This is what America sounds like in echoes from our past:
“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal,” (Jefferson; Declaration of Independence)
“We the People ...in order to form a more perfect Union …and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity …do ordain and establish this Constitution…” (Madison; Constitution of the United States)
“The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart … will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched …by the better angels of our nature. “ (Lincoln 1st Inaugural)
“…let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds,” (Lincoln 2nd Inaugural)
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” (FDR)
“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” (JFK)
“The tensions are not between the races, but between the forces of justice and injustice” (MLK)
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” (Reagan)
"…keep America moving forward, always forward—for a better America, for an endless enduring dream and a thousand points of light.” (George H. W. Bush)
By contrast, the current resident of the White House, a former reality TV star, drags America the Beautiful through the sewer of his self-absorption. To wit:
- At a campaign rally, he mocked a journalist with a congenital disability.
- At campaign rallies he encourages violence against protesters.
- He’s credibly accused of sexual harassment/assault by dozens of women.
- Fact-checkers document he lies/grossly misleads seven times a day.
- He regularly and viciously attacks First Amendment protected Free Press.
- He demeans and denigrates non-white peoples betraying a racist world view:
- Violated federal fair housing statutes in the 1970’s
- Led Birther Movement falsely contending Obama was born in Kenya
- Singles out African American leaders as being low IQ
- Called his only top African American White House aide a “low-life…dog.”
- Wants African American NFL players fired for protesting for civil rights.
- Equated the Nazi regaled White Nationalists marching in Charlottesville with those who were counter protesting against them.
- Refuses to unequivocally condemn the white supremacist movement
- Generalizes about Hispanic immigrants being rapists and criminals
- Refers to Haiti and African nations as shithole countries.
- “Make America Great Again” refers to the pre-civil rights era—1950’s.
- He rarely misses a chance to stir up racial animosity.
- Probably the most ethically challenged administration in US history:
- HHS Secretary Price resigned for abuse of taxpayer dollars
- Michael Flynn resigned for lying to the FBI
- Rob Porter, senior advisor to the President, loses security clearance for domestic abuse and has to resign.
- Scott Pruitt, EPA Administrator, under multiple investigations resigns for abuse of office.
- And the President and his campaign staff are under investigation by the Justice Department for colluding/conspiring with Russia to aid Trump election—resulting already in five guilty pleas in addition to thirty indictments. Connecting all the dots to this point suggests that our democracy was hijacked by the dictator in the Kremlin with the complicity of US citizens—and possibly the sitting US president.
Seventy-five years ago under United States leadership our fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and uncles fought and died to defeat and uproot fascism from our world and to build a world order where that horror would not likely raise its ugly head again. Yet, in 2017, with the likely connivance of the Kremlin and cooperation of US persons, a sufficient number of voters in the United States—not even a plurality let alone a majority—installed as President an individual who bears most of the hallmarks of a reprise of the fascist plague we spilled so much treasure and blood to defeat seventy-five years ago. Fascism, in my understanding, is typically a popular movement fueled by (1) a shared anxiety, resentment and grievance over some real or perceived loss, (2) a racist animus, and (3) symbols of national pride. The followers are blindly loyal to the leader(s), tend to be tribal and cultish, and not susceptible to reasonable and factual argument—in fact, have contempt for such and view their purveyors with similar contempt. And, so here we are. Republicans in Congress focus on short term political advantage as they hold their fire and watch as “Rome burns”. Although resistance elsewhere is in full bloom there is no assurance of success against this grave peril to our nation especially if the complacency of Congressional Republicans continues. Comparisons with Hitler are normally too facile and off point but it is worth recalling that the NAZI party garnered 33 percent of the vote prior to him becoming Chancellor in 1933 and it took several years before he overcame the institutional checks on the his power as he co-opted other German national stakeholders including the military, leaders of industry, and many church leaders. Don’t think it can’t happen here. Review the lists above and choose which represents the true, the genuine America—“the shining city on a hill”—or the narcissistic behavior, gross and base instincts, and stream of babble and falsehoods of the thug in the White House. We must all re-dedicate ourselves to ending this embarrassment and to restoring American leadership to its historic, pre-eminent role and reputation for the sake of our children and the world.
