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Donald Trump’s second presidential term is nearly a year old now, and his Republican Party maintains control of both houses of Congress. Americans have had ample opportunity to weigh the pluses and minuses of various policies, and decide which carry more weight with them.
Here are some of the current major issues and situations for the nation, with pros and cons on each. Evaluation is worth the trouble.
Government agents are taking people into custody without court orders, detaining them without due process, and seeking deportation for many. In some cases American citizens are swept up. Unresisting people are being injured, including women and children. Valued employees fear to show up for work. Government immigration personnel have been slapped with many lawsuits, and many court decisions have gone against the acts of ICE and other agencies.
BUT some foreign citizens who entered the U.S. illegally or overstayed their permission are being apprehended. Some of them are dangerous criminals who have seriously violated American laws in addition to their illegal entry. Vigorous enforcement can deter other migrants from making illegal attempts to enter the country.
Federal income and corporation tax cuts primarily benefit the wealthy, and increase the gap between rich and poor. They also reduce revenues that otherwise could be used to benefit worthwhile social needs.
BUT nearly everyone benefits to some degree from income tax cuts. The rich get to keep more of their money, thereby theoretically creating a source for business expansion and more jobs.
The U.S. War Department is sinking alleged drug-running boats at sea near Venezuela without showing evidence of guilt on the part of the boat passengers, ignoring the fact that few drugs from Venezuela are bound for the United States. On the other hand, President Trump is granting clemency to some convicted drug kingpins.
BUT the government maintains it has evidence that the destroyed boats and passengers are drug runners that would harm Americans. The President says the drug felons he has pardoned were sentenced unfairly or too severely for their crimes.
The nation is only about 10 days from the expiration of some Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) subsidies that would drive health insurance costs sharply higher for millions of Americans. Trump and most congressional Republicans oppose extending the subsidies in their current form.
BUT a plan popular with the GOP in Congress would provide benefits for Americans to switch to individual policies. That would reduce premium costs for younger, healthier people. Trump suggests giving government money directly to people so they can pay for their own health coverage, bypassing the Obamacare government structure.
Analysis shows that Social Security, if it continues on its present course, will run out of money in 2033. The President and Congress give no evidence of working to prevent that eventuality, such as increasing the income cap for SS contributions. The longer the present situation continues, the more extreme will be the cure if and when it comes.
BUT some Republicans propose individual market savings accounts to replace the government Social Security program, which they say will yield higher beneficiary returns than the existing structure.
Trump opposes wind turbines as a viable source of energy for the nation, placing in jeopardy renewable energy production in high-volume turbine states like Iowa. Most of the GOP calls for granting more oil leases in fragile areas, like wilderness preserves and offshore sites.
BUT Trump and most congressional Republicans cite a need for expanded domestic oil and gas production in order to make America more self-sufficient in energy resources.
Trump and congressional Republican leadership call for reductions in government funding of public radio and TV networks, and some of them advocate banning those enterprises entirely.
BUT conservatives maintain that public communication stations are liberal-biased, and that government businesses should not be allowed to compete with private ones.
America leads the world in mass shootings, and has done so for many years. Few federal restrictions exist for high-powered, large magazine weapons, and loopholes like gun shows make enforcement difficult on existing laws. America has more guns privately owned than the 10 next ranking countries.
BUT the Second Amendment is silent on what arms Americans should not be able to keep and bear. Self-defense is a long-treasured value of the American people.
President Trump is openly seeking retribution in the courts against leaders who oppose him, and his efforts extend to law firms who represent them as well. The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment forbids selective prosecution. Trump’s efforts in that regard have borne little fruit in the courts.
BUT everyone has the right to sue for justice against actions that violate someone’s personal rights, including the President, who claims that some of his opponents did just that.
Similar pro-and-con arguments exist for foreign policy issues as well, such as Gaza, Ukraine, China, foreign aid to battle starvation and serious illness, ethnic cleansing, and other topics.
American voters hold their future in their own hands. Some of us make it simple, by picking a party or a leader, and sticking with them no matter what. But fortunately there are plenty of folks who make the effort to compare the two camps, and then vote in line with their conclusions. They will decide where we go from here.
I just hope we have enough of them.
Rick Morain is a reporter and columnist with the Jefferson Herald.
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