Quotulatiousness

March 12, 2016

Would anything good come of a Trump presidency?

Filed under: Politics, USA — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 03:00

Don Boudreaux thinks there might be a slight advantage to the republic if Trump beats Clinton in the election:

The November election will almost surely feature an unprecedentedly bad choice: Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump. A calculating, power-mad machine politician with a history of duplicity and rule-breaking versus an economically ignorant and boorish rabble-rousing American version of Mussolini and Peron. This “choice” is akin to one between being killed by garroting or by being burned at the stake.

The only “benefit” of a Clinton victory is that it means a Trump defeat. Ditto for a Trump victory.

At this moment — my assessment might change tomorrow — I have a slight preference for a Trump victory. The reason is that the same mainstream media that would fawn idiotically over a Clinton administration would be appropriately merciless on a Trump administration. President Trump would not receive, because he does not deserve, any benefit of the doubt. President Clinton would receive, even though she does not deserve, every benefit of the doubt. This almost-certain difference in press treatment would tightly check the policies of President Trump while they would fuel those of President Clinton.

Also, President Trump might inadvertently scrub off of the presidency the aura of faux majesty that now encrusts it. The president is a human being — a naked and imperfect ape, like the rest of us. Yet he’s treated, because of his high office, as if he is uniquely wonderful and valuable to Americans. He’s not. Finally, unlike Trump, Clinton has a political track record. It’s ugly. Of course, like the typical politician, Clinton changes her stated opinions to win votes, so we know that she’s unprincipled. But to the extent that we can infer from her record any of her “beliefs,” it’s clear that she has no understanding of economics. And her instincts are those of a central planner — a harsh nanny, a pitiless schoolmarm, an officious elite with no trust in ordinary people to live their lives as they choose rather than as she and her fellow intellectual elites suppose ordinary people should live their lives.

3 Comments

  1. Just being elected to office does not make a politician capable of anything. The current president is a prime example of a media construct being given every benefit of the doubt for terrible policy decisions and extremely divisive decisions. If anything the frenzy surrounding Donald Trump, his possible candidacy, and even possible election victory make for wonderful spectacle for an outsider. From both sides of the divide we see people making asses of themselves to run down Trump. In the end I believe that Cruz will prevail, but Trump has made the left look meaner and the right look more idiotic than it has in a while. Chicago being a prime example of true “progressive” tolerance, and the lack of defending Trump’s right to hold a rally from the right. I mean, they are blaming Trump’s comments for the destruction and idiotic actions of the “progressives”.

    Comment by Dwayne — March 12, 2016 @ 15:09

  2. they are blaming Trump’s comments for the destruction and idiotic actions of the “progressives”.

    Well, they were triggered by Trump’s provocations. You can’t expect anyone to just sit there and do nothing when they are triggered without being given both a trigger warning and access to a safe space … that’s textbook* initiation of violence.

    * In modern university textbooks, anyway.

    Comment by Nicholas — March 12, 2016 @ 19:07

  3. Modern universities are a waste of money now 🙂 but you are correct I guess. Perhaps Trump should ensure that a safe space somewhere in the city is made available and advertised… a full page ad with a trigger warning and the address of the safe space. He could have those nice adult colouring books provided as well as some Laurentian coloured pencils and a blanky or two!

    Comment by Dwayne — March 13, 2016 @ 00:36

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