Day 781 Tuesday February 26, 2019
615 Days to the 2020 election and 693 Days to Inauguration Day
America has always been a country of opposites. De Tocqueville wrote of this in his 1835 classic “Democracy in America.” He observed America much as a social scientist would today. For individual liberty, but observing that if one acted alone they would get crushed by the powerful. He believed in individual rights while respecting the rights of others. However, he feared the extremes of democracy. He saw it as a balance between liberty and equality, between the individual and the community. He saw America as competing between its vitality and its decadence. He saw much of a country’s ills as a struggle between rich and poor. As a desire for equality, and a fear that it might come true. Has much changed since de Tocqueville toured America?
Technologically yes, but the underlying fears, struggles, courage, and fight? I think not.
I was struck by discussion last night of how Trump takes the advice of Putin over his own sources and allies. This is stunning on its face and even more alarming as one digs deeper. It quickly reaches a comedy of the absurd, which makes “Midsummer’s Night Dream” or “Elixir of Love” seem in the realms of possibility. We now have a president of the United States who trusts the word of our biggest adversary over that of anyone else. It’s a manipulation by opposite forces. We have a Republican party that works steadfastly for a small minority – the rich and powerful. To add insult to this is their labeling legislative bills with titles that are the exact opposite of what the bill actually does. The tax cut is a perfect example.
Also, interestingly. many of the Republicans embrace Ayn Rand. Paul Ryan insisted that everyone upon becoming a member of his staff read Rand’s “The Fountainhead.” He obviously did not understand that the very practices Rand was railing against were the very things he and his Republican colleagues were trying to institute.
Now we have our president going to what was the capital of North Vietnam to talk with the leader of North Korea. Many fear that he will give away something else, something big, in return for nothing, like he did on their last meeting. Given that as far as anyone knows the only preparation the president may have done was to talk to the Russians about what he should do. At least, that is what they are boasting. Surprise, they will have their representatives in Hanoi too. Pure coincidence.
Last time Trump and Kim met Trump gave away our doing military exercises with the South Koreans. Something both Russia and North Korea have wanted for decades. What did we get in return? Nothing.
Now people are worried that Trump will agree to a peace plan. On the face it sounds reasonable doesn’t it? That’s the danger. If there is peace then why would South Korea need American troops in its country? In fact, the North Koreans could then claim we were foreign occupiers. North Korea’s goal is to unify the two countries under their rule. Russia’s goal is to diminish U.S. presence. In one blurt Trump could hand both a huge gift. Will he do it? I’m betting yes.
Why? He’s an uneducated, incurious, lazy fool.
He is driven to do the opposite.
He is desperate.
We live in scary times.
Meanwhile, the not too subtle attacks on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes continue. First it was she doesn’t live in her district. Now it’s that her field office isn’t set up. She said it would be ready in March. OMG! That’s like four days away! The horror. Why didn’t she do it right after she got elected? Blah Blah Blah. Well, let’s see. Every media outlet wanted her to appear. She championed The Green New Deal, which has the nation buzzing, and has put the focus on climate change and what to do about it, once again.
She talked about taxing the rich, making education and health care affordable, and she has made working proposals for each. This has driven the right wing to distraction, because fundamentally what she says makes sense. They are twisting themselves and her words in knots.
615 Days to the 2020 election and 693 Days to Inauguration Day
PS The Mall of America. We are being taken for a ride.
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