Believe it or not, we’ve all learned a lot over the past four years and can thank Donald J. Trump for that. He showed us a path not previously seen and taught us lessons not previously learned. You may have enjoyed your walk beside him on this path. Most have not. But you cannot deny the power this path has had on all of us, and on the world. If I were DJT, on the losing side of an election, looking for a way to spin the loss as a win, here is what I would tell the country.
“I am the winner in all this. Only I could have accomplished all I set out to do – and more! – in a mere four years. I have shown you the error of your ways. I have shown you the precipice on which this democracy sits.
“I have provided a small glimpse of just how easily and quickly Fascism can take root. Fascism remains a constant threat to any unwary democracy, and The United States is far from immune.
“I have opened eyes to the power of social media. These platforms are manipulative and invasive, and the weak-minded are easily swayed into believing and regurgitating all they see. Tweet that.
“I offered example after example of how negativity, hatred, biases, and threats of violence can easily be fed to the masses via rallies and tweets, and other social media platforms. I provided exactly what some wanted to hear, and hear they did!
“I showed you how the media – even the mainstream media! – could be easily manipulated to do my bidding. By reporting my every tweet, the media followed me exactly where I led them. My aim was distraction, pure and simple. Distract the masses while working toward unraveling the threads of government oversight. I removed those pesky regulations which protect the masses and the environment and installed an ultra-conservative federal judiciary to ensure the power and financial wealth of this country remains in the hands and coffers of an already obscenely rich few.
“I provided an in-depth civics lesson on the presidential election process and the electoral college process which – admit it – not many even had a clue about until now. It is an antiquated and cumbersome process created specifically to provide the slave-owners of the South added sway and control into who would become the next president. It is a process in need of a complete overhaul. Or perhaps just jettisoned in its entirety. Perhaps now, some 50-odd lawsuits later (just for the fun of it) and a violent attack on our Capitol building and legislators, someone might suggest doing something about it.
“I challenged pretty much every constitutional process that provided the rules for presidential decorum and actions to include the outright abuse of office and monetary gain, all with the claim of presidential immunity. I exhibited a total disregard for the rule of law. I proved – unequivocally – that the constitution is nothing more than a flimsy piece of paper when there is a weak and impotent government in place. A government with the sole intent of maintaining their own, insignificant, 15 minutes of fame and glory. Many proved they were – and remain – unworthy of the trust the voters laid upon them. They were not strong enough to shoulder the burdens of their office while following the rules of ethical conduct so clearly laid before us by the framers of our constitution.
“I’ve opened eyes to the blatant racism, misogyny, homophobia, and xenophobia which remain alive and well in this country. I have thoughtfully given you all the ability to clearly see just how fractured we are as a country. And the knowledge that any growth we’ve seen over the last 200+ years is nothing compared to how far we have yet to go.
“I’ve shown you there’s no harm to seeing kids in cages, as long as their skin color is anything other than white.
“I’ve filled the federal courts – easily, I might add, with the help and support of my friends in the republican-controlled Senate – with ultra-conservative, right-wing zealots, many of whom were unable to get a “qualified” rating from the American Bar Association. I have ensured the minority will continue to rule the majority, even when – or especially when – challenged in the federal courts.
“I have laid bare the fact that saving human lives was never a goal of this regime. The goal was to disrupt and divide. Turning people against one another, focusing their attention on their fears and hatreds, allowed me to maintain and consolidate a power structure that will not be easily challenged or destroyed. It will take a long time to undo the damage I have wreaked on this country, if ever.
“I have shown you that fealty to the fiefdom is paramount in a corrupt and ethic-less government. You remain loyal, I pardon you. You don’t? Then I vilify you and exact vengeance upon you. A simple recipe for ensuring loyalty.
“I have provided you a glimpse into how quickly and effortlessly insurrection and anarchy can engulf the weak-minded. Those who would proclaim their allegiance to America and their willingness to Make America Great Again are ready, willing, and able to attack, deface, and destroy the very institutions that define our democracy.
“Finally, I planted the seeds for the beginnings of a true authoritarian regime. A dictatorship. This is how it begins. An outsider in the White House. A rebel. I’ve shown you how it’s fueled from within – with followers who shirk their elected duties and say nothing out of fear of falling off their perceived throne of power. People willing to trade ethics and morality for power and wealth. This is how fragile democracy is. This is how democracy dies.
“So many lessons are here for you and you can thank me later. And while there are many more examples, I’ll save them for my book tour. For now, you should ponder just how easily you have been manipulated into following my every tweet and decide if a dictatorship is truly the direction you would like to see this great country move toward. We are but one vote away from that outcome. It’s up to you now. I’ve done my part.”
Namaste 🙏
~jwb~