We’ll get to the Democrats in a minute, but let’s make it perfectly clear that people who voted for Donald Trump are responsible for what Donald Trump says and does. And, as the leader of the Republican Party, Trump represents Republican values and beliefs – unless and until Republicans publicly and clearly rebuke him.
Among last week’s Presidential lies – and let’s also be clear that if you can’t call a lie a lie then you’re okay with lying – was the one claiming that the 17,000+ news stories U.S. newspapers published about 78 Muslim terrorist events was “under-reporting” terrorism. Really, Republicans? You mean to tell us that you aren’t getting enough news about terrorism? How much more terrorism news do you want? Will a 24/7 Terrorism Network do it for you?
According to the Libertarian Cato Institute, the chances of getting killed in the United States today by a radical Islamic Terrorist are 1 in 3.6 billion, and taxpayers currently spend about $100 billion per year to deter and protect against domestic terrorism. If each saved life is valued at $7 million, it would be necessary for our counter-terrorism measures to prevent or protect against between 12,000 and 14,000 terrorism deaths in the country each year. But the President doesn’t want us to know that. He – and I guess Republicans in general – won’t be happy until every American is whimpering under their beds. Frankly, I miss the days when Americans had bigger… hands.
The flip side of Republicans owning these outcomes is the mystery of why Democrats are so appalled at Trump’s deregulation of Wall Street, and his push shove and rush to privatize government. Trump is doing precisely what Bill Clinton did with respect to the oversight of financial markets and outsourcing of government services. If it was okay for Slick Willie to lay the foundation for the hapless George Bush’s unraveling economy, then Democrats should be fine and dandy with Trump’s forays into gutting the middle class one more time.
The bottom line is that Bill Clinton – and Democrats – own Betsy DeVos and the privatizing puppeteers who are just like her. Clinton made them richer, and Democrats paved their pathways to power. How about a mea culpa?
Somewhere in the early nineteenth century we made private enterprise and capitalism into a state religion. We have given them primacy over our civic life, our environment and justice. An essential but amoral human activity become the foundation of our political culture. Government became the problem. But the true high priests of the state religion understood and still understand that government is the best vehicle for maximizing their returns on investment. Politicians (most of them, including Slick Willy) have a tough time being successful outside of their orbit. Having philosophized on that a bit, I am mystified how those same high priests allowed the Trump presidency and are cozying up to it given that he is so venal and incompetent that he can easily bring the house down.