Dickson Igwe. Photo: VINO

President Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States of America on January 20, 2017. Photo: Internet Source

In Trump’s thinking, globalism has pummeled the American middle class. Trump sees as his mission the restoration of America’s middle class to the type of prosperity it enjoyed post the Second World War.

This was the time when the US was the workshop of the world: much as China and Asia are today.

The new US President is willing to risk a trade war with China to ensure America’s largest manufacturers remain on US soil.

Restoration spells wealth redistribution. However, it will not be a redistribution of wealth from America’s 1% to the 90%. It will be a returning of American prosperity from the likes of China and Mexico, who Trump insists have stolen American manufacturing and jobs. Trump’s own words: “they are eating our lunch.”

Trump bashed the Washington elites. He stated that “for too long a small group reaped the rewards of government while the ordinary people bore the cost.” The 1% flourished. However, the 90% did not share in this wealth. “Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed.”

Trump stated without equivocation that he stood on the shoulders of America’s working and middle classes. Consequently, as American President, Trump worked for the American working man and woman and not the elites.

Trump stated that he was the “new messiah” who would return the USA back to the workers who built America in the first place.

Trump the gilded billionaire who inhabits the top floors of New York’s most exclusive residential tower is an unlikely working class hero.

But that is what Trump has become to the millions who have seen their lives turned upside down by globalisation and outsourcing. Trumps own words: “the forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no more.”

Trump has blamed globalisation for poverty in US inner cities, and “rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation.”

He is anti internationalist stating that “for decades we have enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry, subsidised the armies of other countries, spent trillions of dollars overseas, while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay, we have made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of America has disappeared over the horizon.

The wealth of America’s middle class has been ripped from their homes. It has been redistributed across the entire world.”

Trump, the “working man’s hero” stated that every decision on trade, taxes, immigration, and foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and families.” Trump essentially declared war on countries where businesses and jobs were outsourced from the US. “We must protect the US from countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs.”

Trump the Middle Class Warrior promised to bring back American jobs, bring back American wealth, and bring back the American Dream stolen by China and Co.

Trump further promised to build a brand new infrastructure and rebuild the US with “American hands and American labour.” Trumps economic solution: “buy American and hire American.”

Clearly the world is in for a “New Awakening.”

For these Antilles, the Era of Trump should turn out to be a boon for the economy. If Trump succeeds in strengthening the American middle class that spells lot more guests arriving into the country from the United States Virgin Islands especially. Working and middle class visitors form the basis of a country’s tourism revenues, not the 1% who frequently look for investment opportunities wherever they travel.

The populist revolution across the world could furthermore be a good thing for the Virgin Islands Financial Services Industry.

There is talk of Brexit turning the UK into the world’s largest offshore finance center. A US government of billionaires will not be against the offshore financial services industry: most probably have interests in offshore finance.

The die is cast. Get ready for a wild ride on the Donald J. Trump Roller Coaster!

Connect with Dickson Igwe on Facebook and Twitter, and dicksonresearch@gmail.com