by Ruth Sheets
Here we go again! Trump announced a couple of months ago he is running for president in 2024. to tens of millions of Americans, that sounds like a good idea and they can’t wait to vote for him, again.
This is despite, even because of Trump’s being charged in a New York Court for financial crimes following a grand jury’s investigation. Trump’s fan club, OK, cultlike collection of followers want to blame New York DA Alvin Bragg for charging their hero or, doing his job. Bragg is Black (something I didn’t know until the day Trump was actually charged in New York City). Trump supporters have sent DA Bragg death threats, maybe part of their 2024 intimidation strategy. Racism, though, is definitely a major element of the cult’s anger with DA Bragg, though they can’t quite admit it, but seem to embrace it.
Rep. Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio is trying to interfere with the legal process, wanting to challenge the state court’s work. Jordan, you’ll remember was one of the guys who made questionable deals with Kevin McCarthy so Kevvy could be elected Speaker of the House back in January (15th vote). Jordan gets to lead at least one major committee in the House, not because he is qualified or talented, or cares about the truth and finding it, but because it gives him power and was part of the “deal.” He thinks he can use his position to undermine DA Bragg and get charges Trump has earned, dismissed.
Jordan, like so many Republicans in Congress clings to Trump’s coat tails because he sees a path to his own higher ambitions. Remember, part of that ambition involves holding our economy and that of the world hostage by not raising the debt ceiling. Then, there’s destroying or seriously injuring Social Security, Medicare, and any programs that support those who are not wealthy in our society, who don’t have the wealth Jordan and his cronies have. Those guys know ditching social programs is not popular, but they think that? Trump will help them do it. They have come to believe that because while president, Trump did encourage and eventually sign a huge tax cut for the very wealthy which has raised the national debt and kept many of the most wealthy from paying their fair share of taxes. As president, Trump could do that again and Jordan et al can help him.
I can understand that rich white men want another Trump administration. They benefited from the many large and small alterations in the regulations dropped and manipulated by the various governmental agencies under Trump. The tax cuts added to their personal and corporate wealth too. What I, and many others have not understood is the ordinary Trump cult members’ fascination for their guy. Even when the cult members are asked about their support, they have trouble articulating their reasons. To those of us outside the cult/Republican Party, Trump shows little to no concern for this nation, for our democracy, for the American people. He is totally wrapped up in himself and his fantasy world, where he can do whatever he wants without question and with impunity, a toddler's world where the parents are so fascinated with their child they can't bring themselves to discipline him, a dysfunctional family. I would think that no person who cares about their quality of life wants to live in such a world. I am clearly wrong about that. I must be missing something.
From the outside, it appears Republicans/Trump loyalists have sculpted their cult into a group of desperate whiners who can see no solution to their supposed trials and tribulations that does not involve bowing to a damaged toddler-man who promises to take away all their suffering and grievances. He hints that he will do that by destroying those who supposedly caused their pain and lack of wealth. How is it the mainstream Trump faithful cannot see that if they keep worshipping this toddler-man and force him upon the rest of this nation, what they will get is far more suffering than they can ever imagine. The survivors of the Holocaust could explain it to them, but since they have been trained not to listen to anyone but Trump and his crew of right-wing media, some of whom believe the Holocaust either didn’t happen or was justified, they will neither hear the words of warning nor the words of truth.
A main source of information for the Trump cult is Fox “News.” It is clear from emails and memos that the on-air and management Fox crews do not like Trump, but lie regularly for him to viewers, with no qualms about doing it. Fox advertisers are OK with the lying too and keep pushing their products to the Fox-enchanted viewers because it brings in the bucks. When money is involved, truth can become irrelevant. The cult will never believe the scope of the lying at Fox and the other ultra-right media outlets. And, Trump will remain a hero for them, one who was wrongly charged by a “racist” DA who hates white people.
Fox “News” continues to lie to viewers that the January 6th insurrection was just a peaceful tourist visit to the Capitol and emphasizes that Trump’s illegal activities never happened. The Fox manipulators still tell folks that Trump won the 2020 election. They neglect to report that the 2020 election was most likely the safest, best run election in history, at least in the swing and blue states where everyone was carefully watching, and Trump lost. Fox “News” is being sued not only because of their incessant lying and gaslighting, but because that deception put a corporation and its products at risk, Dominion Voting Machines. Why would so many Americans want to stand behind such a despicable media source and any candidate Fox “News” endorses?
I attended a webinar this week about the importance to humans of belonging. It occurred to me that a major part of the Trump attraction may not be Trump per se, but the need of the cult members to belong to something that lets them feel important. They have created a community in which they can comfortably air their grievances, be as anti-“liberal” ideas as they wish and find others who share their feelings, be as white-exclusive as they choose, knowing in their heart of hearts that people of color are just not nearly as worthy as white people are. For them, standing with a loud-mouthed, rich white man who insults people, lies incessantly, cheats on his taxes, blames everyone for everything, etc. can feel exciting, and may let them feel special in ways the rest of their life doesn’t. At least some of them truly believe Trump is telling the truth, when they think of truth at all. They bask in Trump’s diatribes and are grateful Trump’s rants are not directed at themselves, but at people and institutions the cult would also like to malign.
We the People have participated in what I consider, insanity because we never held Trump and his entourage accountable for anything they have done. Some of Trump’s cronies were sentenced for their crimes, but Trump pardoned them. Trump was impeached twice, but Republicans just couldn’t manage to acknowledge his guilt which was obvious, even to them. So, our courts are the only path remaining for this nation to keep alive the idea that everyone is equal under the law, and many of our courts have been stacked with Trumpers and Trumpettes who regularly try to rewrite the Constitution in Trump’s favor.
Trump cult members think they will again take charge in 2024 and will be able to do whatever they want to whomever they want, particularly those “woke” people who want some kind of equity in our society. They may be right, but We the People may decide we want something different and start acting that way.
There are some things we can do starting right now to bring about a better outcome than we got after the 2016 election. We must:
- - elect good people who actually care, regularly asking candidates at all levels questions about where they stand on important issues and how we can know they are being honest with their answers;
- - get off our butts and vote in every single election, researching candidates and their positions, making sure we are properly registered to vote, know our voting location, and are aware of any questions on the ballot;
- call out liars and haters on a regular basis – through letters to the editor, signing petitions, , challenging media when reports are inaccurate, deceptive, or not fair or balanced;
- support media that will keep printing, posting, and broadcasting the truth;
- - sue or otherwise challenge the defamers who are trying not only to destroy our democracy, but also the lives of their fellow citizens, something not permitted in our Constitution’s “free speech” provision;
- above all, don’t give up hope that we can make a positive difference for our nation – lately, it seems Republicans want to toss out so many attacks on our society that We the People will lose heart and give up, but we don’t have to.
The upcoming local and national elections will let us see what We the People have decided to do or not do. Will we give up and not vote because we don’t believe anything will get better or will we vote in huge numbers, defeating those who would work to end our democracy? Will we give Trump another chance to bring down our nation in favor of the guys he feigns to love: Kim of North Korea, Putin of Russia, and Orbán of Hungary (I think Trump is not quite so enamored of Xi of China these days, but who knows!);
I have faith that if we all decide we want better for everyone, even the Trump cult, we will vote in some amazing young as well as older people to office and reject Trump and the Trump wannabees. Now we must figure out how to make more people know that belonging to the “woke” folk is more nourishing and positive than belonging to the Trump cult.
No comments:
Post a Comment