With All Due Respect

One of the things that trump (a.k.a., pmurT) craves most is attention. Somehow, in his twisted mind, he conflates it with the very real tributes most presidents garner: respect and admiration. He fails to understand, though, that respect and admiration are earned, not taken by force. While constituents may initially default to them, they can easily be squandered if taken for granted, or worse, demanded. Nothing underscored that more than his self-congratulatory birthday and oh-by-the-way Army’s quarter-millennium anniversary, which also coincided with Flag Day. He clearly didn’t get the celebration he craved, but he certainly got the one he deserved.

The expensive spectacle he produced in Washington, DC was supposed to show our military’s solidarity, preparedness, and strength, and he thought, by extension, his power. Instead, it served as a backdrop for the true solidarity, preparedness, and strength demonstrated by the millions of protesters participating in the thousands of boisterous events across the nation and indeed, the world. The charade…I mean parade… was expected to draw about 200,000 people. According to reports, it fell far short, and the few pictures I’ve forced myself to view looked more like the aftermath than the live event. As Andy Borowitz noted, the “attendees did an amazing job of social distancing.” In contrast, estimates of between 5 and 10 million participants or more have been reported for the many protests.

My wife and I attended a protest in Princeton, NJ. While there were several other events closer to home, we thought the crowd in Princeton might be more lively and friendly, and we also thought we might even see some former neighbors, having lived in the next town over for about 37 years. As it turned out, crowds almost everywhere seemed to be lively and friendly, and the venue at Princeton was relatively small, so it was difficult to mingle among the 3,000 to 5,000 who were estimated to have participated. We not only held our signs at the event itself, but were able to parade up Nassau Street with many others as we returned to the parking garage several blocks away.

In the seven decades I’ve been alive, I have seen many presidents and lived through many political and economic ups and downs. I’ve experienced both crises and causes for celebration. Despite disagreements with some presidents’ policies or actions, I still saw them as “our president” (even Nixon, up until the end). I briefly felt that way about pmurT at the beginning of his first term, when I vowed to be open-minded and give him a chance to earn my respect. It only took a few weeks for me to reach the conclusion that my vow was misplaced, and then disavow him as “my president.” My detestment grew during the post-election period in 2020, and has blossomed to full-blown abhorrence in the first few months of pmurT 2.0.

His constant self-aggrandizement, heavy-handed policy implementation, trampling on the Constitution, roiling of the economy, malignment of his antagonists, diminishment of Congress and the Judiciary, besmirchment of our allies and adoration of our adversaries, blatant and rampant corruption, and his destruction of governmental effectiveness (DOGE) are each unacceptable attributes of an American president. Together, they represent a clear and present danger to our nation and indeed, the world.

At now 79 years old, it is unlikely that pmurT will change in any meaningful way. His aversion to introspection will prevent him from seeing that his charade parade was a massive failure of his own creation, and he’ll probably find a combination of excuses and scapegoats for the lackluster performance by the military, as well as the anemic attendance by his supporters. I’ll bet hegseth is walking a little funny these days.

Just a few points for the President In Name Only pmurT (PINO pmurT) to ponder:

• Bluster is not luster.

• Grifts are not gifts.

• Kickbacks are not knickknacks.

• Threats are not treats.

• Provoking isn’t promoting.

• Division isn’t vision.

• Coercion doesn’t cause conversion.

• Ruination doesn’t cause rumination.

I would like nothing more than for him to prove me wrong, but I don’t expect him to ponder the above, so it’s worth keeping these in mind for our own sanity. As much as PINO pmurT uses projection and craves attention and fealty, you would think he’d realize that any expressions of respect and admiration from his followers are as hollow as the promises he makes, and as transactional as deals he fakes. Perhaps that requires a level of intellectual awareness that eludes him. I say that with all due respect.