Mr. President, There is No "Easy Button" For Governing
Cometh now the latest leaks from the White House that President Trump is frustrated by the way the government works. In politics, we should all try to recognize the premise from which we start our arguments. I get the impression that Trump's premise is that ready-made solutions exist but Obama was just too [insert pejorative here] to implement these obvious solutions. What better illustration of this than his campaign slogan: Make America Great Again.
Let's leave aside the issue of whether American is great (and therefore requires a return to greatness). Instead, look at his specific policies for achieving this goal:
1. Win
2. Win some more
3. Get rid of immigrants who Republicans think are simultaneously stealing our jobs and too lazy to work
4. Win another one
5. And another one
For example, his plan for an infrastructure bill that he mentioned during his victory speech that will put millions of people back to work. The problem is that there aren't millions of people with the skills to build roads and the infrastructure America needs. Do you know why most bridges are not paved with asphalt? Me neither. But it's pretty not an easy answer. How many out-of-work structural and civil engineers are wasting away in America's Heartland? How many of these private contractors are going to save money by automating the construction process more than it is already?
In Southern California, there's a drastic shortage of trade workers like electricians. That's in one of the most populous regions in the world. Where is President Trump going to find out-of-work electrical engineers, physicists, and computer scientists to build a smart grid? What about all those power line installers (employers prefer candidates with a basic knowledge of algebra and trigonometry. I wouldn't qualify for that job and I have a masters and a law degree)? These are just the problems I could find in about 20 minutes of googling. I suspect it is just the tip of the jobs-iceberg. Republicans don't seem to think job training is a priority.
So what's the answer to the infrastructure jobs problem? I don't know. Neither does President Trump but he's confronting the reality that there is no easy button to MAGA.
Let's leave aside the issue of whether American is great (and therefore requires a return to greatness). Instead, look at his specific policies for achieving this goal:
1. Win
2. Win some more
3. Get rid of immigrants who Republicans think are simultaneously stealing our jobs and too lazy to work
 |
| Would that it were that simple, Mr. President. Would that it were. |
5. And another one
Ok, President Trump has neither specific policy proposals nor a coherent legislative plan to Make America Great Again. His speeches tell us that he's going to accomplish that goal though.
How? Not important.
When? Shut up.
These latest reports suggest that even President Trump underestimated how difficult "getting things done" is in politics. It's not as though Obama set the 'Merica Machine to "Decline" instead of "Great" and all President Trump needs to do is turn the dial.
For example, his plan for an infrastructure bill that he mentioned during his victory speech that will put millions of people back to work. The problem is that there aren't millions of people with the skills to build roads and the infrastructure America needs. Do you know why most bridges are not paved with asphalt? Me neither. But it's pretty not an easy answer. How many out-of-work structural and civil engineers are wasting away in America's Heartland? How many of these private contractors are going to save money by automating the construction process more than it is already?
In Southern California, there's a drastic shortage of trade workers like electricians. That's in one of the most populous regions in the world. Where is President Trump going to find out-of-work electrical engineers, physicists, and computer scientists to build a smart grid? What about all those power line installers (employers prefer candidates with a basic knowledge of algebra and trigonometry. I wouldn't qualify for that job and I have a masters and a law degree)? These are just the problems I could find in about 20 minutes of googling. I suspect it is just the tip of the jobs-iceberg. Republicans don't seem to think job training is a priority.
So what's the answer to the infrastructure jobs problem? I don't know. Neither does President Trump but he's confronting the reality that there is no easy button to MAGA.
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