What Does Really Big Business Think About Trump?

The answer to this question may appear in this apparent memo written within the US Chamber of Commerce, but not yet on Wikileaks.

To:        Leading Members, Chamber

From:  Policy Council

Re:        Analysis

Our long term view is that not only the coming Trump Presidency but the voting behavior that made it possible represents a fundamental threat to the interests of our members.

The election not only throws into doubt many short term aspects of the decision-making environment in which our members operate, but also casts into doubt whether American voters can be relied up for consistent support for the international stabilization predictability, integration and standardization that is essential for out members, and indeed similar organizations in other economic zones, to operate effectively.

In that sense, any short term policy changes are much less harmful (and some may even be beneficial to many of our members in the short term) than the lack of confidence in the future existence of the American umbrella that is no longer reliably avoidable for our members.

The question therefore for leadership is whether we need to shift our long term focus from our current reliance on the US political system and the power of the US, to the strengthening of a network of international quasi and supra governmental organizations that can provide the guaranteed predictable environment that our members require.

An even more difficult question is how much we are willing to accept international enforcement of human rights guarantees in return for the international groups having sufficient power to provide that guarantee.  Of course, such agreement by the states to the US Bill of Rights was essential to obtaining ratification of the US Constitution.

Such a major change for the Chamber will be the result of a long process of assessment and planning, but it is our view that that process must begin now.