After 65 years of enthusiasm and activism, from politics in high school and college, 16 years as congressional staff, six and a half years in the White House, and decades as a National Press Club member, after witnessing wars and varied national economic priorities come at us, I now fear for my country. I never have actually been afraid before, but I am now. I know I am not alone. How did this happen?
It's been a lot of things accumulating, rising to a crescendo this past month. The attempted closures and mass firings, the very real health and food consequences we're watching at home and around the world, the cockeyed priorities of pushing trillions of dollars of ultra-rich tax cuts paid for by the cuts and closures harming regular people, and Congress budgeting a four-trillion-dollar deficit hole to do it.
But the last straw was when Lawrence O'Donnell made one point crystal clear on February 19, just a month after the inauguration: this is the first time that a President has changed sides in an active major war as it is taking place.
No one really wanted to think that the President of the United States would side with Russia, but there have been signs. This month, hollowing out the people programs we've all worked hard to create and cherish at home and abroad. Then, blaming Zelensky for starting the Ukraine war when we all saw Russia build up the troops and invade.
There have been other warning signs -- Trump with Michael Flynn at the top of his circle, despite FBI warnings to Trump at the outset about Flynn's loyalty. Yes, the Mueller report and the Steele dossier-- people forget, Steele was Britain's head of Russian intelligence, not a rogue flake. Trump his whole life has coveted having a Trump Moscow hotel, and never got it -- he's been played from the beginning of his career on that. He's regularly lavished praise on Putin for his "brilliance".
So, now, do we give up?
No, we fight on, and hope the Republicans who are beginning to speak out continue to do so and this time mean their stands. It's possible we'll have some bipartisan consensus, with elections to come for Congress and then, again, for President. If we make it that far. In the meantime, we can hope the courts and congressional legislative actions and pressure, together with public outcries, will hold us together, at least partly.
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