Let’s Make America Great Again

By Terry AmRhein,

Author of Democracy on the Edge

available at www.amrheinsbooks.com

 

 

Let’s make America great again is Donald Trump’s hallmark quote.  What the hell is he talking about!  America’s unemployment rate is presently 4.9%.  That is phenomenal.  The unemployment rate in good times is generally considered to be 5.5%.  We’re at 4.9%! 

            There is an estimated 14 million people who have health care today, who didn’t have it in 2010 when Obamacare was passed.  That’s got to be a great thing for our country, even if you don’t like Obamacare.  Today anyone who is under 26 years old can stay on their parent’s healthcare plan thus providing younger individuals without jobs the opportunity to continue having health care.  Today, no one can be refused health insurance because they have a pre-existing disease.  This also has got to be a great thing.  Having health care reduces deaths of people with chronic diseases that could be helped if they have medical care.  In 2009, the American Journal of Public Health estimated that 44,800 die each year because of lack of heath care.  This reduction in deaths must be a great thing.  Also, although most people don’t know it, but people with heath care a paying over $1000 per year to provide emergency room services to those without heath care, according to News Week magazine.  All of these must be great things.

            Now look at the economy. In 2014, the GDP of the US was 17,419 trillion, the highest ever!  GDP per capita was $46,405.26, the highest ever!  (These figures from the World Bank.)  The GDP of China, $10.355 trillion. America’s GDP is second to the European Common Market at $18.514 trillion with China coming in fourth. America’s economic growth must be a great thing.    

            Our military is the strongest in the world.  Based on money spent, we are projected to spend $598.5 billion dollars in 2015.  This represents 37% of the total military spending throughout the entire world.  We spend more money that the next 9 highest nations combined.  This includes China, Japan, Germany, Great Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, India, South Korea and Russia.  And don’t just think that all that money is wasted buying $10,000 toilets.  The weaponry we possess is awesome.  No one else can match us.  But spending a lot of money is not necessary the deciding factor in world conflicts.  Knowing what weapons are needed in a given situation and being able to apply those weapons is also an important factor.  Removing Osama Bin Laden proves we have the capacity and the know-how. 

 

            Putting troops on the ground however, is a path that will lead to disaster.  Haven’t we learned anything from Iraq and Afghanistan?  Once you get into a Mideast war, you can’t extract yourself.  A better approach is to take the long term approach.  Form a coalition of nations, European and Mid-eastern and, over time, destroy ISIS’s support.  To paraphrase Mao Zedong, a person who knew a little about terrorism, “terrorists are like fish, remove the water and the fish will die.”  Shouting “let’s make America Great again” might arouse Trump’s manhood and may sound good in television sound bites but it definitely won’t lead to greatness.