AKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN : THE INAUGURAL SPEECH OF PRESIDENT TRUMP
Rajiv Upadhyay 
I waited eagerly and patiently for the inaugural ceremony of new American President but was disappointed by the inaugural speech of President Trump.It was so uninspiring because of its selfish content.
His voters might have loved it . American working class might be angry at the loss of jobs but it was not due to any conspiracy but due to the loss of global competitiveness .European reconstruction programme after second world war was the foundation of the modern American greatness due to liberal Marshal Aid Programme. After seventies the downward slide began as others caught up with American productivity . It survived again as America rebuild China . Every American president had wanted to save American jobs and factories but failed.Trump is not the first to discover the plight of American workers.
But what is new that Trump can do now to make America great again except promote protectionism which west only destroyed by its insistence on free trade . Free trade suited America from forties to seventies . With China , Korea , Europe being able to mass produce same quality goods America cannot compete and win globally any more . So protectionism is no wonder cure and will not help America in becoming great again though like a palliative it may subdue the pain a bit .
President has given no clue of his plans except rebuiding American Infrastructure in possibly a New Deal style. But he has to control inflation if he wants to do it with deficite financing . But America is refusing to honour its past bonds bought by the Saudis . It had earlier frozen Iran’s assets .So a trust deficite has built up with global investors . It has imposed Treaty of Versailes type conditons on Iraq and Kuwait so much already that more cannot come from middle east .
As Trump offered to make America an ordinary local western country like Britain , I missed Kennedy’s beautifully inspiring speeches. I missed the great vision for humanity , a vision that I expected from the great leader of the most inspiring nation of the last century and dream land for so manny Indians even now . His speech only continued the rhetorics of election campaign aimed at his voters .
But some times doers do not talk so well. It is quite possible that he may be a doer and not a talker.America has chosen to give him a chance. He and his team has proven credentials in business .We can give him the benefit of doubt for two years .
Americans may be going through what we went through when Narendra Modi was elected with thumping majority .But the last two and a half yeras have proved that there is no quick fix solution for our country’s ills.Americans may discover the same . I was in New York in 2008 when Lehmen brothers failed . Nation was shocked and such intensive soul searching was done . But it finally produced no wonders.Eventually Obama had to only save GM,Citi Bank ,AIG Insurance etc by dole finaced by more credit.American borrowings and deficit financing went up even further in saving these institutions.
American decline began when Japan started making better cars , TVs, Cameras etc. It did not talk but just silently produced better goods.It was repeated by Chinese on a large scale without the Japanese innovation nd quality.Even today inspite of last forty years of efforts America has not learnt better manufacturing technology. So it cannot be globally competitive in manufacturing any more .How will it save American jobs now by just blocking US market to outsiders when its prosperity earlier was from exported say fifty percent of world’s cars. Oil being sold in dollars and China saved America from Inflation by supplying its low cost goods for so long.China only suprised it by making quality goods at ridiculously low prices.
Trump cannot eliminate Chinese goods without increasing inflation.
Similarly America cannot eliminate Islamic Terrorism because terrorists are not part of any government. America has also contributed to creation of terrorism for fighting soviets in Afghanistan . So it will need very creative thinking to eliminate Islamic Terror .Similarly Russia is an European country . Putin will like to increase Russian influence on old Soviet block coutries and will want American help .Poland type nations have joined Nato out of fear of Russian domination . Europeans will not like to make Russia so great again as to be a security risk for them .
A great innovative America of Edisons , Wright Brothers and Bairds or even Steve Jobs is good for humanity .So it will be interesting to see how Trump ,a proven businessman will achieve his dream of making America great again
