Is Donald Trump a Threat to the Republic?

by Max Johnson
What would happen if Donald Trump were elected President of the United States, God forbid? This is tough because everything is fluid in his proposals or suggestions.  He has very few principals so it is difficult to pin down issues and their impact on the country.  So, let's stick with just the main issues he is running on that serve as the basis for his rise to be the candidate from the Republican side.

• Building a wall and forcing Mexico to pay for this wall
• Preventing those who follow Islam from coming into the United States for a period of time.
• Rounding up and sending anyone found to be in the United States illegally to return to their country of origin.  Trump has said that he will triple the Customs and Border Protection staffing.
• Reduce the corporate tax rate and taxes on those middle income.
• Eliminate NAFTA and renegotiate other trade deals.
• He will bring companies back to the United States (like Carrier) through any means necessary. 
• Leave NATO if they are not willing to pay more for our "protection" services.
• Kick out Syrian refugees and allow Russia to take the lead to bring order to Syria.
• Strengthen the U.S. military by adding to its budget.
• Re-institute torture tactics in the struggle to stop terrorists. 
• End the recent agreement with Iran on their nuclear disarmament. 

These are heavy on foreign policy which does not bode well for us staying out of entanglements.  We will be forced to blockade Mexico once it becomes clear that they will not pay the billions to build a silly huge wall.  This will pit some of our current allies against us in supporting Mexico in this struggle.  We certainly will not find many supporters in Central or South America who will be forced to retaliate against American aggression.  If we leave NATO, this is going to put our friends in Europe in a difficult position.  Do they support their 100 year friend, the United States or the weak and underdog Mexico?  The other factor is would Mexico erupt into a Civil War with the pressure of the big bad United States demanding payment for a wall?

The Islamic countries of the world will unite against the anti-US Islamic policies of Donald Trump.  They would most likely set aside the Sunni and Shiite difference to universally condemn the travel and tourist ban of their citizens.  Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt and Indonesia would all be forced to condemn the United States and respond in kind with travel bans.  Russia would become the new powerhouse in the Middle East after they crush the rebellion in Syria.  They would become the new sheriff in the region to keep their new protectorate safe.  The rest of the Muslim world would not be too happy to see all the good Syrian-Americans being kicked out and return to their devastated war torn country of their ancestors.

We would need to dramatically increase the military and use them domestically to help to control the crowd being deported.  They would need to be incarcerated while we ramp up the judicial process to deport these individuals and families.  We would have to come up with some way to figure out who is seeking asylum compared to those who overstayed their visas.   Then there is the deportation process back to a country that we have blockaded for not paying for our wall?  How would that work to try to get 11 million people back to a country we are in a cold war with over payment for a wall?

Then there is a massive disruption in the relationship to the other countries of the world when Trump attempts to renegotiate trade deals or force American corporations to fire their workers and return to the borders of the United States.  This will cause an active trade war with many countries in the United States.  It will be hard to buy many products in the United States, because they are only made in China, India or South America.  The World Trade Organization will cease to exist because of constant battles between the United States and everyone else.  Clothing, many grocery items and nearly everything sold at WalMart will be difficult to get at a reasonable price. 

How are we going to pay for all this?  With corporate tax going down and middle income rates decreasing, where will get the money for the Mexican wall, increased military spending, and massive Customs and Border Protection staff.  None of these agencies are cheap.  Plus, the Justice Department will have to be dramatically increase its budget and staff to fight all the lawsuits by the those tortured, corporations who feel aggrieved after they are ridiculed for moving jobs oversees.  There will be a need for massive numbers of lawyers to defend the anti-Muslim policy, and the 11 million being deported. Imagine the infrastructure necessary to roundup, transport, house and then deport 11 to 12 million people.  Actually, you don't need to imagine a government undertaking a mass deportation strategy just search "Third Reich" or "Stalin Russification" or the "Czechoslovak deportation of Hungarians."

While Trump is fighting all these wars against Muslims, Immigrants, and Mass Deportations, our former allies in NATO will sit back helplessly as Iran re-arms against the newly nuclear armed Saudi Arabia setting off a new arms race in the Middle East. How secure will Israel be now surrounded by nuclear armed countries who are not the most rational leaders.   In a throwback to times when "America was great" of the 1950s and 1960s, former allies of Japan and South Korea will be forced to pay for our protection or arm themselves under the Trump foreign policy.  Vietnam, North Korea and China will all have to significantly increase their defenses setting off an arms race in Southeast Asia.  Russia will have a new found strength and their "admired" leader Putin taking a leading role on the international stage.  It looks like most of the world will  see turmoil except Antarctica and Australia if Trump is elected.   The rest of the world should be afraid, be very afraid.