Thom's blog
Democrats Should Steal Trump's Thunder on Trade
It's time to run bigger, better and harder on trade policies.
"By preferring the support of domestic to that of foreign industry, he [the entrepreneur] intends only his own security, and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention."
-- Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations, 1776 (emphasis added to rebut "free trade" misuse of this quote, as free-traders always drop the first 11 words)
There's an old saying that even a broken clock is right twice a day. In that spirit, Donald Trump and his advisors are at least partly right about trade and tariffs.
Ironically, he's totally defying the entire Republican Party, as well as the Bill Clinton-corporate wing of the Democratic Party, and running with policies that progressive Democrats have been pushing for a century.
While most progressive politicians will admit Trump is right on trade (and several have on my radio/TV show), there aren't a lot of Democrats these days willing to enthusiastically acknowledge Trump might be right about anything so they're not much popping up on network or cable TV.
Which is unfortunate: the Democratic Party should return to its progressive/protectionist/union roots and steal this issue right from Trump's teeth, saying that he's not doing it well enough or fast enough. They should run hard in 2020 on Bernie's suggestion that we use protectionist policies to end our trade deficits and bring back home our jobs.
The disastrous trade deficits we've been running since the Reagan era are damaging to the future of America for a variety of reasons, from national security to where the profits from American companies end up, to the flattening of American working wages and benefits.
Read more here.
-Thom
(What do you think? Tell us here.)
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Friday's Daily Stack
Hour One: Anything Goes Friday! What's on Your Mind?
Quote: "Less government in business and more business in government" - Warren Harding.
Speech: " Farewell Address", by Dwight David Eisenhower, January 17, 1961 ( transcript). " In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex."
Hour Two: Why are Florida Legislators Cowtowing to the Payday Loan Crowd?- Karl Frisch, Allied Progress
Quote: " It violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system. Now it's just an oligarchy with unlimited political bribery being at the essence of getting the nominations for president or elected president. And the same thing applies to governors and U.S. senators and Congress members. So now we've just seen a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors who want and expect and sometimes get favors for themselves after the election's over'." - President Jimmy Carter on unlimited money in politics on the Thom Hartmann Program, 28 July 2015.
Article: " 2nd Amendment". A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Hour Three: Anything Goes Friday - Thom Takes Your Calls
Quote: " Evidence shows that perpetrators—who apparently form a critical mass of men every day acting out variations of this warped “normal” behavior—respond best to confrontation and to corrective loss;" - Robin Morgan.
Geeky Science - the Troubling Effects of Early Spring in the Arctic...
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Monday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET
Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA, 17th District) will be here to talk issues of the day and take your calls.
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Watch & Listen to Thom
Predatory Payday Lenders Are Loans You'll Never Be Able To Pay Back (Guest Mike Papantonio)
Income Inequality and Neoliberalism are Destroying Our Economy Richard Wolff
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