OMG! How is Trump destroying America? Let me count the ways! I’ll start with the vision of the leaders of Russia, China, India, and North Korea chumming around with each other as they watch the military parade in China Trump can only wish he could have in America. (I suppose we’ll see the next iteration sometime next summer – maybe on his 80th birthday) Not only did Trump FAIL to end Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine on “day one” but he’s managed to push the world’s largest democracy (India) into the “axis of evil” (OK, I borrowed that from Bush/Cheney – out of desperation) leading the leader of India to be laughing it up even with Kim Jung un.

I start with the gathering in Beijing, India and China are thumbing their noses at Trump and telling him to shove his tariffs right up his substantial ass. As the countries around the world realign themselves away from the United States it affects all of us in America – not just the nitwits who chose to vote for him because they couldn’t understand the causes of a couple years of inflation coming out of a once in a century (we hope) pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Sadly, the American people continue to prove to our allies they are unreliable – after all, it’s “we the people” who are responsible for all of this. Trust me, when China convinces the rest of the world their economy is more stable than ours the U.S. will get exactly what we have coming. And, it ain’t good!

When the dollar is no longer the major currency in the world and countries around the globe stop funding out deficit spending – especially with Trump at the “helm” for another three years, the interest rates “we the people” pay (I’m not talking about the Fed’s rate for banks, etc.) could rise into double digits. We’re talking about jobs going into the tank and inflation going up – possibly way up. All of this will be the result of Trump’s STUPID tariff policy. And, make no mistake, he’s incapable of admitting a mistake and his sycophants are incapable of telling him he needs to change course. He will take us all down with himself. His decision-making would indicate he’s the one who HATES America. (Not, I must add as he projects, “liberals.”)

Trump (via RFK Jr.) will be responsible for the next pandemic – who knows maybe he can cause another run of COVID-19 – due to the obliteration of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the FDA, and the CDC along with pretty much the rest of the Health and Human Services department (HHS) – which, before Trump was the premiere agency for Public Health in the world. Of course there have been/are ways “we the people” could/should be working to improve our heath – but, I can virtually guarantee you, this ain’t the way.

Before the Congress took a torch to Medicaid and Medicare in Trump’s “Big Ugly Bill” there were (already) approximately 100 MILLION Americans without health care insurance. This is before the ACA (Affordable Care Act) is bludgeoned in 2026 causing rates in the “exchanges” to jump up as much as 20% – do you really believe that won’t have an affect on inflation? This has been a problem in America, in my view, since the 1980’s when insurance companies and hospitals became for profit entities and republicans refused to accept “national health insurance.” It’s as if Trump and his republican sycophants want MORE Americans to have to rely on the Emergency room and bankruptcy courts for their “health care.” Under the “care” of republicans the system will continue making America “more sick” no matter what JFK does.

I believe in doing my part to address the climate crisis even though I know it’s in a minuscule way. For over the past ten years there have been solar panels on our outbuildings (producing around 10,000 KWH of electricity per year) and my wife and I have been driving electric cars. I recently sold the ONE stock I’ve purchased in over 30 years at a loss because it was in a NON – Tesla electric car company – but I just don’t trust the market now that Trump is determined to undermine anything which has to do with clean energy. I will manage to survive this abomination, but I really feel for my children and grandchildren and those of others (no matter the “color” of the state where they reside) because once we get rid of Trump (God help us if it’s past 2028 – and, I’m talking about the whole mess of them – especially his kids, Vance, and the Project 2025 sycophants who are the real push for FASCISM) even then will it likely be too late)

I have to add, Trump seems to believe his “drill baby drill” mantra is something which will be embraced by the rest of the world. As usual, he’s nuts. Take China for example. The Chinese are at the forefront of the EV revolution. We won’t be able to judge this in person – because our government doesn’t believe our companies can compete with the Chinese, but it’s very likely the Chinese EV maker “BYD” is producing the best cars in the world. I drive a Polestar which is, technically – like its “sister” Volvo – a Swedish car maker. However they are owned by a Chinese company and the car I have was produced in China and it’s far and away the best car I’ve ever driven – maybe that I’ve been in. Trump’s tariffs (and those originally placed by Biden) make it impossible for these cars to be sold in America. (I got mine pre-tariff)

But, as usual, with republicans it always gets worse. Trump’s tariffs on autos and auto parts coming from our closest (well, formerly?) trading partners are pushing the cost to produce “American made” cars up, potentially, by double digits. And, do you really believe Ford and GM will just “eat” the tariffs as Trump has suggested. Hell, he doesn’t even seem to understand the money being generated by his tariffs is simply a TAX on “we the people” – first on the importers then un “us.” Not only are these new car prices going through the “roof” but CAR INSURANCE is going up by double digits AGAIN – my car insurance bills nearly doubled after the “end” of the pandemic and now they’re possibly going up by double digits once again. Maybe I need to get another horse!

And, it’s not just cars. I do a lot of my shopping at Costco because, in essence their prices seem to stay pretty stable. So, when I started noticing prices going up there it really caught my attention. I don’t drink coffee but virtually everyone I know does. The price of coffee has gone up over 20% (by my calculation) in the last month or so. The price of hamburger has gone up somewhere close to the same. Energy prices are going to go up – by some accounts – double digits. And, on and on. Of course, Trump will claim they’ve all gone down – about the same level of “truth” as his claim to have ended SEVEN wars since he took office. One of the wars he claimed to have ended was the India Pakistan kurfuffle a while back – with India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi calling Bull S**t on Trump, leading to Trump’s 50% tariffs on India. How dare he? (Modi, that is)

Schools are starting up as I’m writing this and Trump has effed the Department of Education up to the point where it is now “the enemy of the people.” Not only will schools, like the one where I taught, a “Title 1” school, face difficulty due to the percentage of really needy students (those whose parents can’t afford to find them a private school) but the attack on Universities around the nation are beyond my ability to comprehend. Attempting to cut off the funding of research at WORLD CLASS schools like Harvard? Harvard is about 350 (or so) years old and the number of discoveries from their research is staggering – it’s too much to even attempt to list here. But, Trump is attempting to get America’s top universities to “bend the knee” to his fascism and, sadly, a few of them have. Just like other fascist thugs, with Trump, the next “ask” will always be more and any agreement is virtually worthless depending on his mood (or that of his puppet masters). The last “ask” I heard about was for UCL:A to pay the Trump administration $1 BILLION in order to get the research grants already promised. Yikes!!!

For about 8 years of my life I operated a small farm. I discovered during the Reagan years that the government can make decisions which will summarily wipe out thousands of farmers without a second thought. Well, it’s happening again. And, in a myriad of ways. First, the Chinese are canceling orders for things like American Soy Beans – causing the price to drop below the cost of producing them. Of course, it’s harvest time and those Soy Beans have to go somewhere – but, unless you’ve been there it’s hard to imagine how FAST the price of a commodity will drop. And, Soy Beans aren’t the only product farmers are harvesting which are going to be money losers – and, if you have a large farm, we’re talking about a lot of money.

Also, farmers run their equipment hard – for long hours and every few years it’s time to replace the equipment with new things like tractors, harvesting equipment, and lots of other uses (not to mention the need for Trucks, etc.) With the tariffs on the price of parts, many of which are produced in Europe, Canada, Mexico, or China the price of a Tractor, for example, will likely be 10 – 20% higher this year than last. We’re talking about tens of thousands of dollars. And, with the price for the commodities plummeting, well, replacing a worn out tractor will have to wait. The farmers will “get it” on both ends. (Not to mention places like John Deere who make the equipment)

And, of course it’s actually worse than this. Think of all the farmers – especially in California’s San Juaquin Valley or other places where most of our “people” food is raised – having huge crops rotting on the vines. Trump’s assault on (law abiding) immigrants who are farm workers is causing them by the bus loads to fail to show up for work and, trust me, those republicans who are suggesting to repeal child labor laws as the solution for the lack of farm labor have their heads up their collective asses. I’ve had experience with Mexican immigrant laborers. My experience was on the farm, but the work ethic and the appreciation of having a minimum wage job is something which won’t be replicated by Americans looking for work. Maybe Trump is thinking if the job market gets bad enough, well…. (you must know what I was going to say) It’s “poppycock.” And, “I picked strawberries as a kid” isn’t the answer.

Here’s another blessing Trump is attempting to “bestow” on “we the people.” Now, I’m no economist, but as I’ve stated here before, I’m capable of listening to economists who, for example, are Nobel laureates. Virtually EVERY economist – other than Trump’s sycophants – are warning about the disaster which will be the jobs market tanking (it is) while inflation is rising (so is it). This could create a situation which, surprise, surprise, Trump’s economic “team” is unsuitable to (that is incapable of) “fix/fixing.” Before Trump took office I gave him six months to tank the economy. (Technically, I suppose you could say he already has) I admitted I was wrong and pointed out I should have said “one year.” Well, that “prediction” I’m sticking to. And the job “gains” in America are now down to a “trickle” with one month (June) of NEGATIVE job growth (Under Biden there was positive job growth in 48 straight months – that’s every month of his administration) and, it appears MORE negative job growth on the way. (Recession time???)

All of this is the result of his pigheaded stance on tariffs. I’m sure if you’re still reading this you’ve been around narcissistic pathological LIARS before (maybe not one who’s a 34 times convicted FELON, or adjudicated sexual predator, or serial FRAUDSTER or “all of the above” but I digress) and, they just CAN’T admit to being wrong. Therefore, without a SCOTUS growing a pair of “balls” these tariffs could be there until either “the cows come home” or the republicans in Congress decide to give us all a break from this nightmare and do a bit of IMPEACHING.

Let me add a note of caution though. When it becomes time for some IMPEACHING it’s very important that the IMPEACHING would include JD Vance as well. My personal belief is Vance would be worse than Trump. Although, in reality, it’s the Project 2025 fascists who are calling the shots. Trump is a convenient bloviating pathological LYING mouthpiece for them. I doubt Vance would be much different. It’s people like Stephen Miller and Russel Vought – two of Project 2025’s authors – who will remain, likely for the entire four years. (I suppose you could surmise I have no confidence in the Congress to do the “right thing.” I wrote this all at one sitting off the top of my OLD head. That should tell you all you need to know. The s**t has already hit the fan. The only question remaining is how bad is the aftermath. As I watched Putin, Modi, Xi, and Kim Jung un Laughing it up before the Chinese military parade all I could think of was how small they’re making Trump look!

Final Thought: I can’t leave this without mentioning the bludgeoning of American institutions “we the people” have taken for granted for years. The food inspectors have been reduced to the point where it’s going to be an adventure when shopping for food. It’s going to be bad enough with the produce, but just think of the meat Americans consume – much of which will face no inspection process whatever. Water is something I believe “we the people” take for granted – and air. We just assume there’s a government agency that’s job is to make sure the air and water are clean. Trump et al are removing regulations that have been in effect for decades – regulations progressives are constantly attempting to make better.

That’s why a bunch of tech gurus were having dinner at the “White House” this week – encouraging Trump to repeal regulations so they can make even MORE money. And, they know the trick. I could only stomach a small segment of the video of that dinner – listening to Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, Sam Altman, and a bunch of others laying (disingenuous) “compliments” on Trump – how can I best say this? – THICKLY! It was almost as disgusting as Trump’s annual three hour cabinet meeting where his minions soil themselves while “praising” dear leader. The number of Americans willing to sell their souls for power or money (or both) is disgusting. “We the people” voted for this – so sadly, we deserve what we’re getting.

America’s great institutions have been hollowed out. The military is being compromised from it’s constitutional duties. The SCOTUS is shameful. America is suffering from likely the greatest “brain drain” in her history. And, there’s 3 1/2 years to go. For those counting on the 2026 mid-terms, more and more Americans are realizing Trump is planning to (actually) RIG that election – he’s working on several “strategies.” As I’ve said here, he has no intention of dealing with another democratic led Congress – even if he has to order Martial Law. Brace yourselves – Trump’s (and his puppet masters’) version of the Third Reich is nearly in tact!