George Will dumps on Trump’s inaugural speech, calls his speech 'Dreadful'

[DCPatriot]

He's not my 'Boy King'. He's what we've got, and I'm not going to invest my day putting on airs that I'm better than him.
i.

What's it take? Do I have to post a 'Well yeah' BUT (insert anti Trump rant) as an olive branch preceding an observation that I Agree with him on something? It's either Bash Trump or I'm Ignorant?

Truly fixing this economy is going to take drastic cuts in the Corporate Income Tax. (Which he has mentioned doing. It's wait and see if he does.)

My 'Economic Ignorance' must have me assuming that the American Consumers you've mentioned aren't the marks paying that one.

Or perhaps I really am, That Ignorant.

It's the Corporations and their Stockholders who actually Pay those taxes themselves, rather than tack them onto the price of their goods and services, . . . and PASS THEM THROUGH to the chump on the buying end.

At over 35 pct. Right?

As for China, I don't want us doing Any Trade with them. Nothing. There isn't a single thing they produce we can't manufacture right here.

Totalitarian Communist Regimes cannot support themselves without a steady influx of western capital.

Cut it off.


Did you read beyond the opening paragraph of the China Trade Paper?

"U.S. goods exports in 2014 were $124
.0 billion, up 1.9 percent from the previous year.  China is currently
the third largest export market for U.S. goods.  Corr
esponding U.S. imports from China were $466.7 billion,
up 6.0 percent.  The U.S. goods trade deficit with
 China was $342.6 billion in 2014, an increase of $23.9
billion from 2013. "

Did you read the submarine link?

We're not doing business with the Chinese people. We're funding the Chi-Com Party and Chi-Com Military.

They're investing our money in nuclear subs with missiles to reach our shores.

You want to tell this 'Economic Ignorant' how That helps the American Worker?

Splendid post, @To-Whose-Benefit?

Glad you're here!   

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

You want to tell this 'Economic Ignorant' how That helps the American Worker?

A tariff is a tax ON AMERICANS. How does that help American workers?

[r9etb]

A tariff is a tax ON AMERICANS. How does that help American workers?

Supposedly it creates jobs by "leveling the playing field" or some such.  Never seems to work out that way, but that's the theory.  In reality, it just makes it more cost-effective for American companies to replace American workers with robots, than to ship manufacturing overseas where the Chinese can replace their workers with robots....

[NavyCanDo]

Trump Cult cannot stand any criticism at all. It is simply amazing how they outdo the Obama-nuts in the thinning of the skin.

I am not a member of the "Trump Cult" -I didn't vote for him, choosing instead to wright in somebody as did many others here at the BR. But George Will's response to the speech is what I find dreadful. Do I think it was a good speech? Some parts of it I thought quite good and satisfied my conservative litmus test. Other parts of it were just OK or lacking, where he would have benefited greatly  by a speech writer and delivery coach. But dreadful?   Come on.

Some here fail to recognize the other "cult"  -  those on the supposed Right who would feel more comfortable attending an anti-Trump protest shoulder to shoulder with Leftist,  than attending the inauguration of President Trump. 

I didn't vote for him, and I still have huge doubts about how he will govern, and overcoming the pitfalls of just being Trump. But good God man, he's our president and the best hope we have for the next four years of protecting the Courts and driving Conservative legislation. And if wants to earn my vote in four years that's just what he'll do.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Some parts of it I thought quite good and satisfied my conservative litmus test. Other parts of it were just OK or lacking, where he would have benefited greatly  by a speech writer and delivery coach.

It's hard to dispute that.

It's hard generally to get used to a political leader who not only doesn't speak like a politician, but many times doesn't even speak like a leader with whom many of us would be familiar.  But I have to say that there was a refreshing quality of absolute candor in that speech.

I'd also say that it is a very rare political speech that can actually be good/worthwhile, without also being controversial.  If there's no controversy, then you're basically just talking empty platitudes with which no-one can disagree.   I liked it, if only because I think it gave me a better sense of the guy than if he'd spouted some crap about universal healing and coming together.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Supposedly it creates jobs by "leveling the playing field" or some such.  Never seems to work out that way, but that's the theory.  In reality, it just makes it more cost-effective for American companies to replace American workers with robots, than to ship manufacturing overseas where the Chinese can replace their workers with robots....

There's also the aspect of putting tariffs on components for products that are otherwise manufactured here.  Taxing all those imported components can make the finished product more expensively, and therefore less competitive on the international market.

[txradioguy]

There's also the aspect of putting tariffs on components for products that are otherwise manufactured here.  Taxing all those imported components can make the finished product more expensively, and therefore less competitive on the international market.

And the countries that manufacture those parts won't sit still and not retaliate with tariffs of their own on things we export to them.

[Idaho_Cowboy]

There's also the aspect of putting tariffs on components for products that are otherwise manufactured here.  Taxing all those imported components can make the finished product more expensively, and therefore less competitive on the international market.

Unless tariffs are coupled with massive (and I mean yuge) cuts in regulations the end result is going to be a lot of people ticked off at the rising prices at the store. Lot's of folks say that they are willing to pay more for stuff made in the USA, but if the market could truly support that the jobs wouldn't have moved in the first place.

Tariffs coupled with inflation and increased interest rates (if the economy stops limping they will have to rise) is a recipe for a lot of bad press for Trump. He'd be wise to compromise on the tariffs and focusing on freeing American business so they can be more competitive.

[dfwgator]

IMO I think Trump is threatening tariffs to get better trade deals.    A good negotiator knows that you never take any option off of the table when it comes to making a deal.

[skeeter]

IMO I think Trump is threatening tariffs to get better trade deals.    A good negotiator knows that you never take any option off of the table when it comes to making a deal.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. For some items and to protect certain strategic industries tariffs its probably a good idea. Others not so much.

What we do know is currently wages are stagnant and have been for years. Underemployment is astronomically high, as are the numbers on public assistance. GDP is anemic.

Of course the stock market is skyrocketing, as a consequence of much improved profitability. But having a job comes before having a retirement account.

I suspect the answer lies somewhere between "free trade" and "protectionism" as currently defined.

[dfwgator]

People act as if Free Trade is what we have today.

When China restricts its' imports, it ain't Free Trade.

[txradioguy]

People act as if Free Trade is what we have today.

When China restricts its' imports, it ain't Free Trade.

Maybe someone in DC can convince Trump to revoke the permanent most favored nation trading status Billy Jeff gifted to the ChiComs during his second term in office.

Every President prior to Clinton had only renewed this status every couple of years or when China would clean up it's act to a certain degree...but after a few bag fulls of campaign cash courtesy of John Huang and Charlie Trie it was given to them permanently.

That has done a lot of damage as far as cheap wages and cheap imports into this country.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. For some items and to protect certain strategic industries tariffs its probably a good idea. Others not so much.

What we do know is currently wages are stagnant and have been for years. Underemployment is astronomically high, as are the numbers on public assistance. GDP is anemic.

Of course the stock market is skyrocketing, as a consequence of much improved profitability. But having a job comes before having a retirement account.

I suspect the answer lies somewhere between "free trade" and "protectionism" as currently defined.

Stagnant wage growth is more the product of automation, rather than globalism. When is Trump going to start his war on the machines?

[r9etb]

Stagnant wage growth is more the product of automation, rather than globalism. When is Trump going to start his war on the machines?

That's probably true. 

Still, there are some jobs that still need people.  What's interesting is that nobody in the political debate ever seems to talk about making it cheaper for American companies to employ people. 

[truth_seeker]

People act as if Free Trade is what we have today.

When China restricts its' imports, it ain't Free Trade.

Don't forget China's currency manipulation.

[Jazzhead]

 

did you post Will's article?

I'd go with George Will over these fake news sites cultish support of Crump any day

 

[SirLinksALot]

For those who want to read George Will's article, here it is:

TITLE: A most dreadful inaugural address

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2017/01/20/a-most-dreadful-inaugural-address/?utm_term=.201becc93e2b

[EC]

Thank you, Sir! 

[EasyAce]

It's hard generally to get used to a political leader who not only doesn't speak like a politician, but many times doesn't even speak like a leader with whom many of us would be familiar.

I'd rather get used to a political leader who spoke (and thought, and behaved) like a statesman. We haven't had one
of those in the White House in a couple of decades or more.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Mark Knoller ‏@markknoller 12m12 minutes ago

More Pres Trump called press back to hear Carpenters Union Pres Doug McCarron say Trump's Inaugural "was a great middle class address."

[dfwgator]

The Country Club is Closed!

[skeeter]

Stagnant wage growth is more the product of automation, rather than globalism. When is Trump going to start his war on the machines?

Far more than automation wage stagnation is the product of practically unrestricted immigration, which eliminates the need for capital investments and retards automation.

Hopefully Trump will follow through on those promises.

[Bigun]

Far more than automation wage stagnation is the product of practically unrestricted immigration, which eliminates the need for capital investments and retards automation.

I have no quibble with anything you said but will add that all this government regulation is a huge factor as well.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Far more than automation wage stagnation is the product of practically unrestricted immigration, which eliminates the need for capital investments and retards automation.

Hopefully Trump will follow through on those promises.

I'm behind Trump on immigration. But his stance on trade = bad wage growth is just wrong.


We actually had wage growth last quarter I believe, first time in a while.

[skeeter]

I have no quibble with anything you said but will add that all this government regulation is a huge factor as well.

Of course thats correct. Reduced regulations, tightened immigration policies, more equitable overseas trade agreements and wages will rise.

Then inflation becomes the worry but thats what the fed is for.