Who's Economy is This?

Dateline, Vancouver, December 2017
I sent off another political essay to the Washington Post, in December 2010, but they didn't post this one either. To me, this was an important angle on the economy that no one else was bringing up. I'm reposting it below for your reading pleasure.

The Trump Economy ?

I'm tired of hearing about Trump's booming economy. The fact is, this current economic boom has nothing to do with Trump - this is Obama's economic boom.   Take a look at the evidence:

During the campaign, Trump complained repeatedly that the NAFTA treaty was wrecking the U.S. economy and we need to scrap it to revitalize our economy. Yet, a year later, Trump and congress have done nothing about NAFTA and the economy is booming.
He complains that Obamacare is crushing the U.S. economy, yet they've done nothing about it and the economy is booming.
Complains that environmental regulations are holding us back - then do nothing and the economy is booming.
Complains that corporate regulations are smothering businesses - then do nothing and the economy is booming.
Complains that corporate taxes are choaking businesses - then do nothing and the economy is booming.
Complains that China is taking all our jobs - then do nothing and the economy is booming.
Proclaims that boosting the oil and coal production will boost our economy - then do nothing and the economy is booming.

Trump and the Republicans have done nearly nothing that will affect the economy, yet the economy is still chugging right along under the programs that Obama put in place.   Our booming economy is proof that these programs do not wreck the economy.

So far, all they've done is talk big and complain. But, while these political promises and rants can affect the stock market, they don't cause businesses to hire new people. Businesses hire more people when customers buy more products, and we were on that trend for several years before the election.

Trump's claims of a crippled America were known to be rubbish before the election. But he didn't care - this was his plan all along. By convincing the whole country that America was a train wreck, he could claim to be a savior when the train wreck doesn't materialize. And that is exactly what he is doing now, claiming to have saved the country when in fact it never needed saving in the first place.

This is a prime example of why lying politicians are bad for the U.S. Because they waste our time fixing problems that don't exist, while ignoring problems that actually do exist.