'THE ART OF THE FOOL'
Why Trump will never be a great president ...
Because he really doesn't care about you. He's only in it for himself. And that's the bottom-line truth. It's just not in him.
Trump could care less about America, about you, your life, your family and concerns ... your well-being. He says he does. He's even convinced himself that he does. But don't you get it? Isn't it painfully obvious by now? That you, and America, are just his vehicle to fame and fortune. That's his end game. Not your life and issues, not world peace. Just keep heaping on the adoration, and he'll keep smiling. And he will keep fooling you that you are loved and protected.
Why do you think he is throwing Zelensky under the bus? Zelensky rejected Trump's "peace deal" with Russia, and the rare earth minerals deal, which basically gave Russia everything Putin and Trump wanted. Zelensky wasn't even included in their conversation.
But here's the thing ... Trump is not interested in rare earth minerals, and he's not interested in peace. He's interested in the Nobel Peace Prize. That's why he's throwing Zelensky to the dogs. He wants to be the hero of the world, champion of peace, even if he has to allow thousands more to be killed to do it.
The now infamous White House meeting with Zelensky has been so grossly misinterpreted by Trump world. Here's what I observed. Zelensky was respectfully making his case. Vance told him he should try more diplomacy with Putin. Zelensky pointed out that he has tried that many times, but Putin has lied and gone back on his word every single time. Zelensky asked Vance, 'JD, What kind of diplomacy is that? What do you mean?' Vance couldn't answer the question so he berated Zelensky for being rude in the White House and told him he should be thankful for what America and Trump are doing for him and his country. Trump jumped in at this point and agreed with Vance about showing more appreciation, and told Zelensky he was behind the eight ball in the war, and that he had no cards to play ...
... Zelensky then said the most honest, heroic, heartfelt, man-to-man, and correct thing anyone could have said in that circumstance. He told Trump, "I'm not playing cards."
Zelensky is in an impossibly tough spot. I'm sure he will do the right thing for his country and to end the war. Even if it means pacifying Trump.
See, Trump thrives on adoration. More than money, food, water, air, or even sunlight. Certainly more than being known to be a good person and a stand-up guy with good intentions, and who does a good job. He wants the Nobel Peace Prize above all and everything. That is what means the most to him. Things like that. He loves seeing his picture on the cover of Time magazine. His ego always gets the best of him. He can't help it. It's a sickness. He's even posted photos of himself on a mock-up Time magazine cover as a king, and wearing crowns ...
... and that's why he's throwing hissy fits about Zelensky, because Zelensky got in the way of that goal. His obsession. Trump is like the abusive husband who blames his abused wife for "making him do it."
He wants to be known as not just a great president, but as the greatest president of all time. Probably doesn't even matter what country. His legacy is important to him, more important than his reputation, which already sailed a long time ago. Have you noticed how he criticizes every president before him? In his recent address to Congress (a hubris filled speech of a true megalomaniac) he even had the brazen audacity to compare himself to George Washington, criticizing him and saying that he was a better president!
That speech scarred me to death and left me with bad feeling. This guy hasn't given anyone, even Melania, any reason to trust him.
Ironically, Trump strives to be loved, but he is hated. Even more than he is feared. He hates with a vengeance. It's who he is, how he rolls. Respect isn't even in the conversation. He strives to be "smart", but he is laughed at behind his back as a pawn, a dummy. He thinks he is a good president, but he's not. Many who know him say, "he's a monster." He's insecure, a real mental case. Just look at who he has chosen for important Cabinet posts, and close administration positions, and who he's surrounded himself with. His adoring sycophants who all just keep heaping on the accolades. It's like mother's milk to him. Just look at that smile. Says it all.
And why the MAGA voters and the GOP congressmen and senators follow suit is beyond me. Must be the Kool-Aid or something. But I do have another theory ...
... it may be something like what's known as the Stockholm syndrome where a prisoner starts to identify with his or her captor and begins to sympathize with whatever bullshit the captor is using as an excuse for his bad behavior. Sometimes, however, what the psycho is saying or doing does appeal to what the prisoner already believes, or has thought about himself in the dark parts of his mind.
This may hold true for Trump's voters, but for the GOP congressmen and senators it's more about job security ... and cowardice.
The irony is that I agree in theory with much of what Trump says regarding America and policy. It's just what he actually does and how he does it, and who he is, that stinks. I mean, if it were anyone else ...
If you are confused about this whole Trump thing and not sure what to make of it all. Or if you can trust the media, your instincts or your social media for truthful and accurate information, maybe I can help set you straight. The guy is simply out of his fucking mind.
A quick look back at recent history may help to clarify and support my theory. Bear with me ...
2015. Trump announces he'll run for presidency. He and Melania came "down" on the golden escalator in Trump Tower disappearing into the crowd below. In my opinion, they should have staged it better and been riding symbolically "up" on the golden escalator in Trump Tower and made the announcement to the crowd below from the upper mezzanine. This imagery would have supported his "king" persona. Image is everything. But that's just me.
I didn't vote for him in 2016. I had some previous business dealings with him and had lived in New York City during his playboy years, and I knew the kind of man he was. I didn't particularly like Hillary, but she was the only other choice. In retrospect, she may not have been that bad as president. But, then FBI Director James Comey intervened with a last minute announcement of his suggestively incriminating investigation into her infamous emails just eleven days before the election, and this put the final nail in her coffin.
In 2020 I voted for Joe Biden. I thought Kamala Harris was a good VP pick. A sharp, feisty, no-nonsense woman, federal prosecutor, etc. I still think that was a good choice at the time. Trump embarrassed himself and America the first time and he shouldn't have been allowed anywhere near the White House ever again ...
... then there was January 6th. Another day of infamy. America will never be the same. But the nail in Trump's coffin as far as I was concerned.
2024. A total blowout. WTF. OMG. The Dems were associated too closely with the crazy woke left, which both myself and everyone else with their head screwed on straight rejected. And the far and distant right appealed to the crazies in that camp. The devil was in the details and the details were in the middle ... and here we are.
If you voted for Kamala, well, let's just leave it at that. RIP, Dems. If you drank the Kool-Aid and bought Trump's package of bullshit and voted for him, there's this bridge in my hometown of Brooklyn., NY that I'd like to sell you. I'll make you a good deal. No, really, we can do a quick claim deed by email. You can take possession immediately. I'll even throw in a red MAGA hat and a pair of Trump golden sneakers so you can impress your friends.
I hate writing these. I really do. And you probably hate reading them, if you even read them at all. I should go back to writing my Thomas Baker novel series. But I feel my comments, and sarcasm, are well-founded, and my thoughts legitimate and necessary toward fostering some actionable recourse to the trouble my instincts are telling me we are headed for, as a people and as a country.
As I watch the Democratic Party, docile, except for the courageous Representative Al Green of Texas, but for him, all slowly and lethargically sink into the sunset, be pushed to the back of the bus ... quietly repair to the congressional retirement home ... I can see that my vote doesn't account for much anymore. Maybe it never did. But maybe these writings now will account for something.
John Kushma is a communication consultant and lives in Logan, Utah