During the 2016 Presidential campaign, Donald Trump publicly mocked a reporter with disabilities. He also attacked Hillary Clinton when she nearly fainted with what was later described as pneumonia.

Throughout the 2020 Presidential campaign, as 200,000+ Americans have died from the Corona Virus, Trump also lied about and made light of the effects of Covid-19. He said, “Don’t worry about it…it will disappear.” Now that he and his wife and close aides have been stricken with this virus, he still displays wanton disregard for anyone but himself. Recently, at least three days into his contagion, Trump decided to play to his supporters by driving around Walter Reed Medical Center so that his “fans” could embrace his “bravery” despite the fact that by his actions he put others at risk, especially his security detail. Throughout, the President has displayed no compassion or concern for anyone but himself. That is the kind of person he is: cruel, uncaring, and most of all, narcissistic. For a man in whom over 300 million Americans have placed their lives, his behavior is worse than abhorrent. Yet, he will still probably secure at least 35-40% of the popular vote.

I have written this before—people tend to vote for Trump for three reasons: they are either ignorant, greedy, and/or racist. Of those of his supporters I know personally, the latter two motives stand out. That is probably the case for most of his base.

On Monday, October 5th, Trump went home from the hospital. The first thing he did was remove his mask, putting countless others at risk. Then he primped on the White House balcony that leads to the East Wing. As he stood there and postured, he looked like Il Duce—Italy’s World War II fascist leader Benito Mussolini. If you doubt me, go to You Tube and peruse some film.

Our President is a very troubled individual (not just with Covid-19). Wake up America! This is not normal behavior. 1933 Germany and today bear too many similarities. Four more years of this horror of a man may be too late for American democracy to survive. I am not normally an alarmist. I am now.

If you respond to the title of this post by exclaiming “All lives matter,” you have a problem. Your answer is a cop-out. Especially within the context of what is happening today, in Trump’s America, too many people ignore reality. The fact remains that for this nation’s entire history, the lives of people of color have been largely ignored and have rarely mattered to most white Americans. That is the tragedy—a tragedy whose public face has exploded in this summer of 2020.

In the early 1990’s, when Rodney King was severely beaten by the Los Angeles Police, a major riot ensued. Towards its end, King publicly asked, “Why can’t we all just get along?” Obviously, Americans still have no answers to this question. Let me give it a try.

First, no one is born racist; it’s learned behavior and its onset usually stems from relatives and/or close acquaintances. In turn, as we mature, societal influences become more important. A person growing up in a rural setting in the South will likely have a different set of beliefs than someone raised in New York City.

Then there is the media, an operational variant that never stops influencing individuals. As children, whether we watched the television program The Lone Ranger, with its namesake always dressed in white and the “bad-guys” in dark shades, or Amos and Andy, with its predominantly black cast projecting negative stereotypes on a regular basis, viewers rarely obtained positive views of people of color. Today, it is news coverage, whether electronic or written, that acts as the primary media catalyst in shaping racial and/or religious attitudes.

What about our economy and political system? The former is structured upon a purposeful program of inequality dating back to 1619, when slavery began in the United States. Meanwhile our political system—at all levels—is a mess, built upon years and years of neglect and strong resistance to change, especially when it comes to improving the lives of major segments of the populace.

From the antebellum South through today, the American people, and especially its Black citizens, are enmeshed in the sclerosis cited above. The latter remain victims of a system that for too long has ignored their rightful place in society. You do not have to be a statistician to read the charts and understand the depth of discrimination and inequity besetting this country. When a President looks into a crowd and asks, “Where is my African-American?” (as Trump has), how does that differ from a slave-owner seeking his “Black” slave? If Donald Trump is re-elected, inequality will multiply as will racism and rioting. Remember that when you vote.

A term often used to describe views that are out of the mainstream is “extreme.” Synonyms include the words “fundamentalist,” or “ultra-,” or even “evangelical.” Depending on who is using the word(s), the intent may be complementary or harsh. In such cases, distortion, not accuracy, is often the result.

When, a few weeks ago, Donald Trump stood before a church near the White House in the midst of a Black Lives Matter rally, he held a Bible (upside-down I might add), to supposedly signify his “reverence” in the face of violence. This is the same man, of course, who ordered the forced removal of children from their parent’s arms. He has also abused women, and expressed ant-Semitic and and anti-Muslim views alongside his racist remarks directed towards Hispanics and Black Americans. Yet, many Christian and some Jewish “leaders” still regard him as a shared believer in Judeo-Christian traditions, a “man of faith.”

Such generalizations, when directed towards Trump and his Enablers, seek to envelop them in a righteous and benign posture. Of course, that is not the case, and understanding about the essence of their beliefs and actions is purposely obscured. Let me provide an example of the dangers of relying on such broad terminology, especially when intended to be injurious.

When I lived in Houston, Texas in the mid-1980’s, I met Rev. John Hagee. He was—and remains— a prominent Evangelical Minister whose mega-church is in San Antonio. He is probably best known for sponsoring, in locations throughout the state, a massive yearly celebration known as “A Night to Honor Israel.” Suspicions, especially among the Jewish communities of Dallas and Houston (wherein I worked), quickly arose. Jews in San Antonio assured everyone he was “for real.” Hagee periodically noted that he was not out to convert anyone. Rather, he contended, his attention was based on the premise that “you cannot be a good Christian if you don’t love and support Israel.”

The last time I talked to Rev. Hagee was about five years ago, in Israel, where he was meeting with Israeli leaders. As far as I was concerned, his growing reputation as an honest broker between Christians and Jews remained intact. Yet, today, in the press and among many in the nation’s Jewish leadership, he’s been labeled, without substantive evidence, an anti-Semite. Yes, he is an Evangelical Christian; yes he is a religious fundamentalist. No, he is not anti-Semitic. Again, an example of the massive harm of over-generalization by way of purposely-pejorative interpretation.

For the United States, presently, an immediate problem is the unfortunate and dangerous use of generalized, extreme terms against opponents designed to allow politicians to escape direct responsibility for their behavior. Too many of them are racial and religious bigots; yet the Conservative press relies on euphemisms; they are called “conservatives,” or “right” or “left wingers,” or, getting a little closer to the truth, “extremists.” When this occurs, the discussion gets side-tracked and meaning is obscured. While perhaps seeming far-reaching to some, the explicit term “Moscow Mitch,” correctly centers upon Sen. McConnell”s fawning and obeisance to Vladimir Putin. The colorful and pointed term”Pandemic Don,” should remind everyone of how many lives could have been saved if a competent and intelligent President was in office. In Texas and Florida, their respective Governors have demonstrated criminal liability regarding the stupidity of their actions as they deny science in favor of personal political gain. I could go on and on.

The American people deserve honesty, not pandering. The debate over actions, words and consequences must cease. Too much is at stake. With 150,000 dead in the United States, it is no longer time for evasive language; racism and other forms of evil must be specifically called out. Those who violate that premise, must not be allowed to escape by using generalities and extremes. The facts should be debated in a pointed and honest manner. Otherwise, Trump succeeds and the vast majority of us lose.

See you in September. Stay safe. 

From the beginning of the Trump Presidential effort in 2015, until today, it is generally agreed that his supporters have been primarily motivated by two key factors: ignorance and racism. The paucity in obtaining a college education by so many members of his base, as well as their readiness to swallow the stupidest of conspiracy theories, provides substantive evidence of this lack of knowledge. Significantly, the racism in Trump and his admirers has been evident since day one; comments and policies attacking Muslims, Hispanics, African-Americans et al, are almost too numerous to mention.

But, it was recently suggested to me that a third motivation, greed, is probably the dominant factor in  guiding the actions and beliefs of his followers.

Throughout Trump’s “Businessman” career, he would attempt to accrue as many dollars out of a building project or investment as possible. When many of these undertakings failed, he would declare bankruptcy (four times) and/or not pay his creditors and employees for money owed them. He would then move on to the the next effort, never caring about anyone but himself. In the political realm, as President, Trump patterned his behavior on his businessman past, even retaining ownership of his corporate entities while remaining President. He has also hidden his tax returns from public scrutiny, received millions of dollars from foreign governments and entities by way of ownership of the Trump Hotel in Washington, and has repeatedly sought to further enrich his wealthy friends and business partners.

Because the American economy remained in good shape until the pandemic began, too many ignored this ongoing corruption. Yet his lack of leadership and incompetence in handling the virus should remind us all how treacherously dangerous this man is to our future. He has, for example, purposely attacked scientific experts rendering information regarding the pandemic, when their collective advice conflicts with his political and economic goals. His political acolytes in Texas, Arizona, and Florida only now have begun to recognize the costs in sickness and deaths that have been the result of their own blindness to science and devotion to the personal and political whims of Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Vice-President Pence and the Republicans in Congress remain largely silent (a notable and solo exception being Senator Mitt Romney), as the President tinkers with the life and death of fellow Americans. These Trump Enablers are greedy above all, especially when it comes to  their own political benefit. Unfortunately, we are all paying the price for their avarice.

From the phrase “Divine Right of Kings” to the equally powerful, “The State is Me,” rulers of nations throughout history have often touted their respective reigns in power as “divinely inspired” or “mandated by the Lord.” As we have moved closer to the present age, the religious connotations have shaded in a more secular direction: in essence, “I alone can best determine a country’s national interest.” Whether that is because of “sacred” inspiration, vast knowledge, or the presumed people’s will,  the “leader” believes only they can “best guide and serve” the populace. Although the French in Europe, and the Japanese and Chinese in Asia, tended to often impute these divine-type characteristics to their respective leaders, most other nations have refrained from doing so.

In the United States, only one President served more than two terms: Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Others, Nixon most readily comes to mind, probably would have enjoyed spending more than eight years in office. But, only Donald Trump has actually and repeatedly referenced himself as the “only one” who could produce certain outcomes, be it peace with the North Koreans and Iranians, or by accomplishing other specific deeds (e.g. producing “the greatest economy,” the “most powerful military,” and on and on). He has also suggested that “many” want him to serve more than two terms. Such comments are signs of mental illness, an inflated ego, or both.

As we move towards November 2020, Trump has intensified his efforts to tie the fate of American security and society to his re-election. Somewhere between 35% and 40% of the American electorate seems to share this view, but that is not, thankfully, a winning total. Nevertheless, between now and November, we remain beset by a pandemic, economic recession,  massive social disruption due to systemic racial disparities, and a world tipped sharply askew by a lack of American reliability in world affairs.

Think about it. Trump has consistently gone against science and simple facts: 120,000+ Americans are dead, with many more to come. His threats and abnormal behavior remain, with social justice protesters his current target. Trump’s attempts to manipulate the economy have taken precedence over human life. On the international front, only dictators and strongmen of the right are willing to work with the United States. Since some of these leaders also believe they are the iconic representatives of their countries, they together have made one reckless and incompetent decision after another (Think about it: Bolsonaro in Brazil and Trump in the U.S. represent the two countries with the worst Covid-19 cases and consequent disruption.). For our democratic allies, Trump’s bellicosity has produced antipathy, not cooperation.

So, the reality is that until November, unless the Republicans in Congress are willing to act, we are facing a precarious—perhaps existential—period of trauma. Trump is grasping for a fading chance of electoral success. His evil and instability are raging. We must be both creative and bold as we deal with the unexpected. Almost nothing remains normal.

The riots and protests continue. So does the pandemic. In Washington, the President remains unable to lead, and Congress is largely non-functional. Around the country, Governors and Mayors fill the governance void. Some, like Andrew Cuomo in New York, display extraordinary leadership and compassion. Others, like Ron DeSantis in Florida and Greg Abbott in Texas, display extraordinary stupidity and lack of compassion. Their respective states are experiencing new highs in cases of Covid-19 because of their obtuseness towards science, so people suffer and die. Through all this, remarkably, a hopeful trend has emerged: young people, of various colors and ethnicities are demonstrating positive guidance and leadership.

Protests over the vicious, racialized murders by police of George Floyd in Minneapolis et al, have included significant numbers of White, Asian, Hispanic and Muslim participants, who have joined their Black brothers and sisters. Finally, people from many different backgrounds are joining the battle for justice and racial equality. What are they teaching us?

First, that the Trump Presidency has finally devolved to where there is no tolerance for “business as usual” in America. The lying, overt racism, and increased levels of social and economic inequality, have produced a generation of young people fed-up with present-day America. While their parents may deplore what’s happening, they have done little to halt its further disintegration. It’s thus largely up to this younger generation to slow-down, and eventually halt, the process of decay of American democracy and the concurrent rise in authoritarianism.

After the Civil War, social and political inequality evolved into Jim Crow politics. Southerners became mollified by politicians—especially in Congress—that were willing to do their bidding in return for donations and votes. These practices largely continued until President Lyndon Johnson sought, and obtained, passage of significant civil and voting rights legislation. Further movement in a positive direction was episodic as Blacks other people-of-color remained significant targets of discrimination and violence.

In 2017, Donald Trump became the first American President to publicly support policies and practices that prop-up an overtly racist America. For Trump and his minions, White Supremacists and Neo-Nazis are “good people,” while Hispanics are “rapists,” and Muslims are “terrorists.”

The pandemic has produced a disproportionately  large number of Black and Hispanic victims. That reality has certainly added to the frustration and violence expressed by demonstrators. But, we must hope that the twin disasters of the pandemic and racial violence will catalyze America into a country that can adopt creative and significant approaches to dealing with rampant discrimination and inequality. If that is to happen, the first step is to elect new politicians in place of the racists and cowards that presently occupy political office. This effort must begin at the top, with the removal of our country’s racist-in-chief.

June is here and in Trump’s America we have riots, a pandemic, and social division and discord. This President has used every opportunity to further divide the American people. Like so much that has happened over the last four years, Trump has never let a crisis go to waste and the goal is clear, “me, me, me.”

In cities across America, justifiable protests have led to pressure-cooked riots. It has never made sense to me how attacking stores like CVS (in Baltimore 5 years ago), or Target (in Minneapolis now), is justified, but the initial catalyst for such actions is frustration from persistent discrimination, especially towards people of color. They are easy targets for the power structure to blame for endemic problems. Even responsibility for generating the pandemic has enfolded Asian-Americans in the grasp of an incompetent American President seeking to chastise anyone but himself for the missed opportunities to contain the virus early-on. Meanwhile, the Republicans in Congress join Trump in delaying additional pandemic-related aid to those who need it most.

Throughout the Presidential campaign in 2015-2016, Hispanics were cited by America’s number one racist as “rapists and criminals.” Muslims were to be denied entry to the United States as they were deemed “threats.” He went around the country searching for “my African-American.” Jews were told they have “their own Prime Minister” and country (Israel, I presume). And, in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, when white-supremacists and Neo-Nazis rioted and murdered, they were called “good people” by Trump. Why are we so shocked when continued violence against American citizens continues?

Trump is already using this horror in American cities to divide people and catalyze his base to build a path to re-election. Just last week, he had peaceful protesters gassed and pushed-aside by police so he could create a photo-opportunity in front of a historic and boarded church across from the White House.

While the President continues his rants, the Republicans (and too many Democratic office-holders), remain relatively silent. But, Americans need a coordinated, smart response to both what’s happening on the streets and strategically. With Trump trying to build and secure his electoral base, the more disorder on American streets, the better. But’ we can’t afford to forget the end result of the 1960’s—the election of Richard Nixon and all that followed.

We need pragmatic and particularized plans for economic and social reconstruction in order to deal with racial and economic inequality. Such efforts must include significant policing reforms. Remember, what works in a densely populated New York is not necessarily suited for a less-dense and geographically spread-out Los Angeles.

The first-step is to stay one-step ahead of Trump and contain his attempts to further politicize the protests. We must put down the bricks; they only help the President and his Enablers.

Remember the 2008 Presidential election? Obama and Biden versus McCain and Palin. John McCain, a war hero, United States Senator, and conscience of the Republican Party.  When, in 2017 he voted in favor of Obamacare,  he saved the program. Think of that at this time of disease and contagion. Yet, it’s the second name on the 2008 Republican ticket that has made a timely re-entrance into this nation’s debate about how best to contain and eradicate the Corona virus. Yes, Sarah Palin, at the time Governor of Alaska, the candidate who said she could view Siberia through her bedroom windows.

Palin appeared not very bright and almost always befuddled; another major candidate who apparently never read a book. Yet, McCain chose her. She was (is?) also vituperative, ambitious, and able to light a verbal match designed to inject McCain’s campaign with fire in the form of a unique slant on difficult and controversial issues. For health care, the issue became Palin’s contention that with Obama’s health proposals came “Death Panels,” wherein groups of individuals throughout the country would be tasked with deciding who would live and who would die, as the government became the arbiter of medical resources and patient care. Of course, there was was nothing in the Obama health-care plan resembling Palin’s fantasy. Public–and dangerous–lying was being used in a significant way in order to distract attention away from significant Republican failures (e.g. the economy), and instead create fear among the voting public. The effort failed as the results of the election demonstrate. But,  alarm among the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions was raised to new heights.

Today, the issue has arisen again, but this time the discussion and debate has been remarkably shrouded in obfuscation and rhetoric.

The President and his advisers have decided to remove themselves from leadership on the central issue of the Pandemic debate: when to re-open the country. Instead of assuming leadership, which past Presidents have always done in major crises, Trump has devolved—asking Governors and local officials to make such decisions on a locality- by-locality basis. This has already, in too many places, opened communities to increased infection and death. Trump’s response: we must reopen because the economy is at stake. In fact, what he is most worried about is his re-election. The President remembers well Bill Clinton adviser James Carville’s famous remark about what drives elections: “It’s the economy stupid.”

Is there another way, one between keeping most of the country closed or opening at the likely sacrifice of more and more individuals, especially the most vulnerable? Of course there is.

Governors Hogan of Maryland, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts and Andrew Cuomo in New York, are notable examples of leaders with intelligence and compassion. But, are they audacious and willing to assume major risks? Do other Governors and local officials meet that criteria? When you are playing with people’s lives—even in a time of pandemic—choices should be made carefully and safely. Guidelines must be followed instead of ignored. Political rhetoric should be dismissed and politicians who purposefully create fear, called out. Despite Trump’s apparent willingness to accept increased but needless deaths—especially among the most vulnerable—as a people we are better than he is. We don’t need Palin-like “Death Panels.” Intelligent, compassionate, science-based decision-making is necessary. Let’s not further compound the tragedy we are already dealing with.

With most of us relatively confined at home because of the Corona Virus, now is a good time to suggest some books—fiction and non-fiction alike—that I have enjoyed recently. Chosen selections, I hope, may also provide some insight into current conditions.

For those of you who enjoy detective mysteries, there is no better contemporary writer than Michael Connelly. Most of his novels focus upon a Los Angeles Police Department Detective named Harry Bosch. Beyond delivering superb story-lines and tough-to-guess endings, he provides unique insight into the roots of injustice in a very unjust world. Triggering Harry was the murder of his mother when he was a child. Harry was, of course, named after the fantastical Dutch artist Hieronymous Bosch, and the similarities don’t end there. As an added bonus, Amazon has been streaming its own series based upon Harry’s exploits. They too render an excellent examination of the dark side of American life.

Maybe the most relevant and timely of my recent readings is Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America. A dystopian perspective on America in the 1940’s, Roth has President Roosevelt being defeated at the beginning of the decade by aviator and American hero, Charles Lindbergh. The latter, who was in fact an isolationist and German sympathizer on the eve of World War II, also helped lead the American First Committee (familiar anyone?). Lindbergh’s fictional election sets off fear and pogroms amongst America’s Jews. While the historical time-frame is different, the themes on which the book is based, are eerily similar to present-day. HBO recently serialized the book. While some of the plot-lines have shifted between the two versions, both are excellent. Take your choice or, better yet, pay attention to both.

On to non-fiction. One of our best journalist/writers is George Packer. His latest book, Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century, is the story of a man his colleagues considered the “Diplomat’s Diplomat.” He was haughty, brilliant and patriotic. As the primary negotiator of the Dayton Accords, which successfully ended the most recent outbreak of war in the Balkans, few could match his skills and commitment to eradicating war as an instrument of solving political problems. Holbrooke was a jack-of-all trades everywhere he served, and became a strong critic of American policy in Vietnam. He was also an idealist who could accomplish the most difficult of practical assignments. Unwilling to make excuses and always ready to criticize in the face of stupidity and  wrong-headedness, he was a model for what is missing in the present era of diplomatic policymaking.

Finally, a diplomat who shared Holbrooke’s best instincts and who has recently written a superb memoir, is Samantha Power. Her book, The Education of an Idealist, traces her life as a young girl growing up in Ireland. In her teens she and her family moved to the United States where, after being educated at Yale, became a journalist/human-rights activist and eventually President Obama’s Ambassador to the United Nations. No book I have read recently so strikingly explains why human rights  concerns must form a fundamental part of American diplomacy. Read it!

Since Donald Trump has apparently never read a book he wasn’t forced to, these recommendations are not for him. But, our country will surely be better off if our prospective policymakers read these selections. And you too!

“Maybe I’m Amazed” is the title of a superb song by Beatle, Paul McCartney. It’s an appropriate theme for this blogpost as I offer some thoughts about what Covid-19 is doing to the country. Ironically, not all of it is bad.

First the salutary aspect. At a time of polarized government, social and political foolishness, and an extremely dangerous health crisis, most Americans have practiced an overt, obviously sincere effort to help each other through the pandemic’s turmoil. Health Care workers, delivery men and women, and those who work in “Essential businesses,” (e.g. grocery and drugstores, food production and distribution, etc.)  should all be singled out. On a daily basis, as I walk my dogs through the neighborhood, even people I don’t know, ask—usually from a safe distance—“How are you doing?” In other ways too, there is a general attempt to bring comity to American life. The theme is “We are in this together.” Hopefully, these attitudes remain, and even strengthen, in the days ahead.

But there is another side to all this, and here too, “maybe I’m amazed,” or, should I say, “I can’t believe,” the enmity, nastiness, and misbegotten behavior of some people. The tacit leadership of this brutish effort stems largely from Washington, D.C. and some (thankfully few), of our nation’s politicians, scattered throughout the country. It is evil, and the movement is being subtly conducted by Donald Trump. As he sees his poll numbers decline, and fears for his own re-election, he seems to have orchestrated an effort to rally his base, manipulate his political and social allies, and confuse the American people about the pandemic and the dangerous environment of fear he is fostering. When one looks back at other American crises, and the leadership they evoked, the break from the past is truly amazing.

Abraham Lincoln, throughout our worst crisis, the Civil War, sought to lead the nation by  trying to tell the American people the truth. He rendered solace when needed and, most of all, tried to unify the nation at appropriate opportunities.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, assuming office in 1933, as the country was in the midst of its worst economic crisis, also tried to render the truth, and provide comfort and relief to the American people. Overarching, were bold policies, soaring rhetoric and action. He led and we engaged, as a people and as a nation.

John F. Kennedy, relatively new to office in 1962, surrounded himself with a national security “brain trust” as he successfully managed the Cuban Missile Crisis. To have failed here might have meant nuclear destruction and 60-100 million Americans killed.

George W. Bush, when facing 9/11, displayed an ability to comfort Americans, yet displayed an inability to create a disparate decision-making process that would avoid many of the Cold War-like mistakes that had led to Vietnam. Iraq became the Soviet Union (and/or China) in policymakers’ eyes, invasion against the wrong enemy resulted and, still today, we are enmeshed in the consequences of that failure of rationality over stereotypical Cold War behavior.

History reveals that even when they were mistaken, these crises Presidents primarily acted on what they believed was best for the country.  Can anyone truthfully say that about how Donald Trump has, and continues to, behave?

Trump’s mismanagement stemmed from the first days of the administration. Many of his fellow Republicans (along with countless others), cited his “lack of temperament” and insufficient knowledge to be President. He was a “failed” real estate mogul who became a Reality TV star. He was the stereotypical “used-car salesman.” That is not a recipe or resume for a successful leader. Please remember that as we vote in November.