Want to Make America Great Again? Invest in it.

Donald Trump used the "Make America Great Again!" battle cry during his 2016 presidential campaign

If truly believes those words, he should urge supporters to "walk the walk" by investing in America.

After all, we are currently embroiled in the longest war in our history, a conflict with unexplained goals, other than filling the coffers of the defense industrial complex. Billons of taxpayer dollars have funded the no-end-in-sight Afghanistan war.

In WWII, the U.S. Government issued bonds so Americans could not only invest in the war effort but help to hold down inflation at the same time.

First called “Defense Bonds” and later, more realistically called “War Bonds”, they attracted just under $200 billion in 1940’s dollars though they only paid 2.9% interest.

Creating even greater citizen involvement, schoolchildren were promoted to buy stamps for 10 cents each that could lead to the purchase of bonds. And that patriotic effort helped immensely to finance the massive cost of fighting the war.

If Afghanistan must be fought, with American taxpayers footing the large bulk of the bill, the president should pitch "Trump Bonds" to cover the cost of the war, while giving Americans the opportunity to "cash in" on the conflict via interest. It would be like the few bucks returned on credit card purchases.

Getting Americans to invest for guaranteed interest might just show that the President and his people have some faith in America as a worthwhile investment.

Funding Afghanistan with Trump Bonds would free up some taxpayer money for more productive uses. Highways and bridges come to mind.

***

Joseph J. Honick is an international consultant to business and government and writes for many publications. He can be reached at [email protected]