Mr. Trump continues to create problems as he works feverishly and relentlessly to move America backwards to what he sees as the good old days when America was great. And, according to him, he wants to make America great again! And there are polls that say as much as 89% of Republicans are on board with him. Those Americans who are siding with him don’t seem to care how he does it as long as he does it.
They seem to have no problem with the fact that he lies almost every time he opens his mouth, that he is systematically tearing down the systems that America has in place that makes us America, that he is not at all presidential when it comes to avoiding engaging in fights with those who are far beneath him but instead strikes back ruthlessly and with great vengeance against anyone who dares to say anything negative about him – thereby giving them a platform far greater than what they deserve, and that many times he completely ignores and trashes the Constitution. So it should come as no surprise that when it comes to human rights issues and he heartlessly separates parents and their children and puts them in Trump cages that they still stick with him, likely feeling that the end justifies the means.
The fact that Mr. Trump knows exactly which buttons to push and is openly and blatantly dividing our great country by race and making every effort to cause Americans to resort to tribalism doesn’t seem to bother his supporters either. Not even the fact that they must be aware by now that he cares about no one but himself and is doing everything that he is doing strictly for political reasons and to protect himself seems to phase them. One can rest assured though that everything that Mr. Trump does that has the potential of having a negative impact on him is very carefully thought out and choreographed to assure, to the greatest extent possible, that that ultimate impact on him will be positive. Yet when it comes to transacting the business of America and fulfilling his responsibilities to America and the American people, he puts no thought or preparation into it but takes haphazard actions and carries out those actions based solely on whims and his gut feelings.
How can so many intelligent people side with Mr. Trump when he calls the Robert Mueller investigation a witch hunt in light of all of the evidence that has been produced that points to the fact that Russia did meddle in our 2016 elections and that Mr. Trump and/or his campaign colluded with Russia in this meddling? How can they look at Mr. Trump’s record as a liar, cheat and a con man, compare that to the record of special counsel Mueller and still choose to side with Mr. Trump?
Finally, I have a problem with Mr. Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ idea because in his nostalgic thoughts about going back to the ‘good old days’ of America, he means going back to the days when powerful white people had their feet on the necks of people of color and those people were only acceptable to most white people if they ‘knew their place’ and openly accepted the role of being second-class citizens. He has demonstrated, and continues to demonstrate, his support for the ideas and ideals of white supremacists, he himself has either denied or been associated with people who denied people of color the right to live in buildings that he owned simply because of the color of their skin, and even now he continues to stir the smoldering embers of racism and hate in the hope that he will be able to profit from it.
Unfortunately, Mr. Trump is not about uniting America, he is about dividing her. He did not decide to attack congresswoman Maxine Waters for her recent statement that people should let members of his cabinet who condone his behavior and who have lied for him know that they are not welcome in various public places. This was not one of his whim or gut feeling situations. This was one of his carefully choreographed ones. Mr. Trump chose to attack congresswoman Waters to stir up his base and gen up support from them.
Some of the pundits and cable network hosts have said that congresswoman Waters was wrong to say what she said. I have some ambivalence about what she said. I do not agree that she should have made such a statement but I can also understand why she made it. She, along with some of the pundits and cable network hosts feel that it is past time to stop playing nice with Mr. Trump. They also believe that it is far past time to speak truth to power in no uncertain terms. The Republicans in the US congress are not doing it! But at this point, Mr. Trump appears to be in a win-win situation and he knows it. You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t.
So, what can one say to congresswoman Waters and others like her and what are we supposed to feel about what they say to Mr. Trump or how they conduct themselves toward him? As for me, what should I say? Well, in sticking with the theme in the title of this article – which I consider to be somewhat of an oxymoron, what I will say is kudos congresswoman Waters for what you said regarding Mr. Trump’s cabinet members that you shouldn’t have said.
Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line