The death-defying roller coaster that is the Trump presidency is both exhilarating and tiring. While each day seems to bring with it a sense of anticipation that he will continue to thrust this abomination of a democratic experiment further into an abyss that will render his reign irretrievably lost it is simply tiring to watch. We as a nation are hopelessly cast into the throes of an adrenaline high knowing full well that the inevitable crash will sap our energies while we prepare for the next trip. All the while we hold our collective breath in hopes that the junkies controlling the doses dispensed to the public do not kill us. The uncertainty and anxiety that accompanies this bad trip are antithetical to the governmental foundation carefully laid out by the founding fathers and the system is straining precariously on the edge of breakdown. The good ol’ days of dysfunction look relatively comforting as we careen from crisis to crisis.
Unfortunately, as with any drug induced high we are increasingly wary of a dosage miscalculation that inevitably increases as the margin of error dwindles. Decisions are not based on rational calculations or risk assessment but rather on instinct and inexperience. It is only a matter of time before the odds catch up with this dangerous game of Russian roulette. We are currently watching a slow motion train wreck.
And while there are increasing signs that Republican leadership has become alarmed at the escalating risks of miscalculation, the greed of power prevents rational actions that would have dictated drastic remedies for some time now from being forwarded. The only saving grace right now, incredibly, is the very “deep state” with its built in structural checks and balances that is so decried by the alt-right acolytes embedded in the Trump administration. Just because Bannon is no longer a part of the administration, he still is umbilically tied to the mothership and his influence may actually have increased due to his departure.
There is absolutely no doubt that we are entering a critical time as Congress prepares to return after Labor Day to tackle what are ticklish and tricky maneuvers in the calmest of times, however we are currently entering a political hurricane season. With power comes responsibility and let there be no doubt that Republican leadership controls all the levers of power. The responsibility is laid solely at the feet of Trump, McConnell, and Ryan and there is no indication that either let alone all of them are up to the task. Although it is our problem, it is your responsibility to avert it, failure will rest squarely upon your shoulders, and they know it.
The system may save us in the long run, a stunningly counterintuitive reality, but the very incremental and deliberative nature of its processes and operations mean that the countervailing damage will be far more severe than it should be. Unfortunately we do not have the kind of strong leadership or statesmanship required to avoid what could be a spectacular collapse that will affect the international order and domestic tranquility. The stakes simply could not be much higher.
If that happens, our kids will and should curse us and the cost to our nation’s prestige and honor will be significant for some time to come. Donald Trump represents everything we should teach our kids not to be. He is a lecherous, narcissistic, petulant, and weak individual. He is not a man in the terms that those in my generation were taught to qualify what a man is. In all likelihood he is a criminal and in a perfect world would be prosecuted as such, stripped of all the freedoms and accoutrements he has nefariously abused and accumulated over his seven decades on this Earth. If there is a higher power one can only pray that he will be eternally punished for his misdeeds.
We must hold those responsible for enabling his tenure as leader of the free world in contempt and ensure that we never allow such a miscarriage of justice to afflict any future generation. We must prosecute to the fullest all those who have played a role in furthering his theft of our moral integrity and national identity. My guess is that the sands of time on this criminal enterprise are running out and we will be rid of this odious stain of humanity soon, not soon enough, but soon. Hopefully we can limit the damage in the process and those who remain in the employ of we the people will do all they can to neuter his ability to destroy us. For the time being, we must only buckle up!