Wednesday, December 21, 2016

The Betrayal of America



On Monday, December 19th, America embarked on a new, dark page of its history. On that day, the Electoral College cast its ballots, selecting Donald Trump as the next President of the United States. In doing so, the Electors betrayed the purpose of the College as outlined by Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist #68. He stated “sense of the people should operate in the choice” of whom they cast their ballots for. In this case the Electors failed, utterly, in this regard as Donald Trump lost the popular vote by more than 2.8 million votes. Secondly, according to Hamilton, the Electoral College existed to prevent those whose “Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity” would place this nation in jeopardy. Again, Electors failed utterly in this regard. The faithless electors were those who threw their lot in with Trump. In casting their ballots for Donald Trump, they betrayed this nation into the hands of a man, and the circle of racists, misogynists, homophobes, religious extremists, plutocrats surrounding him, that will use the office of President of the United States to loot the treasury while Americans die for lack of healthcare...our schools crumble...our environment turns into and open sewer...our infrastructure turns to dust. And the same people who created the financial crash of 2008 are given free reign o do whatever the hell they want while everyone who works for a living is reduced to serfdom. 

During his campaign, the GOP leadership flapped their hands in dismay at his hate mongering and outrageous behavior, but those at the top of the GOP food chain refused to denounce Trump for the dangerous demagogue that he is. And now, they obstruct efforts to a deeper investigation into the ties between Trump’s campaign and Russian hacking which benefited his campaign. As for Trump’s multiple conflicts of interest in his refusal to divest himself of his business holdings; as his children hold seats at his side in clear violation of anti-nepotism laws; as his sons sell access, through the Trump “foundation”, for millions of dollars…congressional GOP leadership will turn a blind eye. In their desperate desire to hold onto their political power the leaders of the Republican party at all levels will, if not participate, in the sacking of America, will do nothing to impede the efforts of Trump and his plutocrat butt-buddies as they pillage the Treasury at the expense of every person who works for a living. They are complicit int this betrayal.

The betrayal of America will be complete with this dangerous axis of a White House occupied by an unstable President and his equally unstable inner circle; a Congress in the hands of willing participants in the destruction of the nation and, soon, a Supreme Court in the hands of right wing ideologues. In the face of this tide of corruption, moral bankruptcy and right wing ideology, the Constitution will soon be nothing but a fond memory.

America has been betrayed.

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