The Worst Part about Trump Is that His Spineless Entourage Encourages Him
While late-night television host Trevor Noah certainly makes a good point in the meme at the left, one has to think that most people who encourage Trump do so because they’re afraid of what will happen if they don’t, not because they think he’s a sane and honest president with solid, well-thought-through ideas.
Imagine you’re a Republican in Congress or Trump’s cabinet. How likely are you to honestly believe that:
• Universal background checks for prospective gun owners and the availability of weapons of war for individual citizens violate the U.S. Constitution?
• White supremacists are morally equivalent to those who protest against these “values?”
• America’s future will be improved by destroying public schools?
• Our children’s futures will be brighter if we destroy the environment to support near-term corporate profits?
• We need to guard the Mexican border with military, given that illegal immigration is at a 46-year low (and tens of millions of dollars of fruits and vegetables are rotting in California’s fields)?
• Tax cuts for the rich will create jobs via trickle-down economics?
• Trade wars will improve our prosperity?
• Blowing up the national debt by $1.5 trillion is consistent with fiscal conservatism?
This support is based on fear; it’s the same basic principle at work as it was with the people who surrounded Stalin, only here, Trump ends careers, not lives.
That’s why we have some sympathy for the sycophants who surrounded Stalin, a tyrant who routinely had his detractors arrested, tortured and executed. Here, we’re nauseated by the gutless turds who happily trade in their integrity for dollars.
Craig,
Every day US Presidents must awake and concentrate on decisions affecting the lives of Americans and America for decades to come.
Most of the issues in your ‘rant list’ are not in the remit of a US President. The President can’t change gun laws. Effective gun control requires acts of Congress ( although states have some regulatory power) or a constitutional amendment.
Yes, the President quite correctly equated all violent protestors as equally liable for all violent acts. It’s the act of violence that’s reprehensible, not the political opinions of the perpetrator. To the victim, it matters little if killed by a White Supremacist nutter, or a Vegan fanatic, violence is violence.
The President has very little control over schools which are largely a matter of State or local administration.
The President was elected on the basis of his electoral promises. You are fully entitled to disagree with those policies, but the President can hardly be criticized for seeking to implement the policy objectives he was elected to pursue.
The economic policies the President supports are designed to make US employment and industry competitive again, especially for investment. Rightly or wrongly, the President will be judged by his economic impact on the lives of the voters.
The President is determined to end illegal migration. Just being elected reduced the flow of illegal migrant dramatically ! What’s so unusual about sending National Guard units to assist control the possibility of a sudden influx ? Why didn’t you complain when President Obama took exactly the same action ?
The US leftist orientated media is obsessed by the overtly political Mueller inquiry which has dragged on with no useful purpose except to continue a fever of sensationalist media speculation, along with the spectacle of dubious, but prurient, claims of an obscure pornographic actress as to whether she spent a couple of hours in an encounter with the President many years ago and long before he took office.
These bizarre obsessions only distract from the President’s serious duties. Worse, they distract the US people from focusing on relevant and important issues.
The President hasn’t stated a “trade war” ! The US has been locked in a “trade war” for 30 years, and losing !
The only difference is this President has the courage to recognize the danger and act in defence of US interests.
Previous administrations, US media and the Americans political elite have been living in a delusion of faded US power and prestige for decades. In the meantime, the rest of the world has been taking advantage of the decaying giant American economy. Largely because the US is preoccupied by destroying itself with apathy, delusion and irrelevant issues.
President-for-Life of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, must be delighted to witness the leader of his nations most powerful adversary, distracted by such irrelevant issues.
A prominent Beijing policy advisor to President Xi explained ;
“China was not ready for the sheer magnitude of President Trump coming after us on the US-China trade imbalance. Such determination is unexpected from a US leader. A deal must be negotiated as both sides have a lot to lose, especially China, as we are not yet ready for economic warfare with such a big power as America.”
Japan’s leading economist observed, “I believe many Chinese government officials are scared by escalating rhetoric, leaving both sides very little room to work out a deal. Both sides trying to score quick points for their own domestic political audiences is a big error. Now is the time to get both sides in a room, lock the doors, and work towards a deal that is fair to everyone.”
The Economist editorial observed : .
“Chinese officials will likely offer some strong concessions to make sure a trade battle with Washington is avoided. At the moment, China isn’t ready for economic conflict with America. China’s leadership is not yet ready and the focus must remain on developing rapidly growing economic and military power. A confrontation is not in China’s best interest at this time and must be delayed, until China is in a more powerful position.”
From the PRC Ambassador to Australia;
“China must think correctly on all of this trade discussion .Our goal is to ensure our rise is not halted. We have greater strategic goals in mind. Winning a trade skirmish with America could come at the highest of prices, turning America into an enemy that we can’t hope to defeat, at least not yet. We must delay that day for as long as we can.”
In recent months the PRC has been wooing it’s old enemy, Russia, into an alliance against the US thereby creating a problem for the US President at a time when US-Russian relations are at a low ebb. While it’s very important for US interests to keep the Russian Bear out of the clutches of the Dragon, it’s not easy to simultaneously contain Russian ambitions or the antics of it’s leadership.
So far the election of President Trump has been an unpleasant surprise for the jackals gathering around a stumbling and increasingly defenseless American giant. President Trump’s determination, candor, cunning and insightful judgement have caused a disruption in the geo-political dynamic.
The effete and self-absorbed EU Eurocrats badly misjudged the tenacity and confidence of President Trump. Putin’s Russia has been both reassured and alarmed at the advent of such an unpredictable, but pragmatic US leader, while the PRC has responded by becoming more resolute, but also more cautious, confident in the knowledge that Trump can’t last for ever and sooner or later the American system will produce an weaker American President eager to pursue appeasement.
The Chinese think President Trump is just an aberration. The PRC leadership despises US values as weak and decadent. Nor do they believe the US can sustain a decades long containment policy toward the PRC. Sooner or later, the US will elect another gullible, weak leader, whereas President Xi has another 20 years or so to prepare his next attack.
Craig, the barbarians are at the gates while you bleat impotently. The last great asset the US possesses is a number of loyal allies, but that doesn’t mean they should be taken for granted in the face of US folly.
Outside the US, Trump is perhaps better understood and more highly regarded. Americans seem shocked by frequent cabinet changes, although these are quite commonplace occurrences in other democratic systems of government.