Trump's actions of the last few days leaves no doubt, Donald Trump is the ultimate malignant narcissist, bar none. No need for a professional psychiatric diagnosis, just a simple observation of his public activities and statements, plainly seen by all who care to pay attention. Taking credit for a monthly drop in the unemployment rate to 14%, when he accepted absolutely no responsibility when it rose from 4% to 24% when COVID-19 cases skyrocketed after he delayed taking the virus as a serious threat, with any meaningful federal action, for nearly two months. Also taking no responsibility when our deaths from the pandemic virus reached claiming over 100,000 American lives, more than double that of any other nation. He is, of course, always quick to blame others for his failures. China for their response to the virus's spread, when numerous other nations took much more immediate and effective action to limit their nation's casualties. State Governors for their responses to the virus's occurrence and spread in their states, although he delayed necessary federal steps and was holding in federal stockpiles much of the equipment they needed to fight it effectively, being delayed or resistant in releasing it to them.
Trump's taking credit for a partial drop in the high unemployment rate is doubly galling since it has been state governors who have taken the responsibility to relax some of the necessary stay-at-home orders, corporations and businesses that have taken the risks of re-hiring and re-opening their services, and employees who are potentially risking their health by returning to work. All while Trump remains safely enclosed in a now barricaded, fenced in White House, receiving daily COVID-19 tests to ensure that his health is never endangered by others, and all those who come into Trump's presence are tested to ensure that they aren't carriers who could expose it to him. Nothing as important to Trump as others taking the risks to open up the nation's economy so he can brag about how well it may be doing, but for Trump to be exposed to any risk, or accept any responsibility for the nation's difficulties occurring under his watch, not so much!
A clear example of the malignant nature of Trump's personality, his lack of regard for others' well-being and the harm he is willing to bring to others for his own purposes is shown in his responses to the protests that have spread from Minneapolis to throughout the nation in reaction to yet another police killing of a non-violent black American suspected of a possible crime. No words from the White House to calm the nation, to reassure those with intense feelings, that justice will be served, that Trump has any empathy whatsoever for those who have experienced a grievous, irreplaceable loss, or for those who fear such horrendous events, under the auspices of the law, will be continuing forever in our country. Only a call for more law and order from Trump, that states should be handling the protests with more force, or that he will call in the military to do it for them. He is very willing to hurt others who stand in the way of his single-minded, self-serving purposes, whether they are former allies who could no longer accept his behaviors, or anyone in the opposition who dares stand in his way.
The nation that Trump envisions for us, and that he has tried to impose on us, has little in common with the nation our Founding Fathers had in mind when they wrote of a nation that would embody Liberty and Justice for all, and be ruled by a Constitution that guaranteed an equal balance of power between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. When differences came up, opposing sides were to work together to negotiate, compromise, reach some agreement democratically. But that's not the way it is in Trump's world, in his America. Its all about his winning, his having his way, those opposing him suffering the consequences. But his dictatorial leanings are encumbered with the additional weight of his malignant narcissistic tendencies. Everything he does has to be considered the greatest, every ally must brag about him, no matter how much lying that necessitates. Any of those with differing viewpoints deserve to be attacked, ridiculed, lied about, fired, even sent to jail. His personality and presidency are a malignancy spreading from him and affecting the entire nation. After over three and a half years, the evidence is clear. The only question is whether the nation will allow it to continue beyond one disastrous term.
Friday, June 5, 2020
Monday, June 1, 2020
A FAILING TRUMP AND THE BATTLE TO END SYSTEMIC RACISM COLLIDE
One week after the apparent killing of George Floyd by four policemen in Minneapolis, and five days after mass gatherings of citizens protesting yet another gross, tragic occurrence of police brutality of an AfroAmerican being arrested for a non-violent offense, President Trump has finally spoken. Remaining silent when the stark video of the man being killed was made public, silent when peaceful demonstrators began protesting in Minneapolis, and silent when state and local officials began speaking out, expressing dismay, calling for justice to be reached, and asking for calm among those protesting. Still remaining silent when the mass protests spread to cities across the nation, and became increasingly violent and destructive. Silent when protests began outside the White House, other than calling State Governors weak in their response to the protests, at the same time as he was seeking shelter in the safety of the White House's bunker! Then, finally, he emerges from the White House, crosses the street after it had been fully cleared of peaceful protesters by riot-prepared police, and, Bible in hand in front of a church, spoke a few words. No mention of the need for justice for George Floyd, no call for calm among citizens choosing to protest, no mention of their rights being protected, or the need to deal with the long-standing, still unresolved issue of institutional racism that has plagued the United States since its founding centuries ago. Only an emphasis that if States don't get tougher in dealing with the protests themselves, he will activate US military forces to respond, labeling the protests as domestic terrorism, by invoking an old Insurrection Act, and send troops in to restore full order. Of questionable constitutional legality, such action would not at all deal with the basic underlying issue raised by those protesting, further ignite their anger over repeated incidences of the racial bias and injustice that all add to the grave disparity and inequality that remains in our society, and increase the widening polarization that already divides our nation.
The lines seem drawn. While Biden phones to talk personally with Floyd's family, sharing
compassionate, empathetic, reassuring words, and calling for calm and for justice, Trump's call to
them drew a response from the family that "he didn't let us talk". While Obama presents an outline of some steps needed to promote viable, real change in some crucially neglected issues, and political and religious leaders of all races join with black leaders in calling for relevant social and institutional change, Trump, with his authority as president, only calls for an increasingly militant response by governors, and a return to law and order. And if they don't, he will call in the US military to take over the communities to provide it. No real mention of compassion, understanding, or justice regarding the Floyd killing.
Some have called Trump a "would-be dictator". He does have a peculiar affinity for autocrats, dictators, those with imperial rule. He loved being in total control of his Trump corporate enterprises, of hiring and firing people arbitrarily and unilaterally on his TV program, he has no regard for racial and economic equality, or basic fairness for those investing in his private enterprises, as his frequent bankruptcies reveal. Running a democratic government is clearly not his thing, few of those originally in high positions in his Administration are still there, having either chosen to resign or having been fired. He is obsessed with winning, whatever the cost. Truth, integrity, empathy, legality, mean little or nothing to him, as long as he saves face and looks good, in his own eyes and to those who remain loyal to him.
How will this battle end, this mounting confrontation between Trump, his presidential authority, and those supporting him on one side, and those diametrically opposed to his single-minded rule and his ignoring basic issues of justice, democracy, and the well-being of all citizens on the other. Trump is falling behind in polls concerning the upcoming elections. Will he try to somehow delay the election? Will he try to prevent voting by mail for states or for individuals that may require it? Will most GOP leaders continue to support him, at risk of losing support from their own constituents or further endangering their own integrity? Will foreign governments again try to influence the outcome of the election through devious means, or will Attorney General Barr intentionally announce an investigation that could impact voter support, as Comey unintentionally did prior to the 2016 election? If Trump wins the election in the Electoral College only, will the losing majority accept the outcome peacefully? If Trump rules another four years, will our democratic form of government survive? Will a major Constitutional crises arise that will go to the Supreme Court, and how will the potential swing voter, Chief Justice Roberts, decide? A major collision of political forces is occurring right now in our nation, a virtual "perfect storm", and the future nature and direction of our government rest with the outcome. Stay tuned, what we are witnessing, and participating in, couldn't be of more importance!
The lines seem drawn. While Biden phones to talk personally with Floyd's family, sharing
compassionate, empathetic, reassuring words, and calling for calm and for justice, Trump's call to
them drew a response from the family that "he didn't let us talk". While Obama presents an outline of some steps needed to promote viable, real change in some crucially neglected issues, and political and religious leaders of all races join with black leaders in calling for relevant social and institutional change, Trump, with his authority as president, only calls for an increasingly militant response by governors, and a return to law and order. And if they don't, he will call in the US military to take over the communities to provide it. No real mention of compassion, understanding, or justice regarding the Floyd killing.
Some have called Trump a "would-be dictator". He does have a peculiar affinity for autocrats, dictators, those with imperial rule. He loved being in total control of his Trump corporate enterprises, of hiring and firing people arbitrarily and unilaterally on his TV program, he has no regard for racial and economic equality, or basic fairness for those investing in his private enterprises, as his frequent bankruptcies reveal. Running a democratic government is clearly not his thing, few of those originally in high positions in his Administration are still there, having either chosen to resign or having been fired. He is obsessed with winning, whatever the cost. Truth, integrity, empathy, legality, mean little or nothing to him, as long as he saves face and looks good, in his own eyes and to those who remain loyal to him.
How will this battle end, this mounting confrontation between Trump, his presidential authority, and those supporting him on one side, and those diametrically opposed to his single-minded rule and his ignoring basic issues of justice, democracy, and the well-being of all citizens on the other. Trump is falling behind in polls concerning the upcoming elections. Will he try to somehow delay the election? Will he try to prevent voting by mail for states or for individuals that may require it? Will most GOP leaders continue to support him, at risk of losing support from their own constituents or further endangering their own integrity? Will foreign governments again try to influence the outcome of the election through devious means, or will Attorney General Barr intentionally announce an investigation that could impact voter support, as Comey unintentionally did prior to the 2016 election? If Trump wins the election in the Electoral College only, will the losing majority accept the outcome peacefully? If Trump rules another four years, will our democratic form of government survive? Will a major Constitutional crises arise that will go to the Supreme Court, and how will the potential swing voter, Chief Justice Roberts, decide? A major collision of political forces is occurring right now in our nation, a virtual "perfect storm", and the future nature and direction of our government rest with the outcome. Stay tuned, what we are witnessing, and participating in, couldn't be of more importance!
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Trump Tweets and Fiddles While Cities Burn and Citizens Die
What a week this has been in the history of the United States! Deaths from COVID-19 under Trump's watch, enhanced by his delaying any meaningful action to contain spread of the virus for a month and a half, surpass 100,000. At the same time, protests in cities around the nation erupt in fires, looting, and mass violence as one fuse too many ignites the longstanding, never-resolved issue of institutional racism, with the pent-up anger exploding into the open like a contagion. All the while, presidential leadership in virtually non-existent. Trump chooses to tweet that HIS free speech rights are being violated when his statements are being fact-checked and labeled as being non-factual. He further attempts to divert attention from the destructive rage of the civil violence and the tragic loss of life through the continued spread of the deadly virus by holding a terse news conference in which he announces two totally nonproductive actions, cancelling US involvement in the World Health Organization, and abandoning US support for Hong Kong's separate system rights with China, leaving Hong Kong at the full mercy of China with our de facto acceptance. If this is what Trump considers "Making America Great Again", he probably considers Nero one of Rome's great leaders, having been found fiddling while Rome burned. And this is undoubtedly Trump at his best, at least the best we can expect of him! The United States must do better, and will have the chance to regain some degree of integrity, dignity, competence, and respect in November. To not succeed in this endeavor is not an option!
Saturday, October 26, 2019
POLITICAL TURMOIL IN AMERICA: 2013 TO 2019, YEARS OF DISORDER, DECAY, AND DECLINE IN AMERICA
INTRODUCTION TO COMMENTARIES
The 21st Century began with a great deal of optimism in the United States. The nation was alone as the sole superpower in the world, the Soviet Union had collapsed a decade earlier, and no other country now rivaled its overwhelming military and economic strength. The nation had survived an extremely close, contentious election that was essentially decided by the Supreme Court, and a new administration assumed office without further dissention. The optimism and clear sailing was not to last long, however. The al Qaeda attacks of 9-11 woke the nation up fully to the viciousness of the long-smoldering resentment and hatred that had been breeding in the Middle East for decades, in fact for centuries, as a result of foreign domination, leading to gross inequality and sectarian rivalries that had escalated and often been reinforced by foreign meddling that continued as a carryover from the earlier centuries of Western Colonialism. The US had obviously underplayed the seriousness of this resentment, and Middle Eastern terrorists unleashed the full venom of their hatred against our country, as the leader, and strongest, of the Western nations seen as so oppressive. To make matters in the Middle East worse, the new Bush-Cheney administration gravely miscalculated their power to mold Middle East realities to their desires, deciding to attack and overthrow the government of Iraq, which had not been involved in the al Qaeda attacks. This warfare further destabilized the Middle East, added to anti-Western hostility, and triggered the later creation of ISIS from disaffected Iraqis and others wanting to rid the region of Western influence.
As if our Middle East problems were not enough, the US economy collapsed in 2008, wealth creation and property values having risen excessively during the past two decades of economic boom and unpaid-for military spending in the Middle East. The US economic collapse quickly spread to consume much of the world economy, as some banks failed, jobs were lost, and businesses closed. In this context, Barack Obama was elected president, offering real change, hope, a positive vision for a better, brighter future for a nation in need of change. Almost immediately, however, his Republican opposition in Congress, led by Mitch McConnell, vowed to ensure that the optimistic endeavors of the Obama administration would fail, and a pattern of gridlock and stalemate developed in Congress that, after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, doomed many of its desires for the nation. The economy did gradually begin to recover, limited however by the harsh reality that most of the recovery benefits were effecting corporations and the more wealthy among the population, not extending down fully to help the middle and lower income groups recover. The nation stayed enmeshed in the Middle East, with Iraq and Afghanistan torn by sectarian rivalries necessitating continued US presence, ISIS developing into an even more potent anti-western terrorist organization, Iran's desire to join its rival Israel in possessing nuclear power, and the Palestinians need for a viable homeland on the West Bank all problems remaining unresolved.
In this context, Obama was reelected president in 2012, setting the stage for the writing of these commentaries. They were written by Bill Hessell, PhD, a retired clinical psychologist with a life-long interest in politics, world history,and international relations, with a special interest in conflict resolution as applied to interpersonal relationships and to foreign affairs. The commentaries were written between 2013 and 2019 for posting on the political blogsite, fortheleft.blogspot.com, managed by a friend, Keith Shirey. They remain available on that site, and are reprinted here for ready accessibility as a collection. They give, then, one person's perception of some of the very key events and developments during this very seminal, critical period of time in our nation's political history.
Friday, October 25, 2019
POLITICAL TURMOIL IN AMERICA: 2013 TO 2019, YEARS OF DISORDER, DECAY, DECLINE IN AMERICA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Post # Page #
1. The Plague of Corporate Political Sponsorship
2. America's Lingering Wild West Mentality
3. Political Gridlock: A Sign of a Nation In Distress
4. America's Wild West Past is Part of Our Foreign Policy
5. Reagan's Betrayal of the Middle Class Comes to Full Fruition
6. Obama -- From Audacity to Acquiescence
7. America's Changing World Image: Some do Hate Us
8. Who Speaks for America's Youth?
9. The High Cost of Excessive Income Inequity
10. The Greatest Threats Facing the US Are Not External Enemies, Not ISIS,
but Major Internal Dysfunctions
11. US Fails in Roll as World Diplomatic Leader
12. A Nation In Search of Its Moral Compass
13. Consumed by Fear and Dysfunction: A Great Nation Losing Influence
and Credibility
14. Netanyahu's Speech Arrogant, Insulting, Full of Lies
15. The Ukrainian Conundrum
16. Wake Up America: A Complacent Nation Sleepwalks Into Danger
17. Charlie Wilson's War Revisited: When the US Supported Jihadists and
the Precursors to Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIS
18. The Neocons Reemerge: Endless Warfare Threatened by Their Illusions
of World Domination
19. Punished for Extraordinary Courage: America's "Reward" For Four
Exceptional Citizens
20. Political Game-Playing and Hypocrisy: Our Middle Class and Foreign
Policy Suffer
21. The Shameless, Unmitigated Gall of Dick Cheney
22. The Obama Enigma: Moments of Enlightened Leadership, Months of
Less Impressive Posturing
23. Our Nation's Failing Mental Health System: Do Our Politicians Really Care?
24. The Iran Nuclear Treaty: Our Best Chance 1) to Begin a True Middle East
Peace Process and 2) to Finally Reject the Policies and People Who
Brought Us the Disastrous Iraqi War
25. The GOP's Top Ten To Do List: No Wonder Congress is So Unpopular
26. America's Obsession with Trump: A Rude Wake Up Call for Us All
27. Combatting ISIS: Is the US Losing An Opportunity to Foster A Broad
Coalition In This Common Cause?
28. America's Angry: The Voting Public is Letting the Establishment Know
Their Anger Is For Real
30. The Nation's Political Divide Becomes a Huge Chasm: No Relief in Sight
31. Threat and Reality of Foreign Wars and Domestic Violence Grow: Does
Anyone Really Care?
32. It's The Party of Trump Versus the Rest of Us: The Self-Destruction of
the Republican Party
33. An Election Like No Other: There Will Be No Real Winners This Time
34. How Long, Oh How Long, Will This Trump Nightmare Last?
35. An Eclipse Falls Over America: The Long, Dark Shadow of Donald Trump
36. America is Standing At The Crossroads: Which Way USA?
37. Deviant Donald and the Destruction of the American Dream
38. The Reign and Rage of Trump: Our Nation and the World At Great Risk
39. Trump is Hellbent for Conflict and War: Time for the Public to Say
"You're Fired!"
40. The GOP's Lost Soul: Sold Out to the Highest Donor and the Lowest Instincts
41. Trump, the NRA, and Our Escalation Into a Violent-Prone Society
42. The Trump Presidency: A Monstrous Moral and Political Mistake
43. Trumpland: Doesn't Integrity Matter Anymore?
44. A Dark Cloud Descends Over America: The 21st Century Decline of a
Great Nation
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
A DARK CLOUD DESCENDS OVER AMERICA: THE 21ST CENTURY DECLINE OF A GREAT NATION
An unusually dark storm cloud began to descend on the United States two years ago, with the bizarre election of Donald J. Trump as President of our nation. Many observers anticipated his presidency would be highly problematic, that he was in fact unfit and totally unprepared for the office, others hoped for the best, that he would rise to meet the responsibilities of the office with some grace, integrity, and stature. After two years in office, it is fair to say that the worst fears have been realized, and any optimistic hopes were dead on arrival. But it would be very unfair to say that the dark clouds began with the arrival of Donald Trump onto the political scene, or that blue skies will reemerge with his departure. The storm has been brewing for decades, and the component factors in the turmoil that now exist are numerous, some deep-seeded. Let's look for a moment at the recent history of the United States as an optimally strong nation, both in its domestic strength and in its role as a major world leader.
In reviewing our nation's political, economic, and international strength over the last 70 years, we were at the height of our strength in the 1950's and 1960's. The nation was functioning as a relatively united community of citizens, recovering from the trauma of World War 2, Industry was booming with defense mobilization converting to domestic peacetime production, and federal support was being giving generously to veterans for their education, public school improvement was emphasized, and infrastructure upgrading and expansion was underway. Jobs were plentiful and our middle class was growing rapidly in numbers and economic well-being. We were the clearly recognized leaders of the free world, the Marshall Plan to help war-depleted allies recover from the ruins of the recent war solidified our world leadership, and the Cold War with the Soviet Union made our involvement in world affairs indispensable. The nation began to fracture domestically in the late 1960's over the continuation and expansion of the Vietnamese War, which was mistakenly seen by our policy makers as a domino theory example of the Soviet Union fostering a civil war to put another nation under their Communist rule, rather than as primarily a homegrown rebellion of Vietnamese struggling to establish their own independence after centuries of colonial domination by Western nations.
The 1970's were highly contentious, not only because of the often violent protests to end the Vietnamese War but also as society itself was experiencing major changes, with the younger people who matured with the free expression which was rampant in the 1960's actively reacting against many of the ways of older, more established factions of society. Not only in domestic politics, and especially in the participation in a war they felt was poorly conceived and deceitfully begun and conducted, but also in regard to music and many social mores, such as those dealing with sex and language. Added to the societal dissension and the reality of the US being involved, for the first time, in a foreign war that it was losing, was the downfall of the Nixon administration, due to the illegal activities that Nixon was found to be directly responsible for, in his striving to remain in power in spite of his growing unpopularity. Ethics and honesty still did matter to the nation, and to their credit, many members of Nixon's own party were ready to vote against him, necessitating that he resign to avoid the travails of an Impeachment trial. In spite of the battling between parties and the fractionating of the country on some issues, a degree of integrity was, during this episode, seen as essential for a government to remain functional. When the nation arrives into the 2000's, integrity may not have as significant a role in the nation's political life, as the value of winning, through any means, often came to outweigh the role of integrity.
The election of Ronald Reagan allowed a temporary respite in some of the open domestic division, as he was a relatively popular president. His tax reductions were well-received, but ultimately significantly damaged the economic well-being of the middle class, the people that comprised his major voting base, as the tax reductions primarily helped the more wealthy classes, and the percentage of the nation's wealth in the hands of the middle class began to decline, as did their numbers. More people slipped into impoverished circumstances, as less money became available for the nation's social service and safety net, with public school funding and welfare needs becoming under-funded. The Cold War began to wind down, a very positive development, as the Soviet Union weakened itself economically through its attempt to impose its own government upon Afghanistan and defeat some rebellious movements within is own borders, and its new leader, Gorbachev, was able to negotiate an end to the Cold War and a breakup of the Soviet Union into separate independent nations. There was a chance for a more peaceful world, but would it materialize?
The 1990's began with guarded optimism. There was a chance of a "peace dividend" due to the end of the Cold War, but there were major trouble signs in the Middle East. There was fighting between Iraq and Kuwait, which involved our intervention. The long-standing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians over the creation of the state of Israel and the need to establish a homeland for the Palestinians begged for resolution. Shia and Sunni Arab nations have never found a solution to their differences, and anti-colonial anger still enraged the region over the many decades of Western domination and continuing interference. In short, the region was a smoldering hotbed, waiting for the next outbreak of violence. Clinton tried to make a difference, but his attempts to ease tensions had little success. He also worked with Yeltsin to create a free enterprise economic society in Russia, but Yeltsin was a weak, ineffective leader, Russia reverted to a more autocratic leader when Putin became president there. And Clinton greatly weakened his own domestic agenda with his Lewinski affair. He also allowed the financial regulations stipulated by the long-standing Glass-Steagall act to lapse, playing a role in the economic collapse that later occurred in 2008, and Clinton's difficulties served to strengthen the Republican party's likelihood of winning the 2000 election.
The contentious events of the 2000's needn't be fully itemized. A highly contested election, decided in essence by the Supreme Court, the 9-11 al Qaeda attacks on our nation, war against al Qaeda in Afghanistan leading to a misguided, deceitfully-initiated war against Iraq by the Bush-Cheney administration, remnants of Iraq's defeated Sunni population became world-wide terrorists, known as ISIS, becoming active in Western aligned nations as well as establishing major footholds within Iraq and also increasingly in Syria. The economic collapse of 2008 added to the turmoil. The election of Barack Obama brought a note of positive promise to the scene, but it was not to be fulfilled, as his presidency was met with a solid wall of opposition by Republicans in congress, and his attempts to ameliorate Middle East initiated well-intended Arab Spring activities, which however initially well-received, fell upon a region not yet at all ready for such optimistic changes. An attempted reset with Russia also never really got off the ground. A basic suspiciousness of Russia was deep-seated, many in the State Department were still Neocons, believing the US should, and could, retain sole world power and leadership, and with the US still taking actions which threatened Russia, Putin responded in kind. Domestically the US was essentially in a state of gridlock during the Obama years. After the passage of Obama's Affordable Care Act, Republicans tightened their defenses against the passage of any other major legislation. The middle and lower classes never recovered economically from the fall of 2008, their wages remained stagnant although the wealth of more wealthy people recovered rapidly from the sharp 2008 decline. While the Dow-Jones average rose to all-time heights, middle class well-being still suffered. The trickle down theory was clearly not at all working.
Such was the situation when the dark cloud, in the person of Donald Trump, was elected. His personal abrasive nature, his political biases, typically self-serving and uninformed, greatly magnified the divisiveness, the anger, and the political polarization that already existed in the country. He has antagonized our Western allies, seemingly acted like a buddy cohort with the dictators and oligarchs of the world, and has filled his cabinet and administration only with those who do his bidding, and fires those who don't. He rejects science, and his own FBI, CIA, and State Department reports. He has a terrible relationship with the mainstream media, with the exception of the one network and a few right-wing pundits who support and parrot his views. He holds firm to this nationalistic "Make America Great Again" views, which translate into a take America way back to how it used to be, racist, white supremacist, intolerant of forward progress, desiring to reverse all the positive changes that have been fought for and won over the past decades. In short, he is breaking down the very things that have served to make America great. His anti-immigrant obsession forgets, of course, that from its outset our nation has been a nation of immigrants. He does, unfortunately have a base of apparently like-minded people, and, opportunist that he is, caters to their views. Establishment Republicans have typically been reluctant to risk his wrath by opposing him. His ever-increasing opposition suggests many of his actions and policies are anathema to a majority of American citizens, but under our system, removing a damaging and dangerously unfit president takes time, through impeachment, 25th amendment, election loss, or other legal means. Such is the situation our nation now faces.
There is hope, certainly, that the dark cloud will lift in the not unforeseeable future. Democratic congressional gains in the recent election are a positive indication of things to come. Women, and younger voters are more engaged in politics than ever before, and are strongly opposed to many of Trump's actions and policies. Environmental threats are ignored by the Trump administration, as are the threats of renewed nuclear proliferation and international hostilities. People interested in the well-being of future generations are especially incensed by Trump's many biases, including his ignoring these major threats. His total lack of integrity, demonstrated in his daily erratic, contradictory pronouncements, models a direction which would be peril for our society to follow, not to mention his volatile anger, and impulsive, self-serving, egotistical behaviors. If the current investigations by Mueller and/or congressional committees don't bear fruit, and lead to a lifting of the dark cloud of Trump, increased voter turnout in 2020, especially by women and young people, may well provide the ray of sunshine that will break through the dark cloud, and remove the disaster that has resulted from the election of Trump. Only then can steps again be taken towards realizing the great potential that our founding fathers had for our nation, but knew that it could be reached only through a prolonged work-in-progress. For all of our well-being, that progress must be resumed.
In reviewing our nation's political, economic, and international strength over the last 70 years, we were at the height of our strength in the 1950's and 1960's. The nation was functioning as a relatively united community of citizens, recovering from the trauma of World War 2, Industry was booming with defense mobilization converting to domestic peacetime production, and federal support was being giving generously to veterans for their education, public school improvement was emphasized, and infrastructure upgrading and expansion was underway. Jobs were plentiful and our middle class was growing rapidly in numbers and economic well-being. We were the clearly recognized leaders of the free world, the Marshall Plan to help war-depleted allies recover from the ruins of the recent war solidified our world leadership, and the Cold War with the Soviet Union made our involvement in world affairs indispensable. The nation began to fracture domestically in the late 1960's over the continuation and expansion of the Vietnamese War, which was mistakenly seen by our policy makers as a domino theory example of the Soviet Union fostering a civil war to put another nation under their Communist rule, rather than as primarily a homegrown rebellion of Vietnamese struggling to establish their own independence after centuries of colonial domination by Western nations.
The 1970's were highly contentious, not only because of the often violent protests to end the Vietnamese War but also as society itself was experiencing major changes, with the younger people who matured with the free expression which was rampant in the 1960's actively reacting against many of the ways of older, more established factions of society. Not only in domestic politics, and especially in the participation in a war they felt was poorly conceived and deceitfully begun and conducted, but also in regard to music and many social mores, such as those dealing with sex and language. Added to the societal dissension and the reality of the US being involved, for the first time, in a foreign war that it was losing, was the downfall of the Nixon administration, due to the illegal activities that Nixon was found to be directly responsible for, in his striving to remain in power in spite of his growing unpopularity. Ethics and honesty still did matter to the nation, and to their credit, many members of Nixon's own party were ready to vote against him, necessitating that he resign to avoid the travails of an Impeachment trial. In spite of the battling between parties and the fractionating of the country on some issues, a degree of integrity was, during this episode, seen as essential for a government to remain functional. When the nation arrives into the 2000's, integrity may not have as significant a role in the nation's political life, as the value of winning, through any means, often came to outweigh the role of integrity.
The election of Ronald Reagan allowed a temporary respite in some of the open domestic division, as he was a relatively popular president. His tax reductions were well-received, but ultimately significantly damaged the economic well-being of the middle class, the people that comprised his major voting base, as the tax reductions primarily helped the more wealthy classes, and the percentage of the nation's wealth in the hands of the middle class began to decline, as did their numbers. More people slipped into impoverished circumstances, as less money became available for the nation's social service and safety net, with public school funding and welfare needs becoming under-funded. The Cold War began to wind down, a very positive development, as the Soviet Union weakened itself economically through its attempt to impose its own government upon Afghanistan and defeat some rebellious movements within is own borders, and its new leader, Gorbachev, was able to negotiate an end to the Cold War and a breakup of the Soviet Union into separate independent nations. There was a chance for a more peaceful world, but would it materialize?
The 1990's began with guarded optimism. There was a chance of a "peace dividend" due to the end of the Cold War, but there were major trouble signs in the Middle East. There was fighting between Iraq and Kuwait, which involved our intervention. The long-standing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians over the creation of the state of Israel and the need to establish a homeland for the Palestinians begged for resolution. Shia and Sunni Arab nations have never found a solution to their differences, and anti-colonial anger still enraged the region over the many decades of Western domination and continuing interference. In short, the region was a smoldering hotbed, waiting for the next outbreak of violence. Clinton tried to make a difference, but his attempts to ease tensions had little success. He also worked with Yeltsin to create a free enterprise economic society in Russia, but Yeltsin was a weak, ineffective leader, Russia reverted to a more autocratic leader when Putin became president there. And Clinton greatly weakened his own domestic agenda with his Lewinski affair. He also allowed the financial regulations stipulated by the long-standing Glass-Steagall act to lapse, playing a role in the economic collapse that later occurred in 2008, and Clinton's difficulties served to strengthen the Republican party's likelihood of winning the 2000 election.
The contentious events of the 2000's needn't be fully itemized. A highly contested election, decided in essence by the Supreme Court, the 9-11 al Qaeda attacks on our nation, war against al Qaeda in Afghanistan leading to a misguided, deceitfully-initiated war against Iraq by the Bush-Cheney administration, remnants of Iraq's defeated Sunni population became world-wide terrorists, known as ISIS, becoming active in Western aligned nations as well as establishing major footholds within Iraq and also increasingly in Syria. The economic collapse of 2008 added to the turmoil. The election of Barack Obama brought a note of positive promise to the scene, but it was not to be fulfilled, as his presidency was met with a solid wall of opposition by Republicans in congress, and his attempts to ameliorate Middle East initiated well-intended Arab Spring activities, which however initially well-received, fell upon a region not yet at all ready for such optimistic changes. An attempted reset with Russia also never really got off the ground. A basic suspiciousness of Russia was deep-seated, many in the State Department were still Neocons, believing the US should, and could, retain sole world power and leadership, and with the US still taking actions which threatened Russia, Putin responded in kind. Domestically the US was essentially in a state of gridlock during the Obama years. After the passage of Obama's Affordable Care Act, Republicans tightened their defenses against the passage of any other major legislation. The middle and lower classes never recovered economically from the fall of 2008, their wages remained stagnant although the wealth of more wealthy people recovered rapidly from the sharp 2008 decline. While the Dow-Jones average rose to all-time heights, middle class well-being still suffered. The trickle down theory was clearly not at all working.
Such was the situation when the dark cloud, in the person of Donald Trump, was elected. His personal abrasive nature, his political biases, typically self-serving and uninformed, greatly magnified the divisiveness, the anger, and the political polarization that already existed in the country. He has antagonized our Western allies, seemingly acted like a buddy cohort with the dictators and oligarchs of the world, and has filled his cabinet and administration only with those who do his bidding, and fires those who don't. He rejects science, and his own FBI, CIA, and State Department reports. He has a terrible relationship with the mainstream media, with the exception of the one network and a few right-wing pundits who support and parrot his views. He holds firm to this nationalistic "Make America Great Again" views, which translate into a take America way back to how it used to be, racist, white supremacist, intolerant of forward progress, desiring to reverse all the positive changes that have been fought for and won over the past decades. In short, he is breaking down the very things that have served to make America great. His anti-immigrant obsession forgets, of course, that from its outset our nation has been a nation of immigrants. He does, unfortunately have a base of apparently like-minded people, and, opportunist that he is, caters to their views. Establishment Republicans have typically been reluctant to risk his wrath by opposing him. His ever-increasing opposition suggests many of his actions and policies are anathema to a majority of American citizens, but under our system, removing a damaging and dangerously unfit president takes time, through impeachment, 25th amendment, election loss, or other legal means. Such is the situation our nation now faces.
There is hope, certainly, that the dark cloud will lift in the not unforeseeable future. Democratic congressional gains in the recent election are a positive indication of things to come. Women, and younger voters are more engaged in politics than ever before, and are strongly opposed to many of Trump's actions and policies. Environmental threats are ignored by the Trump administration, as are the threats of renewed nuclear proliferation and international hostilities. People interested in the well-being of future generations are especially incensed by Trump's many biases, including his ignoring these major threats. His total lack of integrity, demonstrated in his daily erratic, contradictory pronouncements, models a direction which would be peril for our society to follow, not to mention his volatile anger, and impulsive, self-serving, egotistical behaviors. If the current investigations by Mueller and/or congressional committees don't bear fruit, and lead to a lifting of the dark cloud of Trump, increased voter turnout in 2020, especially by women and young people, may well provide the ray of sunshine that will break through the dark cloud, and remove the disaster that has resulted from the election of Trump. Only then can steps again be taken towards realizing the great potential that our founding fathers had for our nation, but knew that it could be reached only through a prolonged work-in-progress. For all of our well-being, that progress must be resumed.
Monday, July 23, 2018
TRUMPLAND: DOESN'T INTEGRITY MATTER ANYMORE?
Has our nation's Integrity Quotient plummeted to a previously unheard of low in recent years? With the advent of Donald Trump's presidency, it seems obvious that it has! Responsible media analysts have identified over 3000 statements that Trump has made during his first year and a half in office that were clearly contrary to fact, notwithstanding his insistence they were true. His administration rapidly and repeatedly labels real, factual news as "fake news", and media outlets which back his rule serve as a regular conduit for the announcements coming out of his office, parroting the untrue assertions which are offered in support of his policies. Recent examples are numerous, including his reasoning for separating parents from their children, among refugee seekers at the border, citing dangers which were falsely stated as occurring when the refugees status is processed as usual. Another example is repeatedly claiming that he has been much tougher on Russia than Obama ever was, overlooking the damaging sanctions that the Obama administration imposed on Russia after their Crimean incursion, and belying the fact that Trump and his advisors have made numerous overtures for better relations with Russia, including considering repeal of the sanctions. A third example involves Trump's withdrawal of the US from the Iranian Nuclear Agreement, claiming Iran was violating the terms of the agreement, an unverified charge and one negated by our Western allies denying his claim. Whether it concerns human rights, foreign affairs, the health of the nation's economy, accepting scientific fact, or facing environmental realities, the Trump administration is clearly fact-challenged! Without a respect for truth, integrity is nonexistent, and our society seems to be at serious risk of falling prey to its absence. A positive quality like integrity, especially when modeled by a respected leader, can have a contagious effect on society. So too, tragically, can a false leader serve to stimulate a profound loss of respect for integrity within society. Our nation seems to be experiencing just such a loss!
For a nation which frequently and often proudly proclaims its "Exceptionalism", and which does indeed stand for a number of qualities which are to be highly respected and set it apart from many other nations, what has contributed to its current integrity-deficit? While our founding fathers may have had the highest of intentions, they did have to make serious compromises in some of their basic values at our nations very onset, in order to get it off the ground. Voting rights, property rights, and gender equality were all extremely limited, slavery was allowed to exist as a compromise to Southern economic interests, and Native Americans were treated as less than human, as treaty after treaty with tribes were broken as their land was literally stolen from them. The fictitious concept of "Manifest Destiny" gave the newly-labeled Americans the right to eradicate those standing in their way, as though God ordained it. So those stealing land could hold their heads high, in carrying out God's will, and their own integrity, in their minds, was not being violated.
Later generations of leaders have tried to rectify some of the early lapses of integrity, and the moral and political shortcomings implicit in our founding documents and institutions have often been points of contention. While the wrongs perpetuated on Native Americans have never been adequately addressed, and undoubtedly never will be, a Civil War was fought to end the inhuman practice of slavery, voting rights were gradually increased, greater economic opportunity and equality have been fervently sought, with varying results over time. An ebb and flow battle has existed between property rights and the accumulation of wealth, a central feature of capitalism, on one hand, and human rights and the striving for greater equality and justice to be shared by all people, on the other. True integrity is often sacrificed in this battle, ends seen as justifying the means, as compromises are often made to reach one's ends, regardless of the effect they may have on one's sense of integrity. Still, up until the last two decades, our political leaders have always been expected to act with some degree of integrity, and were rapidly removed from office when it became obvious that they were falling far short in this expectation. One example from recent history was when Richard Nixon, clearly caught lying and engaging in deceitful practices through the Watergate Inquiry, was forced to resign from the presidency. A second was Bill Clinton, found to have lied over an illicit affair he conducted with a White House intern, was impeached by Congress, not found guilty by the Senate, but his presidency still severely reprimanded. Since then, integrity has been in short supply in Washington DC, and Trump's presidency brings the degree and intensity of its absence to a new level.
As the preceding all reveals, our nation's problems with integrity at high levels in no way began with Trump, undoubtedly won't end with him, but have reached a level which must be openly addressed and corrected, before the damage is totally irreparable. His presidency is the third major blow which our nation's credibility and integrity have experienced already this century. The first was the overt lying and false statements that came from the George W Bush-Dick Cheney administration, leading us to start a war against Iraq, one the administration clearly desired, based on falsified evidence. The second was the Republican-led Congress's absolute refusal to cooperate with the Obama administration on any key issues, even defeating programs and policies they had previously supported and proposed themselves, as their sole intent, openly admitted, was to ensure that Obama's presidency would be a failure. Clearly a case of partisanship over patriotism, and revealing an abject absence of integrity in violating their stated values of acting in the nation's best interest. Not surprisingly, voters were sick of the existing political establishment--it had failed them--and neither party offered a clear change from that establishment in the 2016 election, except for Donald Trump. The Republican establishment candidates had failed them, and the Clinton candidacy was the epitome of establishment, and had its own integrity issues. Hence, Trump's nomination and election, and our current political realities.
Trump is the ultimate in a chaos-driven, ego-centric, ethically-challenged, opportunistic individual. Impulsive and erratic in his emotions and actions, he has been called by some mental health professionals a "malignant narcissist", with his irresponsible and obsessive self-serving behaviors tending to spread to the people he is having greatest contact with, and from them to others in their contact. This seems to be happening in Trump's administration, spreading to Republicans in Congress, and to media outlets aligned with the GOP. They are becoming integrity-challenged themselves, spreading most of his untruths without qualification. In the latest polls, even Republican voters, historically the most conservative, religious, and likely to insist on the personal and political integrity of leaders, offer him their support, the number supporting him currently being over 80%. Its clearly short-term party bias and perceived political gain "trumping" all other considerations, integrity, truth, overall national well-being be damned! The dark power that resides in the White House is considerable, and having a marked influence on the nation. But so too is an ameliorative power that resides in the public, citizens who respect our nation's primary stated values, principles, and purposes. They are marshaling their forces for the battles that lie ahead, whether they be in the courts, in upcoming elections, hopefully, certainly, not in the streets. And hopefully not fought on foreign lands in an ego-driven or diversionary war Trump pursues to shift attention from his domestic failings. But the battle, one for our nation's integrity, well-being, and respectability needs to be fought. Many have fought for it in the past, and they have more frequently than not, won. Our history is replete with such instances. The united, informed energy and efforts of those who care can produce another such instance. Our future can't lie in Trump's hands, it must lie in ours. It is up to us!
For a nation which frequently and often proudly proclaims its "Exceptionalism", and which does indeed stand for a number of qualities which are to be highly respected and set it apart from many other nations, what has contributed to its current integrity-deficit? While our founding fathers may have had the highest of intentions, they did have to make serious compromises in some of their basic values at our nations very onset, in order to get it off the ground. Voting rights, property rights, and gender equality were all extremely limited, slavery was allowed to exist as a compromise to Southern economic interests, and Native Americans were treated as less than human, as treaty after treaty with tribes were broken as their land was literally stolen from them. The fictitious concept of "Manifest Destiny" gave the newly-labeled Americans the right to eradicate those standing in their way, as though God ordained it. So those stealing land could hold their heads high, in carrying out God's will, and their own integrity, in their minds, was not being violated.
Later generations of leaders have tried to rectify some of the early lapses of integrity, and the moral and political shortcomings implicit in our founding documents and institutions have often been points of contention. While the wrongs perpetuated on Native Americans have never been adequately addressed, and undoubtedly never will be, a Civil War was fought to end the inhuman practice of slavery, voting rights were gradually increased, greater economic opportunity and equality have been fervently sought, with varying results over time. An ebb and flow battle has existed between property rights and the accumulation of wealth, a central feature of capitalism, on one hand, and human rights and the striving for greater equality and justice to be shared by all people, on the other. True integrity is often sacrificed in this battle, ends seen as justifying the means, as compromises are often made to reach one's ends, regardless of the effect they may have on one's sense of integrity. Still, up until the last two decades, our political leaders have always been expected to act with some degree of integrity, and were rapidly removed from office when it became obvious that they were falling far short in this expectation. One example from recent history was when Richard Nixon, clearly caught lying and engaging in deceitful practices through the Watergate Inquiry, was forced to resign from the presidency. A second was Bill Clinton, found to have lied over an illicit affair he conducted with a White House intern, was impeached by Congress, not found guilty by the Senate, but his presidency still severely reprimanded. Since then, integrity has been in short supply in Washington DC, and Trump's presidency brings the degree and intensity of its absence to a new level.
As the preceding all reveals, our nation's problems with integrity at high levels in no way began with Trump, undoubtedly won't end with him, but have reached a level which must be openly addressed and corrected, before the damage is totally irreparable. His presidency is the third major blow which our nation's credibility and integrity have experienced already this century. The first was the overt lying and false statements that came from the George W Bush-Dick Cheney administration, leading us to start a war against Iraq, one the administration clearly desired, based on falsified evidence. The second was the Republican-led Congress's absolute refusal to cooperate with the Obama administration on any key issues, even defeating programs and policies they had previously supported and proposed themselves, as their sole intent, openly admitted, was to ensure that Obama's presidency would be a failure. Clearly a case of partisanship over patriotism, and revealing an abject absence of integrity in violating their stated values of acting in the nation's best interest. Not surprisingly, voters were sick of the existing political establishment--it had failed them--and neither party offered a clear change from that establishment in the 2016 election, except for Donald Trump. The Republican establishment candidates had failed them, and the Clinton candidacy was the epitome of establishment, and had its own integrity issues. Hence, Trump's nomination and election, and our current political realities.
Trump is the ultimate in a chaos-driven, ego-centric, ethically-challenged, opportunistic individual. Impulsive and erratic in his emotions and actions, he has been called by some mental health professionals a "malignant narcissist", with his irresponsible and obsessive self-serving behaviors tending to spread to the people he is having greatest contact with, and from them to others in their contact. This seems to be happening in Trump's administration, spreading to Republicans in Congress, and to media outlets aligned with the GOP. They are becoming integrity-challenged themselves, spreading most of his untruths without qualification. In the latest polls, even Republican voters, historically the most conservative, religious, and likely to insist on the personal and political integrity of leaders, offer him their support, the number supporting him currently being over 80%. Its clearly short-term party bias and perceived political gain "trumping" all other considerations, integrity, truth, overall national well-being be damned! The dark power that resides in the White House is considerable, and having a marked influence on the nation. But so too is an ameliorative power that resides in the public, citizens who respect our nation's primary stated values, principles, and purposes. They are marshaling their forces for the battles that lie ahead, whether they be in the courts, in upcoming elections, hopefully, certainly, not in the streets. And hopefully not fought on foreign lands in an ego-driven or diversionary war Trump pursues to shift attention from his domestic failings. But the battle, one for our nation's integrity, well-being, and respectability needs to be fought. Many have fought for it in the past, and they have more frequently than not, won. Our history is replete with such instances. The united, informed energy and efforts of those who care can produce another such instance. Our future can't lie in Trump's hands, it must lie in ours. It is up to us!
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