The Week That Was

This past week over 300 daily newspapers published separate editorials on the subject of a Free and Independent Press.  This coordinated action rebuked President Trump’s continual message about “Fake News” and “the Press being an enemy of the people”.  It should not require much more than a cursory knowledge of fascist regimes in the 30’s and 40’s to summon the consequences of a country losing its free press.  Just ask Joseph Goebbels if you could.

President Trump has a new “friend” in the person of Omarosa Manigault-Newman.  OMH is Trump friend from the past (reality star), a former campaign worker, and the token black staff member on Trump’s White House team.  What caused Ms Manigault-Newman to be fired is not clear and probably not important but the consequences could prove very exciting.   Omarose says she has over 100 tapes of conversations with the President and others.  Hmmm.

Some pundits say that in order to change the 24/7 conversation away from Omarosa, President Trump announced he was revoking for CIA Director John Brennan top secret security clearance.  Why?  Because Brennan had criticized the President and this represented a threat to the American people.  Hmmm.

In another tweet, the President threaten to take away the security clearance for a current Justice Department employee, Bruce Ohr alleging Mr Ohr had somehow acted against the interests of the President.  Hmmm.  I wonder whether the President would try to silence Congressional members if they spoke out too?

And, there in lies week’s message.  It is one thing for the President to reward loyal friends and supporters with millions of dollars of tax cuts and government contracts (that’s government as usual), it is quite another to take away key safe guards of an open and free society.  Once taken, the path towards suppressed speech and lost personal freedoms is well documented.

Up to this point in the Trump Presidency, the operative words have been “go along to get along”.  Like all bullies, there is only one language they understand.  Not just “no” but “hell no”, and this must come from Congress and the Judiciary in non-partisan clarity.

The issue is not “impeachment”, rather it is about clearly and loudly affirming the primacy of an open and free society.  What’s at stake is more valuable than a Supreme Court appointee or a tax cut.  The Russian collusion or other high crimes or misdemeanors will in time take care of themselves.  Becoming a third world country where George Orwell’s 1984 rules the day must be stopped first. 

Explore posts in the same categories: Donald Trump, Uncategorized

Tags: 1984, congress, George Orwell, Supreme Court

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