Trump isn't wrong all the time

I’ve got to admit that as much as I dislike having Donald Trump as my president, some good is likely to come out of his presidency.

He just might pull off a real settlement with Kim Jong Un that will significantly lessen hostilities with North Korea, or at least keep Kim from issuing empty threats and ending the childish playground shouting between Kim and Trump.

Trump’s corporate-friendly tax code, too, might bring more jobs back to America, or at least more corporate profits to be taxed. It doesn’t matter to me that a corporation gets more of a tax cut than I do.

The deficit has never mattered to me, either, as long as we can comfortably pay the interest and keep our credit good. Governments aren’t like you and me. They can spend more than they take in and sometimes they should. Kickstarting the economy is a good reason to increase the deficit, as was responding to the crash of 2008.

Whether the big reduction in unemployment rates that seems to have occurred on Trump’s watch is a benefit still remains to be seen.

We still have only a 62-percent labor force participation, and wages overall are going nowhere.

The wall is still a terrible idea, but maybe better enforcement of immigration laws is a good one.

I don’t believe that letting more people of color into our country is going to increase our crime rate, as many Trump supporters seem to believe. Supporting a larger population of non-skiled or low-skilled people who can’t find jobs, however, may tax our already strained human services and educational resources.

We should, however, find more room for refugees from the drug gang violence that has overrun Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador, especially since it’s the U.S. market more than any other factor that gives these subhuman gangsters their strength.

I also like Trump’s approach to China. We have enjoyed mutually beneficial trade with China, but we should not pretend that its oppressive, greedy regime has friendship in mind in their trade dealings with us.

China has been completely cavalier with our trade secrets, software and copyrights.

They are using the proceeds of their trade with us to further their aims to weaken our hold in Asia and anywhere else they can challenge us.

We have been listening to American corporations who are getting rich on China trade and put their interests before national prestige and security. It may be time to give more weight to other factors besides profitability.

China is not our friend.

Even dangerously delusional, shady, egotistical, emotional cripples who can’t handle even minor criticism can’t be wrong all the time.

While I see some benefits from the Trump presidency, I still want it to end as soon as possible — either through impeachment or the next election.

Steve Hansen writes about our life and times from his perspective of a retired Tucumcari journalist. Contact him at:

stevenmhansen

@plateautel.net