We have a
narcistic pathological liar in the White House, one not endowed with a superior
intellect, and who may also be insane. I read the New York Times and watch the
evening news on television. My hunger for news is insatiable and after I
indulge myself I feel worse than I did craving information. Is my hope impeachment
or invocation Section 4 of the 25th Amendment of the US
Constitution? And how long do I have to wait?
How did we
get here?
The road to
Trump was paved by the craziness of the Tea Party and the virtually unlimited
funding of the ultra conservatives by the likes of the Koch brothers. It was
managed by the Republicans in a dysfunctional Congress; they were determined to
block any and all initiatives coming from President Obama. Certainly, Mitch
McConnell and Paul Ryan may claim significant victories in this area. But Trump’s
victory was ultimately delivered by the criminal negligence of the Democratic
elite. We practically had no Democratic primary. Bernie Sanders stood up
advocating progressive views. Most democrats thought Bernie’s nomination would
lead to certain defeat, given the anti-socialist paranoia instilled in the
course of the past three-quarters of a century. The minds and souls of the lesser
educated mass voters were successfully influenced to vote against their self-interest. Joe Biden was briefly considered; he would have been a strong
vote gatherer in the rust belt and other areas that went for Trump. But, not to
challenge the heiress, Biden quickly stepped to the side. The Clinton team was
given the uncontested winning ticket and they blew it. They did not recognize
the power of the disaffected lower half of the rust belt population; they
ignored the FBI warnings about Russian interference; they campaigned where it
did not matter and failed to do so where it mattered; they behaved like
amateurs and led us down the loosing path to the horrible reality where we now
find ourselves. Even though Hillary got close to three-million more votes than Trump,
given how the electoral system is stacked against the Democratic majority, Trump won
with 77-thousand key votes in three counties that thus handed him the electoral college majority that then sent us on our horrible un-American current course.
As I am
writing these notes, we are ten days into the Trump era. In these ten days we
strengthened our Chinese competitors (by stepping away from the multi-lateral
Pacific trade agreement we created a void that now China is proceeding to
fill); we strengthened our ISIS enemies (by targeting Muslims and Muslim
countries we are telling them that they were right all along, we are anti-Muslim,
and thus all Muslims should view ISIS as their true advocate); we picked a
stupid fight with Mexico that can only hurt both them and us; we told some of
our closest allies that NATO will no longer provide them protection against
Russian aggression; our president told the executive branch to step back from
protecting the health and well being of the average American citizen.
What next?
Who knows. Most
presidential acts are now based on no forethought, no legal vetting, frequently
partially withdrawn before the are explained to those who are to execute the
implied orders. The press is told that they are the worst scum; conflicting and
untrue announcements are called "alternative facts"; climate change is not man
made, global trade is bad. And who knows what science is now?
