Two Perspectives:

GOP tax bill; Ala. Christians choose.

Treasury.

By way of comparison, the combined tax cuts for families in the bottom 80 percent of the income distribution in the 30 states won by President Donald Trump comes to just $39.4 billion.

I’m not blaming American corporations. They’re in business to make profits and maximize their share prices, not to serve America.

I’m blaming politicians like Trump and the Republicans who are trying to persuade Americans that tax cuts on American corporations will be good for Americans.

It’s different for many corporations headquartered in Europe or Canada. Big corporations headquartered there are far more responsible for the well-being of the people living in those nations. That’s mainly because labor unions there are typically stronger there than they are here — able to exert pressure both at the company level and nationally.

As a result, American corporations distribute a smaller share of their earnings to their workers than do European or Canadian-based corporations.

Governments in other rich nations often devise laws through bargains involving big corporations and organized labor. This process further binds their corporations to their nations.

But in America, lawmakers respond almost exclusively to the demands of big corporations and of wealthy individuals with the most lobbying prowess and the deepest pockets to bankroll campaigns. Meanwhile, unions are weak here.

Which is one reason most Europeans and Canadians receive essentially free health care, generous unemployment benefits, paid medical leave and an average of five weeks paid vacation.

Given the dominance of American corporations in American politics, combined with their singular concern for share prices rather than the well-being of Americans, it’s folly to think they’ll turn tax cuts into good American jobs.

The tax bills big corporations are pushing through Congress are designed for one thing: to boost their share prices, not to boost the vast majority of Americans.