A reader remarks on John Bolton’s appointment as National Security Advisor:
It’s become abundantly clear that 45 abhors dissent or any resistance to his political or economic ideas. He is surrounding himself with “yes men” who blindly subscribe to his agenda. That’s his MO. It’s why his businesses have failed and so eventually will his presidency.
Yes, to some extent it makes dependence on the intelligence of the person on the top of the pyramid overly critical. And yet, if & when the failure comes, Trump’ll blame someone else.
That said, I was reading somewhere, I can’t remember where, that while Trump has clearly signaled his protectionist instincts, Bolton is supposedly an avid free-trader. How much this matters in the context of the post of National Security Advisor is unclear to me, but it does suggest Trump has some tolerance for dissidence, at least when it’s not front and center.
That said, we’ve seen how much Trump is influenced by what he sees on TV. Perhaps Bolton just comes across real well on the airwaves, what with pronounced views and a big mustache.
I forgot to post the latest market performance. Yesterday, the Dow was down 1.77%, while the S&P and NASDAQ were down more than 2%. Here’s the chart from the NYSE:
This suggests there is little confidence among investors in President Trump’s recent economic policies. However, the investment community hardly qualifies as all knowing, so I think we’ll just have to wait and find out if this is going to turn out poorly – or well. Keep an eye on the agricultural sector, especially the family farmers, as they’re exhibiting a lot of anxiety about a trade war, from what I hear.
