And when you add in the fact that both sides refuse to even listen to what the opposing side has to say, then we as a nation find ourselves faced with the distinct possibility that the uber conservative far right has...albeit maybe unbeknownst to them...actually shaken hands with the uber liberal progressive far left. One and the same in temperament while being polar opposites in core beliefs, a party scenario not good for our country itself nor for the collective known Constitutionally as, “We the People.”
So what exactly, in this case, would help to comprise a successful governmental and political discourse, or at the very least come replete with a purpose? To that I say, how about our elected officials really striving for a bit of Reagan style “bipartisanship”...as in the time when both Republicans and Democrats actually worked together and compromised...the time when both sides of the political aisle willingly chose to put hateful, divisive, and nonsensical rhetoric aside for the good of our country, and for the good of the sum of “We the American people.”
For Republicans its the pro-Trump camp vs. those who now have...and I believe rightfully so...what's referred to as “buyers remorse.” And for Democrats it's now the mainstream and middle of the road Democrats...JFK Democrats as they're sometimes called...vs. the new Gen-Z driven breed known as “Democrat Socialists,” folks who would love nothing better than to see our beloved America disintegrate into a clone of socialist style Europe, or even more so into what is abject communism. You know where freebees and handouts become the required and mandated new norm...capitalism be damned...and where the word “bipartisanship” is not even allowed to be part of what has become their new “collective style” vocabulary.
Simple translation...the general populace must all be on an equal level...albeit at the bottom rung of the proverbial economic ladder...while those in charge sit fat and happy at the ladder's top.
And a perfect example of this can be seen in the economics and the political landscape of what is today's Trump era of economics...economics being surely not the same as it was during Reagan's time of strived for “bipartisanship”... yet many Republicans still compare and contrast the components of the two economies in regards to the overlap of one era over the other...with the hot button issue of tariffs being a current example.
But first let's begin with the fact that during the Reagan years we did see double-digit inflation and prime interest rates hitting nearly 20% (thanks to the ineptitude of Jimmy Carter)...while today, as I write this, those rates under Trump are 3.4% and 7.00% percent respectively.
And this aspect alone allowed the American consumer back in the 1980's to not feel those higher rates nearly as much on a day to day basis, neither at the grocery store nor at the pump, then they do today under Trump's tariff influenced economic agenda. Remember too, whether some want to hear it or not, that Trump's overburdening raise in tariffs does indirectly translate into an additional tax on we the American consumer.
Now in regards to what's referred to as “Trump economics,” we see a total turnaround from what once was“free trade” under Reagan now being buried under the weight of aforementioned overburdening tariffs...where tariffed countries are forced to raise their prices on goods coming into our country in order to help pay for the Trump raise in tariffs...a vicious circle now resulting in many Americans being quite unhappy with the seemingly day to day rise in groceries and at the pump as we pay for the raise in price on goods via what are taxes.
So much for Trump's claiming that tariffs would help to lower the national debt, something President Reagan claimed tariffs would never do...something Trump should himself have known as both the president and as a successful businessman.
So now that two Republican presidencies have been compared and contrasted in regards to key elements of their economic agendas, let's discuss why “bipartisanship” worked regarding Reagan's economic agenda, but unfortunately it's not working for Trump, and it goes beyond his unwillingness to discuss anything even remotely related to the word, “compromise.”
And here is where the temperament, personality, and oratory style of the two men does come into play regarding both their economic successes and failures...more successes than failures for Reagan...more failures than successes for Trump. Why so...because when ones ego is allowed to overtake reality...when one thinks and speaks as if they alone have all the needed answers...then the word “compromise” is and remains a non-starter and plays no part in their political discourse...a sad state of affairs indeed.
But in today's world it now seems that loyalty to one man and to his party outweighs even the willingness to listen, and is exactly why we find ourselves at a political crossroads where neither Democrats nor Republicans want to even sit down and talk to each other let alone listen. Gone, seemingly, are the days when Reagan was able to work in tandem with his Democrat opposition in Congress, and together accomplished dedicated acts of “compromise.”
And this included when in 1983 both parties worked together in the spirit of “bipartisanship” and jointly pass much needed “Social Security” reforms, thus saving the program from what was then a bankruptcy crisis. And “bipartisanship” worked again via the “Tax Reform Act of 1986”...which not only simplified the U.S. federal income tax code, lowered top marginal tax rates, eliminated numerous tax shelters and loopholes, but saw many Democrats co-sponsoring said act in conjunction with Republicans. Too bad we're far from seeing such cooperation and love of country today.
Sadly, when all is said and done we nor Trump can go back to the time of Reagan because the voices and discourse of today remain blatantly angry and unyielding in both tone and rhetoric especially now in a time of war...a war the Democrats opposed on constitutional, economic, and procedural grounds. And when said war is coupled with what many believe to be strategic miscalculations and mistakes made by our Commander-in-Chief...the sum of the political discourse itself in relation to both economic and foreign policy decisions...tends to be set back even further.
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