The Golden Age

I watched the entire inauguration ceremony, and this article is written on that day. You would have to be dead to not appreciate the ceremony and its symbolism. Yes, it was mostly a Trump lovefest, but it was more than that. It was another peaceful transition of power of our Republic. No riots or coups today.

The setting in the beautiful Rotunda of the Capitol Building, the shining faces of our young military entertainers, the somber entrances of the presidents and their families, the cheerful welcoming speeches of Rep. Klobuchar (D) and Sen. Fischer (R), the attendance of the Supreme Court members and party bigwigs, the swearing-in ceremonies, Carrie Underwood’s singing of “America the Beautiful,” the stem-winding benediction from Rev. Sewell. 

After witnessing this Inauguration one has to appreciate what the United States of America is and represents. Be thankful for the intellectuals and brave founders of our hard fought ideal of a country. Yes, we’re not perfect, but to rephrase Winston Churchill’s famous retort to critics of messy democracies: “The U.S.A. is the worst country in the world, except for all those other countries that have been tried from time to time.” 

President Trump gave a stirring speech promising a new Golden Age for America. I like his optimism and I think it will help Americans see a brighter future. He said that “national unity” is coming back, but that’s not what it sounded like. He said a lot during his 30-minute speech, much of which was a summary of his campaign promises and his vision of a golden age, and much of it was an angry attack on the former president sitting to his left. I thought his comments about Biden were undignified for the occasion. They should have been saved for his post-Inauguration speech. Better would have been a broad appeal for unity after a bitter election, something that should be on top of a president’s do-list. 

In Trump’s own words:

“America will soon be greater, stronger and far more exceptional than ever before. I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success. A tide of change is sweeping the country. Sunlight is pouring over the entire world, and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before…

… In recent years, our nation has suffered greatly, but we are going to bring it back and make it great again, greater than ever before. We will be a nation like no other, full of compassion, courage and exceptionalism, our power will stop all wars and bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent and totally unpredictable. America will be respected again and admired again, including by people of religion, faith and good will. We will be prosperous. We will be proud. We will be strong, and we will win like never before. We will not be conquered, we will not be intimidated, we will not be broken, and we will not fail. From this day on, the United States of America will be a free, sovereign and independent nation. We will stand bravely, we will live proudly. We will dream boldly, and nothing will stand in our way. Because we are Americans, the future is ours, and our Golden Age has just begun.”

I don’t mean to throw cold water on his flowery rhetoric. But I am a realist. I have studied what works and what doesn’t for 50 years as a student of history and economics. I think many of his goals are laudable, but I believe many of his goals would lead to unintended negative consequences. The promise of a Golden Age needs to be translated into policies that work.

There are things he will do that are laudable. Immigration needs to be fixed; cheers for that. Cutting government waste and regulations is laudable. Political cronyism (draining the Swamp) is a problem. Bringing back meritocracy is a praiseworthy goal. Marxist DEI objectives as government policy must end. Weaponizing lawsuits for political gain must end. Taxation that punishes success must end. 

In future articles I will discuss things like tariffs, manufacturing and industrial policy, immigration, spending and the deficit (which he didn’t mention), Ukraine and the Middle East. I think it will be important to see what he actually will do rather than what he says. Be patient. 

Trump’s speech, starting and ending, was mostly uplifting. Despite all the flaws of the man, I believe that he will instill a feeling of confidence, optimism, and opportunity in America. I’m hoping that his First Hundred Days will be good for America.