to Trump beÂcause they beÂlieve his tough perÂsona and neÂgoÂtiÂatÂing prowess will reÂverse AmerÂica’s ecoÂnomÂic deÂcline—and with it, raise their own wages. Trump is runÂning against the Wall Street wing of the ReÂpubÂlicÂan Party, but with his afÂfinÂity for low corÂporÂate wages, he pitÂted himÂself against many of the popÂuÂlists he’s wooÂing.
“If you find someÂbody who can move the Trump imÂage, from bilÂlionÂaire mogul with swagÂger and morph him inÂto a heartÂless CEO jerk, this is a difÂferÂent race,†said ReÂpubÂlicÂan meÂdia conÂsultÂant Rick Wilson. “But are his voters goÂing to be more reÂceptÂive to his arÂguÂment on imÂmigÂraÂtion than they are on wages. That’s the big quesÂtion.â€
“Our wages are too high†is something you can (unfortunately) easily imagine coming out of Romney’s mouth circa summer 2012, not Trump’s in 2015. Higher wages is a core reason why his immigration policy is so popular too — kick the illegals out and you eliminate competition from cut-rate off-the-books labor, ensuring a higher wage for citizens. Now here he is suggesting that economic relief from the middle-class crunch might not be what people are expecting even if we do deport all 11 million. What is he thinking? Maybe he thinks workers will let him slide since he’s calling for lower taxes too, i.e. giving them a “raise†by letting them keep more of what they’re already taking home. Or maybe we’ve reached the point where he’s so confident in his own invulnerability, having shrugged off one supposedly fatal gaffe after another this year, that he figures this won’t be held against him. That’s some bet now that we’re less than three months from Iowa and the attack-ad machines are revving up.
Here’s the bit from the debate followed by his “Morning Joe†appearance this a.m. Skip to 7:00 in the second clip for the bit about jobs and wages.
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
You have to cut labor costs and make Chinese goods more expensive, but the way to do that is cut taxes and regulation before you try to cut wages. The people are suffering enough.
Our wages are too high because our money’s worth is too low.
Having no job is the cruelest “wage cut” of all.
The rent is too high because the wages are too low!
Look who’s talking.
Sheesh.
Only free markets can determine a fair wage.
Reality is a tough thing. We’ve got 40 million Mexicans in here many of them working cheaper. There has to be a place for lower waged Americans we cannot all be managers some have to be workers this is economic reality.
Very true, which is why we must stop a minimum wage increase. In fact, there ought not to be a legally-mandated minimum wage. The market will find the appropriate level.
Maurice Strong (Andrew Stern???) wants $12 min wage worldwide. Lo, and behold, now it’s $15?
0bama says the TPP will level the playing field for American ‘workers’ (read people who work, not the commie ‘workers’).
This directly means that Americans will work minimum wage jobs.
Ask Trump if he understands that “global competition” is the code phrase for “a race to the bottom”.
Looks like we’re winning.
Government shouldn't guarantee everybody a job and a minimum wage.
Agree. But try telling that to the STEM tehnocrats around here. Oh? Robot took your job? Then become an electrical engineer and fix the robot you loser.
Our wages are too high.
Our minimum wage is about $15.00 and the Mexicans charge $10.00.
He did not one time suggest cutting wages. He is against raising minimum wage. Two different things.
It’s all relative. Pay less and the value of money becomes more.
Pay more and your saving are worth far less.
The dollar's stronger now than it's been in 11 years.
Worst campaign slogan ever.
Channeling Romney’s out-of-touch Thurston Howell III now.
“He did not one time suggest cutting wages. He is against raising minimum wage. Two different things.”
Thank you for being the smart one in this forum! Clearly you (and I) were the only ones who read beyond the headline....
[ Our wages are too high because our money’s worth is too low.
The dollar’s stronger now than it’s been in 11 years. ]
but inflation always outpaces wages unless you have a stable currency. It is the nature of a fiat based money system that makes it an indirect tax on the poor.
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