With Donald Trump as the nominee, the Republicans adopted a 20-point platform. Here’s a rundown of the good, the bad, and the ugly:
1. Seal the border, and stop the migrant invasion
This is absolutely correct, although the devil is in the details as to how this could be done.
2. Carry out the largest deportation operation in American history
Though it is certainly beneficial to having a deportation program, creating a huge new government bureaucracy to effect this would be a huge mistake. In contrast, a carefully targeted program of selected deportation could be very valuable, especially in letting people know that future immigrants entering illegally will be prosecuted.
3. End inflation, and make America affordable again
This is a very understandable statement — “ to end inflation” — but without an indication of the specific policies to accomplish this, it is somewhat meaningless. This is especially true given that some of Trump’s stated policies such as protectionism and keeping and increasing tariffs would be highly inflationary.
4. Make America the dominant energy producer in the world, by far!
I couldn’t agree more. This is also very easy to accomplish by just eliminating Biden’s ridiculous restrictions on fossil fuel permitting drilling and leasing.
5. Stop outsourcing, and turn the United States into a manufacturing superpower.
This is possibly the most ignorant of these platform considerations. Outsourcing has been historically responsible for keeping inflation under control and for allowing American workers to focus their capabilities on higher-end employment. The United States is currently a major manufacturing superpower, with its manufacturing capability and output close to its highest ever in U.S. history. The manufacturing that is done in this country, i.e. high end products, is already here. Inducing lower value-add manufacturing will not only reduce wages of American workers, but increase prices to domestic manufacturers, thereby making them less capable of competing in the world markets.
6. Large tax cuts for workers and no tax on tips
Large tax cuts are always a good thing for economic growth, but given the current state of the deficit and debt there would need to be a rational way to pay for these. Also sometimes the devil is in the details as to what constitutes a tax cut for workers – it must undoubtedly be structured as a rate cut rather than a handout, so that growth will result.
The concept of “no tax on tips” is a nonsensical, not-well-thought-through idea. There is no reason that tips should be taxed less highly then other forms of income. Furthermore, administration of such a position would be extraordinarily difficult. It would also induce all parts of the economy to reorient their compensation in the form of tips rather than normal wages.
7. Defend our constitution, our Bill of Rights, and our fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to keep and bear arms.
Again, although the specifics aren’t laid out, this is a clear and important platform component.
8. Prevent World War Three, restore peace in Europe and in the Middle East, and build a great Iron Dome missile defense shield over our entire country- all made in America.
“Prevent World War Three and restore peace in Europe and in the Middle East” are great sentiments, but I have seen no policy proposals that would even begin to address these. A strong US military that uses overwhelming power to subdue Iran and its proxies could work, but I haven’t heard anything like this from Trump.
A great Iron Dome missile defense shield over our entire country sounds like it could be a good idea, but my guess is that it is ridiculously impractical. And that it should be all “made in America” is an economically ignorant concept. When we pay much more than we need to in order to accomplish any task (which is what “made in America” actually means), then we are much less likely to accomplish this at any feasible and reasonable cost.
9. End the weaponization of government against the American people
This is very important. Big government overburdening regulation has been devastating to the growth of the U.S. economy. Scaling back the powers of government agencies and their overpowering ability to destroy companies by pushing never ending, ever-growing regulation, must be stopped.
10. Stop the migrant crime epidemic, demolish the foreign drug cartels, crush gang violence, and lock up violent offenders.
Stopping the flow of illegal migrants, as noted in point #1, is critically important. But the entire concept of a migrant crime epidemic is just plain false. Though there are some highly publicized and horrific crimes perpetrated by illegal migrants, the statistics on immigrant crime is crystal clear. Illegal immigrants commit crimes at rates significantly lower than native-born Americans. This is consistent with what seems rational– that is, if you’re an illegal alien, and want to stay in this country, you keep a low profile and avoid criminal activity. It should also be noted that legal immigrants commit crimes at even substantially lower rates than illegal immigrants.
11. Rebuild our cities, including Washington DC, making them safe, clean, and beautiful again
This could be good or bad depending on the actual implementation of such a thing. How are our cities to be rebuilt? Who will pay for it? And to what extent can the federal government be effective in what is clearly a state and local problem (except for Washington DC)?
12. Strengthen and modernize our military making it, without question, the strongest and most powerful in the world
Without question, this is one of the most important platform items given the volatility of the world today, and further considering the disdain in which our country is now viewed militarily by the likes of Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea.
13. Keep the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency
The dollar will remain the world’s reserve currency as long as the U.S. does not allow its financial strength to deteriorate, such as by allowing continuing deficits, ever growing debt, and increasing socialist tendencies which are degrading America’s growth prospects.
14. Speak for and protect Social Security and Medicare with no cuts, including no changes to the retirement age
Again, this is an extraordinarily economically ignorant platform position. This position basically requires that Social Security benefits for existing beneficiaries will decline by approximately 22% when the Social Security fund runs dry in approximately 10 years. The Social Security system as presently constituted pays to existing beneficiaries far in excess of the actuarial value that they contributed. And this excess is being paid for by present workers, who therefore will have nothing left from their contributions to pay retirement benefits to themselves. Rational fixes, such as those proposed by Nikki Haley, would include raising the retirement age, making the annual inflation adjustment more rational, and potentially adding a little more means-testing to the system. These adjustments would be phased in, and would not affect current beneficiaries or those within a few years of retirement. But if fixes are not made, then in ten years, existing beneficiaries will bear the brunt of the refusal to fix the system now.
15. Cancel the electric vehicle mandate and cut costly and burdensome regulations
This is absolutely critical and important. The electric vehicle mandate, on any rational cost-benefit analysis, is wasteful beyond belief. It also interferes with the freedom of Americans to buy what they want to buy. As the Supreme Court has indicated in the Obamacare case, the federal government cannot force U.S. citizens to buy what they don’t want to buy.
Cutting costly and burdensome regulations are critical. Cost benefit analysis would clearly show that agencies have irrationally instituted regulations by making unsupportable calculations of cost benefit. These regulations must be eliminated.
16. Cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, radical gender ideology, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children
This is an extremely important and necessary platform position, although we must be careful to not trample freedom of speech and other rights while doing so.
17. Keep men out of women’s sports
This is absolutely absolutely important, and supported by an overwhelming percentage of Americans.
18. Deport pro- Hamas radicals and make our college campuses safe and patriotic again
I fully agree, insofar as pro-Hamas radicals are clearly defined as those violating individual and property rights of others, and not just exercising their rights of free speech.
19. Secure our elections, including same-day voting, voter identification, paper ballots, and proof of citizenship
Securing our elections is critically important, including proof of citizenship, before one is entitled to vote. I believe however, that reasonable people can disagree on details, and I hope that these details can be accomplished in a bipartisan way.
20. Unite our country by bringing it to new and record levels of success
This is a feel-good ending to the platform, which will be accomplished by proper consideration and implementation – or not – of the first 19 provisions.