Became aware of
a recent interchange on Facebook. Was going to leave It alone, but as I
reflected on it, I realized that it was precisely exemplary of the odd
affection payed Trump by some otherwise very bright folks.
A meme was
posted which was uncomplimentary of Trump. Yeah, I know - so? Another individual
complained that it was rude, stating that they hadn’t cared for Obama (I think
it was a pigment thing), but that they respected the office of the President. Fair
enough, I thought, until the conversation turned to (re: Trump) words to the
effect of “Name three things he’s done which have any negative effect on you.”
This then
brings us to one of the differences between Trump supporters and others. There
is an axiom, actually a variation on a quote from John Donne, which goes
something like: “That which diminishes any of us, diminishes all of us.” I am a
strong believer in that philosophy which, apparently for Trump supporters is either
too complex, too Christian (or any moral belief system), or too inconvenient to
believe.
Shootings in any school demean (and should sadden) us all,
yet there is relatively little Trump response, for fear of offending the NRA, a
huge contributor. Farmers who once sold soybeans
to China are in big trouble because Trump’s ignorance of economics and refusal
to listen to those who know better prompted a childish tariff war. Again, I’m
no farmer, but I hurt for them. We all do, since “Sonny” Perdue, SecAg just got
a $16 billion farm relief package to aid the farmers Trump has hurt. Our tax
dollars, our “hurt”, too!
During the
Obama last two years, (and yes, Obama deported more illegals then Trump! Fact!)
trial pilot programs were put in place which allowed families seeking asylum to
remain together and be placed on their own recognizance to appear for hearings.
According to The Associated Press, it cost the government $36 per day per
family. And it worked! Trump said this, “And we say, 'Please show up to court
in a couple of months.' You know what the chances of getting him to court are?
Like zero. Ok? It’s crazy,” Trump told Fox News in June. But wait, was that
true? Not by any metric. In fact, according to the Inspector General report,
overall compliance in the cities where the pilot was launched was 99 percent
for ICE check-ins and appointments, and 100 percent for attendance in court
hearings. Just 2 percent of participants absconded during the process.
So, what is
Trump’s “better idea?” It now costs
about $775 per person per night to keep the newly separated children of
families who cross the U.S. border illegally in “tent cities.” The per-person cost at certain detention
centers that would keep families together is $298 per night, according to an
agency estimate. That's $13,000 per month! This is the new normal, 3300% higher
than the $36 per-day family of four figure of the last Obama years. Isn’t that
strange in a year with a record deficit while the president brags about “his”
booming economy? And, yeah, it’s all our tax dollars, so it affects me directly.
We are paying
more for some agricultural products due to lack of migrant pickers in the Pacific
Northwest, We are paying more for products from such various manufacturers as
Black and Decker, Ford, 3M and a slew of others because of the Trump tariffs, an
effect which any high school economics student could have predicted.
Having just
returned from Europe and the company of many Asians, Aussies, New Zealanders
and Canadians, educated and enlightened folks all. I can assure you that the
standing of POTUS and to some degree all of us, has been diminished by Trump’s
lack of tact, class, and knowledge of the reality of the post nuclear world. If
one recalls, the Obamas were invited and accepted the invitation to spend the
night in Windsor castle after dining with the Queen. On the other hand, Queen Elizabeth
had a look for the brief period the Trumps were there as if she’d just stepped
in dog shit. So how does that hurt me? It means that a multitude of things too numerous
to mention which depend on decent foreign relations are less sanguine today than
4 years ago.
Of course, if
one has no concern about such things and just wants a POTUS who speaks in rambling
and almost always false non-sequiturs, then he’s your guy. If you think making
fun of those less fortunate, or handicapped or brown, or poor is ok, then you got
it. If you think the environment is disposable you got that too. If you think banks should be deregulated so we
can have another Housing “bubble” collapse and recession, By gum, he’s your
man.
The great mystery is why so many of those who
adore Trump also profess to adore Jesus Christ and his precepts. Every single aspect
of Jesus’ ministry and mission is the diametric opposite of Trump except one I
can think of. Jesus was criticized, according to one Gospel telling, for dining
with a woman of dubious reputation. Trump outdid Jesus by sleeping with one
while his wife was carrying his child.
What a guy.
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