By now, we
probably all know much of what Donald J. Trump said and did in Helsinki (and afterward). I will spare you all the quotes, and instead list a few examples of what some others had to say:
Donald
Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the
threshold of “high crimes & misdemeanors.” It was nothing short of
treasonous. Not only
were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin.
Republican Patriots: Where are you??? (John O. Brennan, in widely
reported tweet (16 July 2018)
You have been watching one of the most disgraceful
performances by an American president at a summit in front of a Russian leader
that I’ve ever seen.
(Anderson
Cooper, in his first comments after the end of joint Putin-Trump
news conference, as quoted in "TV
Anchors Agape After the Trump-Putin Appearance" by Michael M. Grynbaum in The
New York Times (16 July 2018)
President Trump must
clarify his statements in Helsinki on our intelligence system and Putin. It is
the most serious mistake of his presidency and must be corrected — immediately.
(Newt
Gingrich, in tweet after
the Helsinki summit news conference (16 July 2018)
Because Trump is unable to see past
himself, he sees the Russia meddling investigation as only about him and the
collusion claim, and thus calls it a witch hunt. But the investigations are much
more about what Russia did, as the House and Senate reports long since
established.
This is a disgraceful moment. … The
president’s party knows better. I know they do. I served with many of them.
America needs them to speak out with clarity and conviction not just in this
news cycle, but until there’s common sense governing America’s foreign policy.
And more from multiple sources: Just a few of the comments that I
heard on TV from politicians, guests on political news, experts in intelligence
and many more related to the disastrous remarks made by Donald Trump at Helsinki
press conference with Vladimir Putin.
giving aid
and comfort to an adversary (“enemy”)
against his
oath to “defend the Constitution of the United States"
Took word of
a lying, murderous dictator against that of his own government
refused to
back his own country; siding with Putin
Trump has
colluded with Russia on cover-up of election interference (a cyber-attack) – an
act of betrayal at least; is providing cover by questioning US intelligence
services
investigation
of Russian collusion is driving policy; lack
of concern about cyber attack
And so, bigger
questions begin to arise:
Is this enough to make Republicans stand up
and defend this country instead of defending Putin and
Trump?
While some
leaders have come forth with very critical statements, like those of Senators
John McCain of Arizona, Bob Corker of Tennessee, Lindsey Graham of South
Carolina, plus Gov. Kasich of Ohio, and others like John Brennan, former head
of the CIA and Dan Coats, current CIA head, there are still very disturbing
indications that the rank and file aren’t the least upset by the buffoonery and
possibly treasonous behavior of Mr. Trump.
We need to
take a look at a recent poll of 453 Republicans and 399 Democrats conducted by
Reuters/Ipsos after his controversial
summit and joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “More
than half of Americans disapprove of the way U.S. President Donald Trump is
handling relations with Russia,”
However, his general level of support has not
changed that much, according to that same poll:
“Forty-two percent of registered voters said they approved of Trump’s performance
in office in the latest opinion poll, compared with a daily average of between
40 and 44 percent so far in July.”
“Among
Republicans, 71 percent approved of his handling of Russia compared to 14 percent
of Democrats. Trump still enjoys broad support
among Republican voters despite criticism from party leaders about his words
and actions while standing alongside the Russian leader answering questions
from reporters, the poll results showed.”
There may be
another level of questioning being undertaken. According to a report about cyber space, there
was a decided jump in searches for the words “treason” and “traitor” – by over
1,300%! Of course, there is no way to
know what percentage of which Party was most concerned with these phrases, but
one thing is clear: people are
questioning the substance of what Trump was displaying.
Finally, the
NY Times identified a small break, perhaps, in the Teflon protection previously
afforded Trump based on interviews held with Republican voters across the
country, along with a sample of swing voters who “appeared to process Mr.
Trump’s comments with alarm.”
But whatever
‘break’ there may seem to be over Russia and Trump’s performance at Helsinki,
the Times had this assessment:
“They
quickly sorted themselves into two camps: those who winced at the episode, or
at least questioned it, and those who continued to defend Mr. Trump without
hesitation.
If history
is a guide — and polling, too — the second group is
significantly larger within the party. And for Mr. Trump’s true loyalists, the
Helsinki meeting and its aftermath have once more inspired a sense of fury and
grievance on his behalf. It
is not merely that they support the president in spite of his Russia stance,
like Republican lawmakers who grimace at times but largely embrace his agenda.
Increasingly, these voters have absorbed Mr. Trump’s every viewpoint, his
scapegoats, even his language tics as their own.”
And so, we
come inevitably to a question that has gone unaddressed in too many quarters,
(including in Congress and in the DNC, for instance):
Can people still support Trump and
not thereby become complicit in “adhering to” and “giving aid and comfort to
the enemy”? In other words: supporting Trump now has the
strong possibility of being translated into protecting and aiding Putin and Russia,
an enemy sworn to destroy American influence at the least, and American way of
life and form of government at most.
Is it
therefore incumbent on the rest of us to defeat the forces of “aid and
comfort?” Personally, I believe it is
time for the leaders of the Democratic Party to realize the gravity of this
fight. But just as gravely important are
the attitudes and involvement of the grassroots voters in this fight.
I raise another question: under these circumstances, can the
complacency and inaction among grassroots Democrats and Independents also be
seen as complicity in the battle for our values, our norms, our principles and
our democracy?
We are now
at a juncture in our history – like the Revolution or the Civil War – where we
have to decide what matters; to decide what form of government we shall
have. To decide whether, in the words of
the Declaration of Independence, the current government has become so
“destructive…it is the right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to
institute new government, laying its foundations on such principles and
organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect
their safety and happiness.”
The
Declaration includes this caution: “Prudence, indeed, will dictate that
Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient
causes… But when a long train of abuses and usurpations…evinces a design to
reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty to
throw off such government , and to provide new guards for their future
security.”
It is now
past time for resisters and activists to demonstrate beyond the picket lines
that our form of government may be the best ever conceived, but right now, is
in dire need of repair. At such moments,
and historic junctures, we must re-examine our fundamental principles and
values. Because, believe it or not, this
fight between the forces of destruction, and the forces of construction and
reform is always fought basically over principles and values. Example:
the philosophy behind fascism or communism against the forces of
democratic equality and freedom always comes down to the issue of what, above
all, is valued the most.
We are in a
battle for the principles of rule of law, not of men; of right and peace
against war and destruction. We are in a
fight for the values of equality before the law and equal opportunity; for the ultimate
authority of the People’s will – free and fair elections, for instance. We are in a struggle to maintain the
fundamental rights of all people to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness;
which has to be translated into structures, institutions, policies and
procedures that enhance that vision, not shatter it.
We cannot
allow attacks upon children, women, seniors, veterans; or, upon labor, those
with disabilities and special challenges, the poor, that portion of the population that is weak from age and
disease. We cannot abide the destructive
and worthless values of narrow nationalism, false patriotism as well as racism
and any other prejudice that might determine our future. We must not give in to know-nothing forces
that encourage the destruction of our environment (and our planet). We cannot allow a contrary ethic of profit
and enrichment for an oligarchic elite to finance the destruction of the
humanitarian state that believes that the well-being of human beings transcends
the division, the inequality and yes, the expense of maintaining an aristocracy
that seeks to be free from the constraints and guidelines – norms – that the
rest of us accept in order to enhance and protect the lives of all.
It is past
time to re-claim our values and our foundational principles. It will take another Declaration, not of
Independence, but of common purpose. And
it will take a bolder spirit of reform and change than we have mustered to this
point. We must become the Vanguard of
Truth, of Justice for all, of Equality and Opportunity - the front line, not
just of resistance, but of INSISTENCE that our system has become encrusted with
false values and with structures and institutions that are not in sync with a
future that is impinging upon us at this moment.
We have not
been bold enough to make the changes that must be made to release our
democratic values from the cage in which they have been constrained, separated from their
parental principles. We must put People
first, for that is what makes this country great. We must resurrect our basic principles in new
forms and structures that put people before profit. We must rejuvenate our larger vision of a
world at peace, and not at each other’s throats. We must lead in re-strengthening a world
organization, not withdrawing support and resources thus undermining it.
There is so
much to do, and so little time. Let us Persist by not just opposing approval of Brett Cavanaugh
for Justice of the SCOTUS. Let us find
someone (of whatever political background) who has shown dedication, not to a
political philosophy or ideology, but to a set of humanitarian principles and
values that will inform each decision made (perhaps similar to Obama’s nominee,
Merrick Garland). Let the people find
him or her and let us tell Donald Trump and his captured legislators that this
is who we want on the Supreme Court, rather than someone chosen by mouthpieces for the Right-wing radicals. After such a clear alternative is presented to, and rejected by Donald Trump, let us turn to voting out of office all those who keep ignoring our
values, our needs and our fundamental right to be heard on all matters before
this government.
Second step:
we must Get Out the Vote in November to demonstrate that a new wave is
breaking, a new movement is being born, and that representatives who cast their
lot and their votes to maintain welfare for the rich are dinosaurs who cannot
lead us from this lowest point of our democracy into a new world of Reform and
Reconstruction – only the People have that authority and that resolve! SO, let us resolve to vote in droves on
November 6th, 2018, and let us alert Jurassic Park to expect some
new residents!
