Trump has no real political beliefs

American liberal academic Deidre McCloskey said that former President Donald Trump is running for president to avoid going to jail. That’s why she will vote for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in November. The Nation interviewed her at a time when the economist was suffering from health problems that affected her speeches. Although her children have cut off all contact with her, McCloskey is optimistic about the future of humanity. The following are excerpts from the conversation.

■ Whenever the thinker Adam Smith is mentioned, you have a strange reaction. Why?

■■ I have great respect for him. He was more of a founder of economics, there were pioneers in France and Spain, but he collected materials and wrote The Wealth of Nations in 1776. He was a fierce liberal throughout his life and opposed slavery. What I also liked about him was that he was funny and would make jokes. These were 18th century jokes.

■ Can you explain why you think the smaller the state’s influence, the better?

■■ Too many influences and restrictions hinder people’s growth. I define liberalism in another word, which is “maturity”. She wants us all to become mature adults, not children.

■ You defend liberal humanism. What does that mean?

As a liberal, I love individuals and I love people. In other political movements there is a tendency to love certain demographic groups. I am also a humanist in another sense, that is, a scholar. As someone said, I firmly believe that a person who is just an economist will not go far.

■ You don’t like the word “capitalism.” Can you explain why?

■■ Everyone seems to get rich by accumulating wealth, which is what Karl Marx and Adam Smith believed, but I think this idea is untenable today, which is why I support the name change. Pure accumulation of capital does not make us rich, so how does it help if you own six cars?

In 1800, the Spanish lived on the equivalent of 2 euros a day. Today, that figure has doubled to 100 euros a day. This radical transformation was made possible by innovation. The writer Virginia Postrel calls it “dynamism.” I call it “innovation.” The word “capitalism” is misleading.

■ You think liberalism must penetrate our hearts to convince us. On what basis?

■■ I used to love the folk songs of the sixties, the social songs of that time I knew and sang, but unfortunately I can’t do that now. Just like the songs, it is crucial to touch the heart. If you are a socialist, you have to be connected to socialism. If you are a fascist, you have to love the leader. But liberalism is very reasonable. We can no longer say that the free market is good because your income increases by 10%. It is true, but it does not actually move the economy forward.

■ Who will you vote for in the presidential election?

Kamala Harris. Trump is running only to avoid jail. He has no real political beliefs, but his advisors do, and their beliefs are fascist. They encourage violence as a political tool and seek to corrupt the legal system to suppress dissent. He has proposed putting 11 million people in concentration camps and undermining legitimate elections in Venezuela-style. About “Country”

• We need virtuous leaders, at least minimally virtuous leaders.