24 thoughts on “Can the Death of US democracy be blamed on Trump alone?”

  1. Personally, I see Trump as a symptom of the undermining of representative democracy and evidence of the advanced state of the corporate takeover of our country. The comments and “readers picks” in the Times are always a good poll of what people are thinking. At least they still have comments though they are limited.

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  2. “corporate takeover of our country”

    Certainly trump is in the pocket of big business (and Putin), but your comment presupposes that financial institutions and Insurance companies don’t already call a disproportional number of the “shots”.

    If the lazy voters would exercise their Constitutional right to vote maybe a sea change could occur.

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  3. Weathergate was (or still is I think) scary enough for two reasons. Trump’s obsession with being right even when he was demonstrably wrong is not a good trait for presidency (understatement, to say the least). Second, this was a weather threat, what are we to believe about an attack?

    But the possible antitrust action on auto companies for not buckling under to the regime’s demand to alter their manufacturing plans is pure autocracy. And, I might add, a very socialist move.

    If the suit goes into effect, I think the government will lose round after round until SCOTUS, where the conservatives on the court should make a unanimous decision against the regime.

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  4. Paul Krugman is Henny Penny. The examples he cites to promote his fears are too insignificant to be taken seriously.

    Still, I give him credit for broaching the subject of government becoming disconnected from the people. Its a big concern.

    Krugman, however, seems to be unaware that elite government control of the people for their own good is a core tenet of contemporary progressivism. After all, if you believe that government can be a tool for social improvement, then you need good managers (a technocratic class) to exercise the tool.

    Krugman should take note that good managers can’t always be responsive to the arbitrary whims of their subordinates. That alone might explain the puzzle he is worried about.

    But that would mean the left-wing sky is falling, too, and Henny Penny is on a different mission.

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    1. The reason fears might not be as justified as they seem is because the regime is getting slapped down on a regular basis.

      NWS told the administration it was flat out wring and proved it. Their chief has stones.

      Auto companies said they won’t change their long standing plans for a political whim. Sue us? Go ahead, the GOP will “love” them for it. TV spots showing the administration sues for dirtier cars. Against the will of one of our premier manufacturing sectors.

      Ordering companies out of China? Not gonna happen except for those who were already moving production elsewhere. And not necessarily back to the states.

      So long as people and organizations refuse to put up with this crap, and publicize it, maybe, just maybe the regime will realize it works for Americans, not the other way around.

      IMHO

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    2. RE: “The reason fears might not be as justified as they seem is because the regime is getting slapped down on a regular basis.”

      That’s a good self-licking ice cream cone.

      Does that mean that the Green New Deal, for example, wouldn’t introduce new autocracy?

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      1. Don’t know. It hasn’t gone anywhere yet.

        And if it did, it would be a product of our elected representatives and president. A process as intended by the Constitution.

        Not an edict issued through tweets or orders to the DOJ to sue for…what?

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      2. RE: “A process as intended by the Constitution.”

        Is autocracy acceptable when people vote for it, just unacceptable when right-leaning support it?

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        1. An autocracy is not acceptable, period.

          Trump doesn’t agree, but fortunately for us and unfortunately for him, he can’t order us around in various fits of pique.

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  5. “Krugman, however, seems to be unaware that elite government control of the people for their own good is a core tenet of contemporary progressivism”

    The Distinguished Professor of Economics and Nobel Prize winner is “unaware”, but you’ve got it all figured out.

    I’m pretty sure he’s very “aware” , but thanks for the chuckle…

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  6. Well, we can all relax, the republic is safe.

    If Paul “Never Right” Krugman says it’s in peril, then it is safe.

    Seriously, how many of you got out if stocks based on his prediction of a collapse if Trump was elected and missed out on the boom?

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    1. Actually, having faith in the Obama economy I sat tight and bought low from those that didn’t understand the bullet proof foundation that had been built. I figured that even a complete imbecile couldn’t screw it up too quickly (unless they, IDK, started a ridiculous trade war or something)….

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      1. Depending how old you are, where your money is allocated, and how big the cajones,…

        If you are 60 to 65, you should keep 5 years living expenses in cash, but 3 will do. Keep tax-deferred 90% invested in US large/mid caps blended to the growth side. You should have some small cap aggressive growth. Do NOT invest tax-free or tax-deferred in foreign stocks, or partnerships. You can get burned on taxes. For example, the Dutch tax 15% of Div/RoC/CG. That’s a foreign tax credit you lose. If your IRA is invested in a partnership (or unlikely in a S-corp) and you receive $1000 in dividends or other business returns from them, your IRA has to start paying business taxes.

        About 3 years before RMD, start diverting all Dividends & CG distributions to your settlement account, this will develop a cash balance from which you can withdraw without having to sell.

        Couch Potato Investing: Based on the market’s performance over the last 60 years, 90% invested means roughly 5% of the total balance on the date of 1st withdrawal can be pulled every year… forever An 80% invested account will give 4%, 70% gives 3%, etc. Example, $1M with $900,000 invested will allow you to withdraw $50K forever. Only $700K invested and that drops to $30K. There is a 2 in 10,000 chance of failure.

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        2. Pretty good advice, I haven’t taken the step to divert dividends to settlement yet, but you are right, I should. I’ll work on that. I keep 3 years cash.

          For fun, I put a good bit of my riskable funds into the Vice Fund (VICEX) and into Rick’s Hospitality (RICK) and they turned out to return better than the blue chips.

          VICEX is a mutual fund invested in alcohol, tobacco, gambling and firearms.
          RICK is a chain of top end gentlemen’s clubs.

          Never bet against human nature.

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          1. “I keep 3 years cash”

            Impressive, I thought 2 years was overkill.

            Question: was that buffer the result of our current President, or just a lack of faith in our capitalistic economic system…

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          3. Vice — I like it. As a friend of mine once said, “Invest in what you use, know, or like.” Well, got all 3 covered.

            Last word. Gold. If you do, buy and store the metal, not paper. No more than what you need to buy food or bribe a border guard.

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    2. Are there any economists that are correct more than half the time when it come to predicting the future?

      “Data revisions released Friday wiped away what had been a prized talking point for the White House: G.D.P. grew 2.5 percent for all of 2018, down from the 3 percent previously reported.” NYT, 7/26/2019

      Latest quarter: 2.1%

      I believe Trump’s economists assured us, through the president of course, that we would top 3, 4,5 or 6% making Obama wrong about the new normal.

      We’ll see

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