Wednesday, January 22, 2020

LET’S PRETEND


by Ruth A. Sheets

As I followed the impeachment inquiry in the House of Representatives and the lead-up to and beginning of the Senate trial, one thing is crystal.  The Republicans as well as the Democrats know perfectly well that Donald J. Trump is guilty of the charges brought against him through impeachment, and probably of a lot more too.

I was pretty sure of this a month ago, but my thinking clarified as I listened to the rules set up by Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader of the Senate.  These rules were set to govern the proceedings of the trial.  None of the rules were designed in any way to promote fairness or justice.  They were carefully designed solely to protect Mr. Trump from accountability for his actions:  no witnesses, no documents, few reporters and those with no writing implements or recording devices, one set of cameras, etc.  When one sees this it is hard to imagine these moves are to learn the truth.

I wondered how this pretense could have been allowed to happen.  Then, I thought back over Mr. Trump’s behavior before and after his election to the presidency of the United States.  What did and does his behavior remind me of, that of an 8-year-old bully.  This is obvious to a lot of people and we can’t help but ponder why would any adult want to be governed by a childish bully.  I am coming to think it is because his childish behavior has triggered the natural human tendency to protect children.

Mr. Trump cannot give a coherent speech.  He yells a lot, then has to mumble something that either supports what he has just shouted or contradicts it.  None of it makes sense, but those listening feel compelled to reach out to help him to make sense, the way a parent does to a child who is being incoherent.

This feeling in Republicans, Evangelicals, and some other conservatives has essentially been unchallenged for more than four years.  The media and supporters act as though Mr. Trump’s behavior is “normal” and just shows Mr. Trump is a strong leader.  They have no real evidence of this strength, just the loud bullying, insulting, rude, trouble-making child who needs them to protect their Donnie from the big bad Democrats, Muslims, immigrants, left-wingers and anyone else who might criticize their child.  It sure reminds me of the parents who rush into a school to complain that a teacher who gave their child the grade he deserved, was picking on him.

When the Republicans senators sitting as a jury having taken a solemn oath vote to acquit Mr. Trump without witnesses, documents, or any of the other critical pieces necessary for a fair trial, Mr. Trump will claim victory and those Republicans will walk off knowing they did the wrong thing, but will go right on protecting their Donnie, the defenseless child, the one who started a trade war with China, then claimed victory when part of that war was stopped by himself.  This is the child-man who sets Iran up for war, then claims victory when Iran decides not to go to war directly with the United States.  This is the Donald Trump who sways with the winds of lobbyists and the swamp-dwellers with whom he surrounds himself.

Like so many child bullies, Mr. Trump breaks the rules (law), then claims not only that he did nothing wrong, but that the other person was at fault and he did everything just right (perfectly).  That person should be locked up, even killed for treason.

He is a child who was never told “no.”  Money lets a kid get away with that.  So, this child has lied to everyone all the time, more than 13,000 times in 3 years, losing no support from his protectors who can’t allow their child to be blamed for anything, and “they were only little, insignificant lies” after all,” the say.

Mr. Trump is a lot like the child kings that have periodically ruled.  These children have no idea the level or consequences of the power they wield, but are willingly used by others for their own purposes as long as they get what they want.  Like kids playing war, Mr. Trump slides into the role of leader and if the other kids don’t go along with what he wants, he smashes their toys and makes them leave.  Mr. Trump wants also to be like a Mafia Don who can order people to disappear and is furious when they don’t.  The child-Don keeps pushing the limits of his power and because his protectors are only focused on protecting him at any cost, they don’t realize that they too could be among those whom he will want to disappear.

One can’t help but ask what the protectors are getting from this.  Well, they are getting the good feeling that comes from protecting a child.  Then, they know they can use the child’s power to get what they want.  They got an extra Supreme Court justice.  They got all kinds of environmental regulations rolled back for the companies that support their campaigns.  They got lots of judges for lower courts whom they are sure will rule in their favor for decades.  They got a huge tax break for their wealthy selves and their friends.  They created groups to hate so their appalling behavior will be obscured by targeting those horrible people:  immigrants, Jews, Muslims, women, LGBT, abortionists, etc. and etc.    The child they are protecting may be aware of what they are doing, but he doesn’t care because he doesn’t even understand more than that he will be taken care of, and if he isn’t, he will destroy those who are in his way.

It is so embarrassing to hear “grown” men defending the obviously guilty Mr. Trump, then claiming that the Democrats don’t have a case.  These grown” men posture for the television, particularly Fox “News” that is also using and manipulating these men for their own purposes, and those vary over time.  They claim Mr. Trump’s poor playmates are not guilty, and even more, are falsely accused of the crimes they have actually committed.  

I know this is sexist, but I thought it was mostly women who were caught up in the almost blind desire to protect children, but in Donnie’s case, it is “grown” men who stand up, spreading as many lies and false accusations as they can on his behalf, pretending he is guilt-free.  They should be ashamed, but they have no shame.  If they did, they would have to admit they have been had by a child bully, Donald Trump.