Trump, Icon of Capitalism, 2017
Wow. Where to begin with this impeachment thing?
Well, it looks likely to be going to the Senate for trial, so how about a letter to each and every Republican Senator who will sit on that highly politized and partisan “jury”.
A Letter to the Senate
Dear Republican Senator [fill in the blank],
You Sir/Ma’am, obviously have had a front-row seat to what has been going on in Washington D.C. since 2016-2017 with this current Administration as well as the recent happenings with the impeachment hearings in the House.
So, I suspect you are well aware of the following, even though you have almost certainly refused to admit it publicly:
—That, internationally, President Trump has severely damaged America’s reputation and moral leadership, as well as a number of our critical international alliances and partnerships…
—That President Trump’s “leadership” example is closely watched and modeled by budding populist and anti-democratic leaders and movements all over the world (the Vox Party here in Spain, where I currently reside, for example)…
—That President Trump has aided and abetted Russia’s autocratic leader in myriad ways, to the detriment of our own national security…
—That President Trump, with his Twittering lies, half-truths, and conspiracy theories, has hollowed out and/or delegitimized critical domestic democratic institutions to a dangerous degree–the press, the State Department, and the Intelligence community, and numerous honorable individuals…
—That President Trump’s rhetoric has directly inspired a statistically-significant rise in hate crimes, white nationalist terrorism, and the further polarization of the country…
—That President Trump prefers to hire advisors and other Executive Branch leaders based on their ideology and loyalty, rather than actual professional competence, with the expected adolescent results…
—In the Ukraine case, President Trump very obviously abused his power, conspired with a foreign power, and damaged our national security (and that of the Ukraine) for the sake of pursuing personal political favors… (An aside: It’s a sad state of affairs when Democrats assume that the impeachment process needs to be short, focused, uncomplicated, and crystal clear, so that the American people can follow it and understand it. If the American people are indeed that uninterested, incapable of paying attention, and that unable to sort fact from fiction–thank you, Fox News!–then we are indeed lost as a nation and we deserve what we get.)
—That President Trump has negatively affected morale, good order, and discipline in the armed forces by pardoning soldiers convicted by their peers of war crimes…
—Trump’s consistent and over-the-top narcissitic and mysogynistic behavior (“Trump being Trump” is not an excuse–he is the President)…
I could go on, but I am sure you get it. And, with Washington gossip the way it is, I am positive you hear things on a daily basis that confirm–and go well beyond–the items I have listed above above.
With President Trump, I have to assume you are pinching your nostrils tightly shut so as to get those conservative judges named and confirmed, but also… to get those tax breaks for the upper classes… to further damage the environment for future generations… to further dismantle any decent health care options we Americans have… to double down on the issue of wealth inequality in our society (Gilded Age 2.0)… and so on.
I am wondering how this “deal with the devil” is sitting with you in your heart of hearts? Do you honestly feel good about enabling this current Administration? Are these short-term “wins” worth the long-term damage to our country and the international order? Is the pressure to go along with the Senate Majority Leader and Whip too much for you?
Here is what I would ask, and it is a simple task: When it comes time to vote for removal of President Trump from office, vote YES.
Why? Because it is so blatantly obvious that it is the right thing to do–and, what’s more, YOU know it. That little voice in your head is called a conscience–please listen!
Yes, your political base may get upset (or… just maybe, instead of hysterically following the polls, perhaps you could employ some leadership and actually try to educate your base by explaining things called “facts”???).
Yes, ’tis true, maybe you won’t get re-elected. Yes, you could lose your job. But, the good news is you will most certainly be on the right side of history and your conscience will be clear.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration,
Daniel Joder, Lt Col (retired), USAF
Ex-Republican Party Member
The Impeachment Hearings
It has been quite interesting listening to the Republicans as they scramble to argue against a tsunami of facts and some very revealing and professional testimony. The Republican counter-arguments would make a great case study for a high school debate class wanting to learn how to argue a case when the actual facts are not on your side–ad hominem attacks, red herrings, straw men, misinformation and lies, whataboutism, repeating debunked conspiracy theories, false equivalencies, and so on.
I have been monitoring various news sources throughout the hearings in the House, including CBS, BBC, Politico, NY Times, CNN, CNBC, and–yes–Fox News. If you are not watching the hearings yourself, and your only source of information is Fox News… well, I’m sorry, but you are receiving some VERY filtered information and you are digesting a point-of-view even more biased and filtered than any of the other news sources.
That was certainly my conclusion after listening to the actual testimony, then scanning the various news media headlines and articles afterwards.
For fun and games (don’t poke yer eye out), here is a list of the various arguments the Republicans have tried to employ during the House hearings: A Definitive Guide to 64 Republican Impeachment Excuses (Washington Post, November 21, 2019) Obviously, they have been doing some serious groping at straws (to lean on an awful Trump-ism).
Trump, the Genius, 2017
Trump, the Vagitarian, 2017
You might also like
4 Comments
I wish you were still teaching American History and Government. The young ones could sure use someone like you just about now. This was good to read. You think you are frustrated, you ought to be here amongst the great red mob. It made me proud to read your name and title at the end of the letter: Retired Lt. Col. USAF, Former Republican…Ha! I remember that now. When did you finally see the light and lay down your Young Republican mantle? I guess I didn’t know your rank when you retired but I should have expected it. Thank you for your service. Please keep writing and think about teaching again!
Thanks for your confidence, Teresa, but teaching takes soooo much energy to do it right. I’m too old for that now. As to when I moved away from the Republican Party, Bush II was the definite clincher–such duplicity, the march ever farther to the right, etc… Yeah, Bush/Cheney and the Second Iraq War was the last straw. The state of the environment/global warming is a huge factor in my thinking as well. Funny, but I suspect even Ronald Reagan would be called a RINO these days and vilified by the MAGA-Fox folks. Decline and Fall of the American Empire…
Funny, Just this morning, I was just comparing our bleak outlook with the fall of the Roman Empire. I’m afraid it is over. The failure of the Iowa Caucus Results last night sent an election tampering chill to my very bones. It is a gray and depressing day. I’m in the dumps about it all. I plan to read away the rest of the day and disappear into a novel of times past.
It’s pretty shameful, and I don’t refer necessarily to Trump and his minions. What is shameful is why he is there in the first place–the consistent 40-45% who apparently support him regardless of what he does. It’s tribal. Like cheering for your football team even if half the players have been charged with rape. It speaks to the lack of critical thinking skills and the poor state of culture and education in the USA. We are sheep; easily manipulated, apparently. That, to me, is shameful. And scary.