I’m going to go way out on a limb and make a bold prediction no one, not even me, will remember in six months: when this devastatingly chaotic period finds its way into US history books, it will be known as the Era of Cowardice.
What’s been most surprising to me, and I’m guessing to our nation’s founding fathers as well (their beliefs about the existence of heaven notwithstanding), is not that a tyrannical dick like Donald Trump managed to become president en route to a desired spot on a throne of gold instead of his usual porcelain, but that a tiny bit more than half of the supposedly co-equal legislative branch has so wholly fallen at his feet.
It was already awful just catching a glimpse of the parade of Republicans taking policy positions diametrically opposed to those they articulated before the election to keep or advance their place in the Trump toady line.
Then, backed by his keeners (Canadian slang for ass-kissers), Trump went and caused a clusterfuffle (Canadian slang for big mess) with the Canadians, and it quickly became clear that, with the sad exception of Wayne Gretzky (the former ice hockey star who Trump believes would make an ideal “governor” of Canada), the entire population of Canada is more willing and able to stand up to the orange snoracle than anyone with an R by their name down here.
Almost all of Europe, too, in rightly coming to the defence of Ukraine after the US made its most craven UN vote ever amid the administration’s dismantling of damn near everything else that was good about America.
Republicans really should change their team colour from red to yellow, for that’s the colour of the streak that runs through every idea, decision, and action they fashion. Here’s the test for government action these days: will it make the boss happy, sad or, scariest of all, mad? Or, more accurately, will it upset the baby?
The Canada stuff is infantile, even for this lot. Persisting in calling the recently departed prime minister “governor” Trudeau is A-plus work, if you’re 7.
Speaking of numbers, there are eight Republican US senators who represent states that border Canada, and since Canadian visitors spend more money here (US$20.5 billion) than anyone else, one would think those senators would kiss up to their constituents by coming to Canada’s defence.
But this is another new, strange and destructive political reality we have to face: Republican office holders and office seekers are more afraid of the President than their own voters. So they try to say nothing, but if trapped, must genuflect quickly and fully or risk expulsion from the Maga-verse.
I realise this is all very easy for me to say, as no one sticks a microphone in my face whenever I leave my office, but still. The House of Represetatives and Senate are like limp, overly indulgent parents who become even more compliant the more obnoxious and ill-behaved their recalcitrant child gets. (I can’t believe I just used the term “ill-behaved” but we’re all doing and saying things we probably never thought we’d do and say before.)
Trump is, with good reason, feeling so bulletproof these days he doesn’t even try to not sound like a mob boss when he speaks of other countries losing protection if they don’t pay their way. And every day that passes and no consequences arrive for their kidnapping our 250-year-old republic in just two months makes challenging the boss that much more daunting.
One would think their endless arrogance would cause them to self-stumble so fully the movement would eventually implode, but I’m a cockeyed optimist.
Speaking of optimism, signs of resistance are growing on the left and perhaps even leaking into the centre. Damage done in weeks will take years to repair, even if it all stopped tomorrow, which it clearly won’t.
But the sooner we segue from the Era of Cowardice to the Era of Courage, the better off we’ll all be.
