Just as we have seen corporate leaders deserting President Donald Trump and his pro-growth agenda, in all likelihood it won’t take much for the majority of Trump haters in the Republican Party—both in the House of Representatives and the Senate—to do the same.
Of course, such desertion will be the equivalent of these lawmakers indicating they no longer have any desire to serve this country. This will stand as a clear-cut testimony to them not caring a lick about the American people, the American economy or the American way of life. This desertion could be the death of a pro-growth agenda, which is so desperately needed at this time.
Of course, all this is a result of the dysfunction in Washington, D.C., that I’ve written about many times. The dysfunction is not the problem, but is the effect of failed and inept leadership.
Danger to Pro-Growth Agenda
One thing is for certain: nothing the president can say will motivate politicians or corporate leaders to do what is right for the American people. This dysfunctional lack of leadership has permeated Washington for the past 10 years and corporate America for the past 20.
Our legislators, who believe their leaders simply because they have a title or position, will try to put forth all kinds of rationale for this, while denying that the party is fractured and full of infighting. If we see the death of President Trump’s pro-growth agenda, it is likely we will also see the death of a Republican Party that has been on life support for the past decade.
Of course, all this will lead to disaster for the American people, for the working class, for the middle class and for future generations, because it will likely mean the demise of economic prosperity for those future generations.
Keep in mind that a disastrous kind of mentality is likely to gain strength over the next few weeks. It will rally the socialist, anti-capitalist movement and likely add members to its ranks. This will be another blow to free-market economies and capitalism.
Ironically, it will also dramatically—and negatively—impact the health of corporations that have walked away from the table as a result of their ideology and political correctness, again outweighing what is best for their stockholders. Sharing the blame will be their board members with their directives, again blinded by their ideology outweighing their business sense.
Casting Blame
I suspect that one day these same people will blame President Trump for the downward spiral in the economy and the opportunities they’ve squandered for future prosperity for their corporations and for the American people.
However, before I go too far in blaming corporate America, let’s not forget that the majority of the blame, just like in the case of the financial crisis of 2008, should also be placed squarely on the shoulders of politicians—in particular, the shoulders of the Republican Party.
As a lifelong Republican and someone who is about as conservative as you can get, it is disappointing to repeatedly see the GOP’s lack of leadership and its fight for the protection of their so-called royal elite status. It’s disheartening to see Republicans embracing their political position which, by the way, is not as noble a profession as they would like to believe.
Certainly, the use of death, dysfunction and disaster can be framed as a bit of hyperbole. Yet, we seem to constantly forget that the economy in and of itself has not gained much strength this year. This is true, even though it would appear from the markets and some economic data that it is on its way to growth, primarily based on the optimism of Trump’s pro-growth agenda.
Fragile Fundamentals
Still, we must be aware that while markets are growing stronger, the underlying fundamentals of the economy are still extremely fragile. It will take just one geopolitical event, or a political disaster right here at home, to change everything for the worse—and very quickly.
One of the potential tragedies many don’t appreciate is the threat of left-leaning progressives who are working hard to undermine the foundations of a pro-growth agenda—smaller government, less government spending and strong leadership.
Meanwhile, they embrace stagnation, limits on free market growth, spending our way to prosperity, enlarging the government and making it more intrusive, and convincing people that Capitol Hill is the only thing that can save America.
The real motive is securing their royal elite, self-imposed, self-centered status and, of course, job security as the socialist agenda continues to move forward. If these progressives succeed, the country is doomed to become another European-style failure.
(Dan Celia is president and CEO of Financial Issues Stewardship Ministries, Inc., and host of the nationally syndicated radio and television program “Financial Issues,” heard daily on more than 630 stations across the country and reaching millions of households on the National Religious Broadcasters Network, BizTV, Dove-TV and others. Visit www.financialissues.org.)
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