When This Blows Over

from: The Loyal Opposition November 7, 2016
by Richard A. Epstein via Defining Ideas (Hoover Institution)
…But lest one be too critical of Hillary, there is
Donald Trump, whose personal baggage means
that his election carries the risk of bringing
buffoonery, decadence, and political instability into
the Oval Office, as well as possible investigations into sexual
assault and fraud for his previous behaviors. On policy matters,
he talks as if he is still cutting real estate deals in Atlantic City.
• His erratic behavior leads many to fear his control over our
nuclear arsenal in his position of commander-in-chief and to
doubt his respect of constitutional norms on such key
matters as the rule of law and the separation of powers.
•
• His belligerent insistence on renegotiating international trade
deals could lead to a major trade war that would cause
incalculable damage to the United States and all of its many
trading partners. Trump, it appears, has never heard of the
principle of comparative advantage, and thus looks at
American trade deals exclusively through the lens of the
perceived “losers,” with scant appreciation of the systematic
gains from trade. It is no wonder that most corporate
executives have shunned his candidacy, given his apparent
willingness to freeze out international markets.
•
• Likewise, his shrill immigration policy threatens to make it
more difficult to run the domestic economy and stabilize his
relations with Latin America and Muslim nations.