I hope that everything I am about to say is wrong ...
Democracy is dead. Apparently. America, the home of democracy, and the brave (and the land of the free while we’re thinking about it) has elected via our auspicious democratic system, a president who can’t even spell democracy no less understand its principles or honor its ideology. A president who has thrown democratic caution to the wind and in every reckless way has turned America into a mirror image of himself. Or, even more frighteningly, he, Trump aka President Goldfinger, is a mirror mage of what America has become.
As I watch and listen to the impeachment hearings being orchestrated by Nancy Pelosi and company, and also to the democratic presidential debates, I feel like I’m helplessly watching the Titanic sink. Frustrated, scared, angry, dejected ...defeated. Resigned to the hard cold fact of the inevitable. We’re going down.
The stoic democrats are playing by the rules and pushing truth, justice and the American way (whatever that is or was) and keep telling us that the “American people” deserve better. They are trolling for our votes. They say we deserve to know the truth and that we deserve the full benefits of our democratic system. Meanwhile, Trump and his republican party are partying and dancing on the bar. They don't play by or even recognize any rules ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dln7yj8MDWE
My question has always been, what “American people” do the Democrats mean? Who do they think they are talking to? Are they speaking to American Democrats? ... the Republican Americans? Do they realize that they are also branding as “American people” the same “basket of deplorables” who have voted for and elected President Goldfinger as their leader ...America’s leader?
Do they not realize that these people who voted for Trump in 2016, and who have had three years to observe this lunatic but will vote for him again in 2020, are not buying whatever truth, justice and honor the democrats are selling? Trump's supporters among us don't care about his sex, lies and videotape. They don't care about documents, witnesses, or if he shoots someone on 5th Ave. They don't even care about his responsibility for the 176 people who died horrible, catastrophic deaths on that Ukrainian airliner. They think Trump is good for America and they're loving the show. They are buying what Trump is selling.
Do the "American people" really want a president with the personality and the conscience of a hand grenade?
So, where does that leave the rest of us? ...we Americans who have retained our senses and sensibilities, and our understanding of civility and the principles of our democracy? Who’s to say who or what is correct? How far do you need to drill down into the core of a person’s conscience and values to identify his ability to determine right from wrong, good from bad ...then again, who’s to say what is good or bad? Where is the line of distinction between the tyranny of arbitrary use of power and the democracy of independence?
Do we the “American people” deserve our democracy? Have we earned it, and do we honor and appreciate those who have created, fought and died for it? The same democracy of which we have made a mockery. It’s our ‘Demockery’ and seemingly, our fate. And we seem to be getting exactly what we deserve.
More significant, however, is how do we defend ourselves, and America, from the tyranny that is imminent? There’s that word again “imminent”. Imminent danger, imminent threat.
President Goldfinger tried to sell us on an “imminent” threat of danger from Iran on which he based a covert assassination of an Iranian leader which led to a confrontation that resulted in the horrific deaths of 176 innocent civilians aboard Ukrainian Airlines flight 752. There is a big difference between the term ‘imminent‘ and ‘immediate’. A clear and present danger has of yet not been confirmed regarding Trump’s kill order.
It is no coincidence, suspicious rather, that this all comes at a time of Trump’s impeachment hearings and the run-up to the 2020 election. Was the kill order a desperate attempt to gain favor as a “wartime president” hero? You decide. Either way, it backfired in the worst way possible. I'd say Trump has more to worry about than impeachment or being reelected.
How do you dissect the “American people” into analogical categories relative to conscience? Who would you want to share a foxhole with? Can you see that President Goldfinger is directly responsible for the deaths of the 176 passengers aboard UIA flight 752, or do you put the total blame on the Iranians? To my mind it’s a matter of connecting the dots. And, simply, there are just three dots to connect. One, Trump orders the assassination of Iranian leader based on unclear ‘imminent‘ threat. Two, Iran responds accordingly. Three, a passenger aircraft is accidentally shot down.
UIA flight 752 was not an accident. Murder is a crime. Involuntary manslaughter ...reckless endangerment at the very least. Can you imagine what retaliatory measures Iran could take on the U.S.? Is this not reckless endangerment to the "American People"? Where are the Canadian, Ukrainian, Iranian, British, German, Swedish and Afghan lawyers representing the families of those 176 people who were killed? I think they have a case against President Goldfinger. If the American legal system and the United States Congress can't get rid of this guy, maybe the rest of the world can.
Here’s the reality check for the Democrats ...for Nancy Pelosi and her impeachment drive, and for the democratic presidential candidates. The House will approve the impeachment of Trump, but the Senate won’t. So, the Democrats will have the satisfaction of being able to have a beer and pat themselves on the back that they did their due diligence. Trump and his Republicans will still be dancing on the bar, and still laughing in their face.
The Democratic candidates will continue to drop out and self-destruct as it boils down to Biden, Sanders and Warren, and as they continue to not realize that America wants a media star, an entertainer, a guy dancing on the bar, for its president and not whatever it is that they are selling in the form of truth, justice and the American way.
That’s the way I see it ...and I hope the hell I’m wrong.
John Kushma is a communication consultant and lives in Logan, Utah
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-george-kushma-379a5762
Some past articles and op-eds
