God has smiled upon you, this day
The fate of a nation in your hands
And blessed be the children we
Who fight with all our bravery
Until only righteous stand
Last Friday evening I attended the annual fund raising dinner for a Jefferson County charity offering recreational opportunities to kids. A good friend supports the group, and, being in Jeff Co, they opened the free bar at 5:00 p.m. prior to a 7:00 p.m. dinner.
I know many people south of the Meramec. While talking to one, a successful businessman with a strong record of community building, he brought up that we need to support President Trump in the war on terror. I pointed out that the countries on the travel ban hadn’t produced any terrorists targeting Americans, and, the people hurt already had been vetted and had visas or green cards. No sale. ‘They are out to get us.’
I mentioned the encounter to the nice woman on my right during dinner: she corrected me by saying that the Democrats need to give Trump a chance to succeed, “the way the Republicans gave Obama a chance.”
This morning the latest Gallup “daily tracking poll found that just 40% of Americans approve of President Trump’s job as president so far, compared to 55% who say they disapprove…” [www.cnnpolitics.com 2/13/17] Remember that 40% of America is about 124,000,000 people.
So, while Bill Maher notes on HBO that this was “a good week for the resistance…Turns out a law isn’t just something Steve Bannon writes on a napkin and Trump signs,” we need to remember that a helluva lot of people around us still goose step.
You see the distance flames, they bellow in the night
You fight in all our names, for what we know is right
And when you all get shot, and cannot carry on
Though you die, La Resistance lives on!
With good polling I’d bet that Missouri’s Governor SEAL would score higher than Trump. Despite a steady stream of editorial ink highlighting his hypocrisy, I haven’t sensed a back fire against his hidden sources of money or his bullying of senators from his own party!
Remember, presidents and governors get elected to govern, to lead. Let’s spend a couple of minutes looking at concrete actions by the new guys which ought to create a tremendous amount of public indignation – but hasn’t.
Start with Trump’s Executive Order issued on February 3rd that delays the scheduled spring implementation of the ‘fiduciary rule.’ Basically, the rule (put together by President Obama’s people) said that those who sell investments to us for our retirement plans had to do what is in our, the customer’s, best interest.
No more.
As Rep. Ann Wagner (R – MO) said at the ceremony, the president was “listening to the concerns of everyday Americans and protecting their ability to access retirement investment advice.” [ http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/trump-issues-orders-targeting-dodd-frank-retirement-advice-rule/article_1877679c-c1be-5a9b-8c62-cb406773346a.html ] In a TV interview with a Bloomberg reporter Wagner went further, saying that Obama’s rule “put a foot on the throat of people saving for their retirement…” Wagner hopes that the delay will lead to the death of the rule. [ http://www.thinkadvisor.com/2017/02/03/details-emerge-on-trump-order-to-review-fiduciary ]
In other words, an unscrupulous salesperson can sell products earning him (or her) the greatest commission even though the products are bad deals for the investors. It’s good for consumers to make the salespeople rich, even if it means food pantry and thrift store visits during the Golden Years. Wall Street wins, millions upon millions of mere working folk lose, ha-ha.
Closer to home, Governor Eric Greitens’ proposed Fiscal Year 2018 budget wants to save money on MO HealthNet/Medicaid. As Paraquad reports,
“The governor’s proposed budget launches a three-pronged attack on the program. He recommended a reduction in rates, making it less likely that caregivers would ever get a raise. He suggested an artificial cap in funding for the program, the legality of which is in question. The final, and potentially most devastating recommendation, was changing the eligibility for CDS [Consumer Directed Services] and nursing homes. That recommendation would leave nearly 20,000 Missourians without any care at all, affecting people who have disabilities or are elderly get help with things like bathing, toileting, getting in and out of bed and meal preparation. “
http://www.paraquad.org/blog/greitens-budget-could-threaten-program-people-disabilities/
The federal government pays the bulk of the cost for Medicaid services to the elderly and disabled, so, Missouri is giving up Washington dollars to save Jefferson City dimes. To save those dimes Governor SEAL is willing to damn 20,000 of our neighbors.
Where is the outrage over these actions?
Well, every time the media covers the petulance of Trump’s team or photographs Governor SEAL working out with yet another group of guys in t-shirts precious energy is consumed. The general public, after all, prefers Entertainment Tonight to the PBS NewsHour.
And, that core of still unrepentant Donald and Eric supporters doesn’t believe the lame stream media anyway.
During World War II some estimate that 107,000 French resistance members died – that was most of them. [ http://www.worldwar-2.net/casualties/world-war-2-casualties-index.htm ]
Now, I don’t expect staggering casualties during the resistance to the Trump and Greiten’s regimes. But this is going to hurt.
Yes, we start with a substantial amount of gung-ho spirit and good crowds at demonstrations and marches. Alas, maintaining that level of commitment is almost impossible.
As we’ve seen with the fight for a higher minimum wage, a good public action gets attention. The second and third protest attracts fewer reporters. Many participants get discouraged. Others have to get back to everyday life, to earning a living.
Even with clear and discernible targets – Right To Work, cuts to Medicaid, attacks on legal immigrants, increased corporate greed – it will be hard work to keep the resistance alive and effective. I bet as the months creep by it will fall to a small number of us to stoke the fires. We will have to work smart and clock-in often. Every bad decision must be exposed. (Ridicule works too.) Legislators must be always held accountable for every vote and leaders have to explain why they keep marching into the swamp.
You may get stabbed in the head, with a dagger or a sword
You may get burned to death, or skinned alive or worse
But when they torture you, you will not feel the need to run
Though you die, La Resistance Lives on!
Some of us remember the Reagan years. Here in St. Louis up to a third of jobs in the social service sector were lost, a generation of potential leaders moved out of the field, the need for food pantries and other emergency services exploded, and many good things never came back.
Now 35 years later we can say we survived, that the fire never went out. Veterans of that resistance, we fly the flag again. More resistance fighters gladly accepted, of course.
Oh yes, those quotes in italics? They’re lyrics from La Resistance, one of the songs from the South Park movie…Remember, the film about America starting a war with Canada?
Submitted by Glenn Koenen, WCD Member
Thank you Glenn. I’m disturbed by the number of Trump supporters and their mantra of “give him a chance.” I understand their feeling that he deserves some time… the traditional “honeymoon” of new Presidents. But Trump’s actions and missteps are such a threat to our nation that the honeymoon has already ended. I cannot fathom how – against the background of foreign entanglements, ethical missteps, and general ineptitude – Republicans have not moved to mitigate the threats. It is as if the Reichstag has just burned in Berlin and Germans are saying, “Let’s see how he does.” By the time that saw how he did it was too late. In Trump’s blue-collar base I think we have a lost generation. There is no utility in reaching out to them. I call them the American Cargo Cult. They believe, magically, that a longed for past will suddenly reappear if they just perform the right rituals no matter how shallow and silly those rituals are. Wear Make America Great Again hats. Shout, “Fake news!” Buy Trump ties. In the face of their magic, they will not be moved.