Maybe we'll forgive, but we won't forget
The real villains of the Trump era are those who should know better
Before Donald Trump remade the Grand Old Party in his own image, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson was what would probably come to mind if you were asked to think “generic Republican.” A former businessman with socially and economically conservative ideas, but not so crazy that you couldn’t work with him across the aisle.
That was then. This is Ron Johnson in 2020:
(Maria Baritomo was taken seriously when she was at CNBC, but that’s another post.)
When we look back on the wreckage of the Trump years, I actually don’t think Donald Trump himself will be the primary villain of the story. I’m serious. Donald Trump is what he is, and there is no point even assuming he’s capable of behaving any differently.
The real villains will be the Republicans like Johnson, and Lindsey Graham, and Marco Rubio. The ones who called out Trump in early 2016 and were - at least publicly - best friends with him in 2017. I have no doubt they’re Ben Sasse in private, but that hasn’t stopped them from being Bill Mitchell in public.
When Trump is gone and they all start insisting they knew he was bad all along, should they be forgiven? Actually, if they’re truly repentant, yes, they should be. I think America is going to need a lot of forgiveness if the country is going to move on from this.
But they sure as hell shouldn’t be given anything close to real power ever again.
Meanwhile, Trump is getting ready to blame Dr. Anthony Fauci for the pandemic spiraling out of control in the United States. Seriously:
DONALD Trump has called Dr Fauci "an idiot" and said that people are "tired of hearing about Covid."
The president made the comments during a call with his campaign staff on Monday morning that reporters got on.
"People are saying whatever. Just leave us alone. They're tired of it. People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots..." Trump said, according to Politico.
Despite slamming the coronavirus expert, the president went on to say "Fauci is a nice guy" before saying "he's been here for 500 years."
During the call, Trump also insisted that if he had listened to Fauci's advice there would be "700,000, 800,000 deaths."
America has suffered at least 220,000 deaths from the coronavirus.
Emphasis added. Honestly, if you’ve been watching Trump over the past few months, you really knew deep down it was going to come to this. The one unchanging, guiding principle of Donald Trump’s life is that he can never be wrong, but that he can only be wronged. There is always an excuse and a scapegoat. And who better than a man who won’t always parrot whatever the Dear Leader says?
Once again: never forget that the likes of Ron Johnson, Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio enabled this. Also Martha MacSally, whose inner monologue during this scene I’d give my life savings to hear:
The /r/neoliberal subreddit is reading my mind sometimes:
Those who aid and abet people like Trump against their better conscience (or barring that, just support him even if they know the guy’s an idiot) are the real guilty parties by the simple reasoning that Trump and others like him would not get anywhere in the first place without intelligent people to make it happen.
Trump on his own would not have gotten far.
The people who use him to achieve their own goals for personal or political gain undoubtedly benefit quietly in the wings while everyone’s busy watching the freak show out front. They have no excuse. They don’t lack sufficient powers of reasoning to know that common people are getting hurt. They support this clown anyway to get what they want, knowing that it is wrong.
As a 16 year old, I looked for answers to deal with difficulties I was facing. I picked up my mother’s slightly musty, well-used Bible and started reading. Having grown up outside society leaves you unmarked both in terms of useful experience and in terms of preconceived notions that may blind one to the obvious. Halfway through, something finally made sense to me. It was the question of how one would worship God if one had never heard of Him (I actually question why or whether an omnipotent spirit would necessarily be gendered, but that’s another matter). The answer was: Follow your conscience. It will steer you on the right path, though it may not be easy.
Trump is damaged and barrelling down the only path he knows: that’s not an enviable life. It will ultimately take him nowhere. His life is based on illusions and lies, and I question whether he will ever know real love, respect, kindness or honesty.
But the people who put him in office because it fits what they want regardless of the cost to others are guilty, and I agree: forgiveness should only be for those who are deeply and honestly repentant. Such people are uncommon, but may do as much or more good than someone who never erred in the first place.
As to those who are not, I hope for the sake of America that they are not allowed to do further damage.