I voted 15 years ago.
I voted that I would elect Donald Trump as the next president of the United of the States of America.
However, like politics, things change. What hasn't changed is that I still believe in a free America. How I believe. in a free America. has changed where the rich pays more for the poor - a Democratic, liberal point of view - rather than having capitalism working for us. But, somewhere in 2006 to 2007 I started to research the capitalistic, free economy; and in 2012, I became a Republican.
Some would say that I have become a politician, because I have flip - flopped view points; but I realize that the politician isn't just the "politics" involved; but rather, the people who are involved in it. They will do whatever it takes to win, or change their mind based upon the trends of our society. Some would say that is a social contagion influencing our subconscious minds as Dr. James Marsden would state, but that is a discussion for another time.
This review article is both about the election, and the book that prompted me to vote for Donald Trump almost 15 years ago.
The book that prompted me to vote for Donald Trump was the book: The America We Deserve. However, I realize that there have been other books that have come out that reflect his more updated viewpoints such as Great Again: How To Fix Our Crippled America. When I have the time, I intend to read these updated titles; but I wanted to share why I thought Donald Trump was going to make a great president.
First, that last sentence, I don't think that any Trump supporters would have have swallowed that last sentence that, at any point in my life, would I have said that I would have voted Donald Trump but, most of all, stated that he was going to be a great president.
Like I said, that was 15 years ago.
What changed in that 15 years?
Well, 15 years ago a great movie came out called, "Remember The Titans" which talked about the racial, school integration in Virginia. What divided America, then, is dividing America now. There was a "Remember The Titans" quote that left an impression on me, and that quote was stated by Big Ju. He said, "Attitude reflects leadership, captain".
And, that's what changed my mind 15 years later. The word attitude.
The Trump I see now isn't the same Trump that I have been reading in The America We Deserve.
How I perceived Trump in this book was more humble and more dedicated to the issues that plagued society. That is what persuaded me to vote Trump. However, the Trump I saw during the preliminary elections was something that I didn't expect. As Melania Trump stated on CNN, "...it isn't a man that I knew" (Talking during the CNN interview when the leaked locker room banter came out.)
I saw a Trump that was disrespectful, arrogant, divisive and belligerent - which alone was enough to change my mind. I understand that conservatives wanted what was right. They wanted change. Conservatives wanted what is best, and wanted what was tolerant for a better future. But, at what point does being conservative become right when people feel persecuted? In that same retrospect, does it become right when tolerance also nullifies progression?
Because if it does, then we wouldn't be able to have women vote, racial tolerance, homosexuality acceptance and equal pay for equal work. Should these simple human rights be sacrificed for our own conservative viewpoints because we want what is "right" for our children? As far as our history has shown, every time we want something that is "right" discrimination occurs; and we create an even more barbaric society.
Those are my thoughts on what changed my mind. But, here are my thoughts, based upon Trump's previous book, on why I wanted to vote for him. And, why I thought his thoughts, in this book, will make "America Great Again".
"Let's Make America Great Again: This is the America we deserve"
Though scientists have been talking about climate change since I have been in fourth grade - I know because I read about it in a book when I was in fourth grade - it wasn't the talk of political discussion until Al Gore's movie: An Inconvenient Truth. However, the topics in this book has been, and still is, plaguing our America.
I won't be discussing each chapter separately due to time constraints; but I will discuss the chapters that provided an impact, then, as it does now.
Chapter 1: The Business of America is Truly A Business
The initial title says everything what this chapter discusses, but what made me pay attention to this chapter was the fact that we utilize all our American resources just as much as any Fortune 500 company. As Trump quotes in this chapter, "The business of America truly is business, because business is the task of linking private ambitions to social needs".
Social needs that each business needs to meet for their employees include healthcare needs, financial needs, personal needs (food, vacation time and hygiene) and trade needs. Though not discussed in the chapter, it was intriguing to read Trump's different views, then, as if he we were more liberal. He even stated that we should pay attention more to Democrats because they clearly had the "better" ideas.
He even goes on to state, "The Eisenhower years....were periods of strong cultural and economic activity. The same has been true of even during this age of Clinton".
Now, I find that quote intriguing because people dismiss Clinton easily due to his scandalous affairs. But, I remember when gas was below a dollar-a-gallon during that time. Though I didn't understand economics at that young age, I knew that represented something "good" happening in our economy. I just didn't know what. If Trump understood that principle, then I had to pay attention.
I would like to add that the collective deeds of presidents is what makes me want to vote somebody into office. Hence, when Trump treats his businesses he treats them as a business choosing people based upon their qualifications. Qualifications that represent business - like qualities. His candor to want to choose somebody that has the proper qualities reflected my feelings that he is correct. These are the reasons why Abraham Lincoln, Dwight D. Eisenhower (I am glad Trump agrees), Franklin D. Roosevelt and Barack Obama have become some of my favorite presidents - I do not place them on the same caliber as each other. They are my favorite presidents because their previous qualifications and previous personal qualities made me feel they were the best president during their time.
Chapter 2: Competition - Saving Our Schools the American Way
Education is the correct path to competition.
Trump was right then, and still is right now. I was pleased to learn that Trump wants to do away with common core. In this chapter, he addresses that many countries are ahead because they allow a child to unleash their creativity. Furthermore, he realizes that each child learns differently; and has a different passion for what they want to learn. If we deny this part of learning, we deny America the greater chance for greater leaders in their strongest fields. Fields that interest each of us. Only when we are interested can we reach our full potential.
Trump quotes in this chapter, "....Our kids aren't learning. Too many are dropping out of school and into the street life - and too many of those who do graduate are getting diplomas that have been devalued into 'certificates of attendance' by a dumbed - down curriculum that asks little of teachers and less of students. Schools are crime - ridden and they don't teach."
My mother used to quote to me, that students don't want to achieve anymore. In other words, I find her words align with Trump's. We are making an education easy enough that they don't have the motivation nor allow a student to earn things in their lives. It is enlightening that Trump addresses that we should take away common core; stop awarding children for poor performance; and start finding teachers who want to teach.
If we can address these areas of concern, we can fix our education. It was alarming that in the United States, "38 percent of all fourth graders are reading below a 'basic' level. Only 24 percent of fourth graders read at a proficient level. Only 7 percent read at an advanced level. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that approximately 70 percent of fourth graders read below what is considered a 'proficient' level."
Furthermore, "in 1983 the U.S. Department of Education published 'A Nation at Risk', the study that put the education crisis in the spotlight. Here's the bad news from the Fordham Foundation: Since 1983, U.S. schools have graduated twenty million American twelfth graders who can't do basic math, and twenty - five million who don't know the basics of American history. Over that same period, six million Americans dropped out of high school altogether."
That is alarming. And, what is more alarming is that the competitiveness of the United States can easily be fixed via our education. If only our education would allow creativity, and not reward mediocrity.
Taking one last quote from this chapter, Trump said, "They're hungry to succeed. Teachers betray students when they tell them that medicority is success...I say we've got to be firm. Social promotion? Forget it. To tell these kids they get a free pass is the worse thing you can do for them. Michael Jordan, remember, was cut form this high school basketball team. It made him word harder".
I couldn't agree more.
Chapter 4: The Foreign Policy We Deserve
Presently, Trump supporters are duped that the wall isn't going to be built. I'm glad, because in this chapter a wall wasn't discussed to protect our immigration laws. Honestly, we don't need a wall. However, we do need a government to enforce those laws.
The Trump policies, in this book, are almost identical to the same policies that made me vote for Gary Johnson. As Trump quoted, "We're not the world's savior - that job is taken - but there are some things we can do and we shouldn't shy from doing them. However, it is essential that we sort out those areas where we have a national interest from those where we do not."
Basically, we shouldn't police the world.
He makes this chapter simple to understand that we are a nation of laws, and we stand by those laws. However, allow people the chance to stay in this country legally as it "should be clear - enter by law, or leave".
Chapter 6: An Economic Boom For America
We are facing an economic debt that most of us have never seen - in the trillions! However, I find it interesting in this chapter that Trump states, "While it is true that we have a healthy surplus right now, no one has to put forward a plan to make this country debt - free as we enter the next millennium".
Since after the creation of the New Deal, there has been a growing national debt. However, the debt has grown astronomically large. Though this book was written in the early 2000s, it is interesting that Trump would claim there was a boom then, even when we still had a national debt. This shouldn't be original news nor should it scare us.
It should excite us, because we should be able to find a solution. However, the education that we have received has limited our creativity to solve the solution for us. We have to let other politicians baby sit our needs in order to solve it for us.
I am glad that Trump doesn't have to be scared to wait for a politician to figure out a resolution. The Trump plan states, "I would impose a one - time, 14.25 percent tax on individuals and trusts with a net worth over 10 million dollars. For individuals, net worth would be calculated minus the value of their principal residence. That would raise 5.7 million trillion dollars in new revenue, which we would use to pay off the entire national debt".
Presently as a capitalist, I believe that would work because that would mean the rich would have enough money to still help the poor-class and the middle-class while the rich pays off most of the national debt. It would allow more surplus for the government and the average American citizen.
Don't believe me? Read my blog post about winning the Powerball. There is enough money to be shared. And, this surplus could change our way of living.
Final Thoughts: The America We Didn't Expect
Universal healthcare and other issues were also discussed in this book, and I find it interesting that Trump supported it. He supported many issues in a nonsensical manner. However, many things changed through time.
Many of the issues addressed in this book are the same stances I would take today. I am a liberal on most issues while I am a capitalist at heart. It is interesting that many of these view points have changed over the course of the current political, Trump policies. However, close, I also respect a president that has tact.
Throughout the election, I didn't feel that Trump addressed the issues as thoroughly as he did in this book. Furthermore, the tact and change of viewpoints changed my perception of him. It caused me to feel divided as most Republicans and most American voters. Personally, it not only changed my mind, it also confused me at the Trump I was presently witnessing. I saw a Trump dividing a nation, with most of the conservative audience causing unintentional discrimination, because they wanted change.
But, we can't be divided based upon views or what is right; or what we think is right. When we do, we create a divided nation. This won't create a "Great America". It will be an America we didn't expect.
An America less free.
For the future, personal note:
Though I am not happy with Trump being president, I am curious with the changes that are to take place. I have always been more curious than cautious. I just want a free America; and that is how I have always voted - who I think is the best person for the presidency.
