TRUMP - THE TRUE OBSCENITY

Dear All, Apologies I did say that the trilogy I posted recently would be my final posting onto this blog however, my increasing anger and outrage has pushed me to write these observations:

Dear All, Having just witnessed the first hundred odd days of Trump's Presidency I have tried hard to hold my tongue - I know, that's very unusual for me - I should have said my pen, and not jump too quickly into joining many that have suggested that 'the Donald' is xenophobic, racist, sexist and homophobic. Moreover, that he is arrogant, ignorant and largely lazy. However, all the evidence since his inauguration has more than supported these views. But these unpalatable 'characteristics' pail into insignificance when you then consider this President's sense of honesty, duty, decency and dare I say, virtue.

I appreciate in the world of power politics that the issues of truth often 'go south' just consider in modern times Kennedy - his 'private life', Johnson - Vietnam, Nixon - Watergate, Reagan - Iran;Contra, Clinton - 'misunderstanding' sex, and Bush junior - 'misunderstanding' war. However, even these 'boys in the band' managed to come round from their 'mad moments' of preening, paranoia and pretence and realised to varying degrees that the office of the US President has and holds an extremely special position in the United States' sense of itself. In other words - and United States at its most elemental is all about WORDS - the United States exists because the Constitution says it does. Moreover, the office of the Presidency and its powers exists because this document says it does. The Constitution is not just a legal scripture it is the very foundation of American identity. Therefore, the articulation and application of the Constitution that Trump swore to 'preserve, protect, and defend' is an essential part of the United States' well-being.

If we look at the behaviour of President Trump he has defiled the office and in the process, defecated on this historic document without on the face of it breaking any constitutional law (putting aside the issues concerning Russia that will come back at same stage to bite him.) Employing his own family in sensitive positions of governance is not unconstitutional - its is bare faced opportunism and nepotism. Firing the Head of the FBI is not unconstitutional - it is ripping up the historic political firewalls; the separation of powers between the executive, the legislative and the judiciary. Getting the Secretary's' of State, Defense and his own Press spokesman to pronounce 'truthful' explanations concerning on-going presidential behaviour and then contradicting them by saying they are too busy to get all their stories straight - rank stupidity unfortunately, is also not unconstitutional.

Evidently, what his present incumbent of the Oval Office fails to understand - he never will - is that just because legally he has the right to act as he does that does not make it the right action to take. The law can only go so far in structuring and sign posting society it is then up to the inherent integrity of the senior politicians and leaders of the United States to act with the best motives - virtue - for the whole of the nation-state. Even the partisan and tribal make up of Congress understands this 'unwritten' part of the Constitution.

The US Constitution's authority lays in its seminal words - directly, implied, and inferred - it was never envisaged by anyone that the position of the Presidency would be occupied by a person who articulates his 'policies and protestations'  in 144 characters or less. It was never considered that the Presidency would be occupied by a man who would take full advantage of his office to further his own family business affairs. It was never envisaged that the Presidency would be occupied by a man who lives in a 'gilded cage' therefore, having no real understanding of how to treat and respect his fellow citizens, let alone visitors to the nation. It was never envisaged that the President would sack one of the top three law enforcement officers in the country because he puts his own personal survival before that of the nation's safety.  

As we have also seen with his approach to the domestic matters of immigration, health care, school meals, and in foreign affairs concerning Syria, Turkey, Philippines, North Korea and China his myopic, transactional approach to complex issues is worse than superficial and crude it is plainly obscene. However, there seems to me two positives that are beginning to emerge from this errant nonsense. Firstly, Washington - many see this political Capital as filled with self serving public servants of one description or another, however, in truth although these types do exist the capital also has many very bright, intelligent and well motivated personnel that are witnessing - just as we are - this unfunny political circus. They are acutely embarrassed and increasingly concerned, as some are already looking to 'govern or run' the nation-state on the margins by effectively circumventing the White House - domestically this is very possible - a little more tricky with foreign affairs but even the State Department that is seen as the biggest obstacle to Trump's presidency is beginning to show signs of resistance to their recently depleted role. Secondly, in the US there are a growing number of groups that are starting to 'disobey' the conventions surrounding the Presidency by directly challenging his ethical right to act as the United States' leader. The very groups that took their eye off the ball and allowed the social and economic vacuum to develop over the last 25 years allowing people like Trump his head are now beginning at last to wake up from their comfortable eastern or western seaboard lifestyles and start to blow back. This type of middle class dissent will only grow louder as younger groups also start to get organised.

Finally, my very last prediction on this blog - taking account that many of my thoughts are wrong - if Trump continues to treat the Constitution with the same contempt as he has done so far the good, decent and fair-minded Americans will not put up with it. Either he will take a shellacking at the mid term elections - the Republicans losing control of the Hill - finding his Presidency restricted to four uncomfortable and largely ineffective years. Or his incoherence and increasing incompetence will provide ample opportunity for him to be impeached. For this President has already made one fatal mistake, he has managed in record time not only to disaffect the FBI but also the CIA. These are 'the guardians' of all the skeletons in the political cupboard. Remember, Edgar Hoover was made Director of the FBI for life by Kennedy not because of his effectiveness but because of what he knew about his 'political masters'. So, if this political pantomime continues to make a mockery of the Washington establishment and thereby, diminishing America's 'true self' do not be surprised to start reading in the media - little by little - an increasing number of selected stories concerning Trumps past and his peccadilloes. For 'Fake news' is not the real modern day obscenity, he and his continued political existence truly is.

Kindest
KK