Trump Mocks What Responsible Governance Is All About
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
He disgraces the office he holds. There’s virtually nothing redeeming about his tenure so far, no prospect for turning a page for improvement, things likely worsening ahead.
The myth of the anti-establishment candidate vanished straightaway after his inauguration.
A dirty politician like nearly everyone else in Washington on both sides of the isle, he breached every populist promise made, serving privileged interests exclusively, abandoning ordinary people everywhere.
He’s responsible for enormous harm to countless millions at home and abroad – the latest in a long line of warrior presidents, waging war on humanity at home and abroad throughout his tenure. His hands are too blood-drenched to cleanse.
For him, w the people includes the nation’s military, industrial, security complex, Wall Street, Big Oil, other corporate favorites, and super-rich individuals like himself.
It excludes the vast majority of ordinary Americans and others everywhere. His endless bluster, bravado, and serial lying wore thin long ago. Nothing he says is credible.
His one-sided extremism for Israel and deep-seated hostility toward Iran could explode the region in more destructive war than already.
His trade war with China could cause enormous global economic disruption if pushed further than already – notably by increasing tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese good from 10 – 25% in January, along with imposing duties on all other Chinese imports.
His failure to back pledges about improving relations with Russia made US policy toward the country more recklessly dangerous than during the height of the Cold War.
His trade deals are hugely anti-worker-friendly, exclusively supporting predatory corporate interests. They mock his promise to “fight for (all Americans) with every breath in (his) body, and never, ever let you down.”
Betrayal followed instead of fulfillment, continuing the same harmful agenda as his predecessors, letting the vast majority of Americans down, feeding them rubbish in public remarks, mocking them privately.
His only legislative achievements benefitted corporate predators and super-wealthy households -ordinary people everywhere harmed by his destructive agenda.
He supports the scourge of ISIS and likeminded jihadists he pretends to oppose. He’s letting millions of Yemenis face painfully slow starvation, countless others dying from untreated diseases, fueling the Saudi/UAE war machine with hugely destructive weapons, waging more intense US drone war on the country than his two predecessors.
His unapologetic support for Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) alone disgraces the office he holds.
He lied saying the CIA “did not come to a conclusion” about his responsibility for Khashoggi’s murder.
Langley, likely most congressional members, and the world community hold him directly responsible for what happened.
Trump claiming otherwise flies in the face of what’s known, more information dripping out steadily.
On Friday, Turkish investigators said Saudi communication intercepts indicate plans to murder Khashoggi were made 12 days before the incident taking his life.
One of the intercepted voices is believed to be the crown prince, technical analysis yet to confirm it. Or perhaps it’s already known, Erdogan holding back before letting this bombshell shoe to drop, maybe with clear evidence proving it.
MBS ordered Khashoggi’s murder, an indisputable fact. A previous article discussed a CIA “smoking gun” phone call intercept, MBS reportedly saying “silence Jamal Khashoggi as soon as possible.”
If other intercepts confirm the same thing in his identified voice, it’ll be all the harder for anyone claiming his noninvolvement.
No matter how credible the damning evidence, including the CIA’s assessment, Trump and regime hardliners stand by MBS no matter what he did.
DLT continues turning a blind eye to his direct responsibility for cold-blooded murder, wanting anyone in the kingdom blamed for what happened other than him and other key ruling family members.
Khashoggi was a neocon/CIA-connected Washington Post columnist, the broadsheet maintaining a stead drumbeat of demands for accountability not forthcoming from Trump as things now stand, other than imposing meaningless sanctions on lower level Saudi convenient patsies.
On Wednesday, WaPo’s publisher/CEO Fred Ryan slammed how Trump is handling Khashoggi’s murder, saying:
“A clear and dangerous message has been sent to tyrants around the world: Flash enough money in front of the president of the United States, and you can literally get away with murder.”
True enough but the statement ignores millions of US imperial war victims post-WW II, notably post-9/11.
Killing anyone is unacceptable. Khashoggi’s murder by a ruthless regime pales in comparison to endless US-led wars of aggression, state-sponsored mass murder, and vast destruction – smashing nations to control them.
His elimination is also a drop in the ocean compared to generations of horrendous Saudi human rights abuses.
Ruling regimes target anyone criticizing their policies, subjecting them to torture, imprisonment, public whippings, and barbaric beheadings for daring to exercise the fundamental right of speech, media or academic freedom.
That’s where world community and media attention should focus, Khashoggi’s murder one example of countless other horrendous Saudi crimes.
The kingdom is run by ruthless regimes contemptuous of rule of law principles, fundamental human rights, and common decency – a pariah state, not a legitimate one.
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