Okay. When does this stop. Trump as Churchill? Oy!! Trump is neither hero nor soldier. He is neither statesman nor diplomat. He is neither kind nor thoughtful. He is not steady in his ways nor mentally balanced. He has neither intellectual powers nor selflessness. But I guess other than that he is just sooooooo Churchill.
When does this stop, this self blinding attitude of some that insist they toady up to the future Donald I? Why does the sense and shadow of a developing oligarchy grow, in frightening leaps and bounds? When do these people realize that while Churchill dressed well, Trump is running around in the altogether, with his new clothes simply not there. It is all the old clothes with their reek of hatred, of prejudice, of the arrogance of the ultimate monied class.
Read yesterday's essay by Paul Krugman, a partial response to the one by Roger Cohen who so rightfully questions whether this is still America. Krugman agrees with the worry, concerned over a slide into oligarchy, the loss, the bleeding away of our country as it was, as it should be and as it should strive to be. And yet, he feels that there are good signs, people rising up, voices, new voices, being heard, women insisting that they too can run for office and fighting just as hard when they must. But he warns us that it will take effort, an effort that must be sustained.
Churchill served selflessly and if he had an ego, well he deserved to have it for all that he did, for the country whose life he saved, for his ability to unite the country and give it strength in a time of mortal peril. Trump has divided us, given us a new sense of mortal peril rather than hope, displayed misogyny, bias, xenophobia, every disgusting trait one can think of.
Trump is at odds with almost every community of the country. For the first time in two decades no president was at the Kennedy Honors, an important one this year. He and the arts community are at great odds. Business people have disbanded advisory councils with him. He is in danger of being found in collusion with Russia and the mere fact that there is this suspicion is disgusting and shocking. He enriches himself and his estate at the cost to the country. He is rude, overbearing, arrogant, nasty, unbalanced but other than that - well, there ya go!! And oh yes, do not forget his reintroduction of nepotism into the highest ranks and offices of government, never mind ineptitude.
So Paul Krugman and Roger Cohen and so many others, including me, warn us of impending dangers. We are warned of the actual chance of developing into an oligarchy, of being a "democracy" such as Hungary is turning into or like Poland where the judiciary is now under legislative control. We, the people, need to watch, to act, to demand, to yes, even threaten. WE need to be strong. We need to remember what it truly means to be an American. Our allies have openly turned away from us. We have turned away from the world and other countries, including our enemies are slipping into that vacuum. We have given no hope to developing countries. We have allowed dirty companies free rein to resume polluting our air, our water, our land. Where have we gone wrong?
Well, comparing Churchill and Trump is a good place to start. Please, people, remember the phrase of we the people. Remember Lincoln's government of the people, by the people, for the people. Remember -
WE the People. WE THE PEOPLE.
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