The corporate media and liberal commentators went into high gear last week to normalize the far right administration of Donald Trump.
In his major address to Congress Feb. 28, Trump claimed to “deliver a message of unity and strength” to say “we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil” that is feeling “a new surge of optimism.” While these are pretty words designed to appease and mollify the public, they cannot with all honesty been seen as anything but lies.
It is not possible to address the horrors that have been happening at much higher rates across the country against Muslims, Jews and immigrants since the election in a mere two sentences. While it took him long enough to say anything about what has happened, to simply say that we are a country “united in condemning hate” is hollow to anyone experiencing the hate.
It is impossible to oppose racism and stand for Black lives while promoting national “Blue Lives Matter” laws and policies, or to find hope in a response that says the bomb threats or desecrations of cemeteries may have been done by those in the Jewish community, or by those outside the country. Nothing has come from the establishment about really standing against the violent attacks on immigrants. The round-ups of undocumented immigrants have only escalated and driven up the fear that there is nowhere safe.
Trump cannot even bring himself to condemn the reality of hate-filled terrorist attacks by white racists against communities of color. Instead, the only condemnation is against “radical Islamic terrorism” and undocumented immigrants who are pinned as responsible for drugs and crime rates. Trump falsely claims that the majority of those who engage in terrorism are from outside the United States, but the truth is just the opposite.
Another giant lie of omission is that the reason people emigrate to the United States is primarily due to the policies of the United States. Many immigrants have left their countries due to U.S. policies that destroy local economies and leave the people with little means of subsistence.
Others are forced to flee violent conditions due to the United States intervening covertly or militarily attacking them. These are devastating conditions that have long been caused by U.S. imperialism, that has always turned around to blame those who suffer under these policies and wars for seeking a better life.
What we were told on Tuesday, despite the words about wanting peace “wherever peace can be found,” is to expect more of the same. To Trump and the ruling class, it is not enough that the United States already totals one-third of the entire planet’s military spending. On top of the already-gluttonous budget, Trump is going to pull an additional $54 billion from discretionary spending from other federal programs to expand the military farther.
This all just barely scratches the surface for the plans that President Trump has to attack the rights and well-being of the U.S. and international working class. But then, Democratic Party politicians and pundits turned around after the speech and said that Trump had finally proven himself “presidential.”
His recognition of the Navy SEAL that died in a raid in Yemen was highlighted as the “one of the most extraordinary moments you have ever seen in American politics” by CNN commentator Van Jones. What was not said was that the raid also killed at least 20 civilians, half of them children under 13.
If calling Trump “presidential” was to highlight how is following in the footsteps of the many other presidents who have used pacifying words while pushing forward a racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-worker program, that would be one thing. But not the positive accolade they intended it as.
It is long-past time for us to stop normalizing Trump and his agenda. Sitting back and accepting his decrees, like the Democrats tell us to do, is unacceptable. It is time for us to step up and fight back.
