Thursday, May 12, 2022

Movie vs. Reality: Fiction & Entertainment vs. Fact & America Better Wake Up

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Election 2024: The Wrath of Don

When I read the following Yahoo News story the first thing I thought of was this old phrase: “GOOD MORNING VIETNAM” … that was the name of the movie set in Saigon, South Vietnam in 1965, during the Vietnam War. It starred the late Robin Williams as a DJ radio host on Armed Forces radio Air Force Airman named Adian Cronauer who used that phrase to introduce his daily radio show – one that was hugely popular with the troops, but infuriated his superiors with what they called his “irreverent tendency.” 

FYI: I served in VN in that era from late August 1965 until early September 1966 (my first tour with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines). 

Yes, we used that phrase frequently and we heard the radio show wherever possible, which was not often I might add – we were busy with other things.

And now here we are on the abyss of not that ugly war in VN but possibly one massive war brewing right here in America, and that statement is not hyperbole, either. The story comes fromYahoo. News with this headline (edited to fit the blog for maximum attention):

“Trump sees 'vengeance' on the political horizon”

During a closed-door speech on May 9 to the NRCC Trump told the invited guests that “we are coming back with vengeance” in an apparent reference to his as-yet-unannounced decision to seek a return to power in 2024.

Given that Trump has resumed holding rallies nationwide, continues to dominate Republican primary polling and has, since losing to Joe Biden in 2020, repeatedly hinted that he plans to mount another White House bid, it’s not exactly a closely guarded secret that he wants his old job back. Equally unsurprising is the promise that a second Trump term would hold its share of political payback.

Trump, after all, has repeatedly spoken over the years about how exacting revenge is a guiding principle.

KEY POINTS: 

Trump in a 2012 speech: “If somebody hits you, you’ve got to hit ’em back five times harder than they ever thought possible. You’ve got to get even. Get even.” 

Seven years later, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon remarked that if the then president won reelection in 2020: “You’re going to get pure Trump off the chain. Four years of Donald Trump in payback mode.”

In further anticipation of a second Trump term, Bannon went after former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who has detailed numerous instances of what he saw as Trump's faulty judgment in his new book.

Bannon said this about Esper: “When we come to power, don’t think you're going to be skipping away from this.” 

Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham (and Trump Jr’s girlfriend) in an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America” in October warned that a Trump victory in 2024 would usher in four years of reprisals, adding: “He’s clearly the frontrunner in the Republican Party. Everybody’s showing their fealty to him. He’s on his revenge tour, for people who dared to vote for impeachment. And I want to just warn people that once he takes office if he were to win, he doesn’t have to worry about reelection any more. He will be about revenge, he will probably have some pretty draconian policies.”

Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC), one of 10 House Republicans who voted in 2021 to impeach Trump for his role in the January 6 Capitol insurrection effectively has a target painted on his back because Trump as they say now: Is driven by revenge.

Rice said about Trump in an April interview on Meet the Press:He is, of anybody I’ve ever met, he’s probably the most spiteful, vengeful person I’ve ever met.”

Of the Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, just six, including Rice, are seeking reelection. The former president has endorsed GOP challengers in each race.

Trump’s “revenge tour,” as Grisham also has put it, takes aim at those who refused to go along with his false contention that the 2020 election was stolen and fraudulent.

Trump also issued a statement criticizing Republicans who still supported the reelection of Gov. Brian Kemp in GA.

Trump wants Kemp defeated over the governor’s refusal in December 2020 to block the certification of the vote in Georgia and hand Trump the swing state's electoral votes.

Trump in a statement said the grouping represented: Today, the worst ‘election integrity’ Governor in the country, Brian Kemp, loaded the great state of Georgia up with RINOs. That’s right, he had them all. Chris Christie, Doug Ducey from Arizona, and Pete Rickets from Nebraska. It’s just a continuation of bad elections and a real RINO if you vote for Brian Kemp.”

While most Republicans who may have to again work with Trump should he win in 2024 are careful not to publicly criticize Trump out of fears of retribution.

Chris Christie didn’t hesitate to return fire Tweeting:Insightful commentary about three Republican Governors who were overwhelmingly reelected by their people from a former President who lost to Joe Biden. Maybe the ‘R’ in RINO really stands for re-elected.”

Yet, according to polls on a hypothetical rematch between Trump and Biden, the 45th president (Trump) appears to have a good chance at becoming the 47th.

Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele said if those polls are right, Trump’s effort to weed out dissent from the GOP regarding the false claim that election fraud cost him the 2020 election will extend beyond members of Congress. 

Steele told the New Republic: His four years would be consumed with validating his lie. His four years would be consumed with retribution against those who, in his view, wronged him, and he would then corrupt the instruments of power in Washington, from Congress — because he’d have a compliant, complicit House and Senate Republicans who would do every bidding that he put in front of them — and then corrupt the various institutions that would be required to execute his revenge, which would include the DOJ, etc.”

In January, Trump offered a possible preview of how he’d settle scores if he wins reelection that is to: Pardon those convicted for crimes committed on January 6, 2021, when his supporters attempted to block the congressional certification of the Electoral College vote saying at a campaign rally in Conroe, TX:If I run and I win, we will treat those people from January 6 fairly. And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons because they are being treated so unfairly.”

Back on December 15, 2020, immediately after the EC count confirmed Biden’s win, former AG Barr tendered his resignation to Trump.

The schism followed disagreements about whether the election had been marred by fraud and whether the DOJ could intervene to overturn the results and Barr told NBC News:I told him that all this stuff was bull sh*t about election fraud.”

He wrote in his memoir: “OneDamn Thing After Another,” Barr has since offered his own take about what ultimately guides Trump writing: “That Trump, of all people, should consider himself an arbiter of ideological purity — a man whose political allegiances oscillated randomly for decades — is comical. In reality, he has no concern with ideology or political principle. His motive is revenge, and it is entirely personal.”

My 2 Cents: Very good article from Yahoo News – hope you enjoyed it. My advice is simple. 

For America: Wake up, pay attention, and vote. 

For the DOJ: Indict and prosecute Trump and get him off the national stage and hopefully sent to jail for his many crimes.

That would be justice for all.

We do not need our nation to fall into the hands of Donald J. Trump and his desire for a one-man rule in darkness under this banner:

Thanks for stopping by.

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