The Second Coming of "Trump The First" Dear leader of the Banana Republic of the Disunited States of America - Part I - Second Edition: Paradise Lost Redux

By Axel de Landalay

A MUST READ BEFORE THE 2024

US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

IRREVERENT, FACTUAL, AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING

• Language: English
• Publisher: Axel de Landalay
• Release date: Jun 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9781068892431

Book preview

Contents

PREFACE

DEMOCRACY APOCALYPSE

BOOK STRUCTURE

THE UNRAVELING OF AMERICA

THE FALL OF AMERICA

INTRODUCTION

2024 - DEMOCRACY APOCALYPSE NOW

JOE BIDEN’S STATE OF DISUNION ADDRESS

HOW DID WE GET THERE?

THE GORILLA IN THE ROOM:

THE POWER OF THE WORD

THE WEAPONIZATION OF WORDS

WHAT TYRANTS FEAR THE MOST

A wake-up call to Fahrenheit 451

THE END OF CIVILITY

WE THE PEOPLE

THE THINGS WE TOOK

THE THINGS WE FALSELY ASSUMED

HOW DOES THE WORLD SEE US?

AN AMERICAN’S WORLDVIEW

THE WAY WE SHOULD sEE OURSELVES

AMERICA IMPERIALISM

THE THINGS WE IGNORED

GOD, MONEY, AND POLITICS

THE THINGS THAT FINALLY

POLITICS THE DIRTIEST WORD

INDEX

This book is not a work of fiction; names, characters, places, and events are neither the product of the author’s imagination nor used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locations is not entirely coincidental. The author did his best to provide accurate information regarding the subject matter covered. While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy concerning thoughts, portraits, or characterizations described in this book.

Copyright © 2024 by Axel de Landalay

All rights reserved. No part of this book, including graphics, can be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the copyright owner except for the use of author’s quotations in book reviews. For more information contact alandalay@ proton.me

(©) First paperback edition March 2024

PAPERBACK  June 2024 ISBN 9781068892400

www.trumpthe1st.com

www.trumpthefirst.com

THE SECOND COMING OF "TRUMP THE FIRST"

DEAR LEADER OF THE BANANA REPUBLIC

OF THE DISUNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Volume 1 - Part 1

"Trump The 1st, Dear Leader of the New America,

I like that!"

From Trump’s little voice in his head.

In memory of a once-great country that could have lived a long time with its multiple chronic diseases, dysfunctional government, and flawed democracy but committed collective suicide when it found out that its people had split personalities that could no longer live together in the same reality.

PREFACE

If it is customary for a book to start telling the reader what it is all about, it is less customary to tell the reader what it is not.

For starters, this book is not fictional; everything related to it has already happened or is happening right now. The only thing that could be considered fictional pertains to the predictions of what will happen in the aftermath of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. But again, it is like predicting it will snow in New York next winter. It is not certain, but very likely.

More importantly, and contrary to its appearance, this book is not a rehashed litany of everything going wrong in America nor an anti-patriotic rant to vent the frustration that the Great USA is no longer what it pretends to be. It is predictable that by confusing criticism with anti-Americanism, some patriots will see it that way. But continuing to bury our heads in the sand and pretending that our great country is not facing an existential threat is the surest way to see the unfathomable happening: becoming a reality, meaning becoming a de facto banana republic.

It is not a dystopian book either, in the sense that it describes events and a society that is projected far into the future. For America, the future is now.

It is also customary that the author clearly identifies the audience of his book, which typically falls within a literary category genre such as fiction or non-fiction, with sub-sections like horror, mystery, science-fiction, novel, science, self-help, etc. But the author would instead let the reader decide for himself. Classifying this book as solely political is tempting, but it is more than that. It is also not directed exclusively to the American public, specifically not to a segment of the population with entrenched political views. It is clear that for those people, if Donald Trump would happen to slap them across the face, this book would make no difference. They would just pretend it was just Trump’s way of demonstrating his affection and respect. When you are so far down the rabbit hole, there is no hope for them to be influenced by any argument.

For the others, if they have not by now made up their mind about whom to vote for in the next election, it is because they either lack the skill of critical thinking, do not like any of the two candidates presented to them, or do not care who it is as long as he is not a Democrat. Either way, it is not expected that this book will change their minds, although it is hoped that it will make some people think about what they consider essential in their lives, those of their children and grandchildren, and act accordingly. So, to whom is this book directed?

It is directed to all the people around the world who do not follow American politics and do not understand how the object of their admiration could have committed collective suicide and fallen so quickly to demagogy, selfishness, hatred, and sectarianism. In essence, this book is a post-mortem analysis of a paradise lost that could be seen as a lesson and a warning to other democracies around the world experimenting with populism, illiberal democracy, and fascism.

Finally, although it may sometimes appear that way, this book is not anti-Trump either. It is only about what he represents and what he is single-handedly doing to America. But the man also elicits some sort of sick admiration for his conning talent and ability to corrupt everything he touches, and he still manages to elicit the admiration and devotion of a cult leader to millions of Americans.

To make it simple or more confusing, it is a non-philosophical book that talks about philosophical issues. Non-philosophical because it does not offer any words of wisdom, but philosophical because it deals with subjects such as moral values, reasons, knowledge, reality, and people. In short, the state of America today and the reasons for its ineluctable fall, not because there was nothing exceptional about America, but because of the way its people have ceased to be exceptional to become ordinary.

In an attempt to explain that monumental shift in the American Psyche, this book will try to deconstruct how the self-proclaimed greatest country on earth, a model of economic power, society, way of life, liberty, and democracy, is coming to the brink of becoming a banana republic.

We Americans should be stunned at the speed at which Ronald Regan’s "Shining City on the Hill" [1] fell from grace for becoming an object of puzzlement, dubitation, commiseration, or even worse, pity on the part of other nations who once considered us with envy, admiration, and as a model of democracy to emulate.

Above all, this book is not a scholarly essay. Any American with minimum intelligence, historical knowledge, curiosity, critical thinking, common sense, honesty, and good faith could have written it. The only caveat is that these days, finding Americans with more than two of those qualities is a challenge. But if you do and are honest with yourself, you will have to agree that it is time to stop veiling your face or play the ostrich game of hiding your head in the sand by acknowledging that,

our social net sucks,

our health care sucks,

our education sucks,

our police suck,

our military sucks,

our politics sucks,

our justice sucks, and to top it all,

what we are the proudest of, our democracy sucks.

But on the positive side, we still make great blockbuster superhero movies, Wall Street is doing great, our economy is resilient, we have great tech and social media companies, our money is still the world’s reserve currency, and we all love football and baseball. Oh yes, we still have enough nukes to blow up the planet several times over, and we love our military. But is that enough to keep a country together when half of us do not speak to the other half, share the same values, or live in the same reality?

The 2024 presidential election is coming, and you know what is about to hit the fan. However, because in the 2022 Midterm election, a majority of our compatriots have proven that they still care about our democracy, there is still a glimmer of hope that it just won’t be a repeat of the 2020 election. Maybe it is still time to fix the disunion state of America, but as a London bookmaker would say, don’t bet on it; the odds are too long. But what if?

WHAT IF……

We have all speculated about how the history of the world would have unfolded if a seemingly unrelated, insignificant event with unpredictable consequences had not occurred.

What if, in 1788, Napoleon Bonaparte had been accepted when he applied in Livorno, Italy, to become an officer in the foreign legion that Russia was raising in a war against Turkey? Unfortunately, his arrogance, lack of combat experience, and refusal to be downgraded from his rank of lieutenant pissed off the recruiting officer, who had just been called a prick for not recognizing his military potential. If the consequences for Europe were obvious, it also means that the Napoleonic wars would not have happened, and Napoleon would not have had to sell in the so-called "Louisiana Purchase" all the French territories on the American continent, allowing the U.S. to double the territorial size of our young Republic.

On the morning of Sunday, June 28, 1914, what if the driver of the presumptive heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, had taken the left turn instead of the wrong right turn at the Latin bridge in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina? And what if the car had not stalled and stopped almost in front of one of the assassins who shot and killed Franz Ferdinand and Sophie at point‐blank range? We all know the answer: no WWI, no Treaty of Versailles, no WWII, and no chance for America to become the world’s dominant power with none of all the imperialist wars that followed.

What if the struggling aspiring painting artist Adolf Hitler had not been rejected when he applied to the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, not once, twice, but three times? A rejection that certainly had a significant impact on his self-esteem that could have only gotten worse when he later failed his military fitness exam as "unsuitable for combat and support duty, too weak, incapable of firing weapons."

What if during WWI, the Germans, eager to get Russia out of the war to concentrate on the French and the British, had not secretly financed and facilitated a certain Vladimir Lenin, a communist revolutionary, head the Bolshevik party in exile in Germany to return to Russia? The unintended consequence of such a minor event led to the October Revolution and the rise of communism, which is still affecting the stability and security of the world one hundred and ten years later.

If those examples of "what if scenarios that impacted America had not happened, what about what if scenarios" of events in the case they did actually happen?

There is no doubt that many other examples could be found of when a single event would have had enormous consequences for our country if it had happened. But we will examine here only one for our discourse and thus for two reasons:

The implications of this non-event are unforeseen and are still unfolding.

The very existence of our country and its values are at stake

So here it is:

What if on January 6, 2020, during the Capitol insurrection to subvert our democracy, instead of a simple "normal tourist visit by just Friendly Guys and Gals Taking a Tourist Trip Through the Capitol" as portrayed by some Republicans, the rioters incited by Donald Trump had reached their intended goal and managed to HANG MIKE PENCE?

Would Donald Trump be in jail, and the Republican Party tossed into the bin of history?

What’ and ‘if’ are two words as non-threatening as words can be. But put them together side-by-side, and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life. What if? What if? What if? Anonymous.

DEMOCRACY APOCALYPSE

It is not a coincidence that this book starts and ends with the two words that may signal the end of America’s experiment with democracy.

In this context, the word "Apocalypse" should not be taken in its Christian-Judeo interpretation of doom, catastrophe, Armageddon, or the end of time, but as its true etymological Greek meaning:uncover, disclose, reveal.

We in America, like any other democratic country in the world, took democracy for granted and assumed that we did not have to fight for it until it became assailed from all directions from countries with the ideology of establishing a new world order based on autocratic rule.

So, what will be uncovered, disclosed, or revealed?

On November 5th, 2024, America will roll the dice to decide on the faith of its very soul. What is at stake is not which of the two candidates can better provide a better economy, secure our borders, or guarantee  women’s reproductive rights, but whether or not America will continue to be the beacon of democracy it pretends to be, because:

IT WILL BE WHEN DEMOCRACY IS GONE THAT WE WILL FINALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE HAD. AND THAT, FOR MOST OF US, WILL BE THE BIG REVEAL.

The Four Horsemen of American democracy Apocalypse

DONALD J. TRUMP

THE SUPREME COURT

AI, FAKE NEWS,

SHEER STUPIDITY

IS THE SUPREME COURT

A THREAT TO AMERICA’S DEMOCRACY?

The impact of Donald Trump, AI, fake news, conspiracy theories, and sheer stupidity as agents of our democracy apocalypse are well developed in this book. However, the impact of the Supreme Court as an agent of American democracy’s fall deserves a special introduction right in this preface because the consequences of the Supreme Court rulings will affect the daily life of all Americans for decades to come as Donald Trump’s legacy.

When the Supreme Court decided to take on the case of whether Donald Trump had unconditional immunity as president after all Lower Courts had ruled that he did not, you do not have to be a soothsayer to predict that the Supreme Court’s only motivation is not to be the ultimate arbitrator of several opinions that need interpretation.

Now is the time when Trump’s promise to stack the Supreme Court in his favor is about to pay off big time.

If, and when the Supreme Court renders a ruling on this no-brainer question, it will be something like this:

SINCE THE SUPREME COURT CANNOT OPENLY ADMIT, WITHOUT APPEARING TO BE TOO POLITICAL AND COMPLETELY BIASED TOWARDS DONALD TRUMP, IT WILL FIND A WAY TO DEFLECT THE BASIC QUESTION BY ADDRESSING ANOTHER CONCERN THAT DOES NOT MENTION THE FORMER PRESIDENT. THE COURT MAY VERY LIKELY ASK FOR FURTHER INFORMATION BEFORE RULING AND ACHIEVE ITS GOAL TO DELAY ANY RULING BY RUNNING THE CLOCK AGAINST ANY OTHER POSSIBLE TRIALS INVOLVING DONALD TRUMP TO PROCEED BEFORE THE ELECTION AND GIVING HIM DE FACTO IMMUNITY FOR ANY CRIMES HE COMMITTED AS PRESIDENT.

This is where rule # 7 - The politicization of the highest Court in the land of "How to Subvert Democracy for Dear Leader Wannabes" is paying off big time for Donald Trump.

Numerous strong leaders, from Putin to military coup leaders or democratically elected wannabe dictators, have used the same rule not to accept democratic elections they did not win, get rid of political rivals, or get rid of the maximum number of terms a president can be re-elected. In effect, having the Highest Court of the land in your pocket is the simplest way to use democracy to subvert democracy since once given the legitimacy of the law,  anything, including criminal acts, becomes legal.

By applying rule # 7, Donald Trump has effectively put an end to the separation of power between the three levels of government as instituted by the American Constitution.

Since Donald Trump has promised, if re-elected, to weaponize the Department of Justice to implement his retribution against all those he perceives having done him wrong, the Supreme Court has, in effect, re-instated for the United States a monarchical form of government and rendered obsolete the American Revolution.

"That means that if I win and somebody wants to run against me, I call my attorney general, and I say, ‘Listen, indict him!’ " ….."[If the attorney general says], ‘Well, he hasn’t done anything wrong,’ [I’ll say], ‘I don’t know, indict him on income-tax evasion. You’ll figure it out.’ "Donald Trump.

WHOEVER CONTROLS THE JUSTICE OF THE STATE CONTROLS THE COUNTRY

BOOK STRUCTURE

GENERAL CONTENT

This book is divided into four parts:

Part I - The Fall of America - How did we get there?

Part II - Trump the First – Volume 2

Part III - A Slow-moving Coup – Volume 2.

Part IV - In Living Memory – Volume 2.

Volume 1 - Part I - The Fall of America is structured around sections that contain chapters identifying systemic problems in our society and governance that are contributing to the decline of our great Nation and that, if not urgently addressed, may result in our collective downfall into a de facto banana republic status.

Each chapter is, in turn, divided into four sections that give a deeper perspective on one specific problem we are facing:

BANANA REPUBLIC CONNECTION.

Suppose we are genuinely on the verge of becoming a banana republic. In that case, looking at how banana republics became one and how their characteristic relates to our Republic is relevant.

THE LAY OF THE LAND

Describes one specific characteristic contributing to our slow moral and political decay leading us towards the point of no return of losing our democracy. The reasons could be small, hardly noticeable, like thousands of mini cuts, while others are significant factors or characteristics of our society and governance common to all banana republics.

ACROSS THE POND

"Across the Pond" will show us how we compare with other countries, or more specifically to one country in particular, that will be used as a reference model to determine how exceptional America is.

CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER

For our purpose, "clear and present danger" is not limited to free speech but extends to any situation that, if not immediately addressed, will contribute to the fall of our nation into a de facto banana republic status.

Volume 2

Part II - The Advent of "Trump the First is an attempt to describe the circumstances and the state of the American society that allowed a charismatic non-politician demagogue to become the Republican’s long-awaited Messiah" to fulfill their political ambition:

Part III - "A slow-moving coup" deconstructs the mechanics of a well-orchestrated plan to usurp American democracy and fulfill the Republican Party’s long-awaited agenda. 

Part IV- "Crossroad of Destiny, examines the chances that our electoral system, governance, and democracy will continue their dysfunctional path of self-destruction or if a charismatic Providential leader" will succeed in unifying enough of us to create a new party to deliver our republic from the curse of a two political party system.

Finally, "the nuclear option" will draw the consequences of a 2020 presidential election redux.

DETAILED CHAPTERS DESCRIPTION

PART I

Banana republic connection

The lay of the land

A view from across the pond

Clear and present danger

BANANA REPUBLIC CONNECTION

The modern definition of a banana republic applies to a country incapable of governing itself. America has already become a de facto banana republicon that criterion alone.

In October 2016, candidate Donald Trump made an outstanding prediction in Panama City Beach, Fla., commenting on the upcoming presidential election.

"This election will determine whether we remain a free country in the truest sense of the word or become a corrupt banana republic controlled by large donors and foreign governments. The election of Hillary Clinton would lead to the destruction of our country — believe me."

First, we all know that when someone ends a sentence with "believe me, that the person is lying. More importantly, replace the name Hillary Clinton with Donald Trump" in the context of the next presidential election, and those words will become prophetic.

But let us not digress.

Right off the bat, let’s make one thing crystal clear: when we are talking about "Banana Republic," we are not talking about the clothing store.

Initially, "Banana Republic" was a derogatory term initiated in the U.S. to describe a Central American puppet state. [2] Such was the case for Central American countries, which for centuries were entirely under the political and economic domination of large U.S. corporations, such as United Fruit Company, Dole Food Company, or Chiquita Banana International.

The label "banana" was used because bananas were the primary source of export in countries like Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras.

With time, the term came to designate any country with an economy run as a private enterprise for the exclusive benefit of the elite and ruling class. Obviously, a robust system based on fear and repression had to be kept permanently in place to prevent the people from rebelling. In its sphere of influence, the United States has for decades done its best to stiffer democratic aspirations and to promote dictators as heads of state to secure its own capitalist interests.

Today, the term has evolved to describe a country plagued with various problems, especially political ones that, if left unresolved, could contribute to the reasons why a country would become a "Banana Republic."

The country that coined the term banana republic has now become one itself.

To date, our country has not yet met all the characteristics of becoming a banana republic. Some aspects of our society and economy seem secure. Others are systemic problems, sometimes much worse than those seen in a so-called banana republic.

Finally, characteristics like our government and democracy are works in progress and have not yet allowed us to hit the home run for becoming a full-fledged member of the Banana Republic Club. However, we are making progress, and the emergence of charismatic individuals like Donald Trump in the country’s political landscape is speeding up the process.

Of course, we can all hope that nothing of the sort comes to pass and pray that the Party of Trump will miraculously snap out of its coma and remember what it used to be: a Republican Party and a GOP that used to stand for moral integrity and remember its oath to defend the Constitution against all threats, foreign and domestics.

PART I

Plato was right

In his Republic, the people were deemed too fickle, influenceable, and downright too stupid to be entrusted with the responsibility of electing those who would govern the affairs of the City.

Trusting ordinary citizens to be the guarantors of democracy is a losing proposition.

THE UNRAVELING OF AMERICA

The Perilous Path to a banana republic

The United States’ journey through turbulent political waters raises a troubling question: Could America be on the brink of becoming a banana republic?

The influence of money in politics, the fragility of electoral systems, and the divisive forces that have strained the nation’s social fabric are all pointing the Republic in a direction that, until recently, no one could have fathomed. But here we are. So, far from crying wolf, this prospect should act as a rallying cry for a renewed commitment to the ideals that have long defined the nation by confronting the possibility of a future where democratic norms are overshadowed by autocracy and urge action to strengthen the nation’s democratic foundations.

To be or not to be (a banana republic)

Isn’t it ironic that the term Banana Republic, coined by us to describe a country incapable of governing itself, has come full circle to bite us in the butt?

It is true that the "banana republic label has often been used and abused to describe the direction our country is taking. If the term has come to mind to so many people, it is because our country has been on that slippery slope for some time. This is why, before resorting to name-calling or crying wolf," we should take stock of where we are and how close we are to the abyss. But instead of taking the usual route to show which direction we are going, we will play the devil’s advocate and offer Trump supporters (Trumpsters), through inspired rebuttals, the opportunity to argue that our Republic IS NOT on its way to becoming that banana republic that we used to ridicule.

Characteristics of a banana republic:

A democratic country does not become a banana republic unless a person or some people have a vested interest in changing the politics and governance of that country. Such drastic changes rarely happen in a vacuum and without support and interference from a foreign country.

Trumpsters’ rebuttal:

The United States is the most powerful country on earth; nobody would dare to interfere with our democratic process. The Democrats have been trying to prove that Russia was partly responsible for Donald Trump’s victory in 2016 because they are sour losers. Our intelligence agencies have indeed come to support that conspiracy theory, but they are part of the Deep State, so what do you expect? Besides, when directly asked by our president if it was confirmed that Russia interfered in our election, Vladimir Putin replied with an emphatic denial, and our president believed him. This is proof that the claim of Russia’s interference in our presidential election was a fantasy,

A country does not become a banana republic overnight. It takes time, preparation, and convincing to make the people believe that radical political changes are the only way to improve the country.

Trumpsters’ rebuttal:

Americans are smart; they don’t have to be told what to think and how to vote. We Republicans adhere to our president’s motto of always telling the truth. Nobody listens to the fake news propagated by progressive media like CNN because the good journalists at Fox & Friends are there to spot the lies and defend our democracy.

After eight years of Obama, Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again," is correct. People asked for changes, especially for the forgotten workers of rural America and the middle class. Donald Trump is the only one who understood them and delivered. His tax cuts mainly benefitted the minorities of color and the marginalized, with only marginal benefits to corporate America.

The great majority of countries became banana republics as a result of a military or political coup initiated for the benefit of one person.

Trumpsters’ rebuttal:

The Democrats would like to scare off the American people by making them believe that Donald Trump has dictatorial aspirations. As proof, they pointed out how he gutted the numerous federal agencies not entirely on board with his policies or replaced their heads with people he could trust. Donald Trump is a businessman; he is used to being in charge and expects loyalty and obedience. Besides, he was the president and could do whatever he wanted.

Of course, the Democrats’ big proof that Donald Trump does not care about democracy is their attempt to portray the January 6, 2021, march on the Capitol as an insurrection. We all know that it was Antifa’s members disguised as Trump supporters who planned the whole "riot " to malign our president’s reputation. The truth is that January 6 was nothing but an ordinary tourist visit by our president’s supporters, culminating in a big love fest.

Countries that became banana republics did so as a result of the government’s failure or inability to govern.

Trumpsters’ rebuttal:

We Republicans have always been against big government and spending. For Democrats, it is the opposite. Using the pretext of a virus pandemic, they spent billions on wage support programs and other benefits to promote their social agenda. That is socialism! And socialism is communism! We, Republicans, believe in democracy.

As far as governing is concerned, it is the Democrats’ failure to negotiate and compromise that prevented laws and regulations from being enacted.

Politicians are overwhelmingly dependent upon money given by private interests.

Trumpsters’ rebuttal:

Most of a politician’s time is indeed devoted to raising money. But that is true for both Parties. It is also true that money given by corporations could be seen as an unhealthy influence on lawmakers, but it is less accurate today, at least for our Party. In fact, the majority of our funding comes from grassroots donors, especially after the 2020 election was stolen from our president and even more after the January 6, 2021, march on the Capitol. This is proof that our supporters believe in our claims that the election was rigged and that it was the biggest election fraud in the history of our country. So, we owe our allegiance to the one person representing the millions of American voters who felt cheated. And damn the Constitution; we are patriots.

All banana republics have one thing in common: they all have an army of thugs to do their dirty work.

Trumpsters’ rebuttal:

There was widespread outrage when Donald Trump threatened to unleash paramilitary violence in the U.S., but he was joking, no kidding. This is similar to when a wife says, "I am going to kill you if you do that." Ok, bikers swore a pledge of allegiance to Trump, but it is not like the S.S. swearing allegiance to Hitler.

Granted, Trump also said that he had the police, the military, and the biker gangs in his corner, but didn’t you see the wink-wink in his eyes?

Can you also blame Trump for cartoons advocating the possibility of a modern-day U.S. civil war and how gun-toting conservatives would have a field day shooting down wishy-washy liberals?

If history is littered with examples of power-hungry rulers turning to paramilitary violence to achieve their political goals, this is not Trump. Again, referring to right-wing paramilitary militias, when Trump said "to stand down but be ready and standby," he was simply telling them not to resort to violence.

Two more characteristics of a banana republic are the prevalence of kleptocracy and Nepotism. Kleptocracy refers to those in positions of influence using their time in Office to maximize their own gains, while Nepotism is the practice of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.

Trumpsters’ rebuttal:

Who could blame Donald for profiteering financially while in Office? He is a businessman, after all. If Trump promised to separate his business and presidency, he never said he would divest from his business while president. In fact, he said, "I could actually run my business and run government at the same time." Ok, the optic looks terrible, but Donald Trump would never use his position in Office to enrich himself.

Nepotism, seriously? Are you comparing First Daughter Ivanka and First Son-in-law Jered Kushner to John Kennedy’s brother Robert? United States Attorney General, that was a job. Ivanka and Jered were not given jobs; they were "pretend jobs just to keep them busy. As far as Trump’s two sons, Eric and Don Junior, he would never give them any jobs because Eric can’t stop, won’t stop gunning for the Dumbest Trump Alive title, while Don Junior is too Stupid to Collude." According to Robert Muller.

Now you have it! According to the Conservatives, our country is not in danger of becoming a banana republic any time soon. They are right.

Contrary to what pundits say, our republic is not on the verge of becoming a banana republic; we are already there.

THE LAY OF THE LAND

"….SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO GOOD….."Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond

Yes, we had it so good. But it is like happiness; you only know it was there when it’s gone.

"So good, so good, so good, so was the crowd singing from the top of their lungs, along with Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline at the Greek Amphitheatre in Berkeley, California, in 2012. That was before Trump’s America First," an America happy, proud, confident, and free. America did not have to be made great again; it was already great.

Now, if you re-watch that moment of grace on YouTube, you may be excused if you feel like crying.

In retrospect, even the beginning of the song seems ominous:

"Where it began,

I can’t begin to knowing

But then I know it’s going strong."

What is going strong now is the division and the fracture of our once proud and unified nation, the violence, the hate, the fake news, and our democracy going down the toilet.

How did we ever get here? We had such great hopes. From self-proclaimed greatest democracy on earth to a de facto banana republic.

It sure did not happen in a cathartic fashion, French Revolution-style, but rather in a slow death by a thousand little cuts. Something similar to the slow cooking of a frog in a pot where the frog is being boiled alive, a fraction of a degree at a time.

Except that in this example, the frog was in control of the temperature. Unthinkable? But here we