There continues to be a lot of extremely negative criticism of President Donald Trump. That’s fair, but only if both sides of the story are considered. Frankly, we should thank President Trump for finally elevating the political discourse from the blatant mediocrity of the same old, same old, same old crap, to a heightened sense of awareness about the failures, contradictions, and ineptness of the “business as usual” tactics and practices of our elected representatives.
IMMIGRATION?
Let’s face it, if Hillary Clinton had been elected POTUS, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) executive order would still be active, and that’s a problem. Why? Her predecessor, President Obama, failed to successfully manage or direct bipartisan support on major issues, including immigration, healthcare (Obamacare), and more. Candidate and President Obama talked a “good game” about being able to work with both Republicans and Democrats but he consistently failed. Bereft of any bipartisan involvement, President Obama's solution was to use an executive order to legislate his own laws. So, yes, in September 2017, President Trump ended President Obama’s DACA order, and he was correct to do so; because President Obama was wrong to take unilateral action to supersede the function and authority of Congress. Even better, by ending DACA, President Trump gave Congress six months (until March 2018 unless an extension is established) to work together in a “bipartisan effort” to produce a viable solution. Simply put, President Trump’s instruction to our inane and unproductive “political swamp” is “get ‘er done,” or put up or shut up. This is a good thing, because IF YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES FAIL TO PRODUCE A VIABLE SOLUTION FOR IMMIGRATION - VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE IN 2018 AND AGAIN IN 2020! Drain the swamp. Thank you, President Trump.
RACE RELATIONS?
Let’s face it, if Hillary Clinton had been elected POTUS, as with former President Obama, racial issues would continue to take a back seat in the political discourse, with a perpetual malaise of nothing changing, business as usual politics, and let’s continue to talk about “change,” but actually do nothing.
FACT 1: Ultimately, in the United States of America, all the rules and laws are created by, ajudicated by, and enforced by White people.
FACT 2: Althought the Confederacy lost the civil war, and despite decades of complaints from Black people, nevertheless, Black people have been forced to endure statues and related memorials in perpetual celebration of confederate leaders and the institution of slavery. Likewise, Native American are foced to endure
FACT 3: Unlike the removal of statues "in fond remembrance" and celebration of Adolf Hitler and his peers for the Holocaust of 6 millions Jewish people, and unlike the removal of statues "in fond remembrance" and celebration of Saddam Hussein for the murder and oppression of Iraq citizens, in the United States of America there was absolutely no national momentum to remove statues of people who actively practiced and went to war for the continued enslavement (rape, murder, oppression, etc.) of Black people - at least not until the election of Donald Trump as POTUS.
With a legacy of slavery, genocide and ongoing racism, oppression, discrimination, incarceration and injustice, let’s not be naïve or bury our heads in the ground, because for the overwhelming majority of people of color, the United States of America has never been a “great” place to live. Unlike placid President Obama or wannabe-President Hillary Clinton, both who NEVER actually dealt with or resolved racial issues head on, the great thing about Donald Trump is his “in your face” comments and actions. As a result of the consternation and outright hatred of President Trump, now statues of slave-owning leaders of the confederacy are being removed, schools named after slave-owning leaders of the confederacy have been renamed. Drain the swamp. Thank you, President Trump.
WAR WITH NORTH KOREA?
How soon we forget. Before World War II, during a speech in 1939 to the German Reichstag, Adolf Hitler said, “I am resolved to remove from the German frontiers the element of uncertainty, the everlasting atmosphere of conditions resembling civil war.” Just like Hitler believed in a “united” Germany, many Koreans believe in a “united” Korea. After Germany and its allies lost World War I, Hitler was constantly rattling his saber about the sovereignty of Germany, and his contempt for the Treaty of Versailles, specifically Article 231 (the War Guilt clause). Article 231 required Germany to disarm, make substantial territorial concessions, and pay reparations. In 1921 the total cost of these reparations was assessed at 132 billion marks (then $31.4 billion or £6.6 billion, roughly equivalent to US $442 billion or UK £284 billion in 2017).
Again, how soon we forget, that after the Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905), Korea was physically occupied by Japan from 1910 to 1945. Let’s not be naïve or bury our heads in the ground, because the overwhelming majority of Koreans remember Japan tried to suppress Korean traditions and culture and ran the Korean economy into the ground. North Korea has been ruled since its inception by the Kim dynasty, including the country's first leader, Kim Il-sung in 1948, and his son Kim Jong-il, and his grandson, the current leader Kim Jong-un. Therefore, are you really, really, really shocked that North Korea launched a “test” missile over Japan?The trade restrictions and monetary restrictions engineered by the United Nations and enforced by the United States and its allies against Korea is comparable to what the Japanese did to Korea. China [i.e., The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) with 1.4 billion people] believes in a "united" China and "peacefully" took Hong Kong back from the British on July 1, 1997. Again, China (PRC) believes in a "One-China Policy" and is committed to reclaiming Taiwan [i.e., The Republic of China (ROC) with only 23 million people]. China (PRC) came to Korea’s aid back in 1950; and it could very well happen again. Just like Hitler believed in a “united” Germany, many Koreans believe in a “united” Korea. So, again, let’s not be naïve or bury our heads in the ground - as the U.S. did on December 7, 1941 when the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service successfully attacked Pearl Harbor. Instead of learning from the past, and anticipating possible outcomes, the “political elite” and the traditional news media elect to crucify President Trump for demonstrating due diligence and communicating such. Drain the swamp. Thank you, President Trump.
Thank you, President Trump.
I welcome your feedback.
Trip Reynolds
trip.reynolds@yahoo.com
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Reynolds' Rap First Amendment to the United States Constitution - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. |