Friday, May 12, 2017
A Day In The Anti-Life - Federal Case!
Our so-called President has done it again. Our fortnightly constitutional crisis was triggered this time by Trump's hectic dismissal of FBI Director James Comey followed by the now predictable litany of lies his brood of flacks to explain it away. As someone who firmly believes that the FBI intrusions did swing the election in crucial states, but also as one who mostly blames Hillary Clinton and her noxious private server for that result, I don't have a lot of affection for Comey but neither do I hate the guy. He's a man who had a sterling reputation just a single year ago but who is now widely regarded with disdain by large segments of the population, though I was somewhat heartened (weirdly) that a recent poll had fifty percent of the population unaware of who he was.
I know full well that our "Deciever-In-Chief" has the authority to do what he has done, that's not the question. But for the leader of the free world to fire the head of the "independent" agency which was investigating his own possible (and to my mind probable) misdeeds, it smacks of the worst kind of loathsome power politics which have been derided by leaders of the United States for decades if not longer. We're supposed to be better than that, a land of the free where the law is applied evenly despite the special perks a lot of cash can bring. We all know that's fairy dust, but it's what we're supposed to aspire to, and now we see the tiny hands of our current chief executive have put the lie to that crucial American myth -- that justice prevails and the good guys win while the bad guys lose.
I'm not further disappointed in Trump since I have no expectations at this point that he will act in anyone's best interest save his own. (As they say, when someone shows you what they are, believe them.) I've discounted that the President of these United States has the welfare of the nation as his primary (or even sadly a secondary or tertiary) concern. But it's Congress which disappoints most at this juncture. It's the reliable checks and balances which have protected this nation from tyranny and unless the Congress (I'm talking to you Republicans) jump starts its collective patriotic heart and intervenes, we are seeing that critical protection wither away. We have a man in power who sees that structure as "archaic" and now is helped in his predations on our liberties by a party which has mewed about the beloved Founders for decades. This is what they wrought and this what we have spent two hundred plus years improving upon -- don't let it slip away because Donald J. Tump has a bad hair day and wants everyone everywhere to kiss his puckered ass.
It's pretty obvious to anyone paying even halfway attention that Donald Trump is likely compromised in some way by the Russians. Likely he's in debt to them, as it's an open secret that his funding has for many years now come from that dark but ready source. The reason he won't release his taxes is clear enough. Do I imagine he's a double agent? Nope, but I do think he's an asset, a fool who has been turned into a useful idiot by corrupt American industry (Exxon) and corrupt foreign powers (Russians). The immediate goal is to extract wealth from the recesses of the Russian territories and to do it as quickly as possible. We see a shadow dance being played out before our eyes as these two forces pretend to feud to make their eventual make-up sex even more pleasurable. Our current so-called President is a venal, prevaricating, self-absorbed, obtuse, misogynistic, racist old man and I fear he might just be a traitor to his country before it's all said and done. Maybe his incompetence will overcome his other failings, but we can't bank on that.
Wake up America! The good guys are losing this one.
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Right on, Rip.
ReplyDeleteGiven all we've witnessed over the last year, I suspect that when the truth finally spills out, it may surprise us in ways we cannot begin to imagine.
What I believe sounds like the most heinous conspiracy claptrap, but damn if it doesn't add up. More is the pity.
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After Brexit and Trump there was much talk of a right-wing "populist revolution" which would sweep across Europe, toppling governments like a row of dominoes, leading to the collapse of the European Union. But that revolution has failed to appear and elections in Austria, Holland and France have greatly strengthened the EU (and elections in Germany will soon crush the far-right there too). I'm sure European voters looked at the appalling Trump and saw the true face of right-wing populism. Now Brexit Britain stands alone against the mighty EU (even Trump has abandoned his support for Brexit and wants to have a trade deal with the EU, not the UK). So I'm sorry that you've got Trump as president but at least he has unintentionally killed off the rise of the right-wing here in Europe.
ReplyDeleteIf the glowering face of the awful Trump succeeds in forestalling a new Fascist wave across the west then in the end when the healing is done it will have been worth it. Better this than yet another conflict.
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Maybe I'm an optimist, but it seems like even though Trump won the election he's done almost nothing but lose ever since. And like you said it's only a matter of time until the true nature and extent of Trump's relation with Russia is revealed.
ReplyDeleteMark Evanier had a great tweet that Comey might be the man who lost the presidency for both Hillary and Trump. Here's hoping.
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Simply unfit for the office he holds…This guy needs a serious psychiatric evaluation NOW. That it should have happened during the election process can’t be rectified at this stage. (Excellent points made about his taxes & shady Russian dealings BTW Rip.)
ReplyDeleteIt's so Nixonian now I'm have flashbacks. I grew up in the time of Watergate, and I can only hope the system is up to these new strains. I'm weary of waiting for the Republicans to act, they must want that tax cut pretty damn badly.
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