Embarrassed American

Consider this an open apology to the world. Donald J. Trump makes me embarrassed to be an American. Even though I am proud to be a Democrat and a critic of Trump, I still feel the need to apologize to our friends and allies for the fact that so many of my countrymen still support Trump and the Republicans who are covering his ass like a soiled diaper. To the British people who are apologizing to us for some of their countrymen flying over London a blimp that is an effigy of a diaper clad infant Donald Trump let me say that I find this effigy and the fact that it is a blimp quite appropriate. The Google Dictionary's definition of blimp is in part, “a pompous, reactionary type of person', and as an example of its usage it says,"no Colonel Blimp could have been more nationalistic." But in Trump's case the nationalism is not real. It is rather the sort of demagoguery that exploits xenophobia and paranoia while trying to transform flag waving and other ritualistic patriotic observances into a quasi religion with Trump as its head priest or its patron saint or even its god. To put it bluntly, Trump's brand of nationalism is nothing more than snake oil with very nasty side effects.

Far from defending or promoting our interests abroad Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to them. His phony nationalism manifests itself in destructive protective tariffs that are precipitating a trade war with our friends and most loyal allies, including the EU and Canada! As Delphine Strauss quite correctly stated in her July 8, 2018 Financial Times article:

“Donald Trump raged against his G7 allies this week, accusing them of charging the US “massive” tariffs and erecting barriers to keep American farmers out.

Economists, however, have heaped scorn on many of the US president’s claims, saying they were a distortion of reality that betrayed a lack of understanding of the issues or of what mattered for the US economy.”

Furthermore Trump is conflating trade policies with defense policies. At the NATO breakfast meeting, the he accused Germany of being “totally controlled” by Russia because of the gas Germany buys from Russia, but as Bess Levin stated in Vanity Fair:

“By pointing a diminutive orange finger at Germany, Trump is trying to spread the blame, deflecting attention from his own administration’s all-too-cozy ties to Putin, whom he’ll visit later this week. It’s the same move he pulled in October 2016, when he so eloquently told Hillary Clinton, “No puppet, no puppet. You’re the puppet.” For their part, the Europeans were not impressed; Merkel, who grew up in a Germany that was literally partially controlled by Russia, remarked that the country had been “free of Russian control since the fall of the Berlin Wall”

A long term goal of Vladimir Putin has always been the destruction of NATO, and Trump is greatly aiding Putin's efforts to undermine NATO by falsely

claiming that the US is paying 90% of the costs of the alliance. The real percentage the US pays is 22%.

Just in case you are wondering, the answer is no. I am not going to apologize for any of the vitriol in this post. Miss Levin was justified in using it, and the Brits are correct in showing their displeasure with Trump by flying the effigy of him! Even many Republican lawmaker are beginning to understand that Trump is a disaster for their party, their country, and the world. It is a pity none of them have the courage to do what is necessary to remedy that. So far their response to Trump's dangerous actions has been far too timid. Still the resolution in House of Representatives supporting NATO in contradiction of Trump's unwarranted and false criticisms of the alliance is progress, as is the rebuke the Senate handed Trump in the form “...a non binding measure calling for a greater role in overseeing Trump’s trade decisions, [knowing that the measure will be seen as] an implicit criticism of new tariffs the president has levied on some of the country’s closest allies and largest trading partners."

Injustice For All

I strongly disagree with the people who call Justice Kennedy a Moderate, and I am not the only one voicing this objection. As Amelia Thompson Deveaux said:

“Although he was appointed by a Republican president, Kennedy earned a reputation as a moderate thanks to his willingness to join the court’s liberal wing in important rulings on gay rights, abortion, affirmative action and some criminal-justice issues...[But an] analysis of Kennedy’s voting record during his three decades on the court shows that he voted with the court’s right wing in the majority of cases — including controversial, closely decided cases — throughout his career. And although he was likelier to side with the liberals once he became the court’s swing vote, legal experts say that he occupied the ideological middle ground on relatively few issues.”

Indeed, as Steven Rosenfeld warned on June 24, 2013, “corporations are getting whatever they want.” And this was in no small part thanks to Justice Kennedy acting like one of the tools of the oligopoly by joining the so called “conservative” justices or injustices in decisions such as Citizens United! Now as if the stolen seat Gorsuch is squatting on is not bad enough, Kennedy has decided to give Donald Trump another Supreme Court appointment, but not before upholding Trump's latest Muslim ban. Atta boy Kennedy! Give 'em a head start on lamenting the loss of your moderation!

Giving Trump another Supreme Court appointment is bad news for any individual or entity legally defined as a person, unless that person's name ends with “Inc.” or that person is at least close to being included on Forbe's list of wealthiest people. According to the New Yorker the addition of another Trump appointee, vetted by the Federalist Society or some other right wing organization, means the court:

“... will overrule Roe v. Wade, allowing states to ban abortions and to criminally prosecute any physicians and nurses who perform them. It will allow shopkeepers, restaurateurs, and hotel owners to refuse service to gay customers on religious grounds. It will guarantee that fewer African-American and Latino students attend élite universities. It will approve laws designed to hinder voting rights. It will sanction execution by grotesque means. It will invoke the Second Amendment to prohibit states from engaging in gun control, including the regulation of machine guns and bump stocks.”

And, as the New Yorker points out, “these are just the issues that draw the most attention. In many respects, the most important right-wing agenda item for the judiciary is the undermining of the regulatory state.” And judging by Janus v. Afscme, in which “a 5–4 majority (including Kennedy) said that public employees who receive the benefits of union-negotiated contracts can excuse themselves from paying union dues” I am sure we can count on more decisions that are adverse to labor.

Any hope that Trump will appoint anyone who even resembles a moderate is delusional. He, Trump, is Putin's man, and kleptocracy is his plan! He is rapidly turning the swamp into a cesspool.