Saturday morning. My weekend commences. Had to make myself a list this morning of the many destabilizing actions of President Trump on all fronts – domestically, internationally, psychologically, environmentally. Slice it anyway you like. Make your own Venn diagrams.
The purpose of my list was to get it out of my head and down on paper so I can focus on something besides the national nightmare that is the Trump presidency. I mean, we all need a break from time to time, and I have a big writing project in the hopper. It was also to take a comprehensive look at how Trump’s actions undermine U.S. democracy and serve Vladimir Putin.
Writing in the NY Times (October 11, 2019), Jennifer Senior quotes Brian Baird on the Republicans, “They live in fear that the narcissist will turn on them.” Senior continues: “So they try to manage the unmanageable. They keep two sets of books, function with two different brains, and buy in – at least partly – to Trump’s grandiose message: You’d be worthless without me.”
The Republicans won’t/don’t stand up to Trump. Meanwhile, everything Trump does serves Putin. Russia is winning bigly.
Bret Stephens (NY Times, October 11, 2019) lays out possible scenarios resulting from Trump’s order to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria:
It will put thousands of Kurdish lives in jeopardy. It will deepen Tehran’s influence in Syria. It will increase the likelihood of an all-out war between Israel and Iran. It will underscore the inefficacy of U.S. sanctions to curb Tehran’s ambitions. It will ratify the wisdom of Vladimir Putin’s decision to intervene on Assad’s behalf. It will strengthen Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hand, not only in northern Syria but also in Turkish politics, just as he was finally beginning to experience serious reversals.
And it will fundamentally jeopardize the gains made against the Islamic State, around 10,000 of whose fighters are in the custody of the Kurdish forces who are now being attacked…
It also increases the likelihood that Turkey will tell the U.S. to take our fighter jets, nukes, and other goodies and get out. Germany already got out of Turkey and moved to Jordan. Let’s not forget Trump’s many anti-Nato statements.
When I think about the geopolitical and environmental destruction being foisted on the U.S. and the world by the Trump administration, I doubt (but keep hoping) that Republicans will make their way to the Land of Oz and find their brains, their hearts, and their courage. This is about not overturning the results of the 2016 election. It is a rational response to the psychic trauma and international tragedy of the Trump presidency.
What Trump Sees on the Men’s Room Door:
West Coast Grrlie Blather 