Tricky Dick & Don The Con

Since the recent past election, there has been some assertion that there are numerous similarities between Richard Nixon and Donald Trump.  So as the History major and History buff that I am, I decided to really dive in and test the veracity of comparing Tricky Dick and Don The Con.

I started with the task of establishing a definable scope for comparison to bring out any glaring surface commonalities and where they differ.  I drew on parameters of personality traits, personal philosophies, world view, idiosyncrasies, and belief systems.  Sound wonky and a tad too micro?  Yup that would be fair to think, but I went there.

On the surface there are more than a few glaring similarities.  Both share an acute neurosis and paranoia, such as a fixation of loyalty, both exhibit the tried and true "everyone is out to get me", a good healthy inferiority complex, and a hyper sense of projective  masculinity, and we can't forget to throw in a shared deep core brand of populism, the usage of the "silent majority". All of the neurosis exhibited similar manifestations such as: being at war with the media and the role of media, a steroid-ed up sense of nationalism, and a "too big to fail, above the law" attitude.  Surprisingly, that's where the road seems to diverge for Dick and the Trumpster.

Nixon was easier to get a handle on, not only because we have a life of totality, but also because Nixon's core beliefs are more rooted, especially on display in the White House.  There has been tons of volumes written about Nixon and there is a wealth of data to draw from.  Trump is more elusive, as a newcomer to the political scene his persona and historical portrait is a work in progress.  After really delving in to those parameters as it applies to that scope, there are some disturbing personal findings.  If you're a Trumper, you're really not going to like what I am going to say next.

The main reason that Trump is so elusive is that his belief systems are incredibly shallow and malleable, like shifting sand.  His core is ego and winning.  You could point to those two factors and apply it to Nixon too, but the difference is that Nixon was at heart putting his country first (or is idealized vision of the country), and Nixon as a veteran of World War two was patriotic in nature.  Trump's loyalty is to Trump, or to put it in a nationalistic sovereign context, "The United State of Trump".  Both use Populism  as a tool as a part of their need to be loved and liked, but unlike Trump, Nixon had a certain courage of his conviction.  Trump believes in nothing that does not end in the word Trump.

Their sense of entitlement also come from different places.  Nixon grew up poor, experiencing a hardscrabble beginning that was a lifelong chip on his shoulder and a motivation to succeed at all costs.  Trump was born in the 1% and has never known what it was like to be poor or to be even able to relate to those who are.  Springsteen would say in his song Better Days, "A rich man in a poor man's shirt".  And that makes you wonder how all those blue collar voters in red states could look to Trump to be their champion.  Well that's a whole different study for a different day.

Lastly, it also comes down to brains.

Love him or hate him, Nixon was a smart and under appreciated cereberally gifted man.  I know I will take heat for saying this but tricky Dick was a deceptively smart guy.  Both excel at cunning and political astuteness.  Love or hate him, Trump is like only a few others in his ability to read a room and to adjust his narrative to craft a selling pitch.  That is the true genius of Trump, the slick salesman who pressure sells you until you figure out that your pockets have been picked and you now have a timeshare in a condo in Boca Raton.

As the story of the Trump presidency and phenomenon is written, there will always be the urge to compare him to others in history, hey it's what historians do.  And while it's a fun project to go down that rabbit hole as you've just witnessed, don't we all feel just a little bit dirtier?

A Moral Document

I've always considered the national budget to be a moral document, it list's the nation's priorities and is a reflection of what we hold as important. The new proposed budget by the Trump administration can be best described as a crisis of conscience.

There is a fundamental shift in this new budget away from social infrastructure to a militarized state that is firmly on a war footing. The proposed increase of 54 billion in the military budget is a clear and distinct saber rattle that signals both our allies and the world at large that we will soon be at war again. You don't increase the military budget by that much without a clear intention of using it.

So while we will find ourselves up to our necks in new shiny military toys, the proposed cuts are going to be felt by those who are most vulnerable in our society, the poor, the elderly, the children, and women. On the chopping block are such vital programs as: Planned Parenthood, The WIC Program, Meals On Wheels, The National Endowment Of The Arts, and Public Broadcasting, just to name a few. I must admit I was incredulous when I perused the proposed budget and learned what cuts were listed, by how much, and what the results of those cuts would be. Heck, I think anyone with a soul and a conscience would feel troubled by that news. And, that brings me to this monologues power word....... Conscience.

We probably will never know who exactly it was that thought up the bright idea to cut a program like Meals on Wheels. A program that is so noble and so altruistic that there is literally no ulterior motive on the part of the big bad government. As you know Meals on Wheels delivers filling nutritional food to the elderly, the shut in's, and the disabled. I am interested to know if whoever thought of that mighty brain fart, had any crisis of conscience as he or she wrote it? How about getting rid of the WIC program?, was there any flutter in their soul as they proposed axing a program that the anachronism literally means "Women, Infants, and Children". WIC supplements healthy food for low income mothers, provides vouchers for baby food and formula for infants and small children. What about Public Broadcasting? Did he or she experience any irony when as they were putting forth that as a viable cut, they were suggesting ending a show like Sesame Street which if they personally didn't watch it, they know someone who did?!

We can go around and around on the need to balance the budget and pay off the national debt. I am certainly not saying that there is no governmental waste and there are ways of running the economy more effectively. I am strongly suggesting that we find other areas to consider when thinking of taxes and departmental cuts. Let's see here, off the top of my head we could..... I don't know........ maybe start with closing the tax loop holes for the top 1% of incomes so that they can finally start paying their fair share of taxes. And while we're on the subject of tax loop holes, why don't we close the loop holes for the big corporations too. Don't feel sad for Wall Street, I think they will be alright. It seems by doing those two things alone would help make up for any increases to the budget, and I'm willing to bet a large portion of the national debt would be taken care of too.

Let's go back to that power word.... Conscience. It's time we seriously examine ours if it means of ending programs that helps ease the burdens and suffering of our most vulnerable citizens. If you want to make america great again, you certainly aren't going to be when you go after the poor, the elderly, and disabled. Conscience...... It seems to be in short supply both in the White House and in the halls of Mar - A - Lago.

An Open Letter To Jimbo

My wife shared a story on Facebook about a young lady who witnessed an overt racial discrimination encounter at a fast food establishment.  A extended family member responded with the usual "Pro Trump" diatribe of nonsense and ignorance.  Below is my response to "Jimbo's" inane ramblings.... Enjoy !!


Just came across this and decided to weigh in a bit, and it may come out as a little anal retentive but since starting a political radio show I like to break things down to it's granular level when responding to someone's written words, that way it's a little more cogent and intellectually responsive.

First, the weird and sweet irony of the first sentences about "shadows and ghosts" and insinuating a non existent premise, considering the previous weekend's wackadoo fantasy of wiretapping brought out by our orange complexioned Commander in Chief shouldn't be lost on anyone one with a I.Q. that is larger than your average duck billed platypus.  What IS hard to believe is that you wrote that down with a straight face, I mean c'mon Jimbo, that was precious.

"There's no way in this day and age that I believe that this happened. It's more of this paranoid racial discrimination stuff that doesn't exist."   What does someone say to a opinion that is expressed that revels in it's own willful ignorance?  Really Jimbo?, have you not seen or read the statistics of hate crimes and racially charged confrontations?  If you would like I can refer you to some reports and studies conducted by Ivy League institutions that bear out the alarming rise in hate crimes and overt acts of racism.  "Furthermore we need to stop re-posting these lies and this ridiculous Forum that doesn't exist.".  When saying that something doesn't exist, that flies in the face of rational common sense and reality, it doesn't help your argument or credibility Jimbo..... I would work on that.

" It's like paying protesters to protest something they have no idea about. People that didn't even vote protesting because they're getting paid.".  Believe it or not, I have read this assertion before, and I got to take you to task on this one Jimbo.  I would love you to show me a credible source that can prove that these protesters that you are talking about are "paid protesters" or "actors" if you will.  Please do not cite Breitbart or any right wing media pundit or talk show host, they try to stick to a "lowest common denominator" model when they engage with their listeners or readers.

" I'm saying flat out that no one came in there and was denied because of their color and then somebody came right behind them and was given an application. That's completely idiotic and ridiculous".  Of course we can not really know for certain the veracity of the claim, as none of us were there to witness or "not witness" what happened, but it does not seem as far fetched as you have tried to assume it is.  Hey, if Cheeto Hitler can claim wiretapping with a straight face, why can't a situation of overt racism be realistic?  Jimbo I could tell you about a encounter between a young Hispanic mother and children being verbally accosted and threatened that I happened to witness first hand at a local grocery store.  Don't pretend it doesn't exist, there are too many people around to disabuse you of that notion.

" The same people who we're democrats at the Trump rallies with Nazi arm bands. All put on by the democrats! You people need to grow up!".  Holy Betty Crocker on acid!!, where do you get this argument from?  Why can't you accept that White Nationalist's and the Alt. Right believe what you believe?  This tired argument needs to buried out back in our National Cemetery of Terminal Ignorance.  Let's all try to remember how mango Mussolini made his entrance onto the political arena.  He was the driving force behind that absurd and totally racist conspiracy theory of "Birtherism", the theory that former President Obama wasn't born in this country and therefore wasn't a legitimate President.  He has consistently proven to if not espouse, than certainly flirt with racially charged language to appeal to his base.  Face it Jimbo, he was endorsed by the KKK and others of that ilk.  You may not like it, but you got to own it.  And then the closer to that.... "You people need to grow up!".  Maybe if we try real hard at adulting, one day we may be able to get to that esteemed "3 a.m. Trump Twitter feed" level.

"The only thing that is happening is the racial divide that Obama created".  I need to know what made you vomit out that piece of mental flotsam?  Obama created the racial divide?  How?, by being an African American? Oh Jimbo,  tell me you don't walk around talking like that.  The 44th President took so much hatred and anger from the right over his 8 years in office.  I know it's easy to hate a guy who brought the country back out of the worst recession since the Great Depression, lowering unemployment and giving the American people healthcare.

Luckily Jimbo, I am here to help in your time of need!  I encourage you to listen to my Progressive Political Radio Show "Turning Left with Jason Allen" that is on Sunday Night's @ 8:30 pm (PT) on www.houseofsound.org ....