Utter Failure
As we approach the end of Donald Trump’s single term as president — and it will only be four years, despite the traitorous efforts of his Republican cohorts to overturn a free and fair election — it’s important to reflect upon a few key issues from the last half-decade and what they have taught us about ourselves and America. It’s not great.
Race
Trump kicked off his candidacy by stoking the irrational fears white people have about Mexicans. He played up the worst stereotypes and denigrated them with slander. Immigrants of all color were exposed to his racist, outdated ignorance. He tried to ban Muslims, with some degree of success. His contempt for non-white people was obvious. Don’t take my word for it. Hear from the big man himself:
During protests between people standing up against facism and white supremacists who chanted “Jews will not replace us” Trump managed to find empathy. Not for Heather Heyer, who was murdered by one of his supporters, but for the nazis marching with torches.
After the murder of George Floyd and protests against police brutality sprung up around the country, Trump did little to ease tensions. Instead, he inflamed them further. He threatened to send the military into states (illegal, by the way) and used anonymous, unmarked federal agents to kidnap and detain lawful protestors. The height of his foolishness came when he cleared a peaceful protest from a park so he could take a picture in front of a church, holding a bible that may or may not have been upsidedown.
There are others I have not mentioned here in the interest of brevity. But know that this racist man has done a great deal of harm to our country when it comes to everyone “getting along”.
COVID-19
In what will probably be remembered as his greatest failure in office, Trump allowed a virus to run rampant through our country. It started at the beginning of the year when he downplayed the severity of the virus publicly, while privately acknowledging it’s dangerous nature. We don’t have to rely on reporting for this. Like most of Trump’s egregious sins, it’s on tape!
As if allowing millions of Americans to become infected wasn’t bad enough, the administration seemed to be holding out hope for a vaccine. And due to the efforts of hardworking scientists from around the world, several were produced. But there’s a difference between HAVING a vaccine and DELIVERING it to people. During the past year, while the virus ran roughshod over our country, did the Trump administration do any advanced planning for how the vaccine would be delivered? Nope. Just as they did when it came to purchasing PPE and other necessary emergency supplies, the administration was happy to leave it up to states to figure it out. This has resulted in a very slow rollout and corruption in who gets vaccinated first. The goal was to have 20 million doses given by the end of 2020. We’re at about one-fifth of that, with 4.2 million people vaccinated.
This could have been different. We don’t have to imagine what could have been, we need only look around the world at other modernized countries and how they handled it. Countries that took it seriously, mandating lockdowns and mask-wearing for starters, fared much better. We have 4% of the world population and yet more than a quarter of the deaths. To call this anything other than a murderous disaster would be giving it too much credit.
Law & Order
Trump likes to tout himself as the LAW & ORDER president. I think this has more to do with his obsession with celebrity and TV than with any policies he’s put in place. Let’s not forget that he was impeached. And if the senate had any guts, they would have held an actual trial. Alas, they did not and he continued to remain president. I’m sure he learned his lesson and won’t use the power of his office to illegally threaten people again. What’s that?
Trump’s time in office might be regarded as one of the most corrupt presidencies in American history. This isn’t hyperbole. Numerous historians have said as much. From violating the Hatch Act, which was designed to prevent people from benefiting from their positions in government, to using the American people to enrich himself, Trump made a mockery of the rule of law. This is like having an arsonist talk about fire safety.
Let us not forget that he’s been accused by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and misconduct. I believe all of them. Why? Because the idiot creep has spoken about women (including his own daughter) like this his whole life. Remember this?
So presidential! That he wants to have sex with his own child should have been enough to disqualify him from society, let alone the presidency. Alas.
Oh, did I mention the numerous cases that are currently pending against the president? He’s going to jail when he leaves office. I do believe this. And hopefully, he can take some of his worthless children with him.
Our Fellow Americans
This might be the most damaging aspect of Trump’s presidency. The racist, ignorant mouthbreathers whom we count as fellow citizens have their Hero of the Stupid: a man who represents all the false grievances white people have with their country. The War on Christmas, reverse racism, unpatriotic education, etc. None of it is real. It’s manufactured bullshit to try and equate centuries of systemic racism and sexism with minor inconveniences like saying “happy holidays”.
White supremacists haven’t had a moment like this since the rise of Nazis in the ’30s. Trump and his supporters might purport to disavow neo-nazis but the proof is in the pudding. Hate crimes have steadily increased since his election. Teenage murderers have been turned into heroes. Groups of white supremacists now openly march in our cities, inciting violence and spreading fear. After eight years where a Black man was president, things seemed to be improving. It was all an illusion. The rot was simply hidden beneath the surface and now Trump has cheered these hateful people into action.
Trump has eroded confidence in our election system. By spreading lies and conspiracy theories through social media, it’s easy to see why so many people believe there was something suspicious in the 2020 election. None of it is true. There is no evidence of widespread fraud. Local officials have said as much. Courts of every level and party appointment have said as much. Trump’s own administration has said so. And yet, the lies persist. Trump’s fragile ego will not accept that the majority of Americans have rejected him.
The last four years have destroyed families and created divisions within our society that may take generations to heal. I know that I won’t soon forgive any MAGA people. Republicans are now trying to disenfranchise 81 million Americans by throwing out the results of the election. If they succeed, our government will not stand. It may even lead to a civil war. Whatever the result, the damage has been done.
I don’t know what the future holds for our nation. White people have a reckoning to face up to. For too long the concerns and priorities of our fellow citizens of color have been downplayed, diminished, and outright denied. In order for us to move on, together, to form a “more perfect union”, we need to accept what non-white Americans tell us about our nation. We need to listen to them, believe them, and then enact changes that will benefit us all. Is Joe Biden the man to do this? LOL. Not even close. He’s merely a tourniquet, put in place to stop the bleeding. But if he remains the only option for too long, I fear we may end up losing the limb entirely.
There is a lot of work to be done in 2021. Getting this utter failure out of office is a good start, but it is by no means the end. The time for our nation to heal will come but it will depend largely upon how white people react to the generational shift in ideas and ideals. Time will tell if we truly are a nation where people are free or that’s just window-dressing for our white supremacist core. I am rooting for us.