What to do? Turn on the tv and deal with the inevitable rise in blood pressure or leave it alone and risk being ignorant of the next terrible pronouncement/development from the fascist lunatic in the White House? It’s a daily challenge here in 3rd world America. It wouldn’t be, except that about one-third of the electorate apparently thinks the way things are is the way they should remain.
How did we get here? How, if the Democrats take the Oval and the Senate, can we prevent this from ever happening again?
In my mind everything, well, almost everything, dates back to the end of the Civil War. It remains a giant scab on the nation’s body politic that never fully healed. Not since our two biggest political parties got together in a disputed election in 1876 and cut a deal to shut down reconstruction in the south.
Those who would “Make America White Again,” are living in a world that no longer exists. A world most of us would never return to. This is no longer a battle between liberals and conservatives. It’s a fight between decency and something else. Each day brings a new reminder of how much better than this most of us truly are.
A solution remains a work in progress.
Perhaps it’s time to stop denying how things really are, or as that late great Texan, Ann Richards put it, “Friends, it’s time to talk about how the cow ate the cabbage.”
Democrats are now in charge of the House. Things that were not happening with the Republicans in charge, are now happening.
The president’s former lawyer and so-called “fixer,” Michael Cohen, will be questioned about reported irregularities with the Trump organization, including his campaign and subsequent administration with regard to meetings with Russians in the Trump Tower, alleged “hush-money” payments to Mr. Trump’s women friends and more.
The House Oversight Committee, will once again begin carrying out its assigned duty of overseeing the executive branch of the federal government. Something for which the Republicans, exhibited absolute negligence over the past two years as they looked the other way, letting Donald J. Trump run roughshod over the nation with his Mafia boss style of governance. The Democrats, have a lot of catching up to do.
Even with all the lies and unacceptable activity, with Donald Trump publicly soliciting the help of the Russians to throw the 2016 election, with his publicly taking the side of Vladimir Putin over United States intelligence agencies, with his defaming a great American like John McCain and smearing a Gold Star Family, with him publicly proclaiming that there are good neo-Nazis among us as he continues to conduct a presidency by Twitter, even with all of that and more, there are still those out there who continue to support the Republican Party, the party of Trump. According to some pollsters, Trump’s support is running as high as 40%. How can that be possible?
To paraphrase progressive satirist, Bill Maher, anyone who still thinks there is no difference between the Democrats and the Republicans, hasn’t been paying attention for the past twenty years. This is a real pet peeve of mine, especially for those who think it’s okay to continue supporting Republicans at the local level, even though they disapprove of Mr. Trump. It’s not. Can’t have it both ways. With the Republicans, if you’re in for a dime, you’re in for a dollar. Trump’s dirty, bullying, racist, sexist, boss hog politics have polluted the Republican party with self aggrandizing political filth, including, but not limited to, cozying up to the Russians while turning his back on our allies. Speaking out against our free press, with his unbelievable acts and statements piling atop one-another, eventually forming a mountain of deceit.
Those who have read Orwell, might liken our would-be dictator Donald Trump and his current batch of Republicans to a neo-feudal movement, using deceit to take their naive followers to a new world of haves and have-nots. Only rich and poor, with the poor realizing far too late that they made the wrong choice in worshiping greed and fear, surrendering their self-determination rather than having the courage to pursue the common good and promotion of our general welfare through Democracy. The former needing only followers, the latter requiring those with the courage to lead.
With Donald Trump in Vietnam for talks with North Korea’s Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un, one is reminded of Nixon being praised for his China initiative, even while the Watergate scandal was approaching its inevitable conclusion. Reminded of the sad and pathetic denials of Richard Nixon, despite a mountain of evidence towering over his presidency. It can, I think, be legitimately compared to the sad and irresponsible and possibly treasonous behavior of Republicans in congress who did nothing while Donald Trump ran wild with what may be the most dangerous American presidency in history, even while Michael Cohen prepared to offer public testimony, now that Democrats have regained control of the House.
If you still think there is no difference between the Democratic and Republican parties, you really haven’t been paying attention.
Many of us who have been paying attention, I fear, are nearing exhaustion, feeling a need to turn away from Facebook and Twitter and even the daily news, as we grow weary from attempting to refute the lies and half-truths of the right, weary from wondering if those we argue with are actually who they seem to be or might be a Russian bot or agent. We are seeking some relief from the intellectual overload of daily nonsense coming from the Administration of Donald J. Trump, while hoping more of America, at least some portion of those who continue to be in Trump’s tribal camp, will wake up to the facts, rather than right-wing fiction, to help us deliver the country from this most recent “long national nightmare.” So that we can once again, as President Gerald R. Ford said not so many years ago, “go forward now together.”
The Constitution of the United States, Article 1, Section 8 states:
“The Congress shall have power…”
“To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations…”
“To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization…”
“To declare War…”
“To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.”
Seems fairly clear cut. Even short of impeachment, the Congress has power to control and contain the presidency. Why is the Republican majority in this current Congress failing to carry out its sworn constitutional duties? There are no two sides to this question. They swore an oath to the country. They cannot continue to allow Donald J. Trump, to rule the nation by fiat. It is an abdication of their sworn duty and a threat to the Republic.
Please, go to the polls and vote out these dangerous and negligent Republican legislators in the midterms. They, as much as Trump, are at fault for our current governmental chaos.
The question must be asked. Has the President of the United States gone completely loco? His reckless and seemingly mentally unbalanced statements appear to be getting worse.
Within the past couple of days, Donald J. Trump, has taken the world to the brink of a nuclear confrontation, threatening millions of lives by taunting the boy-man leader in North Korea. From the safety and comfort of his country club in New Jersey, he has called the Governor of little Guam, our island territory in Kim’s nuclear crosshairs, assuring him “We’re behind you one-thousand percent!” Really? Never would have guessed. Thing is, it was totally avoidable.
So was his idiotic statement thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin, a man who can do no wrong in Trump’s eyes, for expelling more than seven-hundred American diplomats from Russia. Trump said that was just fine with him because expelling all those diplomats would save the U.S. a pile of money.
The Americans who have been expelled from Russia are career diplomats, who will be reassigned and not fired, so there’s no money to be saved. Beyond that, our President has just praised a foreign adversary for kicking the United States in the teeth. He can come back later and say he didn’t mean it but the fact is he said it and he’s the President, and his words carry weight. Beyond that, it’s one more example of Putin being able to do no wrong in the eyes of Donald Trump.
What does Putin have on Trump? Is Trump being blackmailed by the Russians? Is it possible that Trump’s creeping authoritarianism, now challenging even his own party, could be guided by a foreign power? Can he claim he’s just delivering on his promise to “drain the swamp?” At times it feels like there’s an evil brilliance behind Donald’s actions that exceeds his abilities.
And now comes the creme de la creme of bizarro statements with Donald’s threat to invade the sovereign nation of Venezuela. When I first heard it I laughed. I stopped laughing as the frightening realization hit me that Trump might finally have gone completely off his nut. What next? Sending the 101st Airborne into the woods around Chappaqa, in search of Hillary’s emails?
Whatever Mr. Trump’s problem is, it appears to be getting worse. It no longer matters whether Trump is acting to create a diversion or if he’s truly delusional. Neither is acceptable. The Republicans must act now to put a stop to this madness.
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LATE ADD – HE’S DONE IT AGAIN – The piece above was written before the Neo-Nazi / White Nationalist automobile attack on counter protesters in Charlottesville, VA, which Trump tried to explain away by saying, “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides.” Unacceptable rubbish.
When it comes to Nazis, there are only two sides, fascism and freedom. Many of us lost loved ones who fought to keep the world free of Nazis in World War II. Trump is obviously trying to pacify those in his base who are white, racist, Nazi or KKK. Unpresidential, Un-American and totally unacceptable.
