People in America are mad - at government, at politicians, about economic realities - and I completely get it. Even the rich people are mad, though they have enjoyed increases lately, many of them speaking as if their government is strangling them. In fact, who isn't mad in America?
But most people are mad at the wrong things, and they need simple answers like Trump to help them vent. Our desire for simple answers notwithstanding, we will remain here living in a complex and evolving world which defies simple answers.
There are other simple answers we might turn to. If you want to be mad at somebody, be mad at the people killing consumer demand. I am furious at these people. Nothing happens without demand; supply-side economics doesn't work. I can prove that. Demand is the great mover.
I was on a comment board online and asked a supply-sider, "Why would any business expand or open in a place with no demand for what they are selling?" The obvious answer is that no business would ever do that, but they evade: "Businesses cannot predict demand." In other words, a business can never make the determination that there is no demand, so they never have to answer my question.
Horse shit. I can be sure that in towns where people have no extra money - all of it is tied up in shelter and clothing and food and transportation and tax - I can be sure that they will not be able to buy my good or service. I mean, buy it with what? Right? Supply-side advocates will never, ever answer this question directly about demand. Never. Because the only correct answer is that businesses never open or expand into apparently floundering demand. Why would they? Why sell to people with no money?
And this is exactly what we see in a floundering or recessed economy. Go and look where there is austerity and you will also find floundering demand and stagnation. Only investment works.
Hillary Clinton - warts and all - is offering a simple solution that is not insulting, bullying, inciting ... and isn't it compelling how obvious it is which individual I am seeking to accuse? Warts-and-all Hillary is offering this plan:
First, make sure the top earners - who are doing magnificently well I understand - pay their fair share in taxes. Yes! Because that opens the way for infrastructure jobs which will put money into the hands of ordinary American citizens who will certainly spend it.
Second, charge corporations an exit tax for taking their business elsewhere. Yes! Because those businesses made their bones right here in America, standing on the shoulders of the apparently successful democratic experiment. The reason the huge and profitable corporations did not make their fortunes in that other new destination country is that country is not America. America has value, is valuable. If you leverage this great society to your benefit and then decide there are cost benefits to taking your business to a place where doing business is cheaper, you are free to do that, but not before you pay us for what you took from us - an exit tax. Because here is the truth: You could never have made that fortune in the first place without America; America is the foundation stone. America is valuable real estate - pay what you owe.
Third, take the money from 1 and 2 above and invest in infrastructure. Yes! What was built in the 50's will not last forever, not even for much longer. Interest rates are historically low, we should leverage that to repair our weather and time worn country. We should invest in us.
Because of demand. It is so simple. It doesn't matter how many tax breaks and cuts you give to people who are already bursting with money, if you place them in a scenario of no buyers, every orifice of theirs will pucker up when it comes to hiring people or expanding.
The supply-side argument is along these lines: If taxes are raised, or if the minimum wage is increased, then businesses will have to cut jobs, because they are faced with increased expenses. And that does sound plausible, even convincing, until you realize this: Business will always, always, always produce to meet demand. Always. If I say something today which somehow means everyone wants to wear a yellow shirt with a black banana silhouette, people will crawl out of the woodwork to plunk down cash to start producing those yellow shirts. It could be magic shoes, doesn't matter, supply is always a whore for demand.
They will never lay you off if they have to meet demand. Don't jump when they say, "Boo!"
Therefore, those people saying we should give the rich more tax breaks are all wrong! Because that doesn't create demand. But demand will always bring out the business - the cash will flow like wine when there are buyers.
The construction workers which had to be hired to dig up the old, lead-ridden pipes and the engineers and laborers who work to replace our ailing and dangerous water transportation system, I wonder if those individuals will need to eat lunch and stay at hotels and visit places. I wonder if that flow of money would be helpful for local businesses. And wouldn't those local businesses have to pick up to meet the new demand? Might they hire? All of a sudden, the young girl who filled that newly minted job can buy some new shoes. And so forth. Right?
Funny, even the rich themselves are harmed by their own austerity. Because demand is everything, even for them. If conservatives get their way, if all of the money flies upward and none of it trickles down, then there will be no demand. Isn't that the death of growth? Doesn't that describe the economic downturn of the past few decades? But if progressives win, and I think they will, conservatives will lick their wounds while further profiting by the implementation of progressive policies and the stifling of their own misguided ones. I wonder if they will ever learn that generosity of spirit is always right, even and especially in the way we govern ourselves.
Don't demand from an unstable man that he make America great again when America is already great. America is valuable real estate, and we should invest in us, because the collateral is so good and solid beneath our feet. Demand we invest in all of us. Demand demand!
And for that reason alone we should support Hillary Clinton, just to get demand going, even ignoring the fact that Republican generals think Donald Trump is a national security threat, even without giving Nero his fissionable matches and a new ally for the Kremlin. Hillary Clinton, whom the Republican generals do not think is a national security threat, has a plan that will bring demand.
Hillary Clinton's plan will bring demand. Certainly, mathematically - like gravity. Tax breaks for the fortunate few never will. Money flowing is the life blood of our economy. Please vote accordingly. Only investment works.
Demand demand!