Putting the economy first

What has become increasingly clear under the Trump administration is that “the economy” has become the measuring rod for policy changes.

President Donald Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement because he said it “will undermine (the U.S.) economy,” and “puts (the U.S.) at a permanent disadvantage.” Concern about the natural environment for humans succumbs to economic interests.

Combining the Labor and Education departments assumes that the primary purpose of education is to train people for the workplace. Our history, human values, the fine arts, the culture — the qualities that promote citizenship — are subordinated to national economic concerns.

Imposing trade tariffs that alienate our allies and our own producers and manufacturers prioritizes economic interests over vital relationships.

Merit-based immigration measures potential immigrants by how they will contribute to the economy. The “American Dream” is posited on the principle that freedom can enable the most disadvantaged to succeed, not that you must be successful in order to strengthen our economy. The treatment of immigrants at our southern border, separating families like they were herds of cattle, denying due process, demonstrates how dehumanized we are becoming. Suffering fellow humans beings need not apply.

Phyllis Carey

Newton