Wow. It’s been quite a long time since I got my hands on this keyboard typing away and sharing my thoughts on whatever nonsense the world was delighting us with. A lot has happened in this country and around the world since the last time I published something on this blog and you might be wondering what brought me back. And the answer is simple: Too much craziness accumulated.
For starters, Donald Trump won an upset victory that many didn’t see coming (Yes, that happened and yes, I’m sorry to remind you of that). After that, everything began to unfold. Protests broke out and false realities became the norm. Soon after the inauguration, the new White House began signing executive orders with the potential of dramatically altering the path to social and economic progress that the previous administration had worked so hard to establish. Undoing trade agreements, scapegoating immigrants, alienating our closest allies, and closing our doors on those who need our help the most have become signature policies of the new administration in less than two weeks. And now, and under the orders of right-wing extremist Steve Bannon, President Trump seems to have accomplished what no POTUS has ever been able to accomplish: To seemingly say and do whatever he wants without fearing the consequences.
The sad truth is that, for now, Trump will get a free ride. It doesn’t matter how hard we all work to disprove Trump’s “alternative facts”. His supporters will always stand by his side no matter what he does or says (Remember when he said he wouldn’t lose any votes even if he shot someone in the middle of 5th avenue? Well, he was right). The fact is that the only people who can stop him is the Republican establishment. After all, the GOP controls the Congress and over 2/3s of the state governments. It’s been too long since the last time Republicans had so much decision-making power on their side and they aren’t going to let that go to waste.
Nevertheless, whether or not Trump succeeds in continuously deceiving the public for a whole term in office, his deeds remain just as frustrating and disgraceful.
And now, to the two recent developments truly responsible for ending my patience and bringing me back online. I guess you all still remember Trump’s “drain the swamp” slogan. Yes, his supporters used to chant that during his rallies. They would put up signs and chant along with their beloved leader. Those were some good times, huh. I don’t think he ever thought he would ever have to keep his promises. After all, did he really think he was going to win? Well, as fate would have it he’s now in office and I guess it’s time to start draining that swamp. Or is it?
On Friday it was reported that Eric Trump had embarked on a business trip to Uruguay where he was accompanied by a Secret Service security detail and US embassy staff. To everyone’s surprise, the trip is reported to have cost taxpayers nearly $100,000. Now, wait. I thought Eric Trump was running a business empire the president had “divested” from. What is a private citizen doing conducting private business abroad with the assistance of public officials and publicly funded security guards? Is this really the new normal now? Are they playing us all for fools? The swamp hasn’t been drained. It’s overflowing.
While the news of Eric Trump doing business in South America at the expense of the taxpayers shocked many, the president had a lot more in store for us. In an interview with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly yesterday, Donald Trump made it crystal clear not only that he doesn’t wish to serve as the President of the United States, but also that he will never put the interests of this county first. In a truly unprecedented statement, the Commander in Chief called the USA out on past mistakes. And he did it for Putin. In a response to O’Reilly’s claims that Russia’s authoritarian president is a “killer” who has authorized the murder of journalists and dissidents in his country, Trump said the following:
“There are a lot of killers. You think our country’s so innocent?”
You heard, or rather, read right. A US President publicly standing up in defense of a decades-long foe of the United States and criticizing his own country at the same time. Can someone explain to me what’s going on? What kind of president is he? This is perhaps the most anti-American statement ever made by a US President.
Trump’s first two weeks in office have been a total disaster, and they’re a sign of things to come. If he weren’t the president, this whole thing would actually be kind of fun. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. His decisions will make a difference and we’ll all have to live with them. Unless something unexpected happens, the next four years are going to be tough. But please, don’t lose heart. Now it’s the time to stand up and speak out. Remember, every cloud has a silver lining.
Politics Unraveled 