Executive Powers

Much has been written about executive powers of the President of the US. Charges and counter charges, too, have been tossed about aplenty. Trouble is not all of these things are true.

For example, many pundits and gossips claimed President Obama overused his executive powers. Not true. His Executive Orders were few and measured. He enacted them after much thought, and especially after much negotiating with Congress to enact some legislation in desired areas. When they stalled for two or more years, he acted in their place. Very restrained use of presidential power.

In comparison, George W. Bush used his executive powers considerably more. And some were stretches. Especially stretched was his insistence on going to war with Iraq. A foolhardy mission with no payback for America or the ‘free world.’ That military adventure created a whole lot of hurt for hundreds of millions of people. It and its aftermath cost American taxpayers two trillion dollars, too!

The current occupant of the White House has issued many executive orders as though they are law themselves. They are not. The trumpster cannot erase President Obama’s actions as easily as he has pretended. The courts have stymied many of his actions to obliterate the Obama legacy. What else has he been up to?

Well, announcing tariffs that don’t exist and must come from broader action of the government, is one example. It will take some time to clear up this mess alone; but the courts and cooler heads will prevail in the tariff boondoggle. Steel and aluminum tariffs are not needed and will cost the American consumer and economy dearly if they are enacted.

More to the point on all of this is the ill-considered moves Current Occupant insists on making. He has not done his homework. He has not researched the issues thoroughly; nor has his staff done the background work. He makes decisions too quickly and without full regard for intersecting policies. This will get him and our nation in deep trouble quickly if allowed to continue.

Free markets are the oft heard argument of the conservative mindset. Free trade is part of that philosophy. Evidently, it doesn’t fit well with today's conservatives or Current Occupant. World economic growth in recent years is the direct result of free trade. It is an efficient market function that decides which nations will be able to best use their competitive advantages to full effect. America’s competitive advantage is technology, invention, creativity, engineering, and quick adaptation to all of the above. It’s manufacturing strengths have moved to lands with cheaper labor; but integrated, micro manufacturing has been a feature of American businesses. It is also the wave of the future.

Obsolete industries, products and manufacturing have been adopted by other nations. This has freed up enormous resources in America for redeployment in the fresh and newly unfolding world of technology. This is where the future resides. Free trade on a global basis gives it space to birth and grow. Our transition to this new reality has been happening for the past 10 years and is well advanced. This is a good thing.

Of course, there are displacements. There were similar displacements when transistors replaced vacuum tubes in electronic devices. When cars replaced horse-drawn buggies, entire industries disappeared and new ones replaced them. Those sorts of changes have been happening for generations now. The only difference is the rate of change. It is now much faster. It will likely continue to accelerate.

Displacement is painful for those affected. But the new comes with pain as vistas expand.

Be the change, not the barrier.

Champion free trade. Ignore Current Occupant.

March 6, 2018