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)
If we didn’t allow technology to replace jobs, we’d be stuck economically in the pre-industrial age, churning our own butter.
You’re totally free to retire to your own farm and live off the land if you want to live the pre-industrial lifestyle. Don’t force the rest of us to do it by not allowing technology to allow us to create things at the push of a button instead of through tedious manual labor.
We can ban the calculator and go back to the abacus too.
I suppose I’ll hear that every technological advancement that came before today should remain in place though. But any new ones that might affect your job need to be blocked. It’s the labor union way.
It was the very question at the Milwaukee debate. Since this doesn't state the questioned. I'll state closely to what was asked.
Mr Trump do you favor an increase in the minimum wage?
Trump said no of course and stating his reasons. Everyone on the FR debate thread thought was a good answer or they didn't speak up.
That was my point. Employers should decide how much they are willing to pay, not politicians.
Mr.Trump, repeat after me:
“The minimum wage must be abolished. The feds have no constitutional authority to interfere with wages and such interference is an economy killer.”
LOL
Now Mr.Trump, say it again:
“The minimum wage must be abolished. The feds have no constitutional authority to interfere with wages and such interference is an economy killer.”
Wages are NEVER too high unless the government has interfered with and artificially forced wage levels which of course they have.
ABOLISH minimum wage and let the voluntary cooperation of the competitive free market drive prices and wages, open up business opportunity, and expand the market and the economy.
He SHOULD demand the minimum wage be ABOLISHED. The feds have no constitutional authority to interfere with wages and doing such contracts economic opportunity especially for low-level and entry level workers.
He SHOULD demand ABOLISHING the minimum wage. The feds have no constitutional authority to interfere with wages and ding such contracts economic opportunity.
One thing at a time :)
I’ll try again...
He SHOULD demand the minimum wage be ABOLISHED.
The feds have no constitutional authority to interfere with wages and doing such contracts economic opportunity especially for low-level and entry level workers.
The taxes and regulations are too high. Wages are more or less amenable to free market accommodations. Taxes and regulations aren’t, those are imposed, as it were, from above.
If Donald doesn’t get that point, he is missing something terribly important.
True, it does help to look beyond some purple prose headline writer. (I wish FR posters would do that more too. I hate to see headlines like “Donald Trump Hates Cats” and the story is how he loves dogs, etc.)
Actually, not necessarily true. If done right, a country can do quite well with it's citizens doing the higher level stuff and importing the low end....but you can't do that with the outrageous welfare benefits, skyrocketing min wage laws, and all the taxes and regs on entrepreneurship. You ever think about that?
Thanks for the link, but I don’t get Twitter because when I send someone a message, it goes into Never Never Land. On Facebook, I can see what I wrote and am flagged when somebody messages me back.
I just sent Trump a message on the link you provided but I have no idea where it went and have no clue how to tell if he messages me back.
Not strictly true, but not material in this case.
Our currency is as stable as a currency can be in the world economy.
The inflation rate has been dropping over the last 5 years, and low oil prices should make it drop even further.
Wages are too high because govt takes TOO DAMN much. What took 1 wage earner, up to ~1960) now takes 2+.
What rest of us are you referring to? We're not talking about a company installing a machine to realize efficiencies and increase productivity. In case you've been out to lunch the past 20 years we're talking about replacing the human being himself. Unless you think that is not the trajectory of technological innovation or believe that, "new economies will develop."
When you've gotten to that stage of the thought process that contends with an economy that doesn't require people or vastly fewer people then let me know. Until then your sophomoric comparisons to luddite sentiment is just that, sophomoric.
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