Silver Linings of Trump’s Fascist Playbook
The election of Donald Trump, while the result of the manipulation of rational and irrational fears and the passive cynicism of the non-voting electorate, provides all Americans with a view into the darkness of the American soul and an opportunity to course correct. First and foremost, where ever we were heading as a nation, we’re going to get there faster as a result of Trump’s fascist policies. In less than a month, we’ve already begun to see a rising up against Trump across America and even within many federal agencies including the intelligence community.
The election of Trump combined with an emboldened Republican controlled congress, hell-bent on satisfying social conservatives and the suspect self-serving interests of many of the (ironically) elitist and globalist corporations, is testing our democracy to the point of serious uncertainty, if not outright collapse. Trump and anti-government demagogues in Congress, have finally reached a critical mass that average Americans will no longer ignore. We are finally paying the price for not holding our elected officials accountable and we have only ourselves to blame and ourselves to change the course of history.
Trump and the Republican controlled Congress now “own the swamp”. No longer will the angry and self-serving members of congress and Wall St. elites, like Steve Bannon and his ultra-paranoid NRA benefactor, Steve Feinberg of Cerberus Capital (cynically named after the Three Headed Dog Guarding the Gates of Hell) on the far right and disenfranchised working class people, that brought Trump to power, be able to blame everyone else for breaking what’s left of our government institutions and democracy. The immediate future is not bright: there will certainly be less justice, more contamination of our air and water and more associated illness, more expensive healthcare coverage, more economic disparity and more pain felt by those who rely on government the most for safety nets.
Trump’s lack of empathy and moral values as well as relentless and dangerous attacks on everything most Americans hold dear in our hard fought democracy, have embarrassed our Nation and made America look more like a fascist and dictatorial regime than the historical standard bearer of democracy. Sadly, our country is going to get far worse before and it gets better and it’s hard to comprehend how quickly it seems to have happened. Much of what is so special about our Country has come under attack, by none other than our misguided and self-serving president and a majority in Congress in the service of driving their selfish hard right agenda.
In just one month, Trump has consistently lied to the American people as if truth is no measure of human character never mind, political reality. He has undermined basic values and attacked vital constitutional protections and institutions such as freedom of speech and the media, our courts, the rule of law, the US intelligence community and other dedicated public officials, immigrants, Jews, blacks, gays, as well as important diplomatic relationships with allies and other foreign governments. No surprise that Russia is one of the only countries that Trump hasn’t insulted. There is also strong evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the election and if proven, is treasonous and should be grounds for impeachment. The damage that Trump is already doing to our Country and to our most vulnerable citizens is profound and it ought to be a wake-up call for thoughtful, moderate Americans.
We are moving head-long into a constitutional crisis, created by a pathological narcissist President and a compliant majority in congress. No one can help us, except us, and if not now, when?
There is a “silver lining”. Now, more than at any time since the Vietnam War era, average Americans including, historically apathetic privileged elites, are beginning to get involved, resist and finally take some responsibility for holding Trump and Congress accountable. From the millions of people around the Country and World who joined the Women’s March on day 1 of Trump’s reign, to protests at airports in support of unjust and unconstitutional immigration policy, to Court rulings, a virtual mutiny by many government employees at the CIA, EPA and other federal agencies we haven’t heard about yet, to the growing boycott campaigns against Trump’s business interests like www.DumpTrumpProducts.com , American’s are standing up to Trump. Thankfully, only one month into the Trump administration and unlike Nazi Germany in the 1930’s, a large number of Americans are refusing to be “good Germans”.
With sustained resistance and protests, combined with real news and continued intelligence leaks exposing the Trump campaign’s collusion with Russia to swing the election and Trump’s personal business conflicts and relationships with foreign investors, it’s just a matter of time before Trump is forced to resign or be impeached. In the meantime, there is also great potential that Republicans in Congress will be exposed for their shortsighted politics of hate and they too will be held accountable in 2018.
Truth and Trump are truly stranger than fiction but the majority of Americans are much better than this and the ultimate silver-lining is we have the best chance in generations to unite against fascist policies and truly make America and our precious democracy, great again.
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