In viewing opinion columns involving public policy, it seems to me that some observers base their attitude regarding proposals and actions strictly upon the source of the policy. I note that some persons stricken with TDS view matters originated by President Trump as negative because of their predisposition in opposition to President Trump. Surprisingly, op-ed pieces characterizing this tendency often originate with persons who have two or more collegiate degrees and who claim a high level of intellect, coupled with intellectual honesty.
In my personal practices, I strive to evaluate proposals and actions on the basis of the merits of the matter, rather than on individual or group advocating the matter. In evaluating developments in this country and around the world during the current presidential term of Donald Trump, I view results in terms of ups and downs.
Since much ink has been devoted to condemnations of virtually every matter with fingerprints of Donald Trump, I wish to articulate a series of ups and downs which I consider to be positive for the nation and the world. I have no illusions that my feelings whether something is an up or a down will be viewed with unanimous agreement by readers. Rather, I am confident that some will view my characterization of an up negatively and some who view my characterization as a positive down as erroneous. In such cases, I hope and trust that while we may disagree, we might do so without being disagreeable.
Ups include the following:
Median household income
IRA and retirement plan account values
Investments of foreign companies and governments in the United States
Reshoring of manufacturing of medicines and other critical products and mining of critical minerals
New investment accounts for American children to help them accumulate assets and experience the benefits of capitalism (via Trump accounts)
Military recruiting
Hiring of competent, critically needed air traffic controllers
Locating missing children who entered the country without authorization in 2020 – 2024
European contributions to NATO
American military and logistical aid to Ukraine
Domestic oil and gas production, reversing a downward trend from 2020-2024
Venezuelan oil and gas production
Daily live dialogue between members of the press and the President and Vice President
Beautification of dozens of locations in Washington D.C., Memphis and other cities.
Downs include the following:
Poverty rates in the United States, reaching an all time low
Claims for unemployment benefits, reaching a 57-year low
The risk of a mushroom-shaped cloud over Israel, Jordan, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt and other middle east nations of American allies and American bases, as a result of a nuclear bomb coming from Iran
Prices of prescription drugs
Costs of living in red-led states are much lower than in blue-led states
Violent crimes, with the biggest one-year decline on record
Illegal drug imports like fentanyl and deaths of Americans from such drugs
Numbers of undocumented, unvetted immigrants crossing into this country
Influence over the Panama Canal by Communist China
Federal Income Taxes
Federal regulatory regulations applicable to banks and other key industries, helping to reduce their costs of compliance and the length of time needed to complete processes
Medical gender modification procedures
Involvement of men in women’s sports
Fraudulent use of billions of Medicare and Medicaid funds by criminals
Fascist acts of the Garland DOJ and FBI personnel like Jack Smith, Andrew Weissman and others spying on members of Congress and average American citizens and interfering with freedom of expression by Christians.
Years-long wars between India and Pakistan, Rwanda and the Congo, Cambodia and Thailand, and Armenia and Azerbaijan, and greatly reduced tensions between countries like Kosovo and Serbia, and Egypt and Ethiopia.
George Pickett is a Northsider.
