I was watching TV today and realized that too many Americans watch way too much TV. When you combine the time we spend watching TV with the time we spend on the internet it becomes apparent how “we the people” are so susceptible to ACTUAL “fake news” – the misinformation which is the focus of the Russian misinformation campaign to destabilize the Western democracies. This (the Russian ATTACK) has been going on for several years now and Trump continues to act as if nothing is happening. The reason I brought up the amount of TV people watch is because that’s the only way I can conceive that Millions of Americans would have been STUPID enough to elect Trump as our so-called president.

Yes, I watch (mostly sports and MSNBC) TV myself AND I spend time on the internet – much of it venting my frustration on this “so-called” Blog – but I also spend time reading book after book which expose what our government is “up to.” I felt the need to re-educate myself as to what MY government is doing after Bush/Cheney LIED America into an ill-advised invasion of Iraq – which took untold lives, displaced MILLIONS, and continues to be the root cause of much of the destabilization in the world as I’m writing this. But, today as I wondered “how on earth could ‘we the people’ have elected Donald Trump as our so-called president?” I had to think TV is the culprit.

I haven’t watched what people I know call a “program” for years – many years – so, I NEVER watched “The Apprentice” which apparently convinced millions of Americans that Trump is the “master of the deal.” Of course, we’ve noticed over the past two years this is part of the nonsense Trump has proven – well – is nonsense. Here’s the present difficulty – Trump’s been backed into a corner and when a “rat” (yes, that’s what he called Michael Cohen so I’ll use the “what goes around comes around” analysis here) is backed into a corner he/she will come out snarling. So, hold on to your “hat” for what’s going to lie ahead when the three weeks is up after the infamous “Trump shutdown” – because Trump’s NOT going to get his STUPID wall – but, Trump is going to be trying to get back on the good side of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter.

How will Trump attempt to do this? Well, as he always does, by LYING. The other day I tried to force myself to watch an interview Trump gave on CBS right before the Super Bowl and, just like when I try to watch Fox “news,” I had to switch off the TV before I gagged. The LIES were coming fast and furious. Trump is the classic pathological LIAR and it’s actually kind of sad to watch how pathetic he is when he tries to LIE himself out of an undesirable situation. In the interview I tried to watch Trump was claiming he may “shut down the government” again on February 15th – which is the next day government appropriations legislation MUST be passed or the government again runs out of money. While Trump was claiming he doesn’t take anything off the table he made comments regarding the “emergency” at our Southern border – an emergency which doesn’t exist – comments that were simply fabricated. Apparently, he can’t help himself. As has been documented in several places, when Trump’s lips are moving, he’s LYING!

Today, the NEWEST Trump administration DISASTER is the reality that HIS border policy has been an unmitigated DISASTER – there are untold numbers of CHILDREN who were separated from their parents who are likely NEVER going to be reunited. This is another BLACK mark on the United States in regards to RACIST policy – make no mistake, this policy is the result of a RACIST in the “White House” who chose to separate these children to send a “message” to others who might be seeking asylum in the United States. Using Trump’s own words, these are not the children of migrants from “Norway.” Thankfully, the ACLU is likely to take Trump, Steven Miller, and the rest of his administration to the highest court in the land – and, then, “we the people” will discover how much DAMAGE Trump has done to the court system – which will last for a generation.

One of the reasons people like Mitch McConnell are remaining silent in the face of ALL the evidence Trump is, at best, incompetent and, at worst, a tool of Vladimir Putin, is that Trump is stacking the court system with right wing judges who will be in place potentially for the next 30 – 40 years – so, “we the people” could be dealing with the “fallout” of the Russians helping to elect an American president well past when he leaves office – one way or the other. While I agree with those who claim there’s already enough corroborated information which would call for Trump to be impeached and REMOVED from office – the reality is that the republicans in the Senate are his “firewall.” So, it’s likely Trump will have to be removed by “we the people” at the ballot box in November of 2020.

Of course, there’s another possibility here – and, it’s just as bad, maybe worse, than republicans simply enabling Trump. It appears the influence of Russia into America’s politics goes way beyond Trump. Senators like McConnell, Lindsay Graham, and Marco Rubio clearly have taken large amounts of money from Russians. Could they be supporting Trump because they, themselves, are compromised by the Russians? For example, at the beginning of Trump’s time in the “White House” I thought Graham was potentially one republican who would stand up to Trump and he (Graham) has proven himself to be woefully pathetic himself as he’s attempted to defend the indefensible. It’s really hard for me to understand why all these republicans are willing to sink on Trump’s “ship of state” with him? I believe the long term consequence of the actions of the present day republicans (not just in the Senate – there are some REALLY pathetic Trump enablers in the House – they were just silenced by “we the people” at the last election)

Trump is about to face a plethora of investigations, investigations which SHOULD have happened in his first two years in office if “we the people” actually had representatives who took their OATH to the constitution seriously. Watching people like Devin Nunes and Jim Jordan, to name a couple of the ringleaders, in the House acting like “lap dogs” for Trump was so discouraging to me. However, the focus of this “blog” (if that’s what it is) since I started – after Bush/Cheney LIED “we the people” into Iraq – possible the WORST executive action in the HISTORY of the United States – has been that I believe the present day republican party needs to be placed into the “dust bin” of American history. I’ve always lamented the democratic party seemed incapable of putting this version of the republicans “to bed” – but, I’m encouraged by this NEW “breed” of democrats in the House and the likelihood that democrats may take back control of the Senate in 2020.

Clearly, I don’t want democrats doing the same thing as the republicans should they take control of the Senate and the White House. Ideally, what’s going to come from the disaster which is the Trump administration will be politicians who take their OATH to the constitution seriously and transparency will be required of our political leaders – such as publishing their tax returns simply to assure “we the people” there are no financial issues which compromise our leaders. There are so many issues which have become routine in American politics since the days of Reagan which have led to the intense corruption of our government – I believe this is a bipartisan issue, although significantly more severe on the GOP side – that one thing Trump may accomplish is a “new breed” of politician may work tirelessly to clean it up.

The “system” is rigged and it has been rigged by and for those who control the vast majority of wealth in America and it will take patience and perseverance by “we the people” to elect members of Congress willing to “clean it up.” For example, somehow the effects of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision MUST be overturned to purge the unfettered effect of money in our political system. The FIGHT will not be easy – as you can see in Virginia, for example, right wing operatives are working tirelessly to find “stuff” to upend the prospects of leaders who are democrats – like Ralph Northem in Virginia. Here’s what I’m worried about – the idea that if there’s anything in your history that is questionable, something maybe you don’t even remember – you’re liable to be facing a barrage of negative publicity. The present atmosphere could prevent many qualified people from even considering committing to public service.

I could go on and on about how I look forward to the day when America looks like she looked when the ideals of the New Deal were in their infancy – keeping in mind the Civil Rights movement was not part of the New Deal. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Trump was actually responsible for waking up America to the point where enough young progressive people decided to participate in the “system” to the point where America’s subservience to corporate interests will be coming to an end. I’m reading another really interesting book by Steven Brill titled “Tailspin” which points out how the America I grew up in during the 50’s through 70’s has been hijacked. I guess this is the question that’s going through my mind: “Is Trump’s incompetence and corruption actually speeding up the process of America facing her demons?” As difficult as it is to tolerate him as our so-called president, hopefully, the end result will be the commitment of our young progressives to say “enough already!” And to participate in what some of the new democrats in the House are calling the “Green New Deal”