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Higher prices for you, lower costs for him

I get it — if the movement of manufacturing abroad has cost you a job that paid you a fair wage in return for an honest day’s work, you should be upset. And when politicians (both Republicans and, more recently, Democrats) say that the “service economy” or the “information economy” is better for America, that doesn’t bring new opportunities to Elkhart, IN. It certainly doesn’t make use of your skill set and replace your reliable income.

Over the last 20 years, state and federal governments have done an embarrassingly bad job of addressing the negative effects of economic globalization. The global economy really is better for us as Americans, but we apparently forgot all about the people who are hurt by these changes. It is as shocking as it is selfish. And if the rest of us aren’t going to move heaven and earth to help those who got screwed by global trade, it is understandable that the freshly-unemployed would prefer a return to the way things were — it is easy to visualize and seems more possible than the rest of America suddenly realizing they are profiting off your sacrifice.

But, as they say, you can’t go home again. Anyone who promises you they will roll back the clock to a time when a high school graduate could walk into an auto assembly line and walk out 35 years later with a solid, reliable pension is lying to you. That particular toothpaste is out of the tube, and there’s no putting it back in.

Here’s the thing. The people promising you that KNOW they can’t deliver. But they know failing to “bring back jobs” can be blamed on others (the other party, the Chinese, big business, etc.). In contrast, if they promised you that their government would work tirelessly to offset the hardships you’ve endured while thanking you for helping America succeed, you’d notice when they didn’t deliver.

Want proof that promises to make American manufacturing “great again” aren’t worth anything? Donald Trump doesn’t think his businesses should hire Americans. He want’s to be able to use the lowest-wage workers he can find — anywhere on Earth — to do his bidding. He thinks a Trump business would be stupid to incur the additional cost of hiring Americans.

Trump thinks you’re easily distracted when leaders promise nostalgia and demonize foreigners. Don’t be. Demand that your leaders address your concerns with today’s economy — don’t let them wax rhapsodic for a past they cannot give you.

Trump Would Rather Undermine His Campaign’s Central Narrative Than Pay Higher Labor Costs