The slow, painful disintegration of Donald Trump

We’ve been subjected to the extraordinary mendacity of Donald Trump for over 4 years, since his June, 2015 presidential campaign announcement. Begun with racist lies about Obama’s origins, xenophobic denunciations of the undocumented, and vicious smears about his Republican opponents, Trump’s campaign appeared hopeless; no such defective human being could possibly ascend to the presidency. But Trump’s realization he could win with less votes due to red state dominance in the Electoral College garnered him 30 red and purple states and the presidency. Any thoughts victory would bring out a gentler, kinder Trump were dashed when his post-election posturing doubled down on the lies, fear and loathing that have marked his entire presidency.

After 39 months in office, Trump’s reckless conduct has caught up with him. True to his self-destructive nature, he’s unapologetic about the potentially impeachable offences threatening his presidency; indeed, appearing to revel in them with a form of bravado truly scary, coming from a president. A plurality of Americans not only support a House impeachment, they favor a Senate conviction.

Watching a president disintegrate mentally before our eyes and ears should not give us comfort or joy. This human tragedy degrades Trump, humiliates his family, and horrifies people throughout America and the world. Those of us who lived through the Nixon self-immolation from 1972 to 1974, thought the lesson of his self-destruction would prevent a recurrence. Trump apparently, was too busy practicing his mendacity in high states New York real estate and fraudulent business dealings to learn that lesson. So once again we must wait for a decent American leader to tell us, “Our long, national nightmare is over”.

Can anyone name America’s second longest war?

Most Americans are aware the Afghan war, which began 18 years ago this month, is America’s longest war. But hardly a soul can name America’s second longest war. At 14 years, 4 months (February, 1899 – June, 1913) it’s the Philippine-American War which resulted from the Filipino revolt against brutal US rule after grabbing the Philippines from Spain in America’s shortest war (April, 1898 – August, 1898). The Philippine war has been largely written out of our history because it represents a form of US genocide against the Filipino people, with estimates of those killed ranging from a quarter million to a million, most of them innocent civilians. To the US conquerors, the Filipinos were savages of color to be slaughtered ruthlessly so America could civilize them once they accepted our rule. US brutality was exemplified by commanding general Jacob Hurd Smith who proclaimed “I want no prisoners. I wish you to kill and burn, the more you kill and burn the better it will please me. I want all persons killed who are capable of bearing arms in actual hostilities against the United States". When queried as to what the minimum age for death was, Smith replied “Ten years”.

Though largely whitewashed from the US Story, a horrific remnant of that war was resurrected in the aftermath of 911 and George W. Bush’s War on Terror….water boarding

Rudy: From America's Mayor to Trump's Roy Cohn

Rudy Giuliani spent four decades building an impressive resume of public service. US Associate Attorney General in Washington, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York before becoming New York Mayor of New York for eight years in 1994. His deft handling of the 911 crisis earned him Time's Person of the Year for 2001 and an Honorary Knighthood by Queen Elizabeth. He ran for the Senate from New York till sidetracked by cancer in 2000, but rebounded to run for the presidency in 2008, where he was briefly the frontrunner. He then parlayed his fame to launch a successful legal in business career.

Alas, in 2016 Rudy hitched his star to fellow New Yorker Donald Trump, becoming his most fervent campaigner and prominent lawyer. During this time Giuliani appears determined to self destruct, squandering his reputation with endless, ludicrous gaffs justifying, even glorying in Trump's mendacity. As Trump's lawyer, Rudy gained notoriety making damaging public statements about Trump that are inexplicable. Now he's at ground zero in Trump's Ukraine scandal that may bring Trump's impeachment.

Trump was mentored by infamous New York fixer lawyer Roy Cohn beginning in 1973. When Trump's Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself in the Russia investigation, Trump reportedly demanded "Where's my Roy Cohn?" Look no further. He's America's Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has morphed into Donald Trump's Roy Cohn.