Let's be honest, Obama got a pass from his supporters strictly because of appearances; because he looked and sounded like a thoroughly reasonable bloke who only acted on the loftiest of principles. Obama was hailed as a moral giant, a political rock star, a leader among leaders. But it was all fake, all make-up and glitz behind which operated the vicious national security state extending its tentacles around the world, toppling regimes wherever it went, and leaving anarchy and destruction in its wake. Isn't this Obama's real legacy when you strip away the sweeping hand gestures and pompous rhetoric?
Of course it is. But Trump won't have that advantage, will he? Trump is not a public relations invention upon which heartsick liberals pin their highest hopes. Trump is Trump, warts and all, the proverbial bull in the china shop. That's not to say Trump won't be a lousy president. Judging by the Wall Street cutthroats and hard-edged military men he's surrounded himself with, he probably will be. But the American people are no longer asleep, so there's going to be limits to what he can hope to achieve.
So the question is: How should one approach the Trump presidency? Should we denounce him as a fascist before he ever sets foot in the Oval Office? Should we deny his "legitimacy" even though he was elected via a process we have honored for over 200 years? Should we launch impeachment proceedings before he's done anything that would warrant his removal from office?
Veteran journalist Robert Parry answers this question in a recent piece at Consortium News. Here's what he said:
"The current danger for Democrats and progressives is that -- by bashing everything that Trump says and does -- they will further alienate the white working-class voters who became his base and will push away anti-war activists.
"There is a risk that the Left will trade places with the Right on the question of war and peace, with Democrats and progressives associating themselves with Hillary Clinton's support for 'endless war' in the Middle East, the political machinations of the CIA, and a New Cold War with Russia, essentially moving into an alliance with the Military (and Intelligence) Industrial Complex.
"Many populists already view the national Democrats as elitists disdainful of the working class, promoters of harmful "free trade" deals, and internationalists represented by the billionaires at the glitzy annual confab in Davos, Switzerland.
"If -- in a rush to demonize and impeach President Trump -- Democrats and progressives solidify support for wars of choice in the Middle East, a New Cold War with Russia and a Davos-style elitism, they could further alienate many people who might otherwise be their allies.
In other words, selectivity in opposing and criticizing Trump -- where he rightly deserves it -- rather than opportunism in rejecting everything that Trump says might make more sense. A movement built entirely on destroying Trump could drop Democrats and progressives into some politically destructive traps." ("Selectivity in Trashing Trump," Robert Parry, Consortium News)
Right on, Bob. A very reasonable approach to a very thorny situation.
Bravo!
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