I normally avoid patriotic events. They invariably remind me of the flag-waving idiocy that led to World War I.
In fact, I was even kicked out of the Boy Scouts in New York City after loudly commenting that their uber-patriotic display of flags, drums, crashing music and paramilitary uniforms looked like the old Hitler Youth.
But watching the inauguration of President Donald Trump (that’s the first time I write these words) I must admit the ceremony moved me way beyond my normally cynical self.
Mind you, I’ve been observing presidential investitures since my father flew us down from New York City to observe President Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration in 1953. I vividly recall being awed by the giant atomic cannon being towed down Pennsylvania Avenue. I remember reading a fine biography of Genghis Khan on our Eastern Airlines flights.
What I found most impressive this time was the reaffirmation of America’s dedication to the peaceful transfer of political power. This was the 45th time this miracle has happened. Saying this is perhaps banal, but the handover of power never fails to make me proud to be an American and thankful we had such brilliant founding fathers.
This peaceful transfer sets the United States apart from many of the world’s nations, even Britain and Canada, where leaders under the parliamentary system are chosen in a process resembling a knife fight in a dark room. The US has somehow managed to retain its three branches of government in spite of the best efforts of self-serving politicians to wreck it.
Each new president inherits a sea of problems from his predecessor. Donald Trump’s biggest legacy headaches and priority will be in the Mideast, a disaster area on its own but made far, far worse by the bungling of the Obama administration and its dimwitted attempts to put the US and Russia on a collision course.
Thanks to George W. Bush – who dared show his face at the inauguration – and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Obama, Trump inherits America’s longest war, Afghanistan, with our shameful support of mass drug dealing, endemic corruption, and war crimes. Add the crazy mess in Iraq and now Syria.
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I'm not sure of your point, but I can't see why George Bush wouldn't "dare to show his face" at the inauguration. I mean, he's done nothing to be ashamed of. I didn't agree with everything he did, but he was far and away a better president than Obama, surely, in a thousand ways! And calling Obama a "Nobel laureate" is being generous. The Nobel is a political stunt, a giveaway from one set of liberals to a particular liberal they wish to commend for some reason. It stopped being meaningful about a decade or so ago. Obama, had been in his job for what, months when he was "awarded" the Nobel? It means as much as the medal he gave himself a few weeks before he left office.
ReplyDeleteHe did nothing, even in his 8 years, to earn such an award. America has never been so divided, especially in terms of race, the responsibility for that can land right on his desk.
Hello Kathleen:
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for your comment.
The points and statements you refer to are those of Eric Margolis. I like to read him because even though I don't agree with him on every issue he's an interesting character. He was a war correspondent who saw first hand what was going on in countries we invaded so his insights there are valuable.
As for Mr Bush not showing his face I assume Margolis was referring to the fact that the Bush family was rabidly anti-Trump and did everything they could to hurt him in the primaries.
Thanks again for writing.