If the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes the Cynic was around today, sleeping as he did in a bathtub, prowling the streets during the daylight hours carrying a lamp, and searching for a single honest man, he wouldn’t appear to be such an outlier — what with thousands of military veterans sleeping under bridges, and dozens committing suicide each and every day.
For months I’ve wondered why not even one Republican elected official in this country seemed concerned about ethics and the integrity of this country’s governance enough to condemn the rotten, corrupt, criminal behavior in the White House. Are they so sotted with the kid-gloves treatment of the rich and undeserving, and with the abuse and disrespect heaped on the needy, that they can’t see that the direction this country is headed in leads to utter destruction?
From Sen. Mitch McConnell, the wealthiest member of the World’s Most Deliberative Body, who represents the poorest state in the union, to all the GOP’s current officeholders, they appear to have forgotten the caution in the Bible’s book of Matthew: “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”
They seem to be so tickled to be able to pack the courts with those with right ideologues (instead of the best legal minds with sterling upright character) that they don’t seem to notice the stench rising from many of these dirty appointees.
And the Republicans appear to be amused at the constant lies and contradictions and phony bluffs and braggadocio from the Prez that it’s like a game to them. Some of their evangelical supporters even believe that this whoremongering, philandering liar —who’s cheated in all his business dealings and stuffed his own pockets with money from the federal Treasury, while his policies lead his very constituents to ruin — is a man sent from On High.
Diogenes would be amused.
But then, up jumped Michigan GOP Rep. Justin Amash, who broke ranks and proclaimed that the emperor, whom the rest of the world could see, is wearing no clothes.
“Contrary to [Attorney General William] Barr’s portrayal, [special counsel Robert] Mueller’s report reveals that President Trump engaged in specific actions and a pattern of behavior that meet the threshold for impeachment,” Amash tweeted earlier this month.
“Impeachment, which is a special form of indictment, does not even require probable cause that a crime (e.g., obstruction of justice) has been committed,” he continued. “[I]t simply requires a finding that an official has engaged in careless, abusive, corrupt or otherwise dishonorable conduct.”
Well, duh — Trump has done that in spades.
Trump certainly will not be removed from office because he was impeached in the House of Representatives and convicted by the Senate. I don’t think he will permanently leave the White House until the evil accident of time overtakes him, as it will all of us one day. This Dude has said his supporters won’t accept his electoral defeat as legitimate, and could rise up in arms to undo any unsatisfactory voter outcome. And before it even gets that far, he will declare a national emergency — just as he is doing more and more often to get away with stuff not legally authorized — suspend the election and declare himself to be President for Life.
It’s probably already too late to prevent the imperial presidency from plunging the nation into a war with Iran, a confrontation with Korea, economic fisticuffs with China and a full-scale second Civil War at home — all at the same time!
Despite Amash swimming against the Republican tide, Diogenes — who lived in the 4th century B.C. — would point to modern Babylon (i.e., the United States of America) and claim vindication.
Sadly, there is no turning back. Persian writer Omar Khayyam explained it like this in his Rubaiyat in 1859: “The Moving Finger writes; and having writ Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all your Tears wash out a word of it.”
