Imagine President Joe Biden said: the Justice Department should submit to the control of the White House. The Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission should be directly controlled by the President. Civil service jobs should be appointed only by the President. The President should have the right to refuse to spend funds authorized by Congress.
Sounds like the President wants to “weaponize” the federal government to rule by command. This Biden character must be a fascist or a communist, because the only leaders with that kind of power are in the Soviet Union or two-bit dictators controlled by the military. No place for that in America.
If you substitute the name “Former President Donald Trump” at the beginning of the first paragraph, you will have accurately described what the former President wants to do in the next government he leads. As the New York Times reported directly from an analysis of “campaign policy materials and interviews with Trump’s inner circle,” these agencies and authorities would come under control of the newly-elected President.
The real question to answer is, “Would you accept this centralization of power under the control of Joe Biden? Would you accept this centralization of power under Donald Trump?” If you answer “No” followed by “Yes,” then you are the victim of the cult of personality, which, until now, was a prerogative of only Communist nations, some Third World nations, and Hungary.
It has come to this. Whatever Donald Trump wants, Donald Trump gets, because he is Donald Trump. No one says this out loud, but the stunning silence of Republican leaders and the poll responses of MAGA voters to every new indictment of the former President indicate that nothing the man can say or do could be wrong or over-stepping his authority. The scary part is that Donald Trump believes he is entitled to our absolute trust and would take advantage of it to consolidate his power.
The most charitable way to view the invincible popularity of Donald Trump is “critical thinking fatigue.” Too much on the mind and not enough time or cognitive space to worry about the complexities of public issues. Go for the binary answer: who said it? OK, now I know what to think.It is no longer what was said, but who said it. Sean Hannity? Must be wise and true. Fox News? Must be fair and balanced. Joe Biden? Must be radical and dangerous. NBC? CBS? ABC? Just the liberal media. Perhaps we are witnessing the “cult of the source.”
Life is much simpler if you just credit or discredit the sources. You don’t have to reflect on whether the policy or statement is fair, democratic, or Constitutional. That takes time and complicated reasoning. Trump? Must be democratic. NewsMax? Must be fair and good for my tribe. No need to analyze the issue. Going back and forth, finding so many pro’s and con’s, it gives you a headache. Just notice who said it and give it thumbs up or down.
This is the only way to explain how Trump’s popularity increases with his multiple indictments.
This is not to insult anyone’s intelligence. Most adult Americans know what critical thinking is. But the issues are too complicated. Who has time to wrestle with them? And if I change my mind will others think I am disloyal?
When does a foetus become a person? At conception. Otherwise we are haggling with breath, viability, health of the mother. Too much to consider. It gives me a headache.
When has there been enough affirmative action in college admissions? After ten years of the policy? Twenty years? A hundred years? What is enough special consideration? Thumbs down on affirmative action.
Where do we draw the line on gender? With the rights of gays and lesbians? With the rights of bi-sexual people? With transgender people? Where does conscience overrule gender rights? With renting to any of the above? With providing services to any of the above? The safest answer is “no” I don’t want to serve those people.
Honestly, these are complex and contentious issues. Many adults are tired with thinking about them every time they vote, answer a poll, or confront their neighbors. It is so much easier to ask: who said that? I know who I trust to do my thinking for me, so I’ll register their opinion. Wait a minute, is it “who” I trust? or “whom”? Does Trump ever say “whom”? Must be “who.”
On the issue of “Who?” or “Whom”? I say, Go with your conscience. Then air out that conscience by evaluating all your opinions. Your informed opinions matter more than Trump’s or Joe Biden’s or the talking heads on television. Or even the Grammar Nazis who say “whom.”