I listened this morning to General John Kelly give an impassioned “speech” at the podium of the White House press secretary where he lamented that, in his mind, pretty much nothing is sacred in America anymore.  As I listened to him I had to wonder “how can you be working for Donald Trump with those feelings?”  Does he not see that the issues which prompted him being brought to the podium to castigate the Florida representative who was in the limo with the wife and parents of one of the fallen soldiers who died recently in Niger were the result of Trump’s own precocity to LIE – virtually, ALL the time?

According to Kelly, he was the one who coached Trump into saying, “Well, he knew what he was getting into (or what he signed up for – I can’t remember), but it still must hurt.”  Of course, the family members and the representative didn’t take that as an empathetic comment while they were receiving the coffin of their loved one in a casket that could not be opened.  (The soldier’s body was found two days after the troops were attacked – in a circumstance which is still not totally clear).  And, General Kelly had pent up disrespect for this congress person – evidently, resulting in her actions during the dedication of an FBI building in Florida back in 2015.  Apparently, she did something akin, from the perspective of those in the military and FBI, to Trump’s fiasco in front of the sacred wall of the CIA shortly after he was sworn in as our so-called president.  (Although, there are multiple reports suggesting Kelly’s allegations were unfounded – honestly, Kelly’s remarks show why it’s a rare occurrence for a General to be president – or even a president’s chief of staff)

General Kelly was very sincere in his remarks and came across, at least to me, as someone who’s frustrated with the direction of America – over the past many years.  And, I have to add, I have no problem with suggesting that members of Congress do despicable things – Kelly suggested it was terrible for the congress person to listen in on this call from Trump – but, the reality is she was in the limo when the call was made and the soldier’s wife put the phone on “speaker.”  I’m not sure how she could avoid listening in.  Maybe Kelly is suggesting the wife of the fallen soldier should have taken the call at another time?  That doesn’t seem plausible to me.

I gathered that Kelly was trying to “calm the storm” that was created when his boss, as he has a tendency to do, used Barack Obama to get himself out of what, apparently, he feels is a “pickle.”  Keep in mind, Trump is the type of person who will NEVER admit to making a mistake – he’s constantly looking for positive feedback about his own performance – AND if he doesn’t get it from those around him, he’ll give it to himself.  He LIED about how Obama dealt with those who died in action.  Keep in mind, Obama inherited a REAL mess (if you remember, Trump claimed he inherited a “mess” – more on that LIE in a bit) and over two thousand troops died during his two terms in office.  It would be impractical to think that President Obama would call the families of each soldier.  There’s a protocol about how all of the notifications and who makes the calls that General Kelly outlined this morning.  Obama didn’t call Kelly when his own son was killed and Kelly was quick to say, that was not a negative.

So, all Trump had to do on Monday when he was asked about the four soldiers killed in Niger was to tell the truth.  Like, there’s a protocol on how to deal with this and he’s in the midst of taking care of it.  I really don’t know what he SHOULD have said, but another unfounded attack on his predecessor – and, I think it REALLY bothers Trump that President Obama is much more popular than he is and MOST people consider Obama a MUCH better president – was the absolute wrong way to answer the question.  (Of course, there’s many republicans who despise Obama – Trump included – and, I’ve always maintained many of them do so because of the color of his skin – but, I digress….)  So, what I’m saying here is – despite General Kelly’s impassioned speech to the contrary – this ENTIRE episode was self inflicted by Trump.

And, as Kelly was going through things that SHOULD be sacred and lamented that the death of a soldier should NEVER be politicized (that’s me trying to paraphrase the gist of his remarks – apologies for any error) – and, I have to say, I agree with him – however, his boss ignited the controversy.  It sounded as if Kelly was trying to coach Trump through the process of calling the families of these four “heroes” and he, himself, gave Trump the words that ended up being so controversial.  Those words, in my mind, would sound much different coming from a soldier’s commanding officer than the president who NEVER served and found ways to avoid serving during Viet Nam.

And, I have to say that technically – at least in my mind, I’ve never served – BUT, in 1967 I did enlist in the Marines – what was then called the PLC or “Platoon Leader Corp” – during my junior year in college.  I had been brainwashed into believing the Viet Nam war was necessary to save us all from “communism.”  I was allowed to complete my junior year of college and then reported, I thought, to head to “boot camp” in Quantico, Virginia.  However, the Marine doctor took one look at the scar on my left knee (football injury from high school), had it x-rayed and said to me, “Son, if the Red Chinese were marching down Broadway in Portland, we wouldn’t take you” and, I was given a medical discharge.  I’m only saying this because I tried to serve and then witnessed 13 of my high school classmates die from action in Viet Nam.  (and, we had a very small high school)

I don’t believe ANY of us enlisted (or, back then, in some cases were drafted) with the idea of dying for our country.  Yes, you knew it was a possibility, but what was in our heads (or at least mine) was to FIGHT for my country and it’s values.  (which, by the way, I feel I’m doing on occasion as I vent my frustration – which obviously comes in a different form than Kelly’s – with the direction of the country I love)  So, I can totally understand why a grieving wife would take offense to someone like Trump saying “He knew what he signed up for” under these terrible circumstances.  Just the FACT that General Kelly was sent out to “clarify” all this just further confirms Trumps inability to “own” mistakes and an unwillingness to NEVER admit he’s wrong.

General Kelly came across to me as a fine man – someone who has genuinely committed his life to serving America – he called those in the military the finest 1%.  I’d love to be able to have breakfast with him and have an extended conversation about his frustrations and then have him explain to me why he’s enabling Donald Trump.  I “get” that his sense of duty is strong, but in his remarks, for example, he lamented how “at one time women were sacred.”  Of course, my interpretation of those remarks may be different than the meaning he was intending, but the first thought that went through my head was, “have you heard the Access Hollywood tapes?”

And, when he lamented that “at one time ‘Religion’ was sacred in America” – as a Christian myself, I just didn’t understand how to interpret that comment.  To me what has ALWAYS been sacred in America is the “Freedom of religion” – or, from the standpoint of many – the “freedom FROM religion.”  To me, one of the main reasons I continue to write my frustrations on this blog stems from the reality that “Christians” are the base of the republican party and, just as in Nazi Germany back in the 30’s when it was the “conservative Christians” who were Hitler’s base, it’s almost like deja vu all over again in America with Trump.  And, to me, Trump’s attempts to show he’s a believer almost make me sick to my stomach.  It’s possible, maybe since his “2 Corinthians” fiasco at, of all places, Liberty University – maybe he’s become a believer – but, as they say, the “proof is in the pudding” and I’ve seen none of Trump’s actions to cause me to believe that’s true.

And, for those who are offended by any comparison to the Third Reich – check your history.  Hitler’s campaign slogan was “Make Germany Great Again.”  The “Big Lie Theory” that republicans and their media enablers like Fox “news” and Rush Limbaugh have been “married to” for years is the work of Joseph Goebbels, the chief propagandist of the Third Reich.  Additionally, if you didn’t notice, many of those “fine people” – as Trump referred to the protesters carrying Tiki Torches in Charlottesville – were wearing Nazi armbands and carrying Nazi flags.  Do you need more?  Well, how about this – in one of Trump’s campaign stops he had the audience giving the “heil” salute to get their promise of loyalty to his campaign.  Is that not enough?  Recently Milo Yiannopoulus, a Breitbart associate of Steve Bannon, and a group of his “friends” – including Richard Spencer who’s the “money” behind much of the “White Nationalist” movement in America and a strong financial backer of Trump – were kicked out of a bar because, while Yiannopoulus was apparently “lip singing” Spencer and the rest were giving the “heil Hitler” salute.  Maybe they were joking.  Personally, I don’t find any of this funny.

I’ve heard that Kelly and General Mattis and Rex Tillerson (and, maybe others) are committed to protecting the rest of us from any irrational foreign policy decisions Trump may or may not make.  Most people who bring this up do so in a way to suggest “we the people” should be comforted by this.  Personally, it’s not that comforting.  When we have a president who’s an unbelievable NARCISSIST, who’s inept at the job he has, and who has a CLEAR authoritarian personality (I mean, those around the world he admires are the DICTATORS – like Vladimir Putin) I get no comfort in thinking the “check” to Trump is a group of Generals.  While listening to Kelly today made me admire him in the sense that he’s a genuinely good man, I don’t have a lot of confidence in his political IQ – or his ability to understand the world as it exists today.  Sounded to me as if he was longing for years gone by.  My advice to him would be “stay out of politics.”  And, making the kinds of characterizations of the Congress person from Florida – while serving as Trump’s chief of staff – would be better kept personal and private.  The part I didn’t like about Kelly’s remarks was that he appeared to be politically inept and ill informed – or, maybe just trying to live in the past.  Either way, he better serves his position by not allowing himself to be used in the way he was used in this instance.

Final Thought:  I said above I’d elaborate on Trump’s comments that he “inherited a mess.”  Like just about EVERYTHING he says, he’s a LIAR.  And, in this instance, you can use his own words to clarify.  If you remember, during the campaign he blasted the economic jobs reports and the reports about the unemployment numbers consistently IMPROVING during the last 7 years of Obama’s term.  The MESS was what Bush/Cheney left for Obama to clean up – which happened thanks to the “stimulus” package which was passed shortly after President Obama took the oath of office.  Additionally, Obama used some of the TARP “bailout” money that Bush/Cheney intended for Wall Street and SAVED the auto industry – SAVING over a MILLION jobs in the process – these were REAL jobs saved – not imaginary jobs saved as Trump has claimed numerous times since taking office.  In fact, Trump has claimed credit for several jobs saving measures that were in place well before he took office.  Once in office, the jobs reports and employment statistics – which continued almost EXACTLY as Obama left them – became something Trump willingly took credit for.

As I’ve said numerous times on this site, in the first year in office a president is “saddled” with the policy of the previous administration.  So, all Trump’s bragging so far this year about the jobs and Wall Street, etc. are the results of the economy President Obama left for him.  It all has LITTLE to do with Trump – although, most people suggest Wall Street surged in anticipation of HUGE tax cuts for the wealthy and reduced environmental and economic restrictions.  Anyone who’s paying attention knows that Wall Street is a HUGE gambling casino and it’s all about the MONEY and NOT about what’s best for “Main Street.”  Apparently, republicans are able to pass their budget which will cut almost $2 TRILLION from Medicare and Medicaid in order to fund their HUGE tax cuts for the rich.  (Months ago I told anyone visiting this site that “tax reform” would be HUGE tax cuts for the top 1% and that’s EXACTLY what’s happening – Democrats SHOULD be raising Holy Hell over this)

The actual “Trump effect” on the economy will be known by this time next year – if history is any indication and republicans succeed in this tax cut – they’ll be again saying “Ronald Reagan proved deficits don’t matter.”  (they won’t matter until there’s a democrat in the “White House” again – which will likely be in 2020)

As far as “foreign policy” – by the time Trump took office, the Obama administration (and, of course the military) had ISIL on the run.  Mosul was close to being re-taken by the Iraqi’s along with their American “advisers.”  The program of using special forces around the globe to fight the terrorists along with Drone technology was well advanced.  I’ve seen nothing to indicate that Trump is doing anything but following the lead of Obama with whatever “tweaks” to the policy that General Mattis has put in place.  Maybe they’ve made gains.  Mattis is well respected.  But, the reality is there’s FAR fewer Americans in “harms way” than when President Obama inherited two unwinnable and poorly thought out occupations.  It’s true he didn’t get all the troops home “on his watch” – but, the TRUTH is it was President Obama who inherited a MESS.  To me, as I’ve watched Trump in action I would say he’s CREATING a MESS!  I’ve often lamented about the “damage” he might do as our so-called president and, it’s in the area of foreign policy where the DAMAGE may end up being the most difficult to recover from once he’s out of office – especially if he makes it to the end of his first term.