“Father, Forgive Them ...”
Okay, so here’s the thing. I’m feeling like we need to regroup on this “President Trump” thing and figure out where we’re at ...as individuals, as a society, as a country.
Personally, I don’t think he’ll make it past Easter. Symbolically, with Easter coming up we may be witnessing both the end and the beginning of an epoch, biblically speaking. I don’t know what the Koran says about it, but it appears to me that America has worn out it’s worldwide welcome, and this is the beginning of the end of that.
Given the fact that President Trump is new to the art of politics is one thing, and given that, we can excuse his train wreck administration for going through a period of adjustment and growing pains. His personality is another thing, and although it grates on some of us, we can’t fault him for that. He is who he is, and we are who we are.
Hey, we elected him, let’s give him a chance! We owe him that.
But what I’m seeing is not good. It’s like the “Addams Family” has taken over the White House. They’re frightening! The nepotism is bad enough, but the cast of characters is just plain weird. From Jared Kushner to Steve Bannon and from Kellyanne Conway to Ivana to Trump’s leaden-eyed, mob hit-man looking political advisor Stephen Miller, my trust and confidence in this administration is rapidly deteriorating.
They’re scaring me.
Maybe my trust and confidence in the classic symbols of America are mistaken. Old fashioned. I know bad stuff goes on behind the scenes, but center stage has always been the White House, the Cabinet, the President and the First Lady ..the First Family. Where is all that? Where’s Melania, and do I really want to know? Isn’t she Russian or something? Melania, Ivana, Ivanka ...sounds like a casting call for Dr. Zhivago. Trump’s sons? Where are they? I really don’t want to know about them, but I think I should. And what about Tiffany? What’s she up to?
All the other presidents seemed normal ...within reason. But now we have the Addams Family in comparison.
But does any of this lifestyle business matter? Well, yes, definitely it does when you want public favor, trust and confidence.
All kidding aside, here’s the serious thing, and I really mean this. Step back and look at America from the world perspective, and over time. It’s always been a dangerous world from the days of the Vikings and Genghis Kahn to more recent scoundrels like Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein and Dick Cheney. A dog eat dog world ...grab the money and run. It’s in our collective DNA.
Notwithstanding all the humanitarian good America has done around the globe, The U.S. has played its own part in the worldwide power play, both for its survival and its greed for wealth, both national and individual. This has caused much dissension among the world community, some of it warranted some not. But our covert actions in the middle east, for example, during the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, meddling in foreign government affairs, and manipulating coups in a grab for oil and power may be all catching up with us now.
And now, with Donald Trump as President there seems to be a vulnerability in America, a kink in the chain of command that can be optimized by our adversaries. Russia is brazenly knocking at our front door, and they’re not selling Girl Scout cookies. China, North Korea, Syria and all of the middle east, they are all licking their chops, looking closely at Trump, sizing him up, watching for the right moment and circumstance to strike. I don’t know where, how or if South America comes into play, but I’m sure we’ll know soon.
Trump doesn’t appear to know what he’s doing. And it’s being noted. Maybe he does know and this is his plan ...to look and appear like a buffoon, but to be in total control with a definitive goal and pull it all together in the end ...kind of like “Columbo.”
I might be a pessimist. I try to be an optimist. A guy I worked with once told me he was neither, that he was a “realist.” Maybe I’m that. But I’m not stupid, I am observant, and I know I have good instincts. So I’ll roll with those.
I’m scared for America. And I’m pretty sure Jared Kushner isn’t our savior.
Speaking of which, that brings me back to my Easter prediction for President Trump’s undoing. There is a lot of symbolism juxtaposed to the current political events in America, and the world, and the biblical story surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection. We may be witnessing a phenomenon of biblical proportions here in this country in the coming weeks. There are a lot of hungry dogs out there that would like to see America fail.
Biblically, it’s in the cards.
John Kushma is a communication consultant and lives in Logan, Utah.
