Tristan,

I would love your view on why Trump has proven so popular.

He's popular because he promises to save or protect jobs. He has a chance because many working class Americans are sick of deindustrialisation. And afraid for their futures. He also has a chance because the Democrats have refused to pitch appropriately to the US working class - and only speak of 'the middle class'. Working class Americans are economically insecure ; and tired of a Democratic Party which speaks only to - and of - the middle classes.

Also many Americans have swallowed the line re: so called 'liberal elites' and 'political correctness'. This was easier for the Right to achieve again because the Democrats do not generally speak of - and to - the working class. If they do - it is a 'secondary pitch' compared with the fight for the middle classes.

There's also the role of the Conservative churches and ignorant, aggressive nationalism.

Marx was right that there are reasons for the working class to adopt a progressive orientation. But it should not be taken as a GIVEN - as the rise of fascism has shown on several occasions.

"Trump would devastate American society with his cuts to the bone ; his massive corporate welfare/tax cuts and so on. He wants to cut Company Tax by more than half in just one term."

Thank you for your frank admission that you would rather millions of innocent people be killed in pointless aggressive than admit the principle that anyone has a right to be free from a government motivated by socialist ideology.

Your absurd idea that taxation makes "society" richer is just mere compound and aggravated stupidity, end of story.

Anyone who thinks socialism is more physically productive than capitalism is a blithering idiot.

Jardine seems to hail from the Hayekian extreme of right-wing politics. Anyone done in the name of the collective good ; whether through the welfare state, or via public sector nation building - is considered a 'corruption' of the free-market-ideal. Even Menzies did not see the world this way. With a long view the conversion of even the Liberal Party to the economic-libertarian extreme is a relatively recent phenomenon.

There's a broad range of positions which could be considered 'socialist' ; and I fit in with the democratic socialist tradition that began with 19th century radical social democracy.

Its true that many socialists today think there is more to quality of life apart from 'more and more production'. 'Qualitative' factors such as free time , security, cultural immersion and development.... So 'more and more' production is not always 'better'.

But if democratic socialists put their minds to eliminating waste it can be possible to 'grow the pie' even while incrementally reducing the working week. How? Because capitalism depends on a 'reserve army of labour' to discipline the working class. But the Swedes showed that with economically interventionist policies and trade union co-operation you could have close-to-full employment without inflation... Since this was achieved under Rehn-Meidner no right-wing capitalist government come anywhere near their success re: full employment, equality, growth, containment of inflation - all at once... (more coming)

Also there needs to be a balance between 'the public good' pursued by government - and individual discretion re: consumption - personal determination of needs structures through markets.

In an advanced capitalist economy with relative abundance personal discretion re: consumption is a necessary state of affairs - And markets can hold capitalists accountable where there is sufficient information, consumer organisation, and competition...

But 'the public good' should not be discounted utterly because of a capitalist Ideology. Natural public monopolies , nation-building public infrastructure ; public services and welfare - all add to our well-being and our security.

Most socialists today would recognise all this ; but its the economic-libertarian strains in the Right these days that cannot accept any compromise... Its they that are the real Ideologues... And its the Leftists who are more rationally-minded and open to compromise....

Mind you at least the genuine liberations are for free speech, and even free labour organisation - including the right to strike....

also I have no interest in people 'being killed' as Jardine puts it ; But he didn't seem to finish that sentence - so I don't know what he was really trying to say.... Trump gets some kudos for criticising the Second Gulf War - with the destabilisation that followed in its wake... But cutting Corporate Taxes HALF - with no consideration of the human consequences - is profoundly irresponsible. We may as well ask: What EXACTLY would be cut? This is where the economic libertarians begin to flounder - and ordinary people develop doubts when they begin to understand the practical consequences...