Is Trump's 'red meat' the right long-term diet?

WITHIN hours of assuming office, Donald Trump began issuing executive orders and policy proposals to fulfil his campaign promises. But if Mr Trump really wants to "make America great again", is he addressing the long-term structural problems that sorely need fixing?

The United States has a new president who has clearly set out his policy priorities for the first 100 days, including repealing Obamacare, reforming the tax code, boosting infrastructure and defence spending, renegotiating trade agreements and cracking down on immigration - measures that many view as "red meat" for his political base.

Yet while Mr Trump vows to "make America great again" with these headline-grabbing initiatives, we believe that the longer-term health of the US can only be addressed by long-term structural reforms that will re-energise the American dream, which has been somnambulant in recent decades. But this demands the kind of far-reaching and critical policy overhaul that has so far eluded Japan, Europe and the US as they all try to recover from the global financial crisis.