The Angst of April
By
George Mitrovich
Last month in my column I wrote about one of my heroes, Billy Graham.
This month I’m back, mostly, to Donald John Trump, who is as far from William Franklin Graham as heaven from hell.
So, I will do here what I haven’t really done before, share a selection of my recent Facebook postings, mostly about DJT:
David Ignatius of the Washington Post was on The Morning Joe Show over MSNBC (Monday, March 19), pointed out that 350 agents of the FBI are investigating the Austin bomber, who is believed a serial killer.
Mr. Ignatius said, correctly, that this is the Federal agency President Trump denigrates, vilifies, and ridicules, but remains the Federal agency most Americans trust to protect them, as they are now doing in the investigation of the Austin bomber.
The question is, however, to what extent is the president’s attacks undermining the FBI’s credibility?
Most of us understand, one hopes, that it is morally wrong to impugn the integrity of 37,000 agents of the FBI.
But our president, immoral to the core of his soul, has no problem doing that, because, in his world, it’s all about him all the time.
Shameful, yes; but Donald Trump has no shame.
Because of the Bureau’s work and that of assisting police agencies, the serial bomber of Austin is now dead, as he blew himself up with a bomb targeted to kill others.
Remember what Donald Trump said about Senator John McCain during the Iowa Caucus?
Candidate Trump said:
“He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
That same person, now President of the United States, called Vladimir Putin (Tuesday, March 20), the Russian dictator, to congratulate him on his re-election as president; which is a polite way of saying, as “dictator.”
In response to Trump’s call, which he made against the strong advise of his staff and national security experts, Senator McCain said:
“An American president does not lead the free world by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections.”
Of the shame and infamy of Donald Trump – there is no end.
But our president, immoral to the core of soul, has no problem doing that, because in his world, it’s all about him all the time.
Jim Lewis, an investment banker, is an honored friend, and recently on my Facebook page posted a defense of we “elites.”
Jim wrote, in part:
“This one touches a nerve; I’ve been accused of being an ‘elite’ by several people I’ve known for many years (most of whom have now dropped me from Facebook, or blocked my feed). Personally, as an academic underachiever, I really find this amusing…
“That said, my intellectual curiosity never did go away, and I’m delighted to have access to such great resources of information, that is available to everyone. This internet thing is amazing. Good, reliable, and valid information is easily accessible to all…
“I’m not an ‘elite’. Far from it. Reasonably well-informed, probably/maybe. Intellectually honest? I try to be, and think I do a respectable job (although not perfect, to be sure).
“I don’t tolerate dishonesty in political discourse/political debate, from either side, and currently, the Conservative side is overwhelmingly dishonest, for a variety of easily verifiable reasons. I take no pleasure in pointing that out; we would all be so much better off if political debate and discussion required pure facts and honesty at all levels.
“Ironically, I don’t even care for politics, per se, but am very interested and concerned with governance and knowledge of public policy. This affects all of our lives, directly or indirectly; and yes, I’m very interested in being a participant and not a spectator, as far as how our society operates.
“My message is that being a so-called elite (I don’t even like the term or characterization) is a choice to be well-informed. I’m not at all interested in giving people who choose to be willfully ignorant or intellectually lazy a pass, or suggest that uninformed opinions deserve equal weight or consideration…”
It was a brilliant defense, and elicited from me this response:
H.L. Mencken wrote: “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.”
He also wrote, “On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”
But Mencken wasn’t writing about Jim or me or readers of the Sentinel, or others driven by curiosity, but he may have been thinking about those who voted for Trump; thinking that candidate Trump would be different as President Trump — but, of course, he’s the same Trump.
He was rude, crude, immoral, unethical, a cheat and liar as a “businessman” and candidate; a man who denigrated and demeaned others, including those who battle physical limitations, who bragged about his seduction of women; a man who told Fundamentalists the night he won the Florida primary, he was “God’s greatest gift to Evangelical Christians” (greater than Jesus, apparently).
As he was, so he remains — Donald Trump.
But despite all of that, a catalogue of infamies that even the most creative writer of fiction could not have imagined, 82 percent of Republicans think he’s doing a good job.
But put that 82 percent in context, because only 24 percent of Americans admit to being “Republicans.” Something media almost always fails to acknowledge, when polls are cited.
Republicans are the minority party — and the “minority party” they shall remain come November 6.
In the meanwhile, the 76-percent of US proudly not Republicans, should stop acting like we’re the minority and claim our majority status.
George Mitrovich is a San Diego civic leader. He may be reached at, gmitro35@gmail.com.
Category: National News
