Donald Trump

Imagining A Harry Truman-Donald Trump Meeting!

Ronald 6 Comments

It has been 80 years since Harry Truman ascended to the Presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt on April 12, 1945.

Truman stood up for the accomplishments of FDR’s New Deal, most notably Social Security and labor rights.

Truman also faced the challenge and threat of the Soviet Union, and by utilizing the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and challenging successfully the Berlin Blockade of 1948-1949 with an Airlift, he upheld the promotion of democracy from the totalitarian threat of Joseph Stalin.

Truman was known for speaking his mind, and had the nickname “Give Them Hell Harry”, and could use salty language against those he saw as detrimental in their ideas and policies, including for example, Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin of the infamous “Red Scare” during Truman’s second term!

So try for a few minutes to think of what it would be like had Harry Truman had the opportunity to meet his “namesake”, meaning another future President whose last name had the first four letters shared—meaning Donald Trump!

The verbal confrontation and stern, glaring demeanor of Truman toward Trump would have been legion for the ages, as he would not be tolerant in any fashion of the personality, views, or actions of Donald Trump, which are diametrically opposite of Truman!

Truman would be very voluble and outspoken in the extreme and “give Trump hell”, as Truman did in his Presidential campaign of 1948.

And had, in theory, Truman had Trump as his opponent, he would have verbally “slaughtered” him nationwide, and put him back where he belongs, in obscurity as a totally failed President, who has been rated absolutely last in the American Political Science Association Poll that ranked Presidents in 2024!

Donald Trump’s War On Education And Foreign Students!

Ronald 9 Comments

Donald Trump has declared open war on higher education, and all education, as well as foreign students, attempting to dictate curriculum, funding, and expulsion of foreign students.

As an educator and a proponent of freedom of speech and open discussion and debate, all decent people must resist Trump’s attempt to create a government controlled curriculum of what knowledge and ideas are to be promoted.

Foreign students are being victimized, despite the fact that they are a major strength of our university system nationwide, and the movement to expel students for their beliefs and thoughts is a fight that cannot be allowed to be lost!

And the idea of universities having federal funding cut at the whim of the White House and its lackeys in the Presidential Cabinet is outrageous! For instance with Harvard University, but also many other institutions nationwide, Trump is trying to promote mind control, a tactic of authoritarian regimes to control curriculum, and what can be taught to students.

American universities are the envy of the civilized world, and the battle to prevent “Trumpification” of higher education, and even education below the college level, must be fought for without pause!

Trump Cancellation Of Federal Funding Of National History Day Contest A Step Too Far! :(

Ronald 11 Comments

Donald Trump cannot go low enough, as now National History Day, a contest that involves hundreds of thousands of students in a competition for the best history project, conducted annually in June, is no longer being financially supported by the federal government

This is part of the gutting of the long operating National Endowment for the Humanities and National Endowment For The Arts, first initiated 60 years ago as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society!

It is clear that nothing is too low for the Trump Administration in the mad dash to cut spending through Elon Musk and the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and allow massive tax cuts fot the wealthy to go through to law!

The 119th Congress, with a slim Republican majority, is on the road to destruction of much of federal government programs, without any regard for the damage that is being wrought!

Ronald Reagan On Tariffs And Immigration Totally Diametrically Opposite From Donald Trump!

Ronald 44 Comments

Ronald Reagan, the 40th President (1981-1989), was the most conservative President of the 20th century, who most Republicans have modeled themselves on, regarding his beliefs and record in office.

But today, most Republicans are subservient to Donald Trump, the 45th (2017-2021) and 47th (2025- ) President, and it is very clear that the two men have very little in common, despite both technically being Republican Presidents.

Reagan, for all of his faults, and the criticisms that have been made of his record in office, and his beliefs, was diametrically opposite from Trump on two key issues that now dominate the Trump Presidency.

Reagan made clear his opposition to high protective tariffs, while Trump is promoting a national and world wide crisis with his “Tariff Wars” against all nations, with many nations being assessed a totally insane level of tariffs on their goods.

Reagan also signed immigration reform in 1986, legitimizing many undocumented immigrants, perceving their positive contributions to the American economy and society, while Trump is determined to deport, if he is successful in doing so, ten or more millions of immigrants, despite the dire need for their labor, and the contributions most of them have made to the nation!

Republican Presidential candidates since Reagan, including the two Bush Presidents, but also John McCain and Mitt Romney, supported further immigration reform, as did some Republicans in Congress, but now most Republicans remain silent as Trump declares war on immigration.

So it seems quite obvious that if Ronald Reagan were alive today, he would be a vehement opponent of Donald Trump!

The 1920s Under Calvin Coolidge And The 2020s Under Donald Trump: Isolationism, Protectionism, Nativism!

Ronald 16 Comments

There could not be more of a difference in personality between Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President (1923-1929) and the 45th and 47th President, Donald Trump (2017-2021, 2025- ).

Coolidge was quiet, soft spoken, avoided publicity and attention, while Trump is bombastic, outspoken, and craves constant publicity and attention.

It seems clear that if Coolidge had ever met Trump, he would be frowning about him as a showboat and braggart!

And yet, the two Presidents actually have much in common, specifically three terms:

Isolationism—desire to avoid involvement with rest of world and alliances

Protectionism—promotion of high protective tariffs

Nativism—support of limitations on immigration from other nations.

These policies in the 1920s led to disaster in the 1930s and 1940s, causing the Great Depression; causing the rise of Fascism, which forced America into World War II; and denying many immigrants, particularly Jewish, but not only them, who were trying to escape from totalitarian Fascism in Italy under Benito Mussolini and Germany under Adolf Hitler. This led to the Holocaust of 12 million people in Nazi Germany’s areas of control!

Sadly, we now seem to be going in that same direction, as a century ago, as immigrants are being deported to an uncertain future, and we are on the cusp of a major economic collapse due to high tariffs being imposed by Donald Trump.

But even worse is the collaboration and flirtation with authoritarian nations, particularly the Russian Federation, against nations that were once America’s democratic allies!

DC District Chief Judge James Boasberg Challenges Trump Deportations!

Ronald 14 Comments

Washington DC District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg has challenged the Donald Trump Deportation policy of sending migrants, mostly but not all Venezuelan gang members, to the horrendous prison being operated by the dictator of El Salvador.

There is one definite case, and some others that are questionable, of migrants who, wrongfully, have been forced to that prison with no record of gang membership or any crimes, and without having basic constitutional rights that are guaranteed to all who reside in the US, whether legal or undocumented!

America is not at war, so use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 is unconstitutional, and Trump could utilize it against any American who speaks out in criticism, the mark of a Fascist authoritarian tyrant!

So far, the government is claiming it can ignore the order of Judge Boasberg to return that one migrant, and to use the argument that the US government cannot force the El Salvador dictator to return this individual, is preposterous, as the US government is paying that government to house these individuals that have been sent there for imprisonment.

This whole situation is infuriating, and all decent people have to continue to do what happened on Saturday, mass marches and demonstrations, demanding changes in government policy on so many fronts, including these mass deportation outrages without evidence, as well as the lunatic tariff wars Donald Trump is promoting, and saying nothing will change his mind!

Boasberg is highly respected, independent, was nominated by both George W. Bush and Barack Obama to different judicial positions, but now is under bitter attack, and needs extra security protection, an outrage caused by Donald Trump and company denouncing him in an unacceptable, outrageous manner!

In Two Days, Trump Has Destroyed Tens Of Millions’ Economic Security!

Ronald 11 Comments

In just two days, Donald Trump has destroyed tens of millions’s economic security, with his Tariff Wars on the entire world, except, interestingly, for such authoritarian governments as the Russian Federation, Cuba, North Korea, and Belarus!

People’s retirement accounts and economic well being, regarding Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and so much else, are being systematically destroyed by the extremist right wing assault headed by Elon Musk, with Donald Trump’s endorsement.

THe nation and the world are in the grips of a maniacal, dangerous tyrant, who seems to have no concern for the damage he has wrought!

One of his unnamed White House aides used the F word, to say Donald Trump did not give a F—-about anyone who opposed what is doing, and that he is not going to change course.

This is a massive domestic and worldwide crisis that undermines everything decent that the United States has promoted and believed in!

Democrats, including Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Murphy,—and Republicans, including Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz, Thom Tillis, Chuck Grassley, Don Bacon—are sounding the alarm, and Congress must unite with Democrats and a handful of Republicans to stop the dangerous, destructive tariff wars that are undermining the American economy and well being of its citizens, as well as the world at large!

Fact: Democrats Clean Up Republican Economic Disasters Since 1933!

Ronald 17 Comments

It is historical fact, whether Republicans and conservatives believe it or not, that Democratic Presidents clean up Republican Presidents’ economic disasters since 1933.

Franklin D. Roosevelt with his “New Deal” helped to resolve the Great Depression that occurred under the watch of President Herbert Hoover.

John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson brought about great economic prosperity in the 1960s after three recessions in the 1950s under President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Jimmy Carter had to deal with the economic recession in 1974-1975 under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and the economy revived in the first three years of his term in the late 1970s.

While Jimmy Carter had to deal with a brief six month recession in 1980, a contributing factor in his defeat for reelection that year, successor Ronald Reagan had to deal with a much more damaging recession in 1982, and later again with a stock market crash in 1987.

Bill Clinton brought about great economic prosperity after the recession that occurred under President George H. W. Bush in 1992, which led to his defeat for reelection. And Clinton brought about a balanced budget in his second term in the late 1990s.

Barack Obama brought about a recovery from the Great Recession that began under President George W. Bush, leading to the greatest economic recovery in American history.

Joe Biden brought about a recovery from the COVID 19 Pandemic under Donald Trump, which caused a massive loss of employment, but economic growth in the stock market and lowering unemployment made Biden a success.

Now, with Donald Trump, second term, undermining the American economy with his lunatic Tariff Wars against the entire world, the stock market has had massive losses, and unemployment is rising, and inflation is occurring, and it wil be up to the next Democratic President in 2029 to work to overcome the massive damage being wrought!

Delusional And Unconstitutional Ideas Of Third Term For Donald Trump!

Ronald 40 Comments

As public opinion polls make clear that Donald Trump is becoming very unpopular with his dizzying, chaotic policies after just ten weeks in office, Trump is speaking about a third term as President.

This is impossible, as the 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951 after Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected four times to the Presidency, limits any President to two elected terms, or if succeeding to the office, a maximum of ten years is allowed,meaning only if a Vice President comes into the Presidency with less than two years left, then he could be elected twice, for a total of up to ten years.

Already, Lyndon B. Johnson, before he dropped out of the Presidential race in 1968, could have had 9 years and two months in office, while Gerald Ford, who came in with 2 years and five months left in the term, could only be elected once, but was defeated in 1976.

To overcome this amendment would require a repeal of the 22nd Amendment, and a succession amendment that changed these limitations.

But that would require a two thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, followed by support of 38 states out of 50 by majority vote in both houses of the state legislature.

Such is not going to happen, and certainly, not rapidly enough for 2028.

Clearly, Trump is delusional, with his idea that JD Vance might be elected with Trump as Vice President, and then would resign to allow Trump to come back to the White House.

But that would never happen, and still violates the 22nd Amendment.

Also, when Trump says he loves work, that is purely a lie, as he spends too much time golfing, and everyone who has observed him, knows he is lazy and does not like the details of the job, and hardly reads any important information more than one page in length.

This whole concept of a third term for Trump will never happen constitutionally, and is just a smoke screen for Trump to gain constant attention.

And his comment that he is the most popular Republican President in the past century shows his lack of knowledge and reality about Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan, who had much higher public opinion support than Trump, who has never had the backing of a majority of the American people.

It is also ignoring the massive election victories of Richard Nixon in 1972 and Ronald Reagan in 1984, compared to the less than a majority victory of Trump in 2024 and his failure to win the popular vote in 2016, losing by 2.85 million votes!

Gutless Wonders: Profit Over Principle For Key Law Firms And Universities! :(

Ronald 10 Comments

It is stunning and shocking how major American Law firms are caving in to the intimidation of Donald Trump!

The “almighty dollar”–profit–is causing law firms to run scared, despite the good work they performed in representing clients who had decent, reasonable cases against Donald Trump and his corrupt allies.

This is worrisome, as if this mentality continues, the ability of those who are victimized by actions of the Trump Administration to have competent representation in court cases, will be decimated, undermining American democracy and the rule of law!

Universities, in order to avoid losing government funding, are also caving in to Donald Trump demands, which also undermines faith and belief in the validity of these institutions in promoting truth and knowledge!