The president who threatens his own country
Trump at war with his opponents
Gordon L. Weil
People should be either sad, angry or worried. Or all three.
Recent news reveals far more than mere political disagreement. It’s normal in a democracy for people to
disagree and to argue that they know better than the opposition. It’s the new normal to turn opposition into
hatred and disagreement into unyielding conflict, threatening the country.
In his speech to the Republican rally that was called a convention,
President Trump engaged in fear-mongering, repeatedly claiming that a Democratic
congressional victory would bring Communist control. This is not acceptable political talk nor can
it be dismissed as campaign rhetoric; some people take it seriously because he
says so.
Rally participants shouted out for the killing of Democratic
Senate candidates. Sen. Ted Cruz was
speaking at the time, but wanted to give the impression he had not heard,
though many others did. To ensure
continued control by Trump Republicans, anything goes. If Trump’s view prevails, no political opposition
to his authoritarian government could survive.
Trump divides. Upon
taking office, the Trump administration abruptly fired the head of the armed
forces, a Black man, and the head of the Navy, a white woman. The actions
implied that they got their jobs because of favoritism, not their experience
and ability. Without evidence, such prejudicial
judgments can be understood as legitimizing racism and sexism.
He rejects affirmative action, but goes further to remove
from office people he sees as taking the place of the historical ruling class. He tries to rewrite or deny history. Slavery cannot be erased as part of that
history, yet that’s now being attempted in museums and national parks.
Beyond the federal government avoiding efforts promoting
diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), he withholds government funding to force
non-governmental institutions, from universities to law firms, to follow his
line. Critical scientific research, through
which America has led the world, will be severely crippled.
The president uses the augmented powers given to him by the
Supreme Court to use the federal government for personal enrichment and retribution
against his critics. The DOJ brings spurious
legal actions against critics and opponents, while openly admitting that the
evidence of their supposed crimes must be found only after charges are brought. That’s not how justice works.
These moves may intimidate their subjects into submission or
retreat. They certainly constitute harassment,
aimed at making life more difficult and costly for his critics. He never uses these tactics against
supporters and, in fact, pardoned people who attacked the Capitol police in
2021.
He sues the news media and seeks regulatory penalties for
those who simply question him. Freedom
of speech is a one-way street for his administration. If successful, he could control or eliminate
expressions of opposition to his actions.
He has terrorized his own political party and converted it
into his personal property. Anxious to
hold onto their seats in Congress, Republicans temporize or keep quiet. They follow him, because they’re scared of
him. The GOP, historically against more federal
debt, now gives him all that he wants.
Their interest in survival exceeds their obligation to public service.
The Trump administration operates on the principle that the
U.S. is the most powerful nation in the world, militarily and economically, and
can force others to do what it demands.
Tariffs and warships, not diplomacy, are the prime instruments of foreign
policy. Adding insult to injury by making
wild claims against other countries is part of this policy.
He reduced military support for South Korea, an essential ally
in restraining China’s ambitions, because it does not support his Iran war. He openly disdains Europe, demanding its
support without consulting it. He covets
Greenland. He turns Israel, long
supported by both parties, into a partisan issue. All this is personal politics, not leadership.
Canada has long been a willing dependent of the U.S. Trying to achieve its complete subservience to
the U.S., Trump levied high tariffs and launched aggressive and extravagant
insults. In Canadian Prime Minister Mark
Carney, he found a rare opponent who would not be intimidated and who knows that
Trump’s America is forfeiting its global standing.
The world’s problem is not Donald Trump. It’s that the American people elected him a second
time after experiencing his first term. It’s
not that you cannot trust Trump; it’s that you cannot trust America. Turning away from America is a painful but
inevitable process.
The elections this year are a referendum on Trump. If Trump Republicanism survives, then more of
the same can be expected. Increasingly,
average people may see Trump policies threatening their standard of living, their
rights and their opportunity.
The question is not about whether the divided Democrats can
get out of their own way. It is whether the
American people pay enough attention to look out for their own good.
Disagree? Please
comment.
