“Playing Whack a Mole”

Dealing with President Trump’s chaotic domestic policy ideas of recent days has become for Senator McConnell a game of “whack a mole!”  As soon as one crazy idea of Trump emerges and shudders go down the spine of the Republican establishment in Washington, D.C., Senator McConnell quickly calls President Trump to whack down another bad idea.  Already this week, Trump has reversed course on his plan to dismantle Obamacare.  Knowing that the Democrats plan to make national health care a priority topic of discussion preceding the 2020 election, McConnell whacked this idea down rather quickly.

Then, in the past two days, our bizarre President proposes to shut down the entire Mexican border.  He then modified it to “just part of the border.”  Trump states the “national security threat to the nation” from undocumented aliens (that is Mexicans, Hondurans, El Salvadorians and anyone else from any country in Central and South America he has never visited) are a security threat to the USA.  This is in contrast to the immense damage such a move would do to the economy of the United States and perhaps even the world. Does this President understand the new economic reality of “parts delivered the same day they are needed?”  There are no massive stockpiles of parts for new cars kept in giant warehouses waiting to be delivered and used.  New parts for new cars are now made and delivered “on site, just in time, when they are needed.”  We can truly say this President is speaking, “No Hablo Espaniol!”  Someone needs to inform him of the means of 21^st century economics and the interconnectedness of all world economies.

Trump’s bizarre and irrational thinking emerges on closing the Mexico border when he says, “I have many who believe I should do this!”  He is of course referring to the few commentators he admires on Fox TV News where he obtains his latest information on the minds and hearts of the citizens of the United States.  He conveniently ignores all other TV news networks representing the other more than 50% of the American people who do not agree with anything he does and finds the President to be the greatest danger to our national security and American way of life!  Bad information in gives bad information out.  This is what every child knows about computer programs.  It is ashamed this President is such a troglamite, he does not even read the daily briefings of the CIA and NSA.  He relies on Fox TV news and ignores any other more reasonable voices.

NPR had a brief story this pm saying that in less than one week (or seven days, but who’s counting), the entire automotive industry of the United States, that is all automobile production would grind to a halt over the single issue of car seats, all of which are currently made largely in Mexico.  I wonder if anyone has informed this President of the economic consequences of shutting the entire automobile industry of the United States in his attempt to stop illegal immigrants, drugs and other criminal elements from entering the United States from Mexico.  Talk about a blunt hammer!  Talk about a naïve domestic policy!  Where does this guy get his ideas?  They seem mostly to originate late in the night in some form of “tweet storm” which erupts from some dark corner of this man’s mind.  One must begin to ask, “Is this President behaving as a rational human being?”  Has absolute power corrupted whatever rational mind he may still have remaining?

One might say, “You are being too harsh on this man.  He is only feeding his rabid political base in order to remain in power.”  That may be true.  In this case, the real problem is the lack of will among moderate and reasonable Republicans to reign in this man’s narcissism and madness.

Does anyone in their right mind believe that the chaotic circus called our Federal Government under the leadership of this bizarre, chaotic President is really the way the greatest nation on earth should run this country?  Is this whole affair not truly becoming bizarre?  Am I the only person in this whole country who thinks this is odd and ridiculous?  Are we really becoming like a banana republic, without rule of law and without order in government?  Does anyone remember their Civics lesson from high school stating the core principles of an elected democratic government?  Have we forgotten “Robert’s Rules of Order” to use in political debate?   Where has this madness emerged from that is now infecting our whole country?

Hell, I should run myself for President.  I have no political experience of any kind, but I could do a better job than this man is doing.

Bizarre times!  These are truly bizarre times.  I no longer know how to even pray for this country.  I can only say, at the end of day, “May God help us!  May God help us all!”

Bill Wilson, MD