Last year on January 20, Donald J. Trump was sworn into office as America’s 45th president.
Every populist promise made was breached straightaway. Instead of draining the swamp, he filled it with neocons, Wall Street predators, hawkish generals, and billionaires.
He assured government of, by and for its privileged class exclusively, the way it’s always been in America from inception, the nation a fantasy democracy, not the real thing—far worse than ever since the neoliberal 90s, notably post-9/11.
The myth of the anti-establishment candidate vanished straightaway after Trump’s inauguration.
He’s a dirty politician like most others in Washington—responsible for enormous harm to countless millions at home and abroad.
He didn’t become a billionaire by being a good guy. Now he’s president and commander-in-chief of the nation’s military with his finger on the nuclear trigger he may be itching to squeeze.
He curries favor with rogue states like Israel and Saudi Arabia, vilifies sovereign independent ones, marks them for regime change, waging endless wars of aggression and phony war on terrorism like his predecessors.
Instead of pursuing peace and stability, he grievously breached international law, waging state terrorism globally, violating fundamental human and civil rights at home and abroad.
He pledged improved relations with Moscow. They’re more dismal than ever. His defense secretary called Russia and China America’s main adversaries. Is military confrontation planned against them?
Most workers in Trump’s America struggle to get by on rotten part-time or temp jobs paying poverty wages.
They’re one missed paycheck from homelessness, hunger and deprivation, an uncaring nation doing nothing to help, pretending prosperity exists at a time of protracted Main Street Depression.
Trump’s promise of the great GOP tax cut heist lifting all boats was a bald-faced lie. He, corporate predators, and the nation’s super-rich will benefit hugely. Most ordinary Americans will pay higher taxes when the law sunsets.
Trump’s year ago inaugural address was filled with empty promises—broken straightaway in office.
Trump: “We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.”
Fact: Only privileged ones and corporate predators benefit from Trump’s policies.
Trump: “[W]e are transferring power from Washington, DC, and giving it back to you, the American people.”
Fact: The “people” he meant are the nation’s rich and powerful, no others.
Trump: “For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.”
“Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left, and the factories closed.”
“The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories . . .”
“That all changes, starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment. It belongs to you.”
Fact: Things were dismal for ordinary Americans when Trump entered office.
They’re far worse than ever now—a nation beautiful only for its privileged few, most others exploited so they can benefit hugely.
That’s the deplorable state of the nation under Trump, his rogue’s gallery of administration officials, extremist bipartisan congressional members, and federal courts stacked with right-wing extremists.
The words “Equal Justice Under Law” adorning the Supreme Court Building’s cornerstone, belie its decisions, arguments, and “supreme” allegiance to wealth, power, privilege, not “We the people.”
Privilege always counted most in America since its founding. The prevailing fiction about an egalitarian nation is belied by the extreme disparity between super-wealth and ordinary people struggling to get by.
America was always ruled by men, not laws, who lie, connive, misinterpret and pretty much do what they want for their own self-interest and powerful allies.
“The people” who matter most are the nation’s rich, well-born and able, the ones John Adams said should run the country.
Trump: “January 20th, 2017 will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.”
Fact: They’re more exploited, otherwise abused, and “forgotten” than ever.
Each changing of the guard in Washington assures dirty business as usual continuing. Names and faces change. Policies inflicting enormous harm on countess millions stay the same or worsen.
Things today are more dismal and disturbing than any time in modern memory. The nation is permanently at war, including against its own ordinary people, its poor and most vulnerable harmed most.
Police state laws established growing tyranny, heading toward full-blown—freedom in America eroding, maybe disappearing altogether ahead.
Instead of fulfilling his inaugural promises, Trump proved he’s just another dirty politician.
He may be the first US president to use nuclear weapons since Harry Truman at a time some nations his administration marks for regime change can retaliate with their own—risking Armageddon.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.
Mr. Lendman, Your article, like most Liberal writings, is full of innuendos with a speck of facts. Evidently your vision and listening is impaired. As you say nothing about his changes on Veteran Affairs or his removing the many government restrictions from businesses, small and large. What about the drops in the percentage and # of brackets. Or the expanding areas for oil exploration. Did you not hear of these? You sir are wearing ear muffs and black glasses.
Trump is like a barreling tumbling wave which brings with it all the debris and erosion no one with an honest heart and mind would ever want to get caught up in … he promises the upside of a blue magical kingdom. He delivers the most debris erosion filled of the underbelly of the wave. He empowers all of the rats and cockroaches to multiply–he delivers rot and infestation. Trump is an evil detestable man. His lies, his actions. his cowardice .. his inability to own up to his mistakes … his blame the world except himself for all the wrong and evil he does …are all tell tale signs of a deeply flawed man who somehow was enabled by his own lies and people’s greed to stain the seat of power (or to make clear what crap goes on ) in the trump white house.
I don’t care for Pres. Trump but at least we don’t have war with Russia, which would have been the result of HC’s plan to enforce a “no fly” zone in Syria.