Tracker Pixel for Entry

​The Infantile Politics Of Compulsive Trump Bashing

Last Word | January 16th, 2019

President Donald Trump in Fargo - photograph by C.S. Hagen

By Gary Olson
olsong@moravian.edu

"People spend so much time mocking Trump or waiting for him to be impeached. And the danger with this kind of obsession with a single person is that you don’t see the system that produced him."
— Arunhati Roy

National Security Adviser John Bolton is criss-crossing the Middle East to engage in damage control, or what The New York Times derisively termed “clearing up after his boss.” Washington’s war crimes’ partners are being told that Trump misspoke when he said “Our boys, our young women, our men, they’re coming back home. We won.” U.S. allies will receive assurance that American soldiers will continue to be cannon fodder, killing or being killed on behalf of Israel and various Arab tyrants in the region. U.S. taxpayers will continue to foot the bill.

Credible sources indicate that Trump didn’t know about Bolton’s contradictory statement until reading about it in The New York Times or watching it on Fox News. But turnabout is fair play as Bolton was blindsided by Trump’s initial order to withdraw 2,000 troops from Syria. No longer trusting his advisors, Trump acted after a phone conversation with Turkish President Erdogan who wondered why U.S. troops were still in Syria, to which Trump reportedly replied “You know what? It’s yours. I’m leaving.”

(Not part of Trump’s inner circle, superhawk Bolton is a pawn of billionaire, ultra-Zionist Sheldon Adelson who prevailed upon Trump to appoint him as National Security Adviser. Trump has been known to refer to Bolton as “Mike Bolton” and has disparaged his ridiculous ‘stash ).

Not long ago, I asked whether we should care about Trump’s motives for withdrawing our troops. First, I agree with Arunhati Roy that focusing so much on Trump’s personality or possible impeachment is a serious mistake because it detracts attention from the structural forces at play in this in-fighting between elites. Second, we can readily assume that Trump doesn’t give a fig about the human costs of war. But then, neither do his globalist-oriented opponents. Perhaps his decision was about pleasing his base by fulfilling a campaign pledge; Did Sen. Rand Paul or Steve Bannon whisper something in his ear or was Trump simply animated by his America First rhetoric? Who cares.

Third, what’s critically important is the across-the-board, apoplectically negative reaction, especially from leaders of the Democratic Party. Why is this so important? Because for a moment the curtains were pulled back to reveal with acute moral clarity, the bipartisan support for American imperialism, endless wars and transparent contempt by our overlords for democracy. Democratic Rep. Adam Smith, Chair of the House Armed Services Committee, praised Bolton’s contradicting the president and his mission to maintain U.S. national security interests in the Middle East. Smith is calling former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis before his committee to offer his “invaluable” advice on Trump’s grievous decision. The total disregard for our citizens is apparent in poll results showing that a majority of Americans, including 70 percent of veterans, favor getting out of Syria and Afghanistan.

Fourth, I “get” the widespread desire, oftentimes coming from well-meaning, decent people to identify some “good guys” here, not least because I’ve also harbored those illusions in the past. However, it’s evident to anyone with eyes to see and a modicum of integrity, that this battle is between Trump’s abhorrent America First nationalism and the political establishment’s neoliberal imperialism.

Finally, imperialism, as Chris Hedges put it the other day, is of one piece with the imperatives of U.S. capitalism: “The corporations that own the media and the two major political parties have a vested interest in making sure there is never serious public discussion about issues ranging from our disastrous for-profit health system and endless wars to the virtual tax boycott that large corporations have legalized.” In short, we don’t have a side in this intra-elite fight. If Trump is impeached it will be because the powers-that-be have concluded that he’s no longer a reliable tool for lining their pockets and advancing the empire.

Trump bashing, as smugly gratifying as it might be, only obscures some basic truths and handicaps our thinking about the best way to unite and struggle against a common enemy. Call me naive but I believe that when enough people understand that, the odds of prevailing will shift strongly in our favor. 

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comNorth Dakota communities will join a “nationwide day of defiance” against authoritarianism and President Donald Trump’s policies on Saturday, June 14. A range of "No Kings" events…

Back-to-school season is on the horizon, but there's still plenty of summer left. Check out our favorite August attractions and events in North Dakota and western Minnesota. And if if you missed them, here are a few excellent May…

June 21, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 Broadway N., Fargo“We Watch Shudder,” Fargo’s favorite horror podcasters, bring on the darkness during the longest day of the year. The Darkest Day of Horror Film Festival features…

Fighting the good fightBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Over two thousand rallies took place nationwide June 14 as part of the “No Kings" protest. Ten of those protests were held in North Dakota, with thousands in attendance.…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWe need Paul Revere on a Harley: “ants and autocrats are coming!”The Asian needle ant has been nesting in the American South since at least 1932. It probably hitched a ride on a freighter from…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com The weather warmed up quickly here in the upper Midwest this spring, sparking prime eating season. This means burger battles, food trucks and lake-season food travel. The 2025 Downtown Fargo Burger…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com The June 9 death of musician Sylvester Stewart, known much better by stage name Sly Stone, saw an outpouring of tributes, memorials and appreciations from some who knew him personally and many…

By Deb Wallworkdwallwork@icloud.comI first met Catherine Mulligan at a party at her house. It was a small gathering, spontaneous, just a few people over for dinner. Directed toward a stack of plates and bowls and a big pot warming…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comAct Up Theatre, in partnership with Minnesota State University Moorhead, will present “The Sound of Music” on June 10-14. All shows are at 7:30 p.m. at the Minnesota State Moorhead’s…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

The drug that keeps re-purposing itselfBy Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There is a drug that is getting a lot of attention nowadays all over the world. It has various commercial names (Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), but…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…