I have said before that I didn’t want to waste my time bashing Trump on this blog. But yesterday his remarks before the United Nations General Assembly were a disgrace to our country and the institution of our presidency. I am sure he didn’t take the time to read the 19 Articles of the United Nations Charter. He might have learned something about why it was formed and what it endeavors to accomplish. However, reading anything other than a Tweet isn’t Trump’s long suit. Moreover, Trump couldn’t even read the script from the teleprompter that Steven Miller had written for him. His delivery was way short of conviction. Just another recitation of words that someone else had written. However, Trump couldn’t resist the temptation to go off script and prove he was a “tough” guy.
He took aim at Iran threatening to pull out of the nuclear development treaty. Trump took after Venezuela promising to expand broad economic sanctions that the U.S. clamped down on Venezuela recently. And of course he couldn’t resist taking a shot at “Rocket Man”, promising to “totally destroy North Korea” if they commit an act of aggression against any nation, especially the United States. Tough talk. His base must have loved it.
In my humble, Trump is not a tough guy. Trump is a wimp. Allow me to make my case. Throughout the 2016 campaign, he promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act on day one. I guess that did’t work out for him and he moved on. He promised to deport the “Dreamers”. That is not looking to well for him either. And the Wall. Remember that one?Don’t forget that Mexico is going to pay for it! However, the transcript of a January conversation with Mexican President Nieto finds Trump begging him to stop publicly denying that Mexico will absolutely not pay for the wall. According to the Washington Post, ‘You cannot say that to the press,’ Trump told Nieto, urging him to refrain from the public statements because of the political damage it would impose on Trump”. He also said the border wall is “the least important thing we are talking about, but politically this might be the most important.” Now that is really an act of courage! Trump is a wimp.
Unfortunately I fear we are becoming immune to Trump’s bluster and fake promises. There is one aspect of Trump’s bravado I cannot ignore. Donald the Draft-Dodger. When it came time to really prove up on his bully cred, he took a powder and with daddy’s help and influence avoided the draft and the Viet Nam War. He was classified as 4-F for bone spurs in his heels! Trump was 22 years old and out of deferments at the height of the Tet Offensive. There was no question where he was going. He would have joined the 500,000 men and women who fought that war. Instead of dodging sexually transmitted diseases, which he characterized as his “personal Viet Nam”, he would have been trying to survive land mines, rocket propelled grenades, AK 47 fire, and unimaginable booby traps. 58,000 men and women of our armed forces paid the ultimate price for serving their country. They don’t give medals for dodging STDs at Club 54 in NYC or dodging the draft.
In 1996 I walked that long pathway at the Viet Nam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. I could not help but wonder as I surveyed the names of who these men and women were. It was obvious many had Hispanic surnames, some appeared to be of Arab descent, others were Caucasians or were they? The legacy of slavery could easily have hidden the identity of African-Americans. 58,000 names. 58,000 men and women most of whom were in the prime of their lives gone forever. At the same time I thought about the thousands of wounded and mentally scarred survivors of the war. Like countless other visitors to the Memorial when I reached the end of the wall I was in tears. I wonder if the current occupant of the White House has visited and walked the wall? I wonder if he was moved at all or felt any guilt when he dodged his chance to put his life in harms way? And I still think Trump is a wimp.
The Progressive Democrat 