Former US Secretary of Labor (and author of “Saving Democracy—For the Many, Not the Few”) Robert Reich, uses his Facebook page extensively to support an ongoing effort to help educate Americans on basic economic truths, and to campaign for Hillary Clinton while warning us of the dangers of a Donald Trump presidency. He posted this to his wall this morning:
I finally found a Trump supporter -- this morning when I went to buy coffee. (I noticed a Trump bumper sticker on his car.)
“Hi,” I said. “Noticed your Trump bumper sticker.”
“Yup,” he said, a bit defensively.
“I hope you don’t mind my asking, but I’m curious. Why are you supporting him?”
“I know he’s a little bit much,” said the Trump supporter. “But he’s a successful businessman. And we need a successful businessman as president.”
“How do you know he’s a successful businessman?” I asked.
“Because he’s made a fortune.”
“Has he really?” I asked.
“Of course. Forbes magazine says he’s worth four and a half billion.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s been a success,” I said.
“In my book it does,” said the Trump supporter.
“You know, in 1976, when Trump was just starting his career, he said he was worth about $200 million,” I said. “Most of that was from his father.”
“That just proves my point,” said the Trump supporter. “He turned that $200 million into four and a half billion. Brilliant man."
“But if he had just put that $200 million into an index fund and reinvested the dividends, he’d be worth twelve billion today,” I said.
The Trump supporter went silent.
"And he got about $850 million in tax subsidies, just in New York alone," I said.
More silence.
"He's not a businessman," I said. "He's a con man. "Hope you enjoy your coffee."
Just thought I’d share this here. It needs to be said over and over until it sinks in. Trump is not an exceptional businessman. He is good at taking advantage of a corrupt taxation and legal system that allows him to maintain his wealth no matter how bad he screws up (which he often does).
We cannot place him in a position where he has the ability to screw up the entire national and world economies. If we do, he will.
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