I live-tweeted President Trump’s address last night (text) and here are some highlights:
Hoping that tonight — unlike in his first big speech as President, the inaugural — Trump mentions the Constitution. It's the foundation for all the rest. https://t.co/TNGG0Xwzf1 #CatoSOTU
— Walter Olson (@walterolson) January 31, 2018
"To speak on behalf of the American people…" That's not what a President does in a #SOTU. #CatoSOTU
— Walter Olson (@walterolson) January 31, 2018
Figures from Maryland indicate that even in a state w/ high SALT deductions, federal bill will indeed cut taxes for big majority of taxpayers https://t.co/GCnRZTcSoi #CatoSOTU
— Walter Olson (@walterolson) January 31, 2018
One triumph of the new tax bill: easing tax treatment of repatriated overseas profits, which has already led to blockbuster good news from Apple. #CatoSOTU
— Walter Olson (@walterolson) January 31, 2018
No, the "Star-Spangled Banner" is not an "ode to slavery." https://t.co/aQkSFeVLw1 #CatoSOTU
— Walter Olson (@walterolson) January 31, 2018
Yay Gorsuch, seriously. #CatoSOTU https://t.co/I4nWYGdc2L
— Ilya Shapiro (@ishapiro) January 31, 2018
Was Trump hinting that he wants to loosen the civil service tenure rules that entrench underperforming federal employees? Good idea, if so #CatoSOTU https://t.co/vROiyGYULl
— Walter Olson (@walterolson) January 31, 2018
In his SOTU, Trump suggested easier firing of bad federal workers. Indeed, federal firing rate is just 1/6 of private firing rate https://t.co/6YkzPq0bc8 #CatoSOTU
— Chris Edwards (@CatoEdwards) January 31, 2018
Trump is returning again and again to the good economic news. Who can blame him? There's a whole lot of it. #CatoSOTU
— Walter Olson (@walterolson) January 31, 2018
A "right to try" experimental treatments for the gravely ill is a praiseworthy goal, but more complicated legally than it sounds https://t.co/JWBUoxMj5g #CatoSOTU https://t.co/Y0bd7NgPfm
— Walter Olson (@walterolson) January 31, 2018
Streamlining the federal project permitting and approval process has the potential to be one of Trump's best and most lasting reform ideas #CatoSOTU
— Walter Olson (@walterolson) January 31, 2018
Trump infrastructure plan: good on regulations, bad on spending https://t.co/fWVVx3LdzZ #CatoSOTU
— Chris Edwards (@CatoEdwards) January 31, 2018
Energy companies would put 7 years of work, resources, and planning into a project. Then their project would get denied at the 11th hour … not a way to do business. #CatoSOTU https://t.co/sZ48Frw743
— vanessa brown calder (@vanessabcalder) January 31, 2018
Here's an overview of some of the possible consequences of government-provided paid family leave. https://t.co/3nXM5mGtxe #CatoSOTU
— vanessa brown calder (@vanessabcalder) January 31, 2018
More on family leave here.
Free trade is fair trade, and it might be time to read some Ricardo. #CatoSOTU https://t.co/6Z4124UTPq
— Inu Manak (@inumanak) January 31, 2018
5 Comments
“Freedom to say goodbye” says all you need to say about the SOTU (the Dems brought the alien criminal to Congress) and the state of the judicial system in our country.
State of the Union in one word: FUBAR
“To speak on behalf of the American people…” That’s not what a President does in a #SOTU”
Perhaps it should be. And this was an excellent start.
Maybe in some sense a President can be said to speak on behalf of the American people when he sends condolences or congratulations abroad on some uncontroversial matter. But he does not speak on behalf of the American people when he gives a speech taking positions on matters on which the American people are divided, or urges measures to which a substantial portion of the American electorate is opposed. In those cases he speaks for himself and perhaps also his followers or co-thinkers.
The stronger form of the claim would be that the leader of the state instantiates the will of the American people, and I would reject that too, as to any and all Presidents including this one.
So the previous President’s apology tour was inappropriate and meaningless. I no longer need to feel ashamed of his behavior. Thank you.
On the other hand, when a President and a majority of Congress lead America into war, this is also not speaking for the American people. Unless the people are united 100% at all times behind the war. Which has never happened.
At one extreme, one has libertarianism, which seems to eschew the concept of nation and ancillary concepts such as national borders. At the other extreme, the supreme leader speaks for the nation because any dissent is crushed – nothing like winning votes with 98% of the total, like in certain communist countries and Chicago.
Is there a definition of nation, with a national leader who is its representative and spokesman, its face to the world, that is functional and yet not totalitarian?