Trumpism is not an economic policy; there is no economic content to the word. But it is a word of much appeal. If we are mesmerized by its pixy dust, our national conversation will never be about any of the serious issues that are convulsing our country. We are in the midst of a pandemic. The Coronavirus pandemic is gravely affecting our economic lives.
Solutions of the past are totally ineffective. Inequality is increasing-and was increasing before the onslaught of the pandemic; unemployment is increasing; bankruptcies are increasing; the national deficit is increasing; poverty is becoming more and more abject. We need novel solutions. As a result of fifty years of research and publication, there are novel solutions offered by a new system of thought called Concordian economics. However, our mind is too occupied by Trumpism to lend them an ear.
The sooner we get rid of the ballast of Trumpism, the better is.
Trumpism Is A Lie
Trumpism is the most egregious lie of the last four years: Trumpism is a word; there is no policy expressed by that word.
Worse, Trumpism is a word not even coined by Donald Trump himself. Apart from a speech by then-presidential candidate Rick Perry in July 2015, the term was propagated in the national press, to keep its readership excited.
It might eventually be agreed that the only content of Trumpism is eternal, opportunistic, transactional bullying.
Do not mention Trumpism ever again in the national press, and the presence of Trump himself will shrink into nullity--especially now that our social platforms have woken up to their responsibility of banning him for life, at least for now.
Imagine that. A President who, attempting to preserve his power indefinitely, as an autocrat, incites the mob to stage a coup. He sends the mob to kill his own faithful Vice President, Mike Pence. A republican. And Speaker Pelosi.
The Empty Content of Trumpism
Faced with the enormous problems of growing inequality, growing poverty, declining jobs, and declining wages, the Trump Administration during the last four years has been glowing in the elitist glitter of a growing Wall Street. How many Trump worshippers have been getting rich from Wall Street? How many MAGA People have been getting rich from Wall Street?
In the end we must agree that too many Trump followers were taken over by the single-mindedness of Catholics about abortion, and by the furies of racism, and the furies of Nazim, and the furies of apocalyptic evangelism to clearly evaluate their own condition.
The heart of Trumpism is not in economic policy. The heart of Trumpism is elsewhere. "The Wall" was a diversion. Immigration restrictions were a Nazi inspiration. Separation of children from families was a cruelty. Is making the rich richer a policy? Is the abatement of environmental restrictions a policy worthy of note, when the eventual outcome, if not undermined in time, will eventually choke us all to death?
America was "first" and "great" at its inception. Is America alone; is America isolated a tenable policy in today's world? It was not a tenable policy yesterday.
Are these American policies? Are these policies requested by the majority of the American electorate? Are these policies to benefit the American people? Tariffs are paid by the people. Interested in after effects of tariffs? Ask soybean farmers and Main lobster fishers who saw their exports to China vanish.
Whatever can be expressed as policy followed by the Trump Administration is a congeries of disjointed ideological extremes. All to please a megalomaniac.
And what to say of a President, not-at-work, but on a gulf course--amidst the pandemic? Is this what the country needs now? Is this what the world is asking of us now? Even for one more day?
The Dissolution of the Republican Party
Clearly, Trumpism has sounded the death knell of the current version of the Republican Party. This Party has not been able to secure the reelection of Donald Trump. In the process it has split itself into two major factions: those who cater to whatever whims Donald Trump pursues at the moment and a conservative remnant that is faithful to the glorious tradition of Abraham Lincoln.
There is very little to say about the Trumpist faction. Sooner or later they will discover that Donald Trump is intensely dedicated only to himself.
The sooner they realize this simple reality, the sooner will they join those in the Republican Party who are faithful to the Lincoln democratic tradition. How can they be helped?
The Republican Party of Concord
Clearly, Trumpists are in charge of the Republican Party and they are not easily going to relinquish their control. Rather than engaging in an internecine all-losing war, Lincolnians might give some serious attention to the need to establish the Republican Party of Concord.
Then, the Democratic Party will also have to do its part. It will have to create the Democratic Party of Concord.
Thus, no longer a revolution from the extreme left will be followed by a revolution from the extreme right, but a Revolution from the Center will be carried out.
This is work to be done long term. In the immediate future, we have some urgent tasks to undertake.
Immediately
Many things can and must be done; the most important and the most urgent is to start a national conversation about Concordian monetary policy. Two are the outstanding proposals:
1. Launch Jubilee 2020; Cancel Student Debt? NO!! Cancel ALL Debt. Systematically defuse the debt bomb, continuously, over seven years. Do learn the extraordinary economic wisdom of Moses;
2. Mend the Fed--and ideally all other central banks in the world, Russian and China included, by issuing loans:
a. Solely for the creation of real wealth, not financial assets;
b. Using local banks, issuing loans only to individual entrepreneurs, corporations that have adopted ESOPs and or CSOP's, and to public institutions with taxing powers, so the loans can be repaid;
c. A t cost.
Mirabile dictu, in 2015 I presented both proposals to the Fed, and the Fed responded: "Given your proposal, I suggest that you contact your state and federal representatives."
To be noticed that the Fed has traditionally fought political interference into its operations tooth and nail. For Concordian monetary policies, they are inviting political participation. No, this was not an overnight awakening. It took them two years of study to launch this invitation.
Give President Biden Air
If Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats are clever, they will give President Biden air. Rather than requesting immediate action on their impeachment of Donald Trump, they should wait. They should give a free reign to President Biden and ask for the Senate to consider their case at least three months from now.
That should give ample time to the Republicans to reconsider their position. In which world are they living? A large majority of them is still believing Donald Trump's lie that the Biden-Harris team have won a fraudulent election.
This after Donald Trump lost so many court cases, presiding judges appointed by Republican Administration? When even the Supreme Court refused to consider the case? When Donald Trump and his lawyers did never even mention the word fraud in cases, because their case would have been thrown out of court by uttering an inadmissible lie?
Do Use the Services of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Do give President Biden and Vice President Harris extra breathing room. Take away from their shoulders the task of ascertaining the truth. In such a divided country as we have at present, this is an impossible task. Yet truth must be ascertained. The country will not--and should not--be unified in doubt.
Preferably if Donald Trump resigns immediately, IMHO, he should be offered only one choice by the Senate, the freedom to appear in front of such a civilizing institution as that created South Africa: a Truth, Reconciliation, and Restitution Commission.
Donald Trump does have one duty, primarily toward himself and his family, he has much explaining to do. Three months from now, if he cares to do it, let him explain. Again, we must remember that Mr. Trump is not a politician; he did not even win the election except for the aberration of the Electoral College.
Carmine Gorga was born 85 years ago in the Deep South of Southern Italy, under Mussolini, during the Great Depression. He has recently (?) been classified as a Gravatar, a Globally Recognized Avatar.
