Historians can debate whether President Donald Trump was the cause, or the accelerant of American decline. He’s some of both, but more akin to the pneumonia a chronically or terminally ill patient contracts when all other immune defenses have failed.
The American body politic was already sick when Trump came on the scene a decade ago. Like any good virus, he recognized weakness and has taken (so far) an unshakable hold on us. His infecting presence has sped up our collective descent - and we, the American people, will pay the price.
He and those around him, toyed with Pandora’s Box one too many times. The forces they’ve unleashed, here at home and abroad are now beyond their control. More frightening, they are beyond our collective control as well.
Definitions: Weakness
We must end the parlor game of discussing “Trump’s weakness” when discuss public opinion surveys. Too many people on this platform see 35% approval and take heart that the majority of the country opposes the administration. Trump sees that number and knows his core base is still, after all this time, still with him.
What’s more, HE’S NOT GOING ANYWHERE. Please stop with the clickbait headlines of his health and mental derangement. Of course he’s nuts, he always has been. Of course he’s unhealthy, he always has been. Until and unless the Almighty intervenes, he is our reality.
His actions in the face of broad dissatisfaction again prove that he, of all people, has broken free of the normal bonds of political gravity. He is the unstable, teetering fulcrum around which the world spins, and for that, he’s spinning off bolts of chaos like so many tornadoes in a thunderstorm.
We must act accordingly.
At Home
If the death of two American citizens in Minneapolis this month isn’t enough to bring the country to a screeching halt, what will? ICE will continue its predatory actions, now expanded, per Tom “Where’s My Cutty Sark” Homan, to not just immigration enforcement, but to ‘national security threats’ as well.
Despite everything being more expensive (see more below) Trump announced he wants to spend even more money on military hardware, to the tune of $1.5 trillion. This, while Americans had to go without SNAP benefits last fall when the government shut down. This, while the national debt sits north of $38.5 trillion. This, while the American Dream is either dead, or according to many Americans, was never real to begin with.
As of this writing, the eastern half of the country is being blitzed by a second massive winter storm. In some places, such as Texas and Mississippi, the infrastructure is neither built for, nor capable of handling, such events. Given the cost of a single F-35 fighter is $80-$100, the government’s actions are not just chaotic, but in immediate need of a priority-reset.
Abroad
America as Post-World War 2 hegemon allowed us to dominate the largest and smallest of issues abroad. As citizens of the Empire, we enjoyed power, prestige, competitive wages, low prices, big cars, houses, and vacations in places we helped rebuild 80 years ago.
That order is at an end, even if the doctors haven’t called the time of death. At the World Economic Forum last week, leaders from Europe and Canada made clear they’re headed in a different direction. If Trump and the US don’t want the job of running the world, someone (read: China) will step into the vacuum.
Trump’s pining for Greenland, even after backing off, has appeared to convince other leaders and their citizens, it’s time to move away from the chaos agents in Washington, DC.
In Venezuela, we pulled a bad guy out of bed only to have his replacement be ‘good enough’ for now. Oil from Caracas has already stashed $500 million in a Qatari bank for…what purpose? And to whose benefit?
As I write this, Trump is planning to attack Iran, again. The stated reason is Tehran’s unwillingness to discuss its nuclear program. The subtext appears to be airborne regime change, which has never worked.
Surprise! Trump was a neocon in isolationist clothing all this time.
Americans will be less welcome. Our products and services will be less welcome. Instead of deep breaths and rolled eyes, we’ll stand in long lines at passport control and have our bags scrutinized at customs because, why not?
A Note on TACO
TACO, Trump Always Chickens Out, is a favorite barb of the online commentariat to needle the president for backing off when he gets into trouble. Running up to the line only to stop short is nothing new for Trump. What’s more, we should see TACO moments not as defeats but as tactical retreats.
If DHS moves Greg Bovino out of Minneapolis does that equate to a 180 degree change in their immigration policy? No. If Trump backs away from invading Greenland, does that mean he’s done with the ice pack? No, he just decided he didn’t want the fight right then.
When he backs away, we can take a cautionary breath, but understand TACO for what it is: A fleeting moment of reason that does not alter the course of the Trump Administration for long.
Downward Dollar
Maybe all those idiots hocking gold on Fox News every night were onto something. In the four weeks since the beginning of the year, the price of gold has jumped 18% $5,500/ounce. I’m no goldbug, but history teaches us that chaotic times push some people into ‘safe’ assets.
The dollar is at its weakest point since 2022. Trump said he didn’t care, which he doesn’t. The real-world impact is that a lot of things become more expensive, especially things that come from overseas. Add tariffs to the mix and the cost of living for average Americans remains high, to say nothing of putting money away for a home, retirement, or a kid’s college.
(Un) Certainty
When we wake up in the morning, we expect the light switch to work. We know that water will flow from the tap when we brush our teeth. The heater will click on, and the dogs will bark for their breakfast. Certainty allows us to make sense of our little world and the bigger world outside our walls.
But what happens when the lights don’t come on? Or mom doesn’t come home? Or the pink slip shows up? What then? We’ve taken our place in the world for granted and now Karma is taking her due.
We have been set on a path from which we won’t know the answer for some time.
