A NATIONAL PAPER THAT HAS DECIDED TO PRINT THE TRUTH

…Thank God for a Free Press

 

If you think that the US Congress, the Federal courts, and the US Constitution would keep a President Trump in check…..think again.

 

I think the first paragraph in the Washington Post Editorial Board’s latest editorial, pretty much says it all.

 

Here it is: “If you know that Donald Trump is ignorant, unprepared and bigoted, but are thinking of voting for him anyway because you doubt he could do much harm — this editorial is for you. Your support of the Republican presidential nominee may be motivated by dislike of the Democratic alternative, disgust with the Washington establishment or a desire to send a message in favor of change. You may not approve of everything Mr. Trump has had to say about nuclear weapons, torture or mass deportations, but you doubt he could implement anything too radical. Congress, the courts, the Constitution — these would keep Mr. Trump in check, you think.  Well, think again. A President Trump could, unilaterally, change this country to its core. By remaking US relations with other nations, he could fundamentally reshape the world, too.”

 

What they don't add is that the reshaping would be costly to America and devastating to everyone else.

 

The point of The Post’s editorial is that there are some of those within the Republican Party and in Congress that would gladly do some of the things that Trump says he wants to do.  That being: “gut environmental and workplace regulations, slash taxes for the rich so that the debt would skyrocket, appoint Supreme Court justices who oppose a woman’s right to choose”, and other negative issues as well.

 

If you think that the US Congress (Currently being run by Republicans), the Federal courts (The Supreme Court today being mostly conservative), and the US Constitution, that these would keep Mr. Trump in check, you had better “think again”.

 

As the editorial said, we all know what Trump has had to say about nuclear weapons, torture and/or mass deportations, and yes, perhaps you may doubt he would implement anything that was too radical.  You obviously haven’t been listening very well to "The Donald".

 

Donald Trump thinks he will have the authority of Vladimir Putin or other world dictators that can just order things that most Americans know need to be dealt with through the Congress and the Federal Courts.  But “The Donald”  doesn’t think that way.  He’s always been the “Boss”.  And all corporations with CEO’s like Trump, they are in fact, the “Dictators” of their corporations.  What they decide is their corporate law.

 

As a case in point, when Donald Trump visits his golf courses, he insists that all the women working in his businesses have to be good looking.  He tells his resort business managers to fire those that do not meet his physical standards, (Just as he “fired” all those on his Apprentice TV show).  Why would Trump change his patterns if he were to become president?

 

As to some other issues that a Trump administration would have, just look at his surrogates that he has said he would appoint to some level of staff responsibility.  He's already said he would appoint Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Chris Christy, and Roger Ailes.  In this group, three of them {including Trump) have had at least three marriages, Gingrich had to resign as House Speaker, Christy is being investigated by the US Attorney and Roger Ailes was dismissed from Fox Cable for years of sexual harassment of female employees.  Sounds to me like a questionable administration or cabinet.

 

The Post has announced that over the coming weeks before the election, the paper will be publishing a series of articles that will demonstrate just how much power a Trump administration would have, and what its effect would be on the American population. 

 

The Post will define the US congressional system, the scope of executive power, and they will lay out in a series of editorials showing the astonishingly broad authority of a US president.  At times they have questioned President Obama’s sweeping use of those executive powers, even when they agreed with his goals.  Mr. Trump already talks about pushing that presidential authority much, much further.  (Remember, he talks like he would be a strict dictator!)

 

In those areas where you think that Republican officeholders such as House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) would act as a brake on Mr. Trump’s worst instincts.  Skepticism on that concept is definitely in order. If these supposed political leaders were so inept in opposing Mr. Trump as a GOP primary candidate, why should anyone expect these same individuals to stand up to this bully, once he becomes the most powerful man in the world…?

 

Trump has already said he would tear up long-standing international agreements.  He says he would spend American’s hard earned tax money to deport millions of long-term US residents, and some are US citizens.  He wants to bring American “Waterboarding” back as a legal interrogation tactic, even though the World Court says it's torture.  He has said he will do this on his own, while thumbing his nose at the Congress and the courts.

 

He has intimated that he would bar the media from covering his administration, and yes, he could have the authority to do that in many areas.

 

To a large extent, he could use the government to help his personal businesses and, as he has threatened, he could injure those he perceives as enemies? (Something that Putin, his idol of a leader, has been doing for years.)

 

According to The Post, given Mr. Trump’s ever-evolving positions, and his apparent absence of fundamental beliefs other than in his own perceived brilliance, it would be foolish to make flat predictions of how Trump would behave. Nor does The Post underestimate the resilience of the US system or the devotion that US government workers to bring to the rule of US law.

 

But they also admit that it would be reckless to not consider the damage Mr. Trump might wreak in the long-term.

 

Some of that damage would come from Trump’s racism and disparagement of women and he could empower extremists who are now on the fringes of American politics.  His lies and conspiracy theories could legitimize comments that up until now, have been relegated to those fringe elements. Trump’s potential scope for his actions should not be underestimated.

 

In The Post’s upcoming editorials, they will be examining some arenas where Mr. Trump has been relatively clear about his intentions.  They will also show where US presidential powers are much more than you would imagine.

 

I just hope these articles will be read by as many people as possible before  November 8^th, or even before, if they are voting early.

 

Thank God that the United States has a free press, and that I am allowed to write and publish this column without fear of retribution.  But with a Trump president, that could be challenged.

 

Copyright G.Ater  2016