Background
Obviously, the main reason that people voted for Tramp is racism, xenophobia and sexism. He began his political career with Obama birther conspiracies, and he campaigned against immigrants and DEI. Most of his voters who claimed they voted for economic issues were lying, because they didn’t want to admit that they wouldn’t listen to the black woman who had objectively better economic policies. Tramp never explained how he would lower prices with tariffs, lower the debt by cutting taxes on the rich, or improve the economy by cutting programs that save lives and help people. Because these are all lies.
The Fascist Economic Argument
In fascism, the dictator controls the economy. Trump campaigned on increased drilling and coal mining, and he recently announced that American will make hundreds of ships and would rule the steelmaking industry. He will dictate the economy.
He promises that America will be great, without going into detail on how. For people who share his racist, bigoted and xenophobic world view that the global economic system works against their interests, they trust him, despite all the evidence that says he’s wrong.
“Oh, my people, all your problems are the result of Jewish globalists, cunning Chinese conspirators, dark-skinned immigrants, and liberal Marxists! They have conspired against you, the pure and faithful, to rob you of the riches you so deserve! Only I can deliver you from evil, so make me all powerful!”
Fascism Will Make the Economy Worse
The US market did not demand an increase in drilling or coal mining or large ships or to produce more steel. There are many reasons why businesses would prefer to invest elsewhere, but Tramp will direct the economy. Free market economics be damned.
Steel makers in China pay about $11,000 per year for each steel worker. Are those the jobs Tramp believes Americans should take?
Our financial policies are subject to his delusions and whims: crypto maybe or maybe not. Tariffs are on, then off, then back, then increased due to retaliation. There is no logic, only what he feels or wants. Uncertainty bad for confidence? Tough.
Tramp’s first term tax cuts did not deliver promised results, and extending them will cost us trillions of dollars more in debt. Don’t believe me? Watch this analysis from the liberal Wall Street Journal.
Hitler’s Economics
Germany was weak in 1932, with the Great Depression and debts incurred by the last war. Even before the war, Hitler’s policies were fascist, and they became increasingly frightening.
- Reduced international trade led to rationing
- Coffee was replaced by acorn-brew
- Public railroads and utilities were privatized
- The economy was directed to prepare for war
- Work hours increased, but not wages
- Corrupt business deals were made
- Monopolies grew at the expense of small business
- Even pre war, ‘undesirables’ were used as slave labor
- Up to 20% of the Nazi labor force were slaves
- By 1945 the German economy was far worse off than 1932.
Berlin was bombed heavily. Dresden was firebombed horrifically. Infrastructure and industries were destroyed. The looted wealth, which never amounted to what Hitler promised, was confiscated. And the country was divided by rival occupying powers. But I’m sure some folks thought Hitler would be good for them.
Capitalism Works
I know it is popular today to decry capitalism. Folks claim it is in its ‘late stage’, a phrase first used about capitalism in 1928 in Germany. But are we so sure it can’t be reformed?
Ancient Athens had bankers who made loans for maritime trade, so capitalism has been around for 2500 years, likely longer. It has survived the collapse of empires, the dark ages, revolutions, dictators, communism and centuries of war. Recent decades of capitalism has brought about a long period of relative peace and prosperity. So, how do we know that it’s on its last legs now?
Capitalism is not a political system. It is an economic system with rules. All capitalism does is allocate resources to maximize profits, which it does more efficiently than any other economic system yet devised. It is neither ethical nor socially responsible, unless forced to be. It can be corrupted by criminals, and, over time, it naturally concentrates wealth. But capitalism does best when wealth is redistributed broadly by government. At its best, capitalism follows the laws given to it, is transparent, uses free markets, and maximizes benefits to participants.
And what would we replace capitalism with? Are we ready to try communism again? Bartering? Or maybe we can just skip all the intermediary steps and go straight to the fictional state of Abundance, popular in Star Trek, mega churches, and with several online pundits?
Democracy Can Work Too
Democracy is our political system, in which voters make the rules for capitalism to follow. Democracies fail sometimes, but they win some too. The rich today have concentrated enough wealth and power to influence the media, tilt elections with lies, and take ever more, at the expense of the majority. But isn’t that what our democracy is for, to set the rules under which capitalism benefits the majority? Who says majority of voters can’t dictate what happens to a few billionaires? Why do we have the vote, if not to improve our lives?
Our party may suffer from a lack of confidence these days, but we are not to blame. If one person is trying their best to paddle the canoe home, and the other person keeps trying to flip the boat, it’s not the first person’s fault that the trip is slow and bumpy. At every turn, when we have tried to make progress for the American people in the economy and in the country, the other party has done everything in its power to screw up the results and lie about us. So we need to spend less time second-guessing ourselves and more time thoroughly defeating the party that has been wrong on virtually every single issue in our lives, from guns to climate.
Conclusion
I know competition is tough. The world’s population is now over 8 billion, and in a few decades it will surpass 10 billion. In 1930, the population was only 2 billion, so everyone had more land and housing was cheaper, especially in Hooverville. Today, people live longer, and there are over 200 countries around the world with educated workers who can compete in the global economy. AI will take more jobs, just as every new labor-saving technology has.
But, however stressed out people are, it’s never a good idea to make a tough situation worse. Abandoning capitalism and democracy for fascism is a recipe for disaster. Tramp has never had any rational, effective economic policies that will benefit struggling Americans or that will make America better. His policies will lead to recession, higher prices, more debt, less freedom, fewer choices, less justice, more discrimination, more disease, more hunger, more homelessness, more pollution, more climate disasters, more wars, and more unnecessary deaths.
We told his voters all that before the election, but they wouldn’t listen to us, because of their biased and wrong-headed world view. They blamed immigrants, DEI, and liberals, even though all of those are positive for the country and the economy. And they believed obvious lies and chose a fascist, because they’re racist, bigoted, xenophobic and stupid.
There is no excuse for their destructive hatred and dangerous, idiotic behavior. Since they’re immune from rational debate about economic policies, we need to get in their face about every way they are wrong, the more honest and uncomfortable the better. They need to be made to understand the consequences of their morally wrong and rationally bankrupt choice, until they regret, repent and change. If they don’t learn, then nothing will change.
