On April 4, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged another 2,000 points, the S&P 500 fell another 322 points, the Nasdaq index officially entered “bear market” territory, and global markets continued to react predictably to US president Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” trade war insanity.
On April 4, the bodies of four US soldiers killed in a training exercise on Lithuania’s border with Belarus — part of the US government’s continued posturing in support of Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia that Trump had pledged to end “within 24 hours” of taking office — arrived at Dover Air Force Base.
On April 4, Israeli forces, armed with American weapons and enjoying Trump’s support and approval, killed at least 60 Palestinians, most of them civilian women and children, in Gaza.
Trump had more important things to attend to than any of those matters, though. He headed for Trump National Doral Golf Club to enjoy a golf tournament. Not just any golf tournament, mind you: A foreign import (Saudi-owned LIV) that competes with American-made golf (PGA). Naturally, he followed up his day of expensive imported recreation with an appearance at a $1 million dollar per person fundraiser for the MAGA Inc. super PAC.
As always, I strongly approve of presidents leaving the White House to partake of golf and gladhanding. A president focused on such things may be temporarily preoccupied and thus momentarily less able to wreck the American economy, get US troops and foreign civilians killed, etc.
My complaint here isn’t with Trump, really. He is what he is, and I knew he was a snake when you picked him up. It’s with Trump’s enablers, and more specifically with those enablers who’ve been getting on my last nerve lately with a particular five-word chorus heard daily across the fruited plain:
“I didn’t vote for THIS!”
Yes. You. Did.
Nearly three months into Trump’s second presidency and after three consecutive presidential campaigns, none of his supporters have any excuse for not knowing his record of keeping bad promises, breaking good promises, and hitting the links or headlining a “friendly crowd” event whenever putting on a suit and answering tough questions might get embarrassing.
At least the supporters who continue to make excuses for him — “he’s playing 6D chess and you just don’t understand,” “the DEEP STATE is making him do all the bad things he does,” etc. — can be explained: Half of Americans possess below-median intelligence.
And those who, at any point, have finally admitted to themselves and others that they fell for a scam should be supported, commended, and consoled.
But the “I didn’t vote for THIS!” crowd? They clearly follow current affairs. They clearly know their votes enabled this craziness. Now they want absolution without first accepting responsibility for what they did.
One variant: “The choice was Trump or Harris. I just went for the lesser evil.” Nope. Every state ballot except New York’s (where you could write in) offered AT LEAST three choices … and no one forced you to vote at all.
Own your actions. Then go and sin no more.
Thomas L. Knapp (Twitter:@thomaslknapp) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in north central Florida.
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