The War President

The War President

by Ruth A. Sheets

June 18, 2019

In the past week or so, Mr. Trump has been tweeting and calling out to reporters over the usual background helicopter that he does not want a war with Iran.  How do I know this is not true, you know, a lie?  Nothing related to Mr. Trump’s presidency in any way indicates that he does not want war with Iran, in fact, everything he has done cries out for a fight.  He has just been scanning to find the place he wants to strike.

Mr. Trump has been itching for a war since he was a candidate.  He couldn't make himself go to war back during Vietnam (bone spurs, you know), but he will be OK sending others to war.  

Mr. Trump’s hatred of Barack Obama is legendary.  His primary goal upon election was to destroy everything Mr. Obama had put into place.  One of those points was the agreement with Iran and numerous other nations to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons.  He disregarded the agreement unilaterally for no reason.  Iran was clearly complying.  Everyone said so, but of course, he could not take any information from his intelligence community as he had already informed America that they were no good and essentially didn’t know anything.  His military leaders’ information was dismissed also (as were most of his defense/military advisors).  

It is close to irrelevant what the “intelligence community says now about who did or did not cause the attacks on the oil ships in the Gulf off Iran.  They have become so influenced by Mr. Trump and his constant lying and his demands for intense loyalty that it is hard to know just who they are for.  Then, I pretty much don’t care if Iran did the deed as it relates to the United States going to war.  We definitely do not need another war.  We haven’t even gotten past the last two and have no business starting one. 

Another indicator of Mr. Trump’s bellicose intentions is that the people with whom he has surrounded himself, particularly Bolton and Pompeo, are totally on board with war.  Iran is convenient, but I suspect any “little” war would do. 

Mr. Trump wants to be a war president.  I suspect he thinks that if he gets a war started, people will vote him in again so he can “finish” the war.  Alas, that might actually work.  It did for George W. Bush who was only slightly more competent than Mr. Trump at the job.  If we actually look at what happened, both Mr. Bush’s wars were still going on when he had to leave office due to term limits.  He never did finish them even with the extra time. 

It seems to me Mr. Trump is trying to demonstrate his manhood.  But, as the 8-year-old school yard bully he keeps proving himself to be, he has a long way to go,  and dragging a bunch of folks into a useless stupid war will not do it.  Somehow, he just brought his petty grudge-making, racism, misogyny, xenophobia,   and resentments into adulthood without the ability to reason or think critically about any of them.

So, if Mr. Trump and his nutty cronies Bolton and Pompeo want war, they should play with plastic soldiers and weapons on the oval office desk.  It will be fun and everyone will be better off.  A win-win!  

THE CHILD PRESIDENT

THE CHILD PRESIDENT

Ruth A. Sheets

June 24, 2019

It has been clear from before Donald Trump took office that he despises immigrants, that is, immigrants of color.  He told his cult that he wanted all 11 million (or so) “illegal immigrants” gone.  That kind of a blanket statement is typical of a person who sees things in “black and white,” and cannot or will not consider the consequences of his actions.  That is expected of a little kid, but not of a 73-year-old man.

In this case, Mr. Trump has threatened to send his dogs, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into communities to drag undocumented immigrants out and ship them back to their original countries.  He knows ICE will do whatever he tells them to do because Congress decided in a fear fever after 9/11, that is their job.  He also knows they have let power go to their heads and seem to love this task.  Like so many in Mr. Trump’s administration, they seem to revel in the suffering of others and the power it brings them, and Mr. Trump, the Commander in Chief, revels in being able to order them about.

As a citizen and Christian minister, I am horrified at the threats this president is making.  He is using threats against the lives of thousands, perhaps millions of people to get his way.  He and his cult want a wall and they plan to get it any way they can.  Tell everyone he is releasing the dogs on Sunday to bring added fear to communities of color, then on the day before, tell everyone he will call off the dogs, but in return he expects to get from Congress the money for his wall.  Isn’t that extortion?  If Congress gives in, Mr. Trump will know that this tactic works and he will definitely use it again, this time in a more all-encompassing way.  

That kind of reasoning alas, is exactly what one would expect from an 8-year-old school yard bully.  And, that's what Mr. Trump is.  He never had to grow up and his emotional age is about that of an 8-year-old and he has the understanding of a kid about that age too.  Then, he is rich, which he believes, gives him even more weight, a bigger bully.  

Some unthinking people chose to put this child in the White House and hoped he would do stuff for them.  He has!  Not alone, though because there are a lot of people who benefit from allowing and encouraging this child’s tantrums and bullying.  Who benefits?  Corporations that produce fossil fuels love the acts that permit increasing the amount of pollution they can produce, the places like National Parks where they can do their dirty work, and the destruction they can wreak on the oceans and seaside communities (not Mr. Trump’s property at Mara Lago, though). 

Employers of undocumented immigrants benefit too because if they don’t want to pay their employees what they have earned, no problem.  They can always report them to ICE if they complain.

Evangelicals enjoy wallowing in their self-righteousness that “those people didn’t come in the right way.  They’re making ‘anchor babies’ who suck up our resources.  The sad thing, it doesn’t matter to Evangelicals if any of what they say is true.  It feels true!

Shame on all of them trying to extort concessions from Democrats and some Republicans in exchange for him getting his stupid useless, but very expensive wall.  The parents in the room must stand up and tell him no.  I am guessing Republicans, bad political parents that they are, just can't do it.  The neighbors will somehow have to step in, introducing some discipline. 

I get it that a child like Mr. Trump does not understand much, but he certainly does know how to manipulate his cult followers and the other Republicans and conservatives who enable his poor behavior.  It looks like the American communities will have to step forward to protect Mr. Trump’s targets, the people who work hard, raise families, and feel loyalty to this country even though they were born somewhere else.  They deserve a chance to become permanent residents or citizens if that is what they choose.  They do not deserve the constant threats and crippling fear that comes from not knowing if parents will still be here when a child gets home from school, the fear of being thrown back into the chaos and death of the countries they fled. 

Mr. Trump wants to be a hero to his cult.  He doesn’t truly understand that he already is.  He appointed Justice Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and he will stop abortions.  That and his anti-immigrant stance are all it takes for them to cleave to him forever.  So whatever he says or does is OK with them. 

Pretty childish, huh?