First published in the www.suffolkfreepress.co.uk & www.dissexpress.co.uk Thursday, October 22, 2020.
Trump beats Obama on many counts
I write in response to Richard Stainer’s letter in last week’s Free Press on Donald Trump.
The content seems to confirm your columnist Steve Britt’s opinion, that his critics are guilty of playing the man, not the ball.
Does Mr Stainer expect the Republican Party to change policy with an imminent election on the cards?
He claims taxes have been slashed and there is less being spent on public services, without saying whether the tax burden on working families was too high.
The tax take from the employed has increased, due to falling unemployment. Many of the jobs have been created in former industrial areas that suffered due to the Democrats endorsing the Nafta protocol. They allowed American jobs to be exported and millions of well-paid jobs were lost.
As someone said of Nancy Pelosi, she should know a lot about the ‘rust belt States’ ... She flies over them often enough.
Like over here, the tax burden isn’t on an equitable footing across the population. It’s said in the US the richest one per cent have more than the poorest 50 per cent. This isn’t right and yet both parties in the US have failed to tackle it.
It’s interesting that most of the richest in the US support the Democratic Party. Look how much Joe Biden has got in his war chest. It didn’t come from the poorest 50 per cent, that’s for sure.
To compound matters, there’s the geographical divide between the rich coastal states and the landlocked states.
When it comes to comparing Trump’s time in office with his predecessor, let’s get the personalities out of the way first.
Trump, the obnoxious narcissist, and Barrack Obama, the easy going, nice, intelligent guy.
Trump has been good on the economy, creating jobs and ensuring wealth went where it was most needed. He successfully downscaled America’s military involvement in the Middle East and Afghanistan, while sponsoring talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.
He reduced tension between Israel and the Arab countries, and held the first ever talks with the leader of North Korea. He has not been afraid to take China to task for it’s unfair trade practices.
On Covid-19, he followed a policy of letting it rip through the US. While I wouldn’t be in favour of it here, the Swedish government followed the same policy and hasn’t been roundly condemned for it.
If we look at Obama’s achievements in office, we have the Affordable Healthcare Act – a system that’s frowned upon by many
politicians on both sides.
He promoted a trade policy which took away millions of American manufacturing jobs. He was perhaps the most useless American president in modern times.
Trump has had to live with a hostile media – persecution is the only word for it, including attacks not just on him, but on his family, including his youngest son. It’s just as well he’s a narcissist, otherwise he would have gone under.
Obama may have received the Nobel Peace Prize, but what did he do to deserve it? Was it for promising to close Guantanamo? Well, it was still open after eight years of his presidency.
Trump reduces tension and promotes peace in places that have been at each other’s throats for decades. Any mention of him receiving the Nobel Peace Prize is treated with derision and outrage.
For all his personality faults, more than 40 per cent of Americans will vote for him, come what may.
Ron Hilditch
The Maltings
Cavendish
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