Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, Westcliffe, CO (Photo/Jason Taylor)
As is probably the case with many of us, prior to the current political meltdown, public advocacy and engagement was never high on my list of personal priorities. And, of course, just because there is now a full-blown existential crisis for our democracy, the day-to-day duties that I need to attend to have not abated one bit.
It was in the performance of these duties that I recently realized a basic truth that I hope will encourage all of us who recognize the current threat facing our Nation for what it is:
Donald Trump and his crime family are intent on obliterating the moral, legal, and ethical foundations upon which our republic has been built. They are doing so not because they seek to replace it with something that they think will be better, but solely for their own perceived personal benefit – more power and profit for themselves and the country be damned!
As this tragedy plays itself out daily, more and more of our fellow-citizens are starting to experience the tragic consequences of a federal government, with its fearsome reach and unchecked authority, when it is in the hands of an amoral felon and his self-serving lackeys.
Arrayed against this awesome accumulation of criminally directed power, the forces of good faith and justice, which are only now beginning to gather steam and headway, may seem pitifully outnumbered and outmatched.
One basic and enduring principal, though, that I think Trump and his MAGA-ts may have failed to even consider, will eventually prove to be the deciding factor in this struggle and the ultimate arbiter of their fate:
People Yearn To Be Free!
All People / All the Time / Everywhere in the World / Throughout History! No one has ever willingly donned the shackles of repression and injustice.
There have been innumerable instances throughout history, of course, where through lies, brutality, and bloodshed, those who would deny that basic truth have succeeded in subjugating some people for a relatively short period of time. History has just as often recorded the grim fate that inevitably befalls the perpetrators of such atrocities (a fact that Trump and the likes of Miller, Noem, Patel, and Bondi, et al., would be wise to consider).
But – from the ancient cities of Athens and Rome, through the hamlets of Medieval England, the streets of Boston and Philadelphia, the blood-soaked battlefields of Gettysburg and Normandy, to the massive uprisings in our own lifetimes from Beijing to Teheran, to Moscow, to Kiev, millions upon millions of “average” Human Beings, have organized, fought, bled, and died to further the cause of Liberty and secure its blessings for themselves, their families, and their nations.
No autocrat or dictator, no matter how fearsome his power or ruthless his minions, can hope to engender that measure of devotion or permanently triumph over those who possess it.
This is the basic Truth that Franklin D. Roosevelt recognized and harnessed when he unified Americans of all political, social, and economic persuasions and marshaled their energies to defeat the dark forces of Fascism in the defining struggle of the last century.
Let all of us who wish our Nation well take heart from the fact that our our victory over the forces we are now confronting is ultimately grounded on that same unalterable Truth and that it is therefore just as certain.
This does not imply that the threats we now face will resolve themselves automatically and in our favor. On the contrary, it emphatically underscores that it is up to each of us to accept our individual responsibility and shoulder the burdens required to bring Victory about, just as those who have come before us have had to do, before further damage can be done to our Nation and its ideals.
Were you one of the 5,000,000+ patriotic citizens (1.5% of the population) sufficiently motivated by Trump’s transgressions to march in protest of his tyranny on June 14th &/or any of the other anti-Trump demonstrations?
If so, we ask that you read, carefully consider, and sign our Declaration of Resistance. The Declaration provides a rational, factual foundation for a unified, nationwide opposition to Trump, his hoard of fascist MAGA-ts and his thoroughly corrupt, incompetent government.
Our goal is to accumulate at least 10,000,000 signatories, each one an individual American who proclaims “Enough!” of Trump and the members of his crime syndicate that are destroying our Democracy in pursuit of their own personal power and profit. That number is very close to the “tipping point” required for meaningful change. It will assuredly give even the most rabid Trump enabling politicians and knee-bending judges a good reason to reconsider their unquestioning support of his dictatorial conduct, particularly as we will be able to tie each signatory back to their own particular voting district via the Zip Code that we are asking you to include with your signature.
This is a very simple act that each and everyone of us can accomplish today. It has the potential to effectively alter the death spiral trajectory currently being forced upon us all by Trump’s blatantly illegal and amoral regime.
So – when your kids and grandkids ask what you did to help defend Democracy in America when it was under attack, you can point with pride to your signature on this Declaration of Resistance and tell them: “I joined the Resistance!”
Thank you for your support – we look forward to having you join us!
Is anybody else a fan of “Star Trek – The Next Generation”?
For my money, one of the most powerful moments in the entire seven-year series, came in the two-part episode “Chain of Command”.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart), had been captured by the Cardassians and tortured for several days by Gal Madred (played by David Warner). Madred was trying to force Picard to divulge Federation plans for the defense of an outpost that the Cardassians were intent on capturing.
Realizing that Picard, known for his iron-will, would refuse to cooperate, Madred hoped to break that will by means of a fiendishly cruel but simple stratagem:
During their first encounter after Picard’s capture, Madred had Picard brought to him in a sparse room illuminated by four bright lights above and behind the desk where Madred was seated. Madred then asked Picard to count the lights and tell him how many there were, to which Picard naturally replied: “There are four lights”.
“No”, countered Madred, “There are five lights, can’t you see that?”
Picard looked again, counted the lights and repeated that he saw only four lights. This time instead of a verbal reply, Madred pressed a button on a small transmitter in his hand, immediately inducing gut-wrenching pain throughout Picard’s body, causing him to collapse on the floor, gasping for breath.
With a paper-thin veneer of civility, Madred explained that the debilitating shock of sheer agony would be administered every time Picard refused to concede that there were five lights in the room.
Just like brutal-minded bullies in this Century, Madred understood that before you can induce decent people to do your bidding, you must first get them to renounce the reality presented by their own senses and accept your twisted truths as their own.
In Madred’s case, though, he was simply trying to bully the wrong person. Throughout the ensuing days, despite several increasingly inhumane bouts of interrogation, Picard refuses to grant Madred even the smallest of concessions, insisting whenever asked that he sees only the four lights.
The Victory ultimately belongs to Picard when, just before he is released from captivity, and following Madred’s one last, particularly brutal effort to break his will, Picard, though on the verge of physical collapse, looks up at the lights, fixes a withering gaze on Madred and declares: “There are FOUR lights!” He then shakes off the grips of his captors and wobbles weakly but defiantly from the room.
I’ll be honest: the only trait I share with either Sir Patrick Stewart or the heroic Captain Picard he played so brilliantly, is my bald head.
Nonetheless, I find the Truth made obvious by this episode to be particularly compelling, even more so given the torrent of lies spewing constantly from the tyrants and bullies currently controlling the U.S. Government.
Therefore, in defense of my own sanity, and in an attempt to make the goals of these present-day tyrants more difficult to achieve, I hereby declare my own Top-Ten list of “There are FOUR lights!” observations:
1.) Trump unequivocally LOST the 2020 election.
2.) In an effort to retain power in spite of that loss, he incited a riot and attempted to violently overthrow the Government of the United States on January 6, 2021.
3.) During his first term in office, Trump was impeached twice for violating his Oath of Office: the first time for attempting to extort political favors from the President of Ukraine in exchange for the release of funds already appropriated by the U.S. Congress; the second time for the insurrection he instigated on January 6, 2021.
4.) In both cases, it was only the feckless and short-sighted complicity of Trump’s GOP enablers in the Senate that prevented him from being convicted and removed from office.
5.) As was extensively documented in The Washington’s Post’s 2019 “The Mueller Report” by Rosalind S. Helderman and Matt Zapotosky, during the 2016 election campaign Trump gladly accepted illegal assistance from Russia, a country that is openly hostile to U.S. national security interests around the world. Trump repeatedly repaid that assistance by espousing positions favorable to Vladimir Putin’s murderous regime and disregarding the advice and judgements of America’s own security institutions.
6.) It was only the standing policy of the U.S. Justice Department that a sitting President should not be indicted that prevented Trump’s criminal prosecution on several felony charges stemming from these events, including Conspiracy and Obstruction of Justice.
7.) From the “Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington” report by Brie Sparkman and Sara Wiatrak, updated June 4, 2024:
“As of March 2024, Donald Trump has been personally charged with 88 criminal offenses in four criminal cases. This total reflects charges related to Trump’s attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, election interference in Georgia, falsifying business records in New York, and mishandling classified records after leaving the presidency. Donald Trump is the first former president in U.S. history to be criminally indicted.”
6.) In May of 2024, Trump was convicted by a court and jury of 34 felonies related to his illegal efforts to influence the results of the 2016 election. He is thus the first felon ever to be elected to the Presidency of the United States. After his election to the Presidency, the Judge in the case sentenced Trump to an “Unconditional Discharge” with no legal penalties whatsoever.
7.) Through a sickening combination of legally dubious delay tactics and a blatantly corrupt, politically accommodating Supreme Court, Trump has succeeded in evading legal accountability for any of these crimes. Based on the evidence made public to date, he would have most likely been sentenced to lengthy prison terms had that evidence been presented to any impartial Jury.
8.) During the 2024 campaign, Trump repeatedly proclaimed that his second term in office would be marked by revenge and retribution against those who stood against him and his dictatorial whims during his first term in office. His actions since his inauguration prove beyond any reasonable doubt that the threats he made were deadly serious.
9.) In seeking that revenge, Trump has made it brutally clear that he does not consider himself to be bound by the Oath of Office to “Protect and defend the Constitution” that he has now publicly taken twice.
10.) Several of his first administration’s highest-ranking officials gave us ample warning that returning Trump to office would present a grave, existential danger to the future of the Country. Those warnings have now been borne out by the motley crew of unqualified misfits and lunatics that Trump has appointed to the highest levels of the Federal government. As a result, the revenge and retribution he threatened will be felt by ALL Americans of every political persuasion.
The transgressions against our Democracy itemized above are the ten that I consider to be among the most egregious. Compiling a complete list of Trump’s lies, corrupt acts, and criminal violations of the Constitution would require more time than I have available to devote to the task.
The one trait they have in common, though, is that they ALL required (and continue to require) enough people (average citizens, elected representatives, members of the press, and the judiciary) who are willing to blindly accede to Trumps repeated proclamations that, in effect: “There are five lights, don’t you see them?”
I honestly do not know how those people (particularly those who have likewise sworn an oath to protect and defend the Constitution) are able to rationalize their blatant betrayal of those oaths and deny the volumes of evidence presented by their own senses.
As for myself, I will honestly and proudly state my dedication to the Truth no matter how loudly Trump and his band of brutal thugs try to proclaim otherwise.
. . . May not be a guarantee of future results, but it IS a pretty good indicator:
In the case at hand, Trump’s apologists in the GOP claim that the allegations for which Trump has been impeached were based entirely on ”hearsay” and represent nothing more than a desperate attempt by the Democrats to prevent Trump’s re-election in 2020. While patently false, these claims might be more believable if the offenses outlined in the articles of impeachment were totally out of character with Trump’s past conduct.
So, a brief re-cap of the President’s actual record in this regard (not hearsay, not baseless allegations, but actual history) might help those among us who are not professional politicians or pundits shed some meaningful light on the nation’s current conundrum:
The Federal Government’s 1973 lawsuit against Trump Management, Inc. (and its then 27 year old President, Donald J. Trump) for violation of federal fair housing laws is a pretty good “Leading Indicator” for a number of reasons. It is the first thoroughly documented example of Trump’s utter disdain for legality (not to mention morality) in his business dealings.
In his failed defense against those charges, Trump also clearly reveals the tactics and strategies he has deployed against all similar charges ever since. The facts were unassailable and clearly arrayed against him. On the advice of his notorious attorney, Roy Cohn, Trump counter-sued the Government, dismissed the well-documented testimony of the Government’s witnesses as “without merit”, and attacked the motives of the prosecutor’s as a personal vendetta against him.
Sound Familiar?
Then, despite vociferous claims that he would “never settle”, when the facts became known in the course of legal proceedings that stretched on for two years, Trump (still loudly proclaiming his innocence) did, in fact, settle the case on terms favorable to the Government.
The sad saga of the Donald J. Trump Foundation reinforces this pattern of self-serving and double-dealing with no regard for either the law or ethics. As with the earlier case, the evidence amassed by prosecutors (in this case the New York State Attorney General’s office), was overwhelming: Sixteen specific, well-documented instances of Trump and his family, engaging in patently illegal conduct including (among other charges):
Mishandling of funds raised for veteran’s causes
Failure to make pledged 9/11 grants
Receiving donation from a Ukrainian oligarch during campaign for president
This pattern of egregious violations started with the establishment of the Trump Foundation and continued unabated for nearly 30 years (!) until the foundation was forced to dissolve under court supervision last year and distribute its remaining assets (two million dollars) to charities approved by the court.
The short lived (2005 – 2010) scam labeled Trump University is another well documented, self-admitted example of Trump’s criminal pattern of behavior. Promoted heavily by the great man himself, the shell company promised untold riches to those willing to trust him to teach them the secrets of successful real estate investing. Despite Trump University having no academic accreditation and the multiple business bankruptcies in his own past, Trump and his larcenous cronies managed to defraud more than 5,000 people of up to $35,000 each for worthless “seminars” which were actually nothing more than high-pressure sales pitches for additional courses.
In the face of multiple criminal investigations and three Federal lawsuits, the con was finally dissolved in 2010 and in 2016 Trump (again after insisting on his own innocence and swearing he would “never settle”) was forced to pay twenty-five MILLION (!) dollars in damages to the victims of his scam.
Of course, the most recent and most extensively documented (in all 480 carefully compiled pages of the Mueller report) example of Trump’s perfidy is his behavior during the last presidential election and the ensuing investigation.
Trump openly invited the Russians to interfere with our presidential election on national TV. He carefully planned his campaign strategy to make sure he would achieve maximum benefit when they did so. When the nature and extent of his criminal conduct became impossible to ignore, he blatantly and criminally interfered with the government authorized investigation of the matter on ten separate, well-documented occasions.
His primary line of defense throughout the ensuing scandal has been the same one used by the twenty-seven year old rich man’s son when he was caught red-handed: scathing personal attacks on the individuals and institutions charged with enforcing the Nation’s laws and painting the legal proceedings against him as personal vendettas and “witch hunts”.
While Trump’s well documented and thoroughly proven past transgressions are likely to sicken any well meaning supporter of American Democracy, there IS a sliver of hope contained therein, as well:
In each of the past legal proceedings, Trump loudly proclaimed his innocence and viciously attacked those that would ensure that justice was served. He did so right up until it became obvious to all that his efforts would fail and that he was, in fact, guilty as charged. He then quickly “folded” his game and moved on to his next con.
To me, this appears to be both legitimate grounds for optimism concerning the eventual removal of tyrant Trump from office, as well as a valid strategy for achieving that vital goal as quickly as possible.
The legal pressure currently building against Trump must be increased rapidly and relentlessly until the Truth becomes damning and his ultimate fate unavoidable. If he runs true to form (as criminals inevitably do), he will then “cut & run” as fast as he can.
If you want to be able to look your children and grandchildren in the eye when this national nightmare has finally run its course, I encourage you to do whatever you personally can to hasten that day’s arrival.
“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?
When I originally wrote to you shortly after the election in 2016 to express my grave concerns about the suitability of the then president-elect for the position he had gained under very suspicious circumstances, you quite diplomatically made note of Hillary Clinton’s own thoughts on the matter:
“When talking about the President-elect during her concession speech, Hillary Clinton said that “we owe him an open mind and the chance to lead” and that she hopes “he will be a successful president for all Americans.”
You went on to state: “I agree with her sentiments and look forward to working together to help improve the lives of all Pennsylvanians”
Those were noble sentiments from both of you and I honestly hoped the sense of optimism and decency that each of you expressed would be borne out by future events.
For the past 18 months, though, we have all been watching and waiting for that man, occupying the most powerful position on the planet, to grow-up and grow into the grave responsibilities of his office. Every day the lies, the scandals, the corruption, and the cruel brutality of the man and his coterie of self-serving cronies become ever more evident and more destructive to the values and ideals shared by ALL Americans of every political persuasion.
His latest and most blatant act in defiance of the oath that he swore to protect and defend the Constitution proves beyond any doubt (to anyone with the courage to face the truth) what many of us have suspected all along: He is NOT our president. He IS (either willfully or through sheer, arrogant ignorance) an agent of a foreign and hostile power.
In light of these facts, I would like to remind you of the parting thought you expressed in your letter to me from January 27 of 2017:
“ – as well as standing up against the President-elect when he does not carry out his duties appropriately.”
The italics are mine as is this question: Precisely when do you intend to stand-up against this traitorous debacle of a man? Words will no longer suffice. Action is required of you and all those who put the good of our country first.
As your Constituents and your fellow Americans, we are waiting.
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 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.
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.
First and foremost, the duty of our Nation’s President is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.
Polls, politics, policies, and agendas are all faint and far distant priorities compared to that central tenet contained in the solemn oath sworn by this and every other President since the founding of our Republic.
Allegations of collusion between members of trump’s cronies and cyber-forces under the direct command of Vladimir Putin during last year’s Presidential campaign are (as yet) unproven and will not be debated here.
What is beyond dispute, though, in the well informed and carefully considered judgement of our Nation’s Intelligence and Security professionals is that those forces (patriotic individuals according to mobster & murderer in chief Vladimir Putin) launched a prolonged and systematic attack on America’s most cherished and admired birth-right: Free and Fair Elections.
So how does the individual who freely assumed responsibility for defending that right (along with all others enshrined in our Constitution) against all enemies foreign and domestic react to this assault?
By questioning the intelligence, integrity, and motives of those dedicated individuals who have made it their life’s work to make sure that our “President” has the information he needs to protect us all in an increasingly dangerous confrontation with our most implacable foe in decades.
Although the Putin’s mobsters have repeatedly been caught red-handed using the same tactics of massive dis-information, phishing and hacking schemes to challenge and subvert the democratic process throughout the Western Democracies, trump (despite earlier half-hearted admissions to the contrary) continues to push Putin’s party line that “nobody really knows” who is behind the carefully targeted attacks on our most fundamental institution.
The President of the United States said last week that only four of our Nation’s seventeen Intelligence and Security agencies agreed with the assessment that the Putin’s henchmen were behind the cyber-attack that called into question the credibility of last year’s election. What he declined to mention, though, is that those four agencies (the FBI, CIA, NSA, & DNI) are THE organizations within our Government that are specifically tasked with protecting our Nation and our system of government against such threats.
It is obvious that the stalwart members of those U.S. government agencies take their oaths and responsibilities a LOT more seriously than does their “Commander In Chief”.
This is NOT a matter of party affiliation. It is NOT a case open to different interpretations or “alternative facts”. Policy differences and political agendas have no bearing on this matter.
The state sponsored corruption machine designed and operated by Vladimir Putin has attacked the United States and most of our Allies at the very core of our Democratic institutions. They have been caught doing so repeatedly by those whom we have entrusted with the defense of our Nation.
Our “President” has openly denounced those dedicated patriots who defend us against these attacks. He has clearly, repeatedly, and unequivocally defended those who would destroy our system of government as well as the U.S. Constitution in which the principles of that system are enshrined.
“Whose side is he on, anyway?” would be a pretty fair question in light of these circumstances.
It is also, unfortunately, an entirely unnecessary question as trump has already demonstrated through both words and deeds that he is leading the charge against us.
![Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, Westcliffe, CO [Photo Credit: Jason Taylor]](https://bridges-not-walls.blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/westcliffe.jpg?w=1024)
Bridges-Not-Walls 