What's All the Hullaballoo?
"Presidents cannot accept gifts or business from foreigners. It's against the 'emoluments clause'," so said a knowledgeable MSNBC contributor Tuesday night, after President Trump warmly congratulated Turkey President Erdogan for winning a referendum that will give him almost unlimited power for the next seven years. He is being raked over the coals, not so much for applauding an authoritarian, but one in whose country he has business interests in the shape of twin towers. But what's all the hullaballoo? What about the Saudis and other unsavory rulers whom we may not 'congratulate' but whom we support to the tune of billions of dollars and lethal aid against their enemies -- who are not necessarily our enemies.
Let this not be read as a defense of Donald Trump: it is simply an enieme condemnation of the mainstream press for thinking it's doing its job by citing an obscure law.
A hundred days into the Trump Presidency, Americans should be clear about one thing: far from being an outlier and an exception, Donald Trump has simply taken what has passed for governance to a whole new level, doing what our rulers have always done under the table or cloaked in solemn robes, openly, affirmatively, gleefully, even, telling us it's good for us, even if it doesn't make America great again. It's the new normal, and we'll have to get used to it: the Trump family aligns foreign policy with its business, while the generals make war on anyone who disagrees. After all, wasn't it Henry Ford who said 'What's good for General Motors is good for America?"
P.S. As I wrote yesterday, under Henry Ford's rule, it is now perfectly okay for our Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, to lobby for relief from Russia sanctions so his 'former' company, Exxon Mobile, can participate in a lucrative deal to drill for Russian's Arctic Oil.
P.P.S. An if you're wondering how much further the new normal can go, seek no longer: Today, April 22, RT reported that Ivanka Trump -- aside from selling stuff in China -- is now considered the ideal woman. 'Medical' institutes are claiming they can turn Chinese beauties into Nordic beauties, maybe thanks to some ancient Chinese alchemy. And when the American President's daughter becomes the Middle Kingdom's Barbie Doll, it may be time for those of us crying in the wilderness over our country's crimes against humanity, to pick a sunny spot and retire with a couple of good books to await the inevitable.
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