Awaiting our Judeo-Christian impulses

Justice coming for him?

I have never been convinced that we will come out of this peculiar stage of American history with the feeling that our impulse toward good actually won out. 

We are conditioned to think that it will. It is our nature to accede to the Judeo-Christian ethic. We have always seemed imbued with that. But now as the months drag on with Donald Trump showing the ability with has constant crew of lawyers to gum up the works, I just don't know. The man was able to gain the presidency of the U.S. He used his celebrity and his instincts as a demagogue. 

General Patton had a term for people like this: "wallpaper hangers." Be aware of a new one coming around the corner at any time, the general advised. 

We should have been aware of Trump's bad side very early-on. The problem is that he was just so good as a demagogue. And he knew the importance of trying to massage the law in his favor. A person with evil or autocratic intent should be "shot down" (metaphorically speaking) in relatively short order. That is because of the inherent nature I have cited here, i.e. man's nature to gravitate to good principles. 

So I advise on this day when we await Jack Smith's possible move vs. Trump: Do not assume anything. Do not assume that a plurality of us will "come to our senses." The whole Republican Party has not "turned" yet. It is profoundly influenced by Trump, cowed by Trump. Or shall we say, cowed by all the impressionable MAGA followers across the country. They have consumed the Kool-Aid. 

Maybe we can forgive them for being taken the first time around. But as we consume the news and commentary each day now - early summer of 2023 - we cannot feel assured that opinion leaders are ready to change their spots. Tune in to a typical AM radio talk show and it continues so predictable. "What about-ism." 

So the talk radio crowd has decided not to talk about Trump so much - they claw away at Joe Biden or "the Bidens." If their savior-like prophet Donald Trump is coming under the watchful eye of the law, well then certainly the Bidens must be corrupt and must be taken down. But it comes across as such an obsession. Oh to hear just one of these people do a real mea culpa, to just say "we miscalculated" on Trump, and the man has questionable character. 

But no. 

There's talk that the evangelical Christians are backing off only a little. Christianity is only starting to have a "discussion" about Trump as if he might still be propped up. Propped up with all his corrupt and selfish intent, racism, autocratic instincts. Our own congressperson here in western Minnesota voted against certifying the 2020 election results. I have inquired with her office whether she still stands by her statements on Jan. 6. I have gotten no response. She's Michelle Fischbach.

Republicans always talk about voting irregularities. Seriously, it is good to have some vigilance on this. Yes we need a vigorously managed voting system across the country. No doubt. But to deny the actual election result of 2020? In favor of what? Trump getting a pass to continue as president indefinitely? Weren't we looking at that scenario? 

So he would have been installed as autocrat after all. And with his family members donning roles as the "royal family." What a sea change it would have been for American life. Trump as president never would have agreed to compromise on the debt limit. He tried to tell his party not to capitulate on anything. So America would have stopped paying its bills. With what consequences for the U.S. and the world? 

And would Fischbach be willing to answer for the outcome? 

Tom Emmer did not vote against certifying the election results. So we have such an extreme representative in Congress now. Are we at risk of becoming marginalized out here in Western Minnesota? Stigmatized? 

We had a mainstream congressperson in Collin Peterson who actually presented himself as a "blue dog Democrat." No one knew the Farm Bill better than Peterson. He was interviewed on KFGO's "News and Views" just the other morning. 

Are we in Western Minnesota at risk of developing the hard right MAGA reputation, and could this begin to hurt our interests? Could well happen. 

Jack Smith (cnn image)

I write this on Tuesday morning as we await something happening in the Jack Smith probing of Trump. But we cannot be assured that the right thing will happen in the end, that Judeo-Christian logic will ultimately prevail. 

Our normal senses on such things are not as reliable now. We can only pray that we get to the right outcome. Trump in jail? Maybe not. But maybe this is the only thing that will tamp him down, prevent him from looming as a menace again. A person of reasonably good character would have done a mea culpa by now, admit to some errors and negotiate a proper outcome that would above all serve the interests of the U.S. 

But I don't know, I just don't know. Will another day go by with nothing really happening? We have become so conditioned to this: nothing happening. 

I posted the comment below on Yahoo News yesterday (Monday).

 

I've heard talk bouncing around that Trump might be spared serious charges if he agrees not to run for public office or agrees to stay out of public life completely. Here's the problem: knowing what we know about Trump, his team of lawyers will search for loopholes, challenges or whatever, because it's never over with the guy. Therefore I think authorities will simply have to charge him to the maximum extent. Setting an example? Of course. And he is incapable of doing a mea culpa, of showing humility. Humility? Ha!

 

I got flooded with responses. No other comment that I have ever shared in the Yahoo forum has even come close. Meaning what? Well maybe you can read through a few and make deductions. I am heartened by the overall tone. One comment that arrived just prior to me publishing this is from "Jamaica Frank" and he says "ignore the 'talk.' " My nature is to pay attention to scattershot "talk" and to try to find threads in it. My friends will smile as they read that. I invite you to read some other responses my comment generated:

That shouldn't be on the table at all. He was president. There should be no plea deal. He should be prosecuted to the full extent and any punishment should be maxed. Politicians should be held to the highest level, not the lowest.

The DOJ can't make a deal like that. That would be a violation of his 1st Amendment rights. And there would be NO WAY Trump would ever abide by that even if it were on the table.

Billionaires don’t go to jail, Brian!

I do not think Mr. Smith will go along with that.

The problem with that is Trump's word means nothing. The man has no honor.

The rest of his life would be getting sued weekly. That would cost us too much money on this lump of garbage. He would constantly be breaking the deal he made.

If there's one thing Don will always do, it's never honor anything. No chance of this happening.

Staying out of public life completely is likely doomed to failure for DJT. Serious narcissists, which he is, will not tolerate removal of their supply. He requires intense attention from others at this stage, including the glare of publicity.

The only thing that will end it with Trump is a wooden stake through his "heart".

To be honest, I thought with all of the shenanigans that he pulled while in office and then with the Jan. 6th stuff, that he would try to negotiate his way out of it by saying he would not run for office again. That was BEFORE any of this documents stuff was known. So it wouldn't surprise if he tries to use that as a negotiating chip.

They should at least indict him. I was hoping for prison time, but will settle for house-arrest, with an ankle monitor, and another mug shot.

Where did you hear that? It is not true at all, nor is there any credible talk bouncing around. They want Trump indicted and found guilty, so we never have to face another president like him, ever again.

He NEVER does what he says he's going to. The man is a serious serial liar. Can't believe a thing he says.

That would NEVER happen. The only thing worse than Trump continuing his run would be for him NOT to be charged and prosecuted for the crimes he committed. There is precedent for others that have done far less. NOT charging him in exchange for simply curling up in MAL for the rest of his life would be a crime in itself.

My personal thoughts on those points:1) Trump will NEVER stay out of the public eye. He is incapable, lacks the discipline necessary to be able to do so. AND has NO impulse control. 2) No prosecutor would make this offer, THAT would make it a political prosecution and this clown has EARNED his stripes as a criminal. 3) Trump needs to be made an example of. He has flouted the law for years and made it a point to continue to do so while in office. If NOTHING is done, it just opens the door for the next corrupt politician who's not as stupid as that orange buffoon and will do WORSE to the country. Charge and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.

Applause for your comment.

Then trump will pronounce that he would have won the presidency if it weren't for people on his fake witch hunt. He is so predictable.

I actually wouldn’t mind this. If he never runs for political office or gets involved with any political campaigns, that might be something to think about. The problem is he and his advisers will search for loopholes or he might push his children to run on his agenda.

Rumor, all rumor Brian. I watch a lot of news and read a lot of articles and there is nothing in print that says any deals are being considered. There may be, but for example Fani Willis, the district attorney of Fulton County Georgia has so much evidence, and testimony, and Trump's own voice via taped phone calls, that she would be doing the people of Georgia a disservice making a deal with Trump. Certainly not at the Federal level either. I think Trump has finally met his match in the people chosen to lead the charge against his lifelong Get Out of Jail Free cards that his father raised him to believe were his birthright. And I for one, can't wait. . .bring it on.

They wouldn't do that anyway. Tying it to whether he runs would embolden his base's assertion that it is a witch hunt. Prosecutors would never admit that to his attorneys as it would be front page news the next day when Trump tweets out they are tying the charges to him running.

His word, oaths and promises mean nothing

Hope you are right about being charged to the max; however, unfortunately, I doubt it.

The sum total of what Donnie doesn't appear to know or understand about our laws seems to be close to the sum total of knowledge of US law that exists in this country in any form, written/verbal etc.

The DOJ must indict Trump. It has been under debate by numerous retired federal prosecutors, and the consensus view is that it could/would be a crime if Jack Smith did not charge Trump in the Mar-a-lago documents case.

I would not trust him as far as I could throw him. Never, never, EVER trust anything Trump says.

This has NOTHING to do with him running for office. This is a matter of HIM BREAKING THE LAW and getting punished for it.

Makes sense. That is what this is all about.

$5 billion fine and 25 years in prison. Trump is more than welcome to run for office after he’s served his sentence.

Not at all, you can't make an agreement like that with the DOJ. This one is bad for Trump, he better get convicted, if not, this country has become a complete joke.

So your theory proves this is all to keep him from running.

I want to see him be FINALLY held accountable for a lifetime of crime! He isn't going to win the general election anyway, so it wouldn't be much of a punishment! Trump is not above the law! Lock him up!

That’s not the way it works with criminal prosecution at this stage of the proceedings.

People are saying, eh? Not happening and unenforceable as unconstitutional. You can’t plea deal to not run for public office. Impermissible violation of Am 1 to even offer that deal for DOJ. DOJ wouldn’t make that dumb deal if they could. Makes this really a political thing when it’s a criminal thing.

You've heard nothing, clown.

OMG! Trump not allowed to bleat in public?!? That would be like a death sentence for the DJT.

Maybe as a condition of probation in return for other things like home detention rather than incarceration.

Agree with you, will get a deal.

Who cares if he runs. He has zero chance of winning.

I call b… ullshyt. There is no way prosecutors are going to do that, and even if they wanted to, they wouldn’t have the legal authority to authorize such a deal. You’re either lying or woefully misinformed.

 

  

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

(I should come up with a Don Riley-type rejoinder to that last comment! Remember the late Riley? The unconventional sports columnist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press? Holy cow, the sexist stuff he sometimes wrote! A time capsule of somewhat Neanderthal times. He peppered his critics with smart-alecky comments. Like, "and you'll love the view at Happy Acres.")

 

Addendum: Saw a news item in the last couple days about the restaurant patron who was asked to leave because she was seen praying. See what happens as Christianity gets so connected to politics? In a way Jesus was actually political but it was on behalf of the downtrodden and afflicted. Today I guess Christians care more for tax cuts for multi-national corporations.