BELL VIEW-One of the continuing sources of bafflement for my liberal friends involves the persistence of support for Donald Trump among his hard-core supporters. Have you had enough yet? They seem to ask with every snarky tweet. Here he is separating children from their mothers. Here, he’s taking healthcare away from millions of Americans.
He insults our allies; antagonizes our enemies; trashes the office of the presidency.
He disrespects the rule of law, the courts, the media, theseparation of powers.
He pays off hookers, brags about assaulting women, embraces Nazis and dictators, insults entire continents, and stokes the fears of the most fearful people on the planet.
He lies and lies and lies.
And…oh – my friends keep asking – how is that Drain the Swamp thing coming?
Well, I got news for you: We’re the swamp, and Donald Trump is doing a fine job of draining every drop of influence “people like us” have had on government for the past 70 years. Wall Street has never been a problem for Trump and the Trumpists. These are people struggling to make ends meet on three minimum wage jobs who think the “Death Tax” was the greatest injustice of the 20th Century. The rich getting richer is perfectly OK with them, as long as some black kid in Flint Michigandoesn’t get a free lunch.
It’s no use pointing out the cruelty of Trumpist policies because the cruelty is the point. In ancient Rome, the masses were distracted by the spectacle of Christians being tossed to the lions. In 21st Century America, we toss seven-year-old girls into holding cells in Chicago to distract us from the misery of our lives.
When Trump supporters tell you they couldn’t be happier with Trump, it’s not evidence of a disconnect from reality. These people are happy with Trump because he’s doing exactly what they voted for.
I’ve written before about how, once I stopped believing in the existence of Hell, the Christian faith of my childhood – based, as it was, entirely upon an edifice of fear – dissolved away. Now, I find myself longing for the Hell of my childhood. If only I could believe there would be a price to pay for the rampant hypocrisy that has taken hold of this country, maybe I could breathe easy.
But I don’t believe it – and I don’t believe the comeuppance so many of us long for is in the offing. Donald Trump is doing just fine, thank you. He’s the most transparent politician America has ever seen. Unfortunately, there’s no telling how long we’re going to have to keep looking at him.
(David Bell is a writer, attorney, former president of the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council and writes for CityWatch.) Prepped for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
