Trump: He's to Blame?

Trump: He’s to Blame?

P. Schultz

            Blaming Trump, standing up to Trump, has become the new measure of virtue, according to Elizabeth Warren and others, because “being silent” makes one complicit in his kind of politics.

            Hmmmm, I wondered. This seemed a bit strange to me, or it did at least until I remembered some history. This is a nation that blamed gays and lesbians – the Lavender scare that accompanied the Red scare – for undermining its national security in the Cold War; that once blamed protesters, “long haired hippie types,” for losing a war, while honoring those generals who actually lost it; that blames the many for the decisions of the few who have the power and use it willingly; that says its government is “broken,” when that government continues to fund multiple wars – to the tune of billions of dollars – and fight them “smartly” – despite thousands upon thousands of civilian deaths – and spies upon its citizens indiscriminately; that imprisons non-violent drug offenders by the hundreds of thousands while letting those responsible for the loss of billions of dollars of net worth not only go unpunished but also to profit via a “bailout;” and that held no one, I repeat, no one, in power responsible for 9/11.

            Given this history, that this nation would now see a crass, vile, rambunctious billionaire with really bad hair as the epitome of its failures is not or should not be surprising, even though this billionaire had nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with creating “the jackpot” it is in now. Given its past behavior and how that nation honors those who are actually responsible for this “jackpot,” why am I surprised by this nation’s current condemnation, packaged in something resembling hysteria, of the billionaire? “Bogeyman politics” never goes out of style; its only the “bogey” that changes, from gays and lesbians, to “youths,” to druggies, to Muslims, to “illegals,” to “socialists,” to “peaceniks,” even to “moms” at one point, and on and on and on.

            This convinces me that Lincoln was correct when he said that “You can fool some of the people all of the time,” as illustrated by the political farce labeled a “presidential campaign” continues unabated. Standing up to and defeating Trump, by empowering those who are actually responsible for our situation, yes, that makes a lot of sense; actually, it makes about as much sense as thinking we “won” the war on drugs, the war on crime, the war on poverty, and the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and Iran.

            As George Carlin once pointed out, the farcical character of our politics was evident enough when someone proposed, seriously proposed, taking away, outlawing toy guns while protecting the real ones! Yes, let’s take out Trump, a potential disaster to be sure, while keeping those in power who have been actual disasters. Makes sense to me!