Radical Center USA

By Al Stephenson

Conservative Republicans are having a ball cleaning up Washington with Donald Trump and Elon Musk leading the way with one executive order after another being signed off on. After four years of politically correct idiocy and extremism of the Biden administration it’s not surprising to see even some centrist support for these actions. The Democrats were supposed to keep the focus on workers and poor people during a time of financial stress they were experiencing. Instead, they concentrated on climate change, LGBTQ issues, diversity training and helping illegal alien migrants with their various problems. Now, they’re getting the “kick in the rear” they deserve.

The problem for Republicans is the party can’t last forever. In the immortal words of Blues legend BB King, “the thrill is gone” after awhile. Sooner, rather than later, it will be back to basics, which means focusing on the economic statistics and what’s happening globally with both allies and adversaries. Trump, the ultimate loudmouth politician, has stated many times that “we will move very quickly” on all the main problems the country is facing. If there’s no real progress being made, the Democrats will be ready to run their new attack ads using his quotes. Assuming Trump blows it, and the Democrats return in four or eight years, they will simply reverse all of the Trump executive orders and put their own back, no legislation needed either for them.

The Political Science 101 stuff about “critical elections” and “new emerging majorities” is all theoretical and may have no relevance to today’s political order. As a major power gradually declining, the future for the USA may actually more resemble today’s Latin American countries where presidents are constantly being changed out due to corruption issues and economic failure. Low ratings for all politicians are normal and the electorate is constantly “pissed off” about nearly everything.

Obviously, the economic strategy is critical but questions are already arising as to whether Trump’s approach will do any good. Supply Side combined with the William McKinley tariff program of 1900? Really? Okay, McKinley used the tariffs to develop USA manufacturing. This reflects the only legit use for tariffs according the Economics 101 textbook. The “infant industries ” concept is that tariffs can be used as a temporary expedient by nations to develop their industrial base, but should be jettisoned off once the new manufacturing plants are established. It’s a real stretch, but it can be said the USA manufacturing has been reduced to an “infantile state” by globalization and job exportation. The idea of Trump to use the tariffs for deficit reduction, however, looks like just another attempt at a national sales tax which won’t fly. Herbert Hoover tried it during the Great Depression and it just made matters worse.

In the era of McKinley, American farm and factory workers along with recent legal immigrants formed a major labor pool available to USA industry. After the disastrous Panic of 1893 and ensuing depression they were happy to work at the new factories paying the highest wages many had ever seen. Most were trained on the job. In today’s “information age” Corporate America expects the government, universities and trade schools to supply the labor they need to run their organizations. So a skilled labor shortage could compound matters further.

The best case scenario for Trump and his tariffs would be to have some minor deficit reduction help along with some new added manufacturing returning to the USA. Worst case would be another recession which could be global and prolonged. As incompetent as they are ,the Democrats are fully capable of parlaying economic distress in an election year into votes. Republicans would be wise to have a tax cut and a mini-infrastructure program available if the economy unravels.

As far as the government cutbacks and layoffs are concerned Trump and Musk seem to be just improvising without a real plan. A better idea is the Radical Center scheme focused on automation of governmental services. Since we are mainly talking about transfer payments and basic services, many of the programs could be automated. The difference is that you do it over a ten year period while retraining displaced workers in the “industries of the future.” The free tuition stuff could be used, not for frivolous majors but for training of engineers, technicians and medical specialists that are in short supply.

Currently, both parties get flunking grades on “education and training.” The Republicans usually favor a “do nothing” program while the Democrats blow billions on nonsense that has nothing to do with the marketable job skills people need to be successful. So once again, we have two parties controlled by incompetent extremists achieving few if any tangible results. Maybe a new political party would be a better idea? Millions of voters think so, if these existing ones can’t be reformed or improved somehow.