I’m sure I’m not the only American citizen who’s watching in dismay as Donald Trump and the republicans are busy trying to undo anything and everything “liberals” believe in.  Most of what “we the people” are witnessing, however, seems to me just the tip of the “iceberg” regarding the potential damage Trump’s administration is/can do(ing) to the fundamental values Americans like me have grown up with.  And, I’m sorry to say, many of Trump’s supporters are of my age and appear to have lost sight of what actually did “make America great.”  The more I watch Trump and his surrogates the more I believe what they really mean with their slogan is “make America white again.”

Almost every week we get more and more information that would infer Trump and his minions actually did do, what to me is the unthinkable, the (treasonous) act of conspiring with a foreign nation (Russia) to undermine our election process.  There’s little doubt now that the Russians hacked the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and, they’ve been at the forefront of “Fake News.” (And, by the way, Trump’s constant referring to “fake news” regarding the cable outlets that are actually investigating his action is about as classic a use of political projection as I’ve ever seen.  ie, you do it, then blame your opponent for doing what you’re doing to get the attention focused elsewhere)  What we don’t know is if the Russians managed to hack any of the electronic voting machines during the election.  Just the possibility of that is one more reason why I believe all American elections should be done with paper, traceable, re-countable ballots.  Regardless, until the TRUTH is “out there” this subject is going to be the focus of the reporting “we the people” see if we’re watching the “news.”

However, it may be the “behind the scenes” stuff where the MOST damage is being done.  For example, as a retired teacher I know there’s a lot of problems with our public education system, but having Betsy DeVoss as the Secretary of Education is a bit unnerving.  I’m not sure what she’s doing in that post – which is why I’m writing this – because those of us who are “ordinary people” should care about public education and we should be aware if there are any drastic changes being made.  Hopefully, anything happening will be positive, but my instincts tell me to “be afraid, be very afraid.”  Like most of Trump’s supporters (this is one of the very few things I would have in common with most of them) I’m done with my education.  I hope and pray that today’s youth will get the same opportunities those of my era got – and, I have to add, I’m very skeptical.  In my mind “No Child Left Behind” was an underhanded attempt to undermine public education and the system is still “reeling.”  We need to know what DeVoss is “up to” and I believe it’s likely to be “flying under the radar” because of the Russian stuff.  I certainly don’t believe she’s intending to “fix” public education.

Then there’s the State Department and the Defense Department.  Trump isn’t even nominating people for MOST of the under secretary positions in both departments.  These two parts of our government, it seems to me, are right up there as the most important.  Especially, in today’s world with a president who’s proving time and again that he has no idea what he’s doing.  Trump has been diagnosed by more than me as an authoritarian figure and his assault on the media, his assault on the intelligence community, and all his platitudes toward DICTATORS around the globe – especially Putin – along with his lamenting about the restrictions our CONSTITUTION puts on his ability to get what he wants should throw up RED FLAGS!  It’s not healthy for decisions to be made by a very few people.  Granted, most people say James Mattis, the Secretary of Defense, is an honorable and competent leader, but the same can’t be said about Rex Tillerson, the Secretary of State.  There’s a very small number of people weighing in on the decision making process – which is scary when the “decider” is a narcissistic pathological LIAR who’s exhibiting strong authoritarian tendencies.

There’s also the other important parts of the bureaucracy that many of Trump’s benefactors would love to demolish.  The person in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency is an oil minion who had a history of suing the agency prior to Trump choosing him to head it.  They are proposing cutting it to the point where it is dysfunctional. (much to the glee of people like the Koch Brothers who’ve been fined MILLIONS for their lack of respect for our environment)  The EPA recently removed ALL references to “Climate Change” from their website and they’ve either fired or muted the scientists studying what may be the most important issue of our time.  (Evidently, until Mar a Lago is under water, Trump and his minions will be climate change deniers)  Additionally, they’re opening the Arctic and the east and west coasts to more drilling.  The damage from undermining the EPA and removing restrictions on the use of fossil fuels could be catastrophic in the long run. (Trump, like me, is 70 – hence, no worries)

The Energy Department is being run by a republican, Rick Perry, who famously couldn’t remember he wanted to abolish it during a campaign debate back in 2012.  I’m sure he loves the place now – but, he’s another connected to the oil industry who could be very quietly leading the actual demolition of this agency.  More likely, what he’s doing is making it easier for oil companies to bludgeon the earth in search for more of the oil that is contributing to the climate change that the EPA is ignoring.  This is what you call “teamwork.”  What it appears they’re “up to” is opening the coastal areas for drilling and making it easier for the oil companies to get permits.  The mantra – as Sarah Palin once said, “Drill baby Drill.”

Agencies like the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) will get starved for funding, making the food supply less safe.  I listened to Trump’s Treasury Secretary talk about how money for school lunches will be dropped because “there’s no evidence it leads to school success.”  Of course, teachers (like I was) would find many ways to argue that point – with most of us, we were/are always providing food for hungry students so they have a better chance to be successful learners.  I listened to Greta Van Susteren, one day, on her MSNBC show lament how any school personnel could possibly embarrass a student without the ability to pay for their lunch by giving them a cheese sandwich or some other way of making sure that student’s poverty is known.  Well, the reality is that comes from republican efforts to “cut” the “wasteful” spending that “gives” food to “undeserving” students.  There was one republican (actually, I believe it was several) who suggested if students couldn’t afford their lunch they should have to work for it – by cleaning tables or some other task.  Van Susteren focused her dismay on the lunch room workers who are doing what they’re told (most are near minimum wage earners) with no apparent knowledge of where that type of thinking comes from.  And, now, Trump’s “budget” would remove ALL funding for school lunch programs.  (Apparently, it’s hard for privileged people like Trump and the Goldman Sachs surrogates he’s filled his cabinet with to have any empathy for children growing up in poverty)

I could go on and on – the “health care” proposal is simply a HUGE tax cut disguised as “health care.”  I guess Trump and his surrogates believe the MILLIONS who will lose access to health care – via Medicaid – probably don’t vote anyway so what’s the big deal.  Planned Parenthood serves MILLIONS of poor women’s health needs – they want to defund that.  Medicaid and ultimately Medicare and Social Security are in their “cross-hairs” yet “we the people” won’t even see it all coming because we’re busy trying to find out how high in Trump’s hierarchy does the treasonous actions with Russia go?  And, yes, I’m just as much focused on the Trump/Russia attack on our republic as anyone else (probably more than many) – to me, from Russia’s standpoint, it was an act of war – from Trump’s potentially treasonous – well, hopefully we’ll find out the Truth about the level of collusion.  But, if we’re not paying attention to all these underlying issues the damage done there could take a decade or decades to “fix.”

Trump is the master manipulator when it comes to the media, but his lack of understanding regarding the constitution and the functions of the government will ultimately catch up to him.  In fact, it’s happening virtually as I’m writing this.  I started this post a day or so ago and in the meantime Trump decided to FIRE James Comey – the Director of the FBI who was “closing in” on the so-called Trump investigation regarding the Russian collusion.  Of course, as he ALWAYS does, Trump lied about the “why” and seemed oblivious to the “when” part of the decision.  Right when someone’s investigation is “ramping up” is a BAD time to fire them – especially if, as you say, there’s no “there there.”  It really doesn’t look good.  And, only the most foolish of the Trump supporters would believe the stated reason Comey was fired:  “Because of his handling of the Hillary Clinton email scandal.”  Right!  If you actually believe that, I’ve got a bridge I’d like to offer you at a very reasonable price.

Of course, not only does Trump lead the LYING about why Comey was fired but his minions with no apparent self respect – meaning Vice President Pense, Sean Spicer, and KellyAnne Conway, the three I saw/heard (plus there was a lady in the White House briefing room I didn’t recognize pushing the absurd LIE that it was all about the Clinton emails and Comey’s press conference 9 months ago) are WILLING liars to the American people – not just on this issue, but it’s been ongoing since Trump took the oath of office.  And, no, all politicians DON’T lie to the American public anywhere near the level of Trump and his surrogates.  I’m really concerned that Mike Pense is such a WILLING LIAR because, if (or should I say when) Trump’s IMPEACHED Pense is next in line – and, he’s going to have a very difficult time gaining any traction with the American people because he’s leaving video evidence of one LIE after another.  And, who’s next in line?  Well, it’s Paul Ryan – YIKES!  He’s another very WILLING LIAR.  His lies regarding the “health care bill” rival Trump’s in relation to demonstrating his disdain for the intellect of “we the people.”

And, speaking of the oath of office, when are republicans in Congress going to “grow a pair” (OK, that’s just wrong the way I said that – I should have said, get some courage) and step up and be “counted.”  If republicans continue to enable Trump’s behavior the only hope “we the people” have to STOP this dangerous man will be the 2018 elections.  As stated above – in the meantime there could be a lot of MAJOR damage done to the America many of us have come to take for granted.  Republicans have CONTROL of both houses of Congress so it’s on them to put a stop to all of this un-American “stuff.”  (Today, Trump actually met with the Russian “ambassador” who Flynn was meeting with and, the only way “we the people” know about it is because Russian media outlets posted images of the meeting.  Russian journalists were allowed in but not American – go figure)  Unfortunately, I believe both Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell are thrilled to have someone in the “White House” who will sign their draconian legislation and that’s more important to them than whether or not our country has been attacked by Russia with willing support of American citizens.  This is the most significant crisis in my LIFETIME!  I truly hope there’s some courageous Republicans in Congress who will step up and demonstrate they were serious when they took their oath of office.  Otherwise, it’s going to be a very LONG two years until “we the people” can vote them out of office.