When I have to discuss my views on Trump I usually need to go through a rethink each time, so I created this list of Trump positions he has enunciated in his campaign to help me recall the positions and arguments more easily. My opinions are color coded. Red is net bad, green net good, orange mixed.
Trump’s positions are moving targets and it is unclear if I can track them. For instance just tonight on 60 Minutes he said he would support some Obamacare features, not pursue Hillary aggressively much less throw her in jail, and build a wall (but maybe build a fence.)
Large Stimulus in form of infrastructure Improvements - Good for economy if done as short term measure, should benefit everyone, should have been done years ago. However I think the stimulus may be much smaller than promised because of republican’s love of lower taxes and distaste for debt.
Repeal and replace Obamacare
Obamacare currently needs changes, but also needs support in congress. Repealing is not good unless replaced, and the replacement captures the same benefits like the no exclusions for preexisting condition benefit and support for the poor, which Trump has recently said he supports. That only works if the pool includes everyone (mandatory enrollment), otherwise we have the adverse selection problem. If the replacement includes these, it captures the overall structure of Obamacare, and is simply a name change. Also, need to keep 20 million now on rolls.
Reference:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/jul/15/donald-trumps-top-10-campaign-promises/
Lowering Taxes - Good for wealthier folks, should help me and provide a weak stimulus, but will increase deficit and over time debt and should not be permanent.
Reference:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/jul/15/donald-trumps-top-10-campaign-promises/
Building a wall on Mexican border - Probably an economic stimulus (like digging hole and filling it again) but not as effective as infrastructure improvement which also provides a foundation for economic activity.
Reference:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/jul/15/donald-trumps-top-10-campaign-promises/
Conservative Court - Will bring religion into government (abortion, LGBT policies, etc.) Will disenfranchise minorities due to unchallenged voting rights laws.
Using Torture as Foreign policy - Torture is only effective in a few rare cases (rubber hose cryptoanalysis) where we are sure the individual has the knowledge, where it can be verified immediately, etc. Generally it is not useful and therefore to be rejected. (Also, must be secret or will create more enemies, or as in the cryptoanalysis case, make the secrets divulged worthless.)
Reference
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber-hose_cryptanalysis
Deportation of 11 million illegals - Expensive and unfair and destabilising. Trump has backed off this one recently and said he will only continue Obama policy of deporting criminals.
Reference:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/11/politics/donald-trump-deportation-force-debate-immigration/
Taking over Iraq Oil FIelds - Horrible idea that will destabilize region, set precedent for intruding on Iraq sovereignty, cause US troops to go there.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/jul/15/donald-trumps-top-10-campaign-promises/
Allowing countries like Japan to have their own nuclear weapons would not be bad - Trump has said he thinks “it would not be such a bad thing.” Most think it would be a bad thing because its highly destabilizing. Recently Trump has backed off this in tweets saying he never said “he thought they should have nuclear weapons.
References:
Original material: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/oct/05/mike-pence/debate-mike-pence-claims-trump-never-said-more-nat/,
Tweet: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/797832229800050688
Reducing support for eastern european NATO countries - Backing out of treaty, makes US look like we are running a protection racket. Would tempt Russia to take over more areas by weakening those countries.
Renegotiate Iran Nuclear Treaty The treaty is working according to monitors and Israeli government so why change it? Could make it more likely Iran develops a weapon.
Cancel Paris Climate Accord Increased CO2, adding to warming, increases risk of damaging temperature rise.
Getting out of Nafta and Rejecting TPP Renegotiating either may be desirable since improvement is usually possible, but I gather from sources I think have analysed it, just getting out would hurt the economy and cost jobs.
Calling Carrier and telling them to not move out of Indiana Or what? President should not threaten a corporation directly.
Throw Hillary in Jail Very dangerous to threaten opponents this way.
Muslim ban Unacceptable, except maybe if we also banned all religions, since we have too much religion already, and most religions have ugly undersides, Islam being just the most recent and egregious.
Written with StackEdit.
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