Reading the New York Times front page report today about the U.S. Army troops on the Mexican border has brought home to me exactly how much of a circus America has become under the leadership of Donald Trump.
So, I thought I’d report on that fact in a more normal From My Corner column.
Attempting a protest presidential campaign to counter Trump’s three-ring circus is a battle I’d love to fight. However, I simply don’t have the $200,000,000 of our tax dollars Donald has to spend on an army, and gain page one coverage in the NYT.
After all, even one other obscure candidate, Maryland congressman John Delaney, has only today acquired a page-16 NYT article, although he started his campaign a year ago. Which only goes to prove that Mr. Trump is indeed substantially correct that America’s media have become quite “fakey” about how they make a living.
The $200,000,000 is what Don’s troops are estimated to cost if all 15,000 finally end up on the Mexican border. That means the present 5,600 troops are already costing you and me about $75,000,000!
That figures out to be about $17,000 per “invading” refugee. With far less than that amount Mr. trump could have rationally built a humane and compassionate camp for the refugees, where their needs could be assessed.
Rationality, however, is not a trait Mr. Trump stores in his political kit bag. Nor does it seem to be a trait of America’s media any longer. The simple truth is that both Donald Trump and our American Media are the real political issues for the 2020 Presidential election.
Mr. T’s mental state of mind is what is at question. He is certainly neither conservative nor liberal enough to meet my requirement for a president. And if our media do not start requiring – and reporting on! – concrete positive positions from our candidates, they too will remain suspect.
Trump is wavering way out there in far outer space. Like two thirds of all Americans, I think he has several screws loose. We American people, with our many faults, still possess more common sense than the man who sits in the White House.
I only wish all of my readers and all of the other Americans sitting at home watching the endless TV reports will soon rise up, like the many millions of other Americans, and begin to organize in their churches and clubs, and actively protest.
I wish they would begin to actively demand of media, that they reduce their consumer-obsessed ad campaigns for expensive jewelry, cars, and clothing, and get down to reporting on any and all candidates – not just the rich ones!
And that they demand clear, concise visionary new ideas from our candidates. I, for one, think we need someone from America’s middle financial class, someone who knows what it is to earn the equivalent of our average income of $50,000 a year.
There doesn’t appear to be a politician or business person running who knows what it means to live in increasingly expensive America on $50,000 a year – let alone the far smaller amount that millions must make do on.
That’s why I thought I’d try the protest presidential campaign. To push that notion into my American companions’ weary brains. But it is clear that our problem is deeper than any of us may suspect.
If all the Americans sitting at home just watching the TV show don’t decide to stand up and help fight for a return to rational members of government, I believe we may all find ourselves mired in a far worse swamp than many of us think we are already in.
I don’t want to be pessimistic. I’m a real believer that we citizens are capable of moving mountains. But we’ve got a very big mountain to move. And it isn’t going to move if we allow another four years to occur in 2020 with Mr. Trump.
Get up, I say. And become involved. Invite into your homes and churches and clubs any and all Americans willing to stand up and speak to the issues. We need to get out of this foggy bottom we’ve gotten stuck in. And we all need to get involved.
It isn’t going to unfix itself. It’s a mess. A real mess. And if your club or church wants one more speaker to the issues, you can count on me. I am fed up to my ears with the situation America finds herself in. My two cents worth are available to anyone willing to listen. And I don’t need to be paid.
