Imagine for a moment that you are an American plutocrat (I know, it’s hard, but try). You inherited a small fortune from your parents and grew it substantially; as a result, you view yourself as a largely self-made man. You have a very healthy ego, but you have learned from bitter experience to stay out of the public eye whenever possible.
Due to the extent of your business interests, you cannot avoid acting in the political realm. Your objectives are as follows:
- Maintain as much access as possible to global markets;
- Keep a large, inexpensive, competent, and servile workforce;
- Reduce taxes to the absolute minimum; and
- Eliminate as many regulatory burdens as possible.
Along comes Donald Trump-a brash, noisy, and egotistical member of your class-who makes populist arguments that are inconsistent with your positions on free trade and immigration, and develops a dangerously large following as a result of it. Wouldn’t that really piss you off? Wouldn’t you be willing to spend whatever it took to destroy him?
You bet you would. And they will.