I
don’t write my blog as often as I used to, mainly because it has
become hard to see the point. That is my failing. I am an
optimistic fellow, who believes that people generally want to be
good, and that kindness will bring that good out in them. But
watching the news every day is depressing and infuriating. Seeing my
country abandon its principles, its allies, and its own people is
disheartening. Knowing that my blog will be read by a small handful
of people who agree with me feels meaningless.
I
apologize. I should do better, but most days my energy is spent on
more benign pursuits.
That
being said, I still pay attention. And I recognize my duty to
continue to speak out. Today, my outrage over the strange attitude
of our President has grown exponentially. It comes on many fronts.
As
interest rates climb to combat growing inflation, and gas prices soar
because Iran still controls the Strait of Hormuz and now the Houthis
are tying up the entrance to the Red Sea, Trump promises that prices
are going to drop far and fast when peace is made, ignoring that
peace is nowhere close to being made. Again, Trump chose this war
and therefore is the one responsible for kicking the hornet’s nest.
He also promised that Venezuelan crude oil reserves would lower oil
prices, ignoring that Venezuela crude is much harder and costlier to
refine, and no one seems to want to try.
It
always fascinated and annoyed me that Trump blames our allies for not
helping out against Iran, when he chose to follow Netanyahu’s lead
and create chaos in the Middle East without first consulting those
allies or his own
people.
It’s his mess. It’s our mess. Trump was stupid enough to think
that the Iranian government would collapse on Day One, and we all are
paying for that arrogant mistake.
Trump
also has engaged in a trade war—again, of choice—against Canada.
This has forced Canada to seek better relations with other trading
partners, which should be no surprise. When the European Union
invited Canada to become its first associate member, Trump’s
response was more tariffs against the EU. He refuses to back down on
his fixation on tariffs, despite his own Supreme Court putting the
brakes on him, and despite most
economists warning that high tariffs cause inflation and ultimately
are
paid for by the consumer.
I
am proud to be an American. I am ashamed of our current government.
The list of grievances against the Trump Administration continues to
grow, but
our government is not
listening. They don’t care. They are making money on a level
exponential to my outrage. In the bargain, they have jeopardized
America’s position in the world for decades to come. Who can trust
us? Who can trust us not to elect Don Junior twenty years from now?
To
the world I say, Forgive us our stupidity, as we forgive those who
are stupid among us. And to ,my fellow citizens, no matter what you
think or how you feel, I say, VOTE! Tell the world who we really
are, and
then learn to live with the consequences.
