Catching up on the sorry state of things in America

It’s been almost two years since I last updated this blog. Have I somehow lost my passion for all things political? No. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Why has it been so long since I last posted here? Simple. Because I have found other avenues for expressing myself. Since Trump seized power two years ago, I have found countless “hidden” groups through social media filled with literally thousands of like-minded people. It’s these groups to which I have gravitated, and it has been  immensely satisfying.
   Still, I started this blog over a decade ago as an outlet for my thoughts and ideas. It has been a source of unspeakable joy, even if no one — or at least very few — people have read it. With that in mind, let me attempt to play “catch up” and give some thoughts on our current mess in Washington.
   To begin with, I hate to say it, but “I told y’all so.” I’ve been saying since Trump first came down the escalator in 2015 that he would be a disaster if he won. Now, over two years in, I’m sad to say that I’ve been proven correct. This gives me no joy.
   On Thursday, Attorney General Bill Barr finally released a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s long-awaited report on Trump-Russian collusion during the 2016 presidential election. As expected, Trump and his syncophants are claiming total vindication, since Mueller found no cause to charge Trump (I will never refer to him as president) with a crime. The report also left the question of whether Trump obstructed justice unanswered, though he did specifically say that he couldn’t vindicate Trump on this question. Of course, Trump’s claims of vindication are completely untrue.
   Let’s take a look at what’s actually in the report. We know that Russia made a concerted effort to unduly influence the 2016 election. This has been proven conclusively. We also know that even if Mueller couldn’t find “smoking gun” evidenc of a conspiracy to collude, that there were at least 10 suspicious contacts between Trump’s inner circle — including Michael Flynn and his campaign chairman Paul Manafort — and the Kremlin. We also know that the Russians offered the campaign dirt on Hillary Clinton, which Donald Trump’s son enthusiastically accepted. This, of course, was the reason for the infamous Trump Tower meeting. Finally, we know through Trump’s own words and actions that he did everything in his power to discredit and derail the investigation. Now, maybe none of this rises to the legal standard of collusion. Maybe there’s no way that Trump’s actions meet the legal definition of obstruction. But there’s an old saying that “where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” and it seems to me that there’s plenty of evidence that the institution of the presidency is not only smoking, it’s downright ablaze.
   Apart from the whole collusion mess, Trump has been a downright embarrassment. For the first time in our history, we have a someone squatting in the White House  who doesn’t read. We have an interloper who prefers to get his news from one source, and one source only — Fox News. This is a network which is less about honest reporting and more about being a propaganda machine for Trump and his minions within the Republican Party. And we have someone who would rather spend his days  watching the flattering coveratge of himself than actually governing.
   And what happens when he actually does attempt to govern? Well in the past two years, he has managed to insult and alienate every single one of our traditional allies. He has created a false “crisis” on our southern border and convinced a significant portion of the population that we are being overrun by criminal aliens — gang members, rapists and murderers. The truth? The vast majority of people attempting to come here are from impoverished Central American countries and are attempting to create a better life for themselves and their families. Earlier this year, he shut down the government in a fight over funding for a border wall that has zero chance of stemming the tide of people crossing our border illegally. Why? Because the vast majority of people coming to this country do so through legal ports of entry. The vast majority also come here legally initially and simply overstay their welcome. I don’t know a wall in existence that can stop that.
   Finally, and most damning, Trump has completely divided this nation. Where we once had honest policy disagreements, today, we are divided among “us” and “them.” Those who support Trump, and those who don’t. Instead of being able to have civilized policy discussions about what’s best for our country, we have descended into the gutter of “scorched earth” politics. Today, it’s all about victory at any cost and gaining and keeping power, country be damned. And who loses with all this infighting? Average Americans, that’s who.
   Let me be frank. Trump is a cancer that slowly killing the Republican Party. He has moved the party so far to the right that it’s going to be downright impossible for them ever to reclaim the middle ground. He has corrupted the party and made a mockery of  its long-held ideals. And he has forever exposed the hypocrisy inherent in its moral pronouncements and in its decades-long alliance with the Religious Right.
   It’s been said that Trump’s rise was the result of people being tired of “politics as usual.” It’s been theorized that his supporters WANTED him to go to Washington to blow things up. Well he has certainly done that, and we are all the poorer for it. The truth is, the sooner Trump is removed, the sooner the adults in the room reassert control, the better, and safer we, and the world will be.