NEW YEAR'S EVE 2017
The day after election day – I declared myself too old and
beaten-down to participate in the shit-show that served-up Donald Trump – the
bullying racist ignoramus –– in hope that he might emerge as a pragmatic chief
executive willing to staff-out the heavy lifting to competent experts.
The nemesis of such hopes lies not only in Trump's mind-numbing hubris – his megalomaniacal notion that he is the smartest person on earth, with zero evidence – but in his selection of Mike Pence as his vice president.
You see Pence is a specially virulent combination of stupid and dangerous: stupid, in that he is a Biblical literalist who subscribes to the talking snake version of creation, along with other Iron Age injunctions by which he reasons that God hates the same people he does; dangerous, in that theocracy is his political stock-and-trade. Remember: this is the governor who paralyzed Indiana with punishing economic backlash over arguably the most homophobic law on state books, on his conviction that Bible-banging Indianians were by-god entitled, under public law, to treat their gay neighbors like shit-under-foot.
For that, Trump rewarded the preening unrepentant Pence with the veep-stakes. Why, you ask? – of course, to reel-in the bottom-feeding evangelical theocrats whom he needed to flesh-out his Republican bona fides. Accordingly, the religious right – in an act of suffocating hypocrisy – fell for it – "grab 'em by the pussy" and all.
The nemesis of such hopes lies not only in Trump's mind-numbing hubris – his megalomaniacal notion that he is the smartest person on earth, with zero evidence – but in his selection of Mike Pence as his vice president.
You see Pence is a specially virulent combination of stupid and dangerous: stupid, in that he is a Biblical literalist who subscribes to the talking snake version of creation, along with other Iron Age injunctions by which he reasons that God hates the same people he does; dangerous, in that theocracy is his political stock-and-trade. Remember: this is the governor who paralyzed Indiana with punishing economic backlash over arguably the most homophobic law on state books, on his conviction that Bible-banging Indianians were by-god entitled, under public law, to treat their gay neighbors like shit-under-foot.
For that, Trump rewarded the preening unrepentant Pence with the veep-stakes. Why, you ask? – of course, to reel-in the bottom-feeding evangelical theocrats whom he needed to flesh-out his Republican bona fides. Accordingly, the religious right – in an act of suffocating hypocrisy – fell for it – "grab 'em by the pussy" and all.
Consequently – 53-days' after the election, it is incontrovertibly apparent that Trump – abetted by Pence – fully intends to dismantle (a) 85-years’ of legislative and judicial activism which has sought to level
the economic, political, and social playing field for all Americans, and (b)
50-years’ of iconic
cabinet-level institutions painstakingly constructed – brick-by-brick –
administration-by-administration – allowing our government to confront and
oversee the big obstacles before us – firmly rooted in the principles of
wisdom, cutting-edge science, fair trade, social justice, and national security
– entrusted to top-flight career public servants.
Think: defense, state, law, environment, education, food and drug, energy, labor, agriculture, health and human services, transportation, commerce. Then, contemplate the rogues' gallery he has nominated to head these departments – not just ignorant cyphers (think Texas governor Rick Perry – Energy) – but proactive ideological vandals (think Jefferson Beauregard Sessions – Attorney General) –– all licking their political chops to delegitimize the institutions to which they have been granted custody.
Think: defense, state, law, environment, education, food and drug, energy, labor, agriculture, health and human services, transportation, commerce. Then, contemplate the rogues' gallery he has nominated to head these departments – not just ignorant cyphers (think Texas governor Rick Perry – Energy) – but proactive ideological vandals (think Jefferson Beauregard Sessions – Attorney General) –– all licking their political chops to delegitimize the institutions to which they have been granted custody.
Shockingly, radical Republican luddites now have a chief
executive stooge who will apparently sign any bill into public law – however
grotesque – shoved across his desk. Worse than that – the self-important little institutional
nihilist, Paul Ryan (who went to college on his daddy's Social Security survivor benefits), is trotted-out as the moderate spectrum of their party –
placing bedrock institutions as Medicare, Social Security, and public health on
the ideological chopping-block – without a scintilla of economic or social
justification.
But the ultimate assault on the wisdom, justice, and moderation
of the United States of America – will be a full-frontal assault on our
architectonic cornerstone: The Supreme Court. Make no mistake about it – the greatness
of a nation lies in the independence of its judiciary. Autocrats and dictators
invariably foment a weak judiciary – a band of partisan toadies that will
rubber-stamp any majoritarian or party dogma – however anti-democratic or
anti-egalitarian. Trumpism slathers its lips for a weak cronied-out judiciary.
The sudden death of right-wing lightening rod Justice Antonin
Scalia spearheaded a heretofore unprecedented partisan backlash and
Constitutional crisis – the virtual larceny of a Supreme Court appointee – the
meme propagated by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell: "Wait until
after the 2016 election and let the people decide." That the American
people 'decided' Barack Obama ought to make this appointment by a majority of 5
million popular votes and an even more lopsided electoral college victory of
332-206 – meant nothing to this obstructionist demagogue – who will regain his
gavel come January.
Accordingly – Donald J. Trump – by only reciting the oath of
office – will be the beneficiary of a free SCOTUS pick – with the ability to
tip the balance to the nose-bleed right on day-one. He'll certainly get another
pick his first term: 83-year-old Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and probably a second:
80-year-old Anthony Kennedy. The resulting 6-3 hard right plurality could endure
for another 20-years – enshrining another Golden Age of corporate oligarchy –
and instituting fascism as the governing social policy. Think: Roe v Wade, Obergerfell v Hodges, and Citizens United v FEC.
Resisting this 'regnum horribilis' – will require (a) every
moderate Republican on deck; and (b) EVERY Democrat engaged – like NEVER
BEFORE. We have capable leaders in Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer.
Unfortunately many – if not most – of us live in a gerrymandered and
majoritarian Republican-represented world.
For that – we must nevertheless 'lay-into' each-and-every party
shill – at every turn – sending them an unambiguous message that
we-the-opposition are also primary voters. Additionally – it is
crucial that we stand-behind Democratic leadership – in thought, word, and
deed. With 48 Senate votes – and solidarity – we can stand our ground on virtually every critical issue.
I will do my utmost to keep us current. Never before has our
civic activism been more crucial. We cannot let our children and grandchildren
look back and say – we let Trumpism go down in America
Calhoun GA, 12/31/16
Post Script: To my friends who voted for Donald Trump and Mike Pence. Look – I don't know if you are a racist and a homophobe.
Nonetheless, you voted for an unrepentant racist – a man who trolled for his political base, peddling retail 'birtherism' – in an effort to delegitimize the first African American President. And you voted for an unambiguous anti-gay bigot – a governor who signed the most anti-gay state law in history.
For that – you are asking me to give you the benefit of the doubt – that you ARE NETHER a racist, NOR a homophobe. That, my friends, entails a very tedious conversation. Please forgive me if I don't have the fortitude to engage each of you on these separate – yet inextricably – complementary issues.
Homework
Racist Birther-in-Chief Donald J. Trump
Anti-gay bigot Governor Mike Pence
Homina. Homina. Paul Ryan's famous 2012 budget interview meltdown on Fox
