Jeremy A Sims

II. Trump’s Policies Are Terrible: Part 2

Previously, (Click Here for Part One) we covered some of Trump’s horrible policy positions including his support for universal healthcare, amnesty for illegal immigrants and a government takeover of the banking system, but that's far from the only place where Trump's current policy positions break from genuine conservatism. 

Eminent Domain

For over two hundred years, the United States only used eminent domain to force private property owners to sell their land when the government absolutely had to have certain property for a crucial function of government.

This all changed in the infamous Kelo Supreme Court decision when it was ruled that the government could seize private party for the benefit of other private property owners. If you owned a home and a businessman wanted to bulldoze your home and build a shopping mall on your property, the government could force you to sell. Though the vast majority of the American people opposed this ruling, Trump fully embraced it saying, “I happen to agree with it 100%.” This isn’t surprising considering that Trump had already attempted this method of seizing property several times.

Trump’s support for the Kelo decision means he has less respect for private property than the socialist in the race, Bernie Sanders. 

Bailouts

Though the political elites seemed to think the bailouts were a good idea, many citizens were enraged when they realized taxpayers were on the hook for the mistakes of bankers and auto manufacturers. During the planning stages of the bailout, Trump said, "I think it would be better if it (the bailouts) passed…maybe it works, and maybe it doesn't. But certainly it is worth a shot.” The next year, Trump reflected back on the bailout saying, “The one thing is, the government came in and intelligently put money into the banks, so that if you have your money in CDs or whatever in the banks, you’re not going to lose your money at least.” Trump suggested the auto industry was also too big to fail. “I think the government should stand behind them 100 percent… You cannot lose the auto companies.” 

Stimulus Packages

Back in 2009 when President Obama and the Democrat controlled legislature was spending money like drunken sailors on shore leave, Trump praised Obama’s budget busting stimulus package opining that the way President Obama ignored budget constraints in the name of “Building infrastructure, building great projects, putting people to work in that sense is also very good.” 

Affirmative Action

Trump supports racial and sexual discrimination via affirmative action. To quote The Donald, “I’m fine with affirmative action.” 

Tariffs

Tariffs are not exactly the big flash issue that gets everybody fired up during the election cycle, but it's worth pointing out that Trump is the only GOP Presidential candidate proposing the U.S. raise tariffs on foreign nations. Unlike Trump, Republicans have long supported the idea that people in the United States should be able to trade with people in other nations with minimal government intervention.

I’m less than dogmatic on this issue not having the economic depth to ponder all the implications, but common sense will tell you that tariffs increase the cost of goods and decrease the amount of international trade. On the flip side, many argue that tariffs should increase domestic investment and increase domestic wages. Which of these factors outweighs the other is impossible for me to determine, but most economists say free trade is superior. Considering that government involvement in the market nearly always results in more problems than progress, I’m inclined to think that tariffs are a bad idea. 

From what I can tell, no Republican President has supported increasing tariffs since President Hoover signed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 which many economists blame for creating The Great Depression. If that’s doesn’t make you think twice, consider that the only other Presidential candidate who is proposing new tariffs this election cycle is Bernie Sanders.

Kill the Family Members of ISIS

Even by Trump standards, this one is a little hard to fathom. The United States has always understood that fighting its enemies will inevitably lead to the death of innocents caught in the crossfire, but we’ve never been a nation that intentionally kills innocent people because they happen to be related to our enemies. Murdering innocents based on the actions of their kin goes against the entire premise of individual rights and responsibilities which was once the core of American values, yet it’s impossible to ignore the fact that Trump advocates this slaughter. 

“The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families, when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care about their lives, don't kid yourself. When they say they don't care about their lives, you have to take out their families.”  

You could argue that Trump meant something along the lines of, “You have to be willing to risk collateral damage when trying to kill terrorists,” but when Trump was asked how intentionally killing innocents would set the U.S. apart from the terrorists in a debate, Trump refused to back-pedal on his plan to kill innocents and defended his views saying that families, “Know what’s going on,” and that, “being very, very firm with families,” would, “make them think.”

In many ways, Trump fails as an advocate of conservative values, but by supporting polices such as eminent domain for private gain and the murder of innocent people, Trump goes beyond failing conservative values and instead fails American values.

Click Here for Part Three

If you enjoyed this article, you'll be happy to know I've written a whole series on Trump. Click Here to Check them Out.