Washington, D.C. Politics & Donald Trump: What Shall We Do?

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(ThyBlackMan.com) There are few surprises in Washington, DC politics. We’ve been reduced to exhausting ourselves determining when this Administration is being hyperbolic, using “alternative facts” or attempting to use “facts”—without adding “alternative” to their assertions.

Has any other president been so disrespectful to his (co-equal) Judiciary when he doesn’t like its decisions? Has there ever been a President, like Donald Trump, with animus toward his predecessor that inspires his manufacture of lies that smear the man and the office, and, in the process, diminish his own credibility? Despite inheriting the best government in 17 years, Trump continues his reckless and undignified behaviors that are beneath those of Presidents Carter, Clinton, Bush and, of course, President Obama. Whether or not those Presidents liked each other, they had/have enough class to respect their predecessors and successors. What can be done with a president who, in less than 60 days, has brought so much shame to the office, our nation, and likely, many who voted for him?

Should we have concerns about the proposed Donald Trump budget recently submitted to Congress? Contrasted against a 14% reduction for the State Department, does his $54 Billion increase in our defense budget indicate a predilection for war? His new (disproportionate) budget for increased defense spending and homeland security suggests his preference for war over world stability through efforts for negotiated peace and justice. The slashing of State Department funds prevents seasoned diplomats from performing their international mission of winning friends or influencing adversaries instead of resorting to war. His budget appears to spring from the paranoid pages of Steve Bannon’s ultra-nationalistic playbook.

How must we respond to a demagogue who would convince us that free and independent news sources are a threat? How do we react to Trump’s insistence that any news opposing his worldview is invalid? Why should we accept his Orwellian model of democracy? I assume that he fears our being informed about the waste of time and money building his fence. In his ravings about the threat from our neighbors, he makes no mention of home-grown terrorists who attack us with little restriction.

As we creep incrementally toward control by “Big Brother,” Donald Trump’s budget proposes to cut federal funding for public broadcasting, the arts and sciences. His budget slashes funds from the Environmental Protection Agency where all staff work hard to cleanse our environment pollution incidental to our techno-industrial lifestyle. Since one of the Administration’s first acts was lifting restrictions against dumping mining waste in America’s waters, under Donald Trump’s EPA, our will to fix Flint’s (MI) drinking water and other pollution hotspots is questioned.

Without regard for the sick and/or elderly who are dependent upon it for survival, this budget eliminates the “Meals on Wheels” program. Mr. Trump’s placement of millionaire and billionaire cronies in control of agencies vital to our well-being requires us to do more with fewer dollars — while they ravage programs that have protected the least of God’s children. Without compassion, they propose to implement tax-relief for the millionaire/billionaire class on the backs of the indigent.

This budget makes severe cuts to the arts, the sciences and programs for the poor who are already struggling for survival. It plays havoc with programs and community assistance that have decreased hunger, health challenges, unemployment, and the violence incidental to poverty. I predict this budget is a preview to future, more drastic cuts. So, WHAT SHALL WE DO?

WAITING IS NOT THE ANSWER! Call leaders at every level to stop the Donald Trump agenda. Get on picket lines. Write letters to editors. Work with like-minded groups. Pray. The Bible tells us, “Ask and it shall be given. Seek and you will find. Knock and doors shall be open to you.”

DOING NOTHING IS NOT THE ANSWER!!!

Written By Dr. E. Faye Williams

Official website; http://www.efayewilliams.com/

James Davis says:

March 23, 2017 at 10:05 am

African America’s (AA) foreboding, when it comes to President Trump’s political appointments, his posturing and agenda is unhealthy. This article at its worst is misleading and at its best not completely informing readers of all the facts when it comes to Mr. Trump’s rise. As a response to the Trump’s presidency, it is also not strategic. Understanding the circumstances which allowed Trump to take power should give the AA community hope and a healthy perspective of what’s ahead thus putting any uneasiness to rest. Understanding the events and policies that led to his presidential victory should ground us in positive actions of change.

It was lies and deceit that brought this man to power. Regardless of what traditional politicians have said, it was their deception when it came to informing the American people about the economic condition of this country, that resulted in his rise. Mr. Trump grew out of deception and a need for working class America to have some clarity about their economic future. It is the honest aspiration of the American working class that the deception of traditional politicians which led to this anemic economy, be corrected. Mr. Trump was the strong man that came along and said to the American voter, “I can correct this … I can make America great again.” The need of a fix to the economy is so overwhelming to the American voter as a problem, they allowed Mr. Trump and all his ugliness into our lives. Here is a good way to explain Mr. Trump’s rise. Americans love their pets, especially their dogs. Even though fleas hitch rides on their dogs and bring them into their homes. The love and comfort pets give to their owners out weights the problem of fleas. Working class Americans want the issues of good paying jobs and exportation of America’s consumer demand resolved; they want solutions and not rhetoric. In walks Mr. Trump with the fleas of racism and misogynistic behavior hitching a ride ON AMERICA’S DEMAND FOR BETTER PAYING JOBS, saying with his persona and swagger that he knows how to create good paying jobs and stop the exportation America’s consumer demand to lower paying labor markets in countries abroad and guess what, the American working class embraced him. Better, says the America working class a few fleas than the continuation of the intolerable state of not having enough income to support their families, even in many instances when they work 40 hour a week jobs in addition to working part-time jobs also.

Here is what the AA community should do specifically to advance ourselves and others in this era. The African American ( AA) community and indeed those opposed to President Trump’s agenda and his election must not allow themselves to be caught up in a fight of us versus them and certainly not let the fight deteriorate into an election about race. Because in doing this, African Americans lose the high ground when it comes to protesting for jobs. This election was about the economics of good paying jobs and job creation, and not race. Understanding the circumstances which allowed Trump to take power is critical in using those circumstances to our advantage. Let’s face the facts, the AA unemployment rate is 18 percent. Interest rates are being raised by the Fed which will aggravate that problem.

The AA community should focus on the deceit surrounding the unemployment numbers themselves. If African Americans are going to win in the era of Trump, we should support economic experts who say the true unemployment rate of this nation is 9.2 and not 4.7 percent. Getting the Trump administration to acknowledge this is where the AA community can mount a successful fight. And get this, there is ample support in the white community for such a fight. Put simply, this election was about getting some clarity about the economic future of America. If we as a people join that fight, we will be helping ourselves, as this is the fight working class Americans who voted for Trump are fighting. The U-6 category of Alternative Unemployment Rates which is the basis of 9.2 percent rate quoted above counts total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers ( https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t15.htm )

If we plant our flag in the ground and push the Trump administration to make the U-6 category number of 9.2 percent which was the rate for February the nation’s official unemployment rate, we start up the rough side of the mountain of truth that will benefit not only us but working class Americans across this great nation. In bringing out the truth about these bogus unemployment rates, we then highlight and form a basis for saying that the black community unemployment rate which is usually twice that of the national rate is way to high at 18 percent. This is the fight we want to fight and win as a people.