THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING

     Remember that line. Remember the chant as we stood in lines, embarrassed in front of the world as we fought a war that began with a lie, a war that should never have been fought, a war that killed so many and a war that split the nation and many shamefully abused those soldiers who fought and came home. Hopefully we have learned from that war, though in many instances it seems not.
     Today the whole world is watching once more. What has happened to this country? What has happened to the country that led the free world, that took bold stances for human rights, for the environment, for the future. What happened to their ally? Where had they gone wrong and how was this allowed to happen? How did a child in a man's body take over the country?
     When France came to her senses and chose Macron, when Germany came at least part way to its senses and avoided the Freedom Party and kept Merkel, when the Netherlands came to its sense and rejected the extremism before it - why did the US fall prey to the idea, the revolting idea of populism, of nativism, of xenophobia, of pure hatred of the other. How and why did so many do without thinking and allow the worst part of themselves to vote? How did people so fool themselves and allow Trump to come to power where he then proceeded to overturn every promise he had made, filled the government with every Fat Cat he could find and gave fresh life to the swamp and its critters.
    The whole world is watching today and last night and yesterday when the news burst out into the open that Trump has so causally given away secrets from an ally, now claimed to be Israel, which will allow the Isis group to figure out the who and the how of this information and we will have bad results as a consequence - all because of Trump's big and stupid and careless mouth and lack of forethought as he sought to boast of how much he knew and they did not.
     Pelosi asked just what do the Russians have on Trump that he keeps giving them all they want and more? Remember before the election when it was rumored that there were tapes? Well, people, perhaps there truly are blackmail tapes made on one of Trump's business trips to Russia and now we have our own version of the Manchurian Candidate right there in the Oval Office. One day the man denies and the next he says it is true and then he makes an excuse why it was right and why his aides goofed again. He causes his advisers to lie, to knowingly pervert the truth as when one says he was there and nothing was revealed and then today has to admit oh yes there was but it is okay, because the president is allowed to say whatever he wants. To whom he wants and to hell with our security and to hell with the relationship with allies and to hell with getting any help or any more trust from them. And they are perfectly entitled to cut us off until this man is gone from office.
     Now we have the treasure trove of Comey's memos which he always writes up after meetings and major discussions, These are known to be fact filled and detailed and now we have the one wherein Trump asks him to basically lay off Flynn because he is a "good guy". The Republican Party has come to a crossroads now what with all this information and all these disasters. They must show their base that there is a line of morality and justice an truth that must be accepted. The finger that Representative Darrell Issa flipped to a reporter is not the answer.
     So what is this man proud of? He supports all the dictators who will deign to be his friend, the bullies of the world unite, and the human rights disappear. Now we have Trump welcoming Erdogan of Turkey even as he has decimated his country by locking up all people who disagree with him, thousands upon thousands of people from workers in the street to soldiers to teachers to government officials. He claims it is an honor to meet him. Blech!!
     And now what is next? We have a government headed by a man who is not a man, but a child and a dumb one at that. We have a government whose officials lie openly, blatantly, for their master and are proven wrong every day, even thrown under the  bus time and time again by their boss, that child! Read David Brooks op-ed piece in yesterday's Times and read the truth as he dissects this man and what makes him tick so badly.
     All I know is that this cannot continue. By late day more Senate Republicans were expressing great and grave doubt about Trump and his dealings. But where are the Congressmen, those cowards who voted away health care for the nation. Where are they now? Why are they not speaking up? Are they all cowards like Rubio? Are they all morally lacking? Are they all without hearts and souls and consist and exist only as  ambitious egos?
     I cannot understand what makes some people tick this way, those who forsake goodness for selfishness, those who never grew up. We have enough of those here in the village, particularly in the back of the UCO building. But we are small fry and when the leader of the whole country acts this way, then we need to remember - the whole world is watching and unless we force action and get satisfaction from the two houses of Congress, then we are complicit in the downfall of this country and in changing history for the worse. Do you want this? Do you want to explain this and your non action to the future generations? I do not, most emphatically. So go to Indivisibles and find out where there are protests, watch the women of the March and any other organizations who are standing up for resistance and reform, for a return to our true ways and to build a better future.
     The whole world is watching!!
     THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING!!!