Trump"s America-A Cautionary Tale

By Mildred Robertson

As I swipe through my Facebook feed, I am taken aback by the similarities between the German horror that ended with the murder of millions, and the systematic erosion of democratic principles in our society. It as if Trump has taken Hitler's playbook, and is using it to push America over some totalitarian ledge. I understand better now how many Germans did not fully understand the horror, until it was too late to avert it.

Under our current administration we have seen attacks launched at all levels of our society. He attacked the first African American President; called Latino immigrants thugs, rapists and murders; disrespected women, denigrated Muslims, slurred all nations ruled by those of African descent as "shitholes," slandered the FBI and specific individuals who have dedicated their lives to its service; attacked peaceful protestors,  declared Nazi terrorists as "good people," and  waged all-out war on the media and the judicial system.

Trump has presided over the inhuman destruction of family units under the auspices of homeland security, He has engaged in race-baiting on numerous occasions during his tenure. His administration has been riddled with scandal, and he himself stands on the verge of being charged with improprieties at the least and criminal misdeeds at worse in the Russia scandal.

While all of this turmoil churns around and within the Whitehouse, those elected to protect and serve our democracy stand complicit as this administration destroys the very foundation of our nation; attacks every aspect of our civil liberties and systematically eliminates obstacles standing between it and total authoritarian rule.

Our senses have become dulled to the accusations of misdeeds, scandal and criminality attributed to this administration. We turn off the news. We tune out the protests. We seek peace by pursing other activities. All the while, this administration is ruthlessly and systematically chipping away at the institutions meant to protect us and maintain our freedom. 

I am a partisan. A liberal. A "snowflake." I do not embrace this administration. But my position is not anchored in my progressive leaning. It is based upon this administration's ruthless and systematic attempts to destroy institutions such as the judiciary, the FBI and the media. No matter how much folks like me push the brakes, there is very little we can do to stop this push toward totalitarianism. Unless the Grand Ole Party decides that our nation is more treasured than Supreme Court justices and gerrymandered voting districts, we are doomed to suffer the loss of democracy as we know it. Republicans must decide that their oath to their country outweighs their oath to a partisan agenda. They must determine that the end does not outweigh the means. The power lies in their hands to avert this disaster.

I am sure that many Germans never expected what started out as foolish taunting and hyperbole to end up in gas chambers with the ashes of millions drifting down upon them like fallen snow. At what point do you say stop?  When they beat your sons and daughters in the street?  When they murder your friends and neighbors without retribution? When detention centers are full to overflowing? When mothers and fathers are ripped from the arms of their children and shipped off to a place they never knew?

Trump is attempting to create a society where only he and people of his choosing will thrive. That is his one and only vision. He has no policy and no principles other than total acquiescence to his will. If he succeeds he will have destroyed what our forefathers fought and died to build. America will no longer be that "Shining light upon the hill," referenced by President Reagan.

Our light is already dimmed. I beseech those Republicans who still believe in democracy to resist the darkness. Do not be like the Germans who finally smelled the stench of death, but found themselves powerless to stop it.  Forsake party for country before we experience our own holocaust and are buried under the ashes of democracy.

Donald Trump-Hateful, Vile and Racist

By Mildred Robertson

The revelation of Trump's vile profanities toward people of color in this world is not an “ah-ha” moment for those of us who have been paying attention. It comes as no surprise to black and brown people that the President of the United States participates in hateful, vile and racist speech.  But his speech is the least of our problems. Trump has rolled back protections for children, single parents, veterans, the elderly, and people of color; and continues to chip away at the very fabric of our society.

While we are raptly watching for his next text and respond to the various idiotic statements he makes on an almost daily basis, his compatriots in Congress are deftly dismantling the social safety net that has stood as a beacon for the rest of the world regarding how government should service its constituents. The attack has been precise, targeting those safeguards which have protected our democracy from its founding. Trump and his gaggle of anti-democratic lawmakers first targeted the media, then the courts, then peaceful protestors, labeling them un-American, biased or both. While they join in his attack on these American institutions, they remain silent in the face of his vile remarks, his un-presidential tweets and his confused and confusing political agenda.

His attacks have left his adversaries weary as they face a full assault on all sides, not allowing the resolution of one conflict before another equally or more dangerous assault is launched. While I agree that the president is a fool, there is, it seems, some clever strategy to his madness. He has kept his opponents off balance; both Republican and Democrat.

Democrats do not know whether to work with him to push through a DACA strategy or shut the government down because they know he is not negotiating in good faith. Does he really want a wall, or will the appearance of fulfilling that campaign promise work? And if it will, would it best serve the Democratic constituency, or would it look like caving?  Does he understand the peril of playing with politics in the Middle East, or the imminent danger of nuclear war with Korea? Would he really launch a nuclear attack on a whim? Or is he even engaged in any of these real-life threats other than to respond to Fox News reports about them?

It is really too much to consider. There is too much at stake. There is no underlying policy to attack or support. It is governance atop shifting sand.

While democrats and progressives are trying to find firm footing, Republicans are standing in the midst of this upheaval, systematically deconstructing our nation’s underpinning. They either remain silent, or tacitly support his foolishness while systematically carrying out the desires of that small minority of Trump supporters who want to destroy our current system of government. They call it “draining the swamp.”  

What it actually represents, however, is the institution of authoritarian government policies that will benefit the few while decimating the masses. They are snatching away the safety net represented by programs such as CHIP, attacking social programs like Medicare and Medicaid. They are targeting immigrants who provide an invaluable service to this nation, and without whom our economic system would falter. They are giving life-long appointments to young, un-qualified conservative judges who can negatively impact our nation’s social and political trajectory for years to come. Their attack on the judicial system targets the only system that has to date safeguarded us against Trump’s madness. 

It is imperative that we take a breath…focus…and take a long-range view of the options to save our nation from sure destruction if we fail to wrest power from Trump and his followers. We cannot afford infighting among the opposition. Dominance among factions cannot be our goal.  If there has ever been a time when we must learn to compromise among ourselves, that time is now.

Whether you are just slightly left of center, or you are hanging on the edges of the progressive left…you must know that we MUST do better than we did in 2016. We have to realize that we have to make the BEST choice, even if we don’t like any of the choices. We have to know that a failure to vote is a vote for the person you would least like to win. 

If we do not show up in 2018, I am not sure where this leadership will take us. It is surely a place that I do not want to go. And if they accomplish their goals of deconstructing our nation’s underlying principles, I do know when we would be able to reclaim them, or if we ever will.

Is the 45^th President of the United States hateful, vile and racist? Absolutely. But that is the least of our worries.