In the name of populism, Trump has been taking everything we hold dear.
Trump's appointments created the Court that overruled Roe v. Wade, made abortion illegal and threatened doctors who treat serious risks to women in many states.
Trump's Court prefers to let polluters blow smog, gas and ash in our faces rather than reduce climate warming gases to protect our health and future.
Trump laid substantial tariffs on foreign goods but won't take responsibility for kickstarting inflation, blaming it on his successor – but it was Trump's inflation and Biden's efforts that slowed it down.
The pandemic started in China, but Trump made the pandemic worse by discouraging Americans from taking vaccines and urging them to take poison instead. That made Trump's inflation worse because the pandemic crashed supply lines. Again, Trump left Biden to pick up the pieces, but won't admit his role.
Trump turned the reliably peaceful transfer of power after American elections into tumultuous battles more like those in Africa, Central and South America. Thanks to Mr. Trump we're headed for the warring tribes in what we'd been calling less developed nations.
Trump encouraged violent, armed and dangerous supporters to attack, shoot or kidnap public officials they disliked, and to attack people whose only "crime" is having parents of the wrong color or religion. That's inexcusable. Most of us have learned to live, work and get along with each other but Mr. Trump has been tearing us apart and threatening us all.
Trump shattered the rule of law in America, claiming there are no limits on what American presidents can do. No other American president made such a claim. Gone are the checks and balances that limit our public officials by law. Disregarding the rule of law will bite all of us by allowing future presidents to rig government contracts and alliances for their own benefit. But once people like Trump gain power to rig the rules in their own favor, the less the rest of us can expect from them, creating a world in which we pay more and earn less. That's why people are poorest in the most corrupt countries but democracy and greater honesty produce greater wealth and development.
The rich and powerful attack the rule of law in order to cheat us out of everything. Since the 1880s our civil service rules have controlled presidents and public servants. Republicans like to call the Civil Service the "deep state," but what they don't like is that public officials can't simply back down and give them whatever they want. The Deep State is law and order; how horrible.
That's the connection between irresponsible handling of domestic needs and the rule of thugs – undermining the rule of law puts everything at the disposal of the rich and powerful.
Republicans claim to support law and order – but not when it keeps them under control. They want to cut funding for the Internal Revenue Service so it can't "pursue wealthy and corporate tax evaders," who are "stealing from their neighbors" and evade the taxes which provide services for the rest of us. Instead, Republicans want to anoint their own corruption. Trump's legendary unwillingness to pay his debts is indicative of his unwillingness to obey the law. He's wants to be dictator. If we let him, he'd use dictatorial powers to bilk and destroy us all.
Thanks, Mr. Trump, for creating the greatest threat to government of, by and for the people since the Civil War, and the greatest threat to the welfare of all of us. If Trump were to return to the White House, there would be no democracy, no freedom and no public welfare. He's already said he's going to lock up his enemies. We need to stop him.
— If you think I'm on target, please pass it on. For the podcast, please click here. This commentary was scheduled for broadcast on WAMC Northeast Report, on July 9, 2024.
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