why is Trump pushing Democratic/union ideas?

the dirty little secret is that the Democrats used to be protectionists, to defend the rights of workers, which is why the unions tend to support the Democrats.

Now I know little about economics, but I sort of remember that the unions hated NAFTA 20 years ago, and now Trumpie boy just nixed it and signed a new agreement, telling congress they can either approve the new agreement or go back to the days before NAFTA. NPR report here.

This article about union opposition to NAFTA and the TPP is from 2013, from the UKGuardian.

a lot of Trump's support is from workers who not only know their jobs were sent overseas so that the plutocrats would get rich while they lost their job, but a lot of union opposition to illegal immigration is because a lot of companies etc. hire illegals for low wages (and don't bother to pay benefits for them), hence they are again put at a disadvantage.

but of course, it's easier to just say "racism" and ignore the problem.

The bad news of course is that robots will soon take over the jobs. So the extreme left is proposing a guaranteed income.

The problem? Work gives meaning to life. The AmerIndians were destroyed not just by oppression but by do gooders who took away their traditional way of life. But no one seems to know about the working class also is having their traditional way of life destroyed: by denigrating marriage, work and family.


And don't forget Fentanyl. China's revenge against the west for the Opium wars.

Trump also had a meeting with Emperor (/s) Xi about the US/China trade dispute.

and it wasn't only trade that was discussed:

In another long-sought concession to the U.S., China agreed to label fentanyl, the deadly synthetic opioid responsible for tens of thousands of American drug deaths annually, as a controlled substance.

Fentanyl and other synthetic opiates that are funneled from China via Mexico to America. China also is one of the sources of the Shabu (meth) gangs we have here

Dilbert is on a quest to put China on notice for their laxity that allows this drug to be exported to the west. His stepson recently died of an overdose, so for him it is personal.

So it is nice to know that one of the things that Xi and Trumpie boy discussed was the Fentanyl trade.

how bad is it?

well, the Pope, who in the past condemned the Mexican drug cartels as a cancer, now says governments need to combat drug taffickers.

of course, if you do this vigorously, as Duterte is trying to do here, the bishops will condemn you (while pretending the good catholic politicians and police who take bribes to look the other way don't exist.)

and if you try to build a wall and secure the border to stop drug cartels who do the smuggling, the Catholic left/human rights folk will have a hissy fit.