The art of extortion
The dust-up between Presidents Trump and Zelensky has garnered a tremendous amount of attention since it occurred last Friday. Most of the commentary has been about the dynamics between the two individuals. I do not, as most have, want to take sides between these two men. If I have to take a side, I would side with Donald Trump only because he has the role of The President of The United States.
I would, however, like to examine the behavior of President Trump in isolation. Having now watched the State of the Union address, I will add some comments about our President. Again, I wish to comment on President Trump’s behavior separate from the childish behavior of Democrats in that chamber.
I found the behavior of Donald Trump last Friday borderline horrifying. The same man who touts himself as a “deal maker” should never have allowed that debate to continue in front of the entire world. His behavior demonstrated to the world that, as the primary representative of the U.S., our country has not reached an agreement with an allied country.
Based on what he said, President Trump does not seem to realize that, like it or not, the U.S. cannot act as a neutral party to this conflict. The U.S. has given aid to Ukraine, but it cannot now take the position of a non-involved arbitrator. In simple terms, the U.S. has two choices: 1) support our ally or 2) abandon our ally. If we choose option 1), our President should not negotiate any agreement about how we provide that support in a public forum.
I have heard no explanation as to why Vladimir Putin would abandon his quest simply because the U.S. and Ukraine have a business deal.
Switching to the State of the Union address I would like to focus on the behavior of President Trump. For now, I will ignore the childish behavior of the Democrats.
Our electoral process, whether you like it or not, chose Donald Trump as the President of the United States. Based on his speech last night, you might think the majority of voters selected him to act as the President of the Republican party. During the speech, he continually pointed his finger at the Democrats and made demeaning comments about them and the administration for which they had previously voted. (Yes, it was a catastrophe, but it’s over now.)
Again, this man, who sells himself as a deal maker, showed no signs of wanting to take the time or effort to convince Congressional members that he proposed a better deal than they had before. If he has a better deal in mind, he should explain what makes it better.
I do not mean to rag on Donald Trump. The only problem I have with him consists of the fact that he has become a part of the government. Ludwig von Mises stated the indisputable fact that government is a negation of liberty. As a part of government, Donald Trump’s actions require constant and rational scrutiny and control. He cannot make the government more efficient. The best he can do consists of reducing the harm inflicted by government.
Finally, to members of Congress and the Judiciary, I suggest deeper scrutiny of all of President Trump’s proposals. For example:
- Tariffs—a bad idea that has broader consequences than revealed.
- D.O.G.E.—a marginally good idea poorly implemented.
- Crypto Reserve—what is the purpose?
- Lifting Drilling restrictions—a good idea, will do nothing for inflation.
- Sovereign Wealth Fund—a really bad idea. Keep the government out of business.
- And more…
In future publications, I will elaborate on these points. I care more about policies and economics than who holds the office of the President.
I have observed Donald Trump for 40 to 50 years, more or less. I don’t expect him to change. His Presidency can have a favorable impact if those around him do not fear to challenge him and make him explain the reasoning behind his proposals.
(Daily, I chant, “He’s not Harris. He’s not Hillary.”)