My previous blog was released over 4 months ago. I complained then that the American public as a whole did not seem to have connected his erratic behavior with his dangerously deteriorating mental illness. The media and especially the Democrats needed to greatly improve their ability to reach out to the public on a daily basis and show his actions as related to his purported mental illness. Four months ago there was an active public interest in the President’s mental state. And approximately 60,000 mental health professionals collectively diagnosed Trump with a type of insanity that induces a lack of honesty and impulse control. The Psychiatric Community stated that he suffers from “Malignant Narcissism” which is basically a combination of Anti-Social Personality Disorder, Paranoid Personality Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Their conclusion is based on the hundreds of hours of Trump’s on-camera dialogue and off-the-cuff public speaking. These tens of thousand of mental health professionals were motivated to act by their knowledge of the seriousness of the mental illness and what Trump might do with all his power as president if he felt trapped and humiliated.
So what’s happened in the past four months? Trump’s mental health has deteriorated to an extremely dangerous level. On June 1st in Washington D.C. — federal law enforcement deployed riot control tactics and munitions against non-violent protesters to clear a path for President Trump to walk from the White House to the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church for a brief photo op to have his photo taken in front of the church holding a bible. Days later, anonymous federal troops began to appear on D.C. streets. Also, tactical teams from 16 different federal agencies were deployed in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Miami, Detroit, Port Huron, St. Louis, Buffalo, NYC, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Seattle, Tacoma. In July federal forces were deployed in Portland, Oregon as part of PACT, where the use of unmarked cars and officers in camouflage w/o identification badges generated a national outcry. These deployment has been met with lawsuits, rebukes and concerns over constitutionality. The chairs of House Committees on Homeland Security, Judicial, and Oversight and Reform authored a joint letter calling for an investigation — as “Citizens are concerned that the Administration has deployed a secret police force, not to investigate crimes, but to intimidate individuals they view as political adversaries. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper was troubled by reports of unidentified officers in military garbs. A vice-president of the National Guild of Lawyers stated, “It’s like stop and frisk meets Guantanamo Bay . . . It sounds more like abduction. It sounds like they’re kidnapping people off the streets.” Portland Mayor, Oregon Governor and its two U.S. Senators, protested Trump’s totally unexpected and unnecessary deployment of federal forces and demanded they be withdrawn.
Department of Homeland Securities Acting Secretary Chad Wolf dismissed criticism saying, “I don’t need invitations from the state, state mayors or state governors to do our job. We’re going to do that, whether they like us there or not.” House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer, released a statement saying, ” In deploying federal law enforcement to patrol American cities like Portland and Chicago and silence those exercising their 1st Amendment rights, Donald Trump is drawing from the playbook of the worst dictators of the past century . . . he is perpetuating a myth of disorder and mob violence – which is not occurring – to justify his deployment of heavily armed, anonymous, military- style agents into our communities who pull peaceful citizens into unmarked vehicles and detain them without lawful cause. These actions are never justified in what is supposed to be the world’s greatest and freest republic.” The House Judiciary Chair said, ” The legal basis for the use of force has never been explained — it is not at all clear that the Attorney General and the Acting Secretary are authorized to deploy federal law enforcement officers in this manner.” And Trump has openly stated that federal forces were being sent into cities with weak, liberal Democrats unable to maintain law and order to protect its citizens and businesses.
I don’t do conspiracy theories, and I am not an alarmist. Everything I’m telling you has actually happened. Federal forces are deployed in many major cities not to stop or investigate crimes, but to intimidate individuals they view as political adversaries. Along with occupying American cities, Trump and his appointees (puppets) have spent the entire summer spreading lies that state and local governments, and Democrats could not be trusted or believed. And with the polls showing his chance for reelection dwindling, he told his cheering supporters that he would not accept the election results if he lost because it was rigged. He repeated his mistrust of the electoral system on Debate Night, and refused to say he would accept the results if he lost. That evening, he also resisted fully condemning white supremacists, and instead told Proud Boys, a far-right group that endorses violence, to “stand back, and stand by.” Members of the group were elated at being mentioned and called the president’s comment a tacit endorsement of their violent tactics. Law enforcement and former group members say the president’s comments will embolden many factions of the group. Later the group boasted of a large spike in recruitment.
Leaders of the Democratic Party have serious cause and responsibility to protest the outrageous actions of Trump and his Republicans — but it is ineffective in halting their effort to dismantle American Democracy. To be effective the full power and strength of The House Of Representatives must be applied, not just well-intentioned individuals armed only with self-righteous rage. However, the reason Democrats acted individually was the absence of Speaker Pelosi who spent much of her time on national TV denouncing Trump’s crazy/ stupid actions and statements which may look good in her resume’, but does nothing to stop his idiocy. Her plan of action is in full compliance with the moderates and conservatives who voted to elect her speaker: the large group of freshmen Democrats whose single platform is to get reelected in districts that are split or Republican, who pleaded with Speaker not to attack the president too hard as to provoke Trump supporters in their districts. The New Democratic Coalition (NDC) which controls 40% of the Democratic Caucus, and its major governing belief is that the challenges are too great for Members of Congress to refuse to cooperate purely out of Partisanship – and believe leaders of both parties should work together to find common cause solutions for the American people. They represent “neither here nor there” moderate Democrats who want to cooperate with Trump and His Republicans.
The most significant and proudest accomplishment of the NDC was in helping to bring House Democrats and the Trump Administration together to pass the North American Trade Treaty (USMCA), which is widely seen as a crucial win for President Trump going into the 2020 election. After three years, this was the first major agreement struck by the Trump Administration. The NDC Chair Derek Kilmer said he is proud of the critical role his members played in getting an agreement that can serve as a template for bipartisan consensus in future agreements. Speaker Pelosi has repeatedly made clear that passing USMCA goes beyond partisan politics — “And if the President wants to take credit? So be it.” The tough, wise words of an experienced strategist and political leader — and possible supporter of Joe Biden.
Nancy Pelosi has kept House Democrats toeing her party line by applying power politics she learned from an early age from her father, a three time mayor of Baltimore and congressman. She kept her fathers books which kept track of favors done and owed. Since being elected, she has her own books which have served her well in getting elected to positions of power. Since her elections on January 3rd 2007 and January 3rd 2019 her book on favors owed has exploded in lieu of the Speaker’s vast powers and ability to grant favors. Even the seemingly strong, independent senior House Democrats appear content with their appointment as Chair to their committee of choice, and seem unwilling to criticize or challenge her lack of leadership. It appears that Pelosi’s single concern is her legacy — to be remembered as the greatest speaker in history, who kept America alive during its most devastating business closures, worst unemployment, a pandemic that terrorized the entire world, a certifiable insane president who did not believe in science and announced policy by twitter and lied continuously, and a rogue Republican Party and U.S. Attorney General who did the mad president’s bidding – plus a lot more. But was it Pelosi’s fearless and strong leadership that that kept America alive? Obviously not. When federal forces invaded American cities. And when the mayor of Portland, the governor of Oregon and its two U.S. senators protested and pleaded with the president to recall the federal troops . . . seldom was heard an encouraging word from Speaker Pelosi. Her black book is still filled with favors owed her which can be used to fulfill her quest for ever lasting glory. House Democrats will be elbowing into position to propose programs, rooms, buildings, schools etc. be named after Pelosi, with appropriate statues, busts and paintings of her. Pelosi’s carefully planned numerous appearances on television attacking Trump (the world’s biggest and easiest political target) will serve as undeniable proof of her continuous courageous encounters with the Mad President. She relished and encouraged her grand image as “Trump’s worst enemy,” but a careful look at the results of her actions will clearly show that she is actually “Trump’s indispensable enemy.” Trump could not have moved on so easily and unopposed if Pelosi had not dismantled and eliminated the liberal, innovative and maverick elements which was the backbone, energy and strength of the Democratic Party. Instead, she utilized moderates and conservatives who were too weak to confront Trump, but a group she could manipulate and command.
What the heck happened in the last four months? Where are the more than 60,000 mental health professionals who abandoned precedence by signing a petition acknowledging the seriousness of the mental illness and what Trump might do with all his power as president if he felt trapped and humiliated. Where is the Psychiatric Community that said Trump suffers from “Malignant Narcissism,” which according to John T. Gartner, one of the country’s top psychologist, is basically a combination of three mental illnesses: Anti-Social Personality Disorder, Paranoid Personality Behavior and Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Okay, but is there an ethical responsibility to continue to warn the American public about the dangers Trump’s psychological state poses. Four months ago the president’s mental health was a prime topic. And I noted that the American public as a whole did not seem to have connected his erratic behavior with his mental illness, for which I blamed the Democrats and media for their poor job of reaching out to keep the public informed on this critical problem. But it can be perceived as just politics without the mental health professionals visible and active. Campaigning a couple of days ago in Georgia, Trump tried to dissuade his supporters from using masks by quoting a CDC report that said 85% of people who wear masks get coronavirus. Trump comfortably lies continuously – and alarmingly. But his blatant disregard of the facts and truth regarding the deadly pandemic, and his shocking lack of empathy for the safety and welfare of Americans have alerted the nation to the President’s mental ailment and bad character. With an increase in public awareness, the desperate need for leadership from the Democratic Party to defeat Donald Trump might lessen. But there will be a far greater need for strong, bold and highly innovative leadership from the Democratic Party after a dramatic defeat of Trump and His Republican Party.
Trump has vowed not to accept the election results if he loses , which is a popular decision among his vocal supporters. During his nearly four years as president, he has nurtured his support for white supremacist, racist organizations and groups and has refused to condemn their violent actions. On “Debate Night,” he mentioned “Proud Boys,” a group known for its violence, by name and told them to “Stand back, and stand by.” Members of the group were elated and called the president’s comment a tacit endorsement of their violent tactics. There are a large number of these groups and many consider Trump as their commander-in-chief.
A review of various other segments of Trump’s restless hard-core support is also discomforting: 2) Xenophobes: feel strongly that America is under attack by foreigners; believe the Chinese sent COVID-19 to kill Americans. They believe they are supporting traditional American values, white society, the free enterprise system along with Trump against destructive changes promoted by liberals and foreigners. 3) Evangelical Christians, whose idea that Americans are “God’s Chosen People” and are deathly afraid that we are losing our God-given morality. Trump has designed his speeches and actions to target their major concerns. He is the first president to attend the annual “March for Life,” and his appointment of social conservatives to the Supreme Court pleases the Evangelicals who are anxious to see “Roe vs Wade” overturned. 4) The Economically Abandoned are the millions of largely white, Anglo-Saxon, males, who believed from an early age that hard work will guarantee success. This life-long dream vanished as innovation made their jobs disappear, and businesses and governments were extremely lax and unprepared to provide professional counseling and retraining programs. These workers were basically abandoned and left alone to survive – while Affirmative Action Programs seem to grow and blossom at the local, state and federal levels of government as decades flew by. The coarse, insensitive response to their cry of abandonment by politicians on Capital Hill led them to Donald Trump, who is a pathological liar, and will comfortably say whatever people want to hear because nothing he says is supported by facts. But a genuine effort should be made by Democrats to reach out and painfully discuss the issue of “abandonment.” It appears impossible to resolve, but a real attempt should be made because the pain of abandonment is real. Joe Biden often boasted of his affinity to the “working-man.” Then he must remember that even after World War II, the base of the Democratic Party was the blue-collar worker and labor unions (The Working Man’s Party). By the 1960’s, the Party got fancy and started hiring college-educated professional analysts who were experts in demographics and political vote counting. So the new major components of the Party , to replace the “working stiffs” were women, minorities, youths and unions largely representing government and professional workers, which was okay with liberals and young people, who often found the social views of white blue-collar workers especially in the south not compatible with the Party’s. Can Biden and his advisors find answers to alleviate some of the pain, and work with the group’s leaders to make the Democratic Party more responsive in assisting the left-behind workers catch up. 5) Southerners Who Feel Ignored and their views not appreciated. Trump has openly sided with them in defending Confederate heroes, and retaining the names of Confederate officers on military bases.
These hard-core Trump supporters represent tens of millions of unhappy Americans who don’t want their “protector and savior” replaced. Some violence seems unavoidable. It will take great leadership in planning and administering a peaceful transition. The heavy burden of creating this “Dream Team” to wisely and decisively advise the new administration belongs to President-Elect Biden, exclusively! With minimum participation (interference) from “posture and pose” Speaker Pelosi and her wishy washi, timid band of moderates and conservatives, who were unwilling to battle Trump, and boasted how effectively they cooperated with Trump and his Republican Party. For over a year, this weak, indecisive, confused leadership made the chances for a Democratic victory in 2020 grow dimmer and dimmer. And suddenly a horrifying pandemic appeared threatening the entire world with death and economic destruction. Trump was slow to respond, and when he did he dismissed it as a minor ailment which would soon magically disappear, which has been basically his view of COVID-19 to this day.
When I hear people’s comments that Trump might still change his mind re his policies and attitude towards the coronavirus, I know they don’t realize that he can’t control his mental illness. His Narcissistic Personality Disorder is characterized by exaggerated feelings of self-importance, an excessive need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. It is also associated with derogation and insults of others and an inability to tolerate disagreements and criticisms and even very minor humiliation — which means he is unable to admit making mistakes and misjudgments. This mental inability to accept making mistakes and misjudgments is what stopped him from making a simple and harmless admission in early March that he underestimated the seriousness of the new virus. Instead, he predictably doubled down on his initial assessment using boundless amounts of dangerous lies to protect his decisions which have already cost tens of thousand of American lives.
President Trump suffers from serious mental disorders that seem to completely control his actions and reactions. I had hoped that Nancy Pelosi when she won the speakership on January 3rd 2019 would immediately gather the brightest and best among House Democrats, especially from the left-leaning, innovative liberal segment to form committees to research and study his mental illness and matching it with his bizarre performance as president. The information would be invaluable in confrontations and battles with Trump. But Pelosi’s priority was not Trump, but to solidify her leadership in the House by aligning herself with moderates and conservatives, and squash the four freshmen females who had gotten the attention of the Republicans and media for their fine performance at Hearings, who she disparaged as “The Squad.”
The task confronting the New Administration is overwhelming: 1) Worst pandemic in a hundred years with the U.S., the world’s richest and most advanced country, having the most cases and deaths — and growing worse as Trump continues to loudly oppose safety measures strongly recommended by all health institutions and followed by almost all countries. 2) Trump, who was diagnosed by over 60,000 Mental Health Professionals as mentally ill and very dangerous, will remain as president until the inauguration on January 20th, and Trump has declined to say if he will accept results of the election if he loses, repeating his unfounded complaint that mail-in-ballots would lead to election fraud. 3) The U.S. Attorney General, William Barr, the Nation’s top law enforcement officer, and Director of National Intelligence, John Radcliffe, serves as head of the 17 member U.S. Intelligence Community – it seems by their actions that they will both serve the president’s bidding. 4) Federal forces have been deployed in many major cities during the past five months – not to stop or investigate crime but to intimidate individuals they view as political adversaries. Along with the occupation Trump and his appointees have spent their time spreading lies that state and local governments, and Democrats could not be trusted or believed. 5) Hard-core Trump supporters represents tens of millions of unhappy Americans, many of whom have looked upon him as their “protector and savior.” 6) His mental illness deprives him of principals, morals, a conscience, a moral compass, an empathy for others or regret — and leaves him with a pattern of deceitfulness as indicated by continuous lying, conning, manipulation of others, aggressiveness and consistent irresponsibility. (This rather long description comes from The Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association, in describing what world- renown psychiatrists stated were Trump’s mental problems: Narcissistic Personality Disorder combined with Anti-social Personality Disorder). His sickness gives Donald Trump a huge advantage in politics. How do you counter a person who attacks with a huge and continuous barrage of lies. And he can say anything people want to hear because nothing he says is supported by facts. He can make things up whenever he wants without blinking an eye. And it appears he wants to all the time. I guess these six problems are enough to show the enormity of what Biden and Democrats will be up against.
So how do you begin to make the Disunited States of America whole again? To make America, America again. To make US truly great again, with our American Values intact, to lead the Free World, and regain the respect of world leaders , including Vladimir Putin who has openly ignored America’s direct questions and threats of action, and even offered the Taliban bounties for each American soldier killed in Afghanistan, which Trump refused to even mention to Putin.
I am not silly or dumb enough to think I have the answer to tackling the massive challenges confronting the new president. But to satisfy my obligation to the half-a-dozen or so people who might read this blog, I will toss in a few of my thoughts: 1) Appoint VP Kamala Harris to be totally and without exception, in charge of recruiting, training, selection and deployment of the army to do battle with the opposition and troublemakers from Day -One. 2) Appoint a very senior House Democrat, like the Majority Leader, to keep the Speaker’s interference and her gang of moderates and conservatives under control. 3) Recruit and genuinely involve as many people into the team at various levels, especially liberals, mavericks, and innovative (even slightly crazy) people – and maybe a few for their wit and humor. The four female freshmen who had gotten the attention of Republicans and media for their sharp performance at the open hearings, were at times viciously attacked by Pelosi and disparaged as “The Squad.” She seem perturbed by their actions which seem to highlight the obvious fact that she had not been adequately aggressive in confronting Trump. They may be good pick-ups with great potential, after receiving some advice on more effective ways to promote their views. 4) Over the long term, of course, the goal is repairing democracy and diminishing intolerance. If intolerance can be reduced, the environment for the growth of democracy will improve. It would seem then that the best way to limit the growth of intolerance is by talking about and applauding our sameness. Both sides are, after all, Americans and share an abundance of common and unifying beliefs, practices, and proud events in our history. Unfortunately, after a mostly vicious campaign filled with personal attacks and bad behavior, things could more easily go the other way. It will take a military-like discipline on the part of the victors to remain positive and courteous. Just a few disrespectful or scornful, abusive remarks will start a landslide. Incivility spreads rapidly and generates anger and defensive reactions. Oh, where is Abraham Lincoln when you need him! Well that’s it for now. Good luck, and godspeed!