There are a series of articles in the latest issue of Scientific American under the umbrella title, “The Four Most Pressing Science Priorities for the Next President.”  The four essays address the following topics:  1) Controlling COVID, 2) Committing to Climate, 3) Reestablishing Reality, 4) Restoring Expertise.  It is somewhat depressing that in the 21^st century there is a need to discuss the importance of any of these things but after the last four years of science denial, misinformation, and appointing political operatives instead of experts, we are where we are.  And while I read and agree with the essays, based upon what is going on here locally in Montana, it will be an uphill battle – particularly in ‘red’ states like Montana that are still hung over from drinking too much Trump cool aid.

I read in the Bozeman paper this morning that our Republican-controlled state government is speeding a bill through the legislature to protect businesses against lawsuits if customers or employees contract COVID on their premises.  Newly installed Republican Governor Gianforte has stated that as soon as that bill is enacted, he will repeal the state-wide mask mandate that was put in place by his Democratic predecessor, Steve Bullock, to combat the spread of COVID in the state.  There is no doubt that he will repeal this mandate in defiant contravention of the plea from the Biden administration for people across the country to wear masks for the next 100 days.  It is also in complete opposition to the advice coming from the CDC and most medical and scientific experts.  Welcome to Big Sky Country – now clearly settling in to the anti-science camp.

There was an article published in the Missoula Current news journal leading up to the elections last November entitled, “Press must explore Gianforte’s religious beliefs, understanding of science.”  There have been several articles in other publications about this same subject just to make the point that this is not an isolated, ‘one off’ article.  In any case, the article states:

“It frustrates me that the press has not dug more into Greg Gianforte’s extreme religious beliefs and the consequences to all of us of those beliefs, if he is elected governor.

He believes dinosaurs and humans roamed the earth at the same time, and that we do not need Social Security and Medicare because Noah worked until he was 600 years old and never had them, so why should we? He supports defunding Social Security and Medicare and repealing the Affordable Care Act that mandates coverage for preexisting conditions.

Gianforte rejects evolution, climate change, and other important scientific concepts. Currently, he rejects the evolving science around the COVID-19 pandemic. He does not practice or endorse mask wearing, social distancing, or other habits that will keep us safe in the months to come.

Gianforte wants to funnel our public tax dollars to private religious schools like his Petra Academy, which discriminates against children with disabilities and promotes his religion as being equal to science. The only “science” he appears to believe in is computer science, because that is where he made the millions he is now pumping into his own campaign.”¹

Let me state right here that I personally don’t care what anyone believes.  If someone wants to believe the earth is flat, I don’t care.  If someone wishes to believe that Bigfoot is real, that the Loch Ness monster is real, that there are mermaids, or there are aliens walking amongst us – I don’t care.  And if Governor Gianforte chooses to believe humans and dinosaurs roamed the earth at the same time, in spite of no scientific evidence to support that belief – I don’t care.

However, when peoples’ belief systems begin to influence governmental policy decisions that are in complete contravention to scientific and medical expertise, and those decisions have consequential impacts on myself and others, then I care!  Repealing the state wide mask mandate, in contravention to public health guidance, puts my life in jeopardy, and I care.  Disregard of the science showing that climate change is one of the most serious existential crises facing our planet, puts my daughter’s life in jeopardy, and I care.

Now that the Biden administration is taking the COVID pandemic seriously, there is some hope that at some point down the road, we will get this under control and life will return to some semblance of normalcy.  However, the anti-science ‘virus’ that has infected a large segment of the population and, more importantly, a significant portion of the political community, will be far harder to eradicate and could have far deadlier and costlier long-term consequences.

1. Letters: Press must explore Gianforte’s religious beliefs, understanding of science ~ Missoula Current

We have been battling this COVID virus for a year now.  Over 400,000 people have died which is essentially the same number of military deaths in World War II.  That war ended but this one still presses on and there are estimates that the death toll could reach 500,000 by the end of February.  This is a war in any sense of the word and now, one year after we began this battle, there is finally a national plan to combat this menace that is ravaging our society.

Yesterday, I downloaded Biden’s COVID plan from the White House website and read the executive summary.  I am encouraged that the current administration is taking this seriously and the plan does seem comprehensive and well-thought out.  In addition, it is data and science driven and will provide access to that data to the public.   Transparency will be the new norma.  Included as appendices were a number of Executive Orders signed by President Biden designed to bring the full force of the Federal government behind this effort.

While I am overjoyed that we have an administration in place that is stepping up to fight this war, I am still somewhat confused by why the magnitude of this crisis and the threat it poses to this country is so underappreciated by some sectors of the population.  As I thought about this, I think I came up with something that might explain some of the denial or hesitancy to take this seriously.  I think the simple fact is, it is not ‘real’ to a lot of people.  Certainly, if you or your family have been directly affected by a COVID infection, it is probably more ‘real’ to you.  However, to large segments of the population it is just an abstract ‘thing’.

Contrast what we see and hear on a daily basis with what we saw during the 9/11 attack or the attack on Pearl Harbor.   Today, on the news we might see a few seconds of footage of a hospital hallway with anonymous patients lying in beds.  Or we might hear a short, sometimes emotional, interview with a healthcare worker pleading with people to take this seriously.  And then to top it off, we see bar graphs offered up by TV newscasters and various medical experts to show the current trends in infections and deaths.  All of that still doesn’t make this ‘real’ to a lot of people.

When the 9/11 attacks occurred, we were all spellbound watching our TVs.  Buildings were on fire and collapsing.  You could see people jumping from 100 story buildings.  Thousands of people were covered with ash from the collapsing structures. Shortly after the attacks began, every single plane in the country was grounded.  We had been attacked by foreign terrorists.  There was carnage everywhere.  It was very real.  Almost everyone was affected.  As a result, the country came together and hardly anyone argued that we as a country had to act swiftly and decisively.  It was about America – not politics.

When Pearl Harbor was attacked, it was the same thing.  There were pictures of burning, sinking ships in the harbor on Oahu.  Pictures of bomb damage and fires left in the wake of the attack.  There were stories of the hundreds of deaths resulting from the attacks.  Once again, the country came together as the country entered World War ll to face a common enemy who had attacked this country.  The pictures of the carnage made this very real to all Americans.  It was about the country – not politics.

Unfortunately, I don’t think there has been enough visible carnage from the COVID pandemic to get the attention of a significant segment of the American populace to the point where it becomes real enough for people to put politics aside and put the country first.  This is exacerbated by the campaigns of misinformation that have been propagated by various media outlets and politicians.  The daily death toll now is about the same or greater than in the 9/11 attack.  I can assure you, that if there were pictures of a 9/11 style attack on the news every single day with all of the attendant carnage and bloody bodies laying in the streets, the America public would immediately feel the reality of the crisis before us.  Unfortunately, there is just not enough visible, ‘made for television’, carnage surrounding the COVID pandemic to make it real for a lot of people.

I know that is a very harsh statement to make, but I believe its true.  I don’t know how else to explain it.   After the attacks on 9/11 and Pearl Harbor, thousands of Americans volunteered for the military to go pick up weapons, put themselves in harm’s way, and risk their own lives to combat a deadly enemy.  Now, it is sometimes difficult to persuade people to even do something as simple as wear a mask to help fight an enemy that is every bit as deadly as those foreign forces that attacked our country. 

The good news is that there is finally a national strategy to fight this war.  We can only hope that a majority of Americans will get behind it for the good of the country and put politics aside.  We’ve done it before.  There is no reason we can’t do it again.

When Air Force One lifted off from Joint Base Andrews yesterday with Trump and his family for the final time, I did breathe a sigh of relief.  However, truth be told, I was not 100 percent relaxed until President Biden and Vice President Harris were officially sworn in and Trump no longer had his hands on the levers of government.  I watched the inauguration festivities and I kept having a feeling like, “America is back.”  I think that was encapsulated beautifully by the poet, Amanda Gorman, who did such an eloquent job. 

I am encouraged by the flurry of executive orders immediately issued by Biden to undo many of the policies put in place by the Trump administration.  In addition, it certainly appears that the new administration will take this coronavirus pandemic seriously and essentially put the country on somewhat of a war time footing to get it under control – finally!  And while I am hopeful for the nation, I am concerned about the direction things are heading here in Montana under the new Republican regime that is in control of the state at all levels.  The nation appears to be poised to move ahead while Montana appears poised to move backwards into an anti-science, anti-data, ‘we know best what you should believe and how you should live your lives’ mentality.   Based upon something I read in the paper yesterday, I wrote the following letter to the editor.  I have no idea if it will be published.

“Our new Republican governor, senator, representative and legislature have barely been in office three weeks now and already seem hell bent on doing things and passing legislation that smacks of hypocrisy.  Senator Daines and Representative Rosendale decided to join in an effort to propagate a lie about the election and overturn the certified Electoral vote counts in other states.  The legislature decided that allowing every Tom, Dick and Harry to carry a concealed weapon almost everywhere, including on college campuses is a good thing for Montana.  Hikers are advised to carry bear spray since it is more effective than handguns against predators but the legislature has decided that arming college girls is the safest form of self-defense. Governor Gianforte, in the midst of a pandemic, repealed restrictions meant to slow the spread of the virus and has stated that he will repeal the state-wide mask mandate.  He argues that he prefers personal responsibility to government-imposed restrictions.  If Montanans were really responsible, we wouldn’t have one of the highest drunk driving rates in the country.  And now, after all of this talk about ‘Montana values’, ‘states rights’, ‘government overreach’, and ‘personal responsibility’, the legislature is reviewing legislation to restrict access to abortions.  So, my question is this, “If you are so damned concerned with ‘government overreach’ and want to promote ‘personal responsibility’, why do you think you have the right to stick your government noses into a personal decision that should be the solely between a woman, her partner and the doctor?”   A woman is responsible enough to decide to carry a gun, to go to a crowded bar in the midst of a pandemic but she is not responsible enough to make decisions about her own reproductive health?  Your words are hollow and ring loudly with hypocrisy. “

I find that I am somewhat addicted to writing in these posts either in the evening or early in the morning but, as I said yesterday, I am trying to figure out what direction this blog will head as we leave the Trump era behind (with the exception of the upcoming impeachment trial).  I have, in fact, signed up for two bike adventures this summer although I am going to pull the plug on one of them due to the coronavirus and the fact that I’m still not comfortable traveling overseas.  The overseas trip was a bicycle excursion from Paris to Istanbul which sounds fabulous but, like I said, I’m just not comfortable that the world will be ‘COVID safe’ by the time I would have to leave.  The other ride is a little closer to home and significantly shorter.  It is a 10-day ride that starts in Whitefish, MT, circles up through Canada and culminates with a ride up Going to the Sun highway.  (That will be a challenge to pedal my butt on my semi-loaded touring bike up that hill!!)  We’ll see.  Hopefully it will all come to fruition and I can write about another bike ride.

In the meantime, I suspect these posts will be somewhat eclectic in nature as I try to find a new direction but, life is an adventure, so we’ll see where it goes.  Stay safe out there.

I don’t really have much to say today.  I am sitting here watching my TV and President Trump and Melania just boarded Marine One for their final trip to Joint Base Andrews.   I’m very happy that we made it to today and, although our democracy has been damaged, it survived to fight another day.  And it will be a fight.  Something like 80 percent of Republicans don’t believe that Biden was legitimately elected.  ‘The Big Lie’ seems to have taken hold and that will be a huge challenge for the incoming administration.   With the pandemic continuing to ravage the country, the economy seriously damaged, foreign relations frayed, and deepening racial and political divides, it will only be one of the many massive challenges the Biden-Harris administration faces.

However, it is a new day and a new chapter in American history, and with it there is hope.  It is time for a reset and we’ll just have to see what lies ahead and how it plays out.

I started writing these blogs last May as a place to vent and express my concerns about what I saw going on in this country.   I am still concerned but its time for me to do a personal reset as well.  I have enjoyed writing these and, as a result, I have learned a lot and read a number of interesting books.  I’ve been thinking a lot about what direction this blog will take now.  I do have some ideas but nothing has really solidified in my mind yet.  In any case, I want to thank everyone who came along on my little journey and took the time to read my musings from time to time.

Stay tuned, we’ll see where we go from here.  But for right now, I’m just going to sit back and watch the inauguration.  Stay safe everyone.

Tomorrow will open a new chapter in America with the swearing in of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and the departure of Donald and Melania Trump.  Biden and Harris will inherit a mess.  The country is in shambles.  The reputation of America around the world has been tarnished.  Some 400,00 Americans have lost their lives to the COVID pandemic and that number is expected to increase to half a million by the end of February.  The country is in markedly worse shape than when Trump took office, in spite of his rhetoric about ‘Making America Great.’

I am anticipating Biden’s inaugural address tomorrow but for today, I thought it would be an interesting exercise to go back and review Trump’s inauguration speech from four years ago through the lens of hindsight.  The link to the complete speech is below for anyone interested in reading it in its entirety.¹ I am going to select parts of it that I think are particularly noteworthy given what we know today.  It is widely believed that Trump’s first lie after becoming president was his ridiculous and provably false assertion about the crowd size for his inauguration.  It turns out that the first lies happened during his inaugural address.  You be the judge.  The comments in brackets are mine.

“Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent.”¹ [ As we all know, the transition to the Biden presidency has been anything but ‘orderly and peaceful’, not to mention that both Donald and Melania have opted to not attend Biden’s inauguration nor call their successors at all – pathetic.]

“For too long, a small group in our nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.”¹ [ I guess he must have forgotten about this line given that he and his family have been profiting from their time in the White House.  Trump was the first president in modern history to not set up a blind trust to manage his assets.  He was also under investigation for violating the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution]

“What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.”¹ [He must have also forgotten this line.  Seven million more ‘we the people’ voted to elect Joe Biden and ever since Trump has been trying to thwart a ‘government controlled by the people’.]

“Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves.

These are the just and reasonable demands of a righteous public.

But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.”¹

[This administration has been nothing but carnage and it came to a head in Washington D. C. on January 6^th when Trump-inspired insurrectionists tried to overthrow the duly elected government.]

“The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.”¹ [This is my personal favorite.  From day one, Trump did nothing to try to unite this country but instead did everything in his power to sow division, mistrust, hate and bigotry.]

“From this moment on, it’s going to be America First.

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families.”¹ [Trump’s trade wars have cost American’s real dollars.  Americans are worse off now because of these failed policies.  America’s reputation around the world is in tatters and long-standing strategic alliances have been severely damaged.]

“We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.”¹ [ This was a huge opportunity lost. The country sorely needed an infrastructure package and even after the Democrats regained control of the House in 2018 and signaled a willingness to work together on this, Mr. ‘Art of the Deal’, couldn’t get it done.]

“We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones – and unite the civilized world against Radical Islamic Terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.”¹ [He certainly didn’t ‘reinforce old alliances’ and other than being deferent to the likes of Putin and Kim Jung Un, there weren’t any new alliances formed.  “Radical Islam” is alive and well and likely gaining strength now that troop levels in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria have been dramatically reduced.  In addition, Iran is now enriching more uranium than at any time in the past – thanks to Trump pulling out of the Iran nuclear agreement] 

“When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.”¹ [White supremacy has thrived and been emboldened under the Trump administration.]

“Together, We Will Make America Strong Again.

We Will Make America Wealthy Again.  [The rich got richer]

We Will Make America Proud Again.  [ The country’s reputation is in the toilet]

We Will Make America Safe Again.  [ There are currently 25,000 Nat. Guard in DC]

And, Yes, Together, We Will Make America Great Again. Thank you, God Bless You, And God Bless America.”¹

“Make America Great” my ass. I will let the historians do their thing, but if I were going to place a bet, I would bet that Donald J. Trump will be ranked as one of, if not ‘the’, worst president in the history of this country.  I don’t think it’s an understatement to say that much of the world will breathe a sigh of relief when Air Force One lifts off from Joint Base Andrews Wednesday morning to carry Trump down to Mar a Lago for the final time to close out a very dark time in American history.  It’s time to turn the page and begin a new chapter.   I know I’m ready.

1. The Inaugural Address | The White House

It is extremely ironic and tragic that today, on a day when we should be celebrating the life and teachings of Martin Luther King, the nation’s capital resembles the heavily fortified area of Baghdad known as the Green Zone, to protect it against armed insurrectionists and white supremacists in preparation for the upcoming inauguration of Joe Biden.  We can only hope that the Biden administration will once again breathe life into King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ vision.  It will be one of the many challenges facing the new administration after four years of carnage left in the wake of Trump.

There are only two and a half days left of the Trump administration.  Two and a half days – how much damage can he do?  The last time I asked that rhetorical question in one of these posts my answer was, “a lot.”  My answer is the same today.  Trump has demonstrated that he is no less than a vindictive, egomaniacal, wrecking ball who has no regard for anyone, let alone American institutions like the Constitution.

His first three years in office were turbulent but this past year has been a disaster of epic proportions.  There is the botched handling of the COVID pandemic, the death toll for which is now close to 400,000 people.   That’s an average of more than 1,000 deaths per day for the past year.  That’s like having one 9/11 attack every three days for a year.  After the 9/11 attack in 2001, the entire Federal government was mobilized to fight the terrorist threat and to ensure it didn’t happen again.  There was nothing even remotely close to that kind of Federal response to this COVID ‘war.’ 

Yes, Operation Warp Speed did get a vaccine developed in record time.  However, the failure of the Trump administration to coordinate an aggressive Federal response led to a far higher death toll than was necessary.  Even now, the lack of a robust distribution plan is resulting in major delays in getting people vaccinated.   This is no way to fight a war and the responsibility lies directly at Trump’s feet.  He politicized public health advice and refused to implement policies based upon facts, data, and expert opinions.  It was a failed effort by almost any measure.

What concerns me more than how much damage Trump can do in his last two and half days in office, are the festering wounds and damage that he leaves behind.  The country is obviously deeply divided and right-wing domestic terrorist groups are emboldened and dangerous.  It’s absolutely insane that there are now 25,000 National Guard troops in Washington D.C.  and around the country to protect government buildings during the inauguration.  In every previous election in my lifetime, inauguration day has been a time of pomp and circumstance to mark the beginning of a new chapter in America – even if your preferred candidate didn’t win the election.  The question is,” Will we ever have an uncontested election and peaceful transition of power again, or has Trump destroyed that forever?”

The relationships with our strategic allies around the world have been significantly damaged.  Even as competent as Biden’s foreign policy team is, it will take years to rebuild those alliances to the point they once were.¹ On the flip side, after witnessing the turmoil during this post-election period, our adversaries will likely be emboldened and even more eager to do everything in their power to further fan the flames of discontent and division throughout the country.  Right now, Vladimir Putin is a very happy man.

It should be of great concern to every American that the country is probably more divided now than at any time since the Civil War, that our global alliances have been damaged, the economy is teetering on the brink, and that the country is being ravaged in a war against COVID.  However, there is something else that, in some respects, is even more concerning and will have lasting effects even after Trump leaves office.  And that is all of the actions that he has taken to install Trump loyalists in positions that are critical to our national security. 

Not all of these positions are Senate-confirmed positions which would make it easy for Biden to fire these people and replace them with his own people.  The latest example of this is the forced installation of the new General Counsel for the National Security Agency (NSA) as of today.  Yes, three days before the transition is to take place, the Acting Defense Secretary, Christopher Miller (a Trump loyalist), demanded that, Michael Ellis, a Trump loyalist, be installed as General Counsel for the country’s largest intelligence agency.  This is significant because the position is a civil service position rather than a Senate-confirmed position which mean it will be harder for Biden to fire him.  It’s also worth noting that Michael Ellis previously worked for Rep. Devin Nunes, one of Trump’s most ardent supporters in Congress. 

I have stated for a long time that I believe Trump to be the largest national security risk in the country today.  It concerns me a great deal that he has purged the intelligence agencies of career professionals and replaced them with Trump loyalists.  Past presidents, as a courtesy, have allowed their predecessors to maintain their access to intelligence information, at some level. However, since Trump has shown absolutely no regard for American institutions, abiding by laws, respecting other co-equal branches of government, has demonstrated a disregard for protecting classified information, seems to have an affinity for some of our adversaries and has recently fomented an insurrection at our nation’s capital, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to hope that the Biden administration will see fit to cut Trump off completely from ever obtaining an intelligence information whatsoever.   I also hope that he will do everything in his power to purge the intelligence agencies (and the other government agencies) of Trump loyalists.  This really is a matter of National Security. 

It is extremely ironic that Trump has always complained about the ‘deep state’ and, all the while, he has been creating his own.  One thing that has been absolutely consistent with Trump throughout his administration (and throughout his life) is the fact that if he is accusing others of lying – he is lying.  If he is accusing others of cheating – he is cheating.  If he is accusing others of profiting illegally – he is profiting illegally.  As I saw somewhere recently, “Those who are busy accusin’ others of doin’, are usually the ones who are busy doin’ the doin’.”

1. Trump has trashed America’s most important alliance. The rift with Europe could take decades to repair – CNN
2. In a last-minute move, NSA installing Trump loyalist Michael Ellis as general counsel – CNNPolitics

We are two weeks into the new year.  The deaths from the pandemic are approaching 400,000.  There was an insurrection at the nation’s capitol and threats of more violence have caused increased security at all 50 state capitols and in Washington, D.C.  Last year tied 2016 for being the hottest year on record adding yet another data point to the evidence that global warming is here.  And to make matters worse, for the first time in five years, US gas mileage was down and emissions were up.  There are millions of people out of work and the health care system in this country is a mess.  And the most urgent thing on the plate of Montana’s Republican led legislature – passing a bill to allow the carrying of concealed weapons almost everywhere, including on college campuses.

The bill which has already passed the Montana House would allow concealed weapons to be carried WITHOUT A PERMIT almost everywhere including in the Montana Capitol, state and local government buildings and on public university campuses.   The only restrictions would be for correctional and detention facilities, beyond security checkpoints at commercial airports, in federal buildings, on military bases or on private property if the owners prohibit firearms.  This bill will no doubt pass the Montana Senate and will most certainly be signed by new Republican Governor Gianforte.  Welcome to the wild west!

This is beyond insane.  Montana already has one of the highest drunk driving rates in the country.  Montana has one of the highest gun-related death rates in the country.  This has disaster written all over it.   The data in numerous studies show that those states with the weakest gun laws have the highest rates of gun-related deaths¹.  The data simply do not support this ridiculous bill, but since we now appear to be in a Republican-led anti-science, anti-data period in Montana we shouldn’t expect anything less. 

Speaking of anti-science and anti-data, the Montana legislature is also looking at a bill to restrict the power of public health officials – all of this amidst a pandemic that is ravaging the country.  And Governor Gianforte has stated that he will repeal the current mask mandate as soon as the legislature enacts legislation to protect businesses from liability for workers and customers who contract COVID while at their businesses.  Think about that – the concern of the governor seems to be more focused on taking measures to protect businesses rather than focusing on efforts to save individual lives.  Repealing the mask mandate is contrary to virtually every credible medical and scientific organization engaged in fighting the pandemic but since making policy decisions based upon science and data seems to have gone out the window in Montana, this is likely only the beginning of these types of decisions.

If you ever toyed with moving to Montana, you might want to rethink that decision.  I know I am.  Pretty soon it appears that Montana is going to look more like ‘Westworld’ than ‘The Last Best Place.’ 

1. Higher Gun Death Rates In States With Weak Gun Laws And High Ownership: Report | HuffPost

Almost six months ago, I wrote something on this blog after having finished Mary Trump’s book and I ended that post with the following, “Just as Trump tried to wrest control of the entire Trump empire from his own siblings, I fear that he, supported by his enablers, will try to wrest control of our country from ‘we the people’.  Trump’s siblings smelled something fishy and acted before it was too late.  I hope the people of this country will do likewise.”

What still blows my mind is that this whole sordid episode culminating in the attack on the Capitol last week, did not have to happen.  All of the signs were there.  It could have been stopped.   I, like everyone else was shocked by the shear scale and horror of the attack on the Capitol, but I was certainly not surprised.  For months, I have been writing in posts about how Trump’s actions paralleled those taken by other authoritarian leaders who had been duly elected in their countries and then taken the countries over the edge into the political abyss of authoritarianism.  His actions were right out of the ‘Fascist playbook’.  You could see this coming months ago.

I don’t think there is any question now that Trump will go down in history as the worst president in American history and there will be an asterisk by his name denoting that he is the only president in history to be impeached twice.  What a legacy. 

I think this impeachment trial in the Senate will be much different than the last trial.  Mitch McConnell has signaled that he believes Trump committed impeachable offenses and given that the Senate is essentially split 50-50 between the Democrats and Republicans (assuming the trial doesn’t happen until after Jan. 20^th), it would only require 17 Republicans to cross over and vote for conviction.  And as more and more details emerge about how this appears to have been a coordinated attack (possibly with help from insiders!) I think it likely that enough Republicans will finally do the right thing.

If the senate does not vote to convict Trump in this impeachment hearing, then there is no hope.  If fomenting an insurrection in this country is not an impeachable offense, I really don’t know what is. 

It is extremely important that he be convicted because if he is not, he could possibly run for president again in 2024 and we would have to put up with four years of him riling up the country and causing trouble – again.  Of course, that assumes that he has not been convicted of a felony by then which is a distinct possibility given all of the legal woes he faces upon leaving office. 

The Trump brand has been indelibly damaged and businesses are deserting him in significant numbers every single day.  Trump probably cares more about that than about being impeached.  He is looking at losing a lot of money and given his upcoming debt problems, I think the Trump house of cards is about to implode.

The impeachment and a subsequent conviction would also have a significant adverse impact on any future political aspirations his kids might have.   They will be tainted as well and I can’t imagine that a candidacy by any of them in 2024 would be well received.    They all might also be facing their own set of legal and financial problems.

What is so ridiculous in all of this is that Trump could have emerged from this rich, politically powerful, and in front-runner status as the Republican candidate for president in 2024.   If he had not started propagating the lie months ago about how if he lost, the election had to have been rigged, and simply abided by the process he would be in a much different place.  When he lost the election, if he had simply conceded graciously, he could have walked away with his brand more valuable than ever, with the ability to pull in mega-donations to pad his political war chest, and as a ‘king-maker’ for the 2022 mid-term elections and as the Republican front-runner for the 2024 race.  However, his ego and his inability to tell the truth got in the way.

In his four years in office and in leading the Republican Party, he caused the Republicans to lose the House of Representatives, the Senate and now the White House.  His brand is tarnished forever.  His future in politics is probably over.  His businesses are taking huge financial hits.  He has essentially torpedoed any political aspirations of his kids.   And he has left a huge rift in the country and within his own party.  All because of his ego.

This trail of destruction is consistent with everything that has happened throughout his entire adult life.  He wrecked his family.  He wrecked multiple businesses.  He wrecked three marriages.  He has wrecked countless ‘friendships.  He has wrecked a political party.  And now he has wrecked a country.  And even after all of this, people continue to support him.  I just have to shake my head. 

I think I’ve stumbled across a solution to our current problems in the wake of the insurrection at the Capitol last week.  As has been reported in the last couple of days, the FBI has issued a memo warning that armed ‘protestors’ are planning demonstrations/assaults on all 50 state capitols and the Capitol in Washington, D. C.   This is all a result of Trump refusing to accept the results of the last election and he and his enablers’ continuing effort to disseminate false information about ‘rigged elections’ and ‘voter fraud.’  This whole mess has been very stressful for all involved and the entire country.  It has been very costly in both lives and property and certainly in America’s reputation. It might have also set the precedent that we will never have a peaceful and uncontested election again.  I have a better idea.

Everyone understands that national elections are complicated and costly.  And certainly, the Electoral College adds a level of complication in this country that is really unnecessary in today’s world.  So, I suggest that we just do away with presidential elections and implement the ‘Presidential Games’, a kind of ‘capture the flag’ game every four years instead.  This could be viewed as a cross between ‘Hunger Games’ and ‘Game of Thrones.’

Every four years, the Republicans and the Democrats, would select a team of well-trained and heavily armed people.  Let’s just say for the sake of argument that each side is allowed 10 people per state so each side would have 500 people.  We would send all of these people into the ‘arena’ with the objective of winning this mini-civil war.  The winner would be determined when all of the participants on the opposing side have been slaughtered.  Surrender is simply not an option.  The winning team would then have the ability to choose the president for the next four years until the next set of games!  Brilliant!

I’m sure are those that would say that this is all fine but we don’t need the guns and all of the carnage that would follow.  I would simply point out that there seems to be a large number of people in this country who are very fond of weapons and violence, so I think unarmed combatants just wouldn’t be as appealing or convincing.  I think this needs to be a fight to the death.  Look, it’s just a few hundred lives.  We have already lost about 380,000 lives to a little pandemic so a few hundred lives lost for a good cause seems like a small price to pay – right?

It wouldn’t be hard to find a venue because I’m sure Senator Josh Hawley or Senator Ted Cruz would be more than happy to persuade their respective states to set aside a few thousand acres for ‘The Presidential Games.’  The whole thing could be broadcast on television.  It would be a true ‘made for TV’ event.  I can only imagine that the ratings would be through the roof.

Doing things this way would solve a number of current problems.   It would eliminate the interminable stream of political ads running up to an election because they would have no longer have any bearing on the outcome.  Instead, companies and political parties could focus on ads during the “games” that would be more entertaining, kind of like the Super Bowl ads.  Further, it would eliminate the problem of corporations pouring millions of dollars into political campaigns.  There would be no point.  Each side, the Republicans and Democrats would simply train and equip their respective teams and that would be it.  No need for corporate or PAC dollars.  I’m sure we could find a way to fund ‘The Presidential Games’ with tax dollars because we’d be saving millions by eliminating the old-style elections.

The other big advantage is that the results would be known immediately!  Once all of the 500 members of one team had been killed, it would be ‘game over.’  A clear winner – no room for argument.

At the beginning of the games there could be a lot of pomp and circumstance that would be very entertaining.  Hollywood A-listers would perform during the opening ceremonies.  It could be a truly magnificent event.

Employers would be required to give employees the time off to be able to watch the games so everyone would get a vacation during the ‘election.’  And better still, they wouldn’t have to worry about filling out some silly ballot and getting it returned to some polling place.  They could just get some popcorn and a drink and sit in front of the TV until it was over.

The selection process for the 10 team members from each state could be a whole TV show as well, perhaps like ‘American Ninja Warrior’, except it would be ‘American Election Warrior.’  This could be conducted the year before the elections so there would be time to train the combatants before ‘election game day.’

I really think this has a lot of merit.  I wonder why no one has thought of this before.  There are, however, a couple of pitfalls.  There is always the chance that one team or the other, once in power, will not agree to engage again in the games four years later.  However, I suspect the spectacle surrounding the games will become so popular that it will be difficult for one party to decline to participate.   It’s hard to imagine either party wanting to deprive the American electorate of this spectacle.

The other problem I see is that I’m not sure how this would translate into lower- level elections in local jurisdictions.  Perhaps those will just be two people mud-wrestling in front of bar.  Given the uncivil tone that comes out of most of our elections these days, that wouldn’t be too big a change anyway!

Yes, I think ‘The Presidential Games’ will solve a lot of our problems.  If you’ll excuse me, I have to go see if I can lock up the TV rights.

P.S. Just a little teaser.  The link below is to a story about Trump’s bank, Deutsche Bank, which has a long history of paying fines for money laundering and paying bribes. 

Deutsche Bank agrees to pay $130 million in latest major US penalty – ICIJ

The FBI is circulating a memo stating that armed “protestors” are planning to target all 50 state capitols and the Capitol in Washington, D.C. during the period Jan. 16 – 20^th leading up to the inauguration.  Some of the online chatter talks of ‘storming’ these buildings.  Make no mistake about it, this will not be a protest.  This will be a follow up to the coup attempt from January 6^th.  Hitler had his ‘brown shirts’.  Mussolini had his ‘black shirts’.  And now Trump has his MAGA supporters.  We know how things worked out in Germany and Italy.  Everyone needs to understand how perilously close we are to falling into that abyss.  I’m sure there are many who will think that’s hyperbole but after the events last week at the Capitol, I don’t know how anyone can believe that.   Heather Cox Richardson’s post last night gives an excellent summary of where we are so I’m just going to defer to her this morning.  The link is below.¹

It’s bad enough that Trump has politicized virtually every aspect of American life during the last four years but his installation of Trump loyalist, Michael Pack, at the US Agency for Global Media, the parent organization of Voice of America, seems to be turning VOA into just another state sponsored propaganda organization. “ VOA’s charter states that the agency will “be accurate, objective, and comprehensive” and that it “will represent America, not any single segment of American society, and will therefore present a balanced and comprehensive projection of significant American thought and institutions.”²  VOA’s journalists are supposed to be isolated from political influence and meddling.  That appears to no longer be the case.

“Pack, who took charge as CEO in June and is under investigation by the DC attorney general, made sweeping charges of bias against VOA employees, and conducted what some staffers called a pro-Trump “purge.”

Pack’s actions drew scrutiny from lawmakers from both sides of the aisle and legal actions from affected individuals. In one notable First Amendment case last month, a federal judge ruled that Pack and his team are forbidden from interfering in the newsroom.

And just last month, the federal watchdog Office of Special Counsel found what it dubbed “a substantial likelihood of wrongdoing” at the agency, and directed Pack to order an investigation.”²

If the independence of VOA is taken away and it becomes an organization that is unable to broadcast any information that is critical of the US, then it will lose all credibility around the world.  One of the hallmarks of the United States has always been a free press that is able to criticize the workings of the government.  This is just another thing that has taken place in the Trump administration that most people are totally unaware of, probably think is no big deal, but is yet another step on the way to authoritarianism.   America’s reputation abroad has already been badly damaged.  Politicization of VOA can only worsen that.

The politicization of everything is hitting much closer to home here in Montana.  The Republicans swept the political ‘table’ last November so we now have a state government dominated by Republicans from the governor on down.  We are one week into the new state legislation session and a bill has already been sponsored and emerged from committee with a vote of 12 – 7 along party lines to allow firearms to be carried on college campuses!   Think about that.  With all of the problems and issues facing Montana, the Republican-led legislature seems to think that a critical issue is to allow students and faculty to carry firearms ON CAMPUS!

Having taught on the MSU campus last year (and I would have this year had it not been for COVID) I can’t even fathom why someone thinks it’s a good idea to have some subset of students and faculty carrying loaded firearms into classrooms.  As an instructor, I’m sure I’d be up at the whiteboard looking out at my class and wondering which of my students is armed.  On the flip side, how many students are going to be comfortable sitting in a classroom wondering if any of their classmates, or even their instructor, are ‘packing.’   This is just absurd.  I just keep shaking my head and asking myself, “What the hell is going on in this country?”

Governor Gianforte has stated that he intends to repeal the current mask mandate that is in place to help combat the spread of COVID that is ravaging the country.  He states that he believes Montanans will ‘do the right thing.’  That has worked out well so far – Montana has one of the highest drunk driving and fatality rates in the country!  No doubt, this will work out equally as well.  However, the Republican-led legislature doesn’t appear to think Gianforte is moving fast enough, so they are apparently intending to pass legislation repealing the mask mandate.  This is in contravention of the advice from every credible health care professional in the world.  I fear that this is only the beginning of decisions that will adversely affect this beautiful place now that Montana has gone from being ‘purple’ to being bright red.   Welcome to Big Sky Country – the “Last Best Place” – until it isn’t anymore. 

1. Letters from an American  , Heather Cox Richardson
2. Pompeo accuses VOA of “demeaning America” in speech that whistleblowers blast as “political propaganda” – CNN