there has always been an idea in the united states that for any given problem, if one can find a way to apply capitalism, then the problem will solve itself. i can't argue with the track record - it has worked in many situations. i have some issues with the underlying assumption that greed is the prime motivator...but then again, history. you see where this is going....
i've actually heard, several times, of trump, 'if he can run a business, he can run a government' - to which i can only be nonplussed. is this the logic behind president trump?
I think that's part of it. It's a simple kind of thinking, and an erroneous one. Government and business are quite different, as Trump is finding out. Being good at one does not mean being good at another. In fact, being able to run one type of business is no guarantee of being able to run another type. Most people understand that, but fail to make the connection between government and business. I still think the advantage that Trump enjoys is his wealth
. As I say all the time now, one can be a millionaire or billionaire and still be mind numbingly stupid. People deep down really don't seem to get that. People in our society, and market worshiping republicans in particular, think that wealth is the result of smarts and hard work. It's the driving premise behind their understanding of the market system. This is why if you're poor, it must be your own fault. Likewise, if you're rich, it must be the result of superior ambition, a strong work ethic, discipline and being clever.
What gets me is that it seems blindingly obvious that Trump is a business failure. Of course we only have estimates, but from what I've seen, considering what he's started with and what he is estimated to actually have, Trump would have come out ahead with more money if he had just put his starting wealth into the stock market and left it alone.
