Thursday, November 07, 2024

Voters Showed An Astounding Economic Ignorance


Exit polls showed that voters (especially those voting for Trump) thought Trump could fix the economy. They were particularly fond of his promise to fix inflation. They could not have been more wrong.

Trump has no policy proposals that would either fix the economy or reduce inflation. In fact, the opposite is true. Most economists agree that Trump proposals would actually make the economy worse (and maybe even wreck it) and increase inflation.

Two policies - mass deportation and stiff tariffs - will cause inflation to rise precipitously. 

Many industries depend on the immigrants to do jobs that Americans don't want (low-paying, dirty, and sometimes dangerous jobs). Deporting the immigrants with these jobs will hurt those industries - causing them to increase prices and make inflation even worse.

The tariffs on other nation's imports into this countries will act as a national sales tax - increasing the cost of these goods for consumers. And consumers couldn't avoid paying this new "tax", because there are many goods that are no longer produced in the United States. This will increase inflation - not lower it.

This is true of the cost of groceries. About 40% of vegetable and 60% of fruits sold in our supermarkets are imported. Consumers will have no choice but to pay the higher taxes.

Add this to the fact that Trump (and his Republican cohorts) would not raise the minimum wage (which would put upward pressure on all wages) - forcing many full-time workers to continue to live in poverty.

The rich will make out like bandits under Trump, because he wants to give them more massive tax cuts. But the working and middle classes will be hurt by the Trump agenda. 

The amount of economic ignorance his voters displayed by voting for him is amazing!

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