Great Again

It has taken me a while to discern what Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again” really means.  Now, 6 months in, I have a better picture of our return to greatness.  Here are some attributes:

Every cabinet position filled by someone who either has no knowledge of the responsibilities in their area or has an ax to grind against the department they now head.  Appointment probability is improved based on familial relationship, blind loyalty and accumulated wealth.  It is a new swamp, but a dumb swamp without expertise or experience.  And, if Rick Perry overseeing our nuclear arsenal doesn’t scare you to death, there is little chance you are upset with the other appointments.

Loyalty to the President is more important than loyalty to the nation, the Constitution, the law.  Heads will roll if appointees are not mind readers or blind supporters. 

A free press is not a safeguard in a democracy, it is an enemy of the President’s agenda.  All news that is critical of the President is “fake news.”

Control of the Executive Branch and both houses of Congress is no guarantee that policy and programs can be passed.

Attacking Obama and Clinton is much more fun than defending chaos, failures and tweets.

If there is good economic news, even if it is good news because of Obama’s actions, claim it as a success.  If there is bad economic news declare such news to be “fake news” or Obama’s fault.  Same holds true regarding foreign policy.

Become the only nation on the planet that does not endorse the Paris Accords which the US initiated in the first place.

Allow gross prejudice and discrimination to return to policy level values, especially regarding immigrants, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, women’s rights, and walls.

Eliminate all the safeguards that were put in place to avoid another great recession. 

Eliminate as many safeguards as possible for workers and the environment.

Demonstrate affinity for dictators and anti-American rulers, and demonstrate discontent with our allies.  Withdraw from a world leadership role as quickly as possible.

Abandon civility. 

Abandon tradition. 

Abandon science. 

Abandon economics. 

Abandon civil rights. 

Abandon public schools and public health.

Abandon support for those that need it the most and provide benefits to those who need it the least.

Abandon transparency.  Refuse to release tax returns and reduce press conferences and briefings.  Rely on Twitter for policy and personnel announcements as well as personal quirks and interpretations of reality.

I may have missed some, but this is the new, Great America, a return to a time before we recognized that the nation was not all white, wealthy, heterosexual males and that a sense of responsibility for our fellow human beings means more than pursuit of wealth.

Too much more of this return to greatness will end us.