Category: Ethics in Government

One Choice:

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Election, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Mid Term Elections, National Security, Politics, Resist Trump

July 23, 2018

“It’s very simple, very basic, very clear — it’s the entire package; this is a national referendum on Trump, an up or down vote on his presidency: vote Republican for the Trump program, all of it [or] vote Democrat to impeach him. Full stop. And the entire package means the entire package…You are either with Trump or you are against him.”
– Steve Bannon on midterm elections

A long time ago in a country far, far, away I was a young exchange student in Germany for my junior year in college.

Having pedaled my bicycle the length of that beautiful country a couple of years previously, I had developed an abiding appreciation for the warm hospitality of the people together with a deep curiosity regarding the odd twists and turns of their history.

I was eagerly anticipating an entire year spent getting to know the culture more intimately and trying to answer a few of my most basic questions. These mostly concerned the horrific cataclysm that befell the country and its citizens as a consequence of their support for Adolf Hitler.

The other thing I had developed a deep and abiding appreciation for was the multitude of welcoming Lokals, Tavernen, and other assorted watering holes each serving two or three local, unique, and utterly satisfying brews. More than the beer, though, was the way each Kneipe also served as a common gathering place for local residents of all ages and backgrounds to mix, mingle, and converse freely among themselves about topics great and small.

Oddly enough, it was my appreciation for this latter aspect of German culture that ultimately helped shed some light on the enduring conundrum posed by the former. Since my initial bicycling sojourn, I had constantly asked myself and others how such warm, welcoming and cultured people, obviously enamored of and personifying “Gemutlichkeit”, could stand by and allow over 6,000,000 of their fellow citizens to be systematically slaughtered at the whim of a madman.

Prior to my arrival in Freiburg for that year of study, the best answer I could pry out of any serious source (from my university professors to multiple history books) was that the entire country had somehow gone crazy during that period. Of course, this “answer” did nothing but pique my curiosity further.

In the course of my first few visits to “Kupi’s Kneipe” the local tavern (maybe a little too) conveniently placed between Freiburg University and the student dorms, I was careful not to press the issue, convinced that doing so would just yield the same non-answer. Eventually, though, I became more of a known, friendly face, and my German language skills gradually evolved beyond text-book level.

As I developed more than casual friendships with several of the other “regulars”, of all ages, the conversations gradually lengthened and deepened to cover a wide variety of topics, from the American tragedy in Vietnam (still relatively fresh & painful at the time), to Jimmy Carter’s prospects as President.

As my willingness to accept critical views and rationally consider opposing opinions became evident, the multiple layers of emotional armor that separated my companions from the deep personal trauma that had been inflicted on most of them forty years earlier were gradually shed.

The warm camaraderie of shared goodwill eventually had its desired effect and the conversations inevitably turned to the eternal, ever-present “elephant in the room” for every single Bürger who was alive during that period or born thereafter: the Nazi era.

After repeated doses of those legendary liquid anesthetics, the voices would become little more than a whisper. I’d lean forward to catch every phrase and nuance against the background noise of the pub. And then slowly, tortuously, the Truth (as they saw it, anyway) would out. Although stated many ways and using many different words, it ultimately boiled down to this:

‘Of course, what Hitler did to the Jews was wrong.’ they would concede. ‘But’, they would confide in voices even less audible, ‘he also did some good things for Germany’.

In the depths of the depression of the mid 1930’s, when finding enough food to keep themselves and their children alive was the first and only priority for most people, they were willing to overlook the egregious transgressions the Nazi’s made against the rule of law and basic human decency.

They were grateful for the initial improvements in the economy and the material benefits that they believed these improvements would yield for themselves and their families. Whatever twinges of conscience they might have experienced were permanently silenced as they witnessed the horrific fates met by any of their fellow citizens who dared to give voice to their objections.

They were willing to support Hitler (particularly in the 1930’s) because his policies, as reprehensible as they were in some regards, allowed them to feed their families and restored (fleetingly, as it turned out) a sense that “Law and Order” was being maintained.

Never having had to face a similar situation myself, I hesitate to say with any degree of certainty what I would do in those circumstances. I know what I’d like to think I would do, but I also learned a long time ago that an untested character trait is no more than a hope.

The basic flaw in the logic of those unfortunate souls only became apparent to the rest of the world by the end of World War II. As of 1978 it still had not been recognized or accepted by many of those who had lived through it:

When they supported the apparent economic benefits offered by Hitler and his National Socialist Workers Party, they were also supporting his clearly stated rabid antisemitism, his utter disdain for the ideals of Democracy, his commitment to “Lebensraum” at the expense of Germany’s neighbors, and the absolute, utter evil embodied by the madman and his minions.

Many of Germany’s decent citizens would have (had they been given the choice) JUST supported the economic policies which they honestly believed would benefit themselves and their families. What they failed to comprehend, though, (in 1932 and all the way up to 1978) is that the choice they would have preferred was NEVER part of the deal offered by Hitler and his band of murderous thugs.

They didn’t get to pick and choose between policies and outcomes. In the end they had only ONE choice to make and only a very small window of time (1930 to 1932) in which to make it. To paraphrase, courtesy of Mr. Bannon:

“It was very simple, very basic, very clear – it was the entire package; a national referendum, an up or down vote on Hitler: vote NAZI for the Hitler program, all of it [or] vote for the coalition to stop him. Full stop. And the entire package meant the entire package…You were either with Hitler or you were against him.”

In what may prove to be an even more foreboding similarity, Hitler was able to gain and consolidate his power during this period with the support and acquiescence of traditional conservatives within the government who were convinced they could reap the political benefits of supporting him while controlling the baser instincts of him and his party.

Those current-day Republican Senators and Congressmen who think they can just support a few of the aspects of Trump’s agenda that they happen to find appealing while ignoring his utter disdain for Democracy, his totalitarian instincts, and his glaring lack of even the most basic aspects of common human decency face the same simple choice:

  • When they are supporting Trump’s tax bill, they are also unequivocally supporting his cruel and brutal child separation policy.

  • When they applaud his choice of Supreme Court justices, they are also unavoidably lending their moral authority to his blatant racism, extreme misogyny, and small-minded bigotry.

  • The rollback of Federal workplace and environmental regulations for which they smilingly share credit guarantees that the basic checks and balances which have guaranteed the stability of our country for 200 years will inevitably face the same assault.

  • Their coordinated efforts at voter suppression by any means possible telegraphs their willingness to turn a blind eye to his deep conflicts of interest and his relentless assault on the Department of Justice.

  • The rueful expressions and rolling of eyes with which they greet each outrageous, lying tweet inevitably condone his attacks on the free press and the traditions of civil discourse which are the bedrock foundations of our Democracy.

  • Their sheep-like acquiescence to the insults and injustices he has heaped upon our Nation’s steadfast allies, legitimizes his obsequious “bowing & scraping” in front of the worst tyrants and most bloodthirsty dictators of our time.

Of course, we have the benefits of 20/20 hindsight that my companions from Kupi’s did not.

We can see, as History has proven repeatedly, and as Steve Bannon has put it so succinctly:

As a nation, we have ONE choice to make.

I KNOW which side of History I choose to stand on.  How about you?

The Peculiar Power of Truth:

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Resist Trump, Uncategorized

Unobtrusive enough that it is hard to precisely define, yet so pervasive that it directly effects the outcome of EVERY Human endeavor . . .

So unassuming that it can easily be drowned-out by those spouting “Alternate Facts” as the basis for their preferred reality, yet so unrelenting that it eventually outlasts and overpowers ALL falsehoods and fabrications . . .

Often so ephemeral that those who ignore its consequences feel emboldened to deny it entirely, but powerful enough to support the history, institutions and destiny of any Nation committed to its ideals . . .

Quiet and muted in its manifestations but unflinching and overwhelming in the judgements it renders against those who betray it . . .

Easily dismissed as irrelevant by the arrogant, ignorant, poor excuse for a human being that fools himself into thinking he is worthy to lead this great Nation, yet a potent, unrelenting, and omnipotent foe that will inevitably escort Trump, his congenitally corrupt family, and his boot-licking minions in the Republican Party to the ash heap of history where they so rightly belong.

We are now in the middle of a long and arduous struggle to banish these parasites from our Nation’s highest offices.  We seek to reclaim the heritage that previous occupants of these institutions (of every stripe and political party) have fought so nobly to protect and defend.  Given the daily attacks mounted on our collective ideals, it is easy to become discouraged and dis-heartened.

Take heart, though, for:

By now, even Trump knows in his soul that his downfall and disgrace is inevitable.  His ever more tenuous grasp on reality and frantic casting about for others to blame for his own fatal flaws are all the evidence that any of us needs that he WILL eventually be defeated – by the TRUTH!

 

 

 

“For the Want of . . .” (with apologies to Ben Franklin):

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Ethics in Government, Politics, Resist Trump

For the want of a Soul, Honor is lost,
For the want of Honor, Honesty is lost,
For the want of Honesty, Trust is lost,
For the want of Trust, the President is lost,
For the want of a President, the Nation is lost,
And all for the want of a (single) Soul.

You may think it far-fetched (as most of our elected representatives from the Republican party apparently do).

If you think about what has REALLY made America one of the greatest Nation’s in History, though, you may begin to see what I mean:

It has not been our military strength.  With no disrespect intended to the members of our armed forces, we have fought and won most of the wars in our past from the position of the unmistakable under-dog.

The one notable loss, in Vietnam, was despite our vastly superior military power and the horrific sacrifices made by the soldiers we sent to fight on our behalf.

It has not been our economic power.  For most of our history we have been largely an agrarian economy, squarely in the also-ran category.

And even though our Nation’s Founders were uncommonly wise and well-intentioned, our laws and national institutions (often cited as the source of our strength), have frequently proven to be fallible and insufficient.

Think of the blight of slavery and the illegal incarceration of U.S. Citizens of Japanese descent during World War II, not to mention the more recent failing of the Electoral College to function (as intended) as the emergency brake on the disastrous outcome of a general election.

As a Nation we HAVE been favored with tremendous natural resources, a strong tradition of hard work and self-reliance, and a citizen-army that has heroically pulled our fat from the fires of tyranny and destruction more often than we can count or have any right to expect.

What has really distinguished us, though, from the long-line of nation states which have risen (and fallen) before us, is our “Soul” as a Nation.  That is the True source of whatever greatness we have attained in the past (and hope to regain in the future).  It is embodied by our shared ideals and aspirations, even if we don’t always live up to them.

It is not that we are always and infallibly exceptional among the Nations of the World, past and present.  As the degenerate who currently occupies the highest office in the land has delighted in pointing out (and actually exemplifies), we frequently fall far short of the standards by which we measure other nations and their Leaders (or rulers as the case may be).

That Soul, though, is the spark that has fired the courage of countless Minutemen, Infantrymen, Doughboys, and G.I.’s facing overwhelming odds in all corners of the globe throughout our history.

It is the source of the ambition which relentlessly drives our fellow-citizens to improve their own lives in pursuit of a better future for themselves, their children, and the World as a whole.

It is what has drawn countless millions of destitute but strong-willed and stalwart souls to our shores, making themselves and all of us immeasurably richer by any standard you can think of as a result.

It is why we stand up to bullies (individuals or nations) rather than join them – because there are many who have tried to bully US.

It is why we root for the underdog – because we have quite often BEEN the underdog.

It is why we, as a people, are drawn to honest effort, fair play, and civil behavior among and between ourselves and our neighbors – because many of us, directly or through our forebears, have borne the scars of corruption, malfeasance and injustice.

Most of all, it is THE defining trait which, in spite of our many failings and shortcomings, has marked America as an unmistakable and indispensable force for good throughout most of our History.

AND – it is the one trait that our current leader (aided and abetted by the party for which he is the chosen standard bearer) so obviously, irrefutably and catastrophically lacks.

As a Nation we have proven time and time again that we are able to shoulder any burden, overcome any hardship, and defeat any foe of Liberty.  Thanks to that shared “Soul” inculcated in all of us, we have faced those challenges with bravery, steadfast determination and more confidence than a rational people should be able to muster.

The one enemy we have not had to face until now, though, is an elected president who neither shares our commitment to those lofty ideals nor even believes in them.

How we, as individuals and citizens, respond to this threat will surely determine the fate of our Nation – as surely as the want of a horseshoe nail determines the loss of a kingdom.

“The Time To Hesitate Is Through” . . .

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Resist Trump

No, I didn’t vote for him, but I WAS willing to give him a chance.  Mostly because the stakes were so high and I really did not and still do not relish the thought of watching ANY American President fail.

Responding to one of my letters, the senior Republican Senator from my state wrote to me shortly after the inauguration to say that the newly elected president deserved our respect and the right to choose his cabinet, (although he seemed to be picking people intent on destroying the very institutions they were supposed to be leading).  I had my doubts, but figured that the well-respected and very experienced Senator probably knew more about the situation than I did.

When the Speaker of the House assured the country that the president was just unfamiliar with the legal, moral, and ethical standards required of ANY elected official in this country I was, I admit, more than a little skeptical, put trusted that the Republicans (several of whom I have voted for on many occasions) wouldn’t jeopardize the survival of our Democracy for any perceived short-term political advantage.

As the unyielding assault on every value that we as a Nation share and hold dear continues from the Oval Office, I have been waiting for the fabled “Party of Lincoln” to rise above their partisan bickering and vacuous posturing to take a united stand against the barrage of lies and atrocities being committed daily in their name by their standard bearer.

Until a couple of weeks ago, one true American Hero, John McCain was the only Republican Senator with the courage and conviction to stand consistently against Trump’s malicious lies and mean-minded, dearly held ignorance.  Now, freed from the need to run for re-election, Senator Bob Corker seems to have simultaneously found his moral compass and his voice of reason.

Both of these gentlemen are to be commended for having the courage to face the Truth and address the very real danger that Trump’s continued occupation of the Oval Office poses to our country and the World.

To those timid Republican souls who profess to be our elected representatives but refuse to accept the responsibility implicit in the solemn oath they swore upon taking office:

You may have forgotten your pledge, but “We the People” have not.

Perhaps you have calculated that your egregious abdication of responsibility will be forgiven if only you can continue to deal with the devil in the White House long enough to move ahead with a few favored pieces of your conservative agenda.

Will you still feel the same way when this wreck of a president whom you have been implicitly supporting and enabling finally faces his first serious, Life or Death test as our Nation’s leader?

Whether it be on the Korean Peninsula. in the streets of Tehran, or somewhere else that isn’t even “on the radar” yet,  you know that test is coming and so do I.  You know with the same dread certainty that I feel in my gut, (and that is shared by John McCain, Bob Corker, Rex Tillerson, and most other sentient beings on the planet) that Trump’s abject failure in the face of such a crucial test is a foregone conclusion.

A man so accustomed to and comfortable in the gutter cannot be expected to rise any higher.

As a truly concerned citizen of the Nation that was once considered “Indispensable” for the continued peace, prosperity and well-being of the civilized World, I ask that you dispense (at least temporarily) with your ill-fated quest for short term political advantage.

Act now for the common good and the general welfare of the country.  Use the power that has been vested in you by your fellow citizens.  Break the grip that this unaccomplished parasite has on the very throat of our Democracy and return him to the gutter from whence he came.

“We the People” are waiting and the World is watching.

 

 

We’re So Sorry Eric & Ivanka …

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Emoluments Clause, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Politics, Resist Trump, Uncategorized

That (in Eric’s case) you’ve: “Never seen hatred like this”; Or, in the words of Ivanka: “There is a level of viciousness that I was not expecting”.

It’s just that when you blatantly leverage you father’s name (with his explicit support and encouragement) to increase the revenue and net worth of your family’s business empire in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution which your father took an oath to protect and defend, some folks tend to get just a tad touchy.

When your father goes out of his way to insult world leaders who have stood by us in the darkest of times while warmly embracing the most blood soaked and corrupt dictators alive, some people might forget their manners.

When each of you, personally, feel free to trample the anti-nepotism laws and ethical standards which are designed to protect the rest of us from greedy and rapacious parasites of the type that you now personify, yes, some of us DO get a little hot under the collar.  Try to understand.

When the corrupt, crony capitalists appointed by your father to be the guardians of our democratic institutions use their offices to enrich themselves while systematically dismantling the very agencies they are supposed to be managing for the benefit of the people who pay their salaries, tact tends to fall by the wayside.

When your spouse tries to circumvent the safeguards designed to protect us all by surreptitiously establishing direct contact with what is in-arguably our country’s most dangerous foe, some of us might fail to see the big picture.  We don’t mean to be disrespectful of your obviously superior intellect.

Some of us DO take it personally when your father blithely dismantles long standing international agreements, turns a blind eye to the on-going atrocities committed by his strong-man heroes, and works tirelessly to destroy America’s hard won position as the political, economic and (most importantly) moral leader of the world’s democracies.  Please forgive us.

When the defining moments of your father’s term to date have been the blatant lies, mis-representations and vicious attacks against anyone with the temerity to raise a dissenting opinion, diplomacy might be one of the first victims.

When the very moral precepts upon which this country was founded and for which thousands of our fellow patriots past and present have paid dearly in blood, are heedlessly ignored in your father’s blind pursuit of fame and personal attention, I’ll admit it, even I tend to neglect the niceties of social discourse.

When every day that your father remains in the office for which he is so obviously unsuited brings evermore egregious damage to the reputation and standing of the great nation we all aspire to be part of, patience tends to wear a bit thin.  I understand that’s no excuse for offending your tender sensibilities.

We’ll all try to be more careful and considerate in the future.

Feel better now?

 

 

 

 

“Absolute Right” but still Absolutely Wrong! . . .

by James P. Shafer, posted in Defending the Constitution, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Politics, Resist Trump, Uncategorized

It was bound to happen sooner or later.  The trumpster finally tweeted something that I happen to agree with, stating that he has the “Absolute Right” to divulge any information he is privy to to whomever he chooses.

That is true, any President DOES have that right, as well as many others.  The Constitution grants the holder of that office with incredibly wide latitude to conduct the affairs of state in any way he sees fit.

Which is, of course, precisely why it is so crucially important that the holder of that office has the maturity, judgement, and discipline to wield those awesome powers responsibly.

Since January 20, the entire planet has had a front row seat to the endless series of (mostly self-inflicted) crises and debacles emanating directly from the Oval Office.  The astounding levels of ignorance, arrogance, and ineptitude have caused tremors of genuine, well-founded, fear among concerned citizens and well-meaning allies around the World.

This particular firestorm centered around the bloviator-in-chief’s willingness to divulge highly classified information, provided to the U.S. under the good graces of a genuine ally who shared that information with our own intelligence services with the clear understanding and entirely reasonable expectation that it would not be divulged to other parties.

There are two possible explanations for what happened next:

#1.) Desperately eager to please his Russian handlers, our fearless leader felt compelled to impress them with the top secret intelligence to which he now has full access not realizing that by doing so he would be divulging sensitive information to an avowed hostile power who is actively working against U.S. interests throughout the World.

#2) He knew full well what he was doing and the damage it would cause to the security of our country, but for reasons currently known only to trump himself and Vladimir Putin, chose to divulge that information anyway.

On January 20, 2017, trump stood before a middling sized crowd and the eyes of the World and swore to:

“. . . preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

This unfortunate incident COULD simply be the result of willful ignorance and profound stupidity.  It could also very well be out of deliberate and self-serving malice.  Whatever the root cause, with this single action trump has conclusively demonstrated that he is unfit to fulfill his pledge and unable to responsibly discharge the duties of the office.

If the former cause turns out to be the case, removal under Article 25 of that Constitution is probably the appropriate course of action.  If it is the latter, (as I personally suspect it will be), Impeachment and (long) imprisonment for treason is the best outcome trump can hope for.

Whatever the final outcome, I can only hope that it comes to pass before this ultimate loser has the opportunity to inflict any more permanent damage on our country.

 

Brace for Impact . . .

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Resist Trump

Have you ever wondered why the Flight Attendants waste 10 minutes of everybody’s time before every flight pointing out all the safety procedures and emergency exits even though we’ve all heard it a million times before and could repeat the whole spiel back to them word-for-word?

They’re not doing it for their own or our amusement.  They’re not doing it for the 999,999 out of 1,000,000 flights for which everything goes as smooth as glass from take-off to touchdown.

They’re doing it for when things GO SERIOUSLY WRONG (as in Miracle On The Hudson level of wrong).

Ever wonder why:

  • There are three separate, distinct, and (theoretically) independent branches of the U.S. Government?
  • Supreme Court Justices are appointed for life?
  • The Attorney General and other senior members of the Executive Branch have to be confirmed by the Legislative Branch?
  • The President doesn’t get to make the laws, but can only carry-out laws that have been passed by Congress?
  • The Constitution prohibits the President from receiving anything of value from a foreign power?

All of these strictures are not needed for the majority of the time when our Government is being run by honest, capable, and honorable men and women.  They are there because the Founders of our Democracy knew from experience that, Human Nature being what it is, sooner or later things would go SERIOUSLY WRONG.  If their cherished experiment in self-governance were to survive, mechanisms to limit and repair the damage would need to be firmly established and adhered to.

Most of us learned the above civics lessons before we were out of the 8th grade.  Our bloviating bigot of a president evidently missed that year.  How else can you explain his constant wailing and bickering about the interfering Judges who won’t let him discriminate to his heart’s content?  Or his impatience with the Legislative Branch which refuses to rubber-stamp his every ill-conceived whim?

Or, even more ominously, his increasingly blatant disregard for the Constitutional limits on the power of the office he currently occupies which are their precisely to protect the rest of us from the excesses and naked personal ambitions of the tyrant he evidently yearns to become.

For the good of us all, though, it appears that he is about to be taught the one responsibility granted to the Congress to be used as a last resort in times of mortal danger to the very fabric of the Republic:

  • The power to remove the President from office.

 

It Is Time.

 

 

 

DOOMED by the TRUTH:

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Politics, Resist Trump

“We hold these truths to be self-evident . . .”

Unique among the family of nations, America was founded on the bedrock of Truth. Our improbable success as a fledgling Republic, arrayed against a host of hostile and powerful monarchies, was due in large part to the power of that Truth and our predecessors unflinching dedication to defending it.

The intervening two and a half centuries have seen several world-wide empires come and go, brutal dictatorships rise and fall, competing ideologies crumble under the weight of their own fallacies. All the while, guided by the strength and adhering to the veracity of those founding principles, America has risen to its current unique and indispensable position among the nations of the World.

Can you imagine a World where international relations are dominated by the moral code of Putin’s Russia? Where defenseless citizens are left to the tender mercies of thugs like Kim Jong Un and his band of assassins in North Korea? Where peaceful citizens demonstrating for basic human rights are met with iron fisted terror and repression as happens every day in Bashar al-Assad’s Syria.

If you have been following Donald Trump’s words and actions for any length of time you will recognize the scumbags listed above as some of his favorite tyrants. The current leader of the Free World, OUR COUNTRY – founded on the noble ideals of Truth, Justice and basic Human Dignity, is by his own repeated admission, more comfortable with the words and deeds of some of the most corrupt, brutal and bloodthirsty dictators of this (or any other) century.

Trump is doomed.

I can’t tell you exactly how or when it will happen, but I know for certain that he will not complete even his first term in office. Why? Because we are a Nation built on Truth. All of us, Republicans, Democrats, Libertarian or Tea Party member value Truth and Honesty above all else.

Trump has conclusively demonstrated that he has neither respect for the Truth nor any concept of its inherent power. No matter how he and his cronies try to spin it, his presidency will inevitably face the consequences of that moral failure.

The only question of any import is how much damage his ignorance and ineptitude can do to our Nation and its standing in the World before the TRUTH catches up with him.

Disagreement Does Not Mean Disrespect

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Emoluments Clause, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Politics, Resist Trump

“If the intent is not peaceful this is not the event for you,” said Mark Skoda on the stage (in Nashville, TN) . . . According to , and published in USA TODAY, where the following comments were also recorded:

“We are all Americans, we need to come together,” said Richard Saunders of Robertson County (TN) . . .

“We are the silent majority,” said Diane Simpson, of Leonardo (NJ). “We are people that normally don’t demonstrate, but when we have to, we can.” . . . As reported by Craig McCarthy of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

“We need to rediscover the soul of America,” said Ronald Gawronski, in Miami, FL, according to a news report on CBSMiami.com, “The feeling of who we are as a people.”

Sound familiar?  Maybe even inspirational?  These were some of the voices heard at the Pro-Trump rallies held around the country this past weekend.

And while the unfortunate (and bloody) confrontations in Berkeley, CA were what commandeered all the headlines and video coverage, NPR was able to confirm that:

“. . . For the most part, however, the demonstrations have been peaceful — and in Austin, at least, charitable as well. The Austin American-Statesman notes that pro-Trump “attendees are told to bring donations for the homeless and veterans, such as canned goods, clothing, blankets and hygiene products, according to the [organizers’] Facebook page.”

All of the above confirm my strong conviction that among Americans (even those who in good faith and with the best of intentions backed a different candidate than I did), there is much more that unites us then divides us.

A strong moral compass, a deep rooted concept of honesty and fair play, and a shared commitment to the rule of law and peaceful resolution of our legitimate differences are all clearly evident in the sentiments and actions described above.

I’d like to commend these fellow Americans and those who share their views for their dedication to our shared ideals and their commitment to the welfare of the Nation we ALL love.

While I did not vote for the same candidate that you chose, in “normal” circumstances I would willingly give the new President (whether my preferred candidate or not) my loyalty and support.

The reason I respectfully disagree with your well-intentioned support for the current occupant of the White House, though, is that it is becoming increasingly and unavoidably obvious that he does not share the values and ideals to which both you and I firmly adhere.

I ask you:

Would a President worthy of our loyalty have blatantly ignored the U.S. Constitution on his first day in office by violating the Emoluments Clause and refusing to divest himself of his business interests?

Would a President worthy of our support continually trash the ethical standards and safeguards that ALL politicians from ALL parties have adhered to for over 200 years?

Would a President worthy of our respect equate the moral standing of America for which our fellow citizens have fought, bled and died in countless wars throughout our history with that of the most greedy, corrupt and blood-soaked dictator the World has seen in 50 years?

I say this as someone who derives absolutely no satisfaction from witnessing the failure of ANY American President: By every word, deed, and tweet since assuming the Office, Trump has conclusively demonstrated to all of us and to the rest of the World (with the possible exception of Vladimir Putin) that he is completely, utterly, and morally incapable of performing the duties required of the holder of that Office.

This is no longer a political issue.  This is no longer a partisan debate.  This is not a diatribe against Republicans (with whom I have voted on several previous occasions), Conservatives (whose political philosophies I mostly share), or Populists (whose frustrations with the “Status Quo” I currently share).

This has become an existential threat to the country against which we must ALL unite and fight – before the damage to our Nation and its place in the world become irreversible.

I ask that you join the many millions of your fellow countrymen and patriots who clearly see the danger to help us face and defeat the menace we all face.

 

 

 

Treachery Revealed:

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Politics, Resist Trump

According to an article by Philip Rucker published earlier this week in the The Washington Post, Stephen Bannon, chief strategist for our Liar in Chief, was brutally blunt in his first public speaking appearance since the inauguration.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference, Bannon admitted that the “deconstruction of the administrative state” was at the core of the agenda being pursued by the current occupants of the highest office in our country.

He also confirmed what a lot of concerned citizens have already been forced to conclude for themselves: “If you look at these Cabinet nominees, they were selected for a reason, and that is deconstruction,”

So, we now have a head of state who was NOT elected by a majority of voters, whose legitimacy is increasingly suspect due to still unanswered allegations of Russian interference in our election (which appears increasingly likely to have been aided and abetted by Trumps staffers and business associates), and whose administration has as its stated goal nothing less than the “Deconstruction” of the civil institutions and stable democratic system of government that has taken this great Nation more than 200 YEARS to build.

Just so we’re all real clear here, Deconstruction in this sense means the complete and utter destruction of something just slowly and gradually enough so that those who will be most effected by its loss do not rise up and fight against the destroyers.

As someone who has traditionally held a Conservative / Libertarian political philosophy I fully ascribe to the notions of minimum government and maximum personal Freedom.  One of the core tenets of that philosophy, though, is one’s own RESPONSIBILITY for the results of his or her actions.

Over the years I have personally observed how the abdication of responsibility by those who enjoy the benefits of that freedom cause grave and oftentimes irreparable harm to innocent co-inhabitants of the planet.

Here’s how those concepts play out under the bleak world order which is the stated goal of the bloated bigot Bannon and his flaming trumpet of a mouthpiece:

Their cadre of cronies are FREE to loot and pillage the public coffers for their own personal enrichment while the rest of us bear the RESPONSIBILITY for putting up with vastly reduced transparency, efficiency, and accountability from our elected representatives.

To see how that works out in practice, take a look at Russia, Brazil, South Africa, or any one of the several tin horn dictatorships throughout the third world which loudly proclaim themselves to be Democratically Elected.

Corporate contributors to the regime have the FREEDOM to trash the environment and set our environmental safeguards back 50 years in pursuit of ever-higher profits while the rest of us (along with our children and grandchildren) bear the RESPONSIBILITY for learning how to breathe toxic air and drink polluted water.

For the clearest example of this facet of Bannon’s vision for us, you need look no further than China where, despite a seemingly successful business model an environmental nightmare complete with unbreathable air, undrinkable water and poisonous food is being lived by its citizens every day.

“Insiders” and those holding the reins of power are FREE to flout the laws of the country as they see fit while normal, law abiding citizens are held to increasingly stringent standards of RESPONSIBILITY and accountability for increasingly minor or perceived infractions.

It breaks my heart to say it, but the country I love is now the prime example of this particularly pernicious form of structural rot:

Witness trump’s continued and blatant violation of the U.S. Constitution, his complete disregard for our hard-won ethics regulations, and his utter contempt for well-established laws against conflicts of interest versus his increasingly authoritarian and vicious attacks on hard-working, law abiding immigrants and their children as well as his ruthless attempts to discredit and suppress any civil servant who dares to oppose his nihilistic policies.

Right Wing anarchists and lovers of conspiracy theories are FREE to trash the hard-won alliances that have kept the developed World relatively peaceful since 1945 in favor of outmoded concepts of National Supremacy that have repeatedly been dis-proven and relegated to the ash-heap of History.

The entirely foreseeable result of this lethal fantasy is that it leaves the defenders of our democratic ideals with the RESPONSIBILITY and vastly increased likelihood of fighting and dying to save and restore the stability based on shared values for which preceding generations have already paid dearly in blood spilled and lives lost.

Don’t think it can happen here?  Neither did the citizens of Eastern Ukraine.

Given the stark moral choices outlined above, another of Bannon’s remarks at the CPAC event may prove to be even more prophetic:

“If you think they’re going to give you your country back without a fight, you are sadly mistaken.  Every day is going to be a fight.”

As I mentioned above, by nature I am neither a Democrat nor a Liberal.  In the face of such a mortal threat to the ideals and even the continued existence of our Nation as a force for good in the World, though, I cannot acquiesce to the torrent of hate filled lies and bigotry spewing forth daily from this illegitimate usurper of power.

Pretender to power trump may have succeeded in winning the election (or, when the smoke clears, it may turn out that his BFF Putin was the REAL winner).  No matter how loudly or frequently he proclaims otherwise, though, his victory was by no means a landslide and even less of a sweeping mandate to fundamentally alter the nature and character of our Democracy.

In light of these circumstances I see only one viable option for those of us who accept personal RESPONSIBILITY for the continued well-being and success of our Nation:

It is imperative that we put aside our short term political differences NOW and exercise all of the Constitutionally guaranteed FREEDOMS at our disposal to fight the existential threat to our country represented by the self-deceiving traitors who are bent on the “deconstruction” of the America we love.

Bannon and his ilk are expecting a fight.  Let’s not disappoint them.