Where Trump Came From

We’ve been discussing where Trump is going, and I’m the first to admit that it’s anyone’s guess.

How he got here, however, is quite clear; in fact, it’s summarized in the content of the meme here.  Since 1980, the vast majority of new wealth in this country has gone to the top 1%, and the common white American has felt real hardship.  A powerful demagogue who saw this came along, and convinced them that their real enemies were immigrants, social programs benefiting people too lazy to work, and the political elite.  He told them that he and only he stood up for their interests, and they bought this completely.

Of course, the precise opposite was the case:

• Their economic position has not improved.

• Due to the tax cuts for billionaires, ever man, woman and child is saddled with an additional $4100 in national debt to be paid by taxes somewhere down the line.

• The manufacturing sector is falling off, partially due to the rising cost of goods brought on by the trade war with China.

• Small farmers have experienced the same pinch.

And the pain Trump has inflicted on these people isn’t purely economic.  Gutting the EPA and placing a coal lobbyist at its helm has had a terrible impact on human health.  About 100,000 people, mostly working class people and their children, die prematurely each year due to the toxicity of coal plants alone.  (Wealthy people can afford to live far from these and other disease-causing agents.)