Twenty-five days in, and the new Administration is already hit with scandal, a rather silly one on the surface, but, who knows how deep it goes. Mike Flynn, National Security Advisor, has resigned because he talked sanctions with the Russian Ambassador.
Nothing illegal there, although it was a bad idea since they discussed sanctions, which are still hanging around. Then, Flynn supposedly lied to VP Pence who then went on TV saying the sanctions were not discussed. Well, it seems that the FBI heard the talks, information was leaked by someone, and it was 'bye bye Mikey.'
This story just does not quite add up. Flynn, is a General, trained in military discipline. It seems unlikely to me that he would, on his own, just start babbling to the Russians. Then, he claims he didn't remember if he talked of the sanctions. Huh? He doesn't remember. when this is one of the key issues in our foreign policy. Then, in a blink, he's gone. The question being asked is, did Trump know he was going to discuss that issue with the Russians. If so, things get a wee bit murky, since this discussion was in December when Trump was not yet President. Still, it would not be a huge issue, except for the idiotic attempt to cover it up. When you are a President that half the Nation does not like or trust and that even a substantial number of those that voted for, don't trust, you want to be squeaky clean while you get going. The whole thing seems like Nixon's Watergate. The cover up is worse than the crime and leaves the impression that the crime you are caught at is only the surface.
All that aside, we are still beset with demonstrations and court battles over the immigration orders. This was not a 'Muslim ban,' since the Nations covered only account for 10% of the World's Muslim's. It really does not even cover most Nations with terrorist activities. To cover such Nations, we would have to include Saudi Arabia, from which all but 1 of the 9/11 hijackers came and which was also the home of Osama ben Laden.
And, we would also have to include England, Spain, France, Germany and Belgium, all of them home to vast terrorist networks and scenes of horrific attacks.
Will the bans make us safer? Not a bit. Folks conveniently forget that the Orlando shooter was born in the USA, as were the Sandy Hook and Columbine shooters. The Virginia Tech shooter was Asian and not Muslim. Charles Whitman who, in 1966 killed and wounded many Texans while shooting from a tower, was a Texan and a Marine. Timothy McVeigh blew up a few hundred in Oklahoma City and was American.
I want immigrants from the Mid East kept out for economic and cultural reasons. We cannot afford them and they have an annoying habit of wanting to impose their beliefs and practices on others. However, keeping them out will not much affect our safety. The issue is a smoke screen being used to hide a real agenda, or several possible agendas. Every player on the governmental scene has an agenda and who knows who will win.
And, this is part of the problem. Trump has assembled a weird blend of establishment types and loose cannons. If he can control them and play one off the other, it just might work. The big issue is can he control himself and is he as powerful as he thinks. And, even if he is, when you are the alpha dog, someone will try to take your spot.
I urge all of you to learn this phrase: President Mike Pence. And for all of you Trumaphobes, out to dump Donald, be careful. You may get your wish and Pence, a devout Catholic and Christian Dominionist, will not be fun for you at all ( note: Christian Dominionists want America to be a strictly Christian Nation that basically follows Old Testament law and that tolerates no variation from the standard).
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