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THERE’S BEEN A flurry of news about Trump since he became President. Are you confused about all those Russia allegations, those claims about spying, and endless analysis about how the Donald shakes hands?
Don’t worry, you can forget all that for now and focus on what’s arguably the most important news piece so far: Trump’s budget.
The budget is important because whatever weird late-night tweet Trump sends or awkward handshake he gives, the budget is what reveals where his real priorities lie.
As the saying goes, follow the money, and you will know what someone cares or doesn’t care about.
Easy to understand
Trump’s budget is very easy to understand: he’s boosting the military, while cutting everything else, including programmes for the arts, housing, the environment, diplomacy, communities, you name it.
To give you an idea of the Trump administration’s “We don’t give a damn” attitude, listen to Mick Mulvaney, the budget director. He said he doesn’t care about climate change, declaring: “We’re not spending money on that anymore” because “it’s a waste of your money”. Scary.
Reactions to the proposals
Lots of groups reacted with outrage when the proposed budget was released. The New York Times said that “Trump is in full tear-down mode”. The Sierra Club, an environmental group, said that “the only thing that matters in [Trump’s] America is corporate polluters’ profits and Wall Street billionaires”.
Amnesty International said it was “shameful”. The Union of Concerned Scientists declared that cutting scientific programmes is “misguided science, which will hurt our economy, kill jobs, make us less safe”.
The American Library Association observed that the budget was “counterproductive and shortsighted”. The American Federation of Teachers said that “This budget takes a meat cleaver to public education”.
And it’s not only liberals who are appalled. Many Republicans are as well because the cuts attack directly people and communities in their constituencies.
For example, one Republican Representative described the budget as “draconian, careless and counterproductive”. In other word, while Trump relied on many working class voters to elect him, he’s now betraying them.
Budget shows what Trump would like to do
Sure, the proposed budget must be approved by Congress, which will most likely resist some of the changes. Nevertheless, it gives us a very good idea of what Trump would like to do.
It also shows that the deluded analysts and journalists who keep repeating that we have to “give Trump a chance” or to “wait and see what he does” before criticising him are dead wrong.
The best way to understand Trump’s destructive budget is to look at it item by item. Only three areas receive more money: the military, homeland security and veterans. Everything else gets cut. Here are the details (and more details can be found in this summary):
Boosts
Cuts
It’s crazy, isn’t it? Trump is militarising the US and destroying civil society and the environment. It’s that simple.
Julien Mercille is an associate professor at University College Dublin. Twitter: @JulienMercille.
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No worries for Boris: he’ll just announce the return of the bendy bananas and all England will celebrate FREEDOM…….
@Mike Finnegan: Given that Theresa May ‘won’ that vote by a margin of 133, and Johnson by 148, with May gone within six months, it probably won’t be so worry-free for Boris.
But obviously the question is what happens next, i.e. after him, since this is probabkly the beginning of the end. Jeremy Hunt or Liz Truss basically I think. The former would be the pragmatic caretaker who would be realistic about Northern Ireland and the Protocol – and would steer the UK in the direction of arrangements akin to rejoining the customs union (but not literally since that’d still be political suicide).
The latter would likely be a lightweight choice so intent on proving she didn’t really mean to vote Remain in 2016, that she’d end up being worse than Bojo for Ireland, but might inadvertedly also set up a greater probability of the Tories being ousted in 2024.
Just to clarify, since I didn’t specify this correctly: Johnson had a bigger margin against him (148) than May (133), so the expectation woud be that if May lasted 6 months after the vote, Johnson would be expected to last shorter (I wrote that Johnson won by a larger margin while I should have said that his winning margin was significantly smaller than May’s).
He’ll romp home thanks to the bulk of his MP’s being spineless toadies. Suits him to have the vote ahead of the impending disastrous by elections as another no confidence vote can’t be called for twelve months.
He’ll coast home.
@Shaun Gallagher: No coast home only a matter of time now
@Shaun Gallagher: More than 40% of Tory MPs voted against him – he’ll continue on because he’s got no self-awareness or honour, but his government is weakened to the point of uselessness. I’d hate to be living in Britain now
Tory theatre.
Suits Johnson. Should wait until the end of the month following two upcoming by elections. Wouldn’t surprise me if Johnson has something to do with the timing of this vote. On the other hand, it is probably easier for the opposition to deal with Johnson than with alternatives. I’d like to think that Johnson winning the vote will prove a blessing in disguise.
@alan: think you’re right. Two heavy defeats in the by elections could encourage a few more Tories to vote against. At the moment they be lucky to get 100 against BG.
@alan: I’d say there’s a lot of very worried Tory back benchers that are looking at 2 more definite by election defeats and looking at their own seats going if they support Bojo. I think his time is up….PG!!!!
@alan: It’s win win really. If he loses he’s gone, and good riddance. If he stays they’ll limp through the next by elections and he’ll stuggle to win any general, he’s too tainted. If the Tories were smart they’d oust him now and rebrand, new start etc etc. They won’t though.
@Rob Hunt: I agree. But the problem is that Starmer (like Bacik here), while I don’t doubt his (or her) integrity and commitment, is not right for the job. When you are dealing with Johnson these values are worthless. This isn’t helped by Labour (here and there) having no clear political vision or message. For the time being, it seems that nationalist, populist politics can’t be beaten by reason or argument or even policy. Johnson and his public school army know this and make full use of it. I think this, along with Labour’s lack of political nous might keep him in office.
I think the problem is that they have no real replacement for him in the Tory party so they’ll hang onto him for another while.
I think the tipping point was Boris been booed at the weekend. The penny has dropped for the Conservatives that he is now a liability. He will probably still win but hopefully a high number of votes against him will be the beginning of the end for him. In hindsight the Brits will see how much damage he has done to the UK. It was their folly to elect him.
A ‘formidable political force’? That statement is laughable in itself.
Boris is a man devoid of all the qualities one would normally associate with the holder of such high office, but the problem the Tories have, in my opinion, is they seem to have no MP to replace him who is much better! Maybe that’s because most of the people he has surrounded himself with are lackies and brown nosers who have continuously parroted the same lies as Boris has since he became PM!
“Some” sections of the crowd?
He will win but the real problem is that under the rules there cannot be another vote for 12 months
A Single vote win is a victory for Boris Johnson according to the Conservative Party, except when it’s a border poll on Irish Unity then there different rules .
Even if he wins it now only a matter of time. Look at thatcher and Theresa may
Don’t worry, the useless tories will bottle it when it’s put to them. Bojo is brutal but heaven help them if they end up with Patel or Raab running the show. Frying pan & fire come to mind
The Looney party Will back Him as most of them are Like Him
But hey he delivered Brexshit….isn’t that what the majority wanted. Pity they didn’t know what it really was they were voting for.
Lets hope its another preforming CHIMP.
Goodluck MR Johnson
Brandon Lewis & Suella Braverman on Sky news just new batting for Boris. Sickening listening to the crap they’re coming out with. So many of the tory party are dilusional muppets
Margin of victory not big enough, he’ll be forced out by his own party.
2 by-elections coming….if he looses both. He is toast….he has 6 months to go max
@Kevin50: I think Johnson survived by a margin effectively of 32 votes. 211 expressing confidence and 148 against him. That reads like a reasonable vote of confidence, but it’s only 32 short of the 180 simple majority of no confidence. Only 32 MP’s needed to vote differently out of 359.
@David A. Murray: and don’t forget about the 51 that are on payroll so we’re effectively voting for their jobs
@Jay Munnelly: were*
Anyone would be better than that Bullingdon Baffoon!
Well that’s a joke he should be gone but 5he spineless didn’t stand up to be counted.
Start of the end thank God
No sympathy anymore for the UK public – you’ve elected a bunch of lying narcissists that have no respect for you .
Johnson’s letter to his party’s MP’s listing his government’s achievements (and promising more of the same) was some piece of creative interpretations of his record. It’s very hard to swallow (and I don’t mean physically).
More lives than a bag of cats . More lies to the bewildered to keep power. Better enjoy it as they’ll be 10 to 15 years paying for it
A foregone conclusion, the turkeys have got into the habit of voting for Christmas over there. They obviously think that lunacy is the way to go.
211 effectively voted to say they would lie to better their careers over the good of the uk
In fairness, Britain is a complete basket case at the moment. Who knows where he’ll be in 6 months. The British get what they deserve voting for this tossbag and Brexit.
Rees Mog and the
Spineless fillets protecting their own interests as usual. Have at you chaps and God save the Queen…
This guy keeps bouncing back like a boomerang on elastic.
The Indians, are circling
Delighted for Boris, A great leader
@Mick Cullen: — You’ve set the bar so low that a microbe couldn’t get under it.
If he wins this evening, I believe he will go to the country sooner rather than later.
Of course he has no interest in holding an election, because he’d lose.
He is some boyo
He should do the decent thing and go now, the writing is on the wall for all to see.
211 effectively voted to say they would lie to better their careers over the good of the uk
@Jay Munnelly: exactly
lemmings d lot of them
I’m gonna have to stock up on popcorn.
The vanity and avarice of a cultureless nation of subjective plebs is finally come to fruition.
Brilliant.
Any nation that openly endorses a two tier society deserves everything it gets.
Well done.
Habemus Papam.
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