A Time of Infamy Began at Noon Yesterday
The Irony of January 20
Ironic, isn’t it? On the single day yesterday of January 20 we celebrated the life and work of a man dedicated to service and hope, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ; continued an official period of mourning the death of a president who personified service and morality; and on the same day inaugurated an individual who is the very opposite of character, caring, and competence. What a day. That Trump sniveled about flags being at half-mast in honor of someone besides himself says it all.
In some ways, of course, this all is the nature of democracy. We have a system of government, a social construct, that is given to occasionally running off the road into a thicket of trouble and pain. But it is also a system capable of self-correction. It may do so slowly and unevenly, but the history is that we eventually make the corrections, and throw the bums out.
Let us hope this will be the case on this round, starting with the midterm elections in 2026, and perhaps sooner in the courts (helpful that Biden nominated a large number of high quality judges), at local levels, and perhaps even (though unlikely) in Congress.
The Roadmap
If one wonders what the Trump administration and its supporters will try to accomplish, one need only look at Project 2025. For all the denials, which no one believed, that is the roadmap they will follow. Dozens of the authors of this terrible document are now in positions of power in the government. Watch in particular the nominee for Director of OMB.
A flood of Executive Orders (some not legal or administratively workable) and personnel changes are upon us. The authors plan to accomplish most of their objectives in the first 180 days, before midterm electioneering begins. It will be interesting, to say the least, to see how often they can be blocked by various means.
The Outcomes
We have been here before. Corrupt administrations are not as rare as one would hope, although this one surely will set new records for corruption and conflicts of interest, as Trump did last time around. Yes, we have seen oligarchs seize the levers of power, only to be thrown out by voters, eventually. Hostile foreign powers have taken advantage of perceived weaknesses, incompetence, and isolationism by America in the past. We have seen cabinet appointees wholly unsuitable for the positions they held, although I think never so many at this depth of unsuitability.
We are entering a period of official lawlessness, I expect, seeking to ignore laws and legal rulings. The deficit is about to surge beyond imagination. The economy will cruise for most of a year on the good shape Biden left it in, but will in due course fall into high inflation, weakening of the dollar internationally, and a recession. Russia and China will be sorely tempted to mischief and aggression, knowing Trump will not interfere. Trump might even cheer them on.
What might happen with Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is unknown at this point. There are opportunities before us to make both situations better. I doubt that Trump will use opportunities and leverage wisely. In many ways, we have historic chances for progress in this area to improve things. I will be surprised if that happens. Another generation of Iranians, Palestinians, and Israelis will live in conflict and die needlessly.
The Future
In spite of all of the above, I remain cautiously optimistic that we will self-correct. We will get much of this back on track- eventually. The deep social and political divisions of the country and the failure of media will make it harder. But we will get there.
In the meantime, let’s look for good news where we can find it. Work locally and nationally to call out BS and to support good work. Settle in for the long fight. Simply giving up is not an option.
For those who voted for Trump, who voted for a third party candidate, who voted not at all – you did this. You made this happen. The rest of us knew what to expect from Trump and his associates. No surprises there. We expected better from you.
Need a lighter moment?
Take a look at the suggestions in The Borowitz Report of things to watch other than the inauguration. They make for good viewing throughout the months ahead. https://www.borowitzreport.com/p/what-to-watch-instead-of-the-inauguration
You might also find the Borowitz headline for inauguration day rings a bell:
“Inauguration Forecast Shows Temperature and IQ in the Twenties”
Bill Clontz
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