New ways

After WW 2 and picking up steam in the 1960’s, Neoliberalism, which emphasizes free market capitalism, deregulation and reduced government intervention moved forward to facilitate globalization which was the integration of world economies by opening up world markets and allowing capital to flow across borders. The global integration of trade, finance and telecommunications created strong investor protections and established the World Trade Organization (WTO). This allowed multinational corporations to operate globally with minimal state interference and greatly expanded supply chains. National governments shifted from protecting local industries to competing for foreign investments. The end result was twofold. First it moved a billion people out of poverty mostly in Asia and second it moved western manufacturing jobs to Asia. This led to two major adjustments. First wages for working people in the West and in particular the US Midwest stagnated for 50 years and second profits for large corporations and their stockholders exploded. This led to the widening of the wealth gap which is plaguing the US to this day. Trump, before he even entered politics, saw this as a threat to the middle-income groups and saw China as the number one protagonist. He saw how corporate greed and China’s manipulation of currency worked together to hurt the American worker. To attempt to challenge this he had to go up against the establishment, the very people who had profited from the system, and they responded by demonizing him. He was a threat to democracy or at least their way of doing business. He was well aware of the rebuke he would receive if he threatened the status quo. He upset both political parties along with the world’s way of doing business and these groups are not happy. They will fight to the end to maintain the old ways. Trumps first steps will be to bring manufacturing jobs back home and the take on the unfair trade practices while forcing other countries to start paying more for their own defense and forcing others to pay their fair share of international groups like the UN and NATO.