My Rebuttal to: Trump’s Multi-Front War That Spooks Oil Markets

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3 hours ago, Rasmus Jorgensen said:

Fair enough. 

What is your take on this long term vs short term? 

My impression is that "Globalists" define "long-term" to mean, "maximized global GDP as defined and calculated by economists". I think this is a terrible definition.  Part of the issue is that economists are usually wrong. The other part is that, in the pursuit of GDP, politicians, corporations, and their economists have built an economic house of cards.  Their system is complex, vulnerable to improbable events, and devastating to the middle class.  It benefits no more than half the population in the short term while risking total collapse in the long term.  I don't call that optimal. 

Trump's policy does not maximize global GDP - a fact the politicians/corporations/economists wail about incessantly, primarily because Trump's policy doesn't line their pockets.  What Trump's policy does accomplish is:
1)  Decoupling Western economies from countries that don't share our values.  E.g. China and Iran clearly don't share Western views on democracy or human rights.  If we wish to protect those values, we shouldn't allow ourselves to be influenced by oppressive regimes
2)  Protecting America's developed economy from a flood of poor, uneducated people who will most likely destroy what we've built.  Immigration is fine, provided the immigrants adopt American values.  If they don't adopt those values, they'll turn America into the 3rd world s*** hole they came from.  That's a serious, long-term risk; Trump is addressing it. 
3)  Stamps out state-sponsored violence.  Various Middle Eastern nations are sources of terrorism and violence around the world.  They've been doing this for nearly 1400 years, and they don't intend to stop.  No amount of compassion or economically "bringing them into the fold" will change that.  Starving Iran of funding and pitting these nations against each other reduces their ability to spread their ideology. 
4)  Improves Western military security.  Trump gave the US military enough funding to repair/maintain assets.  He also pressured NATO to meet contractual defense obligations.  Meanwhile, trade wars have raised the question of resource dependency.  Suddenly, the world is noticing how many of their critical minerals come from China.  Trump has directed the government to fix this problem.  That's a serious risk being addressed. 
5)  Creates a more resilient economy.  Globalist policies concentrated economic power into fewer, larger corporations.  Trump's policies benefit small businesses, which are the engines of innovation.  An economy built on many small businesses is more likely to innovate its way out of problems than an economy built on a few, large businesses.  It's also more likely to contribute to local communities, which helps the nation raise the next generation of competent professionals, businessmen, soldiers, etc. 

Etc.  You get the point: "long-term" doesn't reduce to GDP.  There are a host of risks that must be considered and vital systems that must be attended to.  Trump is doing that.