Arthur E. Sowers is a resident of Harbeson.
Frank Daniels’ most recent letter shows that he has a pretty big negative attitude about Joe Biden’s time in the White House (“Happy to say goodbye to Joe”). Conversely, he was all bubbly and fizzy about Donald Trump, convicted felon, returning as the 47th president.
Indeed, Daniels proposed that Biden was the worst president ever. Daniels criticized Biden for not uniting the country like he promised. However, Daniels said nothing about the stream of toxic and defiant and divisive name calling, insinuations, lies, misinformation, hatemongering, demagoguery and demonization that continually spews out of Trump’s mouth.
Before I offer my own biased opinion, I look up opinions from higher authorities and balanced sources. For example, the 2024 edition of the Presidential Greatness Project expert survey (from 154 historians and experts, at presidentialgreatnessproject.com) has Biden in 14th place, just ahead of Woodrow Wilson and Ronald Reagan. Trump comes in at 45th place (like, the worst). At the top was Abraham Lincoln. A Wednesday poll at ballotpedia.org shows Biden’s public approval at 43.2% and Trump’s at 42.5%. And those numbers are close to how they have been for quite some time. It looks to me like Daniels’ opinion about Biden is pretty far off the rails.
Now, it’s my turn. Here, I will describe three of Trump’s “greatest projects.” The first “great project” was his attempt, and failure, to overthrow the 2020 election. All the recounts, court cases and investigations proved that Trump was not only wrong but did something illegal. And all dozen or so of his 2020 lawyers themselves are in very deep legal trouble. But Trump was successful in bamboozling his supporters into believing, still to this day (as shown in polls), in his fairy tale that “Biden stole the 2020 election.” Not only was the brainwashing successful, but the memory damage was permanent.
His second “great project” was in bamboozling the Supreme Court into granting him absolute presidential immunity. Part of this project, also, was the successful “bulldozering” of most of his court cases into the ground. Also, a lot of his court cases strangely ended up in courts of judges he appointed, who, in turn, gave him favorable rulings. Now, no legal action of any kind can be taken against him. And he has threatened many people. He now has as much power as Adolf Hitler.
His third “great project” will yet grow out of his “Make America Great Again” slogan. Up to millions of people, 95% of whom are gainfully employed and bothering nobody, may be displaced, which will have a negative effect on our economy. Government budgets could become seriously chaotic. Experienced people in our high levels of government will be replaced by inexperienced “yes-men,” who will follow Trump’s nod rather than the letter of the law. Social cohesion in this country — and relationships with our global allies — will become unstable, as Trump “invents” more gimmicks, such as the announced Greenland takeover, the Canada fusion to become a state within the USA, the Panama Canal takeback and the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico. What will be next? Cuba? South America? War with Iran? The Department of Justice could become Trump’s personal gestapo. Industry, commercial processes and society in general all like to operate in a stable, sensible and predictable manner. As Trump dissolves the USA into disorder and expanded corruption, we could be headed toward becoming a failed state, lose world stature or enter a recession.
Do an internet search on the phrase “I trust Trump more than Jesus” to get links to articles and interviews that show far-right fanaticism and radicalization among Trump supporters like I have never before seen in the 60 years I have been eligible to vote in this country. Do an internet search on “Leaving the USA because of Trump,” and you will find the beginnings of an exodus. See, for example, the Nov. 7, 2024, article “American interest in moving abroad skyrockets after Trump’s win,” on cnbc.com and “Americans seek dual citizenship after Trump’s election” on nbcnewyork.com. Consider that, in Nazi Germany, the Jews got their citizenship revoked. Suppose Trump starts to selectively remove citizenship from Americans who he doesn’t like (such as Democrats?) or just orders a general citizenship verification on everyone.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.