Trump to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman:
“I like you too much.”
Trump to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates:
“You’re a magnificent man.”
If you are a mob boss selling "protection," you don't hide it. You display it.
Same with an American president.
The first Trump impeachment was a kind of proof-of-concept experiment. It demonstrated that Americans didn't really care very much about a president doing quid pro quo extortion for political benefit. Oh, Democrats cared, but they cared because it was partisan and Trump was obviously guilty and they thought guilt mattered. Republicans said what Trump did wasn't that bad. Nothing to get impeached over.
Remember: Trump told Ukraine President Zelenskyy that Trump would release appropriated funds for weapons for Ukraine's defense if Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine was investigating Hunter Biden. Just announce it. No need to do it. That would give third-party credibility to the charge the Trump campaign was making, saying Hunter Biden was a corrupt part of the "Biden crime family."
Theoretically -- in the abstract -- voters should have been appalled. They weren't. Trump's extortion did not take place in an arena of good vs. bad. It took place in what voters now view as the "swamp," where everyone uses leverage and influence for personal advantage. The Democratic case was muddled because Democrats were averting their own eyes from Hunter Biden's influence peddling.
That set the stage for what we see in Trump's second term. There is no pretense by Trump. There are deals to be made. Transactions. These are as clean and upfront as any commercial transaction -- a gasoline customer getting a fill-up. Those aren't complicated by nuance or values or history or alliances. You want $50 of gasoline, pay $50 and get gasoline.
The media and the American public are attuned to signs of guilt or shame. We know when a politician tries to avoid the hard question. We watched Kamala Harris struggle to avoid saying that Democrats would not outlaw very late-term abortions. She said they are rare. She said they are extreme cases. She said the question was unfair. We got the message: She feels guilty about the answer, that, yes, sometimes late abortions happen and that Democrats defer to the woman and the doctor on that.
Trump is oddly honest-appearing. He is a straightforward liar, appearing wholly convinced of what he says, so he isn't really lying. Just telling his truth and he is okay with himself. He is saying that, sure, he is getting a palatial plane, and that it is greasing the wheels of other deal-making, both public with arms purchases, and private with real estate developments for the Trump Organization. He is proud of it. Trump isn't avoiding the quid pro quo. And since he doesn't act guilty or ashamed, it must not be wrong.
Trump is showing with actions that he will do business with friends and will make trouble for enemies. People were shocked that President Richard Nixon had an enemies list and that he tried to get the IRS and Justice Department to investigate people on the list. Trump does not silently whisper to agencies that he is unhappy with Chris Krebs, his former head of cybersecurity. Krebs frustrated Trump by reporting that his investigations showed no sign of material fraud in the 2020 election. Trump didn't want to hear that. MAGA voters don't want to hear that. So squash the little truth-teller. Trump signed an executive order siccing the government on Krebs and his current employer. He wants Krebs imprisoned, or at least dangerous to befriend or employ. Trump is sending a message to every past and present employee. If you make trouble for Trump, he will get you.
And he is telling businesses and governments worldwide, that if you are nice and make gifts, contribute to his campaigns, buy his cyber "collectable" coin, agree to do pro bono legal work for him, then he will make it worth your while.
What took place in the Middle East was advertising the new reality.
At home or abroad, it is the same deal: Make Trump happy, and good things will come your way. Don't disappoint him.
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1 comment:
If you believe that this physical world is all there is, and getting all that you can before you die is all that matters, then his morals are not surprising. Situation Ethics and other secular philosophies about virtue often stated that anything is morally permissible so long as nobody gets harmed.
Even that now seems quaint and old fashioned. Now it’s “exploit your power to take whatever you want, and can get away with”. Nothing else matters. Trump is as Machiavellian as you can get.
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