17 January 2018

Cogito Ergo Non Serviam

Holding Trump's Sycophants to Account

The Trump administration is difficult to describe because it is a unique phenomenon in the history of the American Republic. A willfully ignorant bigot with no real qualifications leads the world's most powerful empire. His blunders are ignored, and his lies are beyond legendary. They have become a statistic at 2,000 since his inauguration and counting. Since his base and his party, which controls both chambers in Congress, will not hold him to account, the next best option is to hold his enablers to account. Currently, the sycophants surrounding him suffer no real consequences for their actions and inactions in furtherance of his ego. Perhaps if that changes, someone will start reining in the president's worst impulses.

Take yesterday's testimony before a House committee by Heimatschutzminister (Secretary for Homeland Security for those unfamiliar with the original) Kirstjen Nielsen. In an exchange with Senator Dick Durbin regarding the use of profanity by the president with reference to certain nations populated mainly by black people, she claimed she didn't remember the precise words but did label it as "strong language." This matters because if the president is making racist remarks in negotiations on legislation, it's evidence of a racist attitude that is going to underpin policy, which is something a multi-ethnic country like the US cannot afford.

Instead, she said, "The conversation was very impassioned. I don't dispute that the president was using tough language. Others in the room were also using tough language. The president used tough language in general, as did other congressmen in the room, yes sir." Tough is not the same as vulgar, nor is it the same as racist. In short, she didn't want to tell the truth.

However, her dissembling went even farther. The questioning turned to Mr. Trump's preference for immigrants from Norway. "Norway is a predominantly white country, isn't it?" asked Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT). "I actually do not know that, sir," Ms. Nielsen said, "but I imagine that is the case." One wouldn't want to call the president a racists if one works for him because that implies one is also a racist. However, it's rather difficult for any adult not to know Norwegians in general are white. It is impossible for a qualified Heimatschutzminister not to know that.

Moreover, one cannot believe that a woman with her name (Danish) wouldn't have some kind of personal knowledge about Scandinavia's demographics. If she doesn't know this, the Georgetown School of Foreign Service ought to revoke her bachelor's degree.

In other words, she is either lying to cover for a racist administration, or she is an idiot of the first water. Whichever it is, she needs to go. While it is very difficult for a president to be removed from office, Mr. Trump has demonstrated no willingness to fight for supporters who are, themselves, under attack. He much prefers to jettison them to avoid any dirt from their troubles spattering him. There is the lever.

Ms. Nielsen needs to become a liability in Mr. Trump's eyes. The department she runs is hardly perfect, and a decent investigative reporter can probably find enough mal-administration on her part (no one in Trumpland is a professional) to make her resignation inevitable. That must become the norm. If one cannot get rid of the president easily, one can make it impossible for those around him to lie on his behalf.